The Radio Hour

When I was a child in the 1950s, radio was an important part of our life. Listening to Kindergarten of the Air was a must before I went to kindergarten each day. When I was older I would listen to Billy Bouncer (Norman Swain) read children's stories on the 3KZ breakfast program before I went to school. I was also aware of the quiz show programs on the radio and of course the serial programs broadcast at various times each day. The best known of these programs was Blue Hills written by Gwen Meredith and broadcast twice a day on ABC radio. When we visited my grandmother everyone in the house remained silent so that she and my great aunt could listen to Blue Hills.

The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman is set at the ABC radio station in Sydney where Martha Berry works as a secretary. Martha is fifty, lives with her mother who is unwell and at work is generally unappreciated as she fills in, working in a variety of jobs as required, in the drama department. The year is 1956 and television is coming to Australia later in the year. It is important that when this happens people can still listen to their favourite programs on the radio.

When a new radio serial, As the Sun Sets, is to be created, Martha is appointed as secretary to the producer of the new show, a young man in his mid-twenties with no experience in producing a radio show. The novel deals with the challenges faced by Martha, and women in general, working in a male dominated world in the 1950s. The men made the decisions and, in most cases, expected their female staff to be at their beck and call. Some of the men also behaved inappropriately with their female staff and the women were generally told to live with it. It was the men who made the decisions and took the credit for work done in their departments.

Martha soon realises that the new program will not go to air unless she steps in and starts writing the scripts for each episode. As shows such as As the Sun Sets are largely listened to by women, Martha begins to insert issues of particular concern to women into the program. Soon the radio station is inundated with letters regarding the program and providing suggestions for other themes that could be included. 

Meanwhile, Martha's boss happily takes credit for the success of the show though as he is almost always perpetually drunk he is unaware of how women, in particular, are reacting to the program. The actors know the true story and they band together to support Martha achieve the credit she deserves.

This is a work of historical fiction though the names of some of the staff working at the ABC at the time appear from time to time. Gradually times have changed and it is becoming accepted that women can work in management roles. The idea that women must leave the workforce if they marry has disappeared. However, unfortunately some of the attitudes of men towards women in the workforce, as described in this novel, still exit in some workplaces today.

Radio Hour is the Monash University Alumni Book Club book for March-April 2026. 

The unofficial history of Blue Hills radio serial - ABC

Norman Swain celebrates 21 years in radio - YouTube

A Woman's Work

It is Melbourne in 1956 and the Olympic Games will be held at the end of the year. Raymond Quinn who lives alone with his mother is looking forward to the arrival of the games in Melbourne. Television is also coming. Ivy Quinn enjoys working at a doctor's surgery but she worries about the challenge of bringing up a twelve year old boy without a father figure in his life.

Kathleen O'Grady is the mother of five children. She lives with her husband but is tired of the constant day to day chores and responsibilities she is expected to undertake on her own. She is especially fed up with having to constantly wash nappies and clean up after her husband and children.

Both women realise that they need to make changes to the way they live. The incentive in this case is a new recipe competition being run by the Australian Women's Weekly. It is not just the slight possibility of possibly winning a cash prize that is important. It is the opportunity to be creative and try something new.

In A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman the author shows how far we have come in 2023 compared with the things women were expected to put up with in the 1950s, especially how men expected them to live their lives. By taking part in the competition Ivy and Kathleen gain new confidence in their abilities and begin to plan for a better future for their families and for women. As a schoolgirl in the 1950s and 1960s this view of women's history portrayed in the novel was extremely real.

The Nurses' War

In 2017 I did some research on Janet Muir Gaff, a nurse during World War I. I later used the research for an assignment for the unit, Families at War as part of the Diploma of Family History run by the University of Tasmania. Since then I have read a number of other books relating to nurses during the First World War.

The Nurses' War by Victoria Purman is a novel based the experiences of nurses at Harefield House (No. 1 Australian Auxillary Hospital) set up as a hospital for Australian soldiers. Cora, Gertie, Leonora and Fiona are four Australian nurses who arrive at Harefield as the transformation from large house to hospital begins to take place. Initially the hospital complex is established to accommodate 150 soldiers however it is not long before 1,000 soldiers are being cared for at the hospital in the temporary accommodation set up in the grounds of the house. 

The nurses have all had experience working in hospitals in Australia but they are not prepared for the horrors that they encounter as the wounded soldiers arrive. Jessie lives in the nearby village where she works with her mother as a seamstress. As the numbers of wounded rapidly increase at the hospital, Jessie offers to help and becomes a valuable member of the team. 

This is the story of how the nurses and other medical staff cope, not just with providing medical care but also in maintaining morale and hope among the wounded men and also the other staff. The novel provides an insight into the suffering and futility of war, not just on the soldiers but also on family, friends and those who care for them.

This is a moving story of friendship, dedication and heartbreak providing an understanding of the effects of war, not just on those actively involved but on the community as a whole.

The Women's Pages

Tilly Galloway is a journalist on the Daily Herald in Sydney when Victory in the Pacific is declared. Tilly joins in the celebrations however her feelings of joy are tampered by not knowing what happened to her husband, Archie, last heard from in New Guinea in 1942.

This novel by Victoria Purman concerns the effects of the Second World War on Australians in Sydney as well as on those returning from overseas. The novel also deals with the livelihoods of women who worked during the war and were expected to return to their previous existence once the war ended. Working in newspapers, a man's world, Tilly faces discrimination as she tries to prove that women can write as well, or better, than some men. Another major theme in the book concerns the attempts of unions to gain better working conditions for workers, especially on the wharves and in factories. Much historical research has obviously gone into the writing of this novel where the author writes about the effects of war on a family from a poorer area of Sydney and the problems for returned soldiers in adapting once again to civilian life.

This is a novel of hope and resilience as Tilly and her friends and family rebuild their lives after the war.

The Land Girls

Women in the Australian Women's Land Army played an important role in assisting with agricultural projects, especially assisting with harvesting, when there was a shortage of labour due to men joining the armed forces during the Second World War. This novel by Victoria Purman is a tribute to those women.

The novel tells the story of three women, Flora from Melbourne, Lily from Adelaide and Betty from Sydney, who for a variety of reasons decide to join the Women's Land Army. It is a story of love and loss, hope and resilience as the women adapt to their new lifestyles, make friendships and learn more about themselves and what they can achieve. It is also an interesting account of another aspect of life in Australia during World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will look for more books by this author.