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Newsletter No 29 October 2004
SHEPPARTON HERITAGE CENTRE inc
Since the May Newsletter, we have been quite busy hosting tours of our Museum. Apart from interested folk who visit during our normal opening hours of even-dated Sundays, from 1 to 4 p.m., we have also been pleased to receive pre-booked weekday visits from students from Mooroopna Primary School, Gowrie Street Primary, and St. George's Road Primary. Other community groups have included Shepparton South Rotary Club, the Rover Car Club from Melbourne (celebrating the Marque's 100th. year), the Carriage Drivers Association, Frankston Probus Club - and, shortly, those attending the annual Rookies Return for former Army and Air Force recruits who did basic training at Shepparton Showgrounds during the Second War. A tourist bus from Queanbeyan is also booked in.
Our thanks go to those who have acted as guides for the above, or assisted in the working bee at the Museum held on the 29th. August. These include Margaret Babidge, Betty Foster, Elsie Brady, Bev Ford Ken Claney, Bruce Manson, Eileen Torney, Kerry Betts, and Peter Ford.
Our greetings go to those reading this on the Net, and to those who have made contact. The Shepperton, England, Sea Cadets are still researching how their presentation biscuit barrel mentioned last newsletter comes to reside in Australia, while also continuing from the last issue is part two of the article dealing with the 'Australian' Rising Sun image.
Following our recent A.G.M. Peter Ford is now Secretary, with Ken Claney joining the Committee. There are some quite important projects on the drawing board, which will be covered in future newsletters. Due to costs, these newsletters can only be sent to those who have paid their $12.00 fees, which were due on the 30th. June - could you check, please!
We continue to be supported by the public, and have recently received donations relating to the (North) Shepparton Technical School, the Shepparton Masons, a twin-lens camera and gear from the 1960's, and the General Store at Arcadia operated by Mr. Winkle, c. 1910. Our thanks to those concerned for their generosity - our displays are always being upgraded, and most of the above items are already on show.
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Obituary
Stewart (Bill) Edmund Towns Morvell 1917 - 2004
Born in Swan Hill, Bill Morvell spent his childhood at Lake Boga prior to joining the Post Master Generals department in 1934. This led to appointments at Kerang and Dookie, before his posting to Shepparton in 1936.
Retiring from Telstra in 1977 left Bill free to devote more time to his community activities, he being involved in Federal and State politics, parish affairs, cricket umpiring, and, of course, the Shepparton Historical Society.
Bill served as vice president, part of a team that included Paul Gribben and Myrtle Ford, and was the author of six books on local history. Recognition came with a presentation of an award of merit from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, highlighting his regular history presentations on GMV6 television.
Bill and his wife Maureen were awarded honorary life membership of the Shepparton Historical Society, and the naming of the Morvell Cottage at the Heritage centre further recognised the dedication of two of our senior members.
AN AUSTRALIAN ARMY HATBADGE
It is almost time to move on to the next theme - the adoption of a Commonwealth badge for the new Australian Army. Before we go, however, one last footnote. The emu and kangaroo supporters to the shield did not originate with the pre-Federation coat of arms, but date back to 1806. In this year a Mr. Bowman designed and flew "a fanciful coat of arms (flag) of the rose, shamrock and thistle supported by a kangaroo and emu with a motto of England ... created to celebrate (the) Battle of Trafalgar in 1805." Mr Bowman thus most likely designed the first flag in Australia, but seems to have abruptly vanished from history’s page. This author advises that Mr. Bowman made his flag from the silk of a wedding dress, and speculates his fall from grace came the moment after Mrs. Bowman realised what had happened ...
Just over one hundred years ago, on the 26th. May 1904, a hat badge for the Australian Military Forces was approved. Australia had Federated in 1901, but up to 1903 the previous colonial forces had simply been transferred across. Now a new Commonwealth army was being introduced - and it needed a distinctive insignia.
