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Researching WW1 diggers and nurses

from Sunshine Coast region of Queensland


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2014 was the centenary year of Australia's first deployment of soldiers to Europe to fight in the First World War.

The purpose of the Adopt a Digger Project is to commemorate the centenary by honouring the men and women from the (current) Sunshine Coast region of South-east Queensland who fought in World War One either with the Army, Navy or Airforce. Criteria for a soldier's inclusion is either that he was born in the district, or his next-of-kin was resident in the district, or he enlisted in the district or he is commemorated on a local honour board or memorial. This same criteria applies to our nurses. Since the inception of the project we have decided to include the settlers who took up land at Beerburrum Soldier Settlement from 1916 as the Settlement is such a significant piece of the region's WW1 history. Our criteria dates are 1914 to 1925.

The aim of this website is to create a database which records each soldier's WW1 military history and a brief personal history. This database will be a valuable source of reference for historians, researchers, descendants and school students, and will be a significant contribution to the social and historical military records of Australia, and particularly the  Sunshine Coast region.

We held an exhibition in April 2015 to commemorate the Anzac Centenary and to remember and honour "our boys".

11th Battalion Anzac WW!
Officers, including Captain William Annear and men of the 11th Battalion, AIF photographed on 10 January 1915 at the Great Pyramid near Mena Camp shortly after their arrival in Egypt. [AWM A02875]

WW1 Statistics

How many Australians fought in WW1 and how many died?
Statistics from Australian War Memorial website: http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/ww1.asp

The Australian population 1914-1918 was four million.

416,809 Australians enlisted for service in the First World War, representing 38.7% of the total male population aged between 18 to 44.

At the end of the war:

Outcome Number affected
Died 58,961
Wounded 166,811
Missing or prisoners of war 4,098
Suffered from sickness 87,865


At almost 65%, the Australian casualty rate (proportionate to total embarkations) was the highest of the war.

Source: Patsy Adam-Smith, The ANZACS West Melbourne, Vic, Thomas Nelson, 1978

How many Queenslanders fought in WW1?
57,705 Queenslanders enlisted for service in the First World War.

How many Sunshine Coast diggers fought in WW1?
As at December 2012, ADOPT A DIGGER has recorded 2,192 men and women (including ten staff nurses) who enlisted for service in the First World War. This includes the soldier settlers who took up land at Beerburrum Soldier Settlement from 1916. More soldier settlers will be added as they are identified and this section will be updated.

As more research is completed and results come in, we will update these figures and break down the statistics even more, eg by town.

 

Staff nurses from the Sunshine Coast:

  1. Trissie BAILEY
  2. Katie Helen BOWDER
  3. Neta BURNS
  4. Constance (Connie) LINDSAY
  5. Gertrude Ada NYE
  6. Hilde Esther NYE
  7. Jeanne ROBINSON
  8. Dorothy Emma SMITH
  9. Elsie Muriel THOMSON
  10. Matilda Rose WILSON