The Victoria Cross for New Zealand was established in 1999 when New Zealand created a new award system. The original British Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. The medal is made from the gunmetal of a weapon supposedly captured at the siege of Sevastopol.
About Victoria Cross for New Zealand in brief
The Victoria Cross for New Zealand was established in 1999 when New Zealand created a new award system. It has been awarded once, on 2 July 2007 to Corporal Willie Apiata for actions in 2004. The original British Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. The medal is made from the gunmetal of a weapon supposedly captured at the siege of Sevastopol, but several historians have since questioned the true origin of the gun metal. In the last 60 years several Commonwealth countries have introduced their own honours systems, separate from the British Honours System. Australia, Canada and New Zealand have each introduced its own decorations for gallantry and bravery, replacing British decorations such as the Military Cross with their own awards. Most Commonwealth countries, however, still recognise some form of the VC as their highest decoration for valour.
The New Zealand and Australian awards are still made by the jewellers Hancocks from the same gunmetal used for the originals. It is estimated that approximately 80 to 85 more VCs could be cast from this source, and their origin is a mystery. A single company ofjewellers, Hancock of London, has been responsible for the production of every VC. Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart. The Australian and New Zealander Victoria Crosses are made from same gun metal as the originals, but the legend has been changed from FOR VALOUR to the Latin PRO VALORE. The awards were designed to be the final in the development of a distinct New Zealand Royal honours system. I am confident the new system will enable New Zealand to recognise the various acts of heroism performed in our community.
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This page is based on the article Victoria Cross for New Zealand published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
