Orders, Decorations & Medals - Other Properties - Aus

Lot 3704    SESSION 13 (2.30PM THURSDAY 2ND APRIL)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Other Properties - Aust.

Estimate $7,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $6,000

TRIO: China War Medal 1900; British War Medal 1914-18; Royal Naval Reserve Decoration (GVR) (hallmarked for London 1912 by maker 'SG' R & S Garrard & Co 'Sebastian Henry Garrard'). Lieut. S.W.Spain, N.S.Wales Nav. Contgt. on first medal, Commder. S.W.Spain R.A.N.B. on second medal, last medal unnamed. First medal engraved and second medal impressed. Court mounted, extremely fine.

Together with two photograph albums featuring photos of the Contingent in China and Spain family photos.

Staunton William Spain, born 09Feb1865 at Wallaringa, Neutral Bay, Sydney, NSW, the son of an English born maritime solicitor also named Staunton Spain; educated at Fort Street Model School and also Coreen College; joined Volunteer Naval Brigade as a cadet in 1880; to Midshipman NSW Naval Forces 20May1888; to Sub-Lieutenant 01Sep1891; to Lieutenant RANR (M) 01Aug1900; served as Lieutenant with NSW Naval Contingent; Emb.08Aug1900 on SS Salamis; arrived Taku 09Sep1900 and Tientsin then Peking; in charge of ops to Kao-li-ying 12Jan1901; Emb.02Apr1901 and Disemb.25Apr1901 on SS Chingtu; joined RANR 01Aug1908 as Acting Lieutenant Commander; Lt Commander 01Apr1914 at Cockatoo Naval Guard; Acting Director Naval Operations Newcastle 09-23Dec1914; to Thursday Island Guard 07Jan1915; to Commander 01Jun1918 with RANB; to Commander Retired List 09Feb1918; recalled to duty as OIC Naval Guards, Cockatoo Island; Disch.25Jul1918; to Retired List 20Jun1920.

Staunton Spain was a notary public and served as a marshal, Admiralty jurisdiction, Supreme Court. He was a member of the League of Ancient Mariners and alderman for North Sydney 1925-37. He died on 8 September 1946 after being struck by a city tram. The Spain's family connection to the area where they lived is recognised by the naming of Spain's Wharf Road and a look-out on Kurraba Point. Spain's brother, Alfred, was a prominent architect, was involved in many other business and charitable endeavours and had a stellar military career and was also awarded the silver Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society of New South Wales Medal for saving a young boy from drowning in 1934.

Staunton Spain presented a bell from China to the Ward Room, HMAS Penguin. More than 100 of his glass-plate negatives survive in collections in the Mitchell Library in Sydney and renamed in the Bracegirdle Collection in the Australian War Memorial Canberra. In the book Blue Jackets & Boxers by Bob Nicholls, in Chapter 10, p73, where the author describes the contingents move to Peking in October he states, 'The Officer in charge of this fleet was Lieutenant Staunton Spain, who had brought his unwieldy glass-plate camera with him from Australia. His record of the contingent's time in China takes a prominent place in the illustrations in this book.'

With research.