Baptist Church Junior Red Cross, Lanefield, near Ipswich 1935 (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

On August 13, 1914, nine days after World War I started, the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society was established. The main depot was housed at Government House in Melbourne. The State divisions were formed at the same time being led by the wives of State Governors. Hundreds of thousands volunteered to assist with World War I efforts, social welfare, national emergencies and natural disasters. By World War II the Australian Red Cross was Australia’s largest charity organisation.

Junior Redcross group at ANZAC Day March, Rosewood, Ipswich, ca. 1941 (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

In 1918, the Junior Red Cross was formed, allowing youth and young children to become Red Cross members. Some of the activities the children participated in were fundraising and charity works, learning First Aid, visiting patients at local hospitals and knitting scarves for soldiers. The Junior Red Cross Crippled Children Fund provided crutches, surgical boots, spinal jackets and optical glasses etc. to needy children. The Junior Red Cross Milk Fund supplied milk to soldiers’ sick children. Some of the Junior Red Cross circles that were in the Ipswich area were; St Marys College Junior Red Cross Circle, Goodna Junior Red Cross, Rosewood Junior Red Cross, Brassall Junior Red Cross, Blair State School Junior Red Cross and Silkstone Junior Red Cross. The Junior Red Cross motto was ‘I Serve’.

Children from Rosewood Junior Red Cross during a procession in Rosewood, Ipswich, 1960s (Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich)

 

It wasn’t until 1927 that the Australian Red Cross Society was recognised as a national society in its own right by the International Committee of the Red Cross.