Australian Women in War
The Virtual War Memorial contains a large collection of service records for women spanning across all periods and conflicts.
To assist the public in finding women’s resources, we have brought together all specific women’s branches currently on file as well as articles and additional resources.
It must be noted that whilst a woman may have enlisted with a women’s service, she may have still served in the main service.
Branches are listed in all conflicts that they were present. Some branches changed names, were amalgamated, disbanded, and resurrected.
If you are unable to find your person in these lists, please try the universal search above or contact us for assistance.
Australian Nurses at War Database
Service records held at the National Archives of Australia and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Roll may list a nurse by their maiden name, their married name or another married name if they married more than once. It can be confusing and sometimes difficult to find the records. An excellent website to assist finding nurses is Dr Kirsty Harris’s ‘Australian Nurses at War' set of databases which for WW2 nurses, has three options for finding the name – Last Name on Enlistment, Other Known Last Names or Married On Service name.
Find Your Servicewoman in the Archives
Traces Magazine has complied numerous sites where you can search for women who served, including the 'Australian Women's Archive Project' and 'Australian Women's Land Army' along with others. Click here.
Waiting for loved ones, Sydney, 1919. AWM Collection, Public Domain.
Boer War and Boxer Rebellion
New South Wales Army Nursing Service Reserve
South Australian Nurses and the Second Anglo-Boer War
World War One
Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS)
Australian Dictionary of Biography AANS collection
Randwick, NSW, 1945. Members of AWAS working on anti-aircraft gun. AWM Collection, Public Domain.
World War Two
Australian Army Medical Women’s Service (AAMWS)
Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS)
Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS)
Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA)
Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS)
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS)
Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF)
Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS)
The Vyner Brooke / Radgi Beach Atrocity
Podcast - The Sudden Storm: The Bangka Island Massacre
Sister Mary Hamilton McFarlane and the Tragedy of the AHS Centaur
Women's Services: Episode 3 of Paths to Victory podcast series
VWMA Video - Women in War: Florence Violet Mckenzie aka 'Mrs Mac'
Korean War
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS)
Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF)
Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS)
Vietnam War
Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC)
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service (RANNS)
Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF)
Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS)
Modern
Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC)
Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS)
Signalwoman I. Brazier of AWAS, 1943 in Albany, Australia. AWM Collection, Public Domain.
Articles
Kapara: Convalescence during the World Wars
Someone to Watch Over Them – A Poem of the Great War Nurses
South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau
The Battle of Adelaide: The Cheer-Up Society and the Returned Soldiers Association