AWAS on Rottnest - W45267 BIRT (nee ACKLAND)

Elizabeth Ackland was born on 15 May 1922 in Goomalling, Western Australia. Her parents were Grace Ruby (nee Smith) and Royston Randell Barnes Ackland. Grace and Royston married in 1911 and Elizabeth was the last of their five children, one of whom died at only 17 days of age. Grace died in 1925 when Elizabeth was only 3 years old.

Royston was a famer at Lake Ninan, Wongan Hills WA. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Royston wrote a number of articles for the Wongan-Ballidu Shire Council concerning the history of the Wongan Hills area. These were published in a book called ‘Pioneers’ in 1909. After the death of Grace, he remarried in Victoria Plains, to Vera Hubert.

Like many other children growing up in WA pre-WW2, Elizabeth wrote to “Aunt Mary” in the Western Mail Junior pages. Her first letter in 1935 tells all about her life on the farm including helping with the harvest and the chore of milking the cows. The Ballidu-Wongan Budget newspaper shows that Elizabeth was a very good hockey player. Her Wongan Hills team were almost all novices when they played Calingiri and Elizabeth had worked tirelessly in the forward line although the final score was Calingiri 4 Wongan Hills 3. The Goomalling Weekly Gazette of 24 February 1939 mentions that “Miss Elizabeth Ackland is away at Rockingham and Rottnest”. The Wongan Ballidu Budget of 11 April 1941, reveals that she had then been working at the local Post Office as a telephonist during the past four years, but she was now leaving to go to the Fremantle Telephone Exchange.

Elizabeth worked at the Fremantle exchange as a telephonist until 19 January 1942, when she enlisted with AWAS at the WACA (WA Cricket Association) Grounds.

After her initial training she was given the trade of TG4 Telephonist. She then went to the School of Signals and on completing the course successfully she was reported as being “confident with good common sense”. She was then sent to 12 L of C Signals as part of Fremantle Fixed Defences, and served on Rottnest Island between 1942 and 1943.

In September 1944 Elizabeth was promoted to Corporal and then to Lieutenant in February 1945. She was discharged from Army service on 21 January 1946.

She married Stanley Herbert Hocking Birt in 1945. Stanley was a Lieutenant (Service Number WX30305) who had served in Darwin and then with 5 AA Battery in Fremantle. Their address on Army records is given as Canning Highway, East Fremantle. In 1949 when their son was born, they were living in 18 Ord Street in Fremantle.

Their marriage did not last and in 1964 Elizabeth remarried to Sebastian Rawlins (Fred) King.
Stanley Birt died 15 January 1974 in Riverton, WA and his ashes were ‘scattered to the wind’ at Fremantle Cemetery.
Sebastian died 15 May 1979 and is memorialized at Karrakatta Cemetery Garden of Remembrance.
Elizabeth died on 15 Aug 2010 aged 88 years and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.