Summary

Australia Victoria
Royal Life Saving Bronze Medal 1957 (AD)
Mint: not recorded
Awarded to: Darragh, T.

Other Details: This Royal Life Saving Bronze Medal was won by Tom Darragh in 1957 for achieving high levels of skill in swimming and life saving. Darragh was 16 when he received the medal. He recalls that a Royal Life Saving representative visited his school, Northcote High, and that he and about 3-5 others agreed to undertake the course. They attended Northcote Baths each Thursday afternoon for about six weeks, during a period set aside by the School for sports activities. The tutor was probably male, and may have been a lifesaver at the Northcote Baths. The tuition included 3-4 techniques for retrieving people from the water. Darragh found the course easy. When the day of the test came the students were asked to bring old clothes, which they had to wear while undertaking mock rescues. Darragh continued to swim as an adult, generally in baths rather than the bay or open sea. He never needed to use his rescue skills. The Royal Life Saving Society is a a non-profit, volunteer community service organisation. It was founded in England in 1891 to combat the high death rate from drowning. The techniques advocated by the Society soon spread to other countries, and today the RLSS is the largest single organisation dedicated to the teaching of lifesaving and the prevention of drowning. The first Australian branch of the RLSS was formed in New South Wales in 1894. It soon spread to all states. In the immediate pre- and post-World War II era the Bronze Medallion became included in many secondary school physical education programs. Over five million Australians have achieved their Bronze Medallion since its inception.

Obverse Description

Crossed oar and hook over rope in clover form; around on life ring, ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY; around, * QUEMCUNQUE MISERUM VIDERIS HOMINEM SCIAS

Reverse Description

At centre AWARDED / TO / T. DARRAGH / V / 1957 ; around, * ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY * ESTABLISHED 1891

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

Tom Darragh was 16 when he received the Royal Life Saving Bronze Medal. He recalls that a Royal Life Saving representative visited his school, Northcote High, and that he and about 3-5 others agreed to undertake the course. They attended Northcote Baths each Thursday afternoon for about six weeks, during a period set aside by the School for sports activities. The tutor was probably male, and may have been a lifesaver at the Northcote Baths. The tuition included 3-4 techniques for retrieving people from the water. Darragh found the course easy. When the day of the test came the students were asked to bring old clothes, which they had to wear while undertaking mock rescues. Darragh continued to swim as an adult, generally in baths rather than the bay or open sea. He never needed to use his rescue skills. -Tom Darragh, pers.comm. -D. Tout-Smith 28/11/2003.

More Information