The detailed story and more pics of this Historic find can be found on the Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1411931865512050/ I’ve been employing the Minelab CTX 3030 for 2 yrs. before I found the CR John Turriffs Medals. The medals were found at depth of approx. 30cm+ and 2 ft. apart. These medals were lost after a tragic accident that Killed Cr J Turriff & 6 other councillors .They were racing a drought horse to the Minyip AG. Festival as a public stunt to promote the vehicle. It was the first bean vehicle in The Wimmera Victoria. King George V sent the President, the medal and Gold lapel car Badge with vehicle via ship with personal servant and arrived 3 months prior to 1914 April 4 when he died from his injury . Cr Turriffs vehicle was delivered via horse and cart 3 days after the accident back to the hotel / motel where they had stayed the night before in Beulah Victoria ,that was there half way point in Travels. Mr CR John Turriff was Mr E.H Lascelles adviser for Pioneers to the Wimmera and was also Lord Hopetouns Council President. Cr Turriff was noted in settling South Australians to the Wimmera and providing them land lots and food for 2 years with no interest paid. I contacted a Friend at the P.M.A.V Ballarat branch (ozi) who by chance was going to a Minyip historic festival day within weeks to celebrate as it was his home town as a child. Very soon after I received an email from Ozi that he had spoken about what I had found to a Local CR Helen Ballentine in a general conversation at the event. Within days after that information, I received an Email from the Bean motor vehicle historical club in England that they had identified the chassis number on the Gold Lapel Badge and sent me the information attached. It states that the Bean motor vehicle was shipped to Australia ,(Melbourne) via King George V servant as a Royal commissioned car to Mr CR John Turriff. With all this information now adding up to what I had found...it was time to try finding the Turriff Family. Within the next weeks CR H.Ballentine from Hopetoun contacted me with the Great great great grandson Ian Turriff contact details in Melbourne. With special thanks to all involved in the handover return right down to the jeweller in Berri S.A that cleaned the medals. I was delighted to have such an emotional handover after being lost for 101 yrs. in the ground to the Turriff Family. The medals where presented back to the Turriff Family at the Hopetoun Cemetery where Cr John Turriff rests. Minelab - Changing Peoples Fortunes.
Bob – SA, Australia.
