They called her the ‘Peace Angel’
Maggie Thorp was her name
A Quaker lass of British stock
Who gained Australian fame
She stood against the winds of war
And suffered for her faith
That people would do better
Shunning bile and hate
Hughes was prime minister
While soldiers died in war
He was so determined
He wanted more and more
When volunteer enlistments
Failed to meet his aim
He turned to conscription
To recruit another way
The nation was divided
Voting ‘Yes!’ or ‘No!’
Most Catholics of Irish stock
The Bill they did oppose
So appalled when British troops
Lowered the flag of Green
And killed the rebel leaders
Of Easter sixteen
On a bitter July night
At Brisbane’s School of Arts
At a pro-conscription rally
Some two hundred did take part
Another thirty came along
With Thorp at their head
To oppose the militarists
And speak up for the dead
There was a resolution
Thorp moved to amend
But she was howled down
No message could she send
To cries of ‘Chuck her out!’
She was punched and kicked
Though she condemned the system
Not men who had been tricked
She urged patriots to fight
Poverty, crime and greed
The economic roots of war
And peace within to seek
The use of halls and parks
The ‘Angel’ was denied
The jingoists mocked liberty
Theirs no motives high
Maggie Thorp was her name
A Quaker lass of British stock
Who gained Australian fame
She stood against the winds of war
And suffered for her faith
That people would do better
Shunning bile and hate
Hughes was prime minister
While soldiers died in war
He was so determined
He wanted more and more
When volunteer enlistments
Failed to meet his aim
He turned to conscription
To recruit another way
The nation was divided
Voting ‘Yes!’ or ‘No!’
Most Catholics of Irish stock
The Bill they did oppose
So appalled when British troops
Lowered the flag of Green
And killed the rebel leaders
Of Easter sixteen
On a bitter July night
At Brisbane’s School of Arts
At a pro-conscription rally
Some two hundred did take part
Another thirty came along
With Thorp at their head
To oppose the militarists
And speak up for the dead
There was a resolution
Thorp moved to amend
But she was howled down
No message could she send
To cries of ‘Chuck her out!’
She was punched and kicked
Though she condemned the system
Not men who had been tricked
She urged patriots to fight
Poverty, crime and greed
The economic roots of war
And peace within to seek
The use of halls and parks
The ‘Angel’ was denied
The jingoists mocked liberty
Theirs no motives high
Contributed by Tony Smith - 2016/1/23 - 00:02
Hi,
Any idea who holds copyright to the photo of Margaret Thorp??
Would like to use it.
thanks
Any idea who holds copyright to the photo of Margaret Thorp??
Would like to use it.
thanks
Deborah Jordan - 2023/6/30 - 07:36
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© Tony Smith 2015
Gene sings this one.
A truly remarkable young woman, Margaret Thorp, known for her involvement in the contribution of the Women’s Peace Army (WPA) to the anti-war movement during World War 1. The WPA took aprominent role in opposing conscription for overseas military service which was rejected by a relatively narrow majority vote in the two referenda held in 1916 and 1917, a process which exposed deep divisions in Australian society.