For the Sake of the Soldier - Voluntary Work of Brisbane Women

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Title: For the Sake of the Soldier - Voluntary Work of Brisbane Women
Author: Macleod, Rita
Language: English
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[Transcriber's Note:

Bold text delimited by equal signs, italics by underscores.

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quotes are multiple superscript characters.]

_For the Sake of
the
Soldier._

_Voluntary Work of Brisbane
Women._

_By
RITA MACLEOD._

[Illustration]

_Printers_:

_Gordon and Gotch (Queensland) Limited,
212-214 Queen Street, Brisbane._

_The following--“Remember the Men in the Trenches,” “Verdun,” and “The
Return”--are reprinted by the kind permission of the proprietors of
“The Daily Mail,” Brisbane._

Preface.

Anyone called on to write a preface for a book describing the efforts
of women for the sake of the soldier should not complain of want of
material for his purpose. All over the British and Allied countries
the splendid work of women shines out brilliantly in contrast to the
dark background of the brutal horrors of war. Courage, patience,
self-denial, self-sacrifice--with untiring energy and devotion--make
up a galaxy of virtues that, to some extent at least, compensate for
the dreadful losses and shocks which women have had to sustain, and
when added to all these is the abiding faith of women in the great
principles of Christianity, we have the foundation broader and deeper,
than ever before, of a regeneration of the world of the future for the
highest purposes. No effort of political or commercial organization can
ever be comparable in its results with those to come from the noble
ideals which have actuated the souls of the women and which they have
now made portion of themselves.

In this country the women have risen to the occasion as readily and
as effectively as their sisters in any part of the world. The war has
touched them deeply--more deeply than it has touched a large number
of our men. They have offered their services in many directions, and
have appropriated to themselves spheres of work that are invaluable.
No record that has been or, perhaps, can be now compiled can do full
justice to the work that they have done and are still doing. Every day
new avenues of useful help are being exploited by them. One of the
latest productions is this little book compiled by a woman, presented
by her free of cost, embodying one of her activities “for the sake of
the soldier,” and as a preface to it this is an expression of hope and
trust that the book shall prove a source of inspiration to others, both
women and men, to rise to the spiritual and ideal heights prompted by
the crisis of the war.

A. J. THYNNE, Colonel,
_Vice Chairman State Recruiting Committee of Queensland_.

[Illustration: Florence Nightingale.]

Contents.

Frontispiece--Florence Nightingale Page 4

For the Sake of the Soldier ” 7

The Red Cross ” 9

The Brisbane Girl ” 13

Belgium in Winter--Illustration ” 14

Afternoon Tea--from the V.A.D. Buffet at the Kangaroo Point
Hospital--Illustration ” 17

Brisbane Spinning Guild ” 19

Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts Fund ” 21

Verdun ” 22

Soldiers in the Field ” 25

Anzac Club ” 27

Remember the Men in the Trenches ” 28

Imperial Service Club ” 29

Red Cross Workshop ” 31

Young Australia ” 32

Residential Club ” 33

The Return ” 34

Coo-ee Cafe ” 35

Toys made at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital--Illustration ” 37

The Return of Wounded Soldiers--Illustration ” 38

Queensland Soldiers’ Sock Fund ” 39

Queensland Red Cross Motor Waggon--Illustration ” 40

Home for Returned Soldiers ” 41

A Section of the Red Cross Kitchen in Brisbane--Illustration ” 42

Red Cross Kitchen ” 43

Nurse Cavell--Illustration ” 44

Circles and Guilds ” 45

Spirit of Service ” 47

Transporting Wounded Soldiers from Gallipoli--Illustration ” 48

Mutual Service Club ” 49

The Flight from Antwerp--Illustration ” 50

“We shall never sheath the sword which we have not lightly
drawn, until Belgium recovers in full measure all, and more
than all, that she has sacrificed.”

[MR. ASQUITH, at the Guildhall, Nov. 9th, 1914.]

[Illustration: _Raemaeker._]

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[Illustration]

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Overell’s Spring and Summer Fashion Catalogue will soon be ready.
Please leave your name and address, or write, and we will send you a
copy post free.

A cordial invitation is extended to lady visitors from the country to
call and inspect Overell’s Ladies’ Footwear Department.

An immense variety of Footwear Styles, and sound, reliable values
are the features which have brought this section of our business to
the position it holds in popular favour to-day. We illustrate two
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to any part of Australia.

[Illustration]

Ladies’ Glace Kid Dominion Shoe, as illustrated, Bostock’s British
make. Flexible welt sewn soles, Cuban heels. An ideal tourist shoe.
Price, 25/-

OVERELL’S L^{TD.}

The Valley Drapers.

For the Sake of the Soldier.

THE VOLUNTARY WORK OF BRISBANE WOMEN....

By RITA MACLEOD.

It would be just as impossible to give a complete account of the
voluntary war work of Brisbane women as it would be to give a complete
history of the actions of the soldiers in this war. There are countless
deeds of devotion of which no record has ever been made, or ever will
be. But there are results, and this little booklet is an attempt to
give a resume of the work performed by Brisbane women for the sake of
the soldier during the last three years.

Since the commencement of the war in 1914, organisations have sprung up
wherever the need of the soldier has been recognised. They have mainly
been the result of the efforts of women. The work has been entirely
voluntary, and the enthusiasm has by no means diminished as one year
has succeeded another. Many women have altered the whole tenor of their
lives, and given their undivided attention and energy to the soldier.
But the outstanding feature of the war work has been the courage with
which women who have lost their sons have again taken up the thread of
work for the common good. It is something too deep for passing words of
appreciation. It is that which no pen can write--no words describe.

THE NEW

POULSEN STUDIOS

Phone: Central 793. At the Old Address.

[Illustration: The Soldiers’ Popular Photographers.

Your friends can buy anything you may send them except your
Photograph.

14 to 18 QUEEN STREET - - BRISBANE.]

The Red Cross.

FOR THE WOUNDED, SICK AND CONVALESCENT, AND PRISONERS OF WAR.

The sign of the Red Cross has been an emblem of relief and comfort to
thousands and thousands of soldiers during the last three years--and
the women of Queensland have contributed their full share to that
emblem. In the busy thoroughfares of the city, in the quietness of the
home, and in the outlying districts of mining, agriculture and station
holds they have worked incessantly since the outbreak of war. The Red
Cross Society was the first institution established for the benefit
of soldiers in Queensland. It started from a well-represented meeting
in the Brisbane Town Hall in August, 1914, and has increased to such
an extent that there is scarcely a town in Queensland in which there
is not a branch of the Society, while in Brisbane alone there are 34
branches of Red Cross activity.

No man, woman or child can plead ignorance of Red Cross Work. It
is voluntary help given to alleviate the pain and sickness of the
soldiers, and the women of Queensland have spared no effort to supply
goods to the hospitals and convalescent homes both at home and abroad.

The military hospitals in and around Brisbane, the transports leaving
for war zones, and the Australian divisions of the Red Cross in Egypt,
England, France and other parts of Europe are supplemented with
necessities from the Queensland division of the Red Cross. To the
head-quarters in Adelaide Street there is a steady flow of consignments
arriving from the suburban and country branches. These are unpacked in
the receiving and distributing room on the basement and stored ready
for the demands of the military authorities. When a requisition for a
hospital or transport is received the articles are again packed and
distributed: groceries, bandages, socks, shirts, pyjamas, magazines and
the hundred and one articles required for the sick or wounded being
arranged and consigned according to the requirements. One thousand
1lb. tins of dripping are sent monthly for the prisoners of war in
Germany, in addition to tins of fruit, meat extracts, honey, rolled
oats, tea, cheese and other groceries, £5,400 a month being spent by
the Australian Red Cross Society for the prisoners of war alone.

