Wilhelm and Marie Wischer were the founding couple of the successful Wischer phosphate and chemical works at Yarraville, Melbourne. They had emigrated from Magdeburg in Germany in the late 19th century and had undertaken the journey to Australia over three months. During this voyage, several passengers had died and a number of babies had been born. The travellers had endured storms, injuries, broken equipment, and numerous other privations. The couple had lived in the suburb of Hawthorn and their family history is documented in a book by John Wischer. The link is in references this document from "Kainos Books" and makes for fascinating reading as it reveals an account of life in Melbourne during the late 19th and early 20th century. The book also gives an account of the Wischer phosphate mining activities on Ocean Island in 1904, Wischer & Co. eventually merged with Mt. Lyell Chemical works.An item giving a snapshot of early industrial life in Melbourne during the late 19th century with also an interesting story of early migration to Australia. The item also makes us aware of the privations early migrants had in trying to establish a life in a new country and how the Wischer family overcame these challenges to establish a very successful business.Jug, clay large with handle glazed screw on stopper. Sulphur Acid Wischer Chemical Company Yarraville printed on side, also a number 5 on the screw lidflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Cast iron mercury bucket, used to hold mercury, potentially in the process of recovering minute pieces of gold mixed in soil and sediments. See research page for description of one process of using mercury to extract gold.gold mines, mining equipment, mercury bucket, miners used mercury in a number of ways to amalgamate gold, with each mill or battery operator having their preferred method depending on the nature of the ore. by the late 1850s the most common way of crushing goldbearing quartz ores or consolidated alluvial cements was in a stamp battery. the battery featured heavy iron stamp heads held in a frame, with each head often weighing up to 500 pounds (226 kg) or more (see msv 1880, page 45) (birrell 2005). stamp heads were lifted and dropped by a rotating overhead cam shaft driven by a steam engine or water wheel. ore was fed into a large cast-iron battery box, mixed with a steady stream of water, and pulverised by the stamp heads. in some batteries, mercury was placed in the base of the boxes to amalgamate with freed gold. the violent agitation of the mercury in the mortar box, however, could cause the mercury to break into myriad tiny globules that were carried away by the water with the tailings, thus losing a certain amount of gold in the process (thompson 1867; ritchie & hooker 1997). the water and sand slurry was splashed by the falling stamps from the box through fine mesh screens and onto inclined wooden tables below the mortar box (figure 2). the tables were covered with copper sheets or plates coated with mercury, which caught and amalgamated with a portion of the gold. the grey putty-like amalgam was periodically scraped off the sheets and retorted in a furnace to collect the gold and recover the mercury for reuse. mercury was inevitably lost from the plates, while poor maintenance resulted in further losses of gold and mercury in the tailings. mercury use and loss from gold mining in 19th century victoria. peter davies1, susan lawrence, and jodi turnbull, department of archaeology and history, la trobe university.

The "Dead Man's Penny" of Private George Matthews (24/1744) is a district link to the First World War. George enlisted with the Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force as a rifleman. Born in 1891, he was a former pupil of Myrtleford State School 955 and was one of four first cousins killed in action and recorded in a memorial window and honour board at the Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church, the Soldier's Memorial Square and on the State School Honour Board. George's parents, John and Mary Matthews,received the plaque in a pack, together with a letter and commemorative scroll from King George V. George Matthews is buried at the Caterpillar Valley (N.Z.) Memorial, France, having died on October 1, 1916, aged 25. The memorial plaque links local family tragedy to world conflict. It represents the impact of such events must have had on small town communities. George Matthews' enlistment in New Zealand is an indicator of the migratory nature of men involved in gold mining after the decline of the industry in Victoria and New South Wales in the late 19th centuryA World War 1 memorial plaque issued to next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who died as a result of the war. They were round and cast in bronze, hence their similarity to the much smaller penny coin. The plaque includes an image of Britannia, holding a trident and standing with a lion. Britannia holds an oak leaf above the deceased's name, which is recorded without rank. Two dolphins swim around Britannia, symbolizing sea power, and at the base a second lion is tearing apart the German eagle. Around the picture a legend reads: "He died for freedom and Honour"Name engraved: GEORGE MATTHEWSmemorial plaque dead man's penny george matthews

