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Australian women's main involvement in World War I was through a range of war charities or patriotic funds, far from the front line—indeed, on the other side of the world. For Australian women, the home front was where the wartime action was—knitting socks, packing parcels, fundraising or undertaking quasi-nursing domestic duties as Red Cross Voluntary Aids (VAs). The focus for much of this female wartime civilian activity was not just the Australian serviceman, but also his dependants, and the wounded and maimed. The importance of this traditional female war work has never been sufficiently acknowledged. Seen as 'watching and waiting', women were also 'giving 'til it hurts'. With the exception of nursing, women's roles were not considered proper war work. Even nursing was marginalised due to a perception of its inherent 'safety', compounding the view that real war participation only meant being in the front line. Source: anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/australian-women-and-war

Something mysterious about Royal Hotel. CHARTERS TOWERS' RICH HISTORY TOLD THROUGH GHOSTLY TALES The gold rush brought out the best and the worst in people according to history buff Jack Sim. Jack runs ghost tours in Brisbane and has recently brought the business to Charters Towers. He was attracted to the north Queensland town because of its rich and prosperous history; he says the town is full of ghost stories. Hotel home to grizzly tales The Royal Hotel is one of the stops on the ghost tour - a grand old building with a dark past. "It was here in 1901 that there was a dramatic and terribly violent incident that took place," Jack said. An estranged couple, the Cordays, met at the hotel. That was despite the fact that Mrs. Corday, and her friend who accompanied her, knew that Mr. Corday had violent intentions toward his wife following their separation. "He was unhappy with her extra-marital relationships," Jack recounted. "After leaving them to come into the bar here to get some drinks for his partner... he re-entered the room [but] instead of having drinks in his hand he held a revolver. "He shot her at virtually point-blank range in the head, and then took his own life in the bar." As the years went on it became well known around town that the dead couple haunted the pub. They are joined by one of the hotel's former proprietors, Mrs. McDonald, who owned the pub for 50 years. "The current owner of the hotel, she tells me that when she comes up the staircase she feels Mrs. McDonald walking right beside [her] as she comes up the stairs each day," he said. "Not in a bad way, she just feels like the lady that was her predecessor is just there with her, helping her to manage the hotel." Source: www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/05/11/4233354.htm

1750 IN CITY'S BIGGEST MARCH ON FRIDAY ON Friday 1750 men of the A.I.F. will march through the city streets in the greatest A.I.F. march since the war began. The route will also be the longest so far. The Lord Mayor (Ald. Chandler) said that he hoped that the people of Brisbane would give the men a rousing reception. Business people should show their interest by decorating their premises with flags and bunting. The only march approaching this one was that in December last, when 1722 men went away in four trains. The men will be drawn from the 7th and 8th Divisions at Redbank and Grovely, and will march through the city at ll a.m. The Governor (Sir Leslie Wilson) will take the salute at the City Hall. The troops will assemble at Roma Street and will march down past the City Hall into Adelaide Street, up Adelaide Street to Wharf Street, then along Queen Street to George Street, and back to the Roma Street station. Bands will accompany the men. Source: Courrier Mail, 08 Oct 1940 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/40935495