'Belgian Day' fundraising button 1915 - large size Collector's badge

The Commonwealth Button Fund was established in mid-1915, with the first Button Day being held in May of that year, supporting the people of Belgium. Over the course of the next 6 years, 33 Button Days were held raising money for a variety of patriotic and charitable causes including the Australian, British and French Red Cross, Hospitals, allied countries, current serving men and women, discharged, wounded and disabled servicemen and women, and their families. The buttons were sold in trams, buses, at railways stations and at rallies to raise money for the stated cause.

The 'Belgian Day' appeal was held on the Empire Day holiday, 24 May 1915, and was the first button day for the newly formed Commonwealth Button Fund. Proceeds were given to the Belgian Red Cross and Serbian Relief Funds.

This larger sized, numbered 'Collector's Badge' relating to 'Belgian Day' is associated with two other items in the collection - the badges sold by the collectors.

Two buttons of the same size were sold for the same price - 1/-. The button with the all blue background was also sold to school children for the reduced price of 3 d.
According to Nick Pezikian and David Andersen in their book about Commonwealth Button Fund badges, the second button with the cream band around the outside was sold to those who had a relative fighting on the front, on the way to the front or training in the military camps.