The Empire's Patriotic Fund

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Focusing on the Empire's Patriotic Fund established in 1901, the book explores its role in supporting dependents of Australian soldiers during the Boer War. It highlights the fund's unique position as one of the first attempts to address the impacts of sustained warfare in Australia, emphasizing the middle-class men's efforts to redefine social welfare in response to war. By analyzing applications to the fund, the study sheds light on the interplay of class and gender, and prompts further exploration of repatriation history in early 20th-century Australia.