State: New South Wales, Australia
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: 10/04/1901, abt. January 1902
Number issued: 22
10/04/1901 presentation (unique)
Captain Frederick Allan DOVE (received a second medal in 1902 – see below)
Inscribed: "For Gallantry: Hout Nek, Doornkop, Diamond-hills, Pretoria / Active Service in South Africa, from the Officers and Teachers of the Department of Public Instruction".
January 1902 presentation
Captain Robert St. Julian PEARCE (absent - in S. Africa)
755 Corporal Frederick Isaac KILPATRICK (K.I.A., Slingersfontein, 06/03/1900)
415 Private William Herbert HAMBLY
431 Trooper Samuel Charles FULLER
205 Private Albert E. CRADICK
222 Private Henry John DALE
221 Private Thomas E. DENNISON (received his medal by post on 31/03/1902)
432 Trooper [Pay-Sergeant] Joseph TAYLOR
429 Sergeant Alexander Henry MOYES (absent - in S. Africa)
154 Trooper Percival Joseph Fernance PIDGEON (absent - in S. Africa)
2133 Trooper William HILL
Captain Frederick Allan DOVE, D.S.O. (Dove had already received a medal on 10/04/1901 – see above)
Presented to New South Wales teachers who volunteered for active service in South Africa.
"The souvenir is a gold medallion, characteristically Australian. On the obverse is the figure of an Australian soldier at the ready, and the reverse shows waratahs and other native flowers. Twenty-two persons are entitled to the souvenirs, and it is intended to present them or their representatives with the medals as soon as practicable".
Private Dennison received a second medal from Murrumbidgerie.
"FOR GALLANTRY".
PRESENTATION TO CAPTAIN DOVE.
A pleasant little ceremony took place at the Department of Public Instruction yesterday morning, when Captain DOVE, a member of the First Contingent, and a teacher in the service, was presented with a gold medal in recognition of his doings in South Africa. Mr F. Bridges, the Chief Inspector, was in the chair.
Mr Bridges said that they had met together to present to their colleague, Captain DOVE, a tangible mark of the esteem of the service by reason of his gallantry in the South African war, and he had much pleasure in handing to him a gold medal. On one side was inscribed, "For Gallantry: Hout Nek, Dornkop, Diamond-hills, Pretoria"; and on the other, "Active Service in South Africa, from the Officers and Teachers of the Department of Public Instruction".
They all felt, continued Mr Bridges, that Captain DOVE had done honour to himself in South Africa, and honour to the teaching profession of which he was a member. When Captain DOVE returned from the war, he decided to resume his teaching duties, in preference to the, perhaps, more showy career of a soldier. He was glad that he had so decided, for in him the department had a young man who was worth keeping. The medal which he had now the pleasure to present was a proof that the teachers admired courage, and was a mark of the affection and respect in which Captain DOVE was held by his follow-officers and teachers.
WAR SOUVENIRS FOR TEACHERS.
TEACHERS' WAR SOUVENIRS.
PRESENTED BY MR PERRY.
At a meeting of the teachers and officers of the Department of Public Instruction at the Girls' High School, Sydney, on the 9th of March last, it was decided to recognise the conspicuous bravery and ability of comrades who had fought in South Africa, and so highly honoured the profession. It was considered that small contributions from every teacher and officer in the service would furnish a sufficient fund with which to provide suitable souvenirs expressive of admiration for returning confreres, and mementoes for the families of any who in the fortune of war had given their lives for their country. An executive committee, consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul, Messrs J.W. Turner, W.H. Teale, W. Gee, R.H. Grieve, G.A. Rourke, and F. Garden, was formed, with D.T. Wiley, and J.H. Strong as hon. secretaries, and J. Dart as hon. treasurer, and they carried the project to a successful issue.
As regards the souvenir, several designs were obtained from firms in the city, and it was decided to accept the one submitted by Messrs Fairfax and Roberts, Hunter Street, and they were entrusted with the work. The souvenir is a handsome one, and very appropriate. It consists of a gold pendant, bearing on the obverse side the figure of a soldier, with the words "For king and flag" and "South Africa", while the reverse side bears the name of the recipient, and an inscription explaining from whom received.
The names of those officers and teachers under the department who have served, or are still serving, are: — Major R.E. ROTH, D.S.O., Captain F.A. DOVE, D.S.O., Captain P. MACKELLAR, Pay-Sergeant J. TAYLOR, Messrs W.A. COULSON, T. DENNISON, A.E. CRADICK, F.A. FINLAY, S.C. FULLER, H.J. DALE, W. HILL, W. HAMBLY. The above have returned, and the last named two have since retired from the service.
Those still serving are: — Captain R.S. PEARCE, Captain A.J. BENNETT, Captain A.E. CHAPMAN, Messrs J.F. ARMSTRONG, P.J. PIDGEON, W. WRIGHTSON, J.H. PEEK, A.H. MOYES, C. LEER.
Only one of the 22 who went to the front fell in battle — Mr F.J. KILPATRICK. He was one of the first two soldiers from New South Wales who lost their lives. The unfortunate incident occurred during an engagement at Rensburg, and next morning the deceased was found with a little stone lying beside him upon which he had in his last moments written the significant word "Cold!"
The presentations took place last night at a gathering of friends at the Elite Hall, when there was a large attendance. The chair was taken by Mr Perry (State Minister for Public Instruction).
Mr Perry, in making the presentations, said that early in the war they lost one of their teachers, Mr KILPATRICK, who laid down his life for the cause of Queen and country. Those who went to the front, however, did so fully conscious of the risks they ran, and he felt sure every teacher who had faced the foe In South Africa was prepared to give his life in the same way; but, fortunately, all of the others so far had escaped. (Cheers). The other day he read in a newspaper — although personally he did not believe all he saw in the press — that a public meeting held at a place called Savernake — "Save-the-snake" he considered might have been a more suitable name, as the people who attended the gathering apparently saw snakes occasionally — (laughter) — passed several resolutions concerning the war. One of the motions carried at that gathering, moved by a person named Gorman and seconded by a party named O'Dwyer (laughter) — affirmed the opinion that, "with a view to terminate the present disastrous war, such terms should be offered the Boers by the British Government as could consistently be accepted by a free people, with whose internal affairs the British have no right to interfere". The report of the meeting, he said, did not mention the number who attended, so that there was no way of judging the size of the community so represented. But those people evidently forgot that the British did not seek the war in South Africa. When the Boers announced they were going to sweep the British into the sea, the Empire so challenged picked up the gauntlet. (Cheers). That the war had dragged on for a considerable length of time was a lamentable fact; yet they could not but admire the dogged perseverance of the Boers in prolonging a struggle so disastrous and hopeless to themselves. He thought, however, that no loyal British subject would think about urging the Empire to grant the terms of settlement suggested by the meeting at Savernake. (Applause). The State of affairs which had existed in South Africa was such as to warrant an attempt being made to alter them, and he felt sure that when the turmoil subsided, an intelligent and industrious people would welcome the change, and make South Africa a prosperous country. (Applause).
Major ROTH, D.S.O., returned thanks for the recipients present, and in a humorous speech referred to some of the incidents of the front.
Colonel Paul and Mr D.T. Wiley also spoke.
A Souvenir.
