The first meeting of the 1st Bendigo Guides was held by Miss Merle Bush on the 22nd of August 1922 in the St Paul' School Room.. Twelve girls were present. Miss Bush was given permission to open the Company by Miss R. Hamilton, State Secretary for Victoria, She received her Captain's Warrant on 12th December 1922. Three black and white photographs of 1st Bendigo Guides. 6942.10a Taken about 1925 on the steps of the Law Courts with wrought iron gates in the background. Twenty three Guides in uniform with one Guide Leader (Merle Bush), in three rows. The Guide in the centre of the back row is holding a flag. names listed on the back (L - R) FRONT ROW - Lily Koska, Norah Moore, ? , Nancy Hamilton, Jean Thurman, Lola Dickson, Aileen Wood, ? . CENTRE ROW - ? Howard, Bev Lansell, Stella Anderson, Beth Beischer, Gwen Young, Ena Wright (with Lanyard), Madge Welch, Merle Bush (with tie), Biddy Stephens, ? , ? , ? Sides, ? . BACK ROW - Ethel Carter, Olive Wright, Marion Henderson. 6942.10b 1st Bendigo Guides. Merle Bush third from right. 6942.10c1st Bendigo Guides. Merle Bush third from right. girl guides, guiding, merle bush, trefoil guild

The Royal Warrant assigning the Armorial Bearings to Victoria was signed on the 6th June, 1910 by King George V. The motto Peace and Prosperity was the first to be in English among the Arms of any Public Authority in Australia. In 1958 the Pink Heath was proclaimed as the floral emblem of Victoria. This led to a request to have it included somewhere in the Armorial Ensigns of the State. The solution was to have the plant shown growing from a grassy mound. On the 28 March 1973 Queen Elizabeth II signed a further Royal Warrant which added the mound. This shield is the official emblem of the State of Victoria. It can only be displayed in limited place such as Law Courts and Victorian Government offices with permission of the Victorian Government.2 Victorian Coat of Arms from the Victorian State Government offices in Wodonga. The kangaroo at the top holds a crown. The shield also features the Southern Cross. Two female figures represent Peace and Prosperity. The figure on the left wears a laurel wreath crown and carries a sprig of olive in her hand, representing Peace. The other figure wears a crown of golden cereal and holds the horn of cornucopia, representing abundance or Prosperity. The first one is mounted on a wooden, varnished board.At the bottom of each shield "'PEACE AND PROSPERITY"shield, heraldry, victorian state government