Summary

Rectangular cloth bag, printed in a bright floral design and hand-sewn initials 'KA'.

Made by Kathryn (Kate) Anderson to hold her brownie guide books and other items, with the assistance of her mother, who was a good sewer. Kathryn may have received a brownie badge for making the bag. She was a brownie from 1977 to around 1979 in the 1st Heatherdale Pack, in outer eastern Melbourne.

Physical Description

Rectangular cloth bag, printed in a bright floral design with yellow, pink, orange and yellow flowers on a brown background. Drawstring at top of red and white wool. Blue ribbon hand-sewn on front to form initials 'KA'. A texta or similar has been used to draw on the ribbon, following the shape of the letters. Appears home-made by machine, with zig zag seam finish.

Significance

Material relating to the history of the Brownies in Australia documents an organisation that was an important part of the mid-childhood years for many Australian girls during most of the 20th century. No longer in existence, the Brownies provided educational, moral, social and cultural guidance to its members, and its material culture therefore offers significant information about the experiences and perceptions of girls at the time. As a long-standing organisation with continuity of tradition, some of its values and approaches may be seen as archaic - casting an interesting light upon the organisation in its later years and well as illuminating earlier attitudes. Provenanced material - such as this collection - is even more significant since it documents individual experience.

Brownies were girls aged around seven to ten years old. They belonged to a unit that was part of the larger body of Guiding organisations that originated in England in 1907, led by military hero Robert Baden-Powell.

In Victoria, the Florence Nightingale Girl Aids were established in 1909; two years later they were recognised as Baden-Powell Girl Guides. It was not until 1914, though, that Baden-Powell established the Brownies for younger girls, completing the range of age groups both for girls and boys in the Scouting movement. The Brownies were run first by his sister, then his wife. In Australia, the Guiding movement, including the Brownies, was formalized into a national body in the 1920s.

In 1996, the Brownie Guide Unit in Australia was absorbed into the Girl Guides. The values of the Brownies, however, remain the same today within the Girl Guides.

More Information