State: New South Wales, Australia
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 21/10/1901
Number issued: 23
Gold medals, to:
1st Australian Horse –
Squadron Sergeant-Major Herbert ARNOLD
968 Corporal William Ernest PEARD
1065 Trooper Frederick Frank BASHFORD
1068 Trooper Henry Joseph BROSI
1071 Trooper Arthur Erroll Ernest D'ARCY [Darcey] (absent - received his medal in S. Africa, while serving as a lieutenant with the 3rd N.S.W. Imperial Bushmen, January 1902)
81 Trooper James Allen JONES
151 Trooper Vincent NEWELL
1087 Trooper Richard Hawke PEARD
83 Trooper Robert Chaffey POLE (returned the same day but not listed as a recipient)
"B" Squadron, New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen –
261 Trooper Charles Eastaway HUNT
"E" Company, New South Wales Imperial Bushmen –
1705 [705] Trooper [Corporal] William Newton FEWKES
2nd New South Wales Mounted Rifles –
1106 Trooper George COURTNEY
1229 Trooper William KENSELL
3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles –
1353 Trooper Isaac BEWLEY
2106 Trooper Francis Benjamin HAMILTON
817 Trooper. Claude Frederick Henry Russel HEINE
1234 Trooper William Charles JACKSON
Unknown Units –
Trooper A. DONNELLY
Trooper A. BERRYMAIN
Trooper W. O'MALLEY (possibly 137 Tpr William O'Malley, N.S.W. Citizens' Bushmen)
and 3 unnamed men (possibly included in the list below)
Presentations made by Colonel Mackay (Australian Horse), Captain Wray and Messrs Cruickshank & Hall, at the School of Arts, Gunnedah.
"A few were present to receive medals, but the majority are still serving in Africa".
Obverse with mounted trooper, crossed swords and revolver.
Reverse: "S. AFRICA / ACTIVE SERVICE / 1900-1. / PRESENTED TO / W.O. ARNOLD: D.S.M. / BY THE RESIDENTS / OF / GUNNEDAH AND DISTRICT".
The Sydney Evening News of 09/05/1901 reported: "It is proposed to have a special medal struck, and each of the men who volunteered from the town and district will be presented with one. As there are upwards of twenty, a fairly large sum will have to be raised, but already several donations, ranging from one to five guineas, have been received".
These additional men from unknown units were listed as leaving Gunnedah for the front on 26/12/1899, but there is no record of them receiving medals:
Trooper CARR
Trooper J. DAY
Trooper S. EWING
Trooper H. KENDRICK
Trooper R. LORD
Trooper P. McMANUS
Trooper J. O'NEALL
Trooper J. PRYOR
Trooper C. ROBERTS
Trooper SMITH
Trooper W.C. SMITH
Trooper E. WEST
S.S.M. Arnold example sold through Dix Noonan Webb, 26/03/1901, for £3,400.
_____________________________________
Sydney Morning Herald, 28th December 1899
GUNNEDAH, Wednesday.
A large crowd attended at the railway station last night to witness the departure of the following 18 volunteers: – F. BASHFORD, W.E. PEARD, R.H. PEARD, P. McMANUS, C. ROBERTS, J. O’NEILL, H. KENDRICK, W.C. SMITH, H. DONNELLY, R. LORD, CARR, SMITH, S. EWING, H. BROSI, J. DAY, J. PRYOR, A. DARCY, E. WEST. Staff-Sergeant ARNOLD, in charge of the First Australian Horse here, left on Sunday.
Sydney Evening News, 9th May 1901
GUNNEDAH, Wednesday. – As a result of the public meeting held on Monday night, it was decided that the welcome to Troopers PEARD, BROSI, and BASHFORD, who returned on Tuesday morning from South Africa after an absence of about fourteen months, should take the form of an impromptu concert. The public thoroughly showed their appreciation, and one of the largest and most enthusiastic audiences that ever assembled in the School of Arts availed themselves of the opportunity. After a splendid programme had been gone through, and at the intermission, the guests, the Mayor, and several aldermen, and a number of prominent citizens, mounted the stage and the returned men were presented to the audience. The Mayor (Alderman T.P. Willsallen) and Rev. G.T. Baker made brief speeches, and enthusiasm waxed high. Trooper BROSI responded on behalf of himself and comrades. The latter are suffering from severe colds. It is proposed to have a special medal struck, and each of the men who volunteered from the town and district will be presented with one. As there are upwards of twenty, a fairly large sum will have to be raised, but already several donations, ranging from one to five guineas, have been received.
Sydney Daily Telegraph, 22nd October 1901
GOLD MEDALS PRESENTED.
GUNNEDAH, Monday. — On Saturday last, at the School of Arts, a large and enthusiastic gathering assembled to witness the distribution of 23 gold medals, subscribed by Gunnedah residents, to the returned soldiers of this district. The presentations were made by Colonel Mackay (Australian Horse). Captain Wray, and Messrs Cruickshank and Hall, Federal and State representatives, were present. Each delivered brief congratulatory addresses. During the afternoon the colonel inspected the local half-squadron, and put them through various manoeuvres. The troops acquitted themselves creditably. Mr Cruickshank entertained the returned soldiers and a number of townspeople at a banquet in the Courthouse Hotel on Saturday evening.
Sydney Evening News, 25th October 1901
On Saturday night, at the School of Arts, Gunnedah, the presentation of medals to returned soldiers was attended with unbounded success and enthusiasm. The hall was densely packed, the attendance numbering upwards of four hundred. The Mayor occupied the chair, with him on the stage being Colonel Mackay, Mr Cruickshank, M.P., Mr Hall, M.L.A. for Gunnedah, Captain Wray, Lieutenant Willsallen, Messrs J.M. Bacon, and T.P. Willsallen, Alderman Pike, Rev. G.T. Baker, and Mr J.J. Smyth. The Mayor welcomed the soldiers and visitors. Messrs Willsallen and Smyth also warmly supporting, and thanking the visitors on behalf of the townspeople. Mr Cruickshank made a fitting speech, eulogising the good deeds of the Australians during the present South African campaign. Very little money could be expended on the military by the Federal Government, owing to the lack of revenue, but he was not going to encourage a high-paid military system, and would prefer to see as little legislation as possible passed until it could be seen what the future population of Australia was to be. Mr Hall followed, and drew a comparison of Gunnedah and the city regarding welcomes to returned soldiers. He knew of cases in Sydney where wives and families of fallen soldiers had been turned out of their homes, and he attached much blame to the Government. Colonel Mackay was entrusted with the presentation of the medals. Addressing the recipients with kind remarks, he hoped the House of Representatives would not starve the defence force. He thought it was mean and contemptible to ask the people to give their services for nothing. Of the following list, a few were present to receive medals, but the majority are still serving in Africa: — J. JONES, V. NEWELL, C. HUNT, Corporal W. and R. PEARD, Corporal FEWKES, A. E. D'ARCY, H. BROSI, R. POLE, F. BASHFORD, G. COURTNEY, F. HAMILTON, A. DONNELLY, W. JACKSON, A. BERRYMAIN, J. BEWLEY, W. KENSELL, C. HEINE, and W. O'MALLEY. A vote of thanks to the visitors, who left by train on Sunday night, closed the proceedings.
Sydney Morning Herald, 22nd January 1902
Lieutenant A.E. DARCEY (New South Wales Imperial Bushmen under Major Carington), writing on December 10 from Bethel, refers to the remarkable success achieved by Colonel Williams's column during the previous fortnight. Lieutenant DARCEY says he had received the gold medal presented by the residents of Gunnedah for his services with the Australian Horse.
