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Medals for the Victorian Naval Forces

British LSGC Medal to Aust. Navy Royal Naval Reserve L.S. Medal to Aust. Navy Campaign Medals
 
Distinguished Service Order Miscellaneous Medals Other Local Medals
 
Victorian Humane Society Award Volunteer Officer's Decoration Victoria Volunteer
Long & Efficient Service Medal

Three Long Service Medals.

As the qualifying period for long service medals was fifteen years (twelve for the RNR medal), anyone qualifying for a long service medal within that number of years after federation, must have served some time in the colonial navy. There are therefore three relevant long service medals to members of the Victorian Naval Forces.

  1. The Victoria Volunteer Long and Efficient Service Medal (VVLESM)
  2. the British Medal to Australian Navy Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (LSGC Medal)
  3. and the Royal Naval Reserve Long Service Medal (RNR Medal).

Two presentations of the Victoria Volunteer Long & Efficient Service Medal were made to members of the Naval Forces in 1884 and 1899. There were three presentations of the post Federation British Medal to Australian Navy, Long Service & Good Conduct Medal in 1903, 1907 and 1913 and one presentation of the Royal Naval Reserve Long Service Medal in 1912. Individuals were also presented with medals on different occasions.

All three medals are covered below up to 1914.
1 - Victoria Volunteer Long & Efficient Service Medal (VVLESM).
(Issued 1881-1901)

"Victoria was the only Colony and State in Australia to provide a Long Service Medal of "strictly local content". All other states had medals mostly identical to the British issue, but with State names on the reverse. These medals were stuck by the Royal Mint in London. In fact NSW did not issue long service medals to its naval forces until 191215. The Victorian medal, with its other differences, was struck in Melbourne by Thomas Stokes.

In 1871 the issue of a Long Service Medal was considered for ten years* effective service, but it was not until 1875 that design and die costs of £150 were presented from England. This price being considered outrageous, samples of the then issued British Long Service Medals were presented to Messrs Stokes and Martin of Melbourne in 1880, who proceded with the design and and die work at a cost of only £25, a considerable difference from the London quotation."1

As royal sanction had not been obtained in time for the presenting of the first batch of medals in 1881, the Govenor relactantly declined to present the medals. To quote David Matthews8 "the first recipients were wearing the medal before Queen Victoria had given her approval for its award, an unusual and daring act in those days." Perhaps this was an indication of the young colony's growing self confidence.

* The original intention of awarding the medal for ten years service changed as, when introduced, the medal was awarded for 15 years of service.

VVLESM Medals Issued to Members of the Victorian Naval Forces. (62 known recipients)

Two types of the Victorian medal were issued with different mottos:-