Patriotic crochet table cloth : Delaney family

Rectangular white cotton filet crochet table cloth. The centre features the silhouette of an Australian soldier with the text 'OUR / HERO / WE'RE / PROUD / OF HIM / ANZAC / 1915'. Around this is crocheted a border featuring at each corner a fouled anchor with crossed Union and French flags. Each of the shorter edges carries the image of a ship; each of the longer edges carries the image an image of a ship with the text 'WELCOME HOME'. The border has been stitched to the central panel back to front and the text can only be read correctly when the tablecloth is turned over.

This crochet table cloth was associated with the Delaney family of Adaminaby and Cooma, NSW. It may have been made or owned by Ada Delaney, née Baragry, whose husband, Laurence, served in the First World War before they married.

Ada Beatrice Baragry was born at Bombala, NSW, the daughter of Denis and Ada Baragry. She married Laurence John 'Laurie' Delaney at Cooma in 1922.

Laurie Delaney was born in 1890 at Eaglehawk, near Adaminaby, NSW, the son of William and Bridget Delaney. He enlisted in the AIF on 10 January 1916 and was allocated the service number 2465 and rank of private. He embarked from Australia from Sydney with the 17th reinforcements of the 1st Light Horse Regiment on 26 April 1916 aboard HMAT Port Macquarie.

Delaney served in Egypt and Palestine with the light horse and was admitted ill to hospital on a number of occasions, including on at least one occasion suffering from malaria. In March 1919 he embarked from Kanatara for Australia where he was discharged on 30 June.

Patterns for patriotic crochet items were published in women's magazines and newspaper supplements. Australian women could use them to make a variety of household items, such as bedspreads, tray cloths, table cloths or tea cosies.