Old news from Armidale and New England

Wednesday 22 September 1943, The Sydney Morning Herald

HOLIDAY WORK PLAN

A suggestion that business girls whose annual leave is due between October and May should have their leave extended to one month to enable them to work for the Women’s Land Army has been made by the Deputy Director-General of Man-power Mr Bellemore.

Mr Bellemore said yesterday that he was asking business firms, insurance companies, and semi-Government bodies to consider the suggestion.

About 2,500 women would be wanted in the current harvest period to gather fruit and vegetable crops. This was in addition to the number that would be required for permanent work on farms throughout the State.

A drive for Land Army recruits had resulted in 12 Armidale girls enlisting for the duration of the war in the Land Army. The drive was to be extended to Tamworth, Glen Innes, Inverell, and other large centres.

In those districts every girl aged between 18 and 35 was being asked to give some of her time to help relieve the urgent demands for seasonal labour in southern New South Wales.