Manly mother inspired first Australia Day celebrations

Sydney’s first Australia Day was celebrated on July 30, 1915

History Olive Bridgwater and her sister Doris outside the Department of Lands building in Bridge Street in Sydney during World War 1, fundraising for Australia Day, 30 July 1915

Far from flag-waving patriotism, it was the compassion of an indomitable Manly mother that inspired the first celebration of Australia Day a century ago. The event, celebrated in NSW and Victoria, was held as a fund raiser for war wounded on July 30, 1915.

The anniversary of Arthur Phillip raising the British flag at Camp Cove on January 26, 1788, was then variously known as First Landing or Foundation Day. Celebrations on January 26, marked with an annual regatta and picnic in Sydney since 1837, divided the five Australian colonies as they struggled to unite as a federation.

Victorians acknowledged the date as the founding of European colonisation. South Australia argued in 1888 that NSW was not “the parent colony”, and others had their own “memories and historic dates”.

South Australia also considered the date a reminder of “unpleasing circumstances of early occupation”. A Queensland newspaper described Australia as “the cesspit of England”, infected with “the cancer of convictism”, that had “witnessed much that had best be forgotten”.

Even in NSW, as premier Henry Parkes prepared for the centenary of British settlement with a statue of Queen Victoria and the opening of Centennial Park, he admitted no celebrations were planned for Aborigines, reasoning: “And remind them that we have robbed them?”

Federation celebrations in 1901 overshadowed January 26. Then in 1905 federal and state governments instituted Empire Day on May 24, the late Queen Victoria’s birthday, to reinforce Australian links to Britain.

Irish Catholic Church leaders in Sydney in 1911 renamed Empire Day as Australia Day, as May 24 was also the feast day of Our Lady Help of Christians, patroness of Australia.

In NSW, January 26 was still celebrated as Foundation Day in 1915 when Ellen Wharton Kirke proposed an Australia Day event on July 30 to raise funds to support war wounded.

Wharton Kirke, wife of NSW Surveyor-General Department officer Samuel Wharton Kirke, had four sons, one son-in-law and three brothers serving with Australian and Imperial Forces. Wharton Kirke had written to a Sydney newspaper in January 1915, proposing a “day be set apart for the benefit of the wounded, and that it should be called Australia Day”.

On August 4, 1915, newspapers extorted that “July 30, 1915, will always be remembered with feelings of pride by the people of Australia. Throughout the Commonwealth the day had been set apart for a special celebration in honour of the gallant Australians who, at the call of duty, offered their lives in the defence of all that we hold dear.”

In a foretaste of Anzac Day marches, returned soldiers from Egypt and the Dardanelles were “the principal attraction of the procession”, while red-and-white pennants “floated gaily in the breeze” from the top of Australian Light Horse regiment lances, lending “a touch of colour” to the khaki pageant.

At Martin Place, “temporarily converted into a huge garden full of glorious floral gems”, enthusiastic crowds tossed coins on a giant map of Australia and bid for thousands of items sold by auction.

With ambitions to raise £250,000 in NSW, by the next day Wharton Kirke had raised £371,462. Ribbons, badges, handkerchiefs, buttons and matchboxes were sold across Australia, with slogans such as For Australia’s Heroes and Help Our Wounded Heroes, to raise £311,500 in Victoria and £839,500 in NSW. Her efforts continued with appeals for graziers to donate stock. Aubrey Webb, of Cudal, in June 1916 gave a prize-winning stud ram for auction.

After organising a repeat event on July 28, 1916, tragedy befell Wharton Kirke on August 4, 1916. Eldest son Errol, 28, “a well-known athlete” who held NSW swim titles, was killed at Pozieres on the Western Front. He had served in New Guinea, then landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, with the 17th Battalion. He married Gwynyth Holland in Cairo on January 15, 1916.

Second son Basil, who enlisted in February 1915, was posted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital. Wounded at Gallipoli, he was invalided home and discharged in February 1916.

Youngest son Hunter enlisted in April 1915, served with the 17 Battalion and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on June 5, 1918. Clement served in the Malay States.

Although a devout Catholic, Wharton Kirke defied Melbourne archbishop Daniel Mannix’s opposition to conscription in a newspaper letter published in October 1916.

“Mothers,” she implored. “My firstborn son gave his life leading a charge at Pozieres in August after two solid years without one week’s furlough. Why? Because there was no one to take his place. Will you help save my youngest boy and every mother’s who is there by voting ‘Yes’?”

As Australian states in 1935 accepted the celebration of Australia Day on January 26, Wharton Kirke received a King’s Royal Jubilee medal, followed by OBE in the 1936 New Year honour’s list.

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