This sign was required to be displayed in the vicinity of gold mining sites. Myrtleford district was known to have had 100 sites within a ten mile radius of the town; the sign was recovered by Charlie McFadyen, a local prospector and fossicker, of some 60 yearsThe sign relates to local gold mining activity, a key source of wealth and employment from 1854 to the late 19th century. Such signs continued to be in use during the period between World War 1 and 2,including the period of the Great Depression.Tin rectangular mining sign embossed with a warningInscription: "THIS LAND IS AURIFEROUS AND SUBJECT TO MINING CONDITIONS"auriferous mining

Cornelius Westh was presented with this award for attempting to rescue John James who was buried by a fall of earth in the Imperial Mine Hiscocks on 23 June 1891Record of an attempted mine rescue in the late 19th century by a prominent local citizenColoured, framed copy of an award presented to Cornelius Westh by the Royal Humane Society of AustralasiaGift of Christine Westh to Buninyong and District Historical Society February 1995mining, hiscocks, rescue, award, westh

Cornelius Westh was presented with this award for attempting to rescue John James who was buried by a fall of earth in the Imperial Mine Hiscocks on 23 June 1891Record of an attempted mine rescue in the late 19th century by a prominent local citizenFramed colour photograph of Royal Humane Society medal awarded to Cornelius Westh by the Royal Humane Society of AustralasiaGift from Westh family to Buninyong and District Historical Society February 1995mining, hiscocks, rescue, award, westh

This is a colour photograph of a gum leaf painting that is one of many done by the well-known self-taught Australian artist Alfred William Eustace (1820-1907). A.W. Eustace, an Australian artist, was born in Berkshire, England, where he was an assistant gamekeeper to the Earl of Craven at Ashdown Park. He migrated to Australia with his wife and children in 1851 and worked on the Ullina and Eldorado Runs on the Black Dog Creek at Chiltern, which was in excess of 50,000 acres of grazing land. A.W. Eustace was employed as a shepherd by Jason Withers and while tending his flocks in the solitude of the bush, Eustace turned his attention to painting and music to while away the long and weary hours. He endeavoured to capture the spirit of the bush painting on board, canvas or tin plate, but as these materials were not always readily available he then started painting on large round eucalyptus leaves from the White and Red Box trees that grew around about him. About 1856 he painted a small picture of the famous Woolshed goldrush and during the next few years became well known in North-East Victoria. John Sadlier, a police officer stationed at Beechworth said that Eustace painted 'some really exquisite scenes. He was of an easy-going dreamy temperament, a student of nature only, despising the works of men. Unfortunately his drawings were on eucalyptus leaves, the largest and roundest he could find and not on canvas, and no doubt have all perished long ago.' In 1876 the Melbourne Age newspaper reported, 'Eustace’s celebrated paintings on gum leaves are again attracting attention,…Mr Eustace is an elegant artist…he seems without effort to catch the colour and spirit of Australian scenery…' In 1864 A.W. Eustace held an Art Union in Albury, and again in 1884 in Ballarat. He exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts in 1877 and also held an exhibition of gum leaf paintings at Stevens Gallery, Melbourne in 1893. By 1896 he was receiving orders from heads of states in Europe, with his works acknowledged by Queen Victoria, Emperor Frederick of Germany and the Czar of Russia, as well as the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria. His paintings reflected his ability to paint the sky in his realistic style which is still noted by art critics of the day. A.W. Eustace was also a skilful taxidermist. The collection of birds and animals that can be seen at the Beechworth Museum are examples of his taxidermy skill. When not doing his work, painting or taxidermy, he regularly contributed letters and verse to the Chiltern newspaper, The Federal Standard. A book of verse in his hand writing was presented to The Athenaeum Trust by the Boadle family. In the 1870’s he became interested in spiritualism often being involved in lively debate at lectures and séances. Alfred William Eustace died in 1907 and is buried in the Chiltern New Cemetery with his wife Sarah and one of his daughters, Elizabeth.Colour photograph of an oil painting on gum leaf by A.W. Eustace. A man is panning for gold in a stream with a house and hills in the background. Under glass in a decorative gilt and cream coloured plastic frame.Hand writing on tape at back of frame: COPY OIL ON GUM LEAF 10" x 5" A W EUSTACE owned by Betty & Alf Brownlie 2260alfred eustace, gum leaf painting, chiltern, gold panning, gold

