Black and Whtie Photograph of Lay The Gun- 2 gun crew in Marram Grass. 254mm x 201mm FV024 Fortifications Volunteer Corps.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, photograph, volunteer corps

This wooden spoke handle from the wheel of the “Success” a former immigrant ship, and later a convict hulk at Melbourne. The sailing ship “Success” was a teakwood vessel built in Natmoo (Natmaw), Tenasserim, Burma (now Myanmar) in 1840 for Cockerell & Co., Calcutta. Over its lifetime of 106 years, it was used to trade in the Indian subcontinent, to transport free emigrants to Australia, as a prison hulk in the Port of Melbourne for both hardened criminals, and later for women and boys, as a storage vessel for ammunition, a reformatory, and as a floating museum sent around the world to tell the tale of the convict era. During the time “Success” was used as a museum, pamphlets were distributed to paying customers advertising erroneously, that the “Success” was the oldest ship in the world. The “Success” sank and was re-floated twice: the first in Sydney in 1885, the second in the USA in 1918, before it was finally burned and sank July 4, 1946 in Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio in 1946. Although the “Success” was home to prisoners while berthed in the Port of Melbourne, it was not used as convict transport. There has been speculation that Ned Kelly’s infamous armour was displayed on the “Success”, but this cannot be verified. Another link to Ned Kelly is Henry Johnson, an Irish prisoner on the Success, who was implicated in the murder of the ship’s warder, and later Johnson was supposedly a bushranger with Ned Kelly. It is also rumoured that Ned Kelly’s father John was a passenger on the Success, but this is also unverified. There are over 16 other ships named “Success”, although one in particular causes some confusion when researching “Success” in Australia. This other ship – the “HMS Success” was a 28 gun frigate built in1823, which was broken up in 1849. It also sailed to Australia. This piece of wood from the ship’s wheel of the “Success” is connected to the ship Success, built in Burma in 1840. The “Success” is connected to the history of Australia because she was used as a merchant ship to transport immigrants to Australia, as a prison ship in Melbourne, a storage vessel, and as a floating “convict” museum, which travelled the world. Spoke. Hndle from wheel of sailing ship, the “Success”. The shaped handle is domed at one end, becoming narrower towards the other end, then flattened out into a beveled circle. Marked “Success” in pencilflagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, sailing ship success, ship's wheel spoke, ship's steering wheel, prison ship, prison hulks, convict ship

This is a SPRA, or Schermuly’s Pistol Rocket Apparatus. The large firearm type pistol would have been used to throw a line between ships, usually in the event of saving lives. The line throwing pistol consists of a long barrel with handle attached, a pistol grip and trigger, which fires a short blank cartridge. Accessories for the pistol included: flares, 12 gauge adaptor (to shoot 12 gauge flares), a wood plunger, and boxes of faked line. The stamp on the handle, Crown over "NP" is a Birmingham Proof House mark that dates the pistol between 1904 and 1954. However Schermuly's line throwing pistol was invented in the 192s and used on British Naval Ships from 1929. The serial number '22507' is only 806 numbers later than one on sale as a British Military WWII issue SRPA '21701'. This pistol appears to be made 125-1945. The apparatus was used as a life saving device for crew and passengers on vessels in distress that were only a few hundred metres from shore, often eliminating the need to launch a boat and risk lives to go out to the vessel in dangerous conditions. It could also be used from ship to ship rescue. The pistol would launch a line from shore to the vessel. The line would be attached to the vessel, then shore crew would send out equipment, including a breeches buoy, in which the stranded people could be pulled to shore. It has saved many lives at sea. The cartridge is loaded into the breech of the pistol and the rocket is inserted into the muzzle. On pulling the trigger, the gases generated by the fired cartridge eject the rocket on its correct line of flight, and at the same time, burst through the waterproof disc and ignite the propellant mixture, which carries the rocket and line on the remainder of the flight. The rocket consists of a weldless steel case filled with propellant mixture sealed in by a waterproof disc. Fixed to the rocket case is a direction bridle, to the end of which a short length of flexible steel wire is attached, this in turn being connected to the end of the line to be thrown. A complete rocket set, or line throwing kit. would include a wood carrying case, two coils of faked line in separate compartments, three rockets and a can of six cartridges. William Schermuly (1857 – 1929) - Founder of the Schermuly business. In 1897 he invented a trough-fired, line throwing apparatus. In 1920 he and his third son, Alfred James Schermuly, invented the pistol rocket apparatus and promoted this overseas during the 1920s. The system was approved by the British Navy in 1929 through an Act of Parliament, which made it compulsory for ships over 500 tons to carry this equipment. The company, Schermuly Pistol Rocket Apparatus Ltd., grew quickly during and after World War II but business eased off during the 1970s before it eventually closed in the 1990s. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. This line-throwing pistol is part of he Rocket Launching Equipment used to perform life-saving rescue at sea from the 1920s. It is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Pistol, line-throwing, SPRA (Schermuly's Pistol Rocket Apparatus). This line throwing pistol has a wooden pistol grip, brass trigger mechanism, and a long, wide, steel barrel with Bakelite handle attached to the top. Inscriptions are stamped onto the pistol.Stamped on handle: "5" and "[symbol of a Crown] above NP" , "22507", "[within oval] SPRA" Stamped on barrel: "L22507".gun, pistol, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, line throwing, line throwing pistol, spra, schermuly's pistol rocket apparatus, sea rescue, pyrotechnicks, marine technology, schermuly pistol rocket apparatus ltd., william schermuly, alfred schermuly, pistol line thrower, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime village, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket equipment, rescue boat, lifeboat, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, rocket rescue method, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, line throwing mortar, rocket rescue apparatus, line thrower, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, beach rescue set, rocket set, schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, pistol rocket apparatus, line throwing cartridge, line-throwing rocket, firearm, life saving, lsrc

