This stencil has been made to imprint the label, 'Britain Relief Appeal' on to parcels and packages sent to Britain in the late 1940s and the early 1950s from the City of Warrnambool. Britain endured severe rationing of food, clothing, petrol and furniture from 1940 because of the outbreak of World War Two and this rationing continued in some form after the war up to 1954. Australian towns and cities established organizations such as Food For Britain and sent regular parcels of food and clothing to Britain during those times. The British Relief Appeal in Warrnambool (via the Warrnambool Food For Britain committee) was sponsored by the Warrnambool City Council, Toc H, Australian Red Cross, and various local charities and businesses. The Warrnambool & District Historical Society has in its collection over 100 letters sent by grateful British recipients of these parcels to the senders, the employees of the local Warrnambool business, Swintons Stores.This stencil is of interest as a memento of the effects of rationing in Britain in post-World War Two times and the close ties that existed between Australian towns and cities and their British counterparts.This is a rectangular-shaped metal stencil, originally painted black, with cut-out letters in the centre. Britain Relief Appealwarrnambool food for britain committee, warrnambool britain relief committee, world war two