Bendigo Independent Wednesday 23 October 1895
Three Heroes
The signal act of bravery that was performed by Deputy Chief Officer O'Brien, of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade on the occasion of the fire on the ship Hilaria at Port Melbourne recently, received official recognition on Tuesday (state the Age),when, at the head fire station Mr O’Brien was presented with a gold medal by the Acting-Governor, Sir John Madden.
There was a large muster of men on the occasion from the various branch stations in the suburbs. These were all drawn up in parade form under the command of Superintendent Stein as his Excellency entered the station. The Acting-Governor was received by the president of the board, Mr J. R, Ballenger, who handed to him the gold medal, with a request that he would present it as a token of tho board’s appreciation of Mr O'Brien’s action in recovering the late Superintendent Gee from the burning bold of the Hilaria.
His Excellency, in presenting the medal, spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr O'Brien’s brave action.
So conspicuous was the bravery displayed by the miner, J, Ferguson, at the Eldorado disaster; also, the miner, J. Tonkin, at Bendigo, in rescuing a mate from workings filled with foul air; and lately by Mr O'Brien, on the Hilaria, that he was quite unable to decide which of the three had been the most distinguished for heroism, and therefore most deserving of Her Majesty’s gold medal. For that reason he had recommended all three cases for the consideration of Her Majesty’s advisor, leaving to them the responsibility of deciding wherein the greatest heroism was shown.
On receiving the medal O’Brien was loudly applauded, and the proceedings terminated.
