July 18, 2017
The Nanango Branch of Red Cross celebrated its 100th birthday with a morning tea on Tuesday, and guests came from all over the region to attend.
Guest speaker Winifred Smith AM, from the Red Cross Advisory Board, told an audience of more than 30 guests that Red Cross had a proud 103 year history in Australia, and the Nanango branch’s ancestry and achievements were something the South Burnett could take genuine pride in.
Red Cross started on August 13, 1914 – just nine days after the outbreak of WWI – when Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson, the wife of Australia’s Governor-General, formed a branch of the British Red Cross at Government House in Melbourne.
Lady Helen issued a call for volunteers to assist with the production of comfort packs for Australian soldiers.
Since then, Red Cross has grown to become the world’s largest humanitarian organisation with millions of volunteers working in 189 countries, helping vulnerable people in times of war, disaster or personal crisis.
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Winifred told the audience her research had found the Nanango branch held its first meeting on July 18, 1917 where it raised the equivalent of $320 to assist the war effort.
This was an extraordinary contribution at that time, given that the average wage equivalent to less than $6 per week and Nanango’s population was roughly 1500, with many residents away on the battlefields of France.
While the past century may have seen many changes in the programs Red Cross pursues, the branch is one of three that still operate in the South Burnett (along with Blackbutt and Murgon).
Winfred told the audience that last year in Queensland, Red Cross had 1800 branch members, and 1100 volunteers helped deliver 50 different programs to more than 125,000 people in difficulty, including assistance to 71,500 Fijians impacted by Cyclone Winston.
She also paid tribute to Glenys Bentley and Joyce Smith, both long-serving members of the Nanango branch.
Joyce continues to work in the branch while Glenys, a past Regional President in the early 2000s, has now passed on.
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South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell then gave a short address where he confessed his surprise to learn that Red Cross members were 46 per cent male, 54 per cent female.
“I think the idea most people have is that Red Cross is largely a women’s organisation,” the Mayor said.
“Clearly this is not the case.”
The Mayor also said that while he happened to live in Kingaroy, he was a citizen of the South Burnett and so was every other resident, which meant everyone should be proud of the Nanango branch’s accomplishment.
After the Mayor’s speech and the presentation of a book covering the history of the Red Cross, which the Mayor promised to put into the region’s library system after he’d read it so others could read it too,
the Blackbutt Singers led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday”.
This was followed by a finger food morning tea and networking.
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The Nanango branch of Red Cross meets in the back room of Nanango’s QCWA building in Fitzroy Street, Nanango (opposite IGA) on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 1:00pm.
Branch numbers have decreased over the years due to an ageing membership and changes in the community, but the branch is still very active.
Anyone who’d like to volunteer time to Red Cross’ community welfare projects or find out more information about the branch is very welcome to phone Miriam Pascoe on 0437-770-903.
