Historical information

The majority of the 2/23rd Battalion's initial intake of volu nteers came from the Albury–Wodonga region and as a result, the 2/23rd became known as "Albury's Own" and were adopted by the city of Albury. In 1946 the2/23 Australian Infantry Battalion Association adopted the children`s ward of the Albury Base Hospital as a memorial ward to honour those who made the supreme sacrifice. Members of the Association continued to raise funds for the hospital, On Anzac Day, 1976 a service was held to dedicate a plaque marking the Children's Ward as a memorial of the 2/23rd Battalion. This is the program from that dedication service. An addition plaque commemorating the efforts of the 2nd / 23rd Australian Infantry Battalion Association in raising funds for the Albury Base Hospital was added on Tuesday 30th November, 1999.

Significance

This item is part of a collection of items owned by Arthur Lock, a member of the 2/23rd Battalion, an all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force which served as part of the garrison during the Siege of Tobruk, then at El Alamein, New Guinea and Borneo. It has particular local significance as the battalion was know as "Albury's Own" because a large majority of the battalion's initial intake of volunteers came from the Albury–Wodonga region.

Physical description

A program marking the Dedication of the Children's Ward of the Albury Base hospital in honour of the men of the 2/23rd Battalion known as "Albury's Own".