Then there are requirements of the men in the hospitals overseas.
Altogether over 400,000 articles and hundreds of cases and bales
of sundries have been sent overseas since the war broke out, 1258
consignments having been sent since last December in addition to 160
bags of sugar. The donations in money which have been collected and
gathered through the strenuous efforts of the women amount to over
£129,864. All this work is voluntary. This fact cannot be stressed too
much, for therein lies the spirit of service which pervades the work
of women for the soldier. Many of the Red Cross members have given up
their lives to the society since the outbreak of the war, and in no
way have their efforts diminished. The only absentees are those who
are ill from overwork; but so strong is the desire to return, that
often while yet in the stage of convalescence they will return to their
posts.

_The Horse Shoe
Salmon Cook
Book is Free._

_Will you send for a free copy and learn how Horse Shoe
Salmon can be served in scores of different tempting
ways--economically, quickly and easily?_

_Send to-day to
“Horseshoe,” Box No. 742 G.P.O.,
Brisbane,
for Free Copy. Do it now!_

The headquarters are a wonderful demonstration of the latent ability
within women. Many of the workers lived in a small home circle previous
to the war. But now they are capable business women. The organisation
is well thought out and capably administered. There is no overlapping.
Each section has its own particular convener and work. And when it is
considered that there are 202 branches, in addition to sub-branches,
within the Queensland division, and that the work of those branches
includes the buying of material, the cutting out and making of garments
and articles, and packing and despatching to headquarters; that
there are sub-committees to supply delicacies to the local military
hospitals, entertainment committees to provide amusement for returned
men, handicraft and work sections to teach them a means of earning
money, and an information bureau for relatives of men abroad, some
idea of the tremendous work of the society will be realised. The
hon. general secretary has her finger on the pulse of each of these
activities, and a Red Cross Magazine is issued monthly to give all
current information to the workers and public in general.

It is a wonderful achievement for women who, previous to the cry of
war, had lived the every-day domestic life of the average woman. And
they are as enthusiastic to-day as when they put their first stitch in
a Red Cross garment or took up pen to arrange the financial affairs
of a branch. Their difficulty is not the lack of gifts or work--these
roll in daily--the chief outcry is the small amount of space obtainable
to send the goods overseas to the men who are wounded and ill. The
tonnage given to the Red Cross Society is worked on a percentage of the
enlistments. And there is not nearly sufficient tonnage.

[Illustration]

James Heaslop & Sons Ltd., _HEASLOP’S CENTRE_.

Because the principle of “Better Value Giving for a Lower Price” is
always the rule here, you are bound to get absolute satisfaction in
everything that is purchaseable at HEASLOP’S CENTRE.

You can get all your requirements at HEASLOP’S CENTRE in

Seasonable Frocks, Blouses, Skirts,
Millinery, Golfers,
Coats, Ladies’ Underwear, Corsets,
Hosiery, Gloves,
Sunshades, Kimonos, Dressing Jackets,
Laces, Embroideries,
Ribbons, Dress Materials, Serges, Silks,
Calicoes, Art Muslins,
and other Household and Furnishing Drapery,
Furniture,
Linoleums, Carpets, Mats,
Men’s Clothing, Boys’ Clothing,
Shirts, Undershirts, Underpants, Pyjamas,
Collars, Ties, Hats,
Travelling Requisites, Fancy Goods,
Toys, Etc.

Make it your business to call at Heaslop’s Centre, and note the big
savings you will make on every purchase.

The New Season’s Goods are here now for you--come and see them.

James Heaslop & Sons Ltd.,
Drapers, Clothiers, Furnishers, Etc.,
_HEASLOP’S CENTRE_,
“_The Drapers of the People_,”
STANLEY STREET, SOUTH BRISBANE.

The Brisbane Girl.

CHANNELS OF HER PATRIOTIC ENERGY.

Look to the rose that blows about us. Lo,
Laughing, she says, “into the world I blow,
At once the silken tassel of my purse
Tear and its treasure on the garden throw.”

The Brisbane girl of war time should make a splendid woman, for she is
spending her youth in a heroic and self-sacrificing age. The silken
tassel of her girlhood has been torn and all the treasure of her youth
thrown into the arena of war service. The delights promised since
childhood have been swept away in the great tide of war, and instead
of idle pleasures occupying her leisure hours, it is war work on every
side. And the war work has become more to her than any idle pleasures
could ever have become. All soldiers have been her friends, and she has
worked with enthusiasm for them for the last three years.

At first her war work was a game, but as the seriousness of war dawned
on her she settled down to solid, earnest work in the interests of the
man in khaki. The business girl gives what time she can spare, the girl
of leisure has in many cases given up her freedom. In the Red Cross
Kitchen or the V.A.D. she will cook and serve for the Red Cross or
Comforts Funds. She will sew and knit, or, again, she will devote hours
to organising and taking part in entertainments, clubs, fêtes, or other
channels for raising money to swell some particular fund. No task is
too menial or too big for her in her endeavours to do “her bit” for the
soldiers.

THE BRISBANE GIRLS’ CLUB.

This was one of the first girls’ organisations for war work on a
big scale. Among their chief activities have been the providing of
Christmas and Easter Dinners to the men in camp, the purchasing of
a billiard table, a pianola and a piano for the White City, and the
supplying of pies to men on military duty two nights weekly. The
members have been successful in collecting over £1,900 since the
inception of the club, and £139 4s. 8d. of that sum was raised on
behalf of the Citizens’ Queen’s Carnival in aid of the Residential
Club. Other efforts include the presentation of flags, while the
conducting of the Comforts Funds of the 41st and 42nd Battalions is
included in the regular work of the club.

THE TOOWONG GIRLS’ CLUB.

This club has raised considerable sums through garden parties, concerts
and the selling of cakes and flowers, the result of their efforts being
divided between various patriotic organisations. The distributions
have included the presentation of side drums to various Companies, and
furniture for the sitting room at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital.
The club also keeps a bed in up-to-date order in the same hospital.

The A.C.B.

Ladies’ Drapers,

THE VALLEY, BRISBANE.

Speciality Store for Ladies Only.

The Largest Speciality Store for Ladies’ and Children’s Wear in
Queensland.

Thousands of Ladies visit our Bargain Show Rooms daily.

We recommend customers to read our advertisements appearing
daily in the Brisbane Daily Papers.

[Illustration: Belgium in Winter.

_Raemaeker._]

THE NEW FARM GIRLS’ CLUB.

The members of this club have presented two rowing boats and a complete
set of garden tools to the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital among other
gifts for patriotic needs. Their most successful venture was a concert
held in the South Brisbane Technical College in 1915, when £45 was
raised.

HAMILTON GIRLS’ CLUB.

The chief objects of this band of workers is to buy materials for
garments, which are forwarded to the Hamilton Red Cross and the
Queensland Comforts Fund, while wool is obtained for socks for the Sock
Fund. Other gifts have included linoleum for the billiard room at the
Kangaroo Point Military Hospital. The funds have been raised chiefly
through river trips, tennis parties and other entertainments, over £250
having been collected since June, 1915.

V.A.D.