The history of the Thunderchild gun is not known. It was presumably manufactured in Torquay in the second half of the 19th century. Such guns were often attached to a ship’s rail through the holes in the swivel base, as in the base of this gun. The guns fired grapeshot and were originally used on ships to repel boarders. They were also used to launch whaling harpoons and were sometimes employed for signalling. The relatively late date makes the latter application most likely. This Thunderchild gun is complete with ramrod and wad remover. It is in good working order and easily assembled. It is used locally for special ceremonies and for Whaleboat Races as a starting gun. (Guns and Cannon, South Wester Victoria, May 2008, ref W/F/03) The small bore cannon is part of a collection of nineteenth century Flagstaff Hill Guns and Cannon, which is classified as being a high level of significance, on State, National and World The nineteenth century artillery pieces are a very rare and representative collection of artillery of this era. The artillery pieces, individually and as a collection, are highly significant for historical, scientific and aesthetic reasons at the state, national and world levels. The artillery pieces are excellent examples of nineteenth century artillery designed for the shore defence of western Victoria in the mid to late 1800s. The collection demonstrates the system of nineteenth century Imperial Defence implemented by Britain and of the recycling of obsolete technology to the colonies by Britain. The collection represents the methods of artillery technology, its advancement and its modifications in order to remain active. It also illustrates the transference of defence technology from Britain to Australia and demonstrates the level of reliance Australia had on British defence equipment. The artillery pieces form prominent elements in their landscapes and, together with the batteries and sites in which they are located, create a strong visual link to the region’s defence history. Importantly the artillery pieces, individually and as a collection, represent a very rare and intact group of nineteenth century artillery. Very few examples of nineteenth century artillery have survived worldwide, the largest collections being sited in Canada. The collection is a rare collection of artillery which demonstrates the advancements made in artillery technology during the nineteenth century, and is one of the largest collections of nineteenth century artillery in Australia. Further, the collection is extremely intact, with most pieces retaining original carriages and many located within their original emplacement. This collection of artillery, with their carriages and in their locations, are of exceptional national significance as they represent the largest intact collection of artillery within a single defensive network, outside of major colonial ports. The collection of nineteenth century carriages and slides are in themselves an extremely rare and important collection, however their significance is enhanced by their placements within batteries and with guns. (Conservation Management Plan for Victorian Guns and Cannon, South Western Victoria, May 2008) Cannon; small 1pdr cast iron, smooth bore muzzle loading swivel gun, painted glass black. 19th century cannon has polished wood handle, two detachable metal stirrups and metal swivel base with cuff, attached to block of wood by four bolts. Accessories are a wood tamper and wood ramrod. Name on gun is Thunder-Child, Torquay, Vic. There are Maker’s Marks on the gun and base, and a number on the cannon.. Marks; Barrel "Thunder/ Child". Base cuff " THUNDER / -CHILD / TORQUAY / VIC ", Trunnion "2825/H"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, cannon, torquay, thunder child cannon, thunderchild cannon, signal cannon, muzzle loading cannon, ordinance, munitions

This is a ship model of the famous galleon the "Golden Hind". About the “Golden Hind” The English galleon “Golden Hind”, a mid-16th century Elizabethan warship, was launched in 1577. It was formerly known as the “Pelican”. The Golden Hind was the flagship of Captain Sir Frances Drake, in which he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world 1577-1580. Tonnage 100-150 tons Displacement 300 tons [fully loaded] Speed 8-15 knots Armament 22 guns Crew 80 sailors, 10 officers Built Aldeburgh, Suffolk, then moved to Plymouth, Devon in 1576 Type of ship Galleon; multi-decked ship (5 decks), square rigged, 3 masted sailing ship Estimated size Length - 70 feet (21.3m); Breadth – 19 feet (5.8m); Depth – 9 feet (2.7m) The Pelican set sail in 1577 on an expedition sponsored partly by Queen Elizabeth and Sir Christopher Hatten (whose family crest was a golden hind). His companion ships were the Swan, Marigold, Benedict and the Elizabeth. During this voyage, in 1578, Drake renamed the Pelican as the Golden Hind in honour of is patron. Sir Francis Drake [1544 – 1596] brought the Golden Hind home from his circumnavigation of the globe with looted gold, percelain, jewels and cash worth 35,000,000 million pounds in today’s money. It was the largest treasure every captured at that date. Only two ships returned – the “Golden Hind” and the “Elizabeth”. The ship model of the Golden Hind captained by Sir Frances Drake represents the first English circumnavigation of the globe.Ship model of the16th century galleon "The Golden Hind", Sir Francis Drake’s flagship (not in a glass case.) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ship model, model ship, galleon golden hind 1577, galleon golden hinde 1577, galleon pelican 1577, 16th century galleon, 16th century warship, sir frances drake, captain frances drake, first englishman to circumnavigate the globe

