When did the Red Shield Appeal start?
In 1965 the first trial Red Shield Appeal door knock was conducted in the Sydney area. For the first time instead of just using uniformed Salvos to collect night after night over a three month period as part of a ‘self denial appeal’, the friends of the Salvos took part in a one morning doorknock under the new name. The idea came from Canada where The Salvation Army had used this method and name since the late 1940’s. The Red Shield approach was based on the popular Salvation Army Red Shield huts and services provided by us during World War II for all the western nations, including Australia and Canada. Two Australian Salvation Army officers, Majors Don Campbell and Charles Cross, investigated the Canadian idea of running an annual Red Shield Appeal. Major Cross passed on his knowledge to The Salvation Army in Sydney where they quickly instigated the first trial in Sydney. Major Campbell in Melbourne passed on his information to Colonel Harry Goffin and Captain Smith who implemented it
