Transmission by post
As World War II raged on, young people in towns and suburbs across Western Australia contributed to the work of the Red Cross in helping those affected by the conflict. The September 1942 newsletter of the Junior Red Cross Bulletin reported the efforts of its branches (called ‘circles’) in raising money for the Prisoners of War Fund, sewing and knitting clothing and blankets for evacuees, and collecting waste such as bottle tops for recycling.
This newsletter is held in the collection of the National Archives of Australia, submitted as part of an application to the Postmaster-General’s Department for reduced postage rates available for educational and literary publications.
The Postmaster General’s Department in Western Australia kept such applications, with a copy of the publication, and as a result the National Archives of Australia has many newsletters and magazines created by community groups such as sporting clubs, churches, cat breeders and folk music clubs. The files were created from 1908 to 1969.
These files provide an interesting snapshot of literary, artistic and recreational life in Western Australia in the 20th century. Search for items on the RecordSearch database at www.naa.gov.au.
