Summary

Australia South Australia Adelaide
Adelaide Children's Hospital Red Cross 1893 (AD)
Mint: not recorded
Awarded to: Bickford, Mary
Other Details: Adelaide Children's Hospital was established in 1876 to address the poor quality of life and premature death for destitute and poor children. In 1893 the Hospital appointed its first female medical school graduate. This medal was issued in the same year, also to a female, Mary Bickford. The reference to the Red Cross is interesting, since the Australian Red Cross was not established until 1914, and it was not until 1905 that the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War was reconstituted as the British Red Cross Society. However, a 'British Red Cross First Aid Manual' was published in 1880 (National Archives), and the International Committee of the Red Cross was formed as early as 1863 and was the founding body of the Red Cross movement. Several Red Cross organisations existed in other countries by 1893. The term 'Red Cross' featured in several company patent applications in the late 19th century, including the Red Cross Preserving Company Limited.

Physical Description

The piece reads ADELAIDE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL RED CROSS and is engraved above and below a red cross, Mary Bickford February 1893. It is silver with a red enamelled cross at the centre, one sided and has had 2 different forms of mounting on the back possibly originally attached to a belt by three pins and later had a brooch pin attached, both forms now broken.

Obverse Description

Outer circle : ADELAIDE / CHILDRENS / HOSPITAL / RED CROSS interspersed with 4 decorative panels. Centre: Red cross edged with silver, inside silver circle. Around cross is gothic lettering engraved Mary Bickford. February 1892.

Significance

Adelaide Children's Hospital was established in 1876 to address the poor quality of life and premature death for destitute and poor children. In 1893 the Hospital appointed its first female medical school graduate. This medal was issued in the same year, also to a female, Mary Bickford. The reference to the Red Cross is interesting, since the Australian Red Cross was not established until 1914, and it was not until 1905 that the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War was reconstituted as the British Red Cross Society. However, a 'British Red Cross First Aid Manual' was published in 1880 (National Archives), and the International Committee of the Red Cross was formed as early as 1863 and was the founding body of the Red Cross movement. Several Red Cross organisations existed in other countries by 1893. The term 'Red Cross' featured in several company patent applications in the late 19th century, including the Red Cross Preserving Company Limited.

-Women and Children's Hospital web site http://www.wch.sa.gov.au/ceo/history.html.-British Red Cross web site http://www.redcross.org.uk/index.asp?id=7; International Committee of Red Cross web site http://www.icrc.org; National Archives of Australia web site http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Items_listing.asp?S=16&F=1&O=0&T=I&C=22. -D. Tout-Smith 20/11/2003.

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