The girls of the Voluntary Aid Detachment are easily recognised in
their navy blue coats with a Red Cross Badge on the arm. There are
two detachments in Brisbane, with a full complement of 24 girls in
each, the detachments being under the supervision of Commandants and
Quartermasters. Each girl qualifies for her position, and must hold
first aid and home nursing certificates, and produce them within
six months of joining. V.A.D. girls have taken up their work with a
determination. Not only do they receive a certain amount of training
in the civil hospitals, but they are drilled by a sergeant once a week
during the major part of the year, and they work under discipline
at regular stated times. Their most notable work in Brisbane is the
buffet at the Kangaroo Point Hospital, where morning tea, afternoon
tea and supper is provided for convalescent soldiers at a nominal
cost, the idea being to supply small extras apart from the rations
allowed by the military authorities. This branch of their work has been
highly successful. The small kitchen is the centre of V.A.D. cooks
and waitresses both day and night, while the restaurant between the
recreation hall and the kitchen is always full of returned convalescent
soldiers. A few months ago a number of soldiers approached the V.A.D.
authorities, and said that they thought the charges at the buffet were
too small. They felt it savoured of charity, but the V.A.D. would not
hear of raising the prices, and in proof of the absence of charity,
explained that in the first nine months they had made a profit of £150.
As is well known, two of the girls went home to England last year to
assist in the military hospitals, but one of the girls (Miss Lydia
Grant) became ill while on duty and died on April 1st of this year.
Two girls were recently accepted for duty in the Stanthorpe Military
Hospital, and have now taken up their duties as cook and wardsmaid,
while another member of the detachment has been appointed to the
position of cook in a military hospital in Egypt. A V.A.D. girl must be
prepared to work hard, and it speaks well for the Brisbane girls that
there are so many enthusiasts attached to the movement.

Y.W.C.A.

The patriotic workers of the Y.W.C.A. are nearly all business girls,
so that any time or money given is particularly self-sacrificing.
There are two patriotic committees in the association. The War Relief
Committee, which is a sub-committee of the North Ward Branch of the Red
Cross, and the Soldiers’ Comforts Club, which assists the Queensland
Soldiers’ Comforts Fund. There are a large number of members to each
committee, and the donations consist of both goods and money.

OTHER GIRLS’ EFFORTS.

It would be difficult to find a club, society, or band of girls at
present in Brisbane, who are not assisting to swell patriotic funds in
one way or another. Some have had more notable results than others,
but all are absolutely giving of their best. A band of girls under the
supervision of a patriotic worker, have collected considerable sums for
the Wattle Day League, enabling that body to hand over sufficient money
to the Red Cross, in 1915, to erect the recreation hall at Kangaroo
Point Hospital, in addition to giving substantial sums to other funds.
Last year they collected nearly £800 for the League, the sum being
handed over to the War Council to obtain Caines’ artificial limbs
for maimed returned soldiers. They had a notable success for France
last month (July), and are working for another collection day later
in the year when it is proposed to devote the proceeds to the benefit
of Queensland soldiers. This is the result of the efforts of one band
of girls, while practically all the girls’ schools in and around
Brisbane send in garments and socks to one or other of the movements
to assist the soldiers. Nor must the energetic work of the amateur
operatic societies be forgotten. Many of the members of the Brisbane
Amateur Operatic Society and the Brisbane Amateur Operatic Players are
girls who have contributed to patriotic funds through their individual
efforts. Girls are also continually arranging private concerts and
entertainments, the proceeds of which are devoted to the cause of the
soldier. One teacher of elocution has toured the country with a small
company at intervals during the last three years and has succeeded in
raising over £2,000 for patriotic funds. Early in the year, the Red
Triangle appeals resulted in exceptional sums being raised, and girls
in all parts of Queensland were untiring in their efforts to collect
money or arrange entertainments for the Y.M.C.A. Huts. The Brisbane
girl is not afraid to work for the soldier; rather is it her pride to
exert in his interests what energy she may possess.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Afternoon Tea--from the V.A.D. Buffet, at the Kangaroo
Point Hospital.]

[Illustration:

“GIBSONIA”
IS THE BEST.
MADE IN
OUR OWN MILLS

Black Navy Heather Grey]

“_Gibsonia_” _is the Best 4-Ply Super Knitting Wool._

MADE BY FOY & GIBSON PROPRIETARY LIMITED.

The Latest Addition to our Popular “Gibsonia” Woollen Industries.

is “GIBSONIA” Knitting Wool, made from the finest Victorian Western
District Wools entirely in our own mills. Every process in the
manufacture of this yarn is under the supervision of an expert, and in
every particular the product will be found equal to the best imported
Wools. At present we are making only 4-Ply in Black, Navy, Grey and
Heather. From 3½ to 4 skeins of this Wool are required to knit a
pair of full size Men’s Socks, and when made no man could wish to wear
better. The Yarn is also suitable for Children’s Garments, Ladies’
Jackets, Cap Comforters, and, in fact, any purpose to which Knitting
Wool is applied.

Our Price is =8 Pence per Skein, or 7/9 per Dozen Skeins=. Red Cross
and Patriotic Leagues who require larger quantities may have any of the
four shades at the rate of =60/- per Spindle of 8 Dozen Skeins=.

“GIBSONIA” ALL WOOL IS THE BEST.

MADE AND SOLD ONLY BY

_Foy & Gibson Pty. Ltd._

Brisbane Spinning Guild.

REVIVAL OF AN OLD INDUSTRY.

Spinning is such an old handicraft that most modern Australian girls
grew up with the idea that spinning belonged more to the time of
fairy tales than to a period within even living memory. They all knew
the story of the princess who was spinning when her wicked godmother
cast a spell and transformed her into a sleeping beauty. Old legends
of the homeland told of the women who spun, and one knew that in
Highland cottages, with grandfather clocks, deep, wide fireplaces and
inglewoods, there were spinning wheels hidden away in some forgotten
corner.

But to-day in Brisbane there are hundreds of spinners spinning wool to
make socks for the soldiers. Owing to the scarcity and price of wool a
Brisbane Wool Spinning Guild was started in Brisbane over a year ago
by a small band of enthusiasts, one object being to provide wool to
soldiers’ relatives at less than the shop prices.

There are now over 100 spinning wheels belonging to the guild, the
wheels being made from bicycle wheels donated to the guild, and
manufactured by the Railway Department free of charge. The majority
of these are hired out to Brisbane members at the rate of 5s. for six
months. Wheels may also be bought from £2. 10s., and numbers have been
sold to country members. In some sheep stations the wool is grown,
dipped, spun, carded and made into socks on the homestead, the complete
article being a product of that one station.

So far, all the wool used by the guild has been donated by the
squatters of Queensland, and since all the work is voluntary it is
possible to sell the spun and carded wool at less than the ordinary
cost price. The carding is either hand-carded at the rooms, or it is
done at the mills through the courtesy of the mill-owners.

The rooms are open every Tuesday and Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., third floor, Courier Building. And what a
busy and picturesque scene is presented on these days. On each side of
the long room are women sitting at the spinning wheels, about 20 wheels
all moving at the same time. It is here that beginners are taught, and
experienced spinners work industriously. Members are allowed to buy the
carded wool, but all wool spun at home on the hired machine is returned
to the guild, where it is weighed and examined by the committee. A
small book of instruction was compiled and issued last year so that
women in the country have every facility to learn. The guild has been
of inestimable value to women who have a number of relatives at the
war, and who found the price of wool a severe tax on slender means. The
movement has steadily grown throughout Queensland in the last year,
and no better testimony of the work could be shown than the splendid
exhibitions of wool displayed by amateur spinners at the Brisbane Show,
both this year and last year, and at the recent Toowoomba Show. The
renewal of spinning shows the determination of women to use every means
possible to alleviate the hardships of war.

[Illustration]

McDonnell & East’s Values

are without a Peer
--in all Brisbane--

And we are splendidly ready in every imaginable way to show or send to
you just what you like to wear in

FROCKS
BLOUSES
SKIRTS
UNDERCLOTHING
MILLINERY
KNITTING WOOLS, Etc.

Our prices are notably moderate, and our varieties broad and unstinted.
This is the ideal stock for the economical--and who is not economical
these days?

Our Fancy Goods are Superb!

McDONNELL &
EAST LTD.

“The White Store,” George Street, Brisbane.

Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts Fund.

