CARTOON - THE LONG TREK FROM THE NORTH

This cartoon was published in the Christmas Issue of the Western Mail 9/12/1920. This special edition included artwork by H Van Raalte and Amy Heap and Ben Strange. His cartoon promoted the Silver Chain Christmas Tree Fete (a major fund raiser for the Silver chain) and had fun at how Australian artists liked to portray Father Christmas in his seasonal northern hemisphere attire when visiting Australia.
The Silver Chain was a private organisation who employed nurses to provided medical care and education primarily for pregnant women and new mothers. In the late 1890s and early 1900s Western Australia had one of the worst infant mortality rates in the Commonwealth. The Western Mail played an important role in raising the funds to start the Silver Chain in 1905.
For many years a Christmas fete was held by the Western Mail to raise funds for the organisation. Ben Strange for a number of years produced a special cartoon to promote the fete. One year he even agreed to play Father Christmas at the fete.
The Silver Chain still operates today, providing in home medical care for many members of the community.