Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 1657    SESSION 6 (9.30AM WEDNESDAY 31ST JULY)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $2,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,600

ROYAL SHIPWRECK RELIEF & HUMANE SOCIETY OF N.S.W. Bronze Medal, reverse inscribed to, 'Wm.E.Phillips/For Saving Life/Sydney Harbour/23 Sept.1903', in case of issue by Elkington & Co Ltd. Toned extremely fine.

RHS Case No.1904/07 - William Ernest Phillips was awarded a Bronze Medal for actions involving a suicide rescue at Sydney Harbour on the 23rd September 1903.

A news report of the incident reads as follows.

A young man caused a good deal of excitement on the ferry steamer Lady Hampden on Wednesday evening (as the vessel was being berthed at Fort Macquarie, just after a collision with the Advance), by jumping overboard. He was rescued by Mr W.E.Phillips, of Forest Lodge, with the assistance of Inspector Dwyer, of the Harbour Trust, and Water Police Constable Jarvis, and was taken to Sydney Hospital. It is supposed that he is mentally deranged. After recovering from the effects of his immersion he said that he "wished to go to Calvary".

It seems that the young man was an escaped lunatic from Callan Park Asylum and was under the delusion that he was the adopted son of Miss Nellie Stewart, a well known actress at that time. He also wanted to die for the sake of his religion and go to Calvary.