Celebrating 60 - the doorknock that united a nation

On Sunday, 28 February 1965, just over a month after the death of Sir Winston Churchill, Australians came together in a remarkable nationwide effort to honour his legacy, not with monuments or medals, but with opportunity. That day, more than 10 million Australians participated in a Doorknock appeal that raised £2,312,749 (equivalent to $4.2 million), surpassing its original goal by more than double. The outcome was the establishment of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and a lasting legacy: the Churchill Fellowships.

As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Churchill Doorknock Appeal, it’s worth reflecting on the extraordinary scale of that moment. An estimated 4 to 4.5 million Australians who took part in the 1965 campaign are still alive today. Now aged between 60 and 89, many were children or young adults at the time, forming one of the last living links to a truly unifying act of national purpose.

Few events since have matched the singular focus and breadth of participation seen in that remarkable day. The Churchill Appeal stands apart: a voluntary act of collective generosity for a distant but deeply admired figure. It remains a landmark of civic unity, a reminder of what Australians can achieve together.

The idea for a memorial fund originated with Churchill himself. He expressed a desire to create a fund to support overseas travel for individuals who would not typically qualify for traditional academic or professional grants. The purpose was simple yet powerful: to allow everyday people to learn from others abroad and bring those insights back to benefit their communities at home.

The Churchill Memorial Appeal in Australia began as part of an international effort to honour Sir Winston Churchill through living memorials—not monuments of stone, but fellowships that would benefit future generations. Planning for what became known as “Project C” began years before Churchill’s death and involved coordination across Commonwealth countries.

Australia and New Zealand aimed to establish locally run Trusts over a central UK-based fund. This reflected not only a desire for financial autonomy but also a growing role in regional leadership during a time of post-war change and emerging independence in the Pacific.

In 1963, as Churchill’s health declined, preparations began adapting the British plan for Australia’s campaign under its codename, Operation G.

The strategy also reflected Australian sensibilities. Australians were more responsive to causes with local, tangible outcomes than to distant or abstract ideals. The Appeal’s Chairman—William Kilpatrick, drawing on recent experience leading campaigns for the Heart Foundation, Anti-Cancer Campaign, and Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Foundations—understood this well. His message to organisers was clear: success would come through urgency, focus, and unity. A one-day, clearly defined effort with a target of £1,000,000 would energise the public. Sir William became the first national chair of the Trust, then national president (1965-80), and patron (1980-85).

Driven by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies, a close Churchill ally, he was determined to lead a first-rate, non-partisan effort, drawing on the deep respect for Churchill across political and social lines, he appointed Arthur Calwell, the Leader of the Opposition, and John McEwen, Leader of the Country Party, as Vice Presidents of the National Appeal Committee. The bipartisan approach was organising committees spanning every state, territory, and Papua New Guinea. Security was tight, and the media remained unaware of the full scale until its public launch.

The appeal focused on practical legacy rather than monuments, funding Churchill Fellowships for everyday Australians—tradespeople, union leaders, artists, and professionals—to study abroad and return with skills to benefit the nation. The concept mirrored similar movements in the wider Commonwealth and the US, honouring Churchill with purpose and reach.

The scale of planning, organising, and logistics behind Operation “G” was extraordinary. The Operation G Master Plan—a 32-page confidential strategy document—laid out every element with military-like precision. From national committees to local neighbourhood teams, it detailed projections by population and economic capacity, assigned quotas by state, and defined responsibilities at every level. The campaign’s structure stretched from the Prime Minister and Governor-General, through state and territory committees chaired by Premiers, to divisional heads overseeing finance, administration, publicity, women’s groups, and most importantly, the Returned Services League (RSL). The RSL, with its deep national roots and reverence for Churchill, was critical to mobilising local support in thousands of communities.

The logistical demands were immense: tens of thousands of collection kits, identification badges, receipt books, and publicity materials had to be prepared and dispatched. As contemporary press reports noted, more than 60,000 collector kits alone were sent across Australia to equip the volunteer force for the national appeal.

By the time of Churchill’s death on 25 January 1965, the machinery of the appeal was ready. Memorial Sunday was marked by the disciplined mobilisation of thousands of volunteers across Australia.

