102nd Regatta Australia's 150th Anniversary Celebrations 1938
Maker
Amor Mint
(Australian, founded 1888)
Date1938
Object number00015484
NameMedallion
MediumSilver plated bronze
DimensionsOverall: 51 × 51 mm, 0.05 kg
ClassificationsCoins and medals
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis medallion marks the 150th Anniversary Celebrations held in Australia in 1938. The obverse bears an engraved image of a sailing and steam ship on a harbour. On the reverse are a number of inscriptions and an image of Australian wildflowers. The regatta was held as part of the Sesquicentennial celebrations and as the 102nd Anniversary Regatta. This medallion was made by a Sydney medal maker as a souvenir of the event.HistoryThe 26 January 1938 marked the 150th anniversary of the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip in Australia. The day was celebrated with a parade including an Aboriginal float, a First Fleet float, a Governor Phillip float and a Burke and Wills float. The production of commemorative medals was a method of celebrating the occasion and providing a souvenir keepsake.
The Anniversary Regatta was first held in 1837 after a group of citizens from Sydney decided to celebrate the landing of the First Fleet on 26 January 1788. The regatta consisted of rowing and sailing races and always had a flagship, usually a merchant ship or passenger liner. This social and sporting event was very popular with the public who would take picnic refreshments to the foreshore and attend balls and recitals in the evening.
William J Amor was an apprentice medalist to Messrs J S & A B Wyon in 1874 for seven years. He came to Sydney, Australia in 1887 on a trip and decided to stay and after working at the Australian Mint established his own business. Amor run his business from Mountain Street, Chippendale before moving to Wentworth Street Sydney in 1914. William J Amor continued to play a role in the company and died in 1958. The business was still in operation under the name of Amor-Sanders until 1997.SignificanceThis medallion highlights the role of regattas in commemorating major anniversaries in Australia such as the Sesquicentennial celebrations in 1938.
13 February 1940
