This roll or reel of paper was part of a consignment carried as cargo of the Falls of Halladale. The iron-hulled, four-masted barque, the Falls of Halladale, was a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 on her way to Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold, along with 56,763 tiles of unusual beautiful green American slates (roofing tiles), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6500 gallons of oil, 14400 gallons of benzene, and many other manufactured items, were 117 cases of crockery and glassware. Three months later and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked on a reef off the Peterborough headland at 3 am on the morning of the 15th of November, 1908. The captain and 29 crew members all survived, but her valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. ABOUT THE ‘FALLS OF HALLADALE’ (1886 - 1908) Built: in1886 by Russell & Co., Greenock shipyards, River Clyde, Scotland, UK. The company was founded in 1870 (or 1873) as a partnership between Joseph Russell (1834-1917), Anderson Rodger and William Todd Lithgow. During the period 1882-92 Russell & Co., standardised designs, which sped up their building process so much that they were able to build 271 ships over that time. In 1886 they introduced a 3000 ton class of sailing vessel with auxiliary engines and brace halyard winches. In 1890 they broke the world output record. Owner: Falls Line, Wright, Breakenridge & Co, 111 Union Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Configuration: Four masted sailing ship; iron-hulled barque; iron masts, wire rigging, fore & aft lifting bridges. Size: Length 83.87m x Breadth 12.6m x Depth 7.23m, Gross tonnage 2085 ton Wrecked: the night of 14th November 1908, Curdies Inlet, Peterborough south west Victoria Crew: 29 The Falls of Halladale was a four-masted sailing ship built-in 1886 in Glasgow, Scotland, for the long-distance cargo trade and was mostly used for Pacific grain trade. She was owned by Wright, Breakenridge & Co of Glasgow and was one of several Falls Line ships, all of which were named after waterfalls in Scotland. The lines flag was of red, blue and white vertical stripes. The Falls of Halladale had a sturdy construction built to carry maximum cargo and able to maintain full sail in heavy gales, one of the last of the ‘windjammers’ that sailed the Trade Route. She and her sister ship, the Falls of Garry, were the first ships in the world to include fore and aft lifting bridges. Previous to this, heavily loaded vessels could have heavy seas break along the full length of the deck, causing serious injury or even death to those on deck. The new, raised catwalk-type decking allowed the crew to move above the deck stormy conditions. This idea is still used today on the most modern tankers and cargo vessels and has proved to be an important step forward in the safety of men at sea. On 4th August 1908, with new sails, 29 crew, and 2800 tons of cargo, the Falls of Halladale left New York, bound for Melbourne and Sydney via the Cape of Good Hope. The cargo on board was valued at £35,000 and included 56,763 tiles of American slate roofing tiles (roof slates), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6,500 gallons of oil, 14,400 gallons of benzene, plumbing iron, 117 cases of crockery and glassware and many other manufactured items. The Falls of Halladale had been at sail for 102 days when, at 3 am on the night of 14th November 1908, under full sail in calm seas with a six knots breeze behind and misleading fog along the coast, the great vessel rose upon an ocean swell and settled on top of a submerged reef near Peterborough on the south-west Victoria’s coast. The ship was jammed on the rocks and began filling with water. The crew launched the two lifeboats and all 29 crew landed safely on the beach over 4 miles away at the Bay of Islands. The postmistress at Peterborough, who kept a watch for vessels in distress, saw the stranding and sent out an alert to the local people. A rescue party went to the aid of the sailors and the Port Campbell rocket crew was dispatched, but the crew had all managed to reach shore safely by the time help arrived. The ship stayed in full sail on the rocky shelf for nearly two months, attracting hundreds of sightseers who watched her slowly disintegrate until the pounding seas and dynamiting by salvagers finally broke her back, and her remains disappeared back into deeper water. The valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. Further salvage operations were made from 1974-1986, during which time 22,000 slate tiles were recovered with the help of 14 oil drums to float them, plus personal artefacts, ship fittings, reams of paper and other items. The Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne ruled that the foundering of the ship was entirely due to Captain David Wood Thomson’s navigational error, not too technical failure of the Clyde-built ship. The shipwreck is a popular site for divers, about 300m offshore and in 3 – 15m of water. Some of the original cargo can be seen at the site, including pieces of roof slate and coils of barbed wire. The roll of paper is an example of cargo brought to Australia in the early 20th century. It is also significant for its association with the Falls of Halladale shipwreck, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976).Roll of paper. Paper has remains of a wooden peg up through the centre and a lot of sedimentation. This roll was recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. It was part of a large consignment of paper listed as part of the cargo manifesto.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, falls of halladale, shipwreck peterborough, 1908 shipwreck, great clipper ships, russell & co., paper, reel, roll, paper reel, paper roll, cargo, consignment

Tait collection: item 45 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall (nee Wood) who died intestate in Warrnambool in 1897 at the age of 53. She lived in the area in north Warrnambool known as Spring Gardens and left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £484. The estate was granted to her husband, Joseph Wall. The lawyer concerned with this document, Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was in possession of this document and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. It was located in this building in 2014.This document is of some significance as it contains details of the Letters of Administration of Jessie Wall who was a 19th century resident of Warrnambool. Her husband’s father was an important early settler in Warrnambool. The document will be useful to researchers.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two pages (brownish-black ink). One of the pages has hand-ruled black lines on the edges of the page. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is also a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is a little stained but the writing is legible. The document gives details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall of Warrnambool who died in November 1897.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Jessie Maria Wall late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Married Woman deceased Intestatejessie wall, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens

