serious

"If clothes were given to workers in lieu of wages by way of reward for labour, then the clothes should have become the possession of the worker. By possession, I mean that the clothes should have been theirs to keep, to sell, to trade, or to give to family or to others to satisfy customary exchange. But despite official policy, clothes were rarely given as wages, and it was common for clothes to remain the property of the employer. On cattle stations, Aboriginal stockworkers were given clothes suitable for riding and working, but these clothes were on loan rather than clothes to keep." In 1932 Owen Rowe, commented that: One big station firm indulged in the Christian practice of compelling the stockboys, after the mustering of the cattle was finished, which is just a seasonal work, to hand back the clothes, issued them to work in, and then sending them naked into the bush to fend for themselves [:::] The scarcity of clothing among these unfortunates compels them to wear the clothes until they are absolutely filthy or until they fall to pieces on them.30 The assimilation policy was based on the assumption that the barrier to equal rights and citizenship for Aboriginal people was not the fundamental inequality of the law, but the inadequacy of the Aboriginal people themselves. It was assumed that an innate inferiority existed which might, with suitable training and guidance, be gradually overcome. The question of clothing and cash wages was an important part of the new policy. Source: 2007 " When wages were clothes: dressing down Aboriginal workers in Australia's Northern Territory" Julia T. Martinez ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1786&contex...

Nurses who served in World War One were exposed to the physical and mental strain of dealing with the huge number of casualties from the battles. Once a nurse enlisted, they had no choice but to serve for the duration of the war unless they got badly injured or married. More than 3 000 Australian women served as nurses during World War One. " Source: www.centenaryofanzac.tas.gov.au/history/women_and_war/nurses

The caps or hats tied at the neck with bows are interesting. The fabric of their dresses would have to be a long wearing material such as a heavy cotton and hats and lapels with insignia gave them the look of a 'uniform' similar in style and colour to the men.

Photo with a charm. The younger boy's pose is very charming.