INVESTIGATION 7 INVESTIGATION 7 What can we learn about the experiences of our school or local community and its people during the Great War? Advice to teachers This investigation explores three sets of experiences during the Great War: those of your school, local community, or former students or teachers. The approach to each exploration is intentionally different, and you may undertake one or all with your students. 1. You are encouraged to read the Background information as context before you commence your research or work with students. 2. To guide your explorations, you may use or adapt the questions earlier in this resource, or devise entirely new questions. You may also draw on sources from other investigations in this resource or from the CD-ROM. 3. You may choose to use Research guides 7.1 and 7.2 which provide ‘source and resource examples’ and ‘locations’ as guides to what may be available to help you and students. (If you and your students require support in completing Research Guide 7.1, a complete set of indicative examples for Victoria is available on the CD-ROM.) 4. You may use Research guide 7.3 as a ‘model’ for investigating the experiences of past students or locals from your own school or local community. The guide looks at what happened to the Dennis family of Perth, Tasmania, and the Perth State School and local community, featured across this resource. Alternatively, if there are insufficient sources for local investigations, you may use the worksheet ‘as is’. 5. Use Research guides 7.4 and 7.5 to prepare a case study of the experiences of teachers who enlisted in the states. (Territory examples are limited.) Students can present their findings as an essay, poster or collage of primary and secondary sources. Alternatively, you may use the guide as a ‘model’ for investigating the experiences of a teacher from your own community. AWM HOOO90 76 INVESTIGATION 7 AWM REL41899 Background information Academic and popular writers have researched extensively Australia’s experiences of the Great War. Much research has focused on the battle fronts, generating biographies of selected men and fewer women who experienced such places half a world away. Some historians’ fresh approaches and the growing national interest have been mutually supportive; and recent contributions to the literature have included gender, Indigenous, multicultural, non-combatant and global perspectives. Much literature has also focused on the home front where Australians did not escape the war’s horrors and were significantly affected in different ways: they lived daily with anxiety for distant family members and friends; they experienced trauma, often more than once, associated with news of the wounding, illness or death of loved ones; and, they endured interruptions to their daily lives when the lives of others around them were affected. The dislocations to life on the Australian home front were, however, less devastating than for nations where the home front and battle front co-existed, especially in some European countries where towns were damaged or destroyed by war. The Australian home front generated and preserved extensive records, official and unofficial, on many aspects of the war. These records, the non-militarist tendencies of most Australians-despite their interest in Great War battle fields and Anzac Day-and Australia’s relatively short history in non-Indigenous terms have encouraged research on the home front, resulting in numerous publications. Published amongst these have been selected aspects of the wartime experiences of Australian government and non-government school communities. Some social historians have incorporated the contributions of such schools in general works on the war but have often only provided numbers of enlistees, details of ‘famous’ enlistees, vignettes and brief overviews of quaint fund-raising and comforts-making. Feminist social historians have barely, if at all, investigated the experiences of women teachers from any system or sector, despite education being one profession where they had a higher representation than most, including during the war. Significantly, the wartime experiences of Australian education departments as single entities remain largely uninvestigated in depth although selected elements have been addressed as journal articles, chapters or small sections of larger histories. This inattention is surprising considering the huge role of such institutions in influencing the attitudes and experiences of hundreds of thousands of Australians in their formative years. The nature and extent of primary sources related to education departments, individual schools and teachers’ careers varies markedly in government repositories and private collections across the nation. However, sufficient primary and secondary sources may be located to make teachers’ and students’ investigations of all types of schools and local communities both illuminating and engaging. The following pages outline what sources may be found, where, and how they may be used. 77 INVESTIGATION 7 INVESTIGATION 7 What can we learn about the experiences of our school or local community and its people during the Great War? Learning activities Tuning in Learning about a school or local community that existed during the Great War 1. Individually, in pairs, in small groups or as a class, decide what you would like to learn about your school or local community and its people (locals, former students and former teachers) during the Great War. You may write your own questions or adapt questions elsewhere in this resource. 