Beginnings

This project started in 2015 when a group of Queensland Scout Leaders, from Charles S Snow district, were attending a Scout Section Skills (i.e., Triple S) camp, and were sitting around a cooking stove lamenting about how their scouts were progressing with the Citizenship Target badge.  The concern was that the scouts did not know enough about the history of their district, and what their district badge symbolised.  It was suggested that one potential way to assist the scouts was to provide a central website where they could find out about their districts and regions, via understanding their uniform district/region badge.   Hence collation of information for this project began.  I hope you find this website informative and enjoy the Queensland’s heritage as portrayed through Scout badges.

Project Lead

Queensland Badge Histories

Webpage Content

The purpose of this website is to provide a historical description of each Queensland Area, Region and District badge.  Each web-page would include the following:

• Image of the badge.
• Links to geographical locations, and local history, of the place where the Scout Groups in the district were/are located.
• Dates when the area, region or district commenced (if known), and closed (where relevant).
• Names of the District or Region Commissioner during these opening and closure dates (where possible).
• Brief description of each component of the badge.
• Year when the first version (design) of the badge was issued (note: this is  not necessarily the image of the badge on the page, but a similar one that that may be older).
• Names of the Scout Districts or Groups that were within the locality at various points in time.
• Reference list of sources of the information. The numbers in “[  ]” relate to the order of the references in each web-page.

Badge Varieties 

Whilst researching the history of the badges displayed, it was noted that there were many varieties of design and manufacture of each badge. The differences usually occur when there is a change in policy or a different manufacturer is used.  Whilst some differences are obvious, others are more subtle. Obvious differences would include changes in wording, design, colour, shape and binding. Subtle differences would include  changes in the shade of colour, different backing, and slight changes in size (i.e., several millimetres).  As the number of differences in design and manufacture are endless, this web-site does not provide all the information on these differences.  What is depicted are major changes in design of the badge.  Readers who are interested in the varieties of each badge should contact members of either the Queensland Badge Club, Australian Badge Club or the International Badger’s Club who specialise in this type of information.

Special Interest Area (SIA) Project Ideas

The Queensland Badge Histories website is a journey across Queensland through every scout county, area, region and district badge that has been produced.  Within the website you’ll find images and descriptions of badges, scouting history, lists of groups, links to local history and maps.  With the wealth of information at your fingertips, there are many parts of programs and games that can be developed to encourage Youth Members to work on Special Interest Area (SIA) projects based on the information in the website.   Here are some ideas:

SIA Project (Arts & Literature)

1. Draw a district badge and say what the name means, and what the images of the badge mean (Joey level)

2. Draw a district badge and say what the name means, and what the images of the badge means.  Name all the groups in the district, and find out who the District Commissioner or District Leader (Cubs) is. (Cub level)

3. What districts have Indigenous names: Find out what they mean, discover the local history, learn some of the local indigenous names.  If possible, go and visit the district and take some photos to share with your unit.

4. What district badges have Indigenous drawings:  What do these drawings mean.  Find out about examples of indigenous art.  What does it mean.  Get some photos or samples of indigenous art to show and explain to your unit.

5. Find 5 badges that are named after famous people.  What are these people famous for? Get photos of these people.  Where possible visit a memorial dedicated to one of these people.  Visit at least one of these districts, and take photos to show your unit.  Collect at least 1 badge.

6. Assemble a collection of scout badges, which include your district, and organise an exhibition to show the parents and other youth members in your district.  These need to be displayed properly, and you need to be able to explain and say something about each badge.

7. Prepare a presentation on the scouting history of districts within your region.  Get old photos of scouts, and highlight interesting events, and personalities with your region.  Your presentation would also need to include images of all the current district badges and what they mean, and several previous district or area/region badges.  See if you can collect at least 5 of the current or past district/region badges.

8. Draw a timeline over the last 50 years, and describe this through scout districts, regions, areas, and interesting scouting personalities and events.  Use the badges to help you draw that time line.  Present this to your unit.

9. Compile some interesting facts about your district or region, create a “jingle” and compose a song about your district or region.  Present this to your unit.

SIA Project (Environment)

1. What district badges have Koalas on them?  Find out about Koala conservation.  Visit a Koala conservation site.  Take photos to show your unit.  How can you help with Koala conservation?  Collect at least 1 badge.

2. What district badges have animals (i.e., deer) on them?  Find out about the wild animals.  Try to get a picture of the real wild animal.  Take photos to show your unit.  How can you help with animal conservation?  Collect at least 1 badge.

3. Find 5 district badges that have birds on them?  What kinds of birds are these?  Where do these birds live? Try to get a picture of 3 of these birds.  Take photos to show your unit.  How can you help with bird conservation?  Collect at least 1 badge.

4. Find 5 district badges that have a sea creature on them?  What kinds of sea creatures are these?  Where can you find these sea creatures? Try to get a picture of 3 of these sea creatures.  Take photos to show your unit.  How can you help with sea conservation?  Collect at least 1 badge.

5. Find 6 district badges that have water features.  Find out how water features such as waterfalls are formed.  Visit 6 waterfalls and get pictures to show your unit.  Find out about the height and geology of the pictures of the waterfalls you have taken.

6. Find 5 district badges that have hills or mountains features.  Go on a hike and visit and climb 3 of these hills/mountains.  Find out about the height and geology of the pictures of the waterfalls you have taken.  Take photos to show your unit.

7. Find 2 district badges that have something to do with marine life and coral.  Find out about different types of coral.  How can we help with coral conservation.  Try to get photos of live coral to show your unit.

