Thinking of all those who’ve served or been affected by war. And on this ANZAC day I wish to give tribute to those women who did it very tough on farms during WW2 to feed Australians as well as Australian, British and US troops. They faced often hazardous working conditions and unfamiliar machinery, animosity, little ready money and also many of the agricultural chemicals of the time had later effects on the women’s health.
The thousands of women who volunteered for Australia’s Land Army weren’t given recognition or allowed to march in ANZAC day parades until 40 years after the war, in 1985. And there still remains little, if any, acknowledgement of the many migrant women left to keep farms going alone during the war – with no Land Army help – after their innocent husbands were interned in precautionary measures.
It was a privilege for me to listen to and write about some of these women’s experiences. The photographs are mainly of Australian Land Army women because cameras were confiscated from Italian migrants at the time or they couldn’t afford them. So I’ve included an old photograph of women on my bisnonna’s farm from not long after the war. It does make me smile to see the Australian women in their summer shorts knowing the Italian women mostly wore cotton dresses while working. Yet all of them with the same purpose during very trying times – contributing through hard work, not giving up and working together. Con grazie di cuore. Zoë xx
Zoë Boccabella 
Hi Zoe this is so very interesting. People tend to forget about the women who struggled through those war years. Thanks for sharing. Kindest Regards Rosemary
Thank you, Rosemary, I have so much admiration for what these women did during the war. And yes, some of the women especially did it very tough. Zoe xx
Wonderful and beautiful photos Zoe! Thank you for advocating & celebrating the contributions migrant women and women in general made for the war effort, both here in Australia and in Europe. Too little respected and acknowledged but gradually attitudes are changing! Thank you for encouraging and enabling those changes.
Best wishes,
Helena Voss
I appreciate that very much, Helena, thank you! Yes, this part of our history has long been overlooked or not discussed and while some aspects might be raw or difficult to acknowledge, remembering and talking about it is, to me, at least one way to honour these strong, wonderful women. Zoe xx
Thank you Zoe
Much appreciated, Rodney. x