On 7 January 1918 a crowd gathered outside Pentridge Prison in Coburg to show their support for Adela Pankhurst, who had been jailed for her involvement in anti-war demonstrations. Through songs, cries of "coo-ee" and small coloured balloons, they made their presence known to Pankhurst. 

In January 1918, Adela Pankhurst was in the middle of a four month sentence in Pentridge Prison, for having "encouraged damage to property" as part of a demonstration against high food prices caused by the war. As she served this sentence she had grown somewhat despondent. 

The rally to support Pankhurst began around 9pm and consisted of around 300 people, mostly women and mostly drawn from the Victorian Socialist Party that Pankhurst had become primarily involved with during 1917. Police soon cleared the demonstration and arrested two people, Richard and Lillias Land. (The crowd of serenaders followed them to the police station and continued their serenading there for another two hours!) The Lands were each fined £5. When they refused to pay they were sentenced to one months' imprisonment. 

Further Information

Serenading Miss Pankhurst

On last Monday evening a great crowd of no-conscriptionists paid a visit to Coburg for the purpose of serenading Miss Adela Pankhurst, who is now a prisoner in the Pentridge Stockade. Songs were sung, salvos of cheers repeated again and again and the whole gathering at a given signal, joined in a "Coo-ee" which must have carried long beyond the walls of the prison where the young democrat is confined. A message was sent in through one of the gaol officials, and in the hope of catching Miss Pankhurst's eye, as well as her ear, some coloured lights were sent skywards by her admiring comrades. 

(A. G. Murphy, 160 George-street, East Melbourne).