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Cheer Up Society ( - 1946)

To
27 April 1946

Summary

The South Australian Cheer-Up Society was founded by Alexandrina Seager. Its object was to support the soldiers in the First and Second World Wars as well as to bring them into contact with the ’highest type of womanhood’. During world war one they visited the soldiers at camp before they embarked for the trenches and provided them with supper, concerts and conversation. In the Second World War, they started a Cheer Up Hut near the Adelaide Railway Station that had a hostel and a canteen for every day use and social functions. The hut was financed by donations from several charitable organizations including the Country Women’s Association. The society was publicly acknowledged as indicative of women’s capacity, support and patriotism.

Sources used to compile this entry: Jones, Helen, 1926-, In her own name : women in South Australian history, Wakefield Press, Netley, SA, 1986, 356 pp. pp.280-281..

Related entries

Related Organisations

Archival resources

State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana

  • Cheer Up Society, c. 1914 - 1952, SRG 6; Cheer Up Society ( - 1946); State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Mills, Frederick J. (Frederick John), Cheer-up memories : a tribute to the cheer-up ladies (America Day souvenir), Adelaide, [1918], 56 pp. Details
  • Mills, Frederick J. (Frederick John), Cheer up : a story of war work, Cheer-up Society, Board of Management, Adelaide, 1920, 255 pp. Details

Pamphlets

  • Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), Rules [of] the Cheer-up Society, [Adelaide], [1914]. Details
  • Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), A home from home for all servicemen, [Cheer-up Society], [Adelaide ], [1944], 10 pp. Details
  • Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), Upon the termination of the activities of the Cheer Up Society, 1939-1946, [Advertiser], [Adelaide], [1946]. Details
  • Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), Official closing and good-bye at the Cheer-up Hut on Saturday, 27th April, 1946, Cheer-up Society, Adelaide, 1946, 4 pp. Details

Periodicals

  • R.S.A. magazine, Official organ of the Cheer-Up Society and the Returned Soldiers' Association (from v. 1, no. 2 (June 1916)-v. 3, no. 7 (July 1918)). Offical organ of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia, South Australian Branch (from v. 3, no. 8 (Aug. 1918)), 4 vols, Cheer-Up Society : Returned Soldiers' Association, [1916-1919]. Details

Online Resources

See also

  • Amateur Sports Associations of South Australia, Grand sports carnival for Navy League, Red Cross, Cheer-Up Society, S.A. Fighting Forces Fund, official programme, Adelaide,, [1940], 40 pp. Details
  • Daniels, Kay, Murnane, Mary, Picot, Anne and National Research Program (Australia) (eds), Women in Australia : an annotated guide to records, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1977. Details
  • Fewster, Jack (written and composed by ), Twenty thousand dollars, "Sung ... tour of the famous Cheer-up Society's concert party"--Cover, Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), [2] pp. Details
  • Fewster, Jack (written and composed by ), My yesterday, "Sung with immense success on the tour of the famous Cheer-up Society's Concert Party.", Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), [J. Fewster?], [Adelaide], [1919?], [2] pp. Details
  • Jones, Helen, 1926-, In her own name : women in South Australian history, Wakefield Press, Netley, SA, 1986, 356 pp. pp.280-281. Details
  • Naval, Military, and Red Cross Exhibition (1916 : Adelaide, S. Aust.), Souvenir programme of the Naval, Military and Red Cross Exhibition, October 1916, Exhibition held in Exhibition Building, North Terrace, Adelaide, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 5, 6, 7th, 1916, in aid of the Red Cross and Cheer-up societies, Australian Red Cross Society. South Australian Division and Cheer-up Society (S. Aust.), [Exhibition Executive Committee], [Adelaide?], 1916, [16] pp. Details
  • Seager, A. (Alexandrine), 1870-1950, Cheer-up souvenir to our boys, [Cheer-up Society], [Adelaide], [1915], 16 pp. Details

Robin Secomb

Created: 14 May 2004, Last modified: 1 May 2009

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