Wagga Wagga Girl Guides

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Wagga Wagga Girl Guides

• 1930 - 1945

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Background

• Lord Baden-Powell. Former Soldier, fought in Boer
  War. Hero of Mafeking.
• Formed Boy Scouts upon his return to England in
  1907.
• Girls attended the Boy Scout Rally at Crystal
  Palace 1909.
• 1910 Girl Guides Movement formed, with help of
  his sister Agnes.
• Baden-Powell left the army to devote his life to
  Scouting.
• 1912 Baden-Powell married Olave Soames. She
  became the World Chief Guide in 1930.

Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. Chief Scout and Chief
Guide.
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Australian Guides

• Guides arrived in Australia soon after
  establishment in Britain.
• Unofficial groups had names such as Girl Aids.
• Conflicting stories as to which was the first
  official Company.
• 1st Hawthorn Company in Victoria claim to be the
  first Girl Guides formed in February 1911.
• Winifred Gipps first Warranted Guide Leader in
  Australia.
• Baden-Powell met by Guides in four Australian
  states on his world tour in 1912.
• NSW Officially began Guiding in 1920.
• By 1927 NSW had 16,925 members.

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Formation of Guides in Wagga

• 1929 Mrs E.E. Collins, Mayoress, called a
  meeting to discuss the possibility of
  establishing Girl Guides in Wagga.
• Previous attempts had failed.
• September 25th, Mrs Fairbairn of Holbrook,
  Divisional Commissioner, came to Wagga to form
  Company.
• Local Association formed, with Mrs Collins as
  President.
• Mrs E. Fenn Lusher elected District Commissioner.
• Women trained to be leaders throughout 1930 via
  correspondence.
• November 25th first AGM. Wagga ready for Guide
  Company to form.

Mrs Clive Fairbairn, Divisional Commissioner for
Southern NSW.
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1st Wagga Girl Guide Company

• Mrs Vera Davidson as Captain in 1930.
• First company meeting on 6th December 1930, nine
  girls attended.
• Numbers soon increased.
• Miss Jean Garling became Company Captain early
  1931.
• First enrolment 14th February 1931. Ten Guides
  enrolled.
• Second enrolment April 10th 1931.
• August 1931 Presented with Company Colours The
  Union Jack. Blessed by the Venerable Archdeacon
  West at the dedication ceremony in the Town Hall.

Jean Garling Captain. Edna Buckman Brown Owl.
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Growth of Guides

• For the Guides to be a success they required a
  steady growth.
• 1st Wagga was full by November 1931.
• June 14th 1932 2nd Wagga (Anglican) Company
  formed.
• 3rd Wagga (St Andrews) Company formed late 1932.
• 1st Wagga Brownie Pack formed March 19th 1932,
  Edna Buckman Brown Owl.
• Murrumbidgee Division formed early 1933, with
  Wagga as its centre. Mrs Lusher as Divisional
  Commissioner.

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Aims of the Guide Movement

• The Girl Guide Association promotes and
  encourages the development of girls as
  responsible community members through a program
  of activities, service and commitment to the
  Guide Promise.
• To be loyal and to have thought for others and to
  develop physically, to grow up into worthwhile
  people.
• The development of character
  by teaching observation,
  
  obedience, and self-reliance.

3rd Wagga Company. Back Trixie Read, Mrs Lusher,
Jean Rentoul.
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Camps and Rallies

• April 1931 Wagga Guides travelled to Melbourne
  to welcome Lord and Lady Baden-Powell at the
  Scout and Guide Rally. 16,000 present.
• September 1932 First Wagga Camp at
  Pomingalarna.
• First Wagga Rally late September 1932 at Church
  Lodge, Athol Street. 59 Guides and 26 Brownies
  attended.
• Rallies and camps were open to the Public to see
  what the Guides were doing.

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Service for the Community

• Service for others is an important aspect of the
  Guide Movement.
• The Guides are to be available at all times to
  help others in the community.
• Knitted 48 garments for children and babies in
  the winter of 1931.
• 1932 Mended Prayer and Hymn books for the
  Presbyterian Church.
• Each year at Christmas the Guides and Brownies
  gave presents to the children at the Wagga Base
  Hospital.

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Activities

• The Guides held many fundraising events to
  increase Company funds.
• Such as stalls, fetes, concerts, picture
  benefits, dances and more.
• In July 1938 the Guides held an Airport fete, to
  raise money to have the name of Wagga concreted
  at the new aerodrome.
• The Guides also took part in community events,
  often forming a Guard of Honour for important
  visitors.

Trixie Read With either Margaret Read or Jean
Rentoul
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Lorna Ellis

• One of the first girls enrolled in 3rd Wagga
  Company, November 1932.
• At 13 saved two children from drowning in the
  flooded Murrumbidgee river.
• August 1935 Awarded the Silver Cross, with blue
  ribbon, by Imperial Headquarters in London.
• Only awarded when great risk of life has been
  taken.
• The second to be awarded in Australia.
• Later became a Guide Leader.
• Married in 1943.

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Trixie Read

• Joined one of the first Melbourne Guide Companies
  1922.
• Lieutenant in 1933 with 3rd Wagga.
• June 1935 1st Wagga Captain.
• Presented radio broadcasts 1936-1943.
• 1940 District Secretary.
• 1943 District Captain.
• District Commissioner 1952-1962.
• Early 1950s Ranger Captain.
• 1956 Brown Owl to 1st Wagga Brownies.
• 1958 Good Service Certificate.
• Still attending functions until the 1990s.
• Never married, devoted her life to Guiding.

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The War Years 1939-1945

• Raised money for the war effort through various
  activities.
• Collected scrap rubber, used stamps, silver
  paper, herbs.
• Empire Guides War Fund 48,000. Wagga Guides
  contributed 14.
• Purchased ambulances and lifeboats for Armed
  Forces, and mobile kitchens for the homeless in
  Britain.
• Lifeboat used at Dunkirk, renamed Guide of
  Dunkirk.
• Money for parachutes and wireless transmitters
  and receivers.

Princess Elizabeth, a Sea Ranger, aged 16 Signed
up for National Service, April 1942 The first of
the Royal Family to do so
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Wagga Guides Since the War

• Wagga Girl Guide Hall built, officially opened
  1952.
• 1954 Visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of
  Edinburgh.
• 1956 Lady Baden-Powell visit.
• 1957 Centenary of Lord B-Ps birth.
• 1977 State Muster at The Rock.
• 1979 Wagga Golden Jubilee.
• Guides in the Murrumbidgee continued to grow,
  with new units forming and halls being built.

Opening of Wagga Guide Hall. 1952.
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Final Thoughts

• Guides will be celebrating their 100th birthday
  in 2010.
• One hundred years teaching young girls various
  important skills to prepare them for life.
• Baden-Powells last message to the Guides in 1940
  was that it is the Guides duty to be happy and
  to make others happy.

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ANZAC DAY 1998. From 1991 to 2003 I was involved
with West Dubbo Girl Guides.