List of Australian diarists of World War I

File:Photograph of G Griffin.JPG

This is a list of Australian diarists of World War I including Australian servicemen and women, other Australians associated with the armed forces, and those who remained in Australia.

Personal diaries

Many soldiers chose to keep a diary to document their personal experiences during the conflict.{{cite web|title=Memoirs & Diaries – Introduction|url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/|publisher=First World War|accessdate=17 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312225226/http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/|archivedate=12 March 2014|df=dmy-all}} Regulations forbade the practice of individual soldiers keeping diaries in front line positions, yet the practice was apparently not uncommon.[http://www.express.co.uk/news/world-war-1/450563/Revealed-at-last-secret-diary-of-hell-in-trenches Express.co.uk article] Individual diaries were officially forbidden because their capture by the enemy could yield valuable intelligence regarding unit identification, troop movements, etc.[https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/bookauth/battle/fussell.htm The Atlantic article] Individual diaries had to be portable and easily hidden. Many were approximately {{convert|9.5|×|15|cm}}, which made them small enough to fit in a chest pocket.{{cite web|title=Diary and letter collections|url=http://guides.sl.nsw.gov.au/content.php?pid=489033&sid=4095059|work=World War I Research Guide|publisher=State Library of NSW|accessdate=18 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216101453/http://guides.sl.nsw.gov.au/content.php?pid=489033&sid=4095059|archivedate=16 December 2013|df=dmy-all}} Next of kin were often listed. While the original diaries were handwritten, many soldiers later rewrote or typed their diary{{rp|152}} with some also publishing their work. Most diaries were kept by the soldier or their family. Military units were required to keep official records,{{cite web|title=Research Centre collections|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/research/|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=17 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111070659/http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/research/|archivedate=11 November 2013|df=dmy-all}} which are also referred to as War Diaries.{{cite web|title=First World War (1914–1918)|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/research/guides/first.asp|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=17 December 2013}} These records cover operations and planning, administration, and personnel. They were updated on a daily basis.{{cite web|title=First World War Diaries Description|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/description/|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=17 December 2013}} These records are now at the Australian War Memorial.{{cite web|title=War Diaries|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/war_diaries/|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=19 January 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904223705/https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/war_diaries/|archivedate=4 September 2012|df=dmy-all}}

=Collecting the diaries=

Many diaries were retained by the soldier or their family, however some of the surviving diaries are held in the collections of Australian cultural institutions including the Australian War Memorial,{{cite web|title=Research Centre collections|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/research/|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=26 November 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111070659/http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/research/|archivedate=11 November 2013|df=dmy-all}} National Archives of Australia,{{cite web|title=Boer War to Vietnam|url=http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/conflicts.aspx|publisher=National Archives of Australia|accessdate=26 November 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021192831/http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/conflicts.aspx|archivedate=21 October 2013|df=dmy-all}} State Library of New South Wales,{{cite web|title=Can you tell us more about our WWI diaries?|url=http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about/projects/wwi/index.html|publisher=State Library of NSW|accessdate=26 November 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115021401/http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about/projects/wwi/index.html|archivedate=15 November 2013|df=dmy-all}} State Library of Queensland,{{cite web|title=QUEENSLAND'S WORLD WAR 1 CENTENARY BLOG|url=http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/ww1/2013/11/10/queenslands-world-war-1-centenary-blog/|publisher=State Library of Queensland|accessdate=10 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116132840/http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/ww1/2013/11/10/queenslands-world-war-1-centenary-blog/|archivedate=16 November 2013|df=dmy-all}} State Library of South Australia,{{cite web|title=Personal Experiences|url=http://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/content.php?pid=76180&sid=564150|work=Military Records|publisher=State Library of South Australia|accessdate=5 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313001329/http://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/content.php?pid=76180&sid=564150|archivedate=13 March 2014|df=dmy-all}} and State Library of Victoria.{{cite web|title=Letters & diaries|url=http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/australia-wwi/abroad-wwi/letters-diaries|publisher=State Library of Victoria|accessdate=26 November 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214005438/http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/australia-wwi/abroad-wwi/letters-diaries|archivedate=14 February 2014|df=dmy-all}}{{Citation | author1=La Trobe Library | author2=Dewar, Shona, 1958– | author3=State Library of Victoria | title='Having a lively time' : Australians at Gallipoli in 1915 : a catalogue of material held in the Australian Manuscripts Collection, La Trobe Library, State Library of Victoria | publication-date=1990 | publisher=Council of the State Library of Victoria | isbn=978-0-7241-9667-8 }} The Australian War Memorial and the State Library of New South Wales were the first in Australia to attempt to collect war diaries on a large scale.{{cite journal|last=Conde|first=Anne-Marie|title=Capturing the records of war: collecting at the Mitchell Library and the Australian War Memorial|journal=Australian Historical Studies|date=April 2005|volume=37|issue=125|pages=134–152|doi=10.1080/10314610508682915 |s2cid=144456137 |url=http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=200503869;res=APAFT|accessdate=12 December 2013}}{{rp|134}} The urge to collect these documents reflected contemporary understandings of history and research, which emphasised the role of primary sources and saw history as a science instead of an art.{{rp|138}} While the Library prioritised original documents over copies,{{rp|137}} the Memorial instead collected both original documents and copies.{{rp|149}}

