Summary

Royal Humane Society of Australasia medal issued in Australia after 1882.

Medal commissioned by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, 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 recipients who were disadvantaged 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, Melbourne.

Physical Description

An un-mounted and un-issued specimen of the bronze prize medal of the Society (39 mm diameter) It features a female placing a wreath on the head of a kneeling male beneath the Southern Cross and provides space on the reverse within a wreath for the engraving of details of an award. 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

Edge Description

Plain

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