Envelopes of Pain: How learning that their husbands had died affected Australian War Widows of the Great War

This paper explores the experiences of Australian women upon learning of their husbands' deaths in action, from disease, or due to injuries sustained while on active service during the Great War.

It argues that, although well-intentioned, the government’s notification process had inherent flaws that inflicted additional stress on the bereaved, the clergy, and communities. Little thought was given to how families unaccustomed to the military way of doing things would wish to communicate, how they would process their loss, or what ongoing support they might require beyond financial assistance.

Examining the way these women responded to the notification processes and communication with the state agency, Army Base Records, this paper demonstrates that many new war widows were traumatised. Despite this, they sought answers about their husbands’ fates through any means available, which fundamentally altered their relationship with the state.