William Ifould, Principal Librarian at the Public Library of New South Wales (later State Library of New South Wales),{{cite web|last=Arnot|first=Jean F.|title=Ifould, William Herbert (1877–1969)|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ifould-william-herbert-6787|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Australian National University|accessdate=12 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424064424/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ifould-william-herbert-6787|archivedate=24 April 2013|df=dmy-all}} led a collecting drive which began within six months of the conclusion of the war.{{rp|136}} {{Citation | author1=Fletcher, Brian H. (Brian Hinton) | author2=State Library of New South Wales | title=Magnificent obsession : the story of the Mitchell Library, Sydney | publication-date=2007 | publisher=Allen & Unwin in association with State Library of New South Wales | isbn=978-1-74175-291-5 }}{{rp|90}} Ifould arranged for advertisements in newspapers across Australia offering to buy relevant papers for the Library,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60907530 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=22 March 1919 |accessdate=12 December 2013 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37606299 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth, WA |date=17 January 1919 |accessdate=12 December 2013 |page=39 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115779380 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser |location=NSW |date=14 February 1919 |accessdate=12 December 2013 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and also reached out to soldiers through the Returned Soldiers' Association of New South Wales.{{rp|137}} Efforts focused on diaries documenting training and active service,{{rp|92}} with accounts recorded "at the moment" or as soon after as possible considered the most useful.{{rp|141}}

The Memorial aimed to document the whole of Australia's war experience, initially focusing on published sources and the official records of the war.{{rp|142}} The Memorial began collecting personal documents including diaries in 1927.{{rp|142}} It was Arthur Bazley, historian Charles Bean's assistant at the Memorial, who suggested using the addresses recorded in the Roll of Honour Circulars to contact next-of-kin (and, later, servicemen and women directly{{rp|149}}) to ask for diaries and personal papers to be donated.{{rp|144}} John Treloar, Director of the Memorial, publicised the project and encouraged donations.{{rp|142}}

In total, 416,809 Australians enlisted for service.{{cite web|title=Enlistment statistics and standards, First World War|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/ww1/|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=15 January 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013201133/https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/ww1/|archivedate=13 October 2016|df=dmy-all}} Only 500 diaries were collected by the Library, despite wide advertising, while approximately one in four soldiers or families contacted by the Memorial donated material.{{rp|151}}

List of diarists

References

External links

{{Commons category|Australian military personnel of World War I}}

[https://archive.org/details/diarynursesisterwestfront00blacuoft Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front 1914–1915 (anonymous)]
[http://www.europeana1914-1918.eu/en Europeana 1914–1918]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050302044449/http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/ Gallipoli and the Anzacs]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140209182506/http://www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/index.php Lives of the First World War] – a project of the [http://www.iwm.org.uk/ Imperial War Museum]
[http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~cadlard/shoestring.htm Transcript of the diary of John Evan Adlard]
[http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/australia-wwi/abroad-wwi/letters-diaries Letters & diaries from World War I - State Library of Victoria]
[http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/find/guides/world_war_1/letters,_diaries_etc Letters, diaries, etc. from World War I - State Library of Western Australia]
[http://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/diaries Diary and letter collections | World War One - State Library of New South Wales]

Diarists

Category:Lists of Australian military personnel