Australian WW1 Tank
 

This is an interesting photo.

Taken in Tamworth NSW in late WW1 it was used as a recruiting aid.

Very good model for the public. Wonder what was underneath?

Lang

I wonder if any local newspaper archives have more information?

David

Nice image
 

There were many attempts to replicate a tank for fundraising & recruiting purposes in Australia and as Lang said, the one pictured was one of the better ones.

The National Library's Trove newspaper archive has many newspaper reports on fundraising events in towns that used a replica tank as the central theme after the initial reports of their 'success' on the Western Front in September 1916. Fundraising was still going on into early 1919.

The AWM have a number of images of these replica tanks, but you have to wade through the WW1 tank images to find them.

Many, many thousands of pounds were raised by both the replicas and the one actual MkIV Female that arrived in July 1918 (and is still there, in the collection of the AWM).

Mike

Possibly a 1918 gimmick to sell 'war bonds' -

14 March 1918: "Tanks will make their appearance in Sydney streets ... These are being constructed locally, and promise a realistic effect. The first salesman from the tank will be Sir Walter Davidson, the Governor of New South Wales." https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92933811

Bit more detail of the bond sales 28 March 1918: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220494318

But what was underneath the models isn't stated. Although there is a reference elsewhere to them frightening horses!

Allan,

Things changed a little after the real tank arrived from the UK in July, and there was negative comment in some newspaper reports in the latter part of 1918 because what was on exhibition in some country towns wasn't the real tank. Tanks in general had caught the public imagination after September 1916, and in the absence in Australia of the real thing, replicas had to suffice until July 1918.

The real tank was a vital part of fundraising in the second half of 1918. The crowds in major centres such as Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Albury, and, much later, Brisbane, to see the real tank were enormous, and the demonstrations of trench crossing, climbing over barriers and knocking down stone 'houses' had the crowds enthralled. Lots of pounds were raised for war bonds and various charitable organisations. (You can read all about in 'Pioneers of Australian Armour', available from Bigsky publishing).

Mike