2. a) List the sorts of sources you believe you would need to help you answer your questions. b) If you have completed earlier investigations, add to your list the sorts of items you have already encountered, for example, ‘school magazines’. 3. a) Compare your list with Research guide 7.1. It provides broad examples of the sorts of sources that may be available in your school, local community, larger state or territory repositories, or nationally, in hard copy or online. b) Think about examples of each. Complete the table. 4. Aside from the sources that may already exist in your school, where else would you expect to find useful items for your research? 5. a) Compare your list in Question 4 with Research guide 7.2, and add to your list any additional ideas. b) Plan how you will obtain the sources you need, conduct your research and present your findings. Learning about past students of another school and local community What happened to the Dennis brothers of Perth State School and their Tasmanian community as a consequence of the Great War? If your school and local community did not exist during the Great War or there are not enough records, you may investigate what happened to the two former students of Perth State School: Archibald George Dennis and Roland Horace Dennis. Both were older brothers of Edith, Dorrie, Bessie and Lloyd Dennis of Perth State School Tasmania, featured across this resource. 1. a) If you have not already done so, consult the sources across this resource belonging to the Dennis family (Intro.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.6, 5.1, 5.11 and 6.12), also for Tasmanian government school education (1.3, 1.8, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.11, 4.2, 4.6, 5.2, 5.3, 5.10, 6.2, 6.6 and 6.10) and complete the Source Analysis Worksheet on page 18. b) Resource guides 7.2 and 7.3 may assist your research. 78 INVESTIGATION 7 Tuning in continued 2. Plan how you will obtain any additional information, then conduct your research to form answers to the above question. Notes: Archibald George Dennis died for a reason not commonly considered when thinking of deaths related to the Great War. Roland Horace Dennis’s name is not always spelt correctly in records: sometimes his names are spelt as ‘Rowland’ or ‘Harris’. Edith Dennis’ mother was also called Edith Dennis (identified in Source 7.3 as Mrs Edith Dennis, to distinguish her from her daughter, Edith). Learning about teacher-enlistees of another school and local community What were some of the experiences of Australian teachers who served overseas? If your school and local community did not exist during the Great War or there are not enough records, you may investigate what happened to one or more teachers from your state who served overseas. 1. Consult Research guide 7.4 that offers some names of teachers, preliminary details and questions. You may prefer to write your own questions. 2. Research guides 7.1 and 7.2 may also help you identify the sources you need, and where to find them. Plan how you will obtain any additional information then commence your research. Going further 1. Present your research findings to other students or members of your local community. 2. Discuss or debate one or both of the following quotes by historians. ‘To study war is not to glorify or condone it.’ Arthur Marwick, War and Social Change in the Twentieth Century: A Comparative Study of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, Macmillan, London, 1974, p. 224. ‘[A]wareness of war makes us value peace.’ Jane Ross, ‘The Myth of the Digger in Australian Society’, in Hugh Smith, ed., Australians on Peace and War: Proceedings of a Conference on Perspectives on War and Peace in Australian Society, Australian Defence Force Academy, Sydney, New South Wales, 1987, p. 101. 3. List three things you now know about the Great War or your school or local community that you did not know before. AWM REL39132 79 INVESTIGATION 7 Research Guide 7.1: School and local history sources and resources Types of school and local history sources and resources Secondary sources on Australia’s and other nations’ experiences of the Great War State-based histories including references to the war Regional histories Local community histories Education Department general histories Education Department histories related specifically to the war Teachers’ training college histories Individual school histories (Catholic, Government, Lutheran, Private, Quaker, other) Education Department magazines for teachers Education Department magazines for students; also used in some Private and Catholic schools Individual schools’ or teachers’ training colleges’ magazines Government school inspectorial district magazines 80 Examples belonging to our State or Territory, school or local community INVESTIGATION 7 Widely used textbooks used in each type of school at the time Books known to have been read and used by teachers in each school type during the war Books of a general kind for young readers, published and read during the war in each school type Teacher biographies or auto-biographies Biographies of significant others Archival sources Military histories War memorials and honour boards in schools, Returned Services’ League buildings and memorial buildings in local communities School honour books Personal sources Other 81 INVESTIGATION 7 Research guide 7.2: Locating historical sources Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au Australian National Museum of Education http://www.canberra.edu.au/centres/anme