It was noted in 1938 that ‘amazing improvements have been made in the life of city girls’, as they had access to business, cultural and social relationships alongside sport, theatre, clubs, books and the radio.
Lorna Byrne, of the Agricultural Bureau, wanted to ensure that country girls didn’t miss out on all these ‘modern improvements’.
So, leadership camps for country girls were held, first at Curlewis, then at Caragabal, Henty, and other locations.
The Tames, who had taken up a portion of Caragabal station, made their home available for the second camp from 3rd to 12th October 1938.
Lucy Jane Tame (1882-1982) was the daughter of William Wiggins and his wife Mary.
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The Young Historical Museum displays one of her workbooks from her time at Wambanumba School.
Lucy married Henry Edward Tame in 1917 at Parkes. Henry was the son of Alfred Gordon, who was once a Police Constable at Young, and his wife Alice Maud.
The leadership camps were modelled on those found in Scandinavia, Canada, and the USA, where ‘great attention is paid to the cultivation of a broad, cultural outlook amongst rural women’.
Lucy and her daughter Maud heard about the camps by chance through a radio broadcast.
At the Caragabal camp, the girls were given ‘[d]aily instruction in Home Management, Deities and Dressmaking’, alongside lessons on physical culture.
The leadership training included ‘general discussions on progress and citizenship, extensive exercises in public speaking, the running of public meetings and advice on what part the girls themselves should be able to plan, arranging programmes for education and leisure time activities in their own localities’.
The women who attended the camp were Alma Pratt (Caragabal), Phil Schaumont (Bogan Gate), Mrs Percy Lyon (Barmedman), Mrs T. Malloy (Caragabal), Grace Munger (Caragabal), Leonie Palazzi (Grenfell), Mrs Breen (Boorowa), Jean and Jess McNickle (Caragabal), Annie Schmidt (Weethalle), Maud Tame (Caragabal), Ruby Wilcox (Parkes), Joan and Mary Idiens (Goologong), Gay Frebairn (Parkes) and Mavis Death (Grenfell).
Ruby Wilcox was elected as President of the group, Una Molloy as Vice President and Gay Freebairn as Secretary.
At the conclusion of the camp, Ruby stated that ‘The education of the country girl does not equip her to enter high school and take the intermediate certificate without the waste of two years. These Camps supply a definite educational need, and I cannot speak too highly of the benefits I have derived from this one’.
Lucy Tame was proud of the improvements that the young women had made during their time at Caragabal: ‘I think the Camps are of excellent educational value, and I hope that more people will offer their homes for the advancement of the movement’.
Karen Schamberger - Young Historical Society
