Summary
Title:Appeals and Fund Raising Souvenirs Collection.
Date range of collection: 1914-1990.
Scope and content note: Contains a variety of material associated with collecting money in Australia for many different causes during and after war. Among the beneficiaries of these efforts were wounded soldiers and their dependants, prisoners of war and civilians in countries other than Australia.
Provenance: Items in this collection have been collected since 1914 and come from a variety of different sources and donors.
Extent: 3 boxes, containing 29 folders, approximately 197 items.
Location: Published & Digitised Collections, Research Centre, Australian War Memorial.
Related collections: Anzac Day souvenirs collection, Concert and Theatre Programs Collection, First World War, 1914-1918.
Administrative information
Processing history: Guide updated and collection re-numbered and re-housed in 2002. Former series numbers are included in each entry.
Access: Open.
Copyright: Contact Curator, Published & Digitised Collections.
Preferred citation: Appeals and Fund Raising Souvenir Collection, Australian War Memorial, Souvenirs 5.
Subject:
- Fund raising
- Charitable organisations
- Patriotic societies
Historical background
Appeals and fund raising
During the First World War, 1914-1918, a vast array of benevolent societies and privately run patriotic funds and charities were formed to raise money from the public to help support Australia's allies and its soldiers. Patriotic leagues and societies and other groups organised many different fund raising efforts, including raffles and lotteries, special "days" like "Win the War Day" and "Allies Day". Money and in some cases goods, like food, vehicles and whole buildings were donated by all members of society. These activities raised vast sums of money, estimated at in 1921 as being at least 12,121,872 pounds.
These private funds filled an important gap by providing the troops with warm clothing and comforts packages, by supervising the care and rehabilitation of returned soldiers and by raising relief funds for civilian wartime victims in Allied Europe.
Post war, funds were required for the erection of memorials, the care and upkeep of war graves in Australia and to assist returned war veterans.
References:
Scott, Ernest , Australia during the war (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1938.)