Potter, Olwen May (Australian Women’s Land Army, b1919 – d.1988)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of Miss Olwen May Potter, Australian Women’s Land Army, Australia, 1943-1946.

This collection consists of letters, photograph albums, and scrapbook albums created by Miss Olwen May Potter during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in New South Wales and Queensland between 1943 and 1946.

Wallet 1 of 7 – Contains two folders of material relating to the service of Miss Olwen May Potter in the Australian Women’s Land Army.

Wallet 1 of 7, Folder 1 of 2 consists of poetry and letters relating to Miss Olwen May Potter and the Australian Women’s Land Army. This folder contains:
2x Documents containing copies of poetry and songs pertaining to the Australian Women’s Land Army. Several of the songs and poems were written by Miss Potter. Some titles in the documents include “Hi-yi-yippi-yippi-yi”, “Land Army Hymn”, “A LAG’s Prayer”, “Dinky-Di”, “A LAG’s Lament”, “Down in the Messroom”, “Bless Em All”, and “Land Army Girls”.
1x Letter from Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) representative, Mr Lewis Dawe, to Miss Potter, dated 18 September 1945, [includes envelope]. In his letter, Mr Dawe writes about mutual friends in the YMCA, and singing in a choir. He also includes three orders of service for meetings at the Atherton Methodist Church, dated August 1945.
3x Letters from [Mick Griffen] [exact identity unknown] to Miss Potter, dated between 12 September 1945 and 14-15 January 1946. Mr Griffen was a YMCA representative attached to the 2/27th Australian Infantry Battalion in the Netherlands East Indies. In his letters, Mr Griffen writes about volunteering with the YMCA, his way of life, the end of the war, being impatient to return home, news regarding mutual acquaintances, buying gifts to send home, leading a church parade, and Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Wallet 1 of 7, Folder 2 of 2 consists of one photograph and scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “1. 1943”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from photographs taken during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in New South Wales. It contains photographs of groups of ‘Land Army Girls’, farming activities done by members of the Land Army, and rural landscapes. It also contains newspaper clippings, and publications relating to the Australian Women’s Land Army.

Wallet 2 of 7 consists of one photograph and scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “2. 1943-44”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from photographs taken during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in New South Wales. It contains photographs of groups of ‘Land Army Girls’, landscapes of towns and farms, farming activities done by members of the Land Army, and recreational events. This album also contains postcards of rural New South Wales towns.

Wallet 3 of 7 consists of one photograph and scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “3. 1944-45”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from photographs taken during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in New South Wales and Queensland. It contains photographs of groups of ‘Land Army Girls’, farming activities done by members of the Land Army, social events, and landscapes. This album also contains postcards and newspaper clippings.

Wallet 4 of 7 consists of one photograph and scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “4. 1945-1946”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from items collected during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in Queensland. It contains photographs of groups of ‘Land Army Girls’, landscapes of tropical waterfalls and rural environments, and farming activities done by members of the Land Army. This album also contains a postcard and newspaper clippings.

Wallet 5 of 7 consists of one scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “Here and There in A.W.L.A. Days, 1943-1946. 1, 2 & 3 of LAGs’ Rag”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from items collected during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in New South Wales and Queensland. It contains service documents, instructional documents, newspaper clippings, birthday cards, letters, tickets, leave passes, concert programmes, fresh produce advertisements, event advertisements, and badges.

Wallet 6 of 7 consists of one scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “5. 1945. LAGs’ Rag”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from items collected during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in Queensland. It contains telegrams, leave passes, instructional documents, service documents, newspaper clippings, travel tickets, church orders of service, official correspondence from the Australian Women’s Land Army, a letter from an Italian prisoner of war, and travel pamphlets.

Wallet 7 of 7 consists of one photograph and scrapbook album of Miss Olwen May Potter, titled “5. 1946”. This album was compiled by Miss Potter from items collected during her service with the Australian Women’s Land Army in Queensland. It contains photographs of groups of ‘Land Army Girls’, farming activities done by members of the Land Army, and rural landscapes. This album also contains newspaper clippings, postcards, and travel pamphlets.