Lot 6: Australia. 1875 Bravery Award from "The Residents of the Patterson District to Sergeant James Wells," Extremely Fine
Smalls Auctions
More About this Item
Description
Produced by the Australian silversmiths 'Hardy Bros' the reverse reads, "In grateful remembrance of his exertions during the Great Flood of March 1875"
Dimensions
Diameter 43 mm
Medium
392
Date
Collectibles
Exhibited
Medals & Medallions
Literature
Coins, Monies & Stamps
Notes
The story of Noahs Ark and the Flood is one of the more evocative narratives in the Book of Genesis. The story goes that a vengeful God, after warning the righteous Noah to build a huge Ark to save his close family and a breeding pair of each of the worlds creatures, unleashed 40 days and 40 nights of continual rain that flooded the Earth and swept away its depravity. Despite the cocked brow of the scientific community, Bible scholars still scour the earth for the final resting place of the Ark where a new chapter of life supposedly began. Why not Australia one might ask with its strangely evolved fauna (think the duck-billed platypus), its sparse dry landscape much like the Holy land and a vengeful climate that periodically unleashes the wrath of fire, flood and famine in biblical proportions. In 1875 it was the turn of a Great Flood to wash away the farming community of the Paterson District west of Newcastle. It was the biggest recorded up until that time and the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser labelled it a fearful flood following on from a month of showery weather that culminated in a week of torrential rain which fell in perfect sheets of water. After forty days of rain vulnerable buildings were destroyed along with livestock and the districts crops of maize and tobacco. The paper reported that large quantities of property of every description have been noticed to have been swept down by the fearful torrent of water including a continuous stream of pumpkins. Able-bodied locals toiled day and night to rescue people stranded by the rising waters and the Advertiser reported that throughout Sunday Night and all day on Monday, Senior Constable James Wells, and Constable William Mayo, of our police force, who, with Messrs Thomas Lindsay, Boyle, White and Frederick Wilson formed the boats crew, were mostly actively engaged in rendering assistance in removing flooded-out residents from dwellings to places of safety. Wells himself lost his footing on one occasion and was nearly swept away to his death before he was able to desperately grasp a branch and be pulled to safety. Amazingly, the only reported casualty of the Flood was the local member of the Legislative Council, William Munnings Arnold who tragically drowned while trying to save a boatload of pumpkins, which were probably fished from the fast-flowing waters. It seems that sometimes you just have to let them go. In December 1875 Sergeant Wells and five other principal members of the boats crew were presented with bravery medals for their heroics during the Flood. The hand-engraved silver discs were crafted by the famous silversmiths Hardy Brothers of Hunter Street, Sydney. This month Smalls Auctions offers the medal presented in gratitude to Sergeant James Wells by the residents of the Paterson District.
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The Lucky Country Sale
bySmalls Auctions
Paddington, Sydney, Australia
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Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.
Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.
Larger lots may incur an additional charge.
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Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.
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