On August 13, 1914 Lady Helen Munro-Ferguson - the wife of the Governor-General - formed a branch of the British Red Cross at Government House Melbourne.
It was nine days after the outbreak of World War I, and very quickly the Australian Red Cross became the premier wartime voluntary charity, especially appealing to Australian women across the nation.
During World War II, 25 years later, Australian Red Cross was the largest charitable organisation in Australia, both in terms of the scale of its operations and in the support it received from the Australian people.
From a national population of seven million, nearly half a million people, mostly women, were members of Australian Red Cross during World War II.
The support and the prestige of belonging to a well-respected international organisation contributed to its spectacular success.
The post-war period saw reconstruction and regeneration that focused on social welfare, national emergencies, natural disasters such as floods and bushfires, and the development of the blood service and first aid programs, which were sustained by the extensive Branch network and thousands of members and volunteers.
Australian Red Cross extended its involvement with concerns of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, especially in International Humanitarian Law programs and refugee services.