Gunpowder Pouch, leather decorative with metal, spring operated release mechanism for releasing a measured amount of powder. Leather has finely worked landscape with 2 birds set in circular display on both sides of pouch. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, gun powder, musket, gunpowder

This artifact is a sample of small caliber lead shot recovered by Flagstaff Hill divers from the wreck of the Loch Ard in 1975. Included in her diverse and valuable cargo were 22 tons of lead shot, packed in cloth bags and wooden casks. Bulk quantities of lead shot, uniformly round balls of dull grey metal ranging from 2mm “birdshot” to 8mm “buckshot”, were routinely exported to the Australian colonies. Shot was used mostly as projectiles fired from smooth bored guns to bring down moving targets such as wild ducks and small game. It was also useful as ballast, when a dense, “pourable” weight was required to fill cavities or establish volume within a measuring container. The production of consistently round spheres of lead shot required the pouring of molten metal through a sieve and then a long drop through the atmosphere to a water filled basin for final cooling and collection. This “shot tower” process was first patented by William Watts of Bristol in 1782. His calculation of a 150 feet fall was not only to form evenly spherical droplets through surface tension, but also to provide partial cooling and solidification to each shot before they hit the water below. The value of his innovation was the minimising of indentation and shape distortion, avoiding the expense of re-smelting and re-moulding the lead. Lead shot was already being produced in Australia at the time the Loch Ard sinking in March 1878. James Moir had constructed a 157 feet circular stone shot tower near Hobart in 1870, with a peak annual production of 100 tons of lead shot sold in 28 pound linen bags. However colonial demand exceeded this source of local supply. The continued strength of the market for lead shot in the Colony of Victoria prompted substantial investment in additional productive capacity in Melbourne in the next decade. In 1882 Richard Hodgson erected the 160 feet round chimney-shaped Clifton Hill shot tower on Alexandra Parade (VHR H0709) and in 1889 Walter Coop built the 160 feet square tower-shaped Melbourne Central shot tower on La Trobe Street (VHR H0067). At its peak, the Coop Tower produced 6 tons of lead shot per week, or 312 tons per annum. History of the Loch Ard: The Loch Ard got its name from "Loch Ard" a loch that lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curle & Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen, and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead, and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold their position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Lochard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy that had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost families in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce, and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Lochard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Lochard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Lochard Gorge. Cargo and artifacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register.The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artifacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artifacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collection's objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.Lead shot; a group of mixed -sized lead shot. Small 2mm shot is embedded in a sea sediment clump of concretion. Also in the group are also 5 single 2mm shot and 4 single 4mm shot that are clean and free of sediment. The shot was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.Nonewarrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime village, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck artefact, lead shot, loch ard, colonial industry, melbourne shot towers, victorian metallurgy, colonial imports

This rescue line-throwing rocket set was made for the Dennett rocket system, which was used by the Rocket Rescue crews in South West Victoria from around the 1860s to the 1890s. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria has had over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it, followed in 1864 by a rocket house to safely store the Rocket Rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost one hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain and improve their skills, summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The first use of a lifesaving rocket rescue system is often credited to Captain Manby and his invention of a life mortar, first used in 1808 to fire a line onto a ship to rescue lives. Henry Trengrouse’s invention of 1820 was the first to use a sky rocket’s power to throw a line, and his invention included a chair for carrying the shipwrecked victims to shore. In 1832 John Dennett invented a rocket specifically for shore to ship rescue. It had an iron case and an 8 foot pole attached and could shoot the line as far as 250 yards (about 230 metres). From the 1860s the rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It comprised a breeches buoy and traveller block that was suspended on a line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. Colonel Boxer, who had invented an early line-thrower, designed a rocket in 1865 with a range from 300 to 470 yards. It was the first two-stage rocket, with two rockets placed one in front of the other in a tube that carried the rescue line. The hemp line was faked, or coiled, in a particular way in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired, and the angle of firing the rocket was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol around 1920, which used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. Victoria’s Government adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain, which used Colonel Boxer’s rocket apparatus rescue method. The British Board of Trade published instructions in 1850 for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line attached, then firing it across the stranded vessel. A tally board was then sent out with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the continuous whip line and attach the whip block to a mast or sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a heavier hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser is then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rocket system could also be used from one ship to another.The Dennett rocket set is quite rare - there are not many examples in existence and little information is available. This Dennett's rocket set is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.A Dennett rocket set in six parts; the rocket head, three shafts (poles) and two rocket-head toting boxes. The rocket head, mounted on one of the shafts, is a long, red painted, iron tube with rounded ends and a protruding fitting around each end. The wooden rocket shafts are octagonal, with a metal sheath at the ends, carved elongated slots towards each end, and a scribed channel above the black foot. The rocket head toting boxes are thick timber, covered in fabric and painted black. They have a hinged wooden lid that slants downwards from back to front, and a metal closure. Small deliberate holes, in groups of four, on the box’s sides, indicate missing attachments, likely to have been handles. Impressed one a shaft "8"flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, irish hand barrow, rocket head toting box, explosives, rocket shaft, rocket pole

