Dr John Chapman is a private collector who, in 1988 donated the 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition, containing over 5,000 signatures, to the State Library of Victoria. The rejection of the Petition was one of the contributing causes of the Eureka Stockade, and had long been thought lost.

In the same year Dr Chapman produced bronze and silver medals to mark the bicentenary of the 1788 Charlotte medal (which he holds in his collection). It features a reproduction of the original medal within a broad rim. This medal was presented to the Museum by Dr Chapman and is engraved MUSEUM OF VICTORIA. The medal incorporates a reproduction the 1788 'Charlotte' medal from the Chapman Collection, featuring a depiction of the Charlotte at anchor in Botany Bay and a written account of key points of the ship's journey from London.

In 1999 Dr Chapman was awarded the Lockwood medal for services to Australian numismatics.

References:
Tasmanian Numismatist website http://www.vision.net.au/~pwood/Jan2001.htm, accessed 19 Dec 2003.
State Library of Victoria website http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/slv/exhibitions/goldfields/petition/p_hist.htm, accessed 19 Dec 2003.

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