Britannia Park (Girl Guides Victoria)
Encyclopedia
Britannia Park is a campsite belonging to Girl Guides Victoria. It is located near Yarra Junction in Victoria, Australia. It is 72 km east of Melbourne
. The site covers 42 acres (approx 10 hectares), although the original purchase was smaller.
Fundraising to buy the site began in 1934 and continued until 1938. Helen Storrow
contributed £100. A competition was held for a typically Australian round, to be sold to raise funds. The winning song, Kookaburra
, by Marion Sinclair, was sung at the 1934 Scout Jamboree in the presence of Lord
and Lady Baden-Powell
.
The opening ceremony was planned to be held in January 1939, with Lord Hampton representing Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Guiding worldwide. Bushfires in Victoria made this impossible, and the event was rescheduled for September 1939. The outbreak of World War II
forced the cancellation of the ceremony entirely. Despite this, the first camps on the site were held in 1939. A large fête
called 'Walkabout' had been planned to be held in the Melbourne Town Hall in the same year to raise money for the camp. The fête was held as planned, but the money raised (£1,000) was given to the Red Cross
and to the Guide War Work for British evacuee children
.
District who originally gave the money to furnish it. A blanket made from the wool of a Confederate
soldier's uniform, donated by Helen Storrow, hangs in the Camberwell Room. There are several other smaller buildings that to accommodate other groups sizes and for some memorabilia kept on site.
1964, State Camp 'Tartandi'
1967.
1970
1973 : 'Wirake'
1976
1979
1982, 'Alterama'
1987, 'Milpara'.
2007 'Tikana' was held, commemorating 100 years since Baden-Powell's initial Brownsea Island camp in 1907
2010 'ACE' camp transferred to Geelong due to fire risk during the January school holidays.
in Geelong.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The site covers 42 acres (approx 10 hectares), although the original purchase was smaller.
Fundraising to buy the site began in 1934 and continued until 1938. Helen Storrow
Helen Storrow
Helen Osborne Storrow was a prominent American philanthropist, early Girl Scout leader, and chair of the World Committee of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts for eight years...
contributed £100. A competition was held for a typically Australian round, to be sold to raise funds. The winning song, Kookaburra
Kookaburra (song)
"Kookaburra" is a popular Australian nursery rhyme and round about the Kookaburra , written by Marion Sinclair .-Composition:...
, by Marion Sinclair, was sung at the 1934 Scout Jamboree in the presence of Lord
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
and Lady Baden-Powell
Olave Baden-Powell
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell, GBE was born Olave St Clair Soames in Chesterfield, England...
.
The opening ceremony was planned to be held in January 1939, with Lord Hampton representing Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Guiding worldwide. Bushfires in Victoria made this impossible, and the event was rescheduled for September 1939. The outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
forced the cancellation of the ceremony entirely. Despite this, the first camps on the site were held in 1939. A large fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
called 'Walkabout' had been planned to be held in the Melbourne Town Hall in the same year to raise money for the camp. The fête was held as planned, but the money raised (£1,000) was given to the Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
and to the Guide War Work for British evacuee children
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
.
Name
At the time of purchase, the property was known as "Britannia House". For many years after, both the house and the wider property were called simply "Guide House". In 1965, it was decided that this was too confusing. After much consideration, the name "Britannia Park" was chosen, incorporating the initials of the Founder and the old name of the property. The house is still called "Guide House"Facilities
Guide House sleeps twenty-eight people. The Camberwell Room is the main living room in Guide House and is named after the CamberwellCamberwell, Victoria
Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637....
District who originally gave the money to furnish it. A blanket made from the wool of a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
soldier's uniform, donated by Helen Storrow, hangs in the Camberwell Room. There are several other smaller buildings that to accommodate other groups sizes and for some memorabilia kept on site.
State Camps
State Camps were held approximately every three years during the January school holidays. At some time this was changed (possibly due to water restrictions and bush fire danger) to be held in the September School Holidays.1964, State Camp 'Tartandi'
1967.
1970
1973 : 'Wirake'
1976
1979
1982, 'Alterama'
1987, 'Milpara'.
2007 'Tikana' was held, commemorating 100 years since Baden-Powell's initial Brownsea Island camp in 1907
2010 'ACE' camp transferred to Geelong due to fire risk during the January school holidays.
Australian Centenary Event
The Australian Centenary Event (ACE), an international camp, was to be held at Britannia Park in January 2010. Due to increased potential fire risk at Britannia Park during the summer months, it was relocated by the organising committee to the Marcus Oldham CollegeMarcus Oldham College
Marcus Oldham College is an agricultural and farm management institution located in Geelong, Victoria and is the only private agricultural college operating in Australia...
in Geelong.