A document written in 1976 by Legatee Frank Meldrum containing his account of the start of Legacy. He was responding to a request for information about the history of Legacy that the archive committee was collating. He mentions several key members by name and what they achieved. As with other similar accounts he mentions the original objective was to see diggers placed in employment. When two years later the focus changed to the families 'thanks to Frank Doolan Legacy found its SOUL'. Many other accounts have also used the term 'soul' when referring to Frank's suggestion. It seems many Legatees had been quietly helping families of their comrades; Frank 'said he was helping a widow with two children of an old army mate. It was discovered that several of the Board were doing the same. Stan Savige had taken over the care of his widowed sister and her two boys, whose father had died at Passchendale. I had a widow with two little ones whose father was one of my best mates at Anzac. He died of flu virus after returning to Australia. I think eleven members of the Board or Committees were already giving similar service. Frank's proposal caught on immediately. Legacy had found its Soul!' 'Harold Peters started his Lit and Debating Class and I was asked by Stan to find a PT instructor', Frank Meldrum asked for the 'Billy' Williams to helped, and a cobber from Anzac, Louis Vavjanezki, to take on boxing and wrestling classes. 'All committees carried their own expenses amongst themselves - nothing was charged to JLC. Hugh Brain started the Education Committee and was given a donation, I think of $1000 (a heck of a lot in those days) by the Ballieu Bros.' He also mentions 'For the first 5-10 years practically all administrative costs were borne by the members.' 'Stan Savige was, of course a tremendous driving force in all the work for the Juniors. He put on a Christmas Camp at Balnarring on his own property and was Camp Commandant and Camp Cook.' Legatee Keith Mitchell helped Frank Meldrum in doing a dental examination of all children in the classes and then Frank did the necessary treatments in his rooms. When it was known they were treating over 400 children and their mums, Syd Birrell then got the board to co-opt two more dentists into the Club and form a Dental Clinic. Syd Birrell also started a Legal Committee to provide free legal advice. 'Committees quietly vied with each other to give better services to the Juniors and their mums. It was an atmosphere that was unbelievably happy - SERVCE WITHOUT SELF'. He mentions picnics, including one at Grimwade house - photos are at 01382 - where legatees were dressed up. The first demonstration was held in the 'Playhouse, just over Princes Bridge and was a great success.' Aaron Beattie and Mrs Gilles were mentioned. The notation H33 in red pen shows that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy. A summary of the first fifty years of Legacy written by a key founding member.White foolscap paper with black type x 6 pages of Frank Meldrum's account of Legacy's history dated 6 March 1976.Handwritten H33 in red pen and 'from Meldrum' in blue pen on first page. Stamped 'COPY ONLY' in purple ink.history, founding legatee, frank meldrum

This meticulously hand crafted ship model is one of the most intricate and challenging projects for a ship modeller to create. Jim Williams took up the challenge, choosing to make all of the components by hand, following a plan of the ship rather than purchasing a pre-made kit. He even made his own tools specifically for working with this model. The “Sovereign of the Seas” 1637-1697 - The magnificent ship “Sovereign of the Seas” was ordered by Charles I of England, who desired a giant Great Ship to be built. It was built by Peter Pett under the guidance of his father Phineas, the King's master shipwright, and launched with 102-guns at Woolwich Dockyard on 13th October 1637, as the Navy’s second three-decker first-rate ship. It was the most extravagantly decorated warship in the Royal Navy, bought with the help of a special 'Ship Money' tax imposed by the King. Soon afterwards the ship was remodelled and cut down to a safer and faster ship. Over the ship’s lifetime it was renamed “Commonwealth”, then in 1650 it became simply “Sovereign” then again after a rebuild in 1660 it was named “Royal Sovereign”. By 1642 the ship’s armament had been reduced to 90 guns. In 1651 Sovereign was made more manoeuvrable by reducing the upper works. It served throughout the wars of the Commonwealth and became the flagship of General Robert Blake. It was involved in all of the great English naval conflicts fought against the United Provinces and France and was referred to as 'The Golden Devil' by the Dutch. By 1660 the armament was changed attain to 100 guns. After the English Restoration, it was rebuilt as a first-rate ship of the line, with flatter gun decks and 100 guns, and most of the carvings were removed. During the First Anglo-Dutch War, in a secret session on 21 October 1652, the States-General of the Netherlands announced reward money for the crews of fire ships that succeeded in destroying enemy vessels; the Sovereign was singled out with an extra prize of 3000 guilders to sink or ruin it. Although repeatedly occupied by the Dutch, the Sovereign was retaken every time by the British and remained in service for