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A Issued By Melbourne, Australia

Medal - Centenary of Victoria & Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1934-1935 Reg. No: NU 33152

Medal - Centenary of Victoria & Centenary of Melbourne, Australia, 1934-35

Summary:: Centenary of Victoria 1934; Centenary of Melbourne, 1935 (AD)
Mint: Stokes & Sons

White metal medal issued to commemorate Melbourne's centenary 1934-35. This medal was given out to Victorian school children; 325,600 white metal medals were struck. There were also a few VIP pieces in other metals, including two in gold. The medal references Portland, the location of Victoria's first settlement. The Henty brothers, entrepreneur farmers and whalers, established the state's first permanent European settlement in Portland in 1834. Melbourne was established the following year by a party of settlers led by John Batman.

In 1934, as Melbourne planned to celebrate the centenary of European settlement, it seemed to some that there was little to celebrate. The financial strains of the depression, unemployment and the scandal of the city's slums all undercut claims of unbridled progress. Perhaps because of such troubles, the organisers of the centenary celebrations tried doubly hard to be positive. The themes of the celebrations were conservative, reflecting the desire of some Melburnians for security in troubled times. The widely promoted image of the 'Garden City' and 'Queen City of the South' emphasised the idea of Melbourne as a very British city. A visit by the Duke of Gloucester, son of George V, the ageing king, provided a reassuring strengthening of Melbourne's imperial connections. The presented view of Melbourne's history stressed the 'myth of the pioneer', embodied in the person of John Batman. Elevated to heroic status, he was reinvented as a courageous pioneer whose life exemplified the rewards of self-improvement. Such a portrayal ignored Batman's dubious 'treaty' with local Aborigines and the less savoury details of his personal life. Melbourne's indigenous people were excluded from this triumphant view of Melbourne's past. The centenary celebrations now seem dated, but the image of Melbourne as a conservative city largely influenced by Britain has been more enduring.

Discipline:	Numismatics
Dimensions:	27 mm (Diameter)

More information

Tagged with:	celebrations, melbourne centenary 1935, victoria centenary 1934-1935
Themes this item is part of:	Edward Henty, Pastoralist (1810-1878), Public Life & Institutions Collection, Stokes & Son, Medal Makers, Melbourne, Victoria & Sydney, New South Wales, The Founding of Melbourne, 1835
Primary Classification:	MEDALS
Secondary Classification:	Commemorative
Tertiary Classification:	centenary of victoria
DateEra:	1934-1935 AD
Obverse Description:	Scene of landing at Portland Bay; in ground below, PORTLAND / 1834; above, centenary of victoria / 1934
Reverse Description:	Pioneer on south bank of Yarra looking across to Melbourne, below 1835 above, CENTENARY / OF / MELBOURNE / 1935
Edge Description:	Loop cut from rim at 12
Shape:	round
Material:	White metal
Issued By:	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1934-1935
Mint:	Stokes & Sons, 1934-1935
References:	Car. 1935/1

Comments

Ross Williams Posted on 11 May 2010 8:42 PM

Centenary Of Victoria 1934-1935
I have one of these medals .How many were minted approx .Were they given out or did they have to be purchased.
Thanks in anticipation

Discovery Centre Posted on 17 May 2010 4:19 PM

Hi Ross - According the Museum's Numismatic's expert, this is the medal given out to school children. There were 325,600 struck and there were also a few VIP pieces in other metals, eg. two in gold.