WW1 theatre show sheds light on six SA women who were a fighting force in Europe and at home

SOUTH Australian women proved a key force in Australia’s fight during WW1 and their sacrifice and dedication is at the centre of a new theatre show this week.

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WHENEVER performer Catherine Crowley uncovered a story about a strong female doing groundbreaking things during World War I, the woman often turned out to be from Adelaide.

Through her research for TheHome Front, an improvised theatre piece about Australian women’s involvement in the war, the ACT performer found herself particularly taken with the stories coming out of SA.

“We’ve done quite a bit on the women of Adelaide because, you know, Adelaide was the first state to get to the vote so all these progressive things were happening in Adelaide for women,” she says.

“And whenever we found big women who have lots of stories about them on the net, they were always from Adelaide.

“Like Dr Phoebe Chapple ... at the time it wasn’t acceptable for female doctors to assist in the war effort and there would have been huge misogyny, but she said, ‘I can’t stay here and do nothing’.

“I love that she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“The idea of travelling overseas by herself in a world where women didn’t normally do that and say: ‘I am here, I want to serve’ – I’m fascinated by that.”

Directed by Heidi Silberman, the Fringe show makes its Adelaide debut at Bakehouse Theatre on March 9.

Each performance during its six night run will focus on different local women each time.

The show idea stemmed from Crowley’s personal project to find more information about her great-grandmother Pearl, who Crowley later discovered had been a pianist at war recitals.

Women’s involvement in the war is often overlooked, Crowley says.

“I was talking to an Adelaidian yesterday about what his great-grandmother did and he said, ‘oh she probably just got married and had kids’.

“There must be more than that.

“This show has been a huge revelation for us.”

The Home Front is at Bakehouse Theatre, March 9-14, 7.30pm. Tickets: $27 at adelaidefringe.com.au

This story is part of Messenger’s 100 Years, 100 Days, 100 Stories project, which will profile 100 South Australian World War I heroes as the nation builds up to the centenary of the Allied landing on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. If you have the details and war record of a family member who served during World War I, let us know. Please go to your local Messenger’s Facebook page and send us the details.

THE ADELAIDE WOMEN

Caroline Ethel Cooper

Caroline Ethel Cooper

Born in 1871, Cooper was quite an eccentric. She had a pet crocodile called Cheops which she kept in her apartment, and lived a very independent lifestyle. A proficient musician, she formed her own Women’s Orchestra in Adelaide before the war. A regular visitor to Germany, she was living in Leipzig when the war broke out. She remained in Germany for the duration of the war, writing a letter each week to her sister Emmie in Adelaide. Although these letters could not be posted during the war, the first 52 were smuggled to Switzerland and posted. The remainder were hidden and sent from England in 1918. Although her premises were often raided by police and she was forbidden from leaving several times during the war, she was not detained and had a pass that stated her presence was ‘agreeable to the military authorities’. She returned to Adelaide for a few years after the war, but returned to Europe where she participated in relief work. She settled in Adelaide in 1936, with her widowed sister.

Dr Phoebe Chapple won the Military Medal for her work in World War I (Australian War Memorial P10

Dr Phoebe Chapple

Chapple studied at Adelaide University and graduated with degrees in science, surgery and medicine. She was keen to assist when war broke out, but the army refused to appoint women as doctors in the war. Undeterred, she travelled to England at her own expense and worked with the Royal Army Medical Corps on the Western Front. She received the Military Medal “for gallantry and devotion to duty”.

Lady Marie Carola Franciska Roselyne Galway.

Lady Galway

Galway was married to the Governor of SA, Sir Henry Galway. When war was declared Lady Galway became a tireless and compassionate charity worker, travelling widely, writing numerous letters and raising more than a million pounds for the war effort. She founded the South Australian division of the Red Cross, directed the Belgian Relief Fund and was the founding president of the League of Loyal Women, an organisation that supplied comforts for servicemen. She did much to raise the status of women in public life.

South Australian Cheer Up organiser and poet Alexandrine Seager.

Alexandra (or Alexandrine) Seager

Seager formed the Cheer-up Society to provide ‘general comfort, welfare, and entertainment’ for soldiers. For soldiers in Australia they visited army training camps and hospitals, organised luncheons, concerts and farewells. For those overseas they sent comfort packages to the front and welcomed the wounded home. Other tasks included encouraging recruiting and fundraising. Seager had three sons enlist and after the long Gallipoli casualty lists started appearing in the newspapers she conceived the idea of a day to commemorate the dead. She chose the violet, a symbol of modesty, sweetness and faithfulness as the symbol of the day. The first Violet Day was held on July 2, 1915, when Adelaide paused to honour the dead of Gallipoli.

Ida Bungardy

Bungardy was married to Frank Bungardy, a German who had been living in Australia since 1909. They had two children and Frank loved his adopted country. When war broke out all Australian residents of German descent had to report to their local police station weekly. In January, 1915, Bungardy was arrested for ‘failing to report’. He was allowed 30 minutes to go home, say goodbye to his family and collect a few personal items under the supervision of a policeman. He left his weeping family behind and was taken to the Torrens Island Internment Camp – a prisoner of war camp which held over 400 men of German or Austrian origin. Ida heard from him occasionally in letters, but many were considered too subversive by the censor and not delivered. After the war ended he was deported to Germany despite his pleas to stay with his wife and children. Ida’s story is repeated many time over in South Australia where 10 per cent of the population were of German origin. She raised her children on her own, practically destitute with no income from her husband.

Adelaide nurse Ethel Sarah Davidson.

Ethel Sarah Davidson

When war broke out Davidson enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service and served right through the war. She was Mentioned in Dispatches, awarded the Associate of the Royal Red Cross, and in 1918, for services in Italy, awarded Royal Red Cross first class. On June 3, 1919, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire [Military] for meritorious services to army nursing.

Originally published as WW1 theatre show sheds light on six SA women who were a fighting force in Europe and at home