News Story
This weekend there are public celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of Auckland's High Court Building. Publicity has centred on the building's historic neo-Gothic design, its austere interior and the gargoyles around the outside. And this is the link to firefighters throughout New Zealand who have served five years and have been presented with the United Fire Brigade Association's Silver Medal. Anton Teutenberg, who designed those gargoyles, also created a version of the 5 year medal. Teutenberg arrived from Germany in 1866 and set up as a gunsmith and engraver of dies etc. He proved his talents as a carver and won the contract to create the gargoyles for the new Court Building. Then, in the mid-1880s the UFBA asked Teutenberg to revise the design of its 5 year medal and his die endured for many years - in fact today's medals are little different. He introduced the elaborate suspender for the medal with flames at each end and the central phoenix. This also endures, and with the medal itself, numismatists agree that it's Teutenberg's most-used legacy - except perhaps during celebrations at the Court Building when his gargoyles will be under scrutiny!
Footnote: The UFBA service awards, from 1881, are the oldest New Zealand medals surviving: the only earlier local decoration was the New Zealand Medal for service by military personnel in the Land Wars (1845-1866).
