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What school events built pride in Australia's contribution to the war?
What school events built pride in Australia's contribution to the war?
Learning intention – We are learning about significance, symbols and emblems..
Success criteria – We can provide examples of symbols and emblems used in the past to develop empathy and patriotism.
Empire Day
Empire Day
Empire Day, held annually on 24th May was celebrated in Australian schools from 1905. This had been the date of Queen Victoria’s birthday. A half day holiday, there were large community picnics, sports days, street parades, pageants and tableaus.
Empire Day in 1915 had particular significance being the first since the landing of Australian troops at Gallipoli the month before. Empire Day events during the war years included children dressed as Australian soldiers and nurses and bearing the flags of the Great Britain's allied countries.
Empire Day Tableau 1915, Department of Education 1980, Eighty to Eighties Kit, Slide 170
Description of a 1915 Empire Day tableau
Description of a 1915 Empire Day tableau
Empire Day
Empire Day
A feature of the children's display, next Monday, will be the tableau Britannia. Besides being very picturesque, it is very symbolic. Arising from a human carpet of infant children stand a squad of Australian cadets. Overlooking them stand representatives of all the allied nations and colonies, proudly holding their standards. At the sides stand squads of Red Cross Nurses, Allied English and French girls, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, Japanese, and Belgian. The background consists of 800 children and cadets at the salute, with their flags. Surveying all stands Britiannia, wth her trident and shield. She presents her soldiers and Allies ready to protect the little children, and restore liberty and justice.
National Advocate Bathurst, 21 May 1915, p.2 on Trove | Article text
What is a tableau?
What is a tableau?
To form an Empire day tableau, children proudly dressed in costumes representing the countries of the British Empire and her allies and held flags. They gathered around Britannia who wore a Corinthian helmet and carried a shield and a trident (three-pronged spear).
The character Britannia personified Great Britain and the helmet, shield and trident symbolised strength and protection. In tableaus during WW1, children also dressed as soldiers and in Red Cross uniforms. Loyalty was strong to a united Empire in the face of war.
In 1915 students held the flags of the countries of the British Empire and Britain’s allies including Belgium, France, Serbia, Italy, Russia and Japan.
Carlingford Public School Empire Day 1915 © State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority of NSW
Carlingford Empire Day (1915)
Carlingford Empire Day (1915)
The children assembled at the school, to the number of 200, all gaily decorated with badges and ribbons, in colours of the Allies. The flag was saluted, cheers for the King and the Allies given, the various National Anthems sung and after a few words from the headmaster, in which he voiced the message of the Minister for Public Instruction, that the keynote of the day's celebration should be self sacrifice, a procession was formed, with three Red Cross Nurses, in uniform, kindly provided by Mrs. Manning, in the lead. The children all carrying Allies' flags, and looked particularly picturesque as they marched to the ground. The men of the committee had erected substantial stalls for refreshments and odds and ends. The children ran races, and the fancy dress football match caused a great deal of amusement. The flag drill and flag march of the school children were much admired, the flags of all our Allies being well represented. The tableau, Britannia and her allies, was splendidly arranged by Miss Hughes, and the appeal song, ‘Please give me a penny, to buy the Belgians bread,' was capitally sung by Eric Benney, Charley Pranks and Willie Tunks and resulted in £1 13s 6d.
The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, Sat 29 May 1915. On Trove.
Questions and activities
Questions and activities
What symbols and emblems were used in Empire Day tableaus? Label a copy of a photograph of an Empire Day tableau.
What public celebrations and commemorations do we have in Australia today?
What symbols and emblems to we use to show pride in being Australian today?
In what ways do Aboriginal Peoples show pride in their cultural heritage?
In what ways do we celebrate and commemorate Australian people's achievements?
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