material badges

Several German families arrived in Wodonga, usually via South Australia, in the late 1850 and 1860s. Some of the earliest settlers to arrive were the Haeusler, Schlink, Trudewind, Pfeiffer and Klinge families. Many of them had left from Prussia and Bavaria to escape religious persecution. They all became actively involved in the community and made outstanding and lasting contributions to the development of the town. In the years 1868-69 more settlers arrived from South Australia and other parts of Victoria. Among the names were Heckendorf, Mueller, Zeinert and Schubert. These families were instrumental in lobbying for the establishment of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Wodonga, the foundation stone being laid in 1874. By the 1890s to the early 1900s many other Germany names were added to the local community including Muller, Lange, Pumpa, Greschke, Lobbe, Posselt, Kreuger, Schuster, Pertzel, Star, Draper, Mueller, Semmler, Thiele, Terlich, Wegener, Schreiber and Draper. Germans continued to arrive in the area until 1914. In the great post-war migration that started through Bonegilla in December 1947, Germans were among the tens of thousands who arrived. Most of the migrants who settled in Wodonga at this time were born in Germany. According to the 2016 Census, Wodonga still has a larger percentage of people with German ancestry than most other rural communities in Victoria. The German Austrian Australian Club, Wodonga was originally formed in 1960 by immigrants to Australia, to provide a meeting place for refugees and immigrants from Europe. Oktoberfest has become a world-wide occasion for all people to share in the celebration of Bavarian traditions. The Wodonga Hospital approached the Club and asked for their involvement in holding an Oktoberfest to raise funds for the Hospital. These Fests took 11 months to organize and ended up raising over $27,000.00 for the Hospital. A large number of families of German origin have arrived in the Wodonga area from as early as the 1850s. They have made valuable and lasting contributions to the area in a range of fields including agriculture, local government, businesses, retail and medical services. Their contributions are recognised in several street names in Wodonga. A white china beer stein bearing the blue logo of the Wodonga 1979 Oktoberfest. Logo includes an image of a woman in German national costume.Above the image "WODONGA" Underneath the image "OKTOBERFEST 1979"wodonga, oktoberfest, german immigrants

A greeting card published by the Australian Comforts Fund for Christmas and New Year 1918-19. It shows important battles involving Australians in 1918. A painting of Villers Brettonneux battle on 8 August 1918 by Captain Will Longstaff who was an A.I.F. War Artist with an explanation of the offensive. Also a painting of the capture of Hamel Village on 4th July 1918 where Australians were assisted by a detachment of Americans. The war artist was A. Pearse. Was with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from J.B. McLean. Some of the text: 'On the night of 24th August 1918, the Australians made a daring and clever counter attack in the darkness, recaptured Villers-Brettonneux, stopped the German advance and saved Amiens. This, and the Battle of Hamel, were only a prelude to the smashing advance which commenced on 8th August. Extract from Australian Corps Order, issued on 7th August:- "For the first time in the history of this Corps all five Australian Divisions will tomorrow engage in the largest and most important battle operation ever undertaken by the Corps." 85,000 Australians were engaged (with Canadians on their right and British Divisions on their left), supported by powerful artillery, tanks and aeroplanes. In this battle 7,000 prisoners, 150 guns with an immense number of machine guns and war material were captured. On August 31st and September 1st and 2nd Mont St. Quentin and Peronne fell to the Australians in three days, defeating the flower of the Prussian Guard.'A example of publications made for the troops in World War 1.A greeting card published for the Australian Comforts Fund in 1918.Greetings from Billworld war one, souvenir

The WWII US civilian gas mask for children was issued in a cardboard box. It came with a canvas carrying bag which had a shoulder strap sewn to the sides. This US Civilian home front item was issued during World War two. Gas masks were distributed among the general population because of the fear of Japan, and even Germany, being able to reach the main landCardboard box containing child size rubber and metal gas mask with green canvass bagModel MIA2-1-1non-combatant child's gas mask, ww2

