Australian Army Education Service

Seven months ago a single leaky marquee housed a small library, an office table and a rough leaky bench where one man with a knife and ruler worked making a trinket out of three ply and veneer. In those seven months a model community centre - perhaps a prototype for civil adult education of the future - has grown to serve the need of the 50,000 or so troops who pass through the hospital each year. A Fibrolite hut houses a compact reference library of 1500 books including a section for general reading hardly sufficient for the heavy demand. The hut is equipped with a public address system donated by a South Australian Auxiliary. The system has microphone, radio and record pickup to broadcast entertainment, talks and news through loudspeakers (60) and 100 pairs of headphones. There are also a strip film and slide projector for lectures and a 16mm sound outfit for screening shows in the hut and wards. Through the co-operation of the Area Timber Control Officer and local saw millers fine North Queensland timbers have been obtained for the patients and staff working in the group of three brigaded tents which serve as a handicrafts workshop. Toys, furniture and trinkets of solid woods and veneers stream south all over Australia. An exhibition by unit personnel held in the hut had over 160 entries of walnut maple, silkwood and others of the fine cabinet timbers about which few of the workers had ever previously heard. Sisters and nurse spend much of their spare time in this work which in some cases means working from rough log to a high finish of French Polish. Others show great originality and patience in the production of fine needlework and embossed leather goods - the co-operation of the army and civilian authorities has lessened the difficult task of obtaining supplies of material. In addition to these moral boosting activities the hut also provides a centre for post war planning - vocational, housing discussions, land settlement problems - all matters of current and future interest to the soldier are "on tap" to assist him to spend to the best advantage what are possibly the first days free from duty and parades for years. Identified personnel: VX82011 Pte E R Paynter; WX11658 J H Hatward; NX79610 Pte R L Chambers; NX119344 Pte V Webster; VX10292 Pte E U Nottridge; QX46577 Sapper D Peberdy; SX 10249 Lt W A Hill; TXF8410 Sister E M Ferguson, AANS; TX3158 Pte W R Gibbs; QFX54526 Pte L M Walker, AAMWS.