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This medal was sold tonight on *bay: for $1650

From Australia, a Rare Gold Tribute Medal from the Town of Walcha, New South Wales. Presented by the citizens to Trooper William Edward McMillan on his return from South Africa in 1901. Unrecorded in Hibbard. Further information at Commemorative Medals of South African Historical Interest.





15ct Gold. Height including loop 38.8 mm. Width 24.7 mm. Mass 8.8 gm. Monogram: "WEMcM" on the front. Hallmarked for Birmingham 1900-01. The medal is worn and the hallmarks are indistinct.



Hibbard records details of five extant Australian tribute medals known to him and mentions a further five towns reported to have presented tribute medals. Most of these medals are unique from the particular town. There is no record known to me of a tribute medal from Walcha.



William Edward McMillan was born in 1870 in the village of Blandford, NSW. He served during the Boer War with the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen (6th Imperial Bushmen). This regiment of mounted riflemen, under the command of Colonel J A Kennett Mackay, had strength of about 750 men divided into six squadrons. McMillan was in ‘C’ Squadron. The NSWIB served in Rhodesia and Western Transvaal between April 1900 and June 1901. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with five clasps (Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Rhodesia and South Africa 1901). He was a resident of Walcha and this medal was presented to him by the citizens of the town on his return home. He re-enlisted at Sydney with the Australian Commonwealth Horse in January 1902 and after a short second period of service in South Africa returned home in about July 1902. Copies of the documents recording this information as well as the photograph from the Town and Country Journal will be supplied on CD.



Walcha is a small town (population 1,482 in 2011) about 400 km north of Sydney.

That was a fascinating post. Many thanks Adrian.