Summary

ANZAC Rememberance 1914-1918 medal, designed by Dora Ohlfsen and issued in 1919. Th medal features a fallen soldier being comforted by a female 'Australia'.

The medal was produced and sold to raise funds for of Australians and New Zealanders maimed in World War I. Dora Ohlfsen was one of Australia's foremost medallists in the first half of the twentieth century, although she principally lived in Europe and was better appreciated outside Australia. This medal is one of the most remarkable of all Australian commemorative medals. Its sensitive, romantic treatment of its subjects recalls European, and particularly French, medallic art. It was made at the artist's expense. She had worked as a nurse for the Red Cross in Italy during World War I, and was deeply moved by the experience.

Obverse Description

Woman, representing Australia, mourning a young man, laurel branch in the foreground artist's name DORA OHLFSEN 1918 struck half off the flan below the soldier

Reverse Description

ANZAC/IN ETERNAL/REMEMBRANCE./1914-18./DORA OHLFSEN Outline of a soldier with gun

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

This medal is one of the most remarkable of all Australian commemorative medals. Its sensitive, romantic treatment of its subjects recalls European, and particularly French, medallic art. -Sheedy, K.A. 1989. Dora Ohlfsen - the Forgotten Heroine of Australian Medallic Art. Australian Coin Review. 132 (Aug 1989), pp. 18-21.

Dora Ohlfsen was a multi-talented lesbian sculptor, musician and a writer who lived and worked in Italy, Russia and England. She was one of Australia's foremost medallists and sculptors in the first half of the 20th century.

More Information