Australian War Memorial http://www.awm.gov.au Archives (national, and state/territory offices) National Archives of Australia http://www.naa.gov.au Offices and Reading Rooms http://naa.gov.au/about-us/organisation/locations/index.aspx Mapping Our Anzacs http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au World War I War Service Records http://naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx Northern Territory Archives Service http://artsandmuseums.nt.gov.au/ntas Public Record Office of Victoria http://prov.vic.gov.au Queensland State Archives http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx State Records Authority of New South Wales http://www.records.nsw.gov.au State Records of South Australia http://www.archives.sa.gov.au State Records Office of Western Australia http://www.sro.wa.gov.au Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office http://www.linc.tas.gov.au Historical Societies (state/territory peak bodies) Canberra History http://www.canberrahistoryweb.com Historical Society of the Northern Territory http://www.historicalsocietynt.org.au History South Australia http://history.sa.gov.au Royal Australian Historical Society (New South Wales) http://www.rahs.org.au Royal Historical Society of Queensland http://www.queenslandhistory.org Royal Historical Society of Victoria http://www.historyvictoria.org.au Royal Western Australian Historical Society http://www.histwest.org.au Tasmanian Historical Research Association http://www.thra.org.au 82 INVESTIGATION 7 Libraries (national, state/territory and tertiary) National Library of Australia http://www.nla.gov.au Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au Northern Territory Library http://artsandmuseums.nt.gov.au/northern-territory-library State Library of New South Wales http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au State Library of Queensland http://www.slq.qld.gov.au State Library of South Australia http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm State Library of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, Adult Education and online access centres http://www.linc.tas.gov.au State Library of Victoria http://www.slv.vic.gov.au State Library of Western Australia http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au Returned and Services League of Australia State Branches http://www.rsl.org.au/About-Us/State-Branchs School archives and histories Older schools may have school archives or published histories. Check through schools’ alumni groups or through local community papers to find other school war-related information. Guides to school history research Geoffrey Burkhardt, Australian School Centenary and Jubilee Histories: A Select Bibliography, Magpie Books, Angaston, South Australia, 1995. Geoffrey Burkhardt, Researching Australian School Records: A Guide for Family Historians and Local History Enthusiasts, Old and Fine Books, Canberra, ACT, 2004. State/territory government record authorities Northern Territory Archives Service http://artsandmuseums.nt.gov.au/ntas Public Record Office of Victoria http://prov.vic.gov.au Queensland State Archives http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx State Records Authority of New South Wales http://www.records.nsw.gov.au State Records of South Australia http://www.archives.sa.gov.au State Records Office of Western Australia http://www.sro.wa.gov.au Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office http://www.linc.tas.gov.au Territory Records Office Australian Capital Territory http://www.territoryrecords.act.gov.au 83 INVESTIGATION 7 Research guide 7.3: What happened to the Dennis brothers of Perth State School and their Tasmanian community as a consequence of the Great War? Tasmania Archibald George Dennis and Roland Horace Dennis formerly of Perth State School State-based general histories including references to the war Alison Alexander, ed., The Companion to Tasmanian History, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 2005: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history Lloyd Robson, A History of Tasmania, Vol. 2, Colony and State from 1856 to the 1980s, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1991 State-based histories of the war L. Broinowski, ed., Tasmania’s War Record 1914–1918, Government of Tasmania and J. Walch & Sons, Hobart, 1921 Marilyn Lake, A Divided Society: Tasmania during World War I, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, 1975 Regional and local general histories Numerous. Departmental histories of a general nature Clifford Reeves, A History of Tasmanian Education, Melbourne University Press & Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1935 Departmental magazines for teachers Education Department of Tasmania, Tasmanian Education Gazette, Hobart, 1900– Departmental magazines for students Education Department, Tasmania, School Paper, Melbourne Widely used general textbooks of the time Education Department, Tasmania, The Tasmanian History Readers: The Royal School Series, Hobart, 1911. (Book IV was used and passed through the Dennis Family) Books known to have been read and used by teachers during the war Australian – The Story of the Anzacs, James Ingram, Melbourne, 1917 Books known to have been read and used by students during the war Australian – E.C. Buley, A Child’s History of Anzac, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1916 Tasmanian archival sources Numerous possibilities, useful for understanding school and community life: http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/tasmaniasheritage