THE WHEEL OF HMAS SYDNEY COMMEMORATING AUSTRALIA’S FIRST NAVAL ENGAGEMENT The historic wheel of HMAS Sydney commemorates the Royal Australian Navy’s first ship- to- ship naval engagement. It was purchased early in 1930 and later presented to the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club (now Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron) by then Commodore Joe White, following HMAS Sydney being broken up at Cockatoo Dock, Sydney. On 1 November 1914, led by the flagship SS Orvieto, a large convoy of 28 Australian and 10 New Zealand transports escorted by the Light Cruisers HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Sydney, HMS Minotaur and the Japanese ship Ibuki, departed King George Sound, Albany Western Australia with a large contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops bound for Egypt, to become the original Anzac’s. As the convoy steamed northwest across the Indian Ocean, leaving Cocos-Keeling Islands well to the westward, Captain Karl von Muller in the German Light Cruiser Emden of 3,600 tons, after having wrought much havoc to allied shipping in the Indian Ocean, ignorant of the convoys presence, had in mind to destroy the Cocos Island Cable Station on Direction Island. In the early hours of the morning of Monday the 9 November, he anchored “Emden” off Direction Island to send a landing party ashore, In the meantime the Cable Station had sent out a Morse Code message ‘Strange ship approaching’, this was followed soon after by a ‘S.O.S.’ These messages were picked up by ships in the convoy and at 7.00 a.m., Captain J.C. Glossop of the 5,400 ton HMAS Sydney was directed to leave the convoy and proceed at full speed for Cocos Islands. Two hours later Cocos Island was on the horizon. Captain von Muller, with the boarding party ashore to destroy the Cable station, steamed out to intercept the intruder. Captain Glossop decided to close in to 9,500 yards ( 8686.8m) before delivering his first salvo. Emden on the other hand, opened fire at 10,500 yards (9601m), its ten, 4.1 inch (104mm) guns firing 38 pound (17.24 kg ) shells, some of which scored near misses. Emden was hit repeatedly by HMAS Sydney’s eight, 6 inch (152.4mm) guns firing 100 pound (45.36kg ) shells. Within two hours Captain von Muller had decided to run the badly damaged Emden aground on North Keeling Island. Captain Glossop then broke off the engagement to speed off to intercept Emden’s collier, “Buresk”, seen lurking in the distance, soon to overtake her. A boarding party from HMAS Sydney was too late to prevent Buresk from being scuttled but able to rescue her crew. Returning to finish off Emden, HMAS Sydney was again met by heavy gunfire. Sydney scored a number of direct hits to Emden and only after having suffered 134 killed and 65 wounded, did Captain von Muller finally decide to lower his Naval Ensign. He was among those captured and was allowed to retain his Naval sword. In the engagements HMAS Sydney only suffered four direct hits, 4 killed and 12 wounded. J.H.(Bert) Ferris Extremely significant as part of Australia's Naval and Military history.Ships wheel, timber, mounted on a timber plinth, wheel of ship first HMAS Sydney.Plaque notifying that wheel donated by Commodore Joe White 1930ww1, sydney, german, hmas, raider, emden, cocos keeling, islands, hmas sydney, wheel

WWII Historical significance.Original edition of the Age Newspaper dated Monday 6th December 1943.Featuring historic conference at Cairo with Marshal Chiag Kai -Shek (China), President Roosevelt (USA), and Mr Churchill (Britain). Other headlines on front page are: "Plans for Victory"; "Offence On Full Scale"; "Blitz on Germany"

William John ARCHER (Bill) No 321 enlisted in B Coy 21st Batt AIF on 18.1.15. Embarked for Eygpt 8.5.15. Hospital 9.9.15 with Influenza. Hospital 24.11.15 with Gastric Enteritis. Hospital 2.1.16 with Otitis Media. Transfers to the 57th Batt and embarks for France. Hospital with Trench Fever 4.10.16. Promoted to Cpl 28.4.17. Hospital 19.3.18 with Scabies. WIA 18.4.18 GSW's to chest and leg severe. Discharged from the AIF medically unfit 9.1.19. Alexander William ARCHER No 40637 enlisted in the RAAF on 16.5.41 age 18 years 8 months. He wanted to be a Mess Steward and was taken in as he had worked in similar work line. He then has 5 postings before embarking for Egypt on 2.4.1942 and was posted to No 3 SQD RAAF on 20.5.1942. Re mustered as a Motor Cyclist he became a Dispatch Rider on 8.9.1942 between the RAAF and the Army. Alex served in the Middle East and Italy with 3 SQD. He embarked from Egypt diagnosed with Kyphosis and Scoliosis on 5.2.1944. In Australia he was re mustered as Office Orderly on 6.7.1944 and then discharged from the RAAF on 2.10.1944 Medically Unfit. Wooden base with brass shells either end resembling Officers caps,one being WWI, the other WWII, both inscribed. Centre plaque inscribed Alex Archer and Bill Archer, father and son. Above the centre plaque is a piece of German shrapnel chrome plated Map - "North Africa, 1940", on left hand side, "18-Pounder, 1917, Bill Archer-Anzac, 1914-1919", on right hand side, "German shrapnel"handcrafts - trench art, metal craft- brassware, arms - ammunition, military history - souvenirs