Tait collection: item 46 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton (called Miles Stanton in the Will and Myles Staunton in the official Victorian death records). He died at Tower Hill in 1898 at the age of 72. He was a farmer in the Koroit district and left real estate to the value of £2799 and personal estate to the value of £128. The chief beneficiaries were his wife and children. Miles Stanton was unable to write and signed his will with a cross. The lawyers involved, Fletcher and Mackay and Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century. The document, with others, was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler street (Fletcher and Mackay, later Mackay Taylor) and located in this building in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton who was a 19th century farmer in the Koroit district.This is a white piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages have ruled margins in red and there is handwritten material on four pages in black ink. There is no proper seal attached but there is a hand-drawn circular sketch representing the seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. The document contains information on the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton of Koroit who died in 1898.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Miles Staunton in the Will named Miles Stanton late of Koroit in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceasedmiles staunton, ernest chambers, fletcher and mackay, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 47 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Letters of Administration following the death in 1895 of Charles Spencer of Brooklands, Birchanger, Essex, England. It is not known why the document has been drawn up in Melbourne and also makes reference to Warrnambool lawyers but it is presumed that some or all of the beneficiaries of the will lived in the Warrnambool district at the time. Charles Spencer left personal estate to the value of £689 to his wife, Emily, and children. Mentioned in the document are the lawyers J.S.Tait and Henry Parrington who were partners in a law firm in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century (going under the name of Higgins and Parrington). The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street and it was located in this building in 2014. The Letters of Administration for this estate was granted to Henry Parrington. The personal estate comprised £689 which had been lent to Spencer Smith on the security of land in the Parish of Wangoom, County of Villiers the repayment of which is secured by an indenture of mortgage dated 1st June 1892. [Ref: PROV. VPRS28/P0002, 73/750 Charles Spencer Grant of Administration] This document has no known local relevance except for the involvement of two Warrnambool 19th century lawyers. Further investigation has shown the personal estate mentioned in this will comprised £689 as a mortgage secured loan to a local resident, Spencer Smith.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four pages which have black ruled lines on the edges. The 1899 document gives details of the Will and Letters of Administration of Charles Spencer, of Brooklands, Birchanger, in the County of Essex in England. The blue seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are two red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is a little stained but legible.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Charles Spencer of Brooklands Birchanger in the County of Essex England Gentleman deceasedj.s.tait, henry parrington, warrnambool history, charles spencer, tait collection, spencer smith

Tait collection: item 48 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of William James Osborne, a Tallangatta farmer who died in 1896 at the age of 59. His death place is given as Tower Hill. A William Osborne is listed as a Wangoom farmer in 1856, a farmer at ‘Thompson’s Old Farm’ in Allansford in 1866 and a farmer at Winton Farm on the Allansford Road near Shipley in 1869 but these references may be to William Osborne’s father as there is mention of a William Osborne, Junior at that time. William James Osborne left real estate to the value of £560 and personal estate to the value of £81 to his wife, Hannah. The lawyer who drew up this document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was in possession of this document and it has passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 (former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor). This document is of interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of William James Osborne, a farmer in the Allansford area in the 19th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages have handwritten material in brown ink and the pages are not ruled. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat stained but legible. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of William Osborne of Tallangatta in the County of Heytesbury. He died in 1896. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of William James Osborne late of Tallangatta in the County of Heytesbury in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceased. ernest chambers, warrnambool lawyer, william james osborne, tallangatta, tait collection

Tait collection: item 57 of 62 This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a Nirranda farmer. He died in 1900 at the age of 85 and left real estate to the value of £600. The main beneficiaries were his sons and £30 was left to Mary Le Couteur, his daughter. He also bequeathed to the Wesleyan Church the half acre of land that the church was on at that time (presumably in the Nirranda district). The document has been drawn up by the law firm of O’Mahony and Murray which operated in Warrnambool early in the 20th century. The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located there in 2014 in the same building, the premises last occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a farmer from Nirranda.This is a piece of white paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages are ruled with blue lines and have margins ruled in blue. There is handwritten material on three pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are nine red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one purple stamp of the Savings Bank (Head Office). The document is a little stained and the writing is fading but legible. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of the Nirranda farmer, Thomas Sleeman who died in September 1900. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will and Codicil of Thomas Sleeman late of Naranda in the County of Heytesbury in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased.o’mahony and murray, warrnambool lawyers, thomas sleeman, warrnambool history, tait collection, nirranda

Tait collection: item 53 of 62This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines, a widow, who died in 1904. She was previously from Woodford but was resident in Warrnambool at the time of her death. She left personal estate to the value of £772 with the chief beneficiary being her daughter, Jane. The Wines family was a well-known one in the Woodford/Mailors Flat areas with Charles and Hannah Wines arriving in the district in the early 1850s. The lawyer involved in drawing up this document was Henry Parrington who was in partnership with Jabez Higgins in the 1880s and 90s and from 1900 to 1901 in partnership with John Tait. From 1901 on Henry Parrington had a legal practice on his own account. The legal practice was in Kepler Street. Parrington died in 1926. This document was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street law premises and located there in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines who was a resident of Woodford (19th century) and later Warrnambool (early 20th century). It will be useful for research. This is a white piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages had ruled margins in red and have handwritten material in black ink. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines of Warrnambool who died in 1904.In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Ann Wines formerly of Woodford but late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria widow deceasedann wines, henry parrington, tait collection, warrnambool, woodford

