Awarded from the 1892-93 musketry year until at least 1901-02. Below are shown all four known specimens, of at least ten medals that were struck. The medal at the top left was awarded to Zebina Lane. The medal at the top right has no markings and was obtained from the Godfrey family. The medal at the bottom left has the recipient's name & regiment impressed on the medal's edge & the year 1894 engraved below the word FORCES on the reverse. A fourth medal, awarded to H. Smith is the only other medal known to exist.
"Best Shot in Forces — A silver medal worn on right breast."
Victorian Government Gazette, 2 June 1893
"The silver medal awarded annually to the best shot of the Victorian Military Forces in each year's Musketry Course will be worn on all occasions in uniform until next year's issue is made and notified in General Orders."
Victorian Government Gazette, 17 August 1894, p. 3378.
Best Shot Medal Winners
Musketry Year
Winner
Details
Winning Score
1892-93
Edwin C. Jewell
Impressed - Lance Corporal, "F" Coy. Vict. Rangers. 1894 is engraved on reverse below FORCES.1,4,5 Born 1866
Sergeant "B" Company Victorian Rangers.13 Born 1829
200/220
1899-1900
C. Pierd
Sergeant, Rosedale section of the Rangers.11
1900-01
Cornelius (Con) H. Burrow
Colour Sergeant, 3rd Battalion. Ballarat.7,3 Born 1857
1901-02
Harold Smith
"C" Company 1st Battalion. Victorian Rangers.18
The Godfrey Medal
James Godfrey's Medal?
Although three of the four known Best Shot medals were impressed & engraved, this one was not.
As this medal was obtained from the Godfrey family, it has been assumed to have been awarded to James J. Godfrey of the Queenscliffe Battery.
However, given that the winners of the Best Shot medal have been identified for every musketry year from 1892-3 up to 1901-02, and that there is no mention in the press of a Godfrey winning the best shot medal, it is likely that the "Godfrey medal" was actually awarded to one of the recipients listed above, and not to James Godfrey.
Zebina Lane's First of Five Medals
Jewell's 1894 & Lane's 1893-4 Medals
Confusion has been caused by Edwin Jewell's medal being engraved 1894 and the Zabina Lane medal engraved 1893-4.
As Edwin Jewell's medal was awarded for the musketry year of 1892-3 5, it should have been engraved with those dates instead of 1894.
This error was most likely caused by the type II medals not being available until 30 April 1894.1,6 When Edwin Jewell's medal was presented in May 1894, it was presumably engraved with the current year's date by mistake.
Edwin Campbell Jewell Best Shot in 1892-3 Photo - Ancestry.com
Cornelius H. (Con.) Burrow in 1884 Best Shot in 1900-1 Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Victoria.
Prior to the introduction of the Best Shot medal, the Best Shot in the Victorian Military Forces was still decided each year. Known recipients are listed below.
Best Shot Winners in Victorian Military Forces prior to the Introduction of the Best Shot Medal.
Year
Winner
Details
Winning Score
1886
Private T. Allan
C company, 4th Battalion16
1887
Private Keck
B company, 4th Battalion.16
1888
Corporal Field
C company, 4th Battalion.16
Best Shot Winners in Victorian Military Forces after the Discontinuance of the Best Shot Medal.
Year
Winner
Details
Winning Score
1907-08
Sergeant Crombe
10th Australian Light Horse Regiment.17
1The Medal for the Best Shot of The Victorian Military Forces, Michael Downey, Sabretache: the Journal of the Military Collectors Society of Australia, April/June 1986. 2Museum Victoria 3The Argus, 1 November 1901 4The Argus, 29 May 1894 5The Argus, 11 May 1894 6The Victoria Volunteer Long and Efficient Service Medal 1881-1901, R.D.Williams, Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1976.
7Ballarat District Citizens And Sports 1916, by M. M. McCallum, Tulloch & King, Ballarat, on page 17 lists Con Burrow as winning the Best Shot of the Victorian Military Forces for the years 1900-2. The Argus of 6 June 1902 only lists him as the Best Shot in the Battalion. It is likely that the Victorian Military Forces Best Shot medal was discontinued after federation.
8Mornington Standard, 30 May 1895
9Bendigo Advertiser, 12 December 1896
10Bendigo Advertiser, 4 September 1897
11Bendigo Advertiser, 20 July 1901
12Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate, 20 August 1898
13Williamstown Chronicle, 11 August 1899
14Bairnsdale Advertiser & Tambo & Omeo Chronicle, 20 August 1898
15Bendigo Advertiser, 19 May 1898
16Bendigo Advertiser, 15 February 1896.
17Gippsland Times, 3 December 1908.
18 Stewart Wright
