Medals and awards

Gold alberts & Maltese cross pendants, to:

 

Presentation made by Mr A. O'Keefe, during a welcome-home social, in the schoolhouse, Beaumont.

 

Presentation made by Miss Johnstone, in the Beaumont schoolhouse.

 

 

 

 

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Tuapeka Times, 21st August 1901

 

SOCIAL AT BEAUMONT.

The people of Beaumont and district entertained their representative in the Fourth [sic] Contingent (Trooper C.C. COLLINS) to a welcome home social in the schoolhouse on Friday evening, when, considering the state of the roads and the difficulties of getting over them in the dark, there was a splendid attendance. Trooper COLLINS is not a native of Beaumont, his people residing in the Oamaru district, and as he no doubt felt it his duty on his return to the colony to first visit his parents before returning to the district from which he had been sent, this accounts for the length of time that has elapsed since the return of the contingent and the date of the social. Trooper COLLINS only managed to get back to Beaumont at the early part of the week when steps were at once taken by the residents to show their appreciation of his services on behalf of his country by presenting him with a tangible token of their esteem. Owing to the very short time at the disposal of the committee, the programme for the social was somewhat of a scratch character, but this fact did not in any way lessen the appreciation or enthusiasm of the audience. Speeches, songs, and recitations were alike well received. Mr A. O'Keefe made an excellent chairman and succeeded in keeping the programme going well from start to finish.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman said he had no need to tell them the occasion of their meeting. They had met to welcome a returned trooper who had volunteered some months ago to represent the Beaumont and Raes Junction districts in the Fourth [sic] Contingent which was then being raised to assist the Mother Country in Sonth Africa. Right nobly he had met the call. There was no doubt about it, the colonials had been placed in the heart of the battle — a place of honor they had earned by the soldierly qualities they had displayed. They had been largely used for scouting purposes, and they all knew what the qualities necessary for this dangerous work were. The Boers were something like the rabbits in the country — there was no telling where they would turn up. — (Laughter). The nations of Europe, as well as the Boers, had been taught a great lesson from the present war in South Africa. They had been inclined to look upon the scattered nature of the British Empire as a source of weakness, but the fallacy of this opinion had now been more than demonstrated. It was a great mistake on the part of the Boers to have anything to do with England at all. They found in the present struggle that was taking place they had a different class of men to deal with from those who were in power when the Majuba Hill incident took place. He referred to the disabilities the Outlanders had to suffer at the hands of the Boers, whilst at the same time they were providing the bulk of the revenue of the country. — (Applause).

Mr Andrew Donaldson expressed his pleasure at being present to welcome home Trooper COLLINS, who had worthily represented them in South Africa. Though not a native of the district be was not a stranger amongst them, and they were none the less proud of him, and he (the speaker) was pleased to see so large a gathering to give him a kind and hearty welcome home.

Mr W. Cummings said he was very happy to see Trooper COLLINS return amongst them in such good health after the hardships he had experienced in South Africa. The life of a soldier on the field was not one of "beer and skittles", and it was only his due that he should receive a hearty welcome home.

Mr E.W. Bates said he was very pleased indeed to be present to welcome Trooper COLLINS home. Mr Donaldson had stated that he was not a native; that was so, but still they had looked upon him as "their boy", and as the papers came to hand they were eagerly scanned for any scrap of news that might refer to him. Fortunately, they had not seen him in the list of injured. While they rejoiced at their representative returning to them scatheless their heartfelt sympathies went out to the relatives of those brave New Zealanders who had fallen in the fray. It was a glorious cause to fight in. They did not just yet quite understand the true reasons which led up to the struggle, but they would by-and-bye when the fruits of what they had done on behalf of their Queen and country would be more apparent. He again cordially welcomed Trooper COLLINS back to the district. — (Applause).

The following ladies and gentlemen then contributed to the musical part of the programme:— Mrs Bates, Miss Hope, Messrs A. Donaldson, junr., R. Stevenson, F. Allan, D. McCunn, junr., A. O'Keefe, G. Henry, G. Gilchrist, and W. Collins. A recitation, entitled "Love and madness", (by Thomas Campbell) was given with good elocutionary effect by the chairman.

At the conclusion of the musical programme The Chairman said the most important and pleasant part of the proceedings still devolved upon him to perform — viz., to make the presentation to Trooper COLLINS. He said the Reception Committee had appointed him their chairman, and in that capacity he had now much pleasure, on behalf of the subscribers, in presenting Trooper COLLINS with a gold albert and pendant as a tangible token of their esteem for the noble manner in which he came forward when the call was made for volunteers. He pointed out that the value of the souvenir which they were handing him was not the true index of the esteem in which they held him; that they could not express in anything tangible. He trusted be would long be spared to wear it, and that the memory of that night might never fade from his mind. — (Loud applause).

Trooper COLLINS said he had to thank them very kindly for the warm and enthusiastic reception they had given him and for the handsome token of esteem which they had just given him. He would always treasure it as an emblem of their kindness towards himself. As a returned trooper he bad experienced nothing but the greatest kindness wherever he went, and he thought that indicated that their efforts on behalf of the Empire in South Africa were appreciated. Should occasion again arise for their services, he would be only too happy to offer himself on behalf of his King and country. He concluded by again thanking them for their kind reception and handsome present.

 

 

Tuapeka Times, 30th July 1902