This rocket launching machine is used in conjunction with the Dennett Rocket Set. Both are part of the rocket rescue equipment that launches the line-throwing rescue rockets. A light line is threaded through the carved holes in the 8 foot long shaft and attached to the scribed channel at the base of the shaft. The rocket head is fitted to the shaft and inserted into the machine. The machine is set at an angle determined by the person in charge of the rescue crew, and the legs and base of the machine are adjusted accordingly with the use of the quadrant, or protractor, and plumb-bob on the side of the machine. The rocket is then ignited and fired across the vessel in distress. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This rocket launcher machine is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Rocket launcher, named a Rocket Machine, and storage box. Launcher has a long open metal channel with a spike at the base, and narrow, rectangular device, which is the line-firing rocket machine, at the top, all painted blue. Two hinged wooden legs are attached where the channel and machine meet. The side of the machine has an oval cut-out window and an attached quadrant, or protractor, with a plumb-bob on it. The quadrant has angles marked in degrees. The long protective box has white stencilled letters along the side. Its lid has three hinges and is fastened with two metal latches.On box “ROCKET MACHINE” On quadrant “10” “20” “30” “40”flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, protractor, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, welsh hand barrow, rocket set

The lead toy gun was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard and could have been amongst the personal belongings of a passenger. History of the Loch Ard: The Loch Ard got its name from ”Loch Ard” a loch that lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curle & Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold their position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Lochard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Lochard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Lochard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Lochard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck, it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collections objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.Toy gun, lead, barrel missing. Details have been moulded into the metal. The surface has heavy encrustation. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, toy gun, metal toy

The photograph shows the location of the concrete, horseshoe shaped gun emplacement erected for the cannons. It is part of the Historic Precinct on Flagstaff Hill. The area was accessed either through the space between the Lighthouses (through the cottage grounds) or a service entrance, past the iron huts used by the Lands Department. This photograph, a print, is one of a set of five that show the site of Flagstaff Hill. It is presumed to have been taken by John Lindsay, Founding Director of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. One of the photographs in the set has the pencil inscription "Photo J Lindsay". It was taken in the early 1970s during the initial stages of the development of Flagstaff Hill as a Museum and Maritime Village. The photographs belonged to the donor's grandparents, who lived in the Warrnambool district of Allansford/Naringal. The photograph is a record of the site and surrounds of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village before its development and opening in 1975. It shows the east side of the Surfside Holiday Park in its earlier days. The photograph is significant for recording the location and condition of the original concrete cannon emplacement on the Hill.Coloured photograph, glassy print, one of a set of five. Photograph shows the original site of one of the gun emplacements for the cannons, cannons Historical, looking towards the Moyjil, ,Point Ritchie and overlooking Lady Bay, Warrnambool. The horseshoe shaped concrete gun emplacement is in the foreground on the grassed slopes overlooking the Bay. The site and ablution block of the Surfside Holiday Park is centre right. The left shows the sore of Lady Bay with the cliffs of the Southern Ocean in the distance. The photograph's paper has the printer's watermark on the back. The early 1970s scene is presumed to have been photographed by John Lindsay, Warrnambool.Label on the back: "FIRST GUN EMPLACEMENT LOOKING TOWARDS THE HOPKINS / This is the original site of one of the cannons overlooking the Bay. Access to this area could be between the light-houses (throught the cottage grounds), or a service entrance - past the iron huts used by Lands Department."flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, 1970s, photograph, gun emplacement, surfside holiday park, lady bay, hopkins river, flagstaff hill site, john lindsay, concrete gun emplacement, cannon emplacement, original emplacement