FOR MEN IN THE TRENCHES.

The thought of the severe strain of trench life, whether in the deserts
of Egypt or the blood-stained fields of France, has always struck a
chord of compassion in the hearts of women. It seemed so terrible that,
in addition to risking their lives, the soldiers should be faced with
daily discomfort; and when the Queensland Division of the Australian
Soldiers’ Comforts Fund was established in Brisbane, in September,
1915, there was a big response to the appeal for help. It was felt
that no one here in the comfort of ordinary life could do too much to
alleviate that discomfort, and all over Queensland women set to work
to provide what they knew was required by the men in the trenches. The
local branch became headquarters, and to-day there are over 40 branches
throughout the State, with the central headquarters situated in the
basement of Parbury House.

This general fund provides comforts for all Queensland soldiers
irrespective of the unit to which they belong. Over £5,000 has been
donated by the people of Queensland, and this money is used to buy the
materials for garments and socks, to provide groceries and sundries
required by the men, while a certain amount of money is sent monthly
to the commissioners abroad to provide coffee stalls, entertainments
(picture and variety shows) and musical instruments for men right in
the trenches and firing lines. Honorary commissions have been appointed
by the Commonwealth Government, and it is they who acquaint the
Australian governing bodies of what the men require. When Mr. Budden
(late Chief Hon. Commissioner for Australian comforts) was in Brisbane
he said that in one month alone they had provided 81,960 socks to men
in the front trenches. The colossal task undertaken by the women may
be imagined when this was quoted as one item. At another time, 25,000
tooth brushes and 25,000 tins of tooth powder were provided. To all
these requirements the Queensland Division contributed her share. In
the first year the hundreds of consignments sent abroad included among
the comforts 5,830 shirts, 11,607 pairs of socks, 1,232 tins of milk,
763 tins of fruit and jam, 5,000 packets and tins of cigarettes, 1,250
tins of fish, and a list of articles too lengthy to enumerate. And in
no way has the work slackened since that month of September, 1915.

The headquarters at Parbury House are the scene of many busy hours.
The room is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Saturday, when it
closes at midday, and one of the honorary secretaries is on duty
daily. The workers are occupied continually with sewing or cutting
out, distributing material or wool to be used up, arranging the goods
for various consignments, packing cases to be forwarded abroad, or
unpacking the contributions from one of the 40 country branches. There
are ten sewing machines in the room, and when they are all being used,
and the various other sections of the organization are centres
of busy women, the room seems one hive of activity. The honorary
secretary’s table, with a telephone, is in the centre, while to the
left is a circulating library, initiated by the Girls’ Sub-committee
to augment the funds. This committee has also made considerable sums
through the sale of cakes and home-made sweets, while individual
members make and sell home-made jams to swell the funds. All work is
voluntary, and no effort is spared to increase the comforts for the
soldiers, and the committees are continually improving their methods
and means of attending to the wants of the men who are in the trenches.
The movement is essentially alive, and if the men could see how
earnestly and unselfishly the women were considering their wants, they
would feel cheered indeed. As it is, the letters that pour in from all
sources show the deep appreciation of the men. The wonderful part is
their gratitude--they do not seem to realise the tremendous sacrifices
they themselves are making. Time and again the commissioners report
that the soldiers will say quietly, “You are too good to us,” and when
coffee is served near the firing line or soup made, the soldiers seem
to take it as a message from home. All gifts are bought or made in
Australia, if possible, and a “comforts” badge or message put on the
articles. The fact that they come direct from Australia increases their
value a hundredfold in the eyes of the men. General Birdwood voiced the
thought of the Australians when he sent the following message to those
in charge of the Comforts’ Funds: “All members of the A.I.F. send our
most grateful thanks to the kind wishers in Australia, who have done so
much to help the Australian soldiers through times of difficulty and
discomfort in the field. What that help has meant none but those who
have seen it on the spot can possibly realise.”

If you are interested in a soldier call or write for our New
List of

Gifts for Soldiers

It includes Suggestions for Presents for Soldiers at
“Send-offs.” Suggestions for Presents for the Soldier at
the front. A list of useful parcels for posting, including
Cigarettes and Chocolates, or Useful Articles of Clothing. The
Parcels range in price from 5s. upwards. There are a hundred to
select from.

All Colours in Battalion Brooches kept in stock.

=Rothwells Ltd.=, Edward Street,
BRISBANE.

VERDUN.

We think of love, of garden plots and song,
We dream our dreams to be--and gone--
While hell let loose, men speak and done
Defend Verdun.

A glint of red, a glow of crimson flowers
Uplift their heads to meet the morning hours,
A glint of red--in battlefield the Hun
Awaits Verdun.

O! Frailty of man who only knows
When stormy wind across his garden blows!
For glints of red a-shining in the sun
Reflect Verdun.

[Illustration]

Chocolate!

AUSTRALIAN CHOCOLATE FOR
AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS

Nothing so sustaining for winter conditions as GRIFFITHS’ Pure
Chocolate. Packed in specially sealed tins ready for posting to
the Front. Also in Solid Blocks. Post a Block with your next
pair of socks.

Have you seen our SOLDIER’S HAMPER Lists? Write or ring us up (’Phone
3496) and we will post you one.

Griffiths Bros.
Prop. Ltd.

530 Queen Street,
Petrie’s Bight, Brisbane.

Large Blocks of Chocolate also obtainable at Finney Isles & Co. Ltd.,
Allan & Stark Ltd., Etc.

Comforts!!!

What could be more comforting to our boys in the trenches than
PHOTOGRAPHS of their “Ain Folk” from time to time.

Make an appointment with--

Thos. Mathewson & Co.,
184 Queen Street (next Finney Isles & Co.)
Brisbane,

And secure a PORTRAIT to send in time for Christmas.

’Phone 614.

Soldiers in the Field.

INDIVIDUAL COMFORTS FUNDS.

In addition to the General Comforts Funds, many individual funds have
sprung up in the last twenty months for various units. Fêtes have been
organised, entertainments given, arts and crafts sold, and business
ventures started and continued with success to augment the funds of
battalions and units for which different committees are exerting
individual effort. It was felt that the soldiers would appreciate
gifts all the more if they knew they were especially sent for their
own particular unit, and regimental flags are made and sent overseas,
comforts provided, and any special requests of the commanding officers
are attended to wherever possible.

Money is sent when specially asked for, and expended at the discretion
of the commanding officers, while the continual upkeep of consignments
to the different battalions means an unfailing interest on the part
of the women. When the men know that the cases have arrived from
Queensland and are consigned to their own particular battalion, a
special value is attached to them. The very fact that they have been
thought of individually is a pleasure, and from all accounts the cases
assume the proportion of Santa Claus to a small boy.

Some idea of the magnitude of the work performed in Queensland, to send
comforts to soldiers in the field, is realised when it is known that,
in addition to the Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts Fund, the following
comforts funds are also in existence in Brisbane:--

2nd Light Horse
5th Light Horse
11th Light Horse
9th and 49th Battalions
15th Battalion
25th Battalion
26th Battalion
31st Battalion
41st and 42nd Battalions
47th Battalion
3rd Pioneers
4th Pioneers
9th Field Artillery
Miners and Engineers

[Illustration]

A Letter from France.

FRANCE,
3/2/17.

Dear Mrs. S---- and Miss W----

Our Colonel has to-day handed me your most magnificent parcel
for distribution to friendless men of my company. The parcel,
which was sent by Messrs. T. C. Beirne & Co., arrived in good
order, and was greatly appreciated by the men. It really
was one of the best parcels I have yet seen. Everything it
contained was just what we find it difficult to get here.

(Signed) W. M. Davis, Major,
25th Batt., A.I.F.

And that’s only one of the many appreciative letters for
Beirne’s Soldier Boy Hampers that we have seen.