Tait collection: item 54 of 62 This document gives the details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney who died intestate in 1907. He was aged 64. In this document he was described as a farmer from Dennington, near Warrnambool but a Michael Maloney is listed in 1866 as a butcher and this may be the same person or a member of his family. Michael Maloney left real estate to the value of £160 and personal estate to the value of £38. This was passed over to the son, Michael Maloney, a railway employee of Flemington, Melbourne. The lawyers involved in drawing up this document were O’Mahony and Murray who had legal offices in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Con O’Mahony had established his practice in Warrnambool in the 1880s under the name of Klingender, O’Mahony and Murray and by the 20th century this was operating under the name of O’Mahony and Murray. Con O’Mahony died in 1920. This document was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 (the former premises of the legal firm of Mackay Taylor). This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney, a farmer in the Dennington area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two to make four pages. The front page has ruled black margins and there is handwritten material on two of the pages in brown ink. These two pages also have printed italic script on them in black ink with the handwritten material inserted in the spaces left. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court on the first page. The document is somewhat stained. The document gives the details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney of Dennington who died in 1907. In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Estate of Michael Maloney, late of Dennington, in the State of Victoria, farmer, deceased, intestate. Letters of Administration.o’mahony and murray,, warrnambool solicitors, michael maloney 1907, warrnambool, michael maloney dennington 1907, michael maloney, tait collection

Tait collection: item 56 of 62. This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of Warrnambool. She died in 1909 at the age of 77 years. She was the widow of Charles Wines who died in 1900 and they had migrated to Australia from England in the early 1850s. They settled first in the Woodford area and in the 1880s moved to Mailors Flat. Hannah and Charles Wines had a large family with eleven surviving children at the time of Charles’ death in 1900. Hannah Wines left no real estate but had personal estate to the value of £8. This she left to her daughter Sarah Lees. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers, the lawyer involved in drawing up the document. He had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The document then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool where it was located in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines who was a well-known resident in the Warrnambool area during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Two of the pages have ruled black lines around the edges and three of the pages have handwritten material in brown ink. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There is also a blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The document is a little stained and the writing is somewhat faded but legible. This is a 1910 document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of WarrnamboolIn the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Hannah Wines late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Widow deceased.warrnambool, hannah wines, charles wines, hannah wines will, tait collection, ernest chambers

Tait collection: item 27 of 62. This document contains details of the Will of William Stacey Spencer, formerly of Stanstead, Mount Fitchet but late of Birchanger, Essex, England. He was a corn merchant and malster and died in England in October 1897. He left an estate with a gross value of £4973, with the beneficiaries being his wife and children. Three codicils were added to the will, one being caused by the death of an executor, William Spencer’s brother. The English lawyers involved in drawing up this will were Richardson, Foxwell and Hart of Much Hadham, England. As this document is an Exemplification of the Will and was drawn up in the colony of Victoria it is presumed that one or more of the beneficiaries was a resident in Victoria and possibly in the Warrnambool district. The Warrnambool lawyers, Henry Parrington and Con O’Mahony have their names in the document. The document has been, with others, passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in that building in 2014. Unless some local connection can be found to William Spencer, this document is of interest only in that it was drawn up by local Warrnambool lawyers in 1899.This is a cream-coloured document consisting of five double parchment pages bound together with green cord and including a folded-over inset piece of paper on the front page. Nine of the pages have ruled black lines on the edges and there is handwritten material in black ink on nine pages. The document gives details of the will and codicils of William Spencer of Essex, England who died in1897. The document has the seal of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice, Probate Division, attached with white binding and a stamp for three pounds attached with a metal insert. The document is somewhat grubby but is legible.In Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (Probate Division), Principal Registry Exemplification of Will of Mr William Stacey Spencer deceased Dated 15 August 1899william spencer, con o'mahony, henry parrington, tait collection, william stacey spencer

Tait collection: item 59 of 62. This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in September 1901. Frederick Gazzard owned the ‘Tooram’ bacon and ham curing factory at the corner of Carrolls Road and Tooram Road in the Allansford area and employed six men. He was a founding member of the Allansford Church of England and lived with his family of seven children at ‘Como’, Allansford. He left real estate to the value of £1,440 and personal estate to the value of £1,664. The beneficiaries were his children, with his household effects and £200 going to his daughter, Ellen. She is believed to have taken an active role in the administration of the family factory. This document was drawn up in the office of William Ardlie, a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool for over sixty years. It has then been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street until it was located in these premises in 2014. This document is of considerable interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard. He and his family were prominent and influential in the community life of Allansford in the 19th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with blue lines ruled at the edges of three of the pages. There is handwritten material (brownish-black ink) on three of the pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are six red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The writing is somewhat faded and the pages are stained but the text is legible. The document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in 1901. In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick William Gazzard late of Allansford in the State of Victoria Bacon curer deceasedfrederick gazzard, tooram bacon factory, carroll's lane allansford, como allansford, tait collection

Tait collection: item 60 of 62 This is a document giving George Weeks, a sawmiller from Invercargill in New Zealand, an order of discharge from his debts in 1883. In the Southland Times of March 1876 there is a notice of a meeting of creditors of George Weeks of Invercargill in the matter of his insolvency. It is not clear whether the document we have concerns that same insolvency or a further one. If it is the same one then it took seven years for George Weeks to gain his legal discharge from debt. It is not known how this document came to be in Warrnambool but it is assumed that it was in the possession of a Warrnambool lawyer, probably Ernest Chambers, who had legal offices in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal offices in Kepler street, Warrnambool and was located in this building in 2014. This document has no known relevance to Warrnambool except that it was in the possession of a 19th century Warrnambool lawyer. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two, with handwritten material in brown/black ink on two of the pages. The material gives details of the court order of discharge from debt of George Weeks, a sawmiller from Invercargill, New Zealand. There are red lines ruled at the edges of one of the pages. There is a red stamp of the District Court of Western Otago. The writing is fading but legible. In the District Court of Western Otago Holden at Invercargill In the matter of the Debtors and Creditors Act 1876 and the several acts amending the same and in the matter of George Weeks of Invercargill Sawmiller a debtorgeorge weeks, invercargill new zealand, tait collection

