Faded , out of focus , part of a notice for a smoke social on April 22, l915 for residents of Darwin to farewell the local contingent, listed , going to war.
Spotted in the diverse collection at the Darwin Museum and Art Gallery , Bullocky Point, was another 1915 postcard addressed to Miss E. Stephens, "Afton", Victoria Road , Ermington ,New South Wales ,Australia , sent by George Woods, who explained it bore no postage stamps because he was on active service .
This postcard was of particular interest as the writer of this article had gone to primary school in Ermington in the early l950s , knew Victoria Road well , a fruit stall on that road at Ermington run by relatives of the Darwin journalist and activist Jessie Litchfield who, with author and publisher Glenville Pike , started the North Australian Monthly .
George wrote that he had received five welcome letters from Miss Stephens in the mail , mail days being big events . He indicated it might be some time before she again heard from him , signing off : Ta Ta .
The puzzling above photograph , showed what appears to be a travelling band , The Darwin Knuts , on a joy ride on a horse drawn cart , Easter 1915. Hanging from the neck of a man at the rear is what looks like a drum bearing the message : Superior quality made in Germany .
A quick check revealed the man with the drum -home made- was Jack Kelly , who had sung Ginger, You're Barmy , at the smoke social farewell for the NT contingent that went to the Front in 1915.
