Look History in the Eye Episode 6

The new podcast series Look History in the Eye, produced by the Public Record Office of Victoria, continues this week with Episode 6 - Pioneer Girls and Flappers.

Pioneer girls and flappers explores Footscray’s munitions factory and the women who worked there during World War One, and earlier.  It’s the story of poorly-paid, dangerous work, but also of the Knights of Labor and Adela Pankhurst, cricket and woollen dresses, parades and funerals. This talk by Historian Katie Wood originally aired live on International Women’s Day in March 2022.  

Katie's talk begins with the sound of a cartridge exploding and the roof of the hut known as number 1 filling room being lifted high into the air by a tremendous explosion. The circumstances leading to the tragic deaths of the three young women working in the hut can be read about in the original inquest file, which is part of Public Record Office Victoria's online collection.

You can listen to the podcast Pioneer girls and flappers as part of Look history in the eye on Spotify, Google Play and Apple Podcasts.