Trophy presented by the Shire of Ripon to W.A. Stevens in appreciation of WWII war service
c. 1945World War Two era trophy comprising a double sided medallion mounted on a fluted black Bakelite base. It was presented as a token of appreciation to W.A. Stevens by the Shire of Ripon in Victoria for his war service.
One side of the medallion depicts a spray of eucalypt leaves and fruit on the left hand side, extending from a scroll with the dates '1939-45' inside. On the right hand side, the words 'Shire of Ripon' extend around the outside. In the centre, the name of the recipient, W.A. Stevens, is engraved, below which the words 'In Appreciation of War Services' appear.
The reverse side of the medallion features a portrait of King George VI and has the words 'For God King and Country' around the edge. The maker's name 'K.G. Luke, Melb.' is impressed discreetly below the base of the portrait.
The hollow circular base is made from Bakelite. Presumably the medallion is attached to the base using a threaded screw and nut, but this is covered by more of the Bakelite.
Many shires and localties recognised the war service of members of their communities. Some presented gifts such as engraved watches, jewellery, wallets, writing material, diaries and other personal items when they departed for the front. Upon their safe return, the servicemen and women were recognised with colourful certificates and engraved gold fobs and medallions. There are many examples in the collection.
The Shire of Ripon was a former local government area in Victoria, Australia, centred around Beaufort, about 150 km northwest of Melbourne. It existed from 1863 to 1994 before being incorporated into the Shire of Pyrenees. While it is not possible to definitively identify W.A. Stevens (as there are 19 men with those initials), only one was born in Beaufort - William Arthur Stevens, service number VX80137.
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