Hansen Quilt

History

Mrs Hansen was a committee member of the 14th Battalion Comfort Fund which raised money to support the troops. The fund-raising group had been formed in September 1916 with the authority of the Department of Defence. Miss Dare, the sister of Lieutenant Colonel C.M.M Dare the commanding officer of the 14th Battalion, called a meeting of the mothers and friends of the battalion and the committee was formed.

The original idea for the quilt was to use squares of calico and ask anyone interested to sign them and pay sixpence. Once the squares were signed the committee ladies would embroider over the signatures with red cotton and bind the edges.

On reflection the ladies decided to make their quilt different, and Mrs Hansen asked her son who was fighting overseas to collect signatures of other servicemen and post them home. Captain Hansen collected the signatures from the men of the 14th battalion as well as nurses, doctors, mechanics, drivers, and clerics.

When the squares arrived in Melbourne they were carefully embroidered by Mrs Hansen and her friends. The Williamstown Historical Society acquired the quilt from a long-time member who was a niece of Mrs Hansen’s.

Society volunteers have painstakingly researched the people whose names appear on the quilt and the theatres of war where they fought. At least 40 of the soldiers identified were either killed in action or died of wounds at a later date.

In 1995 the quilt was sent to the Victorian Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Material where it was vacuumed to remove dirt and dust, washed by hand, rinsed 5 times and then dried flat and backed with a cheesecloth fabric attached by Velcro.

In 2015 the quilt was framed in timber with a Perspex cover, where it remains today. It is currently in local storage until the society is returned to our museum after restoration work is complete.

Description

The quilt is made from cotton, linen, with cotton and silk thread for the embroidery and assembled by Mrs Agnes Hansen and Committee Members of the 14th Battalion Comfort Fund from signed cloth squares provided by her son Captain Stewart Hansen during his service with the 14th Battalion in WW1.

Acknowledgements

Williamstown Historical Society acknowledges the generous donation from one of the society members Miss Win Stewart.