Summary

Silver Medal awarded to Lawrence Thomson by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia for his act of bravery on 28 July 1922 (case number 3651). Thomson, of Orbost, Victoria, was a 19-year-old labourer. On the night of 28 July 1922 Ernest Gorden Wishart was undertaking rescue work in a heavy flood in the Snowy River. His boat capsized, and he was swept downstream. He became engangled in a barbed wire fence. Thomson, 'hearing his cries, plunged into the flood, which was running fiercely. Struggling through the debris, he reached Wishart and held him up until assistance arrived. The rescue was effected under great difficulties and in darkness' (Royal Humane Society of Australasia Annual Report, 1923, p.28).

Physical Description

An mounted and issued silver prize medal of the Society (39 mm diameter with purple ribbon) It features a female placing a wreath on the head of a kneeling male beneath the Southern Cross and provides the name of the winner, Lawrence Thomson and the date 28 7 22 on the reverse within a wreath. This medal does not have the usual artist's names nor plants, it appears to be from a 20th century replacement for the original dies.

Obverse Description

At centre, a female standing on left facing right placing a wreath on the head of a kneeling male beneath the Southern Cross, around, VIRTUTE PARATUM

Reverse Description

Around a wreath, ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA INSTD. A.D. 1874 within wreath, AWARDED TO LAWRENCE THOMSON / 22 . 7 . 22

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

Medal awarded to Lawrence Thomson by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia for his act of bravery on 28 July 1922 (case # 3651). Thomson, of Orbost, Victoria, was a 19-year-old labourer. On the night of 28 July 1922 Ernest Gorden Wishart was undertaking rescue work in a heavy flood in the Snowy River. His boat capsized, and he was swept downstream. He became engangled in a barbed wire fence. Thomson, 'hearing his cries, plunged into the flood, which was running fiercely. Struggling through the debris, he reached Wishart and held him up until assistance arrived. The rescue was effected under great difficulties and in darkness' (Royal Humane Society of Australasia Annual Report, 1923, p.28). -D. Tout-Smith 16/1/2004.

The Society was founded in 1874 as the Victorian Humane Society. In 1882 it became 'The Royal Humane Society of Australasia', the first federal institution in Australia. The first object of the Society was to bestow award upon people who risked their lives to save others; the second object was to assist receipients who were disadvanted or disabled as a result of their brave actions, or to assist their surviving dependents. Initially the Society also arranged swimming and lifesaving training, but other organisations later took over this role. For many years the Society was located in the Old Customs House, Flinders Street. -Website of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia - http://www.rhsa.org.au/; Faringdon-Davis, John. 1984. The Royal Humane Society. Australian Numismatist. 5 (August): 2-15; South Australian Numismatic Journal. Vol.7 [2]. April 1956, p.13.-D. Tout-Smith 19/9/2003.

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