The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold was instituted by Warrant of 20 May 1970, published in the South African Government Gazette no. 2718 dated 29 May 1970. The Warrant was amended twice, on 11 November 1971 and 30 May 1973. It is the senior of two classes of South Africa's highest civilian decoration for bravery and it replaced and ranked on par with the King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Gold, the award of which was discontinued, respectively, upon the accession to the British Throne of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 and upon the establishment of the Republic of South Africa in 1961. The decoration was named in memory of Wolraad Woltemade, an elderly servant of the Dutch East India Company, who gave his life while rescuing shipwrecked sailors in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. The ship De Jonge Thomas broke anchor in a gale force Northwestern and was driven ashore in the Salt River Mouth. Woltemade rode his horse into the sea seven times and brought surviving sailors ashore each time, but on the eighth excursion Woltemade and his exhausted horse were overladen by panic-stricken sailors and drowned.
Award criteria
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold could be awarded to South African citizens who performed acts of conspicuous bravery within or beyond the borders of the Republic of South Africa, and also to non-citizens who had distinguished themselves in this manner in the Republic or in territories belonging to or administered by the Republic, or who elsewhere and in the face of extreme danger had saved the lives of South African citizens or protected property belonging to the Republic, or endeavoured to do so. The decoration was, like the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Gold, mainly intended for civilians and its award to members of the uniformed services was restricted to acts of gallantry for which the decorations of the services are not normally awarded.
Order of wear
The position of the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold in the official national order of precedence was revised three times after 1990 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration process of 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory para-military forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of new sets of awards in 2002 and 2003, but it remained unchanged on all three occasions.
;Obverse The decoration is silver-gilt and is 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim and a large ring suspender. The obverse depicts Wolraad Woltemade on his horse in the waves, with the words "FOR BRAVERY • VIR DAPPERHEID" around the perimeter at the top. This was the same design as used on the reverse of the earlier King's and Queen's Medals for Bravery, Gold. ;Reverse The reverse depicts the crest of the South African Coat of Arms, a lion holding four staves to represent the four provinces of the Republic of South Africa. The crest is encircled by a wreath of proteas which is, in turn, encircled by the inscription "REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA" above and "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" below. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 44 millimetres wide and blue with 4 millimetres wide light orange edges. The same ribbon was used for the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Silver.
Recipients
Altogether eighteen decorations were awarded. 1984
Bester, Dirk Uys — saved his family from an armed intruder in their home
1985
Koen, Petrus Lucas — died trying to rescue fellow school pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
Du Toit, Daniel Sarel — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
Mahner, Alfred — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
Opperman, Gotlieb Rudolf — rescued fellow pupils from the Westdene dam disaster
Scheepers, Petrus Johannes Joubert — rescued children from the Westdene dam disaster
Van Rensburg, Johann — died trying to save a girl from drowning at Cape Vidal
Van der Merwe, Michiel Casparus — died trying to save a girl from drowning at Cape Vidal
Louw, Abraham Jacobus — saved his brother from being electrocuted by high-tension cables
1986
Brown, Jacobus Johannes — drowned trying to save a man from a flooded drain
Campbell, Gordon Victor — died trying to fight off an armed attacker near White River
Ahlers, Willem Constantyn — fought off an armed attacker near White River
Lloyd, Owen Hugh — saved his son from the jaws of a crocodile in the Zambesi river
1987
Darvel, Shaun — died trying to save his brother from drowning
Human, Jacobus Johannes Daniel — died saved a woman from a gang of armed attackers in Johannesburg
Van der Westhuizen, Willem Petrus — saved a woman from a gang of armed attackers in Johannesburg
Jooste, Johannes Petrus — died saving a woman from an oncoming train at
Saint, Douglas Brett — rescued his sister from a burning boat
Discontinuation
The Woltemade Decoration for Bravery, Gold was discontinued in 1988, when it was replaced by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery, Gold.
