Shortland, June

DESCRIPTION

NameShortland, JuneOccupationLand Army, Share Farmer, Preschool Teacher, Dress Shop Assistant.BiographyJune Shortland (nee Cross) first started work at age 18 years at the munitions factory when living at Blacktown where she worked assembling time fuses for the Navy for 6 months.

There was conscription during the World War II for young girls, so June joined the Land Army as part of the war effort. ‘This was very hard work and my first job was stationed at Bathurst to work for Edgells, cutting asparagus’.

The work was seasonal and June was sent to Griffith for grape picking at McWilliams Winery and later to Leeton Factory Letona, to work in the factory.

At Griffith, June found picking almonds the hardest job – when they fell on the ground and had to be picked up to put into the sacks. June also picked plums, which were made into prunes at the local factory. When there was no harvesting the land army girls were sent to the cannery to work.

When canning carrots for the Army, June found the job tedious, because every can had to have a salt tablet inserted.

June had an appendix operation and with twelve weeks in hospital was not allowed to go home to recuperate. She was put back into the cannery on light duties working five days for £3/2/6 per week, or $6.25. Billets were bad; basic huts, no running water, and washing in the dam, which was extremely cold in the winter.

In 1945 at Griffith, June married a farmer, Allan Cross. During the war they moved to Tongarra where they share farmed. On the property there was a sawmill, and as a young married couple, they lived in a converted ex army hut and cooked for the men employed at the mill.

The days were hard work, helping on the farm, cooking and raising a young family.

When the children began school, a government subsidised school car would pick them up, and later when they gave it up, June got a taxi driver’s license and continued the school service.

June and her husband and family moved to their present property, share farming, and later purchased the property. Together they grew vegetables for the Sydney market. The crops were wiped out in the devastating flood of 1966.

Carrying on with her working life, June worked in Wollongong at the Nancee frock shop in the early 1970’s. Later she took a course in preschool teaching and taught for approximately five years at the Mount Ousley Preschool between 1974 and 1981.

June went back into the fashion industry and worked at Anne’s boutique at Spit Junction, North Sydney, catching a train each day 4.30 am from Dapto returning about 6.30 pm.

Contributed by June Shortland 2006.

External LinkWesterly Gale Tongarra 1947

Photograph

Women's Land Army Girls at Tongarra Museum 1995

June Shortland, c.2000.

CONNECTIONS

CollectionPeopleLocalityTongarraAlbion Park

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Shortland, June