Belgian Flag Days, along with French Flag Days, Violet Day and Wattle Day, occurred across Australia during World War One. They were organised to raise funds, engage communities and encourage new recruits, as well as to honour and pay respect to the wounded, the fallen and their families.  

This footage shows the Belgian Flag Day held at the former mining town of Burra, South Australia, on 10 May 1915. This was just two weeks after the Gallipoli campaign had started, and less than a year after Germany’s invasion of Belgium in August 1914. 

The beginning of the clip shows the flags of France, Britain, Russia, Japan, Belgium, Australia and Serbia. These are also displayed on the parading vehicles, sending a clear message about who the allies are. 

Early in the footage, a car converted to represent the HMAS Sydney is seen. This commemorates the Sydney’s sinking of Germany’s SMS Emden on 9 November 1914. This was the first victory for the Royal Australian Navy in ship-to-ship battle, and cemented the public belief that Australia could maintain its own navy.  

The significance of this battle in the early stages of Australia’s participation in World War One is also evident in two films released in 1915 - a narrative-driven How We Beat the Emden and the lost documentary How We Fought the Emden, also known as The fate of the Emden. Both used footage shot by cinematographer Charles Cusden, who sailed in a chartered boat around the remaining hulk of the SMS Emden. 

Flag Days such as Burra’s show the evolving roles of fundraising, commemoration and remembrance, and the desire to express support for the troops who had left and to present a home front committed to the allied nations.