Menzies officially launched the appeal on 1 February 1965. Less than four weeks later, Australians nationwide knocked on doors, collected donations, and filled banks that remained open, particularly on Sundays. The appeal was anonymous, community-driven, and overwhelmingly successful.

The volunteer workforce that carried out this effort was unprecedented in Australian history. According to estimates published in the press at the time, more than 200,000 volunteers were expected to participate nationwide on Sunday, 28 February 1965. In Victoria, organisers announced that over 70,000 volunteers would take part, described as “the most massive workforce ever used in Australia for such a purpose.” New South Wales aimed for at least 50,000 collectors, including 2,500 in Sydney’s four central city wards alone. Smaller but still significant contingents of volunteers were recruited in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, and the territories.

In Sydney, one of the many volunteers involved in the appeal was Barrie Unsworth, then a young trade union organiser. He was motivated to contribute by a deep respect for Churchill, which had been shaped by his family’s experience of World War II. He would later become Premier of New South Wales, but often cited the Churchill Doorknock appeal as one of his formative moments of civic engagement. “It was a time when people just did what was needed. We all believed we were building something that mattered.”

Barrie Unsworth continued his connection with the Churchill Fellowship, becoming one of its first fellows in 1966, attending Harvard University’s 13-week Trade Union course—an experience he describes as life-changing. He credits the Fellowship with setting him on an unexpected path, beginning with his 1967 election to the Labor Council of NSW and ultimately leading to his role as Premier of New South Wales.

Under the regional structure, each state divided its territory into Regions, Zones, Areas, and Sections, each with appointed leaders. The Operation G manual emphasised that Regional Chairmen were considered key to success, stating: “In such an enormous undertaking, delegation of authority is absolutely essential.” From these regionally led groups, volunteers spread out in pairs or small teams, knocking on doors over just two hours—from 7 to 9 p.m.—to collect donations in support of the Churchill Memorial Trust.

The campaign reflected a unique spirit of postwar civic engagement and national unity. One person who was closely involved from the earliest planning stage —and whose impact would continue long after the day—was William (Bill) Park, a respected Brisbane business leader who played a key role in Queensland’s fundraising efforts. In 1963, Park was invited by John Strategos, Head of Ford Australia and Chair of the national appeal, to serve as deputy chair of the Queensland committee. He brought strong financial expertise and deep connections across Brisbane’s business and professional communities, helping to lead a highly effective campaign.

Bill Park’s daughter, Leigh, reflected on the values of that era: “People were more community-minded then… businessmen believed they had to give back with money and time.” That ethos shaped the Churchill Trust itself—selection committees were volunteers, and many who led or supported the Trust did so out of a deep belief in service. Park went on to hold national leadership roles in the Trust, including Financial Director, National Chairman, and President. He remained a Patron until his death in 2015 at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy grounded in service, civic duty, and national impact.

Despite the challenges of the summer holiday period and unexpected logistical setbacks, the campaign unfolded with near-perfect synchronisation. The result was an extraordinary outpouring of public support: £911,000 was raised in a single day, with further contributions from government and corporate donors lifting the total beyond £2,312,749—more than double the original target. This made it not only the shortest but the most successful per capita public appeal in Australian history.

The surplus sparked immediate public debate, with some advocating for its use in pressing causes such as disaster relief. But the original vision held firm. As the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, had expressed, this was to be a “living memorial”—a fellowship program not confined to academia but extended across society, supporting individuals whose overseas learning would translate into public good at home as Australia’s first Churchill Fellows began their journeys in 1966 and became living embodiments of a nation’s gratitude and aspiration, proof that a memorial could indeed be global in vision. Still, they are grounded in the practical, generous spirit of Australians.

A Living Memorial

The legacy of that day of giving continues to ripple and echo throughout the decades with the Churchill Trust, having awarded just over 4,800 (4,876) Fellowships.

The essence of the Doorknock Appeal persists in every Churchill Fellow who returns from abroad, bringing new skills, knowledge, and ideas, fulfilling Churchill’s vision of empowering ordinary individuals from all walks of life to become remarkable leaders and contributors to society.

As part of the National Convention a special 60th Anniversay edition Churchill Trust Broadsheet was created. Download and read all about what happened in the lead up to, and roll out of Operation G.