Lot 563

Description

Riverina Pastoral Society, (1871), in silver (45mm), by J. Hogarth for G. Crisp, Melbourne, reverse inscribed, '2nd Prize/To/Saml Wilson/Two Rams/2 tooth shorn as lambs/Jerilderie/1871'. A few very small edge nicks and some scuffing, otherwise extremely fine and rare.

Sir Samuel Wilson (1832-1895) was born in Ireland and moved to Victoria in 1852. He worked with the Acclimatization Society by experimenting with ostrich farming and the breeding of Angora goats. He also donated thirty thousand pounds to the University of Melbourne to build a hall and in 1879 the foundation stone was laid for the Gothic Wilson Hall which was destroyed by a fire in 1960. He was knighted in 1875 and became the owner of the largest sheep holding in the world. He purchased Ercildoune homestead in 1873 and retired to England in 1881. He died at his home in Grosvenor Square, London on 11 June 1895.