Corps of Commissionaire

The international movement of this corps dates back to 1859, initially to arrange work for Crimean war veterans.  The first corps in Australia was raised in Melbourne in 1877.

A modern Corps of Commissionaires was registered in New South Wales in 1939, then based in Victoria from 1946, and had members around Australia. It is/was an ex-service  welfare and  philanthropic organisation. The Corps  appears to be folding as of April 2024. It helped veterans transition to civilian life and ran a Veterans’ Centre at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, and supportedg cadet services.

Amor Sydney 1939-1946

Badge from Geelong RSL collection. It has no makers mark. The information online states “Around to centre of the hat badge and the buttons ‘Corps of Commissionaires Victoria’.” However, I have not been able to access an image of the buttons to confirm this is so.

The button from my collection is backmarked Stokes.

The Sun (Sydney), 26th Jnauary 1947 page 4.