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Overview
On 14 May 1882, the ships City of Perth and Benvenue foundered in Caroline Bay, Timaru. They were victims of ocean swell and choppy sea.
The Freemasons of St Johns Lodge awarded 42 medals for gallantry during the rescue on 3 July 1882 (this was a private award for bravery).
James Henneker, to whom this particular medal was awarded, made two trips in a surf boat during the storm to rescue men on the ships. Several of his ribs were broken and he lay 'in a precarious state at the Royal Hotel' afterwards (South Canterbury Times, 15 May 1882, p. 2).
The medal depicts a lifeboat on a rough sea, with the masonic emblem the Eye of Providence above. It was donated to the museum by the recipient's daughter in 1969.
The medal was originally issued as a medallion (without a suspension bar or ribbon), so this version was converted to wear.
The ships
The Benvenue was wrecked, but the City of Perth was salvaged and returned to the United Kingdom for repairs. It was renamed the Turakina in 1882 by the New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd.