The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.

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An old black‑and‑white portrait photograph showing a young woman dressed in a high‑collared, long‑sleeved white garment with fine pleated detailing. The woman is smiling. The woman is wearing a large, wide‑brimmed hat adorned with a light-coloured fabric decoration on one side. The background is plain and softly textured.

Souvenirs of Service

The story behind the cap bands

Maker’s Note - Gerry Westenberg 

In July 2023, I was approached unexpectedly by Gael Nicholls, granddaughter of Charlotte Paterson, who wished to share a family story connected to naval history. Gael explained that her grandmother Charlotte had volunteered during the First World War at the Wesleyan Church in West Street, central Durban, South Africa. Charlotte was part of a local women’s group that ran a canteen offering light meals, tea, entertainment and a meeting place for all the war‑time service men off the ships.

“The soldiers were very keen to leave a souvenir,” Gael recalled, “and Granny got lots of metal badges too from the various soldiers who had stopped in Durban, off the boats.”

Among the keepsakes passed down through the family were naval cap tally bands — cloth bands from the caps sailors wore — including tallies from HMAS Australia and HMS New Zealand. After discussing naval insignia together, Gael generously offered the tallies to me.

These historic cap bands are now displayed on the base of my model of HMAS Australia, shown here in the exhibition. Their presence connects the model not only to the ship it represents, but also to a family story of wartime hospitality, remembrance, and the unexpected journeys of objects carried across generations.

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A large early‑20th‑century group portrait showing several rows of woman arranged outdoors in front of trees and foliage. They are dressed uniformly in light‑coloured garments, seated and standing in tiered rows on a grassy area. One person, a man near the centre, wears darker clothing, creating a visual contrast within the otherwise matching group. The photograph has a sepia tone, typical of its period.
The Wesleyan Church's Woman's Group
Gael Nicholls
A close-up outdoor photograph showing Gael Nicholls, smiling and seated in front of leafy trees and a railing. Gael has light-coloured, voluminous hair styled in soft waves and is wearing layered clothing, including a knitted top with a textured pattern over a lighter shirt. The background includes greenery and soft natural light.
Gael Nicholls
Gael Nicholls
A large early‑20th‑century group portrait showing several rows of woman arranged outdoors in front of trees and foliage. They are dressed uniformly in light‑coloured garments, seated and standing in tiered rows on a grassy area. One person, a man near the centre, wears darker clothing, creating a visual contrast within the otherwise matching group. The photograph has a sepia tone, typical of its period.
A close-up outdoor photograph showing Gael Nicholls, smiling and seated in front of leafy trees and a railing. Gael has light-coloured, voluminous hair styled in soft waves and is wearing layered clothing, including a knitted top with a textured pattern over a lighter shirt. The background includes greenery and soft natural light.
An old black‑and‑white portrait photograph showing a young woman dressed in a high‑collared, long‑sleeved white garment with fine pleated detailing. The woman is smiling. The woman is wearing a large, wide‑brimmed hat adorned with a light-coloured fabric decoration on one side. The background is plain and softly textured.

Charlotte Patterson
Gael Nicholls

The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.