New Zealand War Medal

This New Zealand War Medal, which still has the original ribbon, was awarded to Captain John Fairchild in 1872. 

Born in Plymouth, Devon, in 1838, Fairchild came to New Zealand in 1860. He entered government service in about 1863 and commanded a number of Government steamers, including the Sturt, Stella and Hinemoa.

During the New Zealand Wars Fairchild ferried troops and supplies along the coast of the North Island, but for most of his career he was involved in surveying work, supplying lighthouses with stores, and visiting offshore islands.

Fairchild died in an accident aboard the Tutanekai in 1898. His death was reported all over the country, and Premier Richard John Seddon wrote to Fairchild’s family that ‘the colony has suffered the loss of a public servant whose place it will be almost impossible to fill’.

References
‘Captain Fairchild: Killed on the Tutanekai,’ New Zealand Mail, 7 July 1898.
‘Captain Fairchild’s Career,’ Auckland Star, 5 July 1898.
‘Our Home Letter,’ New Zealand Herald, 24 December 1874.
Cyclopedia Company Ltd. 1897. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]. Wellington: The Cyclopedia Company.