8. Draw a map of Queensland or get a large Tourist map.  Print out the images of 40 district badges, and link these to different locations on the map of Queensland.  Mount the map with the images on a display board for all to see.  Calculate the time and distance it would take to travel by road from 1 destination to the next.  Find out also about the average temperature and rainfall in each of these locations.

SIA Project (STEM & Innovation)

1. What district badges have pictures of cattle on them?  What type of cattle are these.  Find out about the places within Queensland where cattle is a major industry.  What are cattle used for other than meat?  Collect at least 1 badge with a picture of cattle.

2. What district badges have pictures of sugarcane on them?  Find out about the places within Queensland where sugar is a major industry.  How is sugar refined?  If possible, visit a sugar museum.  Take a photo of a sugar plantation, or get a sugar cane, to show your unit.  Collect at least 1 badge with a picture of sugar cane.

3. Select 2 district badges that have some form of agricultural equipment on them.  Go and see what the real equipment looks like.  Find out how it works.  What agriculture is it used for?  Take photos for your unit.  Collect at least 1 badge.

Games and Program Challenge Area

Personal Growth “Cognitive” Kim’s Game:  Print out images of badges, and see how many a patrol can remember and draw

Outdoor “Navigation” Match the location to the map: During a relay race, see how many badges (i.e., districts), the youth members can match to locations on a map of Queensland.  These road maps can be obtained from Qld Tourism offices and some RACQ offices.

Outdoor “Navigation” Find the badge using compass bearings, map or GPS coordinates: Hide 20 images of badges (i.e., with 1 piece of information accompanying each badge) in the park or are around the hall, give the youth members the compass bearings, map or GPS coordinates, and see how long it take to report back on the useful information.)

Personal Growth “Literacy” Arrange the badges in alphabetical order and year of district formation order: Create and print out 70 badge pictures each with the year that the district was formed. You might want to print 1 set per patrol. Youth members work in patrols, and compete as part of a relay race.

Personal Growth “Visual” Find the birds, animals, objects on the badge:  Print a set of badge images, and see how many youth members can spot.  This game is generally useful for Joeys to develop their observation skills.

Community “Knowledge” State 1 fact about the district: Each patrol is given a set of badges images (i.e., 40 images and facts) with 1 fact on each badge district.  Working as a patrol they have to remember all the facts.  As part of a relay race each youth member answers questions to the adult leader.  The patrol with the largest number of facts answered correctly winds

“Creative-Drawing” Using coloured sand, draw the badge: Pick several badges, and get the youth members of recreate the badge image using coloured sand (Hint:  It helps to pick badges with a maximum of 6 colours)

Exploring Queensland

Family Trips:  Plan a trip with your family to a district or region within the website.  Visit some of the locations described on the badge.  Take a photo of each place that you visit.  See if you can spot the scout dens, and in some of the regions, visit the local scout shop.  If the Region or District is current, see if you can make contact with a local scout from the district or region to swap a badge.  Talk to your Adult Leader or Group Leader for ideas of how to get in touch with groups in other districts.

Unit Visit: Pick 3 districts, other than your own, organise visits to at least 1 unit within each district.  Swap a badge, and take a group photo with scouts in that unit, and carry out a joint activity. Talk to your Adult Leader or Group Leader for ideas of how to get in touch with groups in other districts.

Journey/Hikes: As part of a Scout, Venturer or River hike, pass through at least 2 of the locations mentioned within a district.  Along the way, take photographs, visit either the local museum or tourist centre and find out about places of interest, and collect the local district badge.  Talk to your Adult Leader or Group Leader for ideas of how to get in touch with groups in other districts.

Group, District and Region Camp Activities

Camps are a great opportunity to introduce youth members to Queensland’s Heritage through badges.  A variety of activities have been created, which are accessible to Scouts Queensland members.  These activities would generally be employed in the form of an activity base.  Each activity would generally last about 5 minutes, and be done individually or in small groups of 2-3 youth members.  During trials, we have also noted that adults seem to get as much fun out of these activities as the youth members.  Please email the Badge History Project Leader (email: badgehistory@scoutsqld.com.au) for the link to these games and activities.

Acknowledgement

The many badge images and information contained in this site would not have been possible without the generous time, patience and information on badge “lore”, local and social history and images of badges provided by :

Anne Bennett, Belinda Wheatland, Bob Campbell, Braeden Monnier, Brent Bennett, Brian See, Bryan Brown, Carol Harris, Christine Long, David Foster-Key, David Griffith, David Jamieson, David Teufel, David Thomas, Deborah Phillips, Dougal McWhinney, Enid Cole, Gary Murray, Geoff Andrews, Gillian Hall, Glen Thiess, Helen Whittington, Ivan Hewett, Jean Clifford, Jeffrey Wilkinson, Jenny Staddon, Jim Bell, John Finn, John Parr, John Pring, Joanne Hamilton, Julie Segal, Karen Nawratzki, Karl Lingard, Katrina Hoare, Ken Ashford, Ken Millers, Kelly Milton-Turnbull, Kirsty Brown, Lesley Hanson, Lynlie Cross,  Lyle Bird, Margaret Flecker, Maurice Wilson, Merilyn Andrews, Michael Armiger, Michael Bischa, Michael Preston, Michelle Guerin, Nathan Swaffer, Norm Holliman, Olivia Frost, Owen Richmon, Patt Dryden, Paul Tuckwood, Peita Griffith, Peter Blatch, Peter Digweed, Peter Mc Leod, Peter Rasmussen, Peter See, Rob Cullen, Rob Thurlby, Robyn Teufel, Tony Langler, Sharon Barritt, Sharna Cauchi, Stephen Kydd, Steve Marshall, Sue Kebblewhite, Tony Peck, Warren Hope, Zoe Williams & Hsien-Jin Teoh (Project Lead) and many other people that have contributed to this project.