Macedonian-Australian People's League - The Hospital Appeals

The Hospital Appeals

Macedonian Migrants in all corners of the world had commenced an appeal to raise funds in an effort to assist the Macedonians in Macedonia to build hospitals and medical centres. The Macedonian-Australian People's League went on to play a major part in this campaign. One of the organizations resoloutions was to was to raise funds for this campaign. A sub-committee was elected to organise the fund raising in 1946, it president was Phillip Jumbazoff. There were three main appeals, one in 1947, one in 1948 and the last in 1949.

In 1947 the committee held a "Miss Macedonia" beauty pageant. The candidates were Connie Pappas, Paula Veloska, Tina Malco, Dana Gatsos, Lina Raicos and Pam Ognenis. Dana Gatsos was crowned as the inaugural Miss Macedonia.

The MAPL set a fund-raising target of ₤10,000. The first sum of ₤1,500 was forwaded to Skopje on 13 March 1947. This was four days after the inaugural conference of the league. Most of the money raised was from Western Australia where the MAPL was most prominent. The League raise a total of ₤11,024 which ₤3,791 was from NSW, ₤ 1,350 from Victoria, ₤320 from South Australia and ₤5,563 from Western Australia. A total of $154,000 was raised by Macedonian Migrants all over the world.

The following inscription appears on a plaque at the hospital in Skopje a tribute to the Macedonian Diaspora.

• "The Buildings and equipping of this clinic block was possible due to the help of the Migrants of Macedonian origin settled in the USA, Canada, South America and Australia.
• In the foundations of this building are laid the love of Macedonian migrants for their free homeland and our deep thankyous"

A second call for donations was announced in early 1948. Within New South Wales a pro rata system was set up in order to raise funds more efficiently. The Crabbes Creek branch went on to raise over ₤270, Sydney - ₤100 and Newcastle ₤75. The Richmond, Queanbeyan and Port Kembla branches were closely behind. Once again the West Australian branches raised the most money. The first donations from Queensland also began to flow in 1948.

The Third Hospital Appeal was called in 1949. This was by far the largest and most successful. In New South Wales the Crabbes Creek branch went on to raise ₤819, while Port Kembla came in second at over ₤420. The Katoomba branch raised over ₤115.