Minnie Rattigan and the ANZAC Buffet

Minnie Rattigan was born in 1970 at Barooga Station near Tocumwal. She married her second husband in 1912 who eventually became a Captain in the First World War. In late 1915 while her husband was off fighting in the war, Mrs. Rattigan became the co-founder of a place called the ANZAC Buffet; a place for Australian servicemen to find a home a way from home. The Buffet offered free meals, entertainment and the opportunity to forget about the horrors of war, even for just a minute. The Buffet was open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.. The Buffet was such a success that they fed and entertained about 1000 men per day. Mrs. Rattigan’s story is so important because it illustrates what a vital role the women had during World War I.