Deep pockets for war effort

THOSE who remained at home were not spared from the war effort.
Schoolchildren knitted socks, women prepared care packages and the more well-off in society were called upon to dig into the coffers to support the various patriotic funds.
None were more generous than noted sporting identity and successful businessman Andrew Chirnside of the Edrington Estate in Berwick.
He even donated a fair slice of his land for the cause, with 538 acres (over 200 hectares) carved up after the war into soldier settlement blocks.
The Berwick Shire News and Cranbourne and Pakenham Gazette reported on 15 March 1916 that Mr Chirnside had “shown his patriotism and liberality by contributing some thousands of pounds to the various patriotic funds since the outbreak of war”.
The newspaper report said he had again come forward with a most generous donation, giving 500 pounds for the first button of an order of 200,000 for Lady Hennessy’s Patriotic Day on 24 March, ‘For Our Fighting Men’.
“It is stated that this probably constitutes a world’s record price for a button. The button was specially made, with a rolled gold mount, and placed in a sealed envelope. The next 20 buttons made were reserved for sale. For one of these 24 pounds has been given and 10 pounds each for three others.”
On 11 April 1917 (in the last edition of the Berwick Shire News, as the paper moved to Pakenham), it was reported that Mr Chirnside had donated 1000 pounds to the Societie Maternelle et Infantile of France and the sum had been cabled to Paris.
“No gentleman in Australia has shown a more generous and patriotic spirit during the war period than Mr Chirnside,” the paper declared.
“His contributions to the various relief funds amount to many thousands of pounds.”