9ct gold fundraising badge 'For Our Soldiers, War Chest, 1917'

The Australian Comforts Fund (A.C.F.) was first formed in August 1916 from a number of individual state based organisations (including the NSW War Chest) that had been created at the beginning of World War One. Their role was to send comforts in the form of various 'luxury items' to supplement the Australian soldier's army rations and personal kit. These included games (chess, dominoes, draughts), tobacco and lighters, talcum powder, confectionary, diaries, writing paper and waterproof pencils, reading material, sewing kits and maps.
According to the Australian War Memorial, The Australian Comforts Fund 'quickly grew into a fundraising, collecting, sorting and distributing machine which rivalled the scope of the Red Cross.' They raised money on the home front through the sale of items such as buttons and badges, knitting patterns and postcards.

At the conclusion of World War One, the A.C.F. officially dissolved, before being revived in 1939 with the outbreak of World War Two to provide comforts to a new generation of soldiers. It ceased operation for a second time on 27 June 1946.

This badge was valued at £1. In 1917, War Chest also sold a bronze brooch valued at 10 shillings, a bronze “War Chest” pin valued at 2s 6d and a coloured celluloid button valued at 1 shilling.

The War Chest held 3 button days, on 30 June 1916, 28 September 1917 and 29 November 1918 raising over £350,000 in total.