Interview with Glenys Kirk (When the war came to Australia)

Mrs Kirk worked in the "Dugout"- a canteen operated from 1941 by the Myer Emporium Melbourne. It was provided for servicemen and others and staffed voluntarily by Myer employees and others.American servicemen used to visit and introduced the jitterbug. The band employed at the canteen was the Bobby Gibson band, the lead singer was Pam Corrigan. They catered to locals and Americans, who were stationed at the MCG, and South Melbourne. Mrs Kirk mentions the Leonski murders- it was unsafe for girls to go out at night alone. She lists other entertainment for troops- The Hut at St Paul's Cathedral, Kurrajong House- for service women, Kirk comments that she worked at a place engaged in wartime production which was manpowered, so she was not able to enlist, so she did voluntary work instead. She worked as a volunteer at Rockingham- a hospital for nerve cases. She describes blackouts, rationing,the black market. She remarks that people got married in a rush before the troops left- the men worried about marrying and leaving. Many women reared children through the war years singlehanded.