War Service Records National Archives of Australia Example: Nic Haygarth, The Norfolk Plains: A History of Longford, Cressy, Perth and Bishopsbourne, Tasmania, Tasmanian Northern Midlands Council, Longford, 2013 British – Daily Telegraph et al, King Albert’s Book: A Tribute to the Belgian King and People from Representative Men and Women throughout the World, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1915 British – Elizabeth O’Neill, The War, 1915–6: A History and an Explanation for Boys and Girls, T.C & E.C. Jack, Edinburgh, 1916 Archibald George Dennis: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3501077 Rowland Harris Dennis: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3501228 and http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1569770 Military histories Numerous possibilities C.E.W. Bean, ed, Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18, 12 vols, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1921–36; also available through the Australian War Memorial: http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/ Search through Trove: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ and the Australian War Memorial: http://www.awm.gov.au/ to locate battalion and other histories as required. 84 INVESTIGATION 7 Source 7.1 Archibald George Dennis, immediately prior to enlistment in Tasmania, probably in May 1916, aged 23. Private collection Source 7.2 Roland Horace Dennis, immediately before embarkation, Launceston, Tasmania, 1914, aged 19. Private collection Source 7.3 Archibald George Dennis’s grave at Cornelian Bay Cemetery, Hobart, 1921, with his mother, Mrs Edith Dennis, standing beside it. The tombstone inscription reads: In Loving Memory of Private A.G. DENNIS Eldest Son of GEORGE & EDITH DENNIS of Perth Died 24th June 1916 Aged 23 Years He answered to his countrys call For sons to guard her shore In honour’s cause he gave his all And man can do no more Weep not dear heart for such as he Will live in Britains memory Private collection 85 INVESTIGATION 7 Source 7.4 Roland Horace Dennis’s grave at Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, France. The inscription reads: R.I.P IN MEMORY OF No. 225 C.S.M. DENNIS R.H No. 185 Sgt. ALLAN. D.H. 52nd BATT. A.I.F. KILLED IN ACTION 25/4/18 Private collection Source 7.5 Temporary wooden honour board in Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, France, naming Roland Horace Dennis among many dead. The inscription reads: R.I.P IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS.N.C.O’s & MEN 52nd BATTN. A.I.F. KILLED IN ACTION HEREABOUT 24-25/4/18 Private collection Source 7.6 Perth State School honour board, 1992. In addition to Edith’s two brothers, six other members of the Dennis family, including her cousins, served and died in the Great War. Image courtesy: Bob Lewis 86 INVESTIGATION 7 This wartime poster indicates the impact of the Great War on families and the pressure on men to enlist. AWM ARTV00075 87 88 Alexander James Gifford 2nd Lieutenant Charles Robert Windeyer Sergeant Major Francis (Frank) McGraw Private Cyril Donald Johnston Teacher NSW/ ACT NSW Hunter River (?) Leichardt Delungra NSW NSW Place of birth and/or residence State Tharwa School Morago http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P01061.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P07806.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/H06524/ http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P06938.002 School location Introductory AWM link to brief biography and and type as photo or artefact teacher (if known) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ result?q=cyril+donald+ johnston&l-australian=y Trove link http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/result au/images/collection/ ?q=charles+robert+windeyer pdf/RCDIG1057999--1 &l-australian=y .PDF http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=frank+mcgraw&l pdf/RCDIG1053250--1 australian=y .PDF Red Cross Missing and Wounded files http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=5033496 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=11583187 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1945016 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1829348 NAA War Service Record From the table below, select a teacher who served overseas during the Great War and create a case study of that teacher’s wartime experiences. Answer the questions and others of your own choice by completing Research guide 7.5. Research guides 7.1 , 7.2 and 7.3 may also provide assistance. A more extensive list of Australian teachers how served can be found on the CD-Rom. Research guide 7.4: What were some of the experiences of Australian teachers who served overseas? INVESTIGATION 7 Private Joseph Thomas Barnes Corporal Ernest John Stay Private Harold Scott Lieutenant Percival Gorman Neeson Teacher SA QLD QLD QLD State Payneham Allora Laidley Place of birth and/or residence Gatton Grafton http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/H06691/ http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P08331.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P05493.003 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P05493.