German-Australians lose the vote during World War One

German-Australians were not allowed to vote in the 1917 Federal Election

'Private' wrote to the British-Australasian, protesting that his mother had been denied a vote because 'she descends from German descent' [sic]:

Now this has hurt me very much. She has two sons fighting for the Empire, one in France (myself) and one in Palestine, her brother also was refused a vote; he had two sons also fighting, one killed in action on the Somme last year, and the other serving in the _th Battalion. More, mother was bred and born in Australia and a more loyal woman never lived. She worked hard in every respect towards assisting the troops on this side, she paid particular attention to the Red Cross, and now all her work has gone by refusing her a vote. I am really hurt that much that I can hardly explain the position to you, to think that me and my brother are away fighting for our country and she treated like that.

(British-Australasian, 7th March 1918)

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