Exhibition Sewing Circle

The Exhibition Sewing Circle began on 21 May 1915 with Miss Racey Beaver, Mrs Walter Torode and Miss Winifred Scott as convenors. The society made articles suitable for military hospitals and camps, and for military units leaving Adelaide for the War in Europe. The society's headquarters was the Exhibition Building (now demolished) on North Terrace, Adelaide.

As the Honorary Organiser, Miss Beaver wrote a regular column for the Exhibition Sewing Circle in The Advertiser newspaper to report on their activities.

Racey Beaver was born Rachel Schlank and in 1916 formally changed her surname to Beaver (her mother's surname). She was the daughter of Salis Schlank, a well known jeweller with the Adelaide branch of P. Falk and Co. She was a published poet and an artist and was also the Honorary Secretary of the first Wattle Blossom League which organised the regular Wattle Day fund raising events. Mrs Torode was married to the successful and well-known builder, Walter Charles Torode, whose works include the Elder Conservatorium and the Adelaide Stock Exchange.

An army of women mobilised in charitable organisations to help the war effort. The 7,000 members of the League of Loyal Women and the Exhibition Sewing Circle made 'comforts' and clothing for the troops. Partly due to the support from home, Australian troops suffered the least from 'trench foot' and related physical conditions. Through the Sewing Circle, veils were also made to attach to bridles of the horses to keep flies out of their eyes in the desert.

Huge quantities of wool were required to keep up with the war effort. In The Advertiser of 12 September 1916, page 121, the F.C. Catt Stores, Limited ran the following advertisement "A colossal shipment of best quality four-ply knitting wools is now open. 48.000 skeins of beautiful soft wools, in brown, two shades of khaki, three shades of grey, two shades in natural; also white, navy, black, and a big range of lovely heathers."

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