Australian Women s Weekly We weren t doing any of the messages. We just got them in on the machines, on the Typex and when they came out, we d stick them down.
But despite her modesty, Coral was in fact a highly skilled and essential war worker.
Along with her mostly female colleagues, she helped receive, decode and translate Japanese radio transmissions. There were some very important messages but we didn t always know how important they were, she explains. It was just a fun place to work.
Coral, 96, was one of Brisbane s Garage Girls , self-named because they worked in a tin garage that housed the Typex rotor machine, similar to the famous Bletchley Park codebreaking system.
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The 2021 Capricorn Coast Writers Festival has received a generous boost with a $17,500 grant from the Queensland Government.
The organisers received the grant from the Queensland Arts Showcase Program (QASP) which will allow them to host world-class writing and reading workshops.
The event will run from June 11 to 13 and is aimed at “anyone who dares to write, loves to read, and wants to learn”.
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga praised the festival organisers who worked diligently to bring nationally and internationally recognised authors to the area.
“They also aim to highlight local literary talent and shine the spot on the importance of books and reading to the local community,” she said.