a strange belt buckle, help (NIL DESPERANDUM VICTOIRA)

[Just]

Hello

what is this buckle ?
on web I can see Australia.... but ?
why Victoira and not Victoria ?

thanks for answers
cordially
Didier
[IMG][/IMG]

[Mike B]

Google turned up epay item 162900247629
This description
VICTORIAN BRASS BELT BUCKLE - NIL-DESPERANDUM - VICTORIA
Nildesperandum was a mining town in Victoria Australia. This could be a Police or Militia belt buckle. The Mines Museum, Police Museum, and the Melbourne Museum have no record of this buckle.
No markings

Not sure this helps as VICTORIA appears as VICTOIRA in your example - letters misplaced in die?
M

[JerryBB]

nil desperandum......nothing to despair of. Interesting if it is a place name.

[GriffMJ]

Australian Militia .... just a spelling mistake. There are belt buckles with the correct spelling of Victoria .... the place rather than HMVic'

[manchesters]

Very Interesting.

Would never have known there was a town called that.

regards

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Very Interesting.

Would never have known there was a town called that.

regards

Now you know

[Just]

Hello Gentlemen

many thanks !

Didier

[kingsley]

I have seen several different versions of this buckle, some look as if they are steel, some brass. Never seen the Victoire variety before.
I believe it was worn by the Victorian Artillery "bullock battery" at Sunbury in Northern Victoria, well documented online.
Rupertswood was the name of a very large 1874 mansion and Wikipedia says it "had its own... artillery battery". The mansion was taken over in more recent years by the Salesian College who started some kind of renactment group, complete with artillery and nice copies of Victorian F.A. uniforms. The 'Rupertswood Battery' is also well documented on the web in full colour. Sadly it disbanded in 2011 and various items sold off.
See Ebay # 13413135153 (among the last I have seen).
I have never seen a full uniform picture of the buckle being worn, either from 1889 or 20th Century, but it is reasonable to assume it was this one. All I know is that the buckle became more widely available after 2011.
Nil Desperandum is a heritage name in Victoria, dating from two famous 19thC shipwrecks, and given to two or three gold rush mines. Never heard of a town of that name, nor of Rupertswood.

[Ironside410]

I have one of the ferris metal versions of the Nil Desperandum Victoria buckle.

It was purchased from one of Victoria's leading militaria dealers about 10 years ago. According to him the providence indicated it was from the Hastings Battery of the pre-federation Victorian Artillery.

A few people have offered the opinion that the buckle was police or prisons but extensive research has negated this.

Dennis

[badjez]

And there was me thinking it was a Beckham fashion item read in English - 'Don't worry Victoria'...

Stephen.