Great War Stories 2 - Ettie Rout

Narrated by Hilary Barry and screening on 3 News, this series of short documentaries profiles New Zealanders involved in World War I. This episode looks at sexual health campaigner Ettie Rout, who was determined to tackle the high venereal disease rate amongst Kiwi soldiers. Her biographer Jane Tolerton tells of Rout advocating for prophylactic kits, and setting up a safe sex brothel in France. Rout attracted controversy and censorship, and was scorned by the establishment as immoral. But soldiers and doctors thanked her as the "guardian angel of the ANZACs". 

I think New Zealand soldiers were absolutely amazed to find someone who was prepared to look after them, to the extent of, you might say, losing her reputation. Because by advocating safer sex, she was really writing herself out of acceptability in New Zealand.

– Ettie Rout's biographer Jane Tolerton

Key Cast & Crew

Hilary Barry

Narrator, Presenter

Dave Armstrong

Writer

Anna Cottrell

Director, Writer, Producer

Kay Seatter-Dunbar

Research

David Filer

Research

Rosemary Fullerton-Smith

Co-Producer