Manufacture of this insignia was overseen by a Major General Hutton, the then commanding officer of the Commonwealth Military Forces, but within 15 years the resultant hat badge was under question. For the badge looked like, and was called, a 'Rising Sun'. But was it? Where did the design originate? And who had designed it? Could it be the crest of the unofficial coat of arms? Perhaps it was really a 'Setting Sun' - because the setting sun is brightest? Or really a representation of Australian swords and bayonets protecting the Imperial Crown? Or maybe it was a stylised version of another crest - the Federation Star from the new post-Federation Australian Coat of Arms?
The Army had no answer, having settled on describing the item in question as a Commonwealth badge, a General Service badge, or, most recently, as the Australian Army badge. Huttons selection has been worn with pride by Australian servicemen and servicewomen in both war and peace - and it is only recently that the background to his choice has become known.
HOW BRIGHT THOU SHINEST: the colonial Rising Sun.
We have seen how the unofficial coat of arms was widely used throughout Australia, with further depictions occurring on newspaper letterheads, garden tiles, and yes, on a beer bottle label. But always it had a Rising Sun as a crest. This itself was regarded in the years or to Federation as symbolic of a new nation arising in the south, and at least three colonial military badges - from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland - would use a Rising Sun as their crest also.
WHY NOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?.
With Federation in 1901, the newly appointed commander of Commonwealth military forces, Major General Hutton, found he had a problem. Australian colonial contingents were still serving in the Boer War, and further units would be sent as Australian Commonwealth troops. They had no distinctive insignia, however, and it appears most of the submitted designs featured native flora and fauna.
It is known Hutton wanted a badge with a military tone: he suggested it be something like a Trophy of Arms that was displayed above his office door.
A sketch of this trophy, together, perhaps, with submissions from a Captain Cox-Taylor, was submitted to Stokes, Melbourne, and two of their designs were approved on 7 Feb 1902 as hat and collar badges. These are considered now as the first pattern of the Australian army 'Rising Sun' badge.
The badges were made in a hurry (four days), and replaced by a second pattern in April 1902 - due, perhaps, to the contingents being re-titled Australian Commonwealth Horse (A.C.H.).
Following the conclusion of the Boer War in 1902, Hutton, as related, now had responsibility for a Commonwealth Forces badge. The Australian Commonwealth Horse had disbanded, and the firm of J.R. Gaunt Ltd., of Birmingham, was selected - perhaps on the basis of quoted costs - to prepare a suitable new design, based on the 2nd. A.C.H. issue, but with the inclusion of the words Australian Commonwealth Military Forces. Gaunt's design is the basis of all the later badges, including the current issue.
I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND: Hutton's Trophy of Arms
After the First War, the intentions behind the Gaunt's design was questioned. Hutton’s Trophy Board was known to consist of alternating blade and socket bayonets, radiating around a brass Imperial crown, and by 1936 Mr. R.H. Peacock, the future Defence Librarian, was promoting this apparent theme of defence of the crown by military arms with great success.
By then, most of the original participants in the Commonwealth Horse badge selection were dead, and the Trophy Board itself had vanished.
It was not until August 1968 that the Trophy would be located, and the true story behind its design made known. A Mr. J.M. Wilson, whose civilian duties included telephone maintenance, found himself within the Albert Park barracks, Melbourne, and in the office of the military artist, Mr. E. Garrett. Garrett had, in 1964, written a very comprehensive article on the Rising Sun badge, concluding with his belief that it represented the
Federation Star - and within his office had a display of various types of the badge. From this chance meeting came the news that Wilson had known, since the early 1930's, the location of the Trophy - which, known as the 'Soldiers Badge', or the 'Anzac Badge', had hung over the entrance to the Gunners Store at the Flinders Naval Depot (H.M.A.S. Cerberus), Melbourne.
THE 'AUSTRALIAN RISING SUN'
Despite having a military collection at Victoria Barracks, Hutton had not made up the Trophy of Arms himself. Instead, it had been presented to him by a Jose Maria Gordon. formerly a Major in the South Australian army.
