Event Wattle Day Appeal (c. 1910 - c. 1975)

From 1915 to 1921, Wattle Day was run by the Commonwealth Button Fund. When the Fund was wound up in January 1921, the event became the business of the Children's Welfare Association.

In 1924, the Victorian Year Book described the annual Wattle Day event thus: 'ladies attired in white costumes sell sprigs of wattle blossom in the streets and elsewhere, and the amounts obtained are allotted to charities for children'. Wattle Day workers also sold buttons, and put on displays and demonstrations of the work of various institutions.

For example, on 24 August 1933, the Argus reported that supporters of the Mission of St James and St John's Babies' Home would hold a Wattle Day stall at the GPO in Bourke Street where cakes, jams and produce would be on sale, and gifts from the public would be accepted.

From 1958, Wattle Day was held in the annual Child Care Week.

Books

• Barnard, Jill; Twigg, Karen, Holding on to Hope: a history of the founding agencies of MacKillop Family Services 1854-1997, Australian Scholarly Publishing, Melbourne, 2004. Details
• Howe, Renate; Swain, Shurlee, All God's Children: a centenary history of the Methodist Homes for Children and the Orana Peace Memorial Homes, Acorn Press, Kambah, ACT, 1989. Details

Journals

• Victorian Year Book, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victorian Office, 1873 - 2002. 1923-24. Details
• Hops Steps and Jumps, Quarterly news from the Children's Welfare Association of Victoria, Children's Welfare Association of Victoria, 1975-1979. June 1976. Details

Online Resources

• Foundling Hospital Gift Cot, The Argus, The caption reads: 'Of the displays made by charitable institutions sharing in the Wattle Day collection yesterday, none made greater appeal to the sympathies of the public than that of the Foundling Hospital and Infants' Home, East Melbourne and Beaconsfield, of which Mrs. Montague Cohen is president. Sister Sutherland is seen in charge of a gift cot in Collins street, near the Equitable Building corner. The twins in the cot were the centre of much interest throughout the day.', 25 August 1923, 27 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2017304. Details
• Wattle Day for Children's Charities, The Argus, The caption reads: ' Sixty-five charitable institutions for children benefited by the Wattle Day Appeal for £7,000 yesterday. Incidents in city streets are illustrated. In the centre picture the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne (Dr. Lees) is shown making friends with one of the babies at the open-air creche established in the Cathedral grounds. Boy scouts (on the left) rendered willing service in the distribution of wattle bloom; on the right, Mr. J. T. Wood, who has been attending the annual sheep show and sales, is being decorated by one of the 2,000 wattle vendors. ', 2 August 1924, 27 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4220004. Details
• Wattle Day for the Children, The Argus, The caption reads: 'A generous response was made to street appeals in the city yesterday in connection with Wattle Day, in aid of children's institutions. Two pictures which tell their own story. The little boy on the right was soon unable to lift his box'., 18 August 1928, 15 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3951018. Details
• Wattle Day Twins, The Argus, The caption reads: 'Tommy and Peggy, from the Arms of Jesus Baby Home, East Melbourne, attracted attention in their cot outside the Elizabeth street postal hall during the Wattle Day Appeal yesterday'., 31 August 1929, 17 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4034032. Details
• Wattle Day in the City, The Argus, The caption reads: 'Paddy, from the Presbyterian Home, accepts a contribution on behalf of the babies'., 26 August 1933, 21 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4758269. Details
• Wattle Day, The Argus, The caption reads: 'Babies from the Church of England Home made a compelling appeal for Wattle Day contributions outside the Elizabeth street post-office yesterday'., 24 August 1935, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11761050. Details
• Wattle Day, The Argus, The caption reads: ' Wattle Day will be celebrated today. A staff was busy yesterday checking some of the 70,000 buttons which will be on sale in the city. Proceeds from the buttons will be shared among 60 children's institutions'., 19 August 1938, 3 pp, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12473088. Details