Every Mail for the Front sees hundreds of BEIRNE HAMPERS going
to make the recipients happy.

Can we send one for you? No trouble! Just give us your order. We do
everything else.

Prices run:--10/-, 15/-, 20/-, 25/-

And that means THE POSTAGE PAID BY US.

T. C. BEIRNE & Co.,

“The House of the People.”

The VALLEY, : : : BRISBANE.

Anzac Club.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SOLDIERS’ HELP SOCIETY.

In a quiet obscure street leading from the main thoroughfares of the
city, there is a sign hung out from the building of an old church,
“Anzac Club.” A rest home is here provided for returned soldiers in
particular, but all soldiers, whether recruits or men who have come
through action, are welcome. It is the outcome of the efforts of the
women of the Church of England Help Society, but no questions of
religion are asked, and the club is open to men of all denominations
and creeds.

The management is in the hands of men, and personal attention is given
to individual soldiers in an open, broadminded way. For instance, if an
intoxicated man comes into the club, he is not turned out, but taken to
the rest room upstairs and given a couch to sleep off his intemperance.
Everything possible is done to encourage the men to use the club. There
are three rooms for their occupation. A large reading and lounge hall
in the basement with a piano, gramaphone, easy chairs, small tables and
a restaurant. The stage of this hall has been turned into a billiard
room, and at all times of the day there are men using the privileges
of the club. Upstairs there is a reading, writing and rest room, where
notepaper, envelopes and a library are provided free of charge. No
entrance fee or subscription is asked, and the only time a soldier has
to put his hand in his pocket is when he requires refreshments. These
are provided at the lowest cost possible, and it is obvious that some
return is necessary to keep the restaurant in financial order. Letters
are received and remain in the care of the manager until called for,
the manager being in attendance every day and night, and the club open
from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Different societies, and Protestant churches in and around Brisbane,
provide a fortnightly social, and no offer is ever refused to entertain
the men. The members of the Church of England Help Society hold a “tea”
every Sunday and provide all provisions. This function is extremely
popular, and the attendance averages 270 soldiers. These forms of
entertaining returned men have had a wonderful influence among men
of previous uncertain character. They have wandered in, in the first
instance, out of curiosity, but the kindness of the girls and women and
the happy atmosphere of the club have attracted them again and again.
Seeing that a certain respectability is expected of them, they have
taken care to come sober and remain sober. The numbers of men who were
apparently “lost” characters and who have reformed under the influence
of the club is amazing. The women who worked up this movement, and who
continue to give strenuous attention to the welfare of the club, are
the source of more influence for good than they are yet aware. But the
Anzac Club was not instituted as a house of reformation, nor is it run
on any such lines. It is a rest home for the men who have done “their
bit,” or who are going forth to fight for their country.

Remember the Men in the Trenches.

HOW WOMEN MAY HELP AND ENCOURAGE.

There is an ever-increasing demand for comforts for the men in the
trenches. The Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts Depot in Parbury House has
an army of women throughout Queensland working daily to supply those
wants. But these women are in need of re-inforcements just as the
soldiers in the trenches are in need of re-inforcements of men to-day.
Those women who have immediate ties with men in the firing line have
learnt of the soldiers’ delight in receiving additional comforts--they
have also heard of the long hours spent midst wind, rain, mud and
snow, when the soldiers’ only food was military rations, their only
clothes--military equipment. Sufficient comforts have not been sent
to the men. Additional socks, mufflers, mittens, Cardigan jackets,
Balaclava caps, shirts, games, musical instruments, books, tinned
fruits and milk are urgently needed. Surely the women of Queensland
will not fail to make further and greater efforts to bring some
gladness to the men fighting for us in France and Egypt.

The Anzacs who have returned from facing the hourly risk of death have
a strange look in their eyes, and many, when sitting quietly smoking or
resting, seem to be listening. One soldier was questioned: “You look as
if you were listening all the time to something we can’t hear.” “Yes,”
he said, “when I sit quietly I seem to hear the chaps in the trenches
calling for me to come back.” The Anzac in question was well enough to
do light military duty, but he felt that even he, after his strenuous
work and severe wounds, should return and give the men a helping hand.

Can’t you hear, women of Queensland, the men in the trenches calling
for extra comforts? Can’t you hear them saying, “If we had a few more
pairs of socks and some extra warm clothing things wouldn’t be so bad.
I wonder why the women don’t send us more things?” Those who have their
women folk working here are unbounded in their gratitude for individual
parcels. They also receive goods from the Soldiers’ Comforts Fund. But
think of the men who have no friends or relations to work for them!
They depend entirely on extra comforts to the Comforts Fund--and if
there are not enough to go round there must be many a bitter thought.

But not so bitter as the thought of no reinforcements of men. Nor so
bitter as the thought of extra risks, extra hours of suffering because
the country they are fighting for refuses to assist them in their hour
of need. Every extra man in the trenches lessens the casualty lists.
Every extra comfort gives not only a glow of pleasure and hours of
comparative ease, but encouragement. Writing from the trenches men say
that when parcels arrive excitement is intense. It seems a voice from
home, and for the nonce war and death are brushed aside. But the lonely
soldier who receives no remembrances, not even slight acknowledgment of
his sacrifices, must sometimes wonder if his country and countrymen and
women are worth risking death for.

Imperial Service Club.

THE HOME OF THE RECRUIT IN 1914-1916.

Although this club is now closed it will always live in the memory of
the soldier who was a recruit during 1914-16. It provided a place of
rest and amusement to thousands and thousands of soldiers, and the
energetic band of women and men, who put their untiring energies into
the club, are deserving of unstinted praise.

It was open every day, including Sunday, and there were always certain
members of the women’s committees in attendance during the day,
while both men and women were on duty at night, the club closing at
10 o’clock. The scheme was carried out on an extensive scale, and
everything possible was done to make the club a comfortable rendezvous
for the soldiers. The billiard tables were a great attraction, and
stationery and other necessaries were supplied free of cost. A
restaurant provided light refreshment, and all sorts of amusements
were arranged to attract and interest the soldiers. Over a hundred
letters were often received in one day for the men, and the reading
and writing-rooms were a boon to the lonely country recruit. Many men
left their personal belongings in the care of the committee, and these
are stored ready for the owners to claim them on their return from the
war. Socials, dances and entertainments were continually being held,
and several musical instruments were always at the disposal of the men
in the large lounge at the basement of the building. The White City,
other attractions for the soldiers, and the fact that there were so
few recruits in camp at the end of 1916, occasioned the closing of the
club, and the women who worked so enthusiastically for the movement
have since turned their energy into other patriotic channels.

[Illustration]

RECRUITING READY-RECKONER
FOR MARRIED MEN PREPARED TO JOIN THE A.I.F.
“FOR HOME AND EMPIRE.”

=============================+===========+===========+===========+==============+===========
RATES FOR A SOLDIER. | Total |Fortnightly| TOTAL |Fortnightly |Fortnightly
|Fortnightly| Patriotic |fortnightly| Pension |Pension if
| Pay. | Fund | Income. | if husband | husband
| | allowance | | totally | killed.
| | (if | |incapacitated.|
| |necessary).| | |
----------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------+-----------
With a WIFE and no children |=£4 9 10= |=------= |=4 9 10= |=4 10 0= |=2 0 0=
With a WIFE and 1 child |=£4 15 1= |=0 12 6= |=5 7 7= |=5 10 0= |=3 0 0=
With a WIFE and 2 children |=£5 0 4= |=0 17 6= |=5 17 10= |=6 5 0= |=3 15 0=
With a WIFE and 3 children |=£5 5 7= |=0 17 6= |=6 3 1= |=6 15 0= |=4 5 0=
With a WIFE and 4 children |=£5 10 10= |=0 17 6= |=6 8 4= |=7 5 0= |=4 15 0=
============================+===========+===========+===========+==============+===========

In addition to the above there is 1/- per day deferred pay, amounting
to £18/5/- per year, which the soldier draws in a lump sum on his
return.

