Polar Medal

The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Monarch of the United Kingdom. It was instituted in 1857 as the Arctic Medal and renamed the Polar Medal in 1904.

In 1904, the Polar Medal was inaugurated for members of Captain Scott’s first expedition to the Antarctic. It was also awarded to the crews of both rescue ships, the Terra Nova and Morning. Subsequent medals were also awarded to members of Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions in 1907-09 and 1914-17.

The medal is octagonal in shape with a white ribbon. The front of the original Arctic Medal showed a three-masted ship surrounded by ice floes.  A new design by Ernest Gillick was used from 1904, showing the ship Discovery, with a sledging party in the foreground. The back bears a portrait of the reigning monarch.

The medal was originally cast in both silver and bronze. Since 1939, all awarded medals have been silver; bronze medals were presented to personnel on relief ships for Antarctic expeditions, but not awarded to participants of Arctic expeditions.

Until 1968, the Polar Medal was presented to anyone who participated in a polar expedition endorsed by the government of any Commonwealth country. However since then the rules governing its presentation have been revised with greater emphasis placed on personal achievement.

Old Wesley Collegians Archie Hoadley, Gordon de Q Robin, Max Corry and Bob Summers would have been awarded the Polar medal. Dr Joe Johnson (OW1961) himself a veteran of Antarctic expeditions has kindly supplied this and the Australian Antarctic medals.