Operated on the North Coast of New South Wales during WWI & II
The Girls’ Patriotic League and similar regional groups like the Girls’ Patriotic Club, were a network of grassroots, volunteer-run women’s organisations formed across various towns to mobilise young women for the home front war effort. Operating alongside larger centralised bodies like the Australian Red Cross and the Australian Comforts Fund, these local leagues provided young women an autonomous platform to directly support overseas troops and fundraise for war charities. They were usually young unmarried women, their role was a social one and the work they did toward the war effort assisted practically, not only by raising funds but morale in the community.
Core activities included knitting and sewing circles – spending countless hours making winter “comforts” for troops, specifically socks, balaclavas, and mittens to protect soldiers from trench foot and cold weather. They also organised, packed, and shipped Troop Care Packages containing items like tobacco, non-perishable foods, and hand-written letters to troops stationed in places like Egypt and Europe. They often hosted local community social events, fetes, dances, and town hall functions to raise money for various war relief funds, such as the Citizen’s War Chest. One of their favoured activities was to create a Guard of Honor – gathering at regional railway stations or town halls to provide ceremonial guards of honor during troop deployments or to host “welcome home” receptions for returning wounded soldiers.
In 1919, the Ballina Girls’ Patriotic Club voted that ‘every assistance be rendered the [returned] soldiers on their sports day’. This day was referred to as the Soldiers’ Peace Sports Celebrations. The day included a ‘Monster procession’ that ‘leaves the Creamery [Norco] at 10.30am’. For the Soldiers’ Peace Sports ‘the secretaries’ of the Ballina Girls’ Patriotic League ‘were authorised to procure suitable prizes.’
Front Row: Gladys Benaud, Gladys Felsch, Florrie Felsch, Dorrie Bugden, Annie Fairhall, Mary Freney
2nd row: Doris Napier, Molly Sheridan, Marion Yabsley, Doris Yabsley, Fanny Stamford, Laurie McLean, Jean McCallum
3rd row: Miss Napier, Amy Livingstone, Phyllis Yabsley, Lillias Yabsley, Jessie Betheris, Mabel Napier, Flora Fenton, Ida James
4th row: Jessie McRae, Annie Forrest, Alma Dolby, Irene Livingstone, Miriam Napier, Hilda McRae, Jessie Callaghan, Lorrie Badkin, Miss Yabsley
Peacetime celebrations in the community were also organised by the Girls’ Patriotic Leagues. At Tintenbar in 1919 a ‘Peace Ball’ was held in the School of Arts. ‘The League made considerable preparations for this function, and had the hall very nicely decorated with flags and greenery. The front of the stage was draped with the Union Jack and Australian flags, the centre flag bearing the words “Tintenbar Girls’ League”, and on the left the words “Peace 1919”.
While quite a few of these organisations disbanded in peacetime, many continued as commemoration groups – fundraising and organising town memorials dedicated to the soldiers and contributing to the planning of the Australian War Memorial.
The Ballina Girls’ Patriotic League was still active during WWII and many more hundreds of socks were knitted and comfort parcels were sent to the overseas troops.