This badge was given to William Clarence Busse when he became a lifetime member of the Chiltern Football Club. Football became popualr in Chiltern during the 1860s, with the local team becoming a key part of the creation of a formal competition for the Ovens and Murray region, which came about in 1893. The Chiltern team also participated in the founding of the Chiltern and District Football Association in 1912, where they won their first premiership in 1914. In 1954, the team played in a Grand Final against Greta that had a 43 minute long final quarter. Chiltern was ahead when the fourth quarter should have ended, but the timer did not go off and the game went into overtime, allowing Greta to snatch the win and set in place a decades-long rivalry. Today, the team continues to compete under the nickname the 'Swans' in the Tallangatta and District Football League. Wilfred Clarence Busse was born in Chiltern in 1898. He completed his education at Wesley College in Melbourne then studied law at the University of Melbourne, before becoming a barrister. During his career, he often worked in the chambers of Judge Bernard Cussen (1859-1933) of the Supreme Court. Cussen was popular as a judge and lawyer, known for being just and precise and for completing through statutory consolidation in his spare time. Beyond his career as a lawyer, Busse wrote historical fiction inspired by his life in Chiltern, these included "The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" and "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties," which won the T.E.Role gold medal for the best historical novel in 1930 and went on to become a best seller. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum until his death in 1960. This object is significant for its link to W.C. Busse, a barrister and author born in Chiltern, and as memorabilia of the Chiltern Football Club. A small gold metallic badge depicting two men playing Australian Rules Football, surrounded by a border of leaves. Obverse: "CHILTERN/ FOOTBALL CLUB/ LIFE MEMBER" Reverse: "W.C. Busse/ K. G. 9KT/ M ??" busse, w.c. busse, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, chiltern athenaeum, chiltern football club, football, sport, t. e. role, "the blue beyond, a romance of the early days in south eastern australia”, "the golden plague: a romance of the early fifties.", "the golden plague”, wesley college, university of melbourne, sir leo finn bernard cussen, supreme court of victoria, football league, lifetime member, chiltern football club lifetime member