The hunt is on for any stories or artefacts relating to the activity of local women during World War 1.
The team at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum would like any stories, information and artefacts relating to Otago women during World War 1 for an exhibition in 2017, Toitu curator Sean Brosnahan said.
The Women’s War exhibition, which would focus solely on World War 1 as part of Toitu’s ongoing centenary commemorations, was inspired by contact with the Belgian embassy in Canberra last year about Order of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium medals awarded to more than 30 New Zealand women after the war, he said.
Twenty-four of the medals — given to women who had helped Belgian citizens or military members during the war — had been awarded to Dunedin women, he said.
While the museum had done plenty about World War 1, the majority of its exhibitions had featured men, so the museum had decided to do a exhibition solely dedicated to women, he said.
The use of Toitu for the exhibition would also be special because the museum’s premises included the former Early Settlers Hall, where most of Dunedin’s patriotic activities had been based, a point of ‘‘real pride’’ for the museum, he said.
The Otago and Southland Women’s Patriotic Association was based in the hall, from where it co-ordinated groups of women who baked, knitted and sewed goods, entertained soldiers with choirs and plays, and fundraised for the war effort, he said.
However, the exhibition would not just highlight the women who contributed to the war effort at home. Also to feature would be the 130 Dunedin-trained nurses and masseuses who went overseas as members of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, Toitu visitor experience manager Kirsty Glengarry said.
It would also look at women who had opposed the war, Ms Glengarry said.
