Chapter 101: The Victoria Commemorative Medal
After giving instructions to the officials of New Zealand, Arthur turned his attention back to the scene of the military parade.
Although the total number of Australian troops barely exceeded ten thousand, the parade was still quite substantial, consisting of four soldier formations and two equipment review units.
The four soldier formations were composed of the infantry and cavalry units of the Guards and the National Defense Forces.
As for the two weapon review formations, they were carried by carriages transporting the two most heavily equipped weapons currently used by the Australian army: the CA-1 autocannon and the MA-96 Maxim machine gun.
To maintain the solemnity of the parade, the horses used to transport these weapons were carefully selected Australian brumbies.
The white military horses slowly pulled the weapons from one end of the street, bringing shock and awe to the Australian people no less than the previous soldier formations.
These two heavy weapons, along with the M1897 artillery currently in development, would become the most reliable sources of firepower for the Australian Army.
Such a large-scale parade was not without purpose. It aimed not only to strengthen the national consciousness of Australians and assure them that they had a powerful army to protect their country and safety but also to boost the enlistment enthusiasm among Australian youth. The size of the Australian military remained too small, insufficient even to form a full division.
Moreover, with overseas colonies such as New Guinea under its control, expanding the military was a necessary endeavor.
According to Arthur's preliminary estimates, Australia would launch a conscription plan in the coming year—not only to expand the army but also to prepare for the enlargement of the navy.
On the naval front, there was hope of mastering the technology of the Braunschweig-class battleship within a year.
So far, Australian and German experts had been working together on the battleship for more than half a year.
Thanks to the Germans' generous sharing of knowledge, Arthur's shipyards and the Australian experts had made very rapid progress.
There was hope that by the end of 1902, Australia would fully master the construction technology of the Braunschweig-class battleship, granting it the ability to build battleships independently.
Although Arthur did not yet plan to build capital ships, the construction of cruisers and frigates was already feasible.
However, establishing a navy wasn't just about having warships—training naval personnel could take even longer than building the ships themselves.
Once dreadnoughts emerged in the future, Australia would inevitably have to construct its own dreadnought.
Though that might take some time, it wouldn't hinder the immediate start of training programs for naval personnel.
In Arthur's expectations, before the outbreak of World War I, Australia would have an army of at least 50,000 soldiers and a fairly sizable navy with five capital battleships and dozens of medium and small warships.
Of course, this was a massive plan that would require substantial funding and mastery of many technologies Australia had yet to acquire.
But Australia's ambitions were far greater than just Oceania. Whether it was the Dutch East Indies to the north, New Zealand to the east, or the Indian Ocean to the west—all were lands Australia sought to expand into next.
After the parade concluded, the cheers and shouts of the crowd did not cease. If not for Arthur stepping forward and standing next to the microphone, the waves of sound across the square might have continued indefinitely.
Once the crowd had completely quieted down, Arthur said, "Citizens, today is a day to celebrate. I hereby declare that every year from January 10th to January 16th, a seven-day period will be designated as Australia's National Day Week. National Day Week is a statutory holiday in Australia. Generally, all businesses and factories are expected to grant leave. If there is a critical need to work overtime, double the normal wages must be paid."
Arthur's words stirred strong reactions among the crowd. In an era where 12-hour workdays were the norm in factories, having legally mandated holidays and overtime pay at double rate was not something easily gained.
To have an extra week every year either to rest or to earn seven days of additional pay was something most Australians gladly welcomed.
Of course, all this stemmed from the policies issued by the Duke whom they loved dearly.
"In addition, to commemorate the great Queen Victoria's contribution to the founding of the Principality of Australia, and to honor the future contributions of all citizens to Australia, the royal family and the government will establish three types of medals: the Victoria Commemorative Medal, the Royal Knight Medal, and the Australian National Medal. The detailed rules for awarding these three medals will be announced by the government, serving as rewards for those who make contributions to the Australian government and royal family. Each medal comes with its own reward policy, but they all share one thing in common: every recipient will receive an annual bonus equal to ten times Australia's per capita income. This bonus will continue to be paid even after the recipient passes away and can be collected by their designated relatives or family members, up to the third generation. If no relatives are designated, the funds will be equally divided among all direct descendants," Arthur solemnly announced.
For a monarchy, medals were a traditional means of honoring meritorious individuals. Especially the Victoria Cross, created by Queen Victoria, which remained a highly prized medal even in later generations.
The Victoria Commemorative Medal that Arthur announced essentially held the same symbolic weight.
While commemorating Queen Victoria, it also served to recognize those who had made significant contributions—or even saved—the nation and the royal family.
This also meant that earning the Victoria Commemorative Medal would be incredibly difficult. As a vital method of royal recognition for citizens, Arthur did not intend to make the medals cheap—at least not this one.
Upon hearing Arthur's words and the announcement of the three medals and their generous rewards, many Australians were visibly moved.
Say no more—just earning any one of the three medals would mean receiving ten times the average Australian income every year, and it could be collected for up to three generations. What kind of crazy policy was this?
Winning just one of these medals would allow someone to stay at home and collect money without working. And this income could support not only themselves but also their entire family.
Almost everyone instinctively began to imagine: what if I could win one of these medals?
People always hold a certain beautiful hope for their future and fantasize that they might be the lucky one.
Many Australians were already eagerly awaiting the government's announcements on how to obtain the medals once the National Day celebrations were over.
As long as at least one of them seemed obtainable, many would surely take real action.
(End of Chapter)
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