Anzac Day 1916 fundraising ribbon

Places
Accession Number REL41028
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Heraldry
Physical description Paint, Silk
Maker Unknown
Place made Australia
Date made 1916
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Rectangular purple silk ribbon, stencilled on the face in silver ink: 'Anzac Day April 25 1916 In Memory of the "Bravest Thing God Ever Made." ' The date is enclosed in a wreath design. There are a pair of pin holes in the top of the ribbon.

History / Summary

Specific history unknown. This is among the earliest known commercially-produced commemorative items associated with Anzac Day, printed for sale in Australia in the year following the Gallipoli landings and evacuation. The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. It was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.