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P03818.001 School location Introductory AWM link to brief biography and and type photo or artefact as teacher (if known) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ collectionresult?q=harold+ scott+laidley&lavailability =y&l-australian=y http://trove.nla.gov.au/result ?q=percival+gorman+neeson &l-australian=y Trove link http://trove.nla.gov.au/ result?q=joseph+thomas+ barnes&l-australian=y http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=ernest+john+stay&l pdf/RCDIG1060073--1 australian=y .PDF http://static.awm.gov. au/images/collection/ pdf/RCDIG1056610--1 .PDF Red Cross Missing and Wounded files http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3050803 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8089083 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3003025 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=7994807 NAA War Service Record INVESTIGATION 7 89 90 Lance Corporal Clement Woolley Lieutenant George Vaughan Lieutenant Arthur Limb Acting Sergeant Roy Holly Larwood Teacher TAS TAS Glen Huon Ulverstone Gawler Yacka SA SA Place of birth and/or residence State Waikerie Village School http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P03483.044 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/H00090/ http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/E04377/ http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P00515.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P09291.045 School location Introductory AWM link to brief biography and and type photo or artefact as teacher (if known) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ result?q=george+vaughan&l australian=y http://trove.nla.gov.au/ result?q=arthur+limb&l australian=y http://trove.nla.gov.au/ result?q=roy+holly+larwood &l-australian=y Trove link http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=clement+woolley&l pdf/RCDIG1064775--1 australian=y .PDF Red Cross Missing and Wounded files http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3442331 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8397626 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8203372 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=7379795 NAA War Service Record INVESTIGATION 7 Captain Alfred Williamson Miss Beryl Magnay Kaighin (Kaighan), V.A.D. Sergeant William Charles Groves Teacher VIC VIC http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P09591.157 Melbourne High School http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P10496.001 Montague http://www.awm.gov.au/ Cookery Center collection/B00673/ Sebastapol Ballarat State School VIC School location Introductory AWM link to brief biography and and type photo or artefact as teacher (if known) Place of birth and/or residence State Trove link NAA War Service Record http://static.awm.gov. au/images/collection/ pdf/RCDIG1064222--1 .PDF http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ picture/result?q=william+charl scripts/Imagine.asp?B=4391134 pdf/RCDIG1062762--1 es+groves&l-availability=y .PDF Red Cross Missing and Wounded files INVESTIGATION 7 91 92 Sergeant David Walter Stewart Private Adolf Thompson Knable Private David Harris Ball Teacher WA WA Wellington Mills Perth Modern School Jamestown Greenbushes WA http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P04071.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P07046.001 http://www.awm.gov.au/ collection/P07540.002 School location Introductory AWM link to brief biography and and type photo or artefact as teacher (if known) Place of birth and/or residence State Trove link NAA War Service Record http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=david+walter pdf/RCDIG1059527--1 +stewart&l-australian=y .PDF http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=adolf+thompson pdf/RCDIG1061640--1 +knable&l-australian=y .PDF http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3013382 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ scripts/Imagine.asp?B=7374261 http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ http://static.awm.gov. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ au/images/collection/ result?q=david+harris+ball&l scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3047023 pdf/RCDIG1037068--1 australian=y .PDF Red Cross Missing and Wounded files INVESTIGATION 7 INVESTIGATION 7 Research guide 7.5: Case Study of an Australian teacher who served overseas. State or Territory: Teacher‘s Name: Are you able to find out where the teacher taught? Are you able to find out where the teacher went to school as a student? Can you identify what sorts of things he/she possibly thought, read, and did during a day at school as a teacher when the war broke out? Are you able to find further evidence of events in his/her school or local community during the war? Can you identify what sorts of things he/ she possibly thought, read and did in private life beyond teaching? In which state or town did the teacher enter his/her wartime service? In which battalion, service or organisation did the teacher serve? Where did the teacher serve overseas? What were some of the teacher’s experiences overseas? Include information on any campaigns the teacher served in. 93 INVESTIGATION 7 Did the teacher return to Australia? Did the teacher return to teaching? Are there any indications of physical and mental health issues for the teacher on return to Australia? If the teacher died during service, how and where did the teacher die? How different do you think the teacher’s attitude to war may have been after his/ her return to Australia compared to the first public responses to the war? Did the teacher receive any medals, awards or other recognition for service? Are there any aspects of his/her story that are significant or striking in any way? Own question Own question 94
© Copyright 2024