Celebrating Marlborough’s homefront heroes this Anzac Day

They were the unsung heroes at home – filling the gaps left by those they loved who went to war.

Thousands of women stepped up to help at home during World War 2, working on farms, in factories and contributing to the war effort.

Now a special exhibition celebrating the lives of these Marlborough women will open at Marlborough Museum to help mark Anzac Day.

And organisers hope the public may be able to shed some light on a recent addition to the Museum – a special wall hanging which will also be on display.

Made by the Clarence Branch of the Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union, it was lovingly crafted as a fundraiser and is embroidered with the names of local soldiers and families.

“We would love to know more about the people whose names are on the wall hanging.

“We encourage anyone who has connections to the Clarence area to see if any of their families’ names are on the hanging to share that history with us,” says Liz.

The exhibition celebrates the Land Girls and highlights the women sent by the Government to help fill wartime gaps in essential industries such as clothing manufacturing.

The war had an enormous impact on women at home while their brothers, husbands and fathers served their country on the other side of the world, Liz explains.

“This exhibition celebrates those who were left behind to be our homefront heroes.”

Homefront Heroes – Marlborough Women during the Second World War explores topics like rationing, spinning and knitting for soldiers, and voluntary work in the Women's War Service Auxiliary and will run from Friday 26 April until 4 August.