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GFS Perth

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25.01.2022 It's Monday Memories time again! Do you still have an item of your uniform? If so why not post us a pic - we won't ask you to wear it (we are not that mean ) of course accessories always fit!!!... Who said a beret doesn't suit EVERYDOGGY?

23.01.2022 Why not if you don't already use this week to start a daily exercise habit - even if it is for only 20 minutes. Exercising boosts energy, improves mood, motivates and may help you to be more productive during the day. What are you waiting for get out there for a walk, try a pilates class or go to the gym!

18.01.2022 Day 1 @ Wongan Hills and we have been blessed with beautiful weather (warm enough to play games with water!) and children

15.01.2022 Many thanks to our Chaplain Rae for leading the World Day of Prayer service today and to the Dean who came and joined us and played the guitar! Was a great afternoon and thanks to those who joined me (and Kate on Zoom!)

15.01.2022 Great day today 8 gorgeous kids - we all had a wonderful time @ holiday club

15.01.2022 Monday Memories Part 1 The GFS Lodge GFS Lodge (Townsend Lodge) is situated at the site of the home of Captain John Septimus Roe, the first Surveyor General in Western Australia. The original home was a two story brick one, it had a tower and an upstairs balcony, it’s large garden and hedge sprawled on to Adelaide Terrace where there was formerly a ‘bend’ in the Terrace. There were stables in the backyard, a cellar under the dining room and a windmill provided water for... the residents. Ever since 1915 there has been a caring home provided on this same site for thousands of senior students and young business women. Most were from country areas and they came to Perth to continue their studies or to take up a job. The need for the Lodge was clearly seen by the Society and on 30 May 1913 a special meeting was called to discuss a proposal from the Claremont branch: That all branches make a great effort to raise funds for a central Lodge. This proposal was passed unanimously. In spite of the outbreak of war in 1914, when plans were being made, it was carried to a successful conclusion in 1915. This was made possible through the generosity of Richard Vincent and William Loton (later Sir William Loton), who advanced the 1,200 pounds required to purchase the building and this money was to be repaid, with interest, in seven years. The first photo is that of the building in 1915 when it was purchased, second the statue of Captain John Septimus Roe and the third is after the first renovations were done around 1920" #mondaymemories #gfsperth #archives

14.01.2022 Unfortunately this year the Royal Show will not be going ahead like so many other things this year. We can still however, remember the past thought and the wonderful ladies who set up the tea rooms at the Royal Show In 1929, WA's Centenary year, a Centenary Exhibition of women's work was organised by a GFS committee headed by Miss Connie Miller. It was held in the hall of the high school (the former Hale School, which was on the corner of Parliament Place and Havelock Stree...t) for ten days and was opened by the Governor, Sir William Campion, whose mother was GFS Central President in England from 1896-1900. The 8,000 art.icles shown were made or used by women during the previous 100 years. 217 pounds was cleared and this paid for the GFS Refreshment Booth to be built at the Royal Show - a good fund raiser for many years and a great help towards paying off the debt on the GFS Headquarters building after it was purchased. Mrs Alfred Burt and Miss Connie Miller led a team of keen workers at the Show Booth. The GFS House Mother cooked all the cakes on the wood stove at GFS Headquarters and they were often taken to the showground in the GFS caravan. During World War II the building was taken over by the army and returned to the Society in 1945. After much consideration of the problems involved, including staffing, it was decided not to continue with the Show Booth and it was sold to the Red Cross. https://ab.co/35VnnnY Perth Royal Show Lost Perth Royal Western Australian Historical Society Australian Red Cross Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia

13.01.2022 Holiday club at Wongan Hills over for another year, just church tomorrow great for the kids to see GFS Australia members too

12.01.2022 Setting up for holiday club - not long now still spaces available - please call if you think you will be coming so I know how much food to get! Forms can be completed on arrival. See events for more information

10.01.2022 Monday Memories GFS Australia Part 5 NATIONAL CAMPS There has been a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and the development of friendships between GFSers all over Australia since the introduction of national camps. The first was held at the CEBS camp, Frankston, Victoria from 30 December 1969 to 6 January 1970 and fifteen members and two Leaders from Perth attended. In 1978 Perth hosted a national camp. ‘Westorana’ meaning ‘West Welcome’, was the name chosen for the camp ...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Monday Memories This week we are going to share our memories from 1884 well maybe not OUR memories but our archives! The protected passage of members emigrating from England to overseas countries was the life work of the Honourable Mrs Ellen Joyce, one of the first to join GFS in England in 1875. She was head of the GFS Emigration Department from 1884 and also founded the British Women’s Emigration Association. She arranged for the grouping and berthing of GFS members t...ogether in a large special compartment in each ship and transfer by their matrons to the Associates who would meet the girls on arrival. As early as 1882 GFS members travelled only in vessels carrying specially selected matrons. According to her diaries which are now in the Battye Library, Miss M.P. Monk was the matron who accompanied GFS members to Western Australia from 1892 to 1896. The names of the GFS members travelling are listed in each diary. The 1920’s were especially busy ones and there are large numbers of letters and commendation from this period in the Society’s archives. Many of the girls stayed at the GFS Lodge when they first arrived. You can read more about this part of our history in Chapter 3 of the GFS book A Century of Challenge.

