Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 756    Session 3 (2.30pm Tue 25th March)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $5,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $10,000

BOARD OF TRADE MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY IN SAVING LIFE AT SEA (VR), in bronze (48mm) inscribed around edge 'Chas. Patterson Wreck of 'Admella' near Cape Northumberland Aug 6th 1859'. An extremely rare award to a member of the Portland Lifeboat crew for one of the most famous rescue missions attempted on the Australian coast in the 19th century, in one of the country's greatest maritime tragedies. Very fine.

Ex Dr John M.Chapman Collection, Noble Numismatics Sale 88 (lot 757) and Spink Australia Sale 26 (lot 1851).

The steamship 'Admella' of 500 tons, was built in Glasgow in 1857. Taking her name from the first syllables of ADelaide, MELbourne and LAunceston, she commenced service between Adelaide and Melbourne in August 1858.

The Admella, with a ship's company of twenty eight, eighty one passengers, seven horses and general cargo, left Adelaide for Melbourne on Friday 5th August 1859. With a further three passengers and a fireman taken on at Semaphore, the complement now totalled one hundred and thirteen which included nineteen women and fifteen children.

Despite a heavy swell and fog experienced off Kangaroo Island, it was expected that the ship would be off Cape Northumberland before daylight the following day. The Captain believed the ship to be many miles off shore, but shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday 5th August she struck a submerged reef with the swell lifting her firmly onto the rocks. Orders were given to prepare the lifeboats, but within fifteen minutes the ships had broken into three sections sweeping a number of passengers and all the horses into the sea.

Almost all the women and children were on the bow section with a number of other passengers clinging to the aft section. Distress rockets were fired, but to no avail. Daylight revealed a deserted coastline and a ship passing in the distance. Despite signals, this ship, 'Admella's sister ship 'Havilah', sailed on without seeing them. During the day a number of unsuccessful attempts were made to reach the shore just over a kilometre away but with tragic results. With no water and practically no food the survivors spent a hard night cold and continually drenched with spray. The sound of another ship, 'SS Bombay' passing close by without sighting them added to their misery. Next morning a number of passengers managed to cross by a rope from the fore to the aft section. Fifteen men made it across, although three men and two children were lost. No women made the attempt, remaining with their children and a few of the men. Within a few hours the bow section broke up and they were all lost. Eventually a raft manned by seamen managed to reach shore after a three hour battle in the rough seas. After regaining their strength, an all night journey through the scrub enabled them to reach the Cape Northumberland lighthouse and inform the head keeper of the disaster. The nearest post office was at Mount Gambier and contact was made with reports of the wreck being telegraphed to Adelaide and Melbourne. The nearest lifeboat was at Portland over three hundred kilometres away, but arrangements were made to transport a small boat from the lighthouse overland to the scene of the wreck. A salvaged boat from 'Admella' had also been repaired although rough seas prevented any rescue attempts being made. The pounding seas had by now forced the survivors to climb into the remaining rigging or cling to the side of the hull. Two fishermen from Robe and the 'SS Corio' from Adelaide had managed to reach the stricken vessel but were forced to lay off due to the sea state.

Early on Thursday 11th August 'Corio' launched her pilot boat and although the seven men crew battled for almost an hour they were forced to return to the beach. The fifty or so remaining survivors on 'Admella' made an unsuccessful attempt to build and launch another raft. They also saw similar attempts from the beach fail. 'SS Corio' was forced to depart owing to lack of coal. As she left, 'SS Ladybird' appeared towing the Portland lifeboat and a whaler, whilst 'SS Ant' arrived from Robe. At 9 a.m. the following day, the lifeboat pulled for the wreck. Several attampts to attach light lines by rockets failed and as the lifeboat lost six oars and her rudder destroyed as huge seas swept over them the crew returned exhausted to the 'Ladybird'. Another attempt was prepared but abandoned due to the weather. The following morning the ocean had subsided somewhat and the calmer seas allowed the lifeboat to approach and secure a line to the wreck. The survivors managed to reach the lifeboat and transferred to 'Corio's pilot boats. Although capsizing in the surf, all made it ashore. The 'Admella' lifeboat rescued another man who, however, was lost when it also capsized in the surf. Meanwhile the Portland lifeboat now managed to secure to the 'Admella' and a further eighteen men and one woman were rescued. Thus a mere twenty four from the original one hundred and thirteen managed to survive.

The rescue attempt had attracted fever pitch interest throughout the colonies and extra editions of newspapers reporting the rescue quickly sold out. Relief surged throughout the country when the survivors were safe. The seamen involved in the rescue were feted and treated as heroes. Relief funds were also established and special medals struck in commemoration. Many of the men who assisted at the rescue also received the Board of Trade bronze medal for 'Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea'.