Lot 2986

Description

1st Australian Ladies Fire Brigade, fob medal in silver (27x32mm), hallmarked for Birmingham 1902, obverse, voided design with central shield inscribed, 'N.C.M.A.', reverse inscribed, 'N.C.M.A.Farrell/Member/1st Australian/Ladies/Fire Brigade/1903'. Fine and rare.

This badge was worn on the left breast of uniform dress by young ladies of the 1st Australian Ladies Fire Brigade (the Maitland Amazons) which operated in the NSW lower Hunter Valley town 1901-1903. It had about 10 members up to 15 years of age and at the time was the only Ladies Fire Brigade in the Commonwealth and according to a letter from the Union Bureau of News in Philadelphia, USA, Maitland was the only town in the world with a ladies fire brigade.

With research.