Nothing is known of the deceased, Jane Murray except that she died at the age of 49 and her husband was William Murray, a Stawell saddler. She left an estate to the value of £400. Tait collection: item 4 of 62This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in a forerunner firm to Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out.This is a piece of parchment folded and sealed at the bottom edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached by a blue ribbon. The document has ruled black lines and handwritten material in black ink. There is a hole on the document at one of the folds and one edge is torn.‘In the Estate of Jane Murray late of Stawell in the Colony of Victoria, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that the sum of £4-0-0 for Duty on the within estate has been paid, Registrar of Estates, Geo. L. Skinner, Proctor, 99 Collins St. W. Melbourne’. jane murray, stawell, warrnambool

Nothing is known of Robert Main except that he was a Warrnambool carpenter who had a wife named Jane and he died on 9th August 1880. He left an estate to the value of £35. The Warrnambool lawyers, Bayley and Higgins operated in Warrnambool in the 1880s. Mr Bayley came from Port Fairy and Jabez Higgins, well-known in Warrnambool for his sporting and community interests, purchased the legal practice of Bayley and Higgins with his brother in 1875. Jabez Higgins built the residence, ‘Corio’ in Warrnambool and died in 1886. Tait collection: item 6 of 62This document is of significance only in that it is an example of probate papers drawn up by Warrnambool solicitors for a deceased Warrnambool resident in the 1880s. This is a piece of white parchment with ruled black lines and folded and sealed at the bottom with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a blue ribbon. There is also a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is dated 1881. Apart from some minor staining the document is in good condition. The material is handwritten in black and red ink‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in its Probate Jurisdiction, in the Estate of Robert Main, late of Warrnambool, in the County of Villiers in the Colony of Victoria, carpenter, deceased, Letters of Administration, Bayly and Higgins, Proctors, Warrnambool, Recd. 6/9, 25o, 8/11/81, W.A.R.’robert main, bayley and higgins, solicitors

No information is available on George Murray except that he was a Melbourne accountant and died intestate in 1885. He left property to the value of £91 and the lawyer, Ernest Chambers, who was at that time at 12 Chancery Lane, Melbourne, was directed to list the creditors of George Murray and distribute the estate accordingly. Mr Chambers was one of George Murray’s creditors. Ernest Chambers later had a legal practice with offices at Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy with the known dates 1897 to 1910. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the Warrnambool office and he was the one who had this document in his possession at that time and it was passed down to succeeding lawyers in the Kepler Street building. Tait collection: item 7 of 62This document is of interest in that it was originally issued by the lawyer Ernest Chambers who later had an office in Warrnambool. This is a piece of parchment containing the 1885 Letters of Administration in the estate of George Murray, a Melbourne accountant. The document is white with black ruled lines and has handwritten material in black ink. The document is folded at the lower edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a green ribbon. There is also a blue stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is in good condition apart from some minor staining. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction, in the Estate of George Murray, late of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, accountant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that no duty is payable on the within Letters of Administration, John W. … (office under section 6), 15/6/85’. george murray, ernest chambers, warrnambool

