Ellen Wharton-KirkePrint Page 
At a commemorative morning tea hosted on Sunday, 30 July, in the office of Member for Manly James Griffin, the Australia Remembers — Northern Beaches and North Shore Committee unveiled a bronze plaque in honour of Manly’s Ellen Wharton-Kirke MBE, a mother of five who raised more than one million pounds (£1,000,000) for wounded First World War soldiers.
All four of Mrs Wharton-Kirke’s sons, three of her brothers and a son-in-law went to fight in Europe in the Great War (1914-1918). She was appalled when soldiers, including her son Basil, returned home wounded from Europe. Motivated to raise funds for their care, she began a campaign known as the ‘Australia Day Fund’.
With the help of like-minded women across the nation, Mrs Wharton-Kirke fervently sold a range of items, including ribbons, badges, matchboxes, buttons and handkerchiefs, displaying patriotic phrases such as ‘Help Our Wounded Heroes’ and ‘For Australia’s Heroes’. She even sold a stud merino ram to bolster her fund-raising efforts.
She raised the astonishing sum of £1,151,000, worth over $125m today, on 30 July 1915, a day they called ‘Australia Day’. Because of the different dates used by the states to celebrate their foundation, it marks the first known use of a national 'Australia Day.'
In recognition of her tireless fund-raising efforts, the Citizens of Sydney awarded Mrs Ellen Wharton-Kirke an Australia Day gold commemorative Gallipoli medalet. 5,000 of these medallions were made in 1915 in gilded or silvered bronze to commemorate the Gallipoli landings (25 April 1915), but only four were ever struck in solid gold, with the other three awarded to King George V, the Prince of Wales, and King Albert of Belgium.
Subsequently, she was awarded a King’s Royal Jubilee medal, and in the 1936 New Year Honours List, appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for philanthropy.
The public placement of the plaque is a matter currently being discussed with Northern Beaches Council, with a spot slated at Belgrave Street on the grassed area in front of the 1937 heritage listed Town Hall. The cost of the plaque was generously funded by the Dee Why RSL sub-Branch.
Northern Beaches Advocate, 1 August 2023.
Location
| Address: | Belgrave Street, Gilbert Park, Manly Town Hall , Manly, 2095 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.798511 Long: 151.284931 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Community |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 30th July, 2023 |
|---|
For God King and Country Australia Remembers
Australia Day Northern Beaches and North Shore
Remember the Dardanelles Gallipoli April 25 1915
Ellen Wharton-Kirke MBE
Manly`s Ellen Wharton-Kirke was an amazing woman ... a hero of World War 1 without firing a shot. In the early 1900s, this part of Manly...the Corso...was home to Ellen; It`s where she shopped for her large family, where she yarned with her friends, where she was at peace with the world.
That changed with the start of the Great War, as she watched four sons, three brothers and a son-in-law head off to battle.
When son Basil returned home among hundreds of wounded from Gallipoli, Ellen was appalled and immediately began a campaign to raise money for their care.
So, here in Manly, and around Australia like-minded women began selling ribbons, badges, matchboxes, buttons, handkerchiefs ... and even a stud merino ram. On one day only, July 30th 1915, ironically called Australia Day they raised an astonishing 250 Pounds, todays equivalent of $3.0 million.
While the fundraising continued, Ellen also fought against the odds for the introduction of conscription. She wrote:" my first born son Erroll gave his life during a charge at Pozieres after two solid years without rest. Why? Because there was nobody to replace him."
During the war the citizens of Sydney awarded Ellen a Gallipoli Gold Medalette; King George V, the Prince of Wales and King Albert of Belgium were the only others to receive it.
Later she was awarded a King`s Jubilee Medal and an MBE.
