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Burra Record Tuesday 23rd February 1943

Military Wedding at St. Mary's Burra

HOOPER — SCHUYLER

"At St. Mary's, Burra.on the morning of the 15th, a wedding of interest to the district was celebrated between L/Cpl. Howard Lewis Hooper, who has seen service abroad and at New Guinea and Sapper Dorothy Lorraine Schuyler A.W.A.S. The bridegroom is the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hooper of Hallett and the bride the elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Schuyler of Mt. Bryan. The beautiful floral decora tions were the work of Mrs. A. L. Collins of Mt. Bryan, Rev. Padre M. P. Cowle conducted the service and Mrs. H. White was at the organ. The bride who was given away by her father was in uniform as were the bridegroom and his best man A.C.1 Les. Schuyler RAAF brother of bride. Miss Beverley John of Tanunda attended the bride wearing a smart saxe blue spotted jacket suit with hat to match and carried a contrasting posy. The bride carried her service wallet. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler entertained the immediate relations of both families and a few friends at luncheon at the Kooringa Hotel. Mrs. Schuyler received in a navy costume trimmed with white with hat to match and Mrs. Hooper's frock of black had an embossed corsage. She also wore a black hat. Both ladies carried posies. Mrs E. C. Sedgman, grandmother of bride wore a floral frock on a black background matching hat and Mrs. J. R. Clark, aunt of bride groom was frocked in black. Later the happy couple left for their honeymoon, destination unknown."

Dorothy Lorraine Hooper

Born: 20 December 1922, Redruth (Burra), South Australia

Died: 20 May 1991, Perth, Western Australia

Buried: Karrakatta Cemetery and Crematorium, Nedlands, Western Australia

Plot: RC Section, Garden KM, Grave 0007

Early Life and Family

Dorothy Lorraine Schuyler was born on 20 December 1922 at Redruth, near Burra in South Australia. She was the eldest daughter of Robert Sutton Schuyler (1888–1976), a grazier of the Mount Bryan district, and Mary Helen Schuyler (née Sedgman) (1901–1967).

Dorothy grew up in the Mount Bryan / Burra district, a close rural community in South Australia's mid-north. Family records and later military documentation consistently record her upbringing at "Stud Park," Mount Bryan, which remained her family home throughout the war years.

She was educated locally, and, prior to enlistment, her occupation was recorded as home duties.

Second World War Service – Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS)

Dorothy enlisted for war service during the Second World War and served with the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS).

Service Number: SF84269
Enlisted: 31 August 1942, Keswick Barracks, South Australia
Formally Called Up: 10 December 1942
Rank: Private
Medical Classification: A1
Religion: Church of England
Her Mobilisation Attestation Form confirms:

Place of birth: Burra, South Australia
Date of birth: 20 December 1922
Age at enlistment: 19 years 8 months
Next of kin: her father, Robert Sutton Schuyler, "Stud Park," Mount Bryan

Dorothy underwent medical examination at Wayville and was found fully fit for service. Her AWAS role involved domestic and support duties, which were critical to maintaining military establishments and enabling male personnel to be released for frontline roles.

Her Service and Casualty Form records postings within South Australia and no embarkation or overseas service. All evidence confirms that her wartime service was entirely within Australia.

Dorothy was discharged on 11 December 1944, having completed 733 days of service.

Marriage During Wartime

On 15 February 1943, while both were in uniform, Dorothy married Howard Lewis "Buddy" Hooper (1914–1957) at St Mary's Anglican Church, Burra.

Howard was serving as a Lance Corporal with the Australian Army Service Corps, and Dorothy was an active member of the AWAS. Contemporary newspaper reporting highlighted the rarity and significance of a wartime military wedding, with both bride and groom dressed in service uniform.

The marriage certificate and Dorothy's service file record her change of marital status shortly thereafter.

Children and Family Life

Dorothy and Howard had three children:

Pam Hooper
Phillip Hooper
Andrew Hooper

Following Howard's discharge in December 1944, the couple settled into post-war family life. After the war, the family relocated to Western Australia, where they established themselves in the state's agricultural districts.

Widowhood and Later Life

Tragedy struck when Howard Lewis Hooper died on 13 February 1957, aged only 42, leaving Dorothy a widow with three young children.

Dorothy remained in Western Australia, later residing in the Perth metropolitan area, including Claremont. Despite the loss of her husband, she continued to raise her family and maintain strong ties to both the Hooper and Schuyler families.

Death and Burial

Dorothy Lorraine Hooper died on 20 May 1991 in Perth, Western Australia, aged 68.

She was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery and Crematorium, one of Western Australia's principal memorial grounds. Her headstone bears the inscription:

In Loving Memory Of

Dorothy Lorraine Hooper

20.12.1922 – 20.5.1991

Loved Wife of Buddy

Devoted Mother of

Andrew, Philip & Pam

Forever in Our Hearts

Legacy

Dorothy Lorraine Hooper is remembered as:

A World War II veteran of the Australian Women's Army Service
A wartime bride who served her country during a period of national crisis
A devoted wife, mother, and widow who carried forward her family after profound loss

Her service represents the vital contribution of Australian women on the home front, whose work sustained the nation's military effort during the Second World War.

Sources

South Australian Birth Registration: SCHUYLER, Dorothy Lorraine, Burra District, Book/Page 107A/518
Australian Women's Army Service Records: SF84269, National Archives of Australia (Series B884, D1357)
Mobilisation Attestation and Service & Casualty Forms, NAA
South Australian Marriage Registration: HOOPER–SCHUYLER, 1943, Burra District
Newspaper: Burra Record, 23 February 1943
Karrakatta Cemetery Records, Western Australia

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 7/01/2026