This document concerns the estate of Alexander Florida Cameron, a seedsman from Melbourne in the firm of Grant and Cameron of 41 Bourke Street West, Melbourne. He died intestate in 1887 and left real estate to the value of £263 and personal estate to the value of £4744. This estate was to be administered by his son, Richard Ross Cameron. Tait collection: item 8 of 62This document has no apparent local significance and is of interest only as an example of the Letters of Administration issued in the 1880s. This is a piece of cream parchment with ruled black lines and the lower edge folded back with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached to the document by a black ribbon. The document contains handwritten material in black ink and a blue stamp from the Revenue and Pay Office and a red stamp from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat stained but is otherwise in good condition.‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction in the Estate of Alexander Florida Cameron, late of Bourke Street West in the City of Melbourne, Seed Merchant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that the sum of £40-7-0 duty of the within Letters of Administration has been paid, Drake and Gair, 3 St. James Buildings, 59 William Street Melbourne, Proctors. W. Ravent Stephen, Office under Section 6, Act 388, 10/6/87’alexander florida cameron, drake & gair, solicitors, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 19 of 62 This is an 1899 document giving Will and Probate details of William Cox who died in Warrnambool in March 1899. He was a farmer residing in Moore Street Warrnambool at the time of his death at the age of 83. He left real estate to the value of £425 and personal estate to the value of £412 to Gwenllian Williams who may have been his sister or niece. A Mr and Mrs Williams were also living in the Moore Street house at the time of Cox’s death. His executors were Thomas Goodall, a law clerk who managed the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool and John Ward, a pioneer settler in Warrnambool and a shopkeeper in Jamieson Street in 1899. No other details are available on William Cox. This is an interesting document as it gives details of the Will and Probate belonging to a local Warrnambool person, William Cox. The lawyer dealing with the document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document has been passed on to successive lawyers occupying legal chambers in the Kepler Street building and that is where the document was held until passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014.This is an 1899 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides of the paper. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with blue ribbon and there are two stamps, one blue one of the Colonial Bank in Warrnambool and the other a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The writing is very clear but the pages are a little stained.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of William Cox late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased; Probate; I certify there is no duty payable on this probate (signature) Officer under Section 96 of act No 106; E J W Chambers Warrnambool Proctors for the Executorswilliam cox, ernest chambers, john ward, thomas goodall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 27 of 62 This document contains details on the will and probate of Sarah Fry who died in Warrnambool in March 1905 at the age of 47. She was the daughter of Edmund and Jane Lord and came to Australia with her parents and some of her siblings aboard the Electric in 1869. In 1888 she married Francis Joseph Fry, a Warrnambool plasterer. Sarah Fry left real estate to the value of £450 and personal estate to the value of £202. The beneficiaries of her will were her husband, Francis and her three children, Sarah, James and Doris. The lawyer Ernest Chambers had offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had this document in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of interest as it contains information on the will and probate of Sarah Fry, a resident of Warnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It will be useful for researchers.This is a 1906 cream-coloured parchment sheet folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. Three of the pages are ruled with black ink. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria attached with a blue ribbon and a red stamp of the Master-in-Equity of the Supreme Court. The document includes the will and probate details of Sarah Fry, a married woman from Warrnambool. All the pages are somewhat stained but one page is very grubby. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Sarah Fry late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceased.ernest chambers, sarah fry, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 29 of 62 This document contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The document indicates that he died intestate in August 1896 at the age of 57 but details of a will are included in the document. The fact that this document was drawn up 14 years after his death indicates that there was a problem with the will. James Jones left real estate to the value of £80 and personal estate to the value of £10. The sole beneficiary was his widow, Mary Ann Jones. No other information has been found on James Jones. No Warrnambool lawyer is mentioned in this document but it was located at the former legal premises in Kepler Street of Mackay Taylor and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014. It is presumed that it had been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the same building since 1910. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of a Warrnambool resident, James Jones. It will be useful for research.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper (1910) folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The first page has black printed material in script with the information filled in in black ink. It contains the information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The paper is ruled on one side with black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon. One page is very stained. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will and Estate of James Jones late of Warrnambool in Victoria Gardener deceasedjames jones, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 30 of 62 This document contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran of Port Fairy Road, Warrnambool. She died in December 1889 but, as she died intestate, the Letters of Administration were not processed until 1911. Ann Doran left no real estate but left personal estate to the value of £116. The sole beneficiary was her daughter, Jane Doran. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had this document in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street. It was located in this building in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society at that time. This document is of some interest as it contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran who lived in Warrnambool at the time of her death in 1889. It will be of use to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two sides. One page has ruled black lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. One page is somewhat stained.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Estate of Ann Doran late of Port Fairy Road Warrnambool in the State of Victoria married woman deceased intestate. Letters of Administration.ann doran, ernest chambers, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 31 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick John Jones, a farmer of Nirranda who died in October 1910. He left real estate to the value of £200 and personal estate to the value of £43. The beneficiaries were his daughter Harriet Jones, his son Frederick Augustus Jones and his grandson, Claude Eagle. No other information has been found on Frederick Jones, Senior. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located in 2014 in the same building, the former offices of Mackay Taylor. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment folded in two containing handwritten material on the Probate of Frederick Jones of Nirranda, 1911. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat discoloured.In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick John Jones late of Nirranda in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria farmer deceased frederick jones, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 32 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart, a married woman of Warrnambool who died in January 1905. Ellen Hart (nee Stocker) 1829-1905, came to Victoria in 1859 with her first husband, George Greening, and two of their children. George Greening died in 1863 and Ellen married a widower, George Hart, in 1881. Ellen and her second husband were involved in the activities of the Warrnambool Methodist Church. Ellen Hart left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £9. The beneficiary was her stepdaughter, Charlotte Hart. Ernest Chambers, who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, was the lawyer concerned with this document. He had it in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is of interest as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart who lived in the Warrnambool area for many years in the 19th century. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten information on the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart of Warrnambool. She died in January 1905. Three of the pages have black ruled lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are three red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is slightly discoloured. In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Ellen Hart late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceasedellen hart, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens

Tait collection: item 35 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander Gibson McPherson, a farmer of Rochester, Victoria, in December 1883. He died intestate and left an estate worth £215. The beneficiary was his sister, Mary Wright of Somerton. No other details are available on Alexander McPherson. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession at his Warrnambool office and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was found in the same building, the former premises of the legal firm, Mackay Taylor, where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is only of interest as being originally in the possession of Ernest Chambers, a lawyer who was in Warrnambool for several years at the end of the 19th century. No connection between Warrnambool and Alexander McPherson has been found. This is a cream-coloured sheet of parchment paper, folded twice. It contains hand written material in brown ink giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander McPherson of Rochester in 1883. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and it has ,a black stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court of Victoria. One page has been ruled at the edges with brown lines. The writing is somewhat faded but the document is legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction in the Estate of Alexander Gibson McPherson late of Rochester in the Colony of Victoria Farmer a bachelor deceasedalexander mcpherson, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 36 of 62 This document contains the details of the Will and Probate of David Williams of ‘Morgrugyn’ farm near Woodford. He was born in 1804 and died in 1889. He was a pioneer settler in the Woodford area, arriving, according to the Pioneer Honour Board, in 1842. His son, Ivor, was Secretary of the Grasmere Cheese and Butter Factory for some time and Secretary of the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory in 1888. David Williams left real estate to the value of £1540 and personal estate to the value of £1075. The chief beneficiary was his eldest son, David but other sons and grandsons also benefited. His wife, Mary, was left £300, a house to live in rent free during her lifetime, two cows and the right to graze them on the farm, six silver spoons, her bed and bedding, washstand and ware, a dressing table, a table in the dairy and ‘all the crockery and cooking utensils she may require’. The lawyer drawing up this document was James Fletcher who had an office in Port Fairy in the 1870s and an office in Koroit Street, Warrnambool, in the 1880s. In the 1890s and early 1900s he was in partnership with George Mackay. This document was in the possession of the lawyer Ernest Chambers who had drawn up the Williams will. It was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street until it was located in 2014 in the Kepler Street building last used as legal premises by the firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of considerable interest as it contains the will and probate details of a prominent 19th century farmer in the Woodford district. It will be useful for researchers.This is a white piece of parchment paper folded in two with typed material on two pages and handwritten material on one page. The pages are ruled with red ink. The pages include the Will and Probate details of David Williams of ‘Morgrugyn’ farm near Woodford. He died in 1889.In the Supreme Court in the Colony of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of David Williams Morgrugyn farm near Woodford in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceasedjames fletcher, david williams, ernest chambers, warrnambool, woodford, morgrugyn farm

Tait collection: item 42 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Patrick White, a farmer from Codrington who died in 1883. He left personal estate to the value of £316, with the beneficiaries being his wife, Eleanor and his son George. The lawyer concerned with this document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had possession of this document and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in this Kepler Street building in 2014. This document is of minor significance as Patrick White was not a resident of Warrnambool. The interest lies in the fact that the lawyer, Ernest Chambers, practised in Warrnambool in the 19th centuryThis is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper containing details of the Will and Probate of Patrick White of Codrington who died in 1883. The paper is folded in two and the edges of the pages have blue lines ruled on them. There is handwritten material (black ink) on three of the pages. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with olive-green ribbon and there are five red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The writing is fading in places but the document is readable. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Patrick White late of Codrington in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceasedpatrick white,, codrington, ernest chambers, warrnambool history

The Mt Beauty tennis club was formed in the late 1940's. The number of players has varied as has the number and type of courts.Mt Beauty Tennis Club has been a part of Mt Beauty for many years involving many people. The history of the club identifies local people and the changes in the town and district regarding the popularity of tennis and tennis equipment.Paper records for the Mt Beauty Tennis Club. Minute book 1977 - 1983, 1983 - 1985, 1983 - 1990, 1991 -1999. Treasurer's book 1987 - 1996. Book tennis Competitions 1991, 1992, 1993, Rules and loose papers 1980's - 2006 and 3 types of cards Dinner Dance at the Workmen's Club, Picnic Cabaret at the Community Centre, and 1983 Tennis Club ball at Community Centremt beauty; tennis club; sport

First published in 1806 by John Murray and written by Maria Rundell, later editions were "By a Lady". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_System_of_Domestic_Cookery A legal dispute arose between Murray and Rundell over the copyright of the cookery book titled "A New System of Domestic Cookery" by Mary Eliza Rundell. The book, which was published in 1806, gained immense popularity over the years. In 1821, Murray claimed that Rundell had infringed on his copyright by publishing a new edition of the book without his permission. The case was brought to court, and after much debate, it was ruled that Rundell had indeed infringed on Murray's copyright. The court ordered her to pay damages and to stop publishing the book without Murray's consent. This ruling was significant as it established the legal precedent that copyright law applied to books and other written works. - Based on an article from The Edinburgh Annual Register, 1821 Robert William Whatmough (1815 Heywood, Lancashire-1887 Diamond Creek, Victoria) and his wife Mary Hill ( 1813 Rochdale, Lancashire - 1881 Greensborough, Victoria) were pioneer settlers on the Plenty River at Greensborough. Their daughter, Jemima Whatmough (1840-1926) married Robert Fielding (1820-1891) who were the parents of Thomas Edmund Fielding and great grandparents of Tom FieldingInscribed inside front leaf facing page in ink: Robert Whatmough Plenty River 1858tom fielding collection

