Legend of the Land Army turns 100

Margaret Elliott of Kempton, the last living member of the Australian Women’s Land Army in Tasmania, celebrated her 100th Birthday at the Brighton Bowls Club on June 13.

At age 16 Margaret volunteered to help the war effort and joined the female workforce trying to address the farm workers’ shortage caused by people enlisting during World War II.

From the suburbs of Hobart to Cressy, the site of Australia’s first AWLA training school set up at the Cressy Agricultural Research Station, she was thrust into a crash course in farming, receiving hands-on experience in dairy, sheep and piggery work, working horse teams, tractor driving and equipment maintenance.

From there she was moved to the Scottsdale Commission, established in 1944, where the girls were housed in rooms under the old showground grandstand while huts were built at what became known as Wonder Valley on the banks of the Great Forester River, northeast of Scottsdale. 

Taking over from experienced farm hands, they ploughed and sowed fields using horses and some of the early tractors, took care of the crop harvest and simply did whatever they were told to do on their assigned farms.

Tasmanian Country told the story of Mrs Elliott’s amazing life in November last year and the article is available on the Tasmanian Country website here

At her centenary celebration and looking beautiful in blue, she was greeted by 65 friends and family members, including her six surviving children (from nine) Geoffrey, Peter, Denise, Christine, Deborah and Amanda.

Mrs Elliott was honoured by the attendance of four Army cadet representatives and independent Tasmanian Senator Andrew Wilkie, a former military officer, who formally presented her with letters of congratulations from King Charles and  Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Tasmanian Governor  Barbara Baker and Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

Perhaps most poignant was the Certificate of Recognition she received from Lieutenant Colonel Mounter, Commander of the Australian Army Cadet (AAC) Battalion, Tasmania.

It was presented in appreciation of her service in the Australian Women’s Land Army during WWII (1939-1945).

The certificate said:

“You served with honour in the Tasmanian Women’s Land Army, contributing essential agricultural labour that sustained the nation’s food production while Australian men and women served overseas. Your dedication, resilience, and patriotism in the face of wartime challenges exemplified the highest tradition of service to Australia.

“Your efforts helped secure victory and build the foundations of our post-war prosperity. This recognition is offered on behalf of the Australian Army and a grateful nation.”

AWLA members were at the time not considered worthy of recognition for their work and it wasn’t until 1995 they became eligible for the Civilian Service Medal.

Margaret applied for hers and it was unceremoniously received through the post.

Mrs Elliott met her late husband Adrian at a dance at Campania and they were married on November 16, 1946 at Holy Trinity in Hobart – he only had to serve 12 months with the Air Force due to being required on the family farm at Brown Mountain.

Now living with her daughter Deborah at Kempton, Margaret holds on to many stories about the AWLA and the farming communities that shaped her life and she said she appreciates the recognition she has now received.