Nimons Bridge was built in 1890, as part of the then Ballarat-Linton railway. The bridge is 17 spans with tall timber piers of four driven piles each, with triple sets of diagonal cross-bracing and walers and a single row of longitudinal horizontal bracing between piers. The spans are of a uniform twenty feet (6.1 metres), originally supported by four 21-inch x 9-inch (535 mm x 230 mm) Kauri timber beams per span, following the standard V.R. design of the period. When the superstructure was rebuilt after the 1953 fire, the timber beams were replaced with two 24-inch (610mm) deep rolled-steel-joists on each span. These are marked 'Lancashire Steel Co., Scotland' and are believed to have been second-hand. The deck of transverse-timber planks is 103.6 metres in length. Overall the bridge has an impressive appearance with its exceptionally tall triple-cross-braced piers creating a 'three-tiered' effect, with the deck 19.2 metres above the Woady Yaloak River. The Ballarat-Skipton line closed in 1985. Nimons Bridge has been recently restored, as part of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail. How is it significant? Nimons Bridge is significant for technical, historic and aesthetic reasons at a State level. Why is it significant? Nimons Bridge is technically significant as Victoria's fourth-tallest timber trestle bridge when built, and as the third-tallest surviving example. It is also the second-largest composite bridge combining traditional timber piers with RSJ spans and a timber deck and falls within a select group of fewer than ten timber railway bridges with horizontal longitudinal bracing between the piers and three sets of double cross-bracing on its tallest piers, creating a visually striking 'three tiered' effect that enhances its viaduct form. Nimons Bridge is historically significant as having served initially the mining community at Linton, then the Western District agricultural area and in later years a kaolin quarry at Pittong. Nimons Bridge is historically significant as a representative of the 'light' branch line methodology that stimulated the explosion of railway construction in Victoria during the 1880s, and provides an interesting contrast with the more solid and vastly more expensive railway viaducts built in similar terrain on Victorian main lines, at Moorabool and Taradale, in the late 1850s. Approached by a deep cutting and high embankment at either end, the bridge represents a very cost-effective late 19th century engineering solution to the characteristic physiography of western Victoria with flat basalt plains intersected by deep wide valleys occasionally subject to severe flooding. Nimons Bridge is aesthetically significant for its visually impressive viaduct form, crossing a deep and steep-sided valley that is part of a rich cultural landscape. Within close proximity of the bridge are mullock dumps, tailings, shaft sites and other relics of the deep-lead alluvial mining era. The bridge is the most visually spectacular timber-trestle rail bridge in Western Victoria and is among the most spectacular timber-trestle rail bridges surviving anywhere in Victoria. It is part of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail. Classified by the National Trust :02/10/2000 (http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/67986)Colour photograph of a log bridge known as Nimon's Bridge.ballarat-linton, nimons bridge, nimon's bridge, log bridge, viaduct, timber-trestle rail bridge

Bishops Palace was built in 1877 as the home for the first Catholic Bishop of Ballarat. Designed by Melbourne architect, Joseph Reed, of Reed and Barnes, it was built by George Broom at a cost of £6,000. Reed and Barnes also designed Melbourne’s State Library, Ripponlea Estate and the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building. The original heritage-listed gold lead stencilled paintwork that can be seen in the front entry and on the staircase walls at Bishops Palace was replicated in the Royal Exhibition Building. The original property was 140 squares set on 11 acres of gardens and took up an entire block of Sturt Street. This was on scale with the importance of Ballarat as a gold-mining centre at the time. Bishop's Palace is of architectural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. The two-storey bluestone mansion is an impressive example of 19th-century Gothic architecture with an unusual design. It retains many of its original features, including lead stencilled paintwork, cornices, ceiling roses, fixtures and fittings. Since sold by the Catholic Church the Bishops Palace has undergone a number of transformations in its lifetime, from the home of the first Bishop to a private residence, and today, as a luxurious accommodation, wedding and events venue. The grounds were subdivided over the years, and the property is now surrounded by four of the original 11 acres of gardens. It opened its doors to the public in 2019.Colour image of the bluestone Bishop's Palace, and it's cast iron lace.architecture, garden, bishop's palace, cast iron lace, cast iron, catholic church

