national

The Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) was inaugurated in 1940. Training for members of the WANS included air raid drills, first aid, basic military drills, and even shooting, signalling, and mechanics. In the period leading up to the formation of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS), the WANS demonstrated that women were capable of filling roles traditionally filled by men. Sir Percy Spender, Australia’s Minister for the Army, considered women to be an underutilised resource in Australia’s war effort. Consequently, he approved the formation of the AWAS on 13 August 1941 with the objective of releasing more men into forward areas. Source: www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/awas

And work of high merit has been carried out by women members of AEME. Hundreds of AWAS are in the corps, and they are very proud of their AEME colour patch. Some are University graduates. The Army has to rely on many complicated optical instruments for sighting long range artillery, field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, and coast artillery. These instruments range from ordinary binoculars to complex construction. In all-optical predictors of most work the AWAS has shown extraordinary skill. The girls have also been especially useful in instrument making, armature winding, and other work requiring delicacy of touch, quickness of movement, and perseverance. Source: The Arguse, 20 Jan 1945 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1108145

Purple Pub Officially known as the National Hotel, the Purple Pub was established in the early 1900s. The west wing was previously the Exchange Hotel in Croydon and was relocated here. Originally painted a light mauve in 1968, then a few shades darker in 1975, it gained its current purple in 1979, and now attracts tourists from all over. It’s one of the most photographed buildings in town. Normanton is the capital of the 68,111km2 Carpentaria Shire and part of the only sealed access to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The shire is as large as Tasmania and only has two towns. The town of Normanton was founded as a port for pastoral and mining ventures in 1870. Normanton is the third oldest town in Queensland north of Bowen and is home to the historic Gulflander Railway. Source: purplepub.com.au/about-us/

Normanton’s “Purple Pub” is built in the same wide veranda, high ceiling style, but is an unusual combination of two separately roofed buildings. I doubt it was called the purple pub when it was built in the late 1800s – purple wasn’t invented till way after that. It’s now the best-known landmark in town. Source: splashingpaintblog.com/tag/normanton-hotel/

AUSTRALIAN AB0RIGINES RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING Contact with Whites Fatal In the whole of Australia it is estimated that there are 70,000 Australian blacks still living. During the past ten years, the ratio of the increase of aborigines and half-castes at Yarrabah Mission in Queensland has been greater than that of Queensland's white population. __ This is taken in some quarters as an indication that the Aboriginal race can be preserved. Mr. F. Garnett, South Australia's Chief Protector of Aborigines, does not hold that view. "In sixty years a full-blooded Australian black will be a curiosity in South Australia". he said. , 'Full bloods are decreasing to such an extent that 60 years is a conservative estimate". Statistics support Mr. Garnett. Taking official figures over a period of years the decline of ' full-bloods and -the increase of castes indicate that the 'black race is rapidly disappearing". "The Australian black is not black to the same degree as the African negro" he said, "and- the pigments that give his skin a dark, chocolate, tinge are not so deeply imbedded or strong as' the African negro. For that reason, the Australian Aboriginals quickly lose color when crossed with white blood. Most quadroons show only slight traces of black parentage and this fact will eventually wipe. the evidence of the Australian aboriginal existence." Source: The Mail, Adelaide, 31 May 1924 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63787464

Grey Peaks is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, 1,374 km northwest of Brisbane. It is part of the Coastal Wet Tropics Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for the conservation of lowland tropical rainforest birds.[1] The forests of the national park dominate are dominated by large-fruited red mahogany Eucalyptus pellita and red turpentine Syncarpia glomulifera. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Peaks_National_Park

HISTORY OF THE SETTLE- MENT Yarrabah Mission, situated approximately ten miles from Cairns by launch is conducted by the Church of England and maintained by the Board of Missions and the Government. It was established in 1892, the settlement being opened by Rev. Gribble, who died six months later. His son Rev. E. R. Gribble filled the breach caused by the death of his father, and for seventeen years did faithful service. At the time of our visit, the inhabitants numbered approximately 400. The white staff comprised eleven members, their respective duties being as follows:- Mr. S Lyon, Superintendent. Mrs Lyon, Matron of Hospital Rev. A. C. Flint, Mission Clergyman Mr. R Matthews, in charge of saw-mill. Mr. Howard in charge of cattle and teams. Mr. Thompson, storekeeper, and boys master. Miss Kent, Matron of girls' dormitory. Miss Bain, secretary Misses Howard (2), teachers Mrs Howard (residing with her husband and daughters PASSED EXPERIMENTAL STAGE Mr. Lyon is the type of missionary who evidently believes in the efficacy of teaching a man a congenial trade, and thereby keeping his mind occupied with healthy thoughts if one is to make him increase his self-respect; this, of course, is in addition to wholesome religious teachings. He put his theory into practice at Yarrabah and that it was a success is evident from the moment one steps ashore. Yarrabah has passed the experimental stage! It is now a well-organized community of highly-skilled tradesmen. The township is lit by its own electric light plant and the Houses are "larger: and' cleaner than many of the buildings called "homes" in Cairns. To trace the stages of the evolution of the native from a child of the wilderness to a highly skilled mechanic, carpenter or electrician would seem a tall order, but it means reviewing only a few years of work done at Yarrabah. Source: The Mail, Adelaide, 31 May 1924 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63787464