Subiaco State School And The Junior Red Cross Circle...(1936).
Before the Internet, school children from around the State including Subiaco State School shared knowledge of our State by writing letters, exchanging photographs and collecting specimens such as wildflowers, animal skins and stamps with school children from other countries through the Junior Red Cross Circle.
The Subiaco State School Junior Red Cross Circle exchanged portfolios with other countries around the world including China, Japan, England, Canada and England. The packages were sent to Paris, France where they were translated and sent on to the various schools in the countries for a reply.
Junior Red Cross Circles were set up around Australia for young people to meet and enjoy themselves and with the aim of learning first aid, helping young people in less fortunate circumstances than themselves and promoting international understanding.
The photographs are of Lady Mitchell making the presentation in May 1936 from the Leeds East school, Quebec, Canada, to Joan Riley, representing the Junior Red Crass Circle of the Bayswater school.
The article is from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
West Australian, 28 August 1936.
INTRODUCTION TO CHINA.
Subiaco School Correspondence.
Children in China will be given a comprehensive survey of Western Australia's scenic, industrial and natural wealth when they open a portfolio, prepared under the Junior Red Cross international correspondence scheme, by members of the Junior Red Cross Circle at the Subiaco school
The scheme provides for the exchange of correspondence and illustrated portfolios between the children of more than 30 countries. Decorated with the school's colours, the Subiaco portfolio contains a photograph of the school and pupils, a letter from the children describing their work and games and asking for similar particulars from China, a set of coloured plates from "The Western Mail" illustrating West Australian wildflowers, specimens of wool, pictures of the State's beauty spots, industrial development, primary industries end flora and fauna.
A special set of pictures deals with the aborigines. The portfolio will be sent to the Junior Red cross Bureau in Paris, where translations of the descriptive matter will be made before it is sent to a school in China. The reply, containing similar information and illustrations from China, will be forwarded with translations to the Subiaco school.
Portfolios have already been received in Western Australia from the Oda Dalichi School, Kawabe Gun, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan; the Leeds East School, Lemesurier, Quebec, Canada: and the Te Kaka native school, Opotiki, New Zealand.
West Australian, 30 May 1936.
