Document, The First Legacy Children's Picnic

Historical information

An description of the first picnic for 260 war orphans (boys) and their mothers at Ricketts Point (Black Rock) in 1926, who were transported in two charabancs by Legatees, some of whom were in fancy dress. Pages 5-16 recounts anecdotes of Syd Birrell unrelated to the picnic.
The writer is anonymous but by the hand writing it is possibly L/- Frank Doolan, a founding member of Legacy, who was part of a committee to capture the history of Legacy and create an archive of material.

Significance

First hand account by a participant on the trip, which details some highly irresponsible activities which were seen as perfectly acceptable at that time. Some of the anecdotes about Syd Birrell would now be regarded as polically incorrect, but the anonymous writer expresses his amusement and admiration, and references ‘Legacy - the story of the Melbourne Legacy Club' by Claude Blatchford.

Physical description

13 handwritten A5 sheets, numbered 1-16 (missing 9, 10, and 15) in red print on top right hand corner, blue biro on white lined paper, probably torn from a notepad.

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