Then, again, a man has to remember that he is fed and clothed while in
the A.I.F., which is, of course, a big item to consider.

Don’t forget, too, that the rates quoted above are for the PRIVATE.

Such a big proportion of the men enlisting in Queensland to-day are
married men, that we thought it would be a good plan to state all the
rates of pay and pensions clearly for their information.

There is no doubt that the single men are not coming forward as they
should, and many married men are coming to the conclusion that there is
only one thing to do--take up the sword themselves.

HOW TO ENLIST.

=In Brisbane=--Go to Adelaide Street Enlisting Depot (next to State
School).

=In the Country=--Go to the nearest Town Clerk, or Shire Clerk, or
Local Recruiting Committee, who will give you all the necessary
instructions.

STATE RECRUITING COMMITTEE OF QUEENSLAND,

_Vice-Chairman_: Col. Hon. A. J. THYNNE, V.D., M.L.C. G. M. DASH,
_Captain_, _State Organizing Secretary_.

Red Cross Workshop.

FOR SOLDIERS AT KANGAROO POINT.

The small theatre at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital has been
removed to near the Recreation Hall at the gates, and converted into a
workshop for the soldiers. A section of the sub-committee of hospitals
took the matter in hand a few months ago, and a start was then made to
teach convalescent men wood-carving, basket-making, toy-making, and
other branches of handicraft. Some of the soldiers in Sydney, where a
similar scheme has been in operation for some time, made from £2 a week
upwards, and it is hoped that the movement will be of the same benefit
to the men in Brisbane.

The result has been even more successful than anticipated. Basket-work,
toys, poker-work, and small carpentry have already been made, and there
are now some skilled workers among the soldiers. An exhibit which was
recently shown in one of the shops in Queen-street, was the centre of
an admiring and interested crowd, while a display of the work has also
been arranged in the Red Cross Section at the Exhibition.

The proceeds of all articles sold are given to the individual soldiers
who made them, minus the cost of the material. Orders have come in from
all quarters, and the men have sufficient to keep them working until
Christmas. A depôt, however, has been promised in the city, where all
work made over and above the orders, will be exhibited and sold.

[Illustration]

Young Australia.

WORK OF THE SCHOOL CHILDREN.

The spirit of the times has not failed to touch the budding womanhood
of Queensland. In every school, whether public or private, girls will
be found knitting industriously for soldiers. Indeed, it is no uncommon
sight to see quite small children knitting in the trams and suburban
trains, and the exhibitions of their work rank in quality with the
exhibits of women during these years of war.

At displays of school work there is always a large section devoted to
Red Cross efforts, and the mufflers, socks, “washers,” and Balaclava
caps have been highly commended by expert needlewomen. In numerous
ways children have assisted in providing materials and funds for
the soldiers. Entertainments have been organised, and often talent
discovered that would otherwise have lain dormant, the children showing
unbounded enthusiasm for their work. They have also been encouraged
to give small donations, such as having an “Egg Day” at the schools,
when each child brings an egg to send to the Red Cross Kitchen. War
will ever linger in the memory of the men and women of the coming
generation. It has built a foundation of self-sacrifice and generosity
such as no piping times of peace would have achieved.

Residential Club.

FOR RETURNED SAILORS AND SOLDIERS.

It was a ladies’ committee that initiated the movement to establish
a Residential Club in Brisbane for soldiers, and their efforts have
been untiring since the first meeting was held on May 10th of last
year. Combining with the Returned Soldiers’ Association they soon
established a strong committee, the result is that the club is now
ready for the soldiers, having been officially opened by His Excellency
the Governor on the 11th of this month. The building, which is at the
corner of Wharf and Ann streets, is a two-storey building and has
every convenience for a comfortable club. Entertainments of all kinds
have been organised in the cause of the Residential Club during the
last year, the most notable being the Queen’s Carnival, which brought
in an approximate result of £4,000. £11,000 will be required to clear
the debt on the building, and so far over £7,000 has been collected or
donated towards the fund.

The furniture, which is equal to that of any club in Brisbane, has been
provided through the efforts of women on the Furnishing Committee,
the Girls’ Clubs in Brisbane, St. Stephen’s Girls, and through the
generosity of leading business firms in the city.

The club is under the management of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’
Association. It is proposed to run it on broad lines so that any
returned soldier may feel that he has a club of his own in Brisbane.
The best possible accommodation is provided, and the tariff is made
sufficiently low to suit the average soldier’s means. It is intended to
run the club on non-political and non-sectarian lines, and no evidence
of the common bond of sympathy that exists for this movement could be
more striking than the fact that men and women of all denominations and
creeds have met together for the last year to enthusiastically further
the project.

[Illustration]

+---------------------------------------------------+
| Courteous and Efficient Service-- |
| which makes Shopping a pleasure-- |
| is characteristic of every department |
| of our Store. |
| |
| ALLAN & Drapery |
| STARK L^{TD}. Mercery |
| Queen Street and Tailoring |
| Adelaide Street, Furniture |
| Brisbane. Crockery |
| |
|Mail Orders a Speciality. Catalogues upon request.|
+---------------------------------------------------+

THE RETURN.

There has been no wheat grown in the Northern war areas of France for
the last two years, but the poppies have come up just the same. The
peasants believe that the scarlet flowers have sprung up where soldiers
bled.

A laughing crowd akin to tears,
And men are passing by,
Who come from trench and battlefield
Where Soldiers’ die.

Deep notes of music rise and fall
As men have fallen, too,
When Life laugh’d low at danger-mark
And Death withdrew.

Across the hill the crimson glow
Of day’s return is blown,
And poppies nod in barren fields
Where blood was sown.

Coo-ee Cafe.

TO PROVIDE COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS.

SOCIETY GIRLS BECOME WAITRESSES.

It would cheer the soldiers in France and Egypt if they could catch a
glimpse of the scene enacted every day and all day in Isles-lane to
provide comforts for soldiers fighting abroad. There in the Brisbane
Club building, may be seen girls in dainty white frocks and frilly caps
and aprons, cooking every day to supply the restaurant in the adjacent
compartment. In the heat of summer they stood beside the stoves, and
baked cakes and cut up sandwiches and luncheons to attend to the
ever-increasing customers in the long tea room leading from the lane,
and to-day they are as enthusiastic in their work as when the room
first opened at the beginning of the year.

Until July the tea room was in the basement of the building, and on
descending the wide steps from the lane, the first thoughts that struck
the visitor were what a charming scene, what a bevy of pretty girls,
and what a babble of tongues. The café is now situated on the ground
floor, and at small tables, daintily arrayed with the picked blossoms
from suburban and country gardens, are visitors from all parts of
Brisbane. Soldiers in khaki, tired men, soldiers in the making and
raw recruits, mingle with the civilian in mufti, while women in all
their charm of pretty frocks and subtle femininity are there to amuse
and be amused. From the far end a singer’s voice rises and the babble
is subdued to a low murmur. Again an orchestra will break forth into
melodious music, while all the time busily attending to the wants of
their customers are girls in becoming white uniforms with their frilly
aprons and mop caps.

This is no idle hobby. There is a manager, a cashier and a
superintendent, who are in daily attendance at the café, while over
200 girls each give a day a week to either cooking in the kitchen
or waiting in the restaurant. All this work is entirely voluntary.
The proceeds are devoted to the Comforts Funds of the 9th and 49th
Battalions, 9th Field Artillery and the 5th Light Horse, 10 per cent
of the takings being donated to the Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts
Fund. The committees of these various funds thought out the scheme
and launched it as a venture. It has been an unqualified success, and
they deserve all the profits they work for to send away to their men
fighting abroad for the prestige of kith and kin.

