Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 591    SESSION 3 (2.30PM TUESDAY 19TH NOV)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,900

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA BRONZE MEDAL, (1918), with ribbon brooch bar, reverse inscribed, 'William/Henry Proudfoot/23.12.18', in a period case. Toned, good very fine.

Citation: William Henry Proudfoot, Russell Street, Melbourne, Senior Constable of Police, aged 53 years, who risked his life in stopping two run-away horses at the corner of Swanston Street and Bourke Street, Melbourne, on December 23, 1918. The horses, attached to a light delivery wagon, were belting out of Swanston Street into Bourke Street, when Proudfoot saw them. He immediately sprang forward and seized the bridle of the near-side horse, and forced the team away from a tram-car, fully loaded with passengers, missing it by inches. He guided the horses between the tram and other vehicles, and pulled them up at the rear of the tram-car, after hanging on to them for 30 to 40 yards.

Bill Proudfoot was a police constable but he was also a Collingwood Football Club legend. Born on 11 June 1866 at Kilmore, Victoria he grew to be a very large young man, standing at 184cm and weighing about 101kg. In 1888 while working as a labourer he applied to join the Victorian Police Force and was appointed Constable on 2 July 1888. Over the ensuing years he was promoted to Senior Constable 16.9.1914, Sergeant 2nd Class 18.11.1919, Sergeant 1st Class 5.12.1921, Sub-Inspector 12.1.1924, Inspector 24.2.1925 and Superintendent 14.1.1926. During his service he was posted as follows, Russell Street 2.8.1888, Collingwood 5.4.1889, Kyneton 18.10.1897, Russell Street 20.9.1900, Collingwood 10.10.1900, Clifton Hill 16.2.1903, Echuca East 6.5.1910, Mitcham 23.4.1912, Russell Street 16.9.1914, Clifton Hill 12.1.1920, Russell Street 13.3.1924, Fitzroy 2.7.1924, South Melbourne 7.2.1925, No.3 Div (charge) 23.2.1925, Shepparton 5.10.1925, Central District 26.1.1926, and then he retired 11.6.1926 having reached age 60 and being superannuated. Bill died 11 January 1931 while licensee of the Walls Club Hotel, Werribee.

Bill Proudfoot was a legend of Aussie Rules, playing for the Collingwood Football Club (the Magpies). In the club's first game played at Victoria Park on 7 May 1892 Bill kicked the Collingwood team's second goal. Even in his football games Bill Proudfoot proved to be a lifesaver. On one occasion in a match played against North Melbourne in 1896, angry fans stormed the field to attack the umpire after their team lost to the Magpies. Fortunately for the umpire Bill Proudfoot, a giant of a man, stepped in and shielded the umpire whilst himself taking the bulk of the vicious blows from the fans. The umpire was left relatively unscathed but Proudfoot absorbed so many blows that he collapsed when he reached the dressing room. One of the observers to the melee stated that he thought the umpire would almost surely have been killed if it was not for the heroic intervention of Proudfoot.

Bill Proudfoot only played a nominal number of games during the last few years of his career because the Chief Commissioner of Police decreed that police officers were not allowed to play football. When this happened, Bill was subject to allegations that he was playing, made by a series of letters written by an anonymous person. It was suspected that the writer had a personal grudge against Proudfoot or indeed against the Collingwood Football Club. When the writer complained about Proudfoot not doing his police duties he made a big mistake because Bill Proudfoot was regarded as an exemplary police officer and even rose to the rank of Inspector.

Bill Proudfoot's last game with Collingwood was played against St Kilda in 1906. He had played a total of 190 games. He was Captain in 1898 and part of 1899 and again in 1901; Vice-Captain in 1897; and a Life Member. He also played in VFL representative matches in 1894 (Intercolonial match), 1899 and again in 1902 (v Ballarat).

With a large amount of research.