nearly sixty years as the best ship in the English fleet. The Sovereign was in regular service during the three Anglo-Dutch Wars, surviving the Raid on the Medway in 1667. After a second rebuild in 1685 the Sovereign was relaunched as a first-rate ship of 100 guns, before taking part in the outset of the War of the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV of France, venturing into the Irish Sea, and later participating in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690 and the Battle of La Hougue. At this time she was more than fifty years old. It was the first ship in history to fly ‘royals’ above the topgallant sails and a top gallant sail on the jigger-mast. The Sovereign eventually became leaky and defective with age and was laid up at Chatham when, on 27th January 1697, the famous ship caught fire, burning to the waterline. Jim Williams, the model’s maker - Jim (James Bernard) Williams was born in 1888 at The Forth in Scotland. He lived in Tasmania for some time and enlisted to fight in France in WW1. After the war he moved to Warrnambool, Victoria, where he worked at the Cramond & Dickson clothing store until the Great Depression in the 1930’s. He was later employed at Fletcher Jones Menswear, where he worked for 27 years until just before his death in 1959. Jim was a passionate ship model builder. He worked on his model ships between 1930 and 1955, including The Endeavour and The Sovereign of the Seas, which was one of the most intricate historic ship models to build. He had a table set up in a bay window and worked on them on and off using a jeweller's eye glass on the finer pieces. Jim’s long-time employer, Fletcher Jones, knew of Jim’s hobby and skill as a ship model builder and requested Jim to describe the model, Sovereign of the Seas, with the view of putting it on display. When the model was finished there was a full article and photo in The Standard newspaper. Jim described his work on the ship mode “Sovereign of the Seas” in correspondence to his then employer, Fletcher Jones. The document gives us an insight into his skill, patience, and regard for replicating the details of the original ship. Some of the details are: "In making the model the time taken to make certain items might be of interest. For instance "The Great Lantern" on the stern, four weeks, a similar time for the figurehead of St George & the Dragon. "The lower shrouds three to each side about six weeks & the rigging as whole several months. There are nearly 300 blocks and pulleys ranging from nearly 1 / 16 inch in diameter. Dead eyes were bored with 3 to 5 holes. To do this needles of different sizes, set in handles & ground to wedge ends were used. Glass cut and ground to shape were used windows. All gun-port covers (74) hinged. "All guns and anchors made of wood. Nothing for the model was purchased ready-made; everything hand made." Jim’s family donated the ship model along with many associated tools, accessories and papers. The model represents the Sovereign of the Seas. The Royal Navy ship of the line launched in 1637 has a significant British maritime heritage. These days the Sovereign of the Seas still remains one of the most intricate historic ship models to build, representing to the model enthusiast a true challenge to the art of model shipbuilding. The model of Sovereign of the Seas in Flagstaff Hill's collection is an exemplary example of a ship model built and hand crafted from a plan with the making of every item on the model, not a model kit with prefabricated parts. It was made by a local Warrnambool man Jim Williams as a leisure activity in the mid 20th century. The hobby and craft of ship model making has resulted in visual representations of the changes in maritime technology and advances in world-wide navigation. Ship model of HMS Sovereign of the Seas, a 17th century British warship. The handmade model is in wooden framed, airtight glass case. All components were hand crafted. Many of the tools used were made by the model maker, Jim Williams. An inscribed plaque is within the case. Inscribed on plaque "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS / 102 GUNS - 1634"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, model ship, vessel sovereign of the seas, jim williams, james bernard williams, the forth tasmania, freda williams, heather williams, phyllis bowditch, fletcher jones staff 1936, 17th century sailing ship, cramond and dickson, sovereign of the seas, royal sovereign, sovereign, charles 1, ship model

A complete set of 8 blueprints from “Popular Mechanics Magazine”, Chicago. The blueprints are on a royal purple coloured paper with white print. Each print displays labelled diagrams to assist the hobbyist to assemble the ship model “Sovereign of the Seas”. The designer is Harold T. Bodkin. Distinct fold creases divide the documents into quarters. There is some silverfish damage leaving holes, however, all instructions are visible. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, model ship, vessel sovereign of the seas, jim williams, james bernard williams, the forth tasmania, freda williams, heather williams, phyllis bowditch, fletcher jones staff 1936, 17th century sailing ship, cramond and dickson, sovereign of the seas, royal sovereign, sovereign, charles 1, fletcher jones, warrnambool breakwater, popular mechanics magazine