Items collected by Horace Eli Hambly No 794 AIF. Refer 2325.2 for his service history..1) Pouch, black leather containing 18 foreign coins. .2) & .3) Pair of metal cuff links. .4) Small key for winding a clock or machine. .5) Image of WWI digger fashioned from a 6d (sixpence) & brass set of bars.personal effects - money containers, numismatics - coins - french / german, costume accessories - male jewellery, military history - trench art

Item belonged to William David Maher No 68, 8th LH Regt AIF. Refer 532 for main details. .1) Container, brass, round, made from possibly a 3" shell, engraved all around with depictions of small branches, leaves etc. Engraving is "Souvenir from the Great war " - "Made by G. KAMPER Duisberg Germany." .2) Lid, brass, round for .1) Lid is possibly a 3" shell with a small handle centre made from a round possible .303 size.,1) Marz, 1917. ST.G33,HL25 .2) DEZ 1917 ,ST, G,297 ,67,HL31arms - ammunition, brassware, engraving, trench art

Westouter Churchyard and Extension is located 12 Kms south-west of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the N375 Dikkebusseweg. The village of Westoutre (now Westouter) remained in Allied hands from the early months of the First World War to the Armistice, but in the summer of 1918, after the Battles of the Lys, it was within 2.4 Kms of the front line. The Churchyard and Extension was used by field ambulances and fighting units at intervals from November 1914 to September 1918. It contains 98 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and three German graves.(http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/westouterchurchyardandextension.htm, accessed 11/07/2014) The only Australian buried at the Westoutre churchyard and extension is Gunner J. GRANT (2420) 30/09/1917 Australian Heavy Artillery Australian II. F. 12. (http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/westouterchurchyardandextension.htm, accessed 11/07/2014)A WW1 Australian soldier's memorabiliaBlack and white postcard of a church at WestoutreUitgever: Sansen-Vannest, Poperinghe Westoutre - De Kerk - L'Eglise - Churchwestoutre, westouter, chatham-holmes family collection, france, church

Holmes Family WW1 memorabiliaA number of people stand in a street surrounded by double storey architecture.Verso: "Dear Willie, I promised to drop you a line, so he goes. Well at present I am in france having -a-go-at the Germans, and so far out Battery is getting on alright. But I must say the Germans greet us know and again with a few shells, and I can assure you they are no friends of mine. I have just been out watching the German anti-aircraft Guns shelling our Aeroplanes. it is a very lucky shot that brings one down. i have seen a little bit of the World since I left australia, And I must say I like france better than egypt. The country at present is looking very nice, it being Spring time, The grass is about 6 foot high, and nothing on it to eat it as most of the people have cleared out from around here. I have not seen anything of Harry over this way as yet. Perhaps he is still in Egypt. Well Willie now about taking another cow to Clunes. Ay What. The name on the front of this card should be familiar to you in the War news. Well Willie Au revoir for present. remember me to all. Your fond cousin, Ron W." chatham-holmes family collection, armentieres, world war one, postcard, clunes, france

Holmes Family WW1 memorabilia. 06 Apr 1916 - The Battle of St Eloi Craters, Canadian Expeditionary Forces Major Operation. “… the British had been patiently tunnelling since August (1915) at nearby St Eloi, about three miles south of Ypres, and adjacent to the Canadian trenches. Throughout the winter, the tunnelling crept ever closer to a dominant German-held feature dubbed “The Mound.” When the tunnels were completed in early March, tons of explosives were emplaced in six locations and on March 27, 1916, at 4:14 a.m. the charges were set off. Two German companies were wiped out and large sections of the German trenches were destroyed, but the British 9th Brigade’s attack faltered and became a bloody close-quarters slugging match, with the last bomb crater captured only on April 3.” (Zuehlke, Mark. Daniel, C. Stuart. The Canadian Military Atlas. The Nation’s Battlefields from the French and Indian Wars to Kosovo. Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited. Toronto. 2001 p. 125)A number of World War One soldiers, members of the Northumberland Fusiliers celebrate after the battle of St Eloi. Some or wear tin helmuts.The "Fighting Fifth" (Northumberland Fusiliers) after the battle of St Eloi"chatham-holmes family collection, fighting fifth, northumberland fusiliers, tunneling, explosion, crater, world war one, postcard