Each battalion takes two days a week, and a member from that particular
comforts fund is in charge of the working of the girls for that day.
The offices of the manager, cashier and superintendent, however, are
permanent, and have been held by the same members since the opening of
the café. Two or three days a week the soldiers of the military band
are given luncheon free, and it is a stirring scene to see them all
file in after the recruiting meetings at the Post Office. Sometimes
they play outside the lane, and from every office window along the lane
and overlooking from Queen-street, listening business girls and men are
craning to see the soldiers and listen to the delightful music of the
band.

The café is an emblem of woman’s admiration for the man in khaki. No
work is too great or too tiresome to express that hardly understood
feeling of her’s for the soldier who risks his life for his country.
And overshadowing the laughter and the music, the symbols of the
soldier are ever present, for round the walls of the café are the
glorious flags of the Empire: Australia, the 9th Battalion, 49th
Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Brigade, and the 5th Light Horse.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Toys made at the Kangaroo Point Military Hospital.]

[Illustration: The Return of Wounded Soldiers.]

Queensland Soldiers’ Sock Fund.

BRANCHES ALL OVER QUEENSLAND.

On April 19th, 1915, a movement was started in Brisbane which has
spread throughout the length and breadth of Queensland. It was the
Queensland Soldiers’ Sock Fund, and since that date over 45,000 pairs
of socks have been sent overseas to the soldiers, and considerably
over £1,900 has been collected to buy wool. The depôt is situated in
a large room behind the Queensland Foreign Mission Shop in Albert St.
one of the Hon. Secretaries and a member of the committee being in
attendance every day from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, to distribute wool and
receive the knitted socks. Wool is given out to anyone who applies, the
condition being that the socks made from such wool be brought into the
depôt and sent away with the consignments from the Queensland Soldiers’
Sock Fund. The work has increased considerably, the returns being much
greater this year than last year, and the largest number of socks yet
sent away by the fund was contained in the last consignment, when 1,697
pairs were sent overseas.

The country branches work with the same enthusiasm as those in and
around Brisbane, and parcels arrive daily from all parts of Queensland;
between 300 and 400 pairs often being received at the one time. The
school children are quite as enthusiastic as the women, and large
parcels are sent from both the state and private schools, sums of money
also being collected and handed over to the fund to purchase wool.

Every fortnight the socks are packed in cases at the depot and passed
on to the Queensland Patriotic Fund, who store them until space is
found for transport overseas. There is an ever increasing demand for
socks, and the members who have worked so consistently for over two
years, never flag in their interest. Apart from the many individual
knitters in Brisbane, there are 300 women who contribute regularly to
this particular fund, and they are just as keen to make socks to-day
as they were two years ago, when the urgent need of socks, and still
more socks, was recognised. That need has not lessened, indeed, it has
increased.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Queensland Red Cross Motor Waggon.]

Home for Wounded Soldiers.

MOVEMENT STARTED IN BRISBANE.

A meeting of women delegates from the different Comforts’ Funds
in Brisbane met some months ago at the invitation of the Returned
Soldiers’ and Patriots’ National Political League, to establish a home
for returned soldiers who are cripples or nervous wrecks. Several
difficulties arose, however, in the starting of a complete new fund,
and the matter has since been taken up by the Red Cross Society. It has
been decided by the members to establish two homes for returned wounded
soldiers. One for advanced consumptives and the other for men who are
physically incapable of earning their living. The movement is as yet in
its infancy, but when the Red Cross Society have taken the matter in
hand there is every reason to have full confidence in the homes being
established. They will be of inestimable benefit to men made physical
wrecks through the horrors of war; and doubtless, it is only a matter
of bringing the fact before the public to receive support from all
parts of the community.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: A Section of the Red Cross Kitchen in Brisbane, where
delicacies are made for Sick and Wounded Soldiers.]

Red Cross Kitchen.

UNTIRING WORK OF VOLUNTARY “COOKS.”

Day in and day out, for the last two years, the women of the Red
Cross Kitchen have served a tea to the inmates of the Kangaroo Point
Military Hospital. In addition, three times a week, an excellent menu
has been sent out to the camp hospitals, convalescent detail hospital,
Lytton, Rosemount, Wattlebrae, and extra supplies given to the Kangaroo
Point Hospital, while men at Goodna, the Diamantina, or wherever sick
soldiers are stationed, are regularly supplied with delicacies. It
needs no stretch of imagination to realise the work this entails. The
kitchen, which is situated opposite the Customs House, is a long room,
with stores on shelf above shelf on the right-hand side, while to the
left are the stoves, ice-chests, and other necessities for preparing
the supplies; all the fittings having been made by the men’s auxiliary,
who work in the basement.

The sight of the women, in their white uniforms and caps, working
busily every day and all day behind the large windows with the sign
of the Red Cross, has almost ceased to attract the attention of the
passerby, and yet there is a retinue of 70 helpers who carry out this
work consistently, each member having her regular hours and regular
days for assisting. And all the work is voluntary. Through the heat
of two summers and the varied weather of winter they have worked
untiringly peeling potatoes, cutting up salads, making scones and
cakes, and cooking tempting morsels for the sick and wounded men. In
addition, they have prepared and served the suppers at Kangaroo Point
for the returned soldiers on the night of their return.

The stores, vegetables and foodstuffs are supplied gratis by the
various branches of the Red Cross, men (particularly the men of the
markets) and women who are interested in the work so excellently
carried out, and school children who send in regular supplies of eggs,
milk and other foodstuffs. Some idea of the work done by the “cooks”
is realized by a visit to the kitchen during the day. There, scones
are being made, fruit salads cut up, potatoes peeled, and vegetables,
curries, poultry and puddings prepared. The rows of home-made jam are
the result of a day’s work, while again pickles and chutneys are also
stored ready for the use of the soldier. Sometimes 14 fowls will be
received from one well-wisher in the country. These must all be plucked
and dressed straight away, and are put in cold storage until required.
There is not an idle moment for the workers, and towards evening or at
mid-day the delicacies are packed and taken by the Red Cross Motor to
the various destinations. There are three gas stoves and two gas rings
in use, and many people who understand and appreciate the work have
added other conveniences for the cooking. The helpers are so particular
that the work should be entirely voluntary that they even pay for meals
served to them during the day. This work is carried out by about 30
girls, who serve the meals and do all the washing up. The kitchen has
been so widely recognised as an institution of essential value, that
the “cooks” are assisted by the military authorities, who provide two
soldiers every day to help with the heavy work. The soldiers, nurses
and doctors are full of gratitude to these Red Cross workers. And,
indeed, they have been untiring in their efforts, and unselfish with
both their time and their energy, to be of service to the soldiers.

[Illustration: Nurse Cavell.]

Circles and Guilds.

SUBURBAN AND CITY BRANCHES OF WORK.

It might be safely said that there is not a street in or around
Brisbane, in which there are not women working in one way or another
for the men in khaki. Leisure hours are given to sewing, knitting, or
arrangements for “days,” fétes and other entertainments whereby money
may be gathered in for the welfare of the soldiers in the trenches, in
the hospitals, on leave, or discharged from duty.

The working girls, no less than those of the leisure classes, have
given of their time and money, and it is no uncommon occurrence for
the employees of large drapery and other establishments to arrange
concerts, river picnics and entertainments to provide either the
furniture for a room in the Residential Club, or some other gift for a
patriotic cause.

