Ed,

The history of Australia Day is actually quite different from what is portrayed today.

The original Australia Day was first celebrated, over 100 years ago, on 30 July in 1915.

It was the brainchild of Mrs Ellen Warton-Kirke, a woman who lived at Manly NSW, and was the mother of four sons serving as servicemen.

Ellen Wharton-Kirke had seen the generosity of the Australian people during other fundraising days and believed an ‘Australia Day’ was a good opportunity for fundraising to support wounded servicemen. This was at a time when Australian troops were neck deep in the Gallipoli campaign.

Mrs Wharton-Kirke took her concept to the Premier of NSW, William Holman, who declared Australia Day a national day for raising money for war charities. 

Photographs and descriptions of the 1915 Australia Day show an overwhelming display of public support for the event. 

Mrs Kirke represented the kind of patriotic women so important to sustaining the war at home, but her experiences show that patriotism was neither blind, nor un-attuned to the costs of that commitment. 

“In Sydney the Government co-operated with the promoters of Australia Day by transforming Martin Place into a fairyland … dozens of little cabins and booths, specially constructed, served to display all kinds of goods, from embroideries and laces to potatoes and pickles … Bevies of girls in various fancy or national costumes, brought their battery of charms to bear upon the men. Bands of musicians perambulated the streets and gave open-air concerts.” 

According to the Australian War Memorial’s website, “Ribbons, badges, handkerchiefs, buttons and other items… were sold to raise funds, with phrases such as ‘For Australia’s Heroes’, ‘Help Our Wounded Heroes’ and ‘The Turks Struck their Match in the Australians’”, which very much appealed to people’s sense of pride and patriotism.

Communities all over Australia organised fundraising events for the newly announced Australia Day. The day was celebrated in town halls with speeches, patriotic songs from school children, raffles, sales of donated produce and other fundraising events.

From a population of just under 5 million people, the day raised in today’s figures $623,000 in Victoria and $1.7 million in NSW.

So, the first Australia Day seemed to celebrate a spirit of mateship, patriotism, community and united struggle.

Roz Jones, Vice President

Lawrence Museum