ProvenanceBadge produced to fundraise for the Catholic Soldiers’ Hut at Mitcham Camp.
The camp at Mitcham had 15 large tin huts to house the soldiers with a number of cook houses built in the centre of the camp. One of the buildings in the camp was the garrison institute which housed tables and chairs, a tailor and supplies. Huts for recreation and worship were also built within the camp. The Y.M.C.A. had set up a concert hall at the camp and there was also a stadium for settling disputes among the off duty soldiers. The camp was close to the bank, post office and officers’ quarters. A hospital tent with 16 beds was pitched on the edge of the camp with a neighbouring garden.
The Catholic Soldiers’ Hut was available for soldiers both as a place of recreation, with plenty of donated reading material, and as a place of worship. In June 1916, there was a motion put forward to enlarge the hut given that there were more than 100 Catholic soldiers in the camp and the current hut did not have enough space for all those attending. Over 5000 badges were sold on Button Sunday in June 1916 as part of their fundraising appeal.SignificanceIllustrative of the badges that were popular as a means of raising funds or showing support for particular organisations or causes during and after World War I. This and other associated badges are a rich source of evidence on the material and cultural history of Australia, particularly during wartime. The symbols, colours and mottoes used on the badges themselves also express ideas about the values and identity that Australians held in the early to mid-twentieth century.DescriptionCircular badge: printed paper between tin base and celluloid cover. Coloured illustration of hut inbrown, yellow, white, blue and green. Marked 'Catholic Soldiers Hut' '1916' 'Mitcham, S.A.'.Creator (person)Creator (organisation)AcknowledgementDate of Creation1916Date of Usage1916MaterialTin
|paper
|celluloid Accession NumberHT 1986.0078