Gordon had noted a similar design to the Trophy painted as a stage backdrop within a Drill Hall at Ryde, Sydney, when he visited New South Wales. Upon his return, c.1895, he had a working drawing made up by a Mr. F. Bartels, which in turn was shown to a Commander William Creswell, at the time Captain of H.M.C.S. Protector, South Australian navy.
Creswell intended it to be made up by a skilled shipwright aboard, but due to illness another actually made the Trophy - below the standard Creswell had intended.
Major Gordon was, however, happy to receive the Trophy, and displayed it both at his office at Fort Glanville, and also when on recruiting tours around South Australia. It was, he said, the AUSTRALIAN RISING SUN - and was intended as an answer to the Japanese Rising Sun, as he felt that nation to be a threat to Australia.
Gordon served with Hutton during the Boer War, and, upon his return, was appointed to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, as a Brigadier General. When Hutton also arrived at Victoria Barracks in Jan. 1902, Gordon presented both his trophy, and the working drawing to him, with an explanation of the meaning.
Hutton was appreciative of the gift, and it remained with him until his return to England in1904. Prior to his departure, a formal dinner was tended Hutton, at which he returned the Trophy to Creswell - who in turn presented it to the R.A.N. upon his retirement as Vice Admiral in 1919.
Hutton knew the Trophy represented a Rising Sun when he made reference to it In February 1902: both the Australian Commonwealth Horse badges, and the Gaunts Australian Commonwealth Military Forces badge derive from it. A fair conclusion would be that some 85 years of speculation as to what the official badge of the Australian army really represents can now be resolved.
In closing, I thank collectors David, Shepparton,' and John, Bendigo, for their kind assistance over the years. All the illustrations come from an official Australian Army brochure, c.1990, entitled 'The New Rising Sun Badge' , with the exception of the unofficial Pre-Federation coat of arms on the first page, top left.
There is, of course, one illustration not included, and that is of my collectors begging bowl. I, too, am interested in Australian army badges, and would appreciate being shown any that you, dear reader, might have.
PETER FORD.
THE RISING SUN BADGE
Proudly worn by soldiers of the lst and 2nd Australian Imperial Forces in two World Wars, the 'Rising Sun' Badge has become an integral part of Digger tradition.
The distinctive shape, worn on the upturned brim of a slouch hat, is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC,
Yet despite the badge's historic significance, well- researched theories as to its origin are more numerous than its seven extended points.
In 1902 a badge was urgently sought for the Australian contingents raised after Federation for 9service in South Africa during the Boer War.
Probably the most widely-accepted version of the origin of this badge is that which attributes the selection of its design to a British officer, Major General Sir Edward Hutton, KCB, KCMG, the newly-appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Forces.
He had earlier received as a gift from Brigadier General Joseph Gordon, a military acquaintance of long-standing, a 'Trophy of Arms' comprising mounted cut and thrust swords and triangular Martini Henri bayonet arranged in a semi-circle around a brass crown. To Major General Hutton the shield was symbolic of the coordination of the Naval and Military Forces of the Commonwealth.
A refurbished replica of the shield is on display in the main foyer of the Army Office in Canberra. See (Figure 1).
Figure 1
The original design, created and produced in haste for issue to the contingent departing to South Africa, was modified in 1904. This modified badge, (Figure 2), was worn through both World Wars.
Figure 2
Since its inception the basic form of the 1904 version has remained unchanged although modifications have been made to the wording on the scroll and to the style of crown.
In 1949, when Corps and Regimental badges were reintroduced into service, the wording on the scroll of the 'Rising Sun” Badge was changed to read 'Australian Military Forces. (Figure 3).
Figure 3 / Figure 4Twenty years later, the badge was again modified to incorporate the Federation Star and Torse Wreath from the original 1902 version of the badge and the scroll wording changed to 'Australia', (Figure 4).
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SHEPPARTON HERITAGE CENTRE inc