AGH Rostrum Club at Changi

It held to an education aim and was non-sectarian and non-political as espoused by the Rostrum founder, Sidney F. Wicks.

A painting by Murray Griffin, Roberts Hospital Changi[3] in 1943, now held in the Australian War Memorial illustrates the dire conditions for both patients and the AGH staff.

Club members military ranks ranged from Lieutenant Colonel at the top to Private at the bottom.

However this was later struck out and the membership record seems to indicate that this became a rotating role as occurs in Rostrum Clubs in Australia.

The other notable change is that minutes became briefer, with closer writing and use both sides of old military forms to maximise the use of available paper which was in short supply.

The AGH Rostrum Club records displayed here were kept by T H (Bill) Hadden ( Service Number VX61667) and lodged with the Australian War Memorial.

The founding members of the AGH Rostrum Club are: Rank... Name... Military Number...

[1] In the limited set of minutes, programs and the membership list, that are available over 70 different people are recorded as participating in meetings.

While military rank was dropped in favour of "Mr" at club meetings this seems to have been done after this Membership list was compiled.

It is not clear when AGH Rostrum Changi closed as there are no minutes or other information available to document the closure.

[9] Note: the POW Changi University operated for the duration of the war although it was at times severely constrained by available staff and students, the demand for people at the work camp, the smaller and smaller food rations as the war went on and a crack down by the Japanese guards who in late 1944 confiscated all paper and pencils.

Some documents held by the Australian War Memorial and in private hands have a musty smell as a result.