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Women in the AWLA were commonly referred to as ’land girls’. The AWLA comprised young women who volunteered to work as rural labour to offset the labour shortage on farms created by men leaving to either join the armed services or take up essential war work during World War II. Female recruits had to be British subjects and between the ages of 16 and 50 years. AWLA was largely made up of women from city areas who had little knowledge of rural life. The AWLA recruits initially faced reluctance and scepticism from the farming community. However, after formal farm training, the women valiantly took on exhausting dawn-to-dusk work, eventually earning great respect from the farmers they assisted. The women of the AWLA took on hard physical farm work such as animal raising, sheep and wool work, ploughing fields and crop work. This back-breaking work was often performed in adverse conditions and they were paid much less than their male counterparts. The average working week for an AWLA member was in excess of 48 hours. The AWLA was a voluntary group and not an enlisted service. Although the organisation was to be officially constituted under the National Security Regulations, this was not completed before the end of the war. Therefore, women of the land army were not officially accorded the same rights and benefits of other women’s services. Until 1985, AWLA members were denied the opportunity to march on ANZAC day. In recognition of their considerable war contribution, AWLA members became eligible for the Civilian Service Medal in 1995, which recognises the service of eligible civilians who served in arduous circumstances in support of the WWII effort. Source: www.centenaryofanzac.tas.gov.au/history/women_and_war/wom...

New Farm is the land of the Turrbal people. The Turrbal people are the traditional owners of most of Brisbane, with their land reaching as far up as North Pine River and as far south as Logan River. New Farm was, shockingly enough, farming land tended to by convicts from the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. New Farm became Brisbane’s second major farm, established in 1839 to replace the South Brisbane farming area. Therefore, New Farm was once upon a time literally a new farm. The farming area (which would later become New Farm Park) was bordered by two main thoroughfares. The roads were later named Brunswick Street and Merthyr Road. European families settled on sub-divisions around these thoroughfares. While it wasn’t unheard of to find an English, Irish, or Scottish family residing in New Farm, the majority of immigrants were of Italian descent. To this day, Italian culture continues to be a massive influence on the suburb. You’ll find everyone seems to know each other and they’ll drop what they’re doing to have a chat over coffee, cheese, and cured meats. Source: huttonandhutton.com.au/new-farm-a-history/

Apart from being an iconic centrepiece for the city and a lookout for spectacular scenic views, Castle Hill has a significant history. The Hill's vantage was used by visiting American soldiers during World War II. According to local legend, the visitors famously offered to demolish the hill and use the rock to build a bridge to Magnetic Island. A World War II observation bunker sits on one corner of the Hill reminding visitors of Castle Hill's military history. Source: www.queensland.com/au/en/things-to-do/attractions/p-56b26...

On 28 February 1937, Castle Hill Road was completed and opened. Source: www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-townsville/history-and-he...