I came across this photo of the State Savings Bank in Railway Place, Fairfield and noticed the barometer on the outside and what seemed to be a Red Cross sign. It turns out that it was part of a Red Cross appeal in May 1918 to raise money for their Comforts Fund, to enable them to continue to carry out their work supplying comforts for sick and wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. This service cost the Red Cross £15,000 per month and they only had a reserve of £70,000. As the only way to decrease this expenditure was to reduce the allowance to soldiers, which nobody would like to see done, the Red Cross launched the appeal and the people of Fairfield decided to raise £250, by donation. (1)
As a newspaper report said - Carnivals, raffles, concerts and displays of all kinds mean an immense amount of work and expense to make them a success. This time we want the generosity of the people and the objects of the appeal to stand on their merits by relying on the straight-out donation mostly to provide the amount required. (2)
Railway Place, Fairfield, 1918
State Library of Victoria image H84.427/1/37
On May 3, The Herald reported on the committee formed to raise Fairfield's contribution -
A feature of the effort will be straight-out donations from residents, and a barometer will he erected on the Fairfield Savings Bank to indicate each day's progress. Band performances and concerts will be held, and a personal canvass made of each house in the district. Large coppers will be placed at the station for pennies. The joint honorary secretaries are Messrs L. W. Barke and P. W. Hutchinson. (3)
present are engaged in excavating in connection with the erection of brick premises for the State Savings Bank of Victoria. The situation is ideal, and it is anticipated that the building will be a credit to the town. (11) The bank opened for business on May 24, 1916. (12) As well as displaying the barometer, the bank manager, Percy Hutchinson was the joint secretary of the £250 campaign. The bank was also used for committee meetings, proved refreshments for the Heidelberg Brass Band when they performed in aid of the campaign, as well as taking care of the funds raised.
Fairfield has set itself the task of raising £250, at least, as a contribution to the State School appeal for the Special Red Cross Fund, in one month from Monday, May 6. An executive committee, consisting of representatives of the Fairfield State School committee and Red Cross and patriotic bodies, has been formed, with Councillor F. Bryant, Shire President, as chairman. Councillors G. F. Pitcher (treasurer), J. Coate and A. May are also assisting the movement.
A feature of the effort will be straight-out donations from residents, and a barometer will he erected on the Fairfield Savings Bank to indicate each day's progress. Band performances and concerts will be held, and a personal canvass made of each house in the district. Large coppers will be placed at the station for pennies. The joint honorary secretaries are Messrs L. W. Barke and P. W. Hutchinson. (3)
The scheme to raise the £250 was publicised in the local paper.
Heidelberg News May 4, 1918 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89078417
The barometer on the State Savings Bank was made by the working committee of the Red Cross and painted by Mr Bryning (4) and provided a focus for community activities, as this report attests -
A large crowd gathered in Railway place Fairfield, last evening, before the barometer erected on the Savings Bank to indicate the progress of the Fairfield effort to raise £250 in a month for the Red Cross Fund. A band played and appeals were made by well-known citizen. A large Union Jack was carried among the crowd so that coins might be thrown into it. There was loud cheering as the indicator of the barometer moved up point after point. (5) Each point represented £5. (6)
As well as the visual reminder of the barometer right opposite the railway station and the lady collectors on duty at the station collecting copper coins from railway patrons and going door-to-door, there were newspaper articles explaining the scheme and 4,000 flyers were distributed - the local school children folded them and addressed them and the Scouts delivered them (7). 4,000 was the number of adults in the Fairfield school district, which was from Miller Street to Victoria Road. (8)
In the end after a month of concentrated effort, the Fairfield community raised £348/19/9. A financial report itemised the Receipts as - Direct donations £230/1/3; Boy Scouts' Sunday service £4/8/3; Band performance £6/5/; recruiting picture show 11/3, copper collections (Fairfield station £18/15/, Alphington station £7/6/) £26/1/; proceeds State school concert £71/0/9; scholars' self-denial at State school £25/9/6, total £363/17/. The Expenditure was listed as - Stationery £1/3/9, printing and advertising (News) £13/13/6, balance £348/19/9 (9)
The £230/1/3 raised through direct donation was £20 short of their hoped for £250. However during the month, as well as the other fund raising, there had also been collected £85 for badges and £39/7/3 for buttons, making a grand total of £473/7/. As joint secretaries Mr Barke and Mr Hutchinson reported - is very gratifying to know our efforts have met with such good results, and to know also that Fairfield has done its share in helping to send the necessary comforts to the boys at the front, which, of course was the ultimate object of all our efforts. (10)
The State Savings Bank in Fairfield, where the barometer was located, was a new building having been erected in 1916. As the local paper reported in January 1916 -
Workmen have just finished pulling down two old shops in Railway Parade South, Fairfield, and at present are engaged in excavating in connection with the erection of brick premises for the State Savings Bank of Victoria. The situation is ideal, and it is anticipated that the building will be a credit to the town. (11) The bank opened for business on May 24, 1916. (12) As well as displaying the barometer, the bank manager, Percy Hutchinson was the joint secretary of the £250 campaign. The bank was also used for committee meetings, proved refreshments for the Heidelberg Brass Band when they performed in aid of the campaign, as well as taking care of the funds raised.
You can just see the State Savings Bank on the right with the barometer, so obviously taken the same day as the photograph at the top.
Fairfield Park Railway Station, 1918. (The name changed to Fairfield in 1943 (13))
State Library of Victoria image H84.427/1/38
Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Fairfield's £250 appeal, access it here.
Footnotes
(1) Heidelberg News May 4, 1918, see here.
(2) Ibid
(3) The Herald, May 3, 1918, see here.
(4) Heidelberg News May 4, 1918, see here. Mr Byrning was either Bertram Byrning of 8 Arthur Street, Fairfield, a coach painter or William Knowles, 4 Austin Street, Alphington, a signwriter. (1918 Electoral Roll information)
(5) The Herald, May 30, 1918, see here.
(6) Heidelberg News May 4, 1918, see here.
(7) See various reports on my Trove list, here.
(8) Heidelberg News, June 22, 1918, see here.
(9) Ibid
(10) Ibid
(11) Heidelberg News, January 15, 1916, see here.
(12) The Herald, May 24, 1916, see here.
