Summary
Leaflet entitled 'A Cheering Letter to the Australia Troops at the Front' written by Jeanie Jobson, a teacher at Ballarat Agricultural High School, 12 May 1915. It was printed by Arbuchle, Waddell & Fawkner, Melbourne.
According to Rosalie Triolo (2012), the author was first named as Jeanie Dobson, who addressed her words to Australian soldiers recovering in Malta. Thirty years later, a history of Ballarat High School revealed that Jeanie had received a huge response from serving soldiers, including 60 in a single day. A reporter visited the school to ask for a copy of the original letter, which was eventually located in Malta. It was published in the Times and Australian newspapers - for example, in the Melbourne Leader on 28 August 1915, under the heading 'A Cheering Letter. Ballarat Lady's Tribute. "Thank God I Am Australian."' In late 1917 Jobson wrote again, in the form of a 'Christmas letter to the A.I.F.'. It was distributed as a leaflet to troops.
'A Cheering Letter to the Australia Troops at the Front' was donated to Museum Victoria with material associated with the World War I service of Sapper Alfred Galbraith, who was killed in the conflict.
Physical Description
Printed leaflet, single page folded to create four pages, all printed.
More Information
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Collection Names
Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection, Military Memorabilia Collection
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation & Subsequent Transfer from Mrs M. Jamieson, May 1985
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Author
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Other Association (See Comments)
Alfred G. Galbraith, 12 May 1915
The leaflet was donated to Museum Victoria with material associated with the World War I service of Sapper Alfred Galbraith. -
Organisation Named
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Organisation Named
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Language
English
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Inscriptions
On first page: A CHEERING LETTER / TO THE AUSTRALIAN TROOPS / AT THE FRONT/ "Verona", 120 Lyons St.,/ Ballarat,/ May 12th, 1915./ DEAR AUSTRALIAN BOYS,/ I don't know which of you will read/ this letter; I don't care, for you are all alike,/ dear and precious to every Australian at home./ Every woman's heart this week is/ thrilling with pride, with exultation, and while/ her eyes fill with tears, she springs up as I/ did when the story was finished, and says:-/ "Thank God I am an Australian!"... (Extensive text follows.)
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions - Folded
110 mm (Width), 170 mm (Height)
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Overall Dimensions - Unfolded
219 mm (Width), 170 mm (Height)
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References
Rosalie Triolo, 2013. Our Schools and the War, Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd, North Melbourne. Helen Cotton, 1947. The History of the Ballarat High School, 1907-1947, Ballarat. A CHEERING LETTER. (1915, August 28). Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 50 Edition: WEEKLY. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from [Link 1] WORK OF VETERANS. (1915, September 7). Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1950), p. 6. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from [Link 2]
[Book] Cotton, Helen. 1947. The History of the Ballarat High School 1907-1947., 1947, 28-29 Pages
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Keywords
Australian Army, Australian Military Forces, Letters, Military Memorabilia, Patriotism, Wars & Conflicts, World War I, 1914-1918