State: Victoria, Australia
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 30/07/1901
Number issued: 1
Gold shield medal, to:
WELCOME TO TROOPER BLOOMFIELD.
Balmoral, Friday.
Last Tuesday night a welcome was tendered io Trooper J.P. BLOOMFIELD, of the Victorian Imperial Bushmen. The entertainment, look the form of a banquet and ball. The banquet was held in the Jubilee hall, which was crowded, many being unable to get seats at the tables. Mr Cozens occupied the chair, and in opening the proceedings told those present that the object of the banquet was to give their young townsman, who had so ably represented them in South Africa, a welcome home. He hardly felt equal to the occasion in act as chairman, as he only took that position by being pressed into it through the absence of several others. They had all known Trooper BLOOMFIELD from his infancy, and had only known him through his boyhood as a good lad, and now he had come out as a very good man, in fact, a soldier of the King. He would not waste any time in saying all that was in his mind, but would introduce Trooper BLOOMFIELD to them.
Trooper BLOOMFIELD marched into the hall, escorted by Captain Wood, of the Balmoral Rifles, and several other members of the rifle club, in uniform, and Bombardier Jones in the stylish uniform of the Victorian Artillery, and took a seat on the right of the chairman amid great cheering.
The toast of King Edward VII was drunk with three times three.
"The Commonwealth" was proposed by Mr McCormack in a very telling speech, and supported in an able maimer by Mr Petherick.
The song, "John Bull", by Bombardier Jones, was the gem of the evening, being received with great applause.
The toast, "The Army and Navy", was well proposed by Mr Sutherland, who referred to past times, especially for the navy to show its laurels and down to the present day for the army. Mr James Watt in supporting the proposal, said he felt quite satisfied our men had done their duty in South Africa, but by reports in the colonial papers, he thought poor "Tommy Aikins" hardly got his fair share of praise, although we all recognised he got his fair, or rather more than his fair share of the hard work and danger.
A song, "Many a time", Mr T. Gurry, was well received.
The toast, "The guest", was proposed by Captain Wood, who had some very nice things to say of Trooper BLOOMFIELD. When volunteers were called for, he felt proud that one of the first to offer was Trooper BLOOMFIELD, of the Balmoral Club, but his application to go to the front was ignored. They wanted men that knew drill. When the third contingent was called, those in authority were satisfied to give our man a chance. Of course he could only ride well and shoot well and was a first-class all round athlete. One fit to do honour to Australia could not have been better selected, being the true type of what our great commander-in-chief considered a soldier, viz. a soldier but still a gentleman. On behalf of the people of Balmoral he had much pleasure in presenting our trooper with a gold shield medal and wished him long life to enjoy it.
Messrs Sutherland, McCormack and Mr T. Gurry also supported the toast, which was drunk with musical honours.
In response, Trooper BLOOMFIELD said he was poor at returning thanks or making speeches. He thanked them from his heart for not only the kindly reception they had given him, but the extraordinary heartfelt manner in which it was carried out. He felt sure no returned soldier from South Africa ever got so grand a welcome as he had that night from his friends in Balmoral. One five minutes like this made up for 12 months of hard living. He felt too much affected to try to thank them all as he would wish, and hoped they would excuse him. (Great applause).
A song, "Military", Mr Petherick, and a reading by Mr McCormack, were both well received.
The toast of "The Press" was proposed by Mr Lang, who, in a neat speech, showed the use of an efficient, active, live paper in war time, and pointed out that the Hamilton Spectator was well to the fore in supplying particulars of the latest to its readers.
Mr Wensley responded on behalf of the Spectator, and took occasion to say a few favourable things of the guest, whom he had known from a child, and claimed him as a pupil of his in the use of the rifle. He felt proud of the trooper as being one of our representatives from Balmoral in South Africa.
"Soldiers of the King" was nicely rendered by Mr Robertson, with chorus by the full company, and I need hardly say it was well received.
The toast of the "Guest’s father and mother" was proposed by Mr McCormack, and responded to by Mr Bloomfield, for himself and wife.
"The Visitors" was proposed by Mr M. Wood, and responded to by Messrs Fraser and Jones.
A song by Mr L. Jones was well received, and as the time for starting the ball had arrived, Mr Sutherland proposed the chairman’s health, which was drunk with applause. The chairman returned thanks.
