Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: equ14 (pencil, lower right) PG 5/7/5-63 (blue pen, centre)port of portland archives, construction, breakwater

This photograph was when Regional Victoria was able to travel around the state, but Melbourne was still in Covid19 lockdown. Colour photograph of a Covid19 social distancing sign on the Warnambool breakwater.warrnambool, coast, breakwater, covid19, pandemic, social distancing

This plan is of great significance to the local history of Warrnambool, in particular the Breakwater and its impact on Warrnambool's maritime and trade history. The plan shows the existing jetties at the Port of Warrnambool, plus the partially erected Breakwater and proposed works to the Breakwater by both the Borough of Warrnambool Surveyor and Sir John Coode. The plan was signed 28th February 1879 by Sir John Coode. The legend at the bottom left describes the existing works and the proposed works. The Warrnambool Breakwater Sir John Coode was a British harbour engineer. He was brought to Melbourne by the Melbourne Harbour Trust to advise on works to improve the Port of Melbourne. The Victorian Government commissioned him to present a plan to complete the Warrnambool Breakwater. His original plan was too expensive so he prepared a revised plan for a shorter structure. The work was completed in 1890. The construction proved to be too short to protect adequately from the weather and didn't allow enough depth for larger vessels to come into port. The decreasing trade was further affected by siltation in the bay due to the breakwater, and the completion of the railway line. The situation of the harbour became a real problem that, by 1910, required continuous dredging. In 1914 the Breakwater was extended but proved to be a failure because the work began to subside and by 1920 about two thirds of the harbour was silted up. Alterations made in the 1920's increased the silting problem and by the 1940's the harbour was no longer used. More alterations were made in the 1950's and 1960's. The Warrnambool Breakwater is registered as a place of significance on the Victorian Heritage Database. This plan of the proposed works for the existing Warrnambool Breakwater is of great significance to the local history of Warrnambool, in particular the Breakwater and its impact on Warrnambool's maritime and trade history. The Warrnambool Breakwater is registered as a place of significance on the Victorian Heritage Database (VHR H2024). It is historically significant to Victoria as one of the most important maritime engineering projects in Victoria in the late 19th century. The Warrnambool Breakwater is of historical significance as one of the most important maritime engineering projects in Victoria in the late nineteenth century. It is evidence of Victoria's nineteenth century investment in regional port infrastructure and the development of Victorian coastal shipping. It is of significance for its association with the English civil engineer Sir John Coode, the most distinguished harbour engineer of the nineteenth century, who was brought to Victoria to advise on works to improve the Port of Melbourne, but was retained by the Government to advise on improvements to the harbours at Portland, Geelong, Port Fairy, and Lakes Entrance, as well as Warrnambool. His projects for Melbourne, Lakes Entrance and Warrnambool were major engineering projects of the nineteenth century. The breakwater is historically significant as a reminder of Warrnambool's early maritime history as a Western District port, and as one of Victoria's major 'outer ports'. While the Warrnambool Breakwater is a demonstration of the engineering skills of the nineteenth century, it also demonstrates the limitations of knowledge relating to sedimentology at the time and the confidence apparent in a number of nineteenth century plans which assumed that natural forces could be overcome or contained by engineering.Plan of Warrnambool Harbour, Port of Warrnambool, dated 28 Feb 1879. Plan shows existing Breakwater and work proposed by both Warrnambool Borough Surveyor and Sir John Coode. Plan has gold coloured quarter-dowel rods top and bottom and a metal ring at the top. Stamped with title. Signed by Sir John Coode.Stamped "VICTORIAN HARBOURS / WARRNAMBOOL / PLAN / to accompany / SIR JOHN GOODE'S REPORT / DATED 28 FEB 1879" Signature "John Coode"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, sir john coode, borough of warrnambool surveyor, plan of warrnambool, victorian harbours, warrnambool harbour, warrnambool breakwater, port of warrnambool, vhd vhr h2024, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, maritime village, map, chart, plan, lady bay, breakwater, jetty, pier, vhr h2024, proposed works, 1879