09.01.2022 Monday Memories Caravan Part 12From 1926-1943 a little house on wheels’, as the children called it, travelled through the outback of Western Australia, bringing friendship, comfort and the message of the Gospel to the settlers, and a special ministry to their children. Quote from A Century of Challenge by Jean Seymour. Using the same program as we do in Perth we have in the past taken our Holiday Clubs on the road!. We have visited Katanning, Bunbury, Bruce Rock, Wonga...n Hills and Esperance. Our first country holiday program was held in 2013 in the July school holidays and we visited Bruce Rock and then Wongan Hills. Little did we know that this would begin a wonderful time of connecting with children (and adults) in the rural centres on a yearly basis for some of them. In the past few years we have just visited Wongan Hills and Esperance with other centres not having people to help us out in the town. We look forward to continuing this again this year in the October holidays in Wongan Hills.

06.01.2022 Monday Memories This week we are sharing memories of one of our past GFS Members - Miss Connie Miller. Miss Miller's involvement as Secretary of GFS covered the period from 1921 to 1925 and she was the first ever paid secretary for GFS in Perth. She had outstanding administrative skills and artistic talents, which she used to the full in the service of GFS. In 1905 Connie painted a birthday book illustrated with WA wildflowers and presented it to the State Governor, Admir...al Sir Frederick George Denham Bedford and his wife. She was urged to do another one it contained 113 wildflowers in watercolour which were hand bound into a book. It was lent to Government House for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954. GFS have a copy of the book which was reproduced in 1988. In 1929 Connie headed the Centenary Exhibition of women's work which ran for 10 days and 8,000 articles were shown that had been made or used by women during the previous 100 years. Connie was also the Chairman of the Caravan Committee formed in August 1926. When the Caravan set out on its first tour - to the Peel Estate Miss Miller was travelled with them as far as Queens Park. Miss Miller and Miss Holmes prepared a chronological history of GFS in WA from 1888 to 1948 along with lots of other interesting facts that help out with the compiling of the GFS Century of Challenge book published in 1988.

04.01.2022 Another awesome day 2 new kiddos today @stmathewsguildford

04.01.2022 This week we are sharing our memories of another one of our early members Miss Margaret Milne Robertson. She was the GFS Secretary from 1931 to 1937. She was also Chairman of the Ethel Burt Townsend Fellowship during its most active period. She was a branch leader at South Perth and also GFS Representative on the Travellers’ Aid Society. She met many migrants on their arrival at Fremantle and assisted them in every way possible. This was a work she continued over many years. Miss Milne Robertson organised many Easter camps in the hills and also went out in the GFS caravan when help was needed. There was a great deal of work carried out from GFS Headquarters during the Depression years and Miss Milne Robertson played a major role in coordinating this.

02.01.2022 Last day Friday and all the great things the children made to remind them that God is always there for them - He is their anchor

02.01.2022 Monday Memories This week we are sharing our memories of one of our early members Mrs Ethel Burt. Mrs Burt joined the Society as an Associate in 1888 and was actively involved for 60 years. She was one of the many leading women involved with St George’s Cathedral and became a member of the first branch formed Cathedral Branch which held their meetings in St George’s Cathedral schoolroom. She took over as Honorary Secretary from Mrs Eliza Salta in 1902 and work unceasing...ly from her home in Adelaide Terrace until 1921 when it outgrew her home and they moved to a small office in St George’s Chambers. Mrs Burt became President in 1927 and gave outstanding leadership in this role until 1940. She possessed of great charm and friendliness, wise judgement and had the gift of inspiring others. It was her vision together with her perseverance and inspiration, in conjunction with Lady Barron that enabled a Lodge in the city for country girls to become a reality in 1915. Mrs Burt new a very prominent Perth business man - Mr Vincent, whose wife had been an Associate of St George’s Cathedral branch for many years. She told him of the dream she had to provide a Lodge for the girls from the country and the rest as they say is history. An interesting fact that when I was researching for this Monday Memory I came across the fact that Mrs Burt as was of the founding members of the RSPCA here in WA. Probably only one of the many things she was part of but luckily for us she was very committed to GFS. I also believe Miss Best who started the RSPCA was a GFS Member also - https://bit.ly/2Ke70ue

01.01.2022 12 days to go! With no Royal show this year - come along for a great 4 days of fun at a quarter of the price

01.01.2022 Make a list or mind map of 10 small things that make you happy. Take the time to do at least one of those things every day of this week