The Australian Red Cross was formed in Melbourne on August 13, 1914. Image: kojoku / Shutterstock.com
The birth of the goodwill and health care giant: the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The aftermath of the Battle of Solferino deeply touched the young Henry Dunant (1828-1910). Covered in blood, Dunant managed to organise the neighbouring Italian towns and tried to alleviate the wounds of the many soldiers that fought during the infamous armed combat — their nationalities were of little importance for Dunant; every wounded man deserved medical attention. A year later, Dunant published A Souvenir of Solferino. His account of the infamous battle inspired him and other Swedish patrons to create an organisation that would provide care for the wartime wounded. On February 7, 1863, the Geneva Society for Public Welfare selected a committee of five representatives, including Dunant. This first meeting is traditionally considered as the foundation of the Red Cross. In August 22, 1864, the International Red Cross started its operations.
Sixteen days after the outbreak of World War I, on August 13, 1914, the Australian Red Cross was founded; it was a branch of the British Red Cross. Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson (1865-1941), wife of Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson (1860-1934), Governor-General of Australia from 1914 to 1929, was its first president. Lady Munro-Ferguson called the wives of each State Governor and asked them to form local committees in each capital. Once these were working, the Australian Red Cross gave assistance to the survivors of the Battle of Gallipoli and developed the Cycle and Motor Cycle Corps, a group of volunteers that deliver Red Cross messages and small parcels.
Did you know?
+ 300,000 soldiers from Imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian Alliance fought in the Battle of Solferino.
+ The International Red Cross has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace three times (1917, 1944 and 1963).
+ The first members of the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded were Gustave Moynier, Guillaume-Henri Dufour, Louis Appia, Henry Dunant and Theodore Maunoir
+ The seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were adopted in Vienna in 1965. These principles are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
Sources: www.redcross.org.au, nobelprize.org.au
