Rarely did a day pass during the First World War when the average Australian was not exhorted either personally or by poster or leaflet to make a financial contribution to the war effort. Apart from the staggering £274 million (approximately A$19,000 million in 1998) raised by seven government war loan campaigns, a vast array of privately run patriotic funds and charities bombarded the public with appeals to dig deep into their pockets.
The Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society, and the nationwide Australian Comforts Fund grew into huge fund-raising bureaucracies staffed by an unpaid army of women administrators and workers. At the regional and local level countless women’s charity groups sprung up in keen rivalry to help the cause. These private bodies 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.
Over £13 million (approximately A$900 million in 1998) was raised during the war years by these funds from bazaars, street fairs and processions, costume balls, garden parties, dances and public meetings. When the streets weren’t filled with parades, one could still be accosted by cake sellers, button sellers and door-to-door collectors. The Red Cross even commissioned commercial films, to raise funds through box office profits.
The war-loan subscribers and charity donors came predominantly from the middle and upper classes for they had the capacity to “give” generously. Working class families on the other hand were often unfairly accused of disloyalty for failing to do their share for the home-front war effort, particularly when the community was divided over the conscription issue and union strikes. They had borne the brunt of war casualties and were understandably resentful.
As the public purse was squeezed for more funds the Australian people learned that running a war was indeed a costly business.
© Time-Life Australia Pty Ltd 1998
(from the series Australians at War)