“Vote Yes!” – Kapunda’s WWI Conscription Battle

“Vote Yes!” – Kapunda’s WWI Conscription Battle

Kapunda Herald, 13 Oct 1916

In August 1916, Australian Prime Minister William Morris Hughes announced that the question of compulsory overseas service would be put to the people in a referendum.
Hughes was under pressure from the British to provide extra reinforcements from Australia in Europe.

In Kapunda, conscription meetings were held for the yes vote and the no vote. A No vote meeting, held at Kapunda Institute and hosted by Kapunda mayor S. E. Hancock, saw a very large turnout of Kapunda’s population, with a large base of women.
Arguments for either side were very heated. Those who opposed conscription were labelled as disloyal to Australia.


The feeling toward those who were voting yes to conscription in Kapunda was much worse. Posters and banners promoting the yes vote were torn down by no voters. Eggs were thrown at shop fronts and townsfolk chose to vote with their money, with shops that displayed a “vote yes” banner feeling the economic pinch when “no voters” refused to use their services or buy their goods.


The referendum was held on 28 October 1916 and resulted in 1 087 557 votes for and 1 160 033 against. New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia voted ‘No’.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2019

References:

1916 'National Service Referendum. Alleged Victimization.', Kapunda Herald, 13 October, p. 2. , viewed 06 Mar 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124986543

1916 'National Service. Anti-Conscription Meeting at Kapunda.', Kapunda Herald, 20 October, p. 3. , viewed 06 Mar 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124986644

1916 'National Service.', Kapunda Herald, 27 October, p. 3. , viewed 06 Mar 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124986721

State Library of New South Wales (2014) Australia’s Conscription Debate, https://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/australias-conscription-debate

“Haig” The War Tank

“Haig” The War Tank

 

On Tuesday the 16^th of April 1918 Kapundites came out in their droves to see a real-life Army tank in their town,
 As part of a national tour, the Government’s “War Loan Tank” arrived to much fanfare in Kapunda in the early evening. It was met at the southern end of town by the Mayor, Mr Jeff’s along with a procession of school children arranged by teacher Mr Murphy.

The War Tank was in the control of Lieutenant Colley, who, at the corner of Thompson's gave a rousing speech outlining the Australian war effort overseas, and how the people back home can contribute.

 The Kapunda Town Band played from the balcony of the North Kapunda Hotel whilst the tank was driven to Mr Thompson corner (Where the town information centre sits today on the corner of Hill and Main Street).
 The Commonwealth Bank provided two escorts who travelled with the tank to collect donations from the townsfolk to support the war effort overseas.
 Townsfolk and business were very generous with their donations, by the end of the evening £1.700 had been raised, with a promise by Mr Shannon to the Mayor that he would raise it to an even £2,000.
 The Sir John Franklin Lodge, I.O.OF. M.U. donated £700, and £300 from the Salem Tent No. 8 Rechabites.

The township of Kapunda had already raised £ 30, 000 by 1918, plus Sir Sidney Kidman had given £50,500 of his own money, as well as donating wool, meat, 200 horses, 2 planes and 3 ambulances (the townsfolk of Kapunda also raised enough money for one more ambulance).

(Kidman also guaranteed the jobs of his workers who went away to war, and gave monetary assistance to the families of his employees who lost their father, husband or son overseas in battle.)

 The tank later returned to Kapunda in October of the same year for the seventh war loan tour. Then headed off to Angaston in the Barossa Valley the next day to continue its money-raising endeavour. By the end of its second visit, the townsfolk of Kapunda had donated £11,000

The photo above is from The State Library of South Australia [PRG 280/1/17/384], part of the Searcy Collection. It shows the war tank “Haig” out front of Thompson building (with what is now The Professionals in the background). On the tank are Lieutenant Colley and the Mayor on-board. In front is Mr Kidman’s 35hp Overland Tourer, registration number 4926

Researched and written by Allen Tiller

www.allentiller.com.au

£ = Australian Pounds – a pre-decimal currency.

1918 'Kapunda Herald', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 11 October, p. 2. , viewed 21 Mar 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108282426

1918 'Kapunda herald', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 19 April, p. 2. , viewed 21 Mar 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108280471