This Great Britain one shilling coin is dated 1883, which is during the reign of Queen Victoria. There were over 7 million of these coins minted. Queen Victoria succeeded King William IV to the British Throne in 1837 – she was only 18 years old at the time – and she ruled until 1901. British coins such as this one shilling were in circulation in the colony of Australia until 1910, when the Commonwealth of Australia began producing its own coinage. This one shilling coin was minted by the Royal Mint at Royal Mint Court, in Little Tower Hill, London, England. Coins for circulation in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and most of the British Empire were produced here until the 1960’s when the Royal Mint shifted location to Wales. There are three main groups of shillings produced during Queen Victoria’s reign:- - The Young Head; 1837-1887, in 8 different versions, on the obverse showing the Queen’s maturing face over 50 years. - The Junior Head; 1887-1892, minted when Queen Victoria had been reigning for 50 years. Her head was smaller on the coins minted 1887-1889 than on those shillings minted 1889-1892. - The Old Head; 1893-1901, shows the veiled head of Queen Victoria. The obverse side of the coin’s inscription translation is “Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith”. The engraver of the obverse image was William Wyon. The reverse side of the coin is inscribed "ONE SHILLING. The engraver of the reverse image was Jean Baptiste Merlen. AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY The early settlers of Australia brought their own currency with them so a wide variety of coins, tokens and even ‘promissory’ notes (often called IOU’s) were used in the exchange of goods and services. In 1813 40,000 silver Spanish dollars, purchased by the English government, were delivered to Sydney to help resolve the currency problem reported by Governor Macquarie. The coins were converted for use by punching a hole in the centre of the coin. Both the outer ring, called the holey dollar, and the punched out ‘hole’, called the dump, were then used as the official currency. The holey dollars hold the place of being the first distinctively Australian coins. In 1825 the British Government passed the Sterling Silver Currency Act, making the British Pound the only legal form of currency in the Australian colonies. Not enough British currency was imported into the colony so other forms of currency were still used. In the mid 1800’s Australia entered the Gold Rush period when many made their fortunes. Gold was used for trading, often shaped into ingots, stamped with their weight and purity, and one pound tokens. In 1852 the Adelaide Assay Office, without British approval, made Australia’s first gold coin to meet the need for currency in South Australia after the Gold Rush began. In 1855 the official Australian Mint opened in Sydney, operating as a branch of the Royal Mint in London, and the gold was turned into coins called ‘sovereigns’. Other branches also opened in Melbourne and Perth. Up to the time of Australia becoming a federation in 1901 its currency included British copper and silver coins, Australian gold sovereigns, locally minted copper trade tokens, private banknotes, New South Wales and Queensland government treasury notes and Queensland government banknotes. After Federation the Australian government began to overwrite privately issued notes and prepared for the introduction of its own currency. In 1910 a National Australian Currency was formed, based on the British currency of ‘pounds, shillings and pence’ and the first Commonwealth coining was produced. In 1966, on February 14th, Australia changed over to the decimal currency system of dollars and cents. Australia did not have its own currency in the colonial times. Settlers brought money from other countries and they also traded goods such as grain when currency was scarce. For a long time there was no standardised value for the different currencies. In 1825 British currency became the only official currency in the colony of Australia and coins such as this silver shilling were imported into Australia to replace the mixture of foreign currency. Australia became a Federated nation on 1st January 1901. In 1910 National Australian Currency was formed and Australia produced its own currency, based on the British ‘pounds, shillings and pence’. The British currency was no longer valid. This silver shilling is of national significance as it represents the British currency used in Australia from 1825-1910. Coin, Great Britain Shilling, 1883. Silver coin, round. Obverse; Queen Victoria head, ‘Young Head’, looking left. Reverse; crown on top of wreath. Inscriptions on both sides of coin.Obverse “VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D :” Reverse “ONE SHILLING, 1883” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, coin, currency, money, legal tender, australian currency history, royal mint, great britain shilling 1883, queen victoria currency, colonial australia currency, wlliam wyon, jean baptiste merlen, numismatics

This Great Britain one shilling coin is dated 1885, which is during the reign of Queen Victoria. There were over 3 million of these coins minted. Queen Victoria succeeded King William IV to the British Throne in 1837 – she was only 18 years old at the time – and she ruled until 1901. British coins such as this one shilling were in circulation in the colony of Australia until 1910, when the Commonwealth of Australia began producing its own coinage. This one shilling coin was minted by the Royal Mint at Royal Mint Court, in Little Tower Hill, London, England. Coins for circulation in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and most of the British Empire were produced here until the 1960’s when the Royal Mint shifted location to Wales. There are three main groups of shillings produced during Queen Victoria’s reign:- - The Young Head; 1837-1887, in 8 different versions, on the obverse showing the Queen’s maturing face over 50 years. - The Junior Head; 1887-1892, minted when Queen Victoria had been reigning for 50 years. Her head was smaller on the coins minted 1887-1889 than on those shillings minted 1889-1892. - The Old Head; 1893-1901, shows the veiled head of Queen Victoria. The obverse side of the coin’s inscription translation is “Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith”. The engraver of the obverse image was William Wyon. The reverse side of the coin is inscribed "ONE SHILLING. The engraver of the reverse image was Jean Baptiste Merlen. AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY The early settlers of Australia brought their own currency with them so a wide variety of coins, tokens and even ‘promissory’ notes (often called IOU’s) were used in the exchange of goods and services. In 1813 40,000 silver Spanish dollars, purchased by the English government, were delivered to Sydney to help resolve the currency problem reported by Governor Macquarie. The coins were converted for use by punching a hole in the centre of the coin. Both the outer ring, called the holey dollar, and the punched out ‘hole’, called the dump, were then used as the official currency. The holey dollars hold the place of being the first distinctively Australian coins. In 1825 the British Government passed the Sterling Silver Currency Act, making the British Pound the only legal form of currency in the Australian colonies. Not enough British currency was imported into the colony so other forms of currency were still used. In the mid 1800’s Australia entered the Gold Rush period when many made their fortunes. Gold was used for trading, often shaped into ingots, stamped with their weight and purity, and one pound tokens. In 1852 the Adelaide Assay Office, without British approval, made Australia’s first gold coin to meet the need for currency in South Australia after the Gold Rush began. In 1855 the official Australian Mint opened in Sydney, operating as a branch of the Royal Mint in London, and the gold was turned into coins called ‘sovereigns’. Other branches also opened in Melbourne and Perth. Up to the time of Australia becoming a federation in 1901 its currency included British copper and silver coins, Australian gold sovereigns, locally minted copper trade tokens, private banknotes, New South Wales and Queensland government treasury notes and Queensland government banknotes. After Federation the Australian government began to overwrite privately issued notes and prepared for the introduction of its own currency. In 1910 a National Australian Currency was formed, based on the British currency of ‘pounds, shillings and pence’ and the first Commonwealth coining was produced. In 1966, on February 14th, Australia changed over to the decimal currency system of dollars and cents. Australia did not have its own currency in the colonial times. Settlers brought money from other countries and they also traded goods such as grain when currency was scarce. For a long time there was no standardised value for the different currencies. In 1825 British currency became the only official currency in the colony of Australia and coins such as this silver shilling were imported into Australia to replace the mixture of foreign currency. Australia became a Federated nation on 1st January 1901. In 1910 National Australian Currency was formed and Australia produced its own currency, based on the British ‘pounds, shillings and pence’. The British currency was no longer valid. This silver shilling is of national significance as it represents the British currency used in Australia from 1825-1910. Coin, Great Britain Shilling, 1885. Silver coin, round. Obverse; Queen Victoria head, ‘Young Head’, looking left. Reverse; crown on top of wreath. Inscriptions on both sides of coin.Obverse “VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR : REG : F : D :” Reverse “ONE SHILLING, 1885” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, coin, currency, money, legal tender, australian currency history, royal mint, great britain shilling 1885, queen victoria currency, colonial australia currency, wlliam wyon, jean baptiste merlen, numismatics

