Osborne, Elizabeth (1995) Our voices: Torres Strait Islander women in a war zone, 1942-1945. PhD thesis, James Cook University of North Queensland.

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Abstract

This thesis is in the form of an inquiry: What were the present perceptions of Torres Strait Islander women about their experiences during the Pacific War from 1942 to 1945? It is based largely on the oral testimonies of old island women. The aim was a partial inversion of the historical episode, or the best possible insider perspective of it. Extensive oral history was incorporated in the text to effect this outcome. In early 1942, it became clear to the people that the women would not be evacuated. Then, all but two white government men evacuated to the mainland. A distressing enlistment campaign followed. Nonetheless, many men saw enlistment as a catalyst to a new deal for all Torres Strait Islanders after the war. They wanted to break free of the internal colonial yoke which had kept them 'innocent' and apart from the world beyond Torres Strait for too long. The women, children and old people were left sandwiched between Australia's front line of defence and the rapidly advancing Japanese forces, undefended and with virtually no civil defence preparation. Only seventy years before the Pacific War, Torres Strait Islander warriors, after the performance of rituals associated with cult heroes, went to war confident of victory. From 1942 to 1945, they believed it was the women's prayers to their Christian God that camouflaged the enlisted men from danger and defeat. In their semi-subsistence societies, gardens had to be maintained under unprecedented circumstances; clothing and store foods were scare and the women had little money to make purchases. They took responsibility for the schooling of their children and for village health. The Pacific War was the most fearful and uncertain period in their history but the women did not abandon all social activities. Indeed, it was a time of breaking down barriers with white men, the servicemen who went to the communities. There were gaps in the women's recollections. It was too late to get the stories of women who were grandmothers during the war. The women spoke mainly of the things that touched them in the most personal ways. They did not speak of all the negative aspects· of their experiences which were disclosed in the archival material. The merging of the Torres Strait Islander identity with the Aboriginal identity contributed to the smaller indigenous group's invisibility as a people with a different culture and history. The wartime episode is made more intelligible to an outsider audience, by contexting it in that culture and history. Moreover, the women's plight is highlighted by a discussion of the progress of the Pacific War and insights into what was happening on mainland Australia. The inquiry establishes that, in remarkable ways, Torres Strait Islander women carried the heavy burden of maintaining their societies under unprecedented circumstances of modern warfare, to ensure the survival of their culture. Moreover, many of their experiences prepared them for, not the freer world they had envisaged, but certainly a different one.

Item ID:	83984
Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Keywords:	Torres Strait Islander Women, Pacific war, history
Copyright Information:	© 1995 Elizabeth Osborne
Sensitivity Note:	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this document may contain images or names of people who have passed away. Some material may contain terms that reflect authors' views, or those of the period in which the document was written or recorded, but may not be considered appropriate today.
Date Deposited:	13 Jan 2025 05:45
FoR Codes:	45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4501 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, language and history > 450107 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history @ 100%
SEO Codes:	21 INDIGENOUS > 2104 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture > 210407 Conserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture @ 50% 13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1307 Understanding past societies > 130703 Understanding Australia’s past @ 50%
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