Apart from the Red Cross Society, the Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts
Fund and other well-known patriotic centres, there are many circles and
guilds and individual women who work for or entertain the Queensland
soldier. Some idea of the work the women are doing is realized when it
is considered that, in the Red Cross alone, each of the 31 Brisbane
branches averages a membership of from 50 to 100 women. In addition to
the Societies formed entirely for patriotic work, there are at least 17
different sewing guilds attached to independent institutions.

Among these centres is the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution, the
members of which make quantities of shirts and socks, their work being
particularly neat and well finished. The students of the Queensland
University, the Technical College, and the women of the Mutual Service
Club also make garments and knitted articles for the men, while the
girls of the Y.W.C.A. have given wonderful contributions considering
that the majority of their time is taken up with earning their living.
Not only have they become a sub-branch of the Red Cross Society, and
donated gifts regularly to the Queensland Soldiers’ Comforts Fund, but
they have given of their earnings as well. Each girl gives what she
can afford weekly, a penny, threepence, or whatever the sum may be,
and during the last year they collected over £60 for various patriotic
organisations.

The Church of England Soldiers’ Help Society have been working
energetically almost from the commencement of the war. It was the
members of this Society who organised and established the Anzac Club
in Charlotte-street, and this is by no means the only channel of their
work. Twice a week members go out to the camp and mend the soldiers’
clothes. They have a tent, and the Soldiers’ Hut (which is another
result of their efforts) where they receive damaged garments and
darn, patch and mend them ready for use again. A scheme to relieve
the anxiety of relatives of soldiers who are wounded has been of
inestimable comfort to many mothers and fathers in Queensland. The
Society keep in touch with a chaplain in England, who visits and issues
cards to the wounded men in hospitals in England. The men fill the
cards in, stating their wounds, their circumstances, name, etc., and
these are sent out to Queensland, and they are then distributed to the
relatives by the Society. In this way many parents have been able to
trace their sons, particularly boys who ran away from home to enlist,
and who have failed to keep in touch with their relatives.

Many women’s societies and clubs regularly entertain the men in
camp, organizing concerts, while the work of individual women in the
interests of soldiers has been beyond praise. Among other centres of
patriotic activity, the following churches, institutions and societies
also have energetic sewing guilds:--Queensland Women’s Electoral
League, Stephens’ Girls’ League, Mitson Haseldene Sewing Circle, Holy
Trinity Sewing Circle, Heralds of the King, The Spiritual Soldiers’
Aid, City Tabernacle, St. Peter’s Guild (West End), Salvation Army,
Nurses at Central Hospital, Vulture St. Baptist Church, and a 60 Sewing
Circle.

[Illustration]

A Spirit of Service.

Through the portals of modern times woman has met this great conflict
of nations warring with nations with a calm strength and patience. And
she has set up a shrine in the activities of her house--a shrine that
is a spirit of service to the soldier.

When peace first spread her wings to take flight across seas and
continents, she left woman standing on the brink of war with reluctant
and uncertain feet. No woman in any period of the world’s history ever
faced the colossal task that the women of 1914 faced three years ago.
Into the domestic trend of their lives came the shadows of battle and
strife and death, and they waved goodbye to their sons, brothers, and
lovers, with a vague feeling that they had gone forth to meet danger,
and it was for their country. Then came battle news and casualty lists,
and the doubting fears broke into grief and sorrow and daily anxiety,
from which emerged an unfathomable reverence for the man who will die
for his country.

It was then that the full significance of the soldier really dawned
on woman in general, and with characteristic femininity she sought
to express her reverence for these men in unbounded service to their
needs. Nor has that service diminished--rather has it increased.

No man will ever realise the feeling a woman has for the man who goes
forth to fight for his country, his womenfolk and the weak. Life is
such a precious thing. Women know this too well. So many of them have
lingered near the edges of that undiscovered country and known the joy
of regaining the shores of Life. So that when a man voluntarily risks
his life to defend all that is precious to him, he becomes almost a
demi-god in her mind. Her sons seem to have grown something almost too
precious. She exists in a daily imagery of their lives, and when they
fall in battle something of their great courage seems to be reflected
within her. She meets her loss with such a knowledge of the honor
of his death that she is fortified with a strange new armor. Girls
who grew up with their brothers, and looked on them just as their
“brothers,” are at times overwhelmed with the magnitude of what these
boys have done and are doing. And from a world of tennis, dances,
pleasures, and peace-time sorrows, they have traversed into the great
arena of service.

And what an arena it is! From the lowest to the highest rung on the
social ladder, from the tropic lands of the North to the wheat grown
fields of the Downs, from the out-back stations of the West to the
Pacific, women have arisen to do honour to the man in khaki. She who
must needs work to earn her daily bread spends her leisure moments
in knitting or sewing. She who has lived in the midst of household
duties and home cares, gives what hours she may spare--and often, what
she is unable to spare--to Red Cross activities, comforts for the men
in the trenches, or to practical work to augment the funds of some
particular patriotic institution. For these works are not temporary
works, they are institutions, institutions built on the foundations of
self-sacrifice, and they will outlive many a granite building in the
memory of future generations. The society woman--the butterfly--has
been one of the surprises of the war. Out of her chrysalis she has
come and put aside her life of luxury to do homage to this demi-god
in khaki. What matter whether he was her gardener or her lover
yesterday--he is a soldier to-day, and as such she will give him
homage.

[Illustration: Transporting Wounded Soldiers from Gallipoli.]

Mutual Service Club.

FOR RELATIVES OF MEN AT THE FRONT.

Any afternoon in the week, except Saturday and Sunday, between the
hours of two and five o’clock, the Mutual Service Club may be seen
in full working order on the top floor of Moon’s Building, Adelaide
Street. This club is for the relatives, particularly the wives and
children, of men at the front. There are two large rooms available
for the club, and they are always well patronised by the wives and
children of soldiers. Primarily it is a society of mutual service, and
the committee who organised and keep up the club endeavour to assist
wherever help is wanted. The women of Brisbane who have time and means
do not give their energy to the soldier alone, for they realise that in
helping his wife and children they are indirectly doing him invaluable
service.

The room is always a centre of interested women and happy children.
There are many diversions for the soldiers’ wives, and the children are
provided with toys and picture books. A Red Cross Circle provides one
interest, while once a week cooking or sewing demonstrations are given
and entertainments are arranged whenever possible.

Two members of the committee are on duty every day, and afternoon tea
and biscuits are provided for 2d. The subscriptions are 1s. a year for
club members, 2s. 6d. for committee members, and 5s. associate members,
the latter being practically annual donations for the upkeep of the
club, while the shilling subscription is given by the soldier’s wife
who wishes to obtain the privileges of the club.

The privileges are many, for wherever help is needed the Hon. Secretary
attends personally to the want. Professional men have been exceedingly
generous to members, and there are several doctors and chemists who
practically give their services free, while even legal advice is
tendered to those in need free of charge. The latter help is required
more often than the general public think, for there are many times
when a woman feels utterly at a loss in the tangles of the law. When
a soldier’s wife is confronted with legal or other difficulties, she
will always find assistance at the Mutual Service Club. Jumble sales
are also held, and quite a large sum has been made by the members from
a small stall at which remnants, supplied by the shops, are sold.
Proceeds from this stall purchased a clock for the camp hospital at
Enoggera last year, and the profits are always of use to the committee.
Sometimes money is advanced to women who are in needy circumstances,
and, indeed, whenever anyone is in distress, endeavors are made to
alleviate the trouble.

The club has been in existence for over two years, and the women who
initiated the step towards its establishment must feel exceedingly
gratified at the success achieved.

[Illustration: Flight from Antwerp. _Raemaeker._]

Printed by
GORDON AND GOTCH (QUEENSLAND) LIMITED,
212-214 Queen Street,
Brisbane.

[Transcriber's Note:

Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.]

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "For the Sake of the Soldier - Voluntary Work of Brisbane Women" ***

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