ProvenanceSemaphore, South AustraliaSignificanceDescriptionCircular badge: printed paper between tin base and celluloid cover. Mustard coloured rim. Red band, marked 'Semaphore Carnival' 'Repatriation Fund'. Centrepiece a soldier and sailor on an arch - with British and Australian flags. Marked 'Jan y. 27th and 29th'.
Badges such as this were popular as a means of raising funds to support returned servicemen and women from both the First World War and the Second World War. This and other associated badges are a rich source of evidence on the material and cultural history of fundraising and sporting organisations in Australia. 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, particularly during wartime.AcknowledgementDate of Creation1914Date of Usage1914Accession NumberHT 1985.2122