Comprehensive and brief account of the Eureka rebellion and the story of the flag of the Southern Cross. Includes photographs of various artistic representations that are held in the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. Written for the 150th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. Contents: Machine derived contents note: Eureka Timeline and Personalities 6 Eureka Revisited: the contest of memories 9 Anne Beggs Sunter The Eureka Flag and its champions 23 History of the Flag 24 Holy Relics - the puzzle of the pieces 35 Design and making of the Eureka Flag 38 Symbols and Legend 40 Artistic interpretations 40 Films 44 Writing and dramatising the legend 47 Songs and Musicals 49 The living tradition of protest 50.Relevant to the history of Ballarat, gold mining, Ballarat Reform League and the Eureka Rebellion.Book; 56 pages; pictorial. Front cover: white background; colour painting, "Pioneer", by Sally Smart; blue and gold text; title.btlc, ballarat trades hall, lalor, peter, humffray, john, eureka stockade, eureka stockade - anniversary, eureka flag, southern cross flag, art and history, ballarat reform league, history - ballarat, ballarat trades and labour council, art, australian - 19th century - exhibitions

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage, ellis, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage,, ellis,, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage, ellis, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage, ellis, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage, ellis, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

A stone’s throw from Land’s End, this is the most westerly Area of the Site. St Just is characterised by big skies, jagged rocks, stark moorland, and iconic clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic in some incredible locations. No wonder this dramatic setting has inspired generations of artists, writers and photographers. World-famous for their mineralogy, the mining sites here are extremely well preserved – as is the sense of community amongst the people whose lives they once dominated. This Area’s unique geography and mineralogy meant that undersea mining was more concentrated here than anywhere else in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest surviving Cornish beam engine (constructed in 1840) remains in its original engine house at Levant, restored and still working under steam. Geevor, one of the last mines to close in Cornwall (1990), was saved from demolition and is now the largest metalliferous mine site open to the public in the UK. The historic mining town of St Just is home to characteristic rows of granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and, just off Bank Square, a medieval grassed amphitheatre – the Plen an Gwary or ‘playing place’.st just, world heritage, ellis, penrose, cornwall, mining, mines

Diggers & Mining. The Chinese on the Gold Fields. Slide: Many Chinese took up other occupations; some became successful market gardeners, fishermen, laundrymen, cooks, and sellers of tea and sugar (till near the end of the 19th century, both these commodities came from China). In Melbourne, they made fine cabinet makers; the first successful tobacco growers in Victoria were Chinese in the Ovens Valley. Markings: 12. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

Davis Open Cut Stawell showing 19th Century shaft uncovered by recent excavations by Western Mining.stawell mining

Galena is the natural compound of lead and classed as a sulphide, it crystallises in a cubic pattern and its chemical formula is PbS. Galena is a primary source of both lead and silver. This specimen of Galena comes from Broken Hill. Broken Hill has one of the world’s largest and most significant deposit of ore for the production of lead. Mining of Galena at Broken Hill began with the staking of land by Charles Rasp in 1883. By the following year, in 1884, Rasp and six others had formed Broken Hill Mining Company. Broken Hill Mining Company eventually evolved into BHP group limited and is currently the largest mining company in the world and the largest company in Australia. There is archaeological evidence from artefacts discovered in Turkey that humans have been extracting lead from galena by the process of smelting since at least 6500 BCE. This specimen also has quartz on the top surface which is frequently discovered alongside Galena. This mineral specimen is of historic significance as a sample of Galena extracted from Broken Hill during the 19th century. Mining for Galena in Broken Hill begin in 1883 by Charles Rasp and evolved into the world’s largest mining company – BHP Group Limited. Broken Hill is one of the world’s most significant deposits of ore for the production of lead. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.A flat, hand-sized, grey sulphide specimen that is the natural compound of lead with a quartz formation on the top surface. Existing Label: GALENA / (with quartz) / Locality: Broken Hill / N.S.W 120 x 70 x 29geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, galena, galena quartz, quartz, charles rasp, broken hill mining company, bhp group limited, bhp, lead, ore, lead sulphide, sulphide, silver, broken hill