Black and White Photograph of S.S Casino taken 1930-1932. The Casino is berthed at the Warrnambool Breakwater, either loading or unloading. A person is attending a container at the bottom of a ramp between ship to Breakwater. People are sitting or standing on the Breakwater. The S.S. Casino was a passenger and freight steamer built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1882 for the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company of N.S.W. She weighed 425 tons gross with a length of 160.4 feet, beam of 24.1 feet and depth of 10.2 feet. She had saloon accommodation for 35 people, forecabin for 25 more people, and she carried 300 tons of cargo. While on her delivery journey on May 30th 1882 the S.S. Casino called in at the Port of Warrnambool for coal ., narrowly escaping going ashore in gale force winds due to the quick action of the pilot. At that time, still at anchor, she impressed the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company so much that they bought her immediately; she was ideal for trade in along the West Coast of Victoria. (Belfast is the original name for Port Fairy, South West Victoria. The Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company was first managed by Messers. Saltau and Osburne and after the passing of Mr. Osburne, by produce merchants Messers H. Sautau and Sons, whose had a hay and corn store and shipping agency was on the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in Warrnambool. ) The S.S. Casino became “the most famous steamer to operate in Victorian waters along the West Coast” by author Jack Loney. Captain Boyd was her first Master, followed by Captain Chapman, who stayed with her 1890 until 1924. Captain W. Robertson followed for a short term, then Captain Middleton then took command 1925 - 1932. The S.S. Casino had several mishaps during her life. One was on 3rd January 1898 when she collided with the S.S. Flinders in Apollo Bay with minor damage. Another was on 24th October 1924 when she grounded on a reef at Point Hawdon near Grey River and most of her cargo (of Christmas goods) had to be dumped into the sea. Then in February 1929 she was ‘holed’ when she struck a submerged object as she entered Lady Bay, Warrnambool. On the morning of 10th July 1932, after attempting to berth at Apollo Bay jetty in heavy seas, Captain Middleton decided to take her out into the bay and wait until the seas abated. It was not realised that the anchor used to steady her as she manoeuvred to her berth had pierced her hull. She put about and headed for the beach but sank. Captain Middleton and nine others lost their lives; nine people were rescued including the two female passengers . Captain Middleton had been in charge of the S.S. Casino for seven years. He was the first ship’s Master to lose his life through shipwreck in the West Coast trade. In the years following the turn of the century the S.S. Casino remained the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast. From 1882 she had made at least 2,500 voyages on the one run. Flagstaff Hill’s collection has a photograph of a portrait of Captain Chapman, , a ship model of the S.S. Casino that shows both forms of power under which she sailed, steam and sail. The ship is painted green and flies three flags. The inscription across the case of the ship model, incorrectly dated, tells the sad story of the wreck of the ship and the loss of lives on July 10th 1932 at Apollo Bay. A print in the Collection show S.S. Casino underway in heavy sea off Point Lonsdale, another two photographs show her at the Port of Warrnambool, leaving from the Breakwater in Lady Bay and another identifies the S.S. Casino as a ship from the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company. (Belfast is the original name for the township of Port Fairy). This object is significant because of its association with the coastal trader S.S. Casino 1882-1932 and its significance to trade along Victoria's West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th century. The wreck of the S.S. Casino is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and as such has been declared and protected as an Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Black and White Photograph of S.S Casino taken 1930-1932. The Casino is berthed at the Warrnambool Breakwater, either loading or unloading. A person is attending a container at the bottom of a ramp between ship to Breakwater. People are sitting or standing on the Breakwater.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, newcastle and hunter river steam navigation company, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, h. sautau and sons, s.s. casino, west coast trader s.s. casino, victorian coastal trader, captain boyd, captain w. robertson, captain chapman, captain middleton, apollo bay shipwreck, s.s. casino at lady bay warrnambool, saltau and osburne

Postcard of Warrnambool breakwater with ships tied along side. Colouredflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, postcard, warrnambool breakwater, breakwater

This photograph shows the steam dredge Pioneer working to remove silt in Lady Bay, Port of Warrnambool. The dredge belonged to the Ports and Harbours department in Melbourne. Also in the photograph are two moored vessels, and the Warrnambool Lifeboat shed and Rocket house built on the Warrnambool Breakwater. The Warrnambool Harbour had been experiencing heavy silting and sanding for many years. The problem continued even after the construction of the Breakwater in 1890. The Ports and Harbours' new, larger suction hopper dredge, the Matthew Flinders, was also employed in May 1919 to remove the heavy silting in the Harbour. Both dredges were sent up from Melbourne when required over the years to periodically attend to the silting. The Matthew Flinders was still dredging the Harbour even in the 1930s. (The ship’s original master was J G Rosney. In February 1922 Percy Taylor from Ports and Harbours joined the Matthew Flinders as a Mate. 1923 the master in charge was Captain Dunbar. In August 1926 Percy Taylor was appointed as her Master and was later transferred to the Pioneer as Master in 1933.) 1930 the dredges were no longer required as the Harbour was no longer suitable as a port. However, one source notes that the Matthew Flinders was still dredging the Harbour in 1938.This photograph is significant for its association with the Port of Warrnambool, the Warrnambool Breakwater, and the issue of the silting in Lady Bay. The photograph is significant historically as it shows a point in time when efforts were employed to keep the Port of Warrnambool functioning, allowing shipping activities to continue operating. The need for dredging in the Warrnambool Harbour was a serious and ongoing problem, as silting continued to happen after a series of measures were taken to try and resolve the issue. Eventually, the Harbour could no longer function successfully as a port.Photograph, black and white, showing two similar images and printed together. Images of Lady Bay, Warrnambool, the dredge 'Pioneer' on the left, ships and the Warrnambool Lifeboat and Rocket House on the right, beside the Breakwater. Ca. 1900 to 1930."BL016"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, dredge, mathew flinders i, warrnambool harbour, lady bay, sanding, silting, breakwater, captain dunbar, ports & harbours, marine technology, percy taylor, matthew flinders, pioneer, dredge pioneer, lifeboat house, rocket house