Empire Day 24th May

24 May was the birthday of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and when Australia was very much a colony of the British Empire this was a day to be celebrated, especially after WW1 when so many Australians had fought for ‘The Empire’, and also after WW2 when war was again a recent memory.

Schools often took the opportunity to teach students that they should appreciate the unity of the British Empire and Australia’s place in it.

In 1958 Australia changed the name of the celebration to Commonwealth Day.

Mundaring Primary School Children in the 1920s

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