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Women were also actively encouraged to support the war effort by joining voluntary organisations to raise money for the war and to provide comforts for the troops.
These organisations include the Australian Red Cross, Citizens' War Chest, Voluntary Aid Detachments, Australian Comforts Fund and the Cheer-up Society.
We have a number of the papers from these organisations, along with personal papers of individuals who were involved with the organisations.
War loan programs were set up by the Commonwealth and State governments to encourage Australians to support the war effort by purchasing government war bonds which would be repaid with interest. Posters promoting the programs combined patriotism with notions of responsibility to encourage Australians to financially support the war.
After the war, the government launched 'Peace Loan' campaigns to recover the cost of the war and to fund soldier pensions. Peace loans were similar to war loans where people lent money to the government and received interest.
We have digitised a range of posters in our collection that were produced throughout the war to promote the war and peace loans programs.
Search our catalogue to find more posters promoting the programs using the subject: World War, 1914-1918 -- Finance -- Australia -- Posters.
All over Australia individuals and organisations played their part in supporting the war by knitting everything from socks to balaclavas as comforts for the troops. These were sent along with other practical items such as soap, handkerchiefs and notebooks.
Amongst our collections relating to World War I is a knitting pattern for the grey sock, to be made and sent to soldiers at the front. The pattern came to us with the papers, photographs and objects of Irene Victoria Read, a community and charity worker, who first became involved with the Australian Comforts Fund in 1915. She joined her husband in Cairo where he was a doctor with the No. 2 Australian General Hospital and was shocked by the lack of facilities for the men. She lobbied the Australian Comforts Fund to send supplies for their needs. She returned home later in the same year and became involved with the work of the Fund.
"War Chest" Sock Appeal, May 1917 : 3 photos of workers handling goods by G. A. Hills
In the interests of national security thousands of men, women and children were interned in camps during World War I.
Learn more about internment camps.
We have digitised all the front pages from the Sydney Mail for the period of the War.
You can view the front pages in the Library's catalogue.
Fundraising took many forms including this fancy dress patriotic football match held at Bega
"Special Effort - 2 tons of jam made by the Cobar Ladies Jam Club"
Our World War I ephemera collections includes pamphlets, leaflets, concert programs about Australian participation including Red Cross services, memorial services, fund raising efforts and ANZAC Day commemorations.
Search our catalogue to find sheet music that was produced during the war using the subject term:
Our Tommy (from the land of the kangaroo)
National Library of Australia
You can make copies of pictures for research and study purposes by:
You need to contact us for permission to publish our original materials. You must also acknowledge the Library and provide the correct location details.
Find out more about copying and purchasing digital copies.