This Great Britain one shilling coin is dated 1896, which is during the reign of Queen Victoria. There were over 9 million of these coins minted. Queen Victoria succeeded King William IV to the British Throne in 1837 – she was only 18 years old at the time – and she ruled until 1901. British coins such as this one shilling were in circulation in the colony of Australia until 1910, when the Commonwealth of Australia began producing its own coinage. This one shilling coin was minted by the Royal Mint at Royal Mint Court, in Little Tower Hill, London, England. Coins for circulation in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and most of the British Empire were produced here until the 1960’s when the Royal Mint shifted location to Wales. There are three main groups of shillings produced during Queen Victoria’s reign:- - The Young Head; 1837-1887, in 8 different versions, on the obverse showing the Queen’s maturing face over 50 years. - The Junior Head; 1887-1892, minted when Queen Victoria had been reigning for 50 years. Her head was smaller on the coins minted 1887-1889 than on those shillings minted 1889-1892. - The Old Head; 1893-1901, shows the veiled head of Queen Victoria. The obverse side of the coin was designed by Thomas Brock. The inscription’s translation is “Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India”. The reverse side of the coin was designed by Edward Paynter. The inscription "HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE" translates as "Evil be to him who evil thinks". AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY The early settlers of Australia brought their own currency with them so a wide variety of coins, tokens and even ‘promissory’ notes (often called IOU’s) were used in the exchange of goods and services. In 1813 Spanish dollars were imported and converted for use by punching a hole in the centre of the coin. Both the outer ring, called the holey dollar, and the punched out ‘hole’, called the dump, were then used as the official currency. In 1825 the British Government passed the Sterling Silver Currency Act, making the British Pound the only legal form of currency in the Australian colonies. Not enough British currency was imported into the colony so other forms of currency were still used. In the mid 1800’s Australia entered the Gold Rush period when many made their fortunes. Gold was used for trading, often shaped into ingots, stamped with their weight and purity, and one pound tokens. In 1852 the Adelaide Assay Office, without British approval, made Australia’s first gold coin to meet the need for currency in South Australia after the Gold Rush began. In 1855 the official Australian Mint opened in Sydney, operating as a branch of the Royal Mint in London, and the gold was turned into coins called ‘sovereigns’. Other branches also opened in Melbourne and Perth. Up to the time of Australia becoming a federation in 1901 its currency included British copper and silver coins, Australian gold sovereigns, locally minted copper trade tokens, private banknotes, New South Wales and Queensland government treasury notes and Queensland government banknotes. After Federation the Australian government began to overwrite privately issued notes and prepared for the introduction of its own currency. In 1910 a National Australian Currency was formed, based on the British currency of ‘pounds, shillings and pence’ and the first Commonwealth coining was produced. In 1966, on February 14th, Australia changed over to the decimal currency system of dollars and cents. Australia did not have its own currency in the colonial times. Settlers brought money from other countries and they also traded goods such as grain when currency was scarce. For a long time there was no standardised value for the different currencies. In 1825 British currency became the only official currency in the colony of Australia and coins such as this silver shilling were imported into Australia to replace the mixture of foreign currency. Australia became a Federated nation on 1st January 1901. In 1910 National Australian Currency was formed and Australia produced its own currency, based on the British ‘pounds, shillings and pence’. The British currency was no longer valid. This silver shilling is of national significance as it represents the British currency used in Australia from 1825-1910. This silver shilling is also of significance to Australia as part one of the British Colonies ruled by Queen Victoria. It is part of the special silver and gold coins minted 1887-1893 to celebrate the 50 years Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign 1837-1887.Coin, Great Britain Shilling, 1896. Silver coin, round. Obverse; Queen Victoria head, ‘Old Head’, looking left. Reverse; 3 shields (each crowned) - 3 passant lions (England), 1 rampant lion (Scotland), golden harp (Northern Ireland) - floral symbols between them – 1 rose, 2 thistles. Inscriptions on both sides of coin.Obverse “VICTORIA . DEI . GRA . BRITT . REGINA . FID . DEF . IND . IMP” Reverse “ONE SHILLING, 1896, Inner band, some letters hidden - HONI SO VI Y PENSE” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, coin, currency, money, legal tender, australian currency history, royal mint, british shilling 1896, thomas brock, edward paynter, great britain shilling, queen victoria currency, queen victoria 50 years golden jubilee shilling, colonial australia currency, numismatics