Published on Tuesday, 23 December 2025 at 4:50:45 PM
Welcome to our Christmas edition of #TimeWarpTuesday! It’s just two short sleeps till Christmas Day. Have you wrapped all your gifts? You may be interested to hear about a time back in 1943, when the students of East Victoria Park Primary School contributed Christmas parcels to a special cause. In 1943 and again in 1944 the Merchant Seamen’s Comforts Fund, organised by the Missions to Seamen at Fremantle organised for Christmas parcels to be made up and delivered to ships which came to Fremantle Port. This is the story of how the youth of Victoria Park, spread some well-deserved Christmas cheer:
“Christmas Parcels - 2,000 for Merchant Seamen
“Every ship which comes into port from about the last week in November until two or three days before Christmas will have put on board a Christmas parcel for every member of its crew. The parcels will be handed to the men at sea on Christmas morning. In addition, every seaman in port, in hospital, or in detention barracks will receive a parcel. These will be delivered through the Merchant Seamen’s Comforts Fund by the Missions to Seamen at Fremantle.
“Preparations are now well in hand to provide 2,000 parcels. One thousand will be provided by the Repertory Club merchant seamen’s comforts fund, 500 through a scheme inaugurated at Westralian Farmers Ltd and organised by their secretary (Mr R. L. Dunman) assisted by members of the staff, and 250 by pupils of the East Victoria Park State school, and it is estimated that members of the public will provide the remaining 250. The parcels will contain such useful items as tobacco, socks, cake, books, pullovers, chewing gum, cigarette papers, biscuits and raisins. Donations to help this effort may be sent to the Repertory Club or to the Missions to Seamen.
“So appreciative are merchant seamen of the comforts they receive, that the mission has received letter from prisoners of war at present in Germany. Illustrative of gratitude for last year’s Christmas parcels was a letter received from the captain of a Norwegian vessel in which he said: ‘It was a pleasant surprise to me when I heard you had sent so many Christmas parcels on board. I had all my officers and crew to a dinner party on the bridge, where a long table was laid and on which we also had two Christmas trees. We sang Christmas carols and songs assisted by music, but the climax came when every man got his parcel.” (1)
It seems that this plan for the school to supply 250 parcels was mightily exceeded with a later newspaper article citing 387 parcels bought with funds raised by the school children for the 1943 appeal.
“Christmas Parcels for Seamen
“Each year the children of the East Victoria Park State School prepare Christmas parcels for Missions to Seamen. This year they raised about £200 which bought 387 parcels. The top photo shows Chaplain J. W. Clift thanking the staff and students for the gifts, and bottom, the children carrying the parcels to waiting transport.” (2)
The children learnt firsthand about the difference they had made in the lives of seamen in the Merchant Navy over the many years of the school’s involvement in the Christmas parcel programme when they had a visit from officers of the Merchant Marine in March of 1945.
“Ship's Complement Says 'Thank You'
“Children of East Victoria Park school had a happy day last Friday when they were visited by a Merchant Service Captain, several of his officers, and Chaplains F. E. Watts and G. Dann of the Flying Angel Missions to Seamen at Fremantle. It was an unusual occasion. Last year the children of this school had made it their job to provide a great many Christmas parcels for the Merchant Navy. These were sent to the Missions to Seamen and placed on board ships which would be at sea on Christmas Day.
“I happened that the parcels provided by the children went to a New Zealand Hospital Ship and a merchant ship. The captain of the hospital ship immediately wrote and thanked the children, but later wrote again. And this was the letter:
‘I wrote on behalf of the ship’s company, a letter of thanks for the Christmas parcels received from the pupils of your school. However, the members of the crew, desirous of showing their appreciation in a more material form, have donated this cup to the school to be awarded as you think fit. There is also a balance of £1/10/ from the subscriptions and I am enclosing this to be used for whatever purpose you deem advisable.
‘No doubt many of the pupils associated in the compiling of these parcels have now left the school, but we wish them and the present pupils everything for their future success and happiness.
Yours, sincerely,
(signed by the Master)’
“The captain of the hospital ship was unable to be present, but a Merchant Navy Captain and his officers took the cup along and presented it to the school together with a Merchant Navy flag from their own ship. The captain spoke to the children and told them something of life at sea and how much they all appreciated the gestures and hospitality which the people of Western Australia gave to ‘the men who go down to the sea in ships’ through the Missions to Seamen.
“There is no doubt that the cup and the flag will long be treasured by the East Victoria Park School, and long after the present pupils have left, they will be there to remind those who come after them of the kindly gesture which was fully appreciated.” (3).
Photographs of the occasion also appeared in the newspaper:
“Victoria Park School Presentation
“Officers of the Merchant Marine visited the East Victoria Park State School on March 2 to make a presentation to the school of a cup from a New Zealand hospital ship and a flag from a British merchant vessel. Children of the school have subscribed for some years for the buying of Christmas parcels for the Merchant Navy. Last year the Hospital ship was a recipient. [Picture 1 in the article] Some of the schoolchildren. [Picture 2 in the article] Shirley Boother received the presentations on behalf of the school. Behind her are the senior chaplain of the Missions to Seamen (the Rev. F. E. Watts) and the headmaster (Mr Atkinson). [Picture 3 in the article] An officer addresses the Assembly.” (4).
What a wonderful gift to so many at sea, but also to the children to have learnt the wonderful joy that comes from thinking of and doing something to help others.
May this Christmas bring to all #TimeWarpTuesday readers a time of blessing, relaxation, refreshment, fun, laughter and joy and may the true light of Christmas be a blessing to your soul.
#LoveVicPark
P.S.
Don’t forget to share your Victoria Park Christmas stories with us, take a photo of your Christmas tree or celebration lunch, game of local cricket or other Christmas activities you might enjoy this year, and share it with us. That way we can record today for the benefit of history.
References:
- 1943 'CHRISTMAS PARCELS.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 6 September, p. 2. , viewed 23 Dec 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46768271
- 1943 'CHRISTMAS PARCELS FOR SEAMEN.', Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), 16 December, p. 45. , viewed 23 Dec 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38549245
- 1945 'SHIP'S. COMPLEMENT Says "Thank You"', Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), 8 March, p. 31. , viewed 23 Dec 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38560887.
- 1945 'Victoria Park School Presentation', Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), 8 March, p. 23. , viewed 23 Dec 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38560813
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