What did Lilydale district women do to enjoy the community of others, besides make house calls on each other, if they could walk the distance or get transport? I’m not qualified to answer of course and I’m a little afraid to make guesses.
My father used to believe that “women liked church.” Not a manly thing, he thought, cleaning the church, organising the flowers, catering for the minister or priest, doing the readings of the Gospel. These tasks gave women a role, a place to belong and be valued, company. And what is wrong with that?
The word religion has to do with re-link-ing, with ties to community, tradition, morality and eternity. Sunday services, weddings, christenings, funerals, these were all links in the chain of ties that bound communities together, gave opportunities to come together regularly and to reaffirm their common values. And for young adults to scout for potential marriage partners. Weddings are often reported in the newspapers of previous generations under “Women’s Interests.”
WOMEN'S GUILD BIRTHDAY LILYDALE
Presbyterian Women's Guild celebrated its 14th birthday on Thursday. About 70 members joined in the celebration. Mrs. Howard welcomed the visitors. Greetings were given by Mrs. Robinson (Mowbray), Mrs. Johnson (Invermay), Mrs. Lowe (Church of England, Lilydale), Mrs. Manzoney (Lilydale Methodist) and Envoy Clarke (Salvation Army, Lilydale). Items were given by Invermay choir and solos were sung by Mesdames Sterling, Hugegeuch and Balk. Mesdames Robinson and Cordell sang a duet and Mrs. Robinson recited. The guest speaker was the Rev. J. Roodenburg, who was introduced by Mr. Howard. The birthday cake was made by Mrs. W. Wilson and iced by Mrs. Johnson. The candles were lit by Mrs. Johnson (Invermay) and blown out by Mrs. Gill. The cake was cut by Mrs. Manzoney. Afternoon tea was served by Lilydale women and a stall was conducted by Mrs. W. Wilson. Mrs. Howard thanked all for coming and making such a pleasant afternoon.
[WOMEN'S GUILD BIRTHDAY. (1952, August 16). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved December 29, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52909663]
LILYDALE - Social News - Church of England Ladies' Guild
LILYDALE.-The Rev. H. G. Biggs welcomed the guests at the Church of England Ladies' Guild 25th anniversary birthday party. The candles were lit by Mrs. W. Wilson (Presbyterian Guild) and extinguished by Mrs. L. G. Gerzalia (Methodist Guild). The cake was cut by Mr C. Chilcott (Methodist Home Missionary). Items were given by Mesdames R. Bardenhagen, J. H. Manzoney, L. W. Dornauf and H. Brooks. Mrs. Biggs was accompanist. A stall was conducted by Mesdames A. Griffiths and A. Richardson. Competitions were conducted by the Rev. Biggs, and afternoon tea was served. At the July meeting the guild planted a tree in the foreground of the church to commemorate the Coronation.
COUNTRY NEWS. (1953, July 18). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 22. Retrieved June 3, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61086046
There is an active Country Women’s Association in Lilydale since April 1939 and their motto, recited at meetings, stands unchanged: Our Motto: Honour to God, Loyalty to the Throne, Service to the Country, Through Country Women, By Country Women, For Country Women
I have a sense that women’s lives revolved around immediate family and extended family and then neighbours and community. Their career was domestic life. Comparatively few women had driver’s licences before the 1960s so their leisure activities were often with husbands and children, and older family, on picnics, at dances, all the church affairs, trips to town, with women always doing the catering. Betty Arnold makes many references in her book to outings or holidays at the Pipers heads, Bellingham and Bridport. My wife makes the point that holidays for all often means more work for women.
So many articles include something like this from 1901: “… ably assisted by the ladies' committee, which was constituted of Mesdames M. T. Cheek, Goodyer, G. Barrett. R. M'Kenna, R. Barrett, Rolls, J. M'Kenna, and Christie, and Misses M'Kenna, Windsor (2), Robinson, Baker, M'Gee, Flynn, and Collins.” (Karoola Public Hall. Opening Ceremony. A Successful Function, Examiner 29 August 1901.)
"In 1947 a branch of the Catholic Women's League was formed at Karoola with Joy McCarthy as President. Joy worked tirelessly for the Catholic Women's League and for the Catholic Church at Karoola. She became very well known all over Tasmania. Joy organised many functions for the church over the years and after the Sisters left the district she cared for the Church so well that she became a legend in her own time." (from Centenary booklet for Sacred Heart Church Karoola 1898-1998 published by Billie Parry and other members of that ongoing League.)
Let’s give women of olden days their due: they cooked on wooden ranges or colonial ovens for endless social events, they washed and cleaned up before and after, they washed and dried and dressed their family to look presentable, month after month, year in and year out, on top of serial pregnancies and childbirths at home, unremitting concern over children’s health, encouraging, supporting, consoling, and then often disappearing from history. Death Notices for women sometimes described them as Mrs [Initial] [Husband’s Name] without even mention of their given name or maiden name. Perhaps many of them thought that was right and proper, they became embedded in their husband’s family. Their granddaughters often have different views.
I would really appreciate any memories or ideas put forward by women readers. Suffice it for a mere male to say, where would we be without them?