Women and the Ford Factory

During World War II the Ford Factory in Geelong was converted to the wartime work including shipbuilding operations (1939 - 1945). Ford built 455 Australian landing barges & tug boats made from welded steel. As most of the male workforce was in uniform, women mainly built these ships.

More information:

• http://www.forddiscovery.com/heritage/ford-milestones/ford-milestones-1940s.htm

1940s: Growing up as a girl in Corio

Elizabeth Brown (nee Minns) wrote of her childhood during the war years around this area: During the war air raid shelters were built on the corner of North Shore Road & Melbourne Road opposite what was then the Corio Shire Hotel, which was later demolished when the road became a four lane highway. The Norlane Hotel is now situated where the air raid shelters once were. For the older residents the Corio Shire Hotel was a good meeting place after work & Saturdays. Hotels were closed on Sundays. Often the men having had a few too many drinks, & riding their bikes home across the paddock near Hamiltons, would fall off. After they had had a rest & continued their ride home we would go across to see if they had left anything behind & often found some threepences which had fallen out of their pockets. We thought we were millionaires!! (http://northshoreandnorlanestories.com/5ed84ac0-f100-4423-82bc-ddda9467a936.html)

Geelong Artist: Helen Peters (1866 - 1923)

Helen A. Peters (1866-1923) Australia
Helen Peters was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1866 and she dies in 1923. She recieved her matriculation in 1883 from Flinders School.

She studied art in Geelong under Edmund Sasse, and later in Melbourne under Bernard Hall, Tudor St George Tucker and Emanuel Phillips Fox.

She was a painter and art teacher who worked from her private home in Elizabeth St, Geelong. Helen exhibited mostly with the Victorian Artists' Society and the Yarra Sculptors' Society from 1895. Helen Peters was an active member of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors. She has work in the Royal Academy in London.


She recieved coverage in the newspapers of the day for her work.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Saturday 18 January 1902 p 14, reported: "The local art gallery lias received another addition, in the shape of a picture, entitled, "The Toilers," from the brush of Miss Helen Peters."


The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Thursday 8 November 1906, p. 5 about  her piece in the 9th Federal Art Exhibition:

"The End of the Way," by Helen Peters; also a Victorian artist, shows a swagiuan descending the hill of life and nearing the waters winch, indicate the end of the journey. The conception is good, and the execution is not without merit. The follow- ing lines are attached to the frame: "Why don't I grow rich as I know I grow old? Because with. Billy in hand and my swag on mybick, I wander away on the Wallaby Track."

The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 24 August 1912, p. 13 about her contribution to the Royal Art Society (New South  Wales) Spring Exhibition:

 

"Helen A. Peters, an artist of genuine talent, In "Our Baby" (No. 51) appears to be still showing her art through the weird kind of twilight she brought with her from Paris years ago. Everything ss obscured and confused by this method; and we do not profess to understand its object." 

"According to the Geelong Advertiser's reviewer of her retrospective exhibition at the Gordon Technical College in 1903, she was 'probably better known in the art centres of Melbourne and Sydney than she is in Geelong'. She showed almost sixty paintings in her exhibition, with sentimental figure groups and portraits dominating. The Advertiser reported that Frederick McCubbin had sent a letter to mark the opening, which stated that 'Geelong should be proud of Miss Peters' work when it was considered that she was one of the foremost lady artists in Australia. He concluded by congratulating her upon her industry and position in the art world.'" (From: http://daaouat.library.unsw.edu.au:81/main/read/5062)

 

An exhibition of Geelong women's art and craft

1907 (Sept).

A Women’s Work Exhibition was held to raise money for the Infectious Diseases Hospital Fund. It included over 200 paintings, fancy work, cookery, perseveres & sweets.

It was opened Lady Madern & the Vice-regal party travelled by train from Melbourne to Geelong.
(Source: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Thursday 26 September 1907 p.3).

On the 23 October 1907 The Australian Exhibition of Women's Work opened in Melbourne. Pattie Deakin ran a model creche during the five-week exhibition which showcased the work of women musicians, artists and craftswomen.  You can link here to information about it and images of the Medal for the exhibition winner:

• http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/75813/medal-women-s-work-exhibition-prize-victoria-australia-1907?startType=ItemSimilar&start=10 

Helen Peters a Geelong artist and art teacher exhibited in the Melbourne exhibit.  A separate entry on Helen Peters is included in HerStory. (Link to her for detailed information about Helen - http://daaouat.library.unsw.edu.au:81/main/read/5062)

Women join the Women's Volunteer Police Force

1942. 

Geelong women sworn in at the Public Offices as members of the Women’s Volunteer Police Force.

 (The Argus, Thursday 12 Feb, 1942, p. 4)

Women's right to vote forfeited because electoral offices in Geelong can't cope with the demand

Women in Geelong risked forfeiting their long fought for right to vote because the process for registering to vote is underfunded. This report from The Argus (30th April 1909) highlights the issue.

Corio Shire Council discusses women's suffrage

Wednesday 30 August, 1899 a discussion about women's suffrage at the Corio Shire Council is reported in The Argus. It is clear from the report that women in Geelong had quite a struggle to change attitudes to women's suffrage - the tenor of the discussion is that it was 'undesirable' to give women the vote.