Dates
Cards (25)
- Australia declares war on Germany, aligning with Britain and France
- The National Security Act 1939 is enacted, granting the government broad powers to control the war effort
- The Country Women’s Association (CWA) began organizing women to do men’s farm work
- Government introduced enlistment entry rules, preventing Australians of non-European origin or descent from joining the AIF or Royal Australian Navy
- Women’s participation in the paid workforce increased by 31%
- Government introduced petrol rationing
- Establishment of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF)
- The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) began serving overseas in Palestine
- Thousands of enemy aliens were interned in camps around Australia
- Establishment of the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS)
- The Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) began enlisting women
- Japan enters the war; Australian participation shifts to national defense
- Government ordered all 18-year-olds to register for potential defense roles
- Australians prepared for air-raid drills
- Fall of Singapore increases demand for munitions
- Establishment of the Women’s Employment Board (WEB)
- The Commonwealth Government established the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA)
- Rationing introduced; ration books issued for food and clothing
- Prime Minister John Curtin announced the ‘season of austerity’
- Government began conscripting men aged 18-25 and single men aged 35-45 into the CMF
- Establishment of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service (AAMWS)
- The ‘Battle of Brisbane’
- Directorate of Manpower conscripts childless women aged 18-45 for specific employment areas
- The WAAAF employed 18,000 women
- The Cowra breakout