Overcoat : Commandant M Hopper, 305 Mornington Voluntary Aid Detachment

Dark blue wool cloth double breasted overcoat with stand and fall collar, self fabric shoulder straps with silver 'VAD AUSTRALIA' titles and a pair of gold braid rank stripes for commandant; vertically aligned welt pockets over each front hip, a self fabric half belt across the back secured by two buttons, and a back vent. The head of each sleeve is shaped by five darts. The upper right sleeve bears a white edged embroidered red cross. The round cuffs are separately applied. There are four pairs of silver Voluntary Aid Detachment Australia buttons down the front of the coat. A further two hold the hold the belt in place, while two smaller buttons secure the shoulder straps. All the buttons are made by K G Luke, Melbourne. The upper body of the coat only is lined with dark blue polished cotton; the sleeves are lined with the same fabric.

Mary Hopper joined the Mornington, Victoria branch of the Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs), affiliated with the Red Cross, in 1930. The branch had been formed in 1928 with the aim of training women in first aid and home nursing so that they could offer assistance in a civil emergency. The VADs provided assistance in private homes, infant welfare centres and at Red Cross blood banks. During the Second World War Mary was appointed commandant at Mornington, known during the war as the 305 Mornington Detachment. Its members served at the Balcombe Military Hospital and at other smaller army hospitals in the area. Mary Hopper remained with the VADs post-war, working at the orthopaedic section of the Melbourne Children's Hospital, and offering help during the polio epidemic in the early 1950s.