Children’s effort on the home front

In 1941 Thelma Olive Rae, of State School No. 1901, Narre Warren North, raised 141 pounds for the war effort. Being a country girl – there isn't much 'country round Narre Warren North these days – Thelma set out to earn her first pound by working on the family farm and by selling farm and garden produce. She even trapped rabbits and sold them.

Thelma also found that from scraps of material she could make golliwogs, which sold very readily. Very soon, she'd earned her first 20 pounds. As a result of a bazaar held in the grounds of a neighbour's home Thelma raised a further 121 pounds.

Some time ago I wrote about the efforts of our schoolchildren to help the servicemen in the Great War. It was "the war to end all wars" they said, but the next war was not so far away, just 21 years, and gin we were all asked to make some sacrifices, though far, far fewer than people in some other countries.

The Committee of the State Schools War Relief Fund decided on March 13, 1941 to establish the Young Workers' Patriotic Guild as had been done on the Great War. The Education Gazette announced the scheme four days later and soon Thelma Olive Rae was held up as a shining example.

The aim was to raise funds for the war effort "to promote habits of industry and to add to the productive capacity of young workers", to give practical application to lessons in woodwork, needlework and horticulture and "to stimulate to think how they can utilise their opportunities to assist the community in both peace-time and war-time activities".

These were times of great drama and national pride but just in case the children needed any further encouragement they were to be given a certificate when they raised one pound, with an embossed gold seal to be attached when they reached five pounds and another seal every five pounds after that.

Children love certificates and they loved the gold seals then as they would now. The incentive effect was profound.

The Education Department's 'War Service Record' explains how the system worked and it quotes the efforts of many children, including a lad from Coburg who made and sold more than 30,000 toffees. He sold them at a penny each and he made about two pounds ten shillings a month. That was 600 toffees a month

When a child had raised 20 pounds, and thus had four gold stars on his or her certificate he or she was sent a letter from the Assistant Chief Inspector telling how proud everyone was of the effort made. For the children who managed to raise a further fifty pounds another letter was forwarded and these rewards were eagerly sought and greatly valued.

They were very effective inducement and, lest you think that I am being cynical in using the word 'inducements' let me reassure you that I am all in favour of encouraging children to do more, to go further, and to realise that in a crisis we should each contribute whatever effort we can.

Another Narre Warren North student was Madge Bailey. The Raes and the Baileys have been there since the early days of settlement. Madge raised over 83 pounds, gathering and selling mushrooms, cooking and selling cakes and selling fruit and vegetables.

State School No. 861, Maffra, also deserves a special mention.

Maffra has every right to be proud of its Guild members, who by their determined efforts raised huge sums of money to help win the war. June Bird and her little sister, Lorraine, worked together, making useful articles, sweets and cakes and sellIng these goods at backyard bazaars and playtime stalls.

Though June had suffered from infantile paralysis in her arms she made a large number of knitted articles for sale. Lorraine earned additional small amounts by running errands. June's total was a staggering 75 pounds, seven shillings and one penny. Lorraine raised 40 pounds, five shillings and seven pence.

Other children in the school worked hard for the cause. A brother and sister, Raymond and Dorothy Dunstan-Miller completed this quartet of willing workers. As well as running messages and doing odd jobs, they conducted stalls at school and in the street. For these stalls they collected donations of garden produce and poultry.

Dorothy made cakes and sweets (sometimes toffee apples) while her brother made useful articles and toys, both wooden and soft. Dorothy raised 60 pounds and Raymond raised 58 pounds.

At Dandenong, Elayne Tebb did the same sort of things but also collected bottles and papers, raising just over 71 pounds.

The Young Workers, as they were called, also supported a vegetable-growing scheme in which vegetable seeds were sent to schools and the vegetables raised were sold.

This had great educational value, apart from the money raised, for many children learned valuable skills and they learned to work together for the good of others. More than 1300 schools took part in the scheme, which means that very few schools did not, and more than 7000 pounds was raised for the War Relief Fund,

Schools also grew thyme, sage and marjoram. These herbs were in short supply but were needed for war rations, under a project "Herbs for the AIF".

A few weeks ago, well, back in 1993, I also mentioned the buttons, badges and medallions given to schoolchildren over the years, The Busy Bee buttons were actually sold at a penny each and more than 27,000 were bought by our children. 'V for Victory' badges were sold for sixpence.

Because our currency has changed and inflation has eroded its value, the amounts raised might seem small to us.

At the time they were huge, and the money was carefully spent on comforts for soldiers, exercise books for the children of soldiers, on Red Cross supplies and as gifts to help children in Britain's bombed cities.

Perhaps we might, next ANZAC Day just take a moment to remember that our men and women 'over there' were solidly backed by many small but hard-working children at home. It is easy to forget the big effort that went at the home front, and the part our children played in it.