This medal was presented by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society and was posthumously awarded to Captain John Coffey’s family for his efforts at saving life at sea, in 1882. Captain Coffey lost his life in this attempt. The shipwreck occurred between Australia and England. The included letter was written by the donor, who is the grandson of John Coffey. It is interesting that the medal and note were packaged in a small tin whose original purpose was to present a wedding cake gift to guests. The container is decorated with wedding bells pressed into the lid. Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society: - The Shipwrecked Mariners (Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society) is a national charity established in 1839. It is run by a network of volunteers in the UK and Ireland. The organisation assists former mariners, their dependants and their families. John Rye and his servant Charles-Gee Jones, of Bath, UK, encouraged its formation after a severe storm caused the loss of life from the ‘Clovelly’ fishing fleet in November 1838. The Society was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1850. The Society’s flag is the St George’s Cross, a red cross on a white background and a gold crown in the centre, with the letters S F M S displayed, one in each quadrant. Nominations are made by members each year of those who have performed outstanding acts of bravery in helping those in peril in the sea. The inscription on the reverse "PRESENTED FOR HEROIC EXERTIONS IN SAVING LIFE FROM DROWNING / JOB XXIX 13" refers to a verse in the Bible, which in the King James version reads "The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's eart to sing for joy."This is the only medal in our collection awarded from the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society. Medal, silver with blue ribbon. The obverse of the medal has images of the British flag, a crown flag with "S.F.", a portrait of a man, a shipwreck, a cannon and anchor, a man with a telescope, and two people attending a body on the shore. The reverse of the medal has text. The medal clasp depicts a fleur de lies between two fish. The medal maker is Stokes. The metal was donated in a tin container and included a letter. The medal was presented posthumously to the family of Captain John Coffey for his efforts at saving life at sea, in 1882. It has an accompanying letter and container.On rim "CAPTAIN JOHN COFFEY - 1882" Obverse "SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY" and "ESTAB AD 1839 INCOd BY ACT OF PARLt 1850" Reverse "PRESENTED FOR HEROIC EXERTIONS IN SAVING LIFE FROM DROWNING / JOB XXIX 13" and "ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY" The tin box has "MEDAL" handwritten in black.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, medal, captain john coffey, john coffey, numismatics, hero, saving lives, shipwrecked fishermen and mariners’ royal benevolent society, sfms, shipwrecked mariners' society

The land for this building was granted to the Benevolent Society by James Atkinson in 1850. Tenders were being called for a new "Benevolent Asylum" in 1855, the foundation stone having been laid and by 1856 the first part of the Hospital was completed. These extensions probably carried out 1930's?????Black and white photograph of Right side of hospital new extension with bay windowshospital, institution, health service, extension, benevolent asylum, benevolent society

Document. Harry Biggs Collection. Handwritten notes on foolscap paper on the Bendigo Benevolent Society & Industrial School.organization, government, services, harry biggs collection, bendigo benevolent asylum, industrial school

Roy Phillips was born in 1907 in Yackandandah and moved with his family to Beechworth when he was five years old. His father was involved in dredging operations at Lake Sambell but his parents also had other family living in Beechworth, with whom they lived. Dr Phillips tells vivid stories about life in Beechworth in the first half of the Twentieth Century, from the daily lives of young children of the time to the town's relationship to the local Chinese community. He discusses features of the landscape such as 'The Rock' at which community concerts were held and 'The Echo' (an echo-sounding point over a nearby gully) which he states are no longer used in the same way. He also discusses changing community attitudes to various issues, for example, 'not being coddled' as a child but living in a town with very strict rules about people of different religions mingling. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Dr Roy Phillips' account of his life in Beechworth in the early part of the 20th Century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He describes town life from a child's point of view during a time of transition to life after the Gold Rush era, including social tensions existing between cultural groups such as the Chinese community and European-heritage townspeople and between people of different religious groups in Beechworth. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Dr Roy Phillips /beechworth, yackandandah, wangaratta, mining, dredging, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, chinese community, typhoid, lake kerferd, reminiscences, memories, childhood, lake sambell, alcoholism, new year celebrations, transport, horses, foresters lodge, oddfellows lodge, funeral practices, child-rearing practices, star hotel, the rock, racism, chinese dragon, benevolent society, star lane coach building factory, outdoor concerts, gold, jimmy ingram, kelly gang, kelly family, churches, catholic, methodist, protestant, anglican, confuscionist, buddhism, women's christian temperance association, hotels, twentieth century, coronation of king george iv, echo point, the echo, tippany cat, marbles, children's games, cornish, cornwall, listen to what they say, oral history

The Manchester Unity IOOF is a non-political, non-sectarian fraternal order founded in Manchester England in 1810. Its main objective is to protect and care for its members and the communities in which they live. This model spread to Victoria, with Melbourne’s branch founded on 7 December 1840.Gold pin with blue, white and red enamelling. The centre has a white hand with a red heart in the middle, around the outside in a blue enamelled banner the words in gold Manchester Unity.Manchester Unity IOOFmanchester unity, benevolent society

''Women, childbirth and children on the Goldfields in the Bendigo-Castlemaine Region 1851-1876)'' author Madeleine Dodds. Two copies a. and b. -one copy is double sided printing; other is single sided. Mention of Boyd and Harris Dispensary; Holloway products; Bendigo Benevolent Asylum; Industrial School; Lying -in Wing; Jabez Hogg Medical Guide; Doctor Jenkins, Dr Richard Tracy, Traces the history of early births and childcare on the goldfields. Bibliography.Madeleine Doddsbendigo, mining, women and children on the goldfields, boyd and harris dispensary, holloway products, dr. jenkins, jabez hogg medical guide, dr richard tracy, bendigo benevolent society. women, childbirth, children.

Document. Harry Biggs Collection. Various articles - photocopied newspaper articles 7 private jottings relating to Sandhurst Bees & the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, including the Fourth Annual Report of the Committee of the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, Oct 20th, 1861organization, government, health, harry biggs collection, sandhurst bee, bendigo benevolent society

non-fictionAn account of the lives of Ferdinand and Gladys Zerbefitzmaurice a y, zerbe ferdinand, jackson gladys, orchards, orchardists, box hill horticultural society, blackburn and mitcham benevolent society

Document. Harry Biggs Collection. Blue writing on foolscap. The definition of the word 'asylum' from Chambers -- 1884 Encyclopedia. (3 copies.) - Random jottings on foolscap. - 1 page on foolscap relating to the Benevolent Society & the Industrial School period.organization, club/society, health, harry biggs collection, bendigo benevolent asylum history

Six pages of newspaper clippings from 'The Argus' dated in the 1800's and pasted onto card, the name of the contributor is 'A Vagabond'. Article dated 13/5/1876 relates to the writers experience as an outpatient at the Melbourne Hospital. 20/5/1876 'The Outcasts of Melbourne' whose lives are one of misery, sin, crime but little shame. A warning to the authorities to 'take heed quickly' to prevent the continuation of these vices well into the future. 27/5/1876 'Sixpenny Restaurants' . Unknown date in 1876 'Three Days in the Benevolent Society' 10/6/1876 'Three Days in the benevolent Society' part 2.newspaper, human interest, the argus

Gilbert Rule Collection: buff coloured certificate with ornate border, framed in brown card Bendigo Benevolent Society. "we certify that G.S. Rule was duly appointed a Life Governor of this Institution on 10th. June, 1919" written on document. Large red seal affixed to bottom RH side of document.Bendigo Benevolent Asylumperson, individual, gilbert rule