| Place | Oceania: Australia, South Australia, Adelaide |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL39109 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Badge |
| Physical description | Celluloid, Paper, Tin |
| Maker |
A W Patrick |
| Place made | Australia: South Australia, Adelaide |
| Date made | 1917 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Fundraising badge : Red Letter Day for Maimed Soldiers, Adelaide
Description
Circular pressed tinplate badge with a celluloid face and a pin attachment to the reverse . The design is in red and black on a white background and features the words: 'Red Letter Day / for / Mained Soldiers / Wattle Day League, Hospital Wing / Dec 21 1917'. Central to the design is an envelope in red containing the words 'South Australia' and 'Hospital Wing, Keswick'.
History / Summary
Fundraising badge produced for 'Red Letter Day for Soldiers' in 1917. Such badges were sold in trams, buses, at railways stations and at rallies to raise money for the stated cause. This example is associated with the Wattle Day League, formed almost concurrently in NSW and South Australia in 1909-10 with the purpose of promoting awareness of the plant, encouraging people to wear it and pushing for its adoption as a national symbol. The homesickness felt by many troops serving in France and the Middle East saw the wattle become a powerful symbol for Australia and home. The League used its popularity to promote and support many fundraising events; in this case, the Keswick Military Hospital and its work with maimed soldiers. By the end of the war the South Australian Wattle Day League had raised 14,264 pounds.