In late 1914 a young woman living in Melbourne learned that her brothers were preparing to join the Great War.

She wanted to play her part to support her brothers and every man who joined the war. She signed up to support Red Cross and was quickly put to work sewing clothes, linen and bandages and knitting socks that would be sent overseas to military hospitals to dress wounded soldiers and prisoners of war.

She became proficient at spinning wool, and as the demand for medical supplies grew she learnt to make bandages and surgical dressings, which were packed and shipped off in an endless supply of crates, along with biscuits, pyjamas, paper and pencils, tooth powder, tobacco, towels and soap.

As the first wave of wounded soldiers returned home she was trained by Red Cross in first aid and home nursing, then worked tirelessly in a local Red Cross convalescent home as a voluntary aid. Week in week out she cooked, cleaned and cared for wounded soldiers and their families, tirelessly nursing them back to health.

The work was relentless for four long years, but she and hundreds of thousands of women, men and children like her, never wavered in their care and commitment to help others in times of crisis.

After the war she became involved in the running of her local Red Cross branch, where she and like-minded women volunteered their skills and energy to help vulnerable people in need. She went on to give a lifetime of service to her local community through Red Cross.

It’s a great Australian story of people helping people, shared by millions of Australians who have shown compassion, volunteered their time, or donated much needed funds to help Red Cross care for people during times of war, disaster or everyday crisis.

During the Centenary of Australian Red Cross we have paid tribute to generations of ordinary people who signed up to offer humanitarian assistance to soldiers and their families during two world wars, then in peacetime era when Red Cross adapted and thrived, changing with the times and community needs. From responding to natural disasters to helping people made vulnerable by poverty, migration, ageing or ill-health, and through the blood service, Red Cross is there.

The same spirit of volunteerism and humanitarian ideals which inspired so many women to join Red Cross 100 years ago endures today.

As we celebrate our Centenary in Australia, we hope their legacy will inspire a new generation to support our vital everyday work in communities across the country and further afield, so that we can continue to help vulnerable people in need for the next 100 years.

Find out how you can get involved with Red Cross today, and read our inspiring Centenary stories of 100 years of people helping people – http://centenary.redcross.org.au/stories