The photograph shows a cottage, Harbourmaster’s quarters that still stands on the east of the Lady Bay Lighthouse and Historic Precinct at Flagstaff Hill in Warrnambool. The name was changed to the Lighthouse Lodge, and today guests can stay at the property. This photograph, a print, is one of a set of five that show the site of Flagstaff Hill. It is presumed to have been taken by John Lindsay, Founding Director of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. One of the photographs in the set has the pencil inscription "Photo J Lindsay". It was taken in the early 1970s during the initial stages of the development of Flagstaff Hill as a Museum and Maritime Village. The photographs belonged to the donor's grandparents, who lived in the Warrnambool district of Allansford/Naringal. The photograph is a record of the site and surrounds of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village before its development and opening in 1975. It shows the cottage on the east of the Lighthouse Complex,. The building is now known as Lighthouse Lodge. The photograph is significant for recording the location and condition of the residence on the Hill.Coloured photograph, glassy print, one of a set of five. Photograph shows the cream timber cottage, Harbourmaster’s quarters to the east of the lighthouse complex at Flagstaff Hill, Warrnambool. On the left of the red roofed residence are iron buildings used, at the time, by the Lands Department. The photograph's paper has the printer's watermark on the back. The early 1970s photograph is presumed to have been by John Lindsay, Warrnambool.Label on the back: "WOODEN RESIDENCE TO THE EAST OF THE PROPERTY / The gun emplacements are immediately behind, and the iron huts to the left rear of the residence are used by the Lands Department who plan to vacate, for other premises."flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, 1970s, photograph, flagstaff hill site, john lindsay, cannon emplacement, residence, wooden residence, timber residence, iron huts, lands department

The photograph shows the back of the Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters and the privy, Upper Lighthouse and Flagstaff, and the condition and placement of these buildings and the street. The note on the back points out the uniqueness of the double-sided toilet building, and the well at the back of the Quarters. This photograph, a print, is one of a set of five that show the site of Flagstaff Hill. It is presumed to have been taken by John Lindsay, Founding Director of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. One of the photographs in the set has the pencil inscription "Photo J Lindsay". It was taken in the early 1970s during the initial stages of the development of Flagstaff Hill as a Museum and Maritime Village. The photographs belonged to the donor's grandparents, who lived in the Warrnambool district of Allansford/Naringal. The photograph is a record of the site and surrounds of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village before its development and opening in 1975. It shows the Heritage Listed Precinct; the Lighthouse Keepers' Quarters, the privy and the Upper Lighthouse. The photograph is significant for recording the location and condition of the buildings on the hill, erected in the 1870s.Coloured photograph, glassy print, one of a set of five. Photograph shows the back of the Lighthouse Keepers' Cottage or Residence, the privy and the Upper Lighthouse. The photograph's paper has the printer's watermark on the back. The early 1970s scene is presumed to have been photographed by John Lindsay, Warrnambool.Label on the back: "THE COTTAGE, FROM THE GUN EMPLACEMENTS, LOOKING ACROSS THE PORTS AND HARBOURS AREA / The two-doored toilet is of interest, and the covered well is between the toilet and the rear door of the cottage."flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, 1970s, photograph, flagstaff hill site, john lindsay, lighthouse keepers' cottage, lighthouse keepers' residence, privy, upper lighthouse, upper light, lighthouse keepers' quarters

This small cannon ball was found by the donor around 1975 to 1977 when he was digging a trench to install underground cables at the Warrnambool Surfside Caravan Park' Its location is just below both Cannon Hill and the 19th century Fortifications at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. The ball is made of iron. Cannon balls were used as ammunition for a cannon gun and fired at a target. This cannon ball is only 8 cm round, or 4.15 inches, and is likely to have been called a 4-pounder (4-pdr). The ball was made from molten iron was poured into the small opening of a two-piece mould. The seam between the moulds sometimes left a raised ring mark on the ball, as can be seen on this ball. The ridge would have been filed to make the join smooth, sometimes leaving a slightly flat area. Six 4-powder cannons were recovered from Endeavour Reef, Queensland, in 1969. They were from Captain Cook's HMS Endeavour, thrown overboard when the ship struck a reef there in 1770. They are likely to have been mounted on deck cannon carriages on the ship. Similar 4-pounder cannons were mounted on gun carriages and used as field guns. Cannons with cannon balls as ammunition were installed at Warrnambool for protection from possible invasion in the mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century.Cannon ball, iron, black with a pitted shiny surface. It has three flat areas and evidence of a seam around the circumference. There are remnants of a possible inscription stamped into the iron. The cannon ball is a four-pounder ball. Imperial weight is 71 oz (201.3 gms or 4.44 pounds).Remnants of an indecipherable stamp and / or red text.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cannon ball, ammunition, cannon, fortifications, military equipment, firearm, weapon, two-piece mould, seam line, four-pounder, 4-pounder, field gun, field ammunition, gun carriage, cast cannon ball

This cannon ball could have been made as ammunition to be shot from a 24-pounder gun, perhaps a deck cannon or Carronade on a sailing ship. It is similar to those used by both British and French navies from the late 18th and 19th centuries. The iron cannon ball shows the casting mark around its circumference made by the mould during the casting process. The cannon ball is an example of ammunition used during naval conflicts in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was made for cannon or Carronade similar to those in the collection of cannon at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.Cannon ball; a heavy black iron ball with a casting seam around its circumference. The surface is shiny with many pits and has slight corrosion. There are several chips including one large deep chip and a small, crescent shaped chip. The cannon ball’s size is similar to a cast iron 24-pounder shot.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, artillery, ammunition, cannon ball, shot, 24-pounder, 24 pdr, deck cannon, ship cannon, military, cannon, gun, iron ball, moulded ball, naval gun, deck gun, navy, carronade, war, maritime weapon, cast iron, mould

The ship “Ellis” started life as the Clementina, launched in America in 1781. The vessel was first listed in Lloyd's Register in 1784 and under this name began serving as a slave ship sailing out of Liverpool. A Lloyd’s database records of slave-trading voyages by vessels from Liverpool makes it clear that Clementina was a slave trader. The next year Captain J. Elworthy sailed her to West Central Africa and St Helena. He transported his slaves to South Carolina. Then in 1785 Elworthy gathered slaves in the Bight of Biafra and the Gulf of Guinea Islands for delivery to Jamaica. In 1786 Bent & Co. purchased the Clementina and renamed her Ellis, presumably after the then owner Ellis Bent. She remained in the slave trade and In 1788 Captain John Ford sailed the now renamed Ellis to the Bight of Biafra and the Gulf of Guinea to gather slaves. He delivered this batch of slaves to the island of Grenada. The next year, 1789 the Ellis was almost completely rebuilt, and from the change in subsequent reports of her cargo loading or (burthen), she was enlarged. In 1791, Captain Joseph Matthews became master and sailed the Ellis to the Gold Coast then delivering his consignment of slaves to the island of St Vincent. During this voyage, some misfortune may have befallen Matthews because records show the Ellis command was transferred to Thomas Given. In 1792, Given sailed to the Bight of Biafra and the Islands in the Gulf of Guinea, again collecting slaves for delivery to Jamaica. There is a parallel record, also for 1793, that the Ellis under the command of Thomas Heart, undertook the same journey and with the same itinerary and cargo. In 1793, Bent & Co. decided to use the Ellis as a privateer with John Levingston as the master. After receiving a letter of "marque” on the 3rd of June 1793, that allowed any armed vessel to commit acts on the high seas which would otherwise have constituted piracy. Thus the Ellis began to operate as a combat ship under the endorsement of the British navy. The Ellis was three times captured first by the French frigate Gracieuse, under the command of Captain Chevillard on 22 July 1793. The French took her into service and renamed her as ”Elise”. Later that summer the Spanish captured her and in November ownership returned to the French who then renamed her the “Esperance”. On the 8th of June 1794, Esperance arrived in Jacmel, Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), from France with the official proclamation of the abolition of slavery. Leger-Felicite Sonthonax was one of the Civil Commissioners of Saint-Domingue and he had already unilaterally proclaimed the island for the French colony the year before amid a slave rebellion and attacks from British and Spanish forces. Ironically, Esperance also brought the news to the Civil Commissioners that the National Convention of France had impeached them on 16th July 1793 and ordered them to return promptly to France. On 8 January 1795, HMS Argonaut, under the command of Captain Alexander John Ball, captured Esperance while she was on the North America station. At this time the Esperance was armed with 22 guns (4 and 6-pounders) and had a crew of 130 men. She was under the command of Lieutenant de vaisseau De St. Laurent and had been out at sea for 56 days from Rochfort, bound for the American Chesapeake Bay area.  The French ambassador to the United States registered a complaint with the President of the United States that Argonaut, by stating that by entering Lynnhaven bay, either before she captured Esperance or shortly thereafter, had violated a treaty between France and the United States. The French also accused the British of having brought the Esperance into Lynnhaven for refitting for a cruise. The British Consul replied that the capture had taken place some 10 leagues offshore as the bad weather had forced Argonaut and her prize to shelter within the Chesapeake area for some days, but that they had left as soon as practicable. Furthermore, Argonaut had paroled her French prisoners on arrival at Lynnhaven, and if she had entered American territorial waters solely to parole her French prisoners no one would have thought that objectionable. Royal Navy Service: Because the Esperance was captured in good order and sailed well, Rear Admiral George Murray, the British commander in chief of the North American station, put a British crew aboard and sent the Esperance out on patrol with HMS Lynx, under the command of John Poo Beresford, on 31st January. On 1st March the two vessels captured the Cocarde Nationale (or National Cockade), a privateer from Charleston, South Carolina, of 14 guns, six swivel cannons and a crew of 80 men. Esperance and the lynx went on to recaptured the ship Norfolk, of Belfast, and the brig George, of  Workington. On 20 July, Esperance, in company with frigates Thetis and Hussar, intercepted the American vessel Cincinnatus, of Wilmington, sailing from Ireland to Wilmington. They pressed many men on board into service, narrowly missing the Irish revolutionary Wolfe Tone, who was on his way to Philadelphia. Esperance was formally commissioned in 1795 into the Royal Navy in August under the Command of Jonas Rose. On 4 May 1796 Esperance was sailing in company with HMS Spencer and Bonetta when they sighted a suspicious vessel. Spencer set off in chase while shortly thereafter Esperance saw two vessels, a schooner and a sloop, and she and Bonetta set off after them. Spencer sailed south by south-east and the other two British vessels sailed south-west by west, with the result that they lost sight of each other. Spencer captured the French gun-brig Volcan, while Bonetta and Esperance captured the French schooner Poisson Volant.   The Esperance eventually arrived at Portsmouth on the 3rd of November 1797, the crew was paid off and on 31st May 1798 the Admiralty listed the Esperance for sale and she was sold in June 1798 for £600.The subject scrimshaw is a modern reproduction crudely done of a historic vessel and the scene is believed to be engraved onto a synthetic substance. Scrimshaw art crudely carved into non-natural material in the shape of a tooth. The line artwork is an image of a three-masted sailing ship with a poop deck, and anchors, are coloured black. Inscription is engraved into tooth.Engraved "Man o War Ellis" warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, scrimshaw, ellis, esperance, clementina, elise, hms ship, man of war, leter of marque, privateer, slave ship, slavery, ellis bent, american war of inderpendance, marine art, marine artifact, whale tooth, ivory tooth, resin, plastic, craft, engraving, carving

The ship HMAS Cerberus was Built at Jarrow, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1870, specifically for the colony of Victoria (Australia) and originally named HMVS Cerberus. It had a displacement of 3480 tons and could travel at the speed of 10 knots. The ship carried 4x 10 inch M.L.R. guns. The ship was renamed HMAS Cerberus in 1911 when the navy became the Royal Australian Navy. The photograph was mounted by members of HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point, Western Port Bay, Victoria in 1986. It was presented to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the HMAS Cerberus Museum in 1986 to commemorate the ship's 75 years of service for the Royal Australian Navy. The photograph is significant for its connection with the colony of Victoria before Federation. It is also significant for its connection with the Royal Australian Navy and its service and training of Australian defence forces. Photograph behind glass, in timber frame. Black and white photograph of vessel HMAS Cerberus anchored , with city in the background. Frame is painted white. Photograph was taken to commemorate 75 years of the ship's service in the Royal Australian Navy. It was framed and presented to Flagstaff Hill by the HMAS Cerberus Museum on 19 March 1986. Details are hand written below the photograph.Original script writing in centre "H.M.A.S. Cerberus. 4-10 M.L.R. Guns / Built at Jarrow 1870 / Displ 3480 tons. Speed 10 knots. More recent text "75 years / 1986" "Presented by / HMAS Cerberus / Museum/ 19 March 1986"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, photograph, hmas cerberus, 75 year commemoration, 1876, 1911, royal australian navy, navy training base, point crib, ran, cerberus, commemorative photograph, western port bay, hmvs cerberus

A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signalling, illumination, communication or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications. Flares may be ground pyrotechnics, projectile pyrotechnics, or parachute-suspended to provide maximum illumination time over a large area. Projectile pyrotechnics may be dropped from aircraft, fired from rocket or artillery, or deployed by flare guns or hand held percussive tubes. Signalling flares have been in use by all branches of the military services since the 1920s also by the maritime services to signal other ships or for distress purposes. The earliest recorded use of gunpowder for signalling purposes was the 'signal bomb' used by the Chinese Song Dynasty as the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty besieged Yangzhou in 1276. These soft-shelled bombs, timed to explode in mid-air, were used to send messages to a detachment of troops far in the distance. Another mention of the signal bomb appears in a text dating from 1293 requesting their collection from those still stored in Zhejiang. A signal gun appears in Korea by 1600. The (Wu I Thu Phu Thung Chih or Illustrated Military Encyclopedia) written in 1791 depicts a signal gun in an illustration. The item was used to carry and store flares for signalling use as the inscription on the canvas cover suggests. Given the method of storing flares is in a wicker basket that is non conducting of an electrical charge that may accidentally set of explosive materials. The writer assumes the basket was used from the early 20th century and most likely by maritime or military services to store it's flares.Basket cane square with metal locks & rope handles each end. Canvas reinforced on vertical sides with a canvas cover on top. Canvas cover has leather straps. Stencilled on canvas in white paint "SIGNALLING STORES" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, basket, cane basket, signalling stores

This is a ship model of the Golden Hind. About the “Golden Hind” The English galleon “Golden Hind”, a mid-16th century Elizabethan warship, was launched in 1577. It was formerly known as the “Pelican”. The Golden Hind was the flagship of Captain Sir Frances Drake, in which he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world 1577-1580. Tonnage 100-150 tons Displacement 300 tons [fully loaded] Speed 8-15 knots Armament 22 guns Crew 80 sailors, 10 officers Built Aldeburgh, Suffolk, then moved to Plymouth, Devon in 1576 Type of ship Galleon; multi-decked ship (5 decks), square rigged, 3 masted sailing ship Estimated size Length - 70 feet (21.3m); Breadth – 19 feet (5.8m); Depth – 9 feet (2.7m) The Pelican set sail in 1577 on an expedition sponsored partly by Queen Elizabeth and Sir Christopher Hatten (whose family crest was a golden hind). His companion ships were the Swan, Marigold, Benedict and the Elizabeth. During this voyage, in 1578, Drake renamed the Pelican as the Golden Hind in honour of is patron. Sir Francis Drake [1544 – 1596] brought the Golden Hind home from his circumnavigation of the globe with looted gold, percelain, jewels and cash worth 35,000,000 million pounds in today’s money. It was the largest treasure every captured at that date. Only two ships returned – the “Golden Hind” and the “Elizabeth”. This Ship model of the galleon Golden Hind, the flagship of Captain Sir Frances Drake, represents the first circumnavigation of the globe by an Englishman.Ship model, the galleon Golden Hind on timber stand. Square rigged with 2 masts each with a flag and crow's nest. 22 guns on decks. Brown hull with green stripes and decorative coloured trimmings. Nameplate "Sir Francis Drake - his ship / The Golden Hind - 1577-1580". Emblem with animal golden hind, Tudor Rose and lamp above. Nameplate "Sir Francis Drake - his ship / The Golden Hind - 1577 - 1580"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship model, model ship, galleon golden hind 1577, galleon golden hinde 1577, galleon pelican 1577, 16th century galleon, 16th century warship, sir frances drake, captain frances drake, first englishman to circumnavigate the globe

This small case is lined with a metal insert and shows remnants of a carry strap. It could have been used for storing and carrying fuses or cartridges for the life saving Rocket Launcher machine. The protective metal insert would help keep the contents dry or cool and protect from flame. It is part of the collection of rescue equipment in the Rocket House used by the life saving rescue crew. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. Rocket Rescue Method - Rocket rescue became the preferred lifesaving method of the rescue crews, being much safer that using a lifeboat in rough seas and poor conditions. The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. . The British Board of Trade regularly published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle, determined by the Head of the crew and measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A continuous whip line was then sent out to the ship’s crew, who hauled it in then followed the instructions – in four languages - on the attached tally board. The survivors would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line with a tail block connected to it. They then secured the block to the mast or other strong part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the survivors fixed above the whip’s tail block. The hawser was then tightened by the crew pulling on it, or by using the hooked block on the shore end of the whip and attaching it to a sand anchor. The breeches buoy was attached to the traveller block on the hawser, and the shore crew then used the whip line to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rescue crew wore scarlet, numbered armbands and worked on a numerical rotation system, swapping members out to rest them. This small leather carrying case is significant for its connection with the rocket rescue equipment, local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Leather case, brown with contrasting stitching, protective metal insert divided into two compartments. Rectangular shape. Roller buckle on front with remnants of the matching strap. Also remnants of a leather strap on the side, possibly a shoulder strap.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, lifeboat men, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket equipment, marine technology, rescue boat, lifeboat, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, rocket rescue method, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, line throwing mortar, mortar, rocket rescue apparatus, line thrower, line throwing, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, line throwing cartridge, l.s.r.c., lsrc, leather case, cartridge case, fuse case, ammunition case

This attractively patinated artefact was raised from the wreck site of the CHILDREN (wrecked January 1839, recovered February 1974) and was quite reasonably catalogued as a portion of a ships porthole. This identification is unlikely however, because the CHILDREN was built at Liverpool in 1824, and round portholes were not in common use until the 1850s. The catalogue identification has since been changed to "Ship's Fitting" Prior to the appearance of round portholes in the middle of the nineteenth century, the function of introducing light to lower decks was performed by square half-glassed ‘ports’ in the side of the hull (known as a port-sash) , or ground-glass ‘bullseyes’ inserted in the deck (scuttles). In historical terms, ports were always square, cut into the timber originally to allow the firing of a ships guns, and were closed in weather by a tight fitting square hatch. Flagstaff Hill Shipwreck Museum has three portholes on display that illustrate the gradual development and adoption of circular brass portholes. First in sequence is a small 12.5cm diameter window (with a deep frame for thick wooden hulls) from the 1855 wreck of SCHOMBERG. The second and third are larger 25cm diameter windows (with a shallower frame for thinner iron hulls) from the 1892 wreck of the NEWFIELD and the 1908 wreck of the FALLS OF HALLADALE . Once the apparently obvious use of the brass object is discounted, an accurate and reliable alternative classification is difficult to specify. One artefact register notes it was ‘found in about the centre of the wreck site’. This would mitigate against the possibilities of (1) ‘horseshoe frame’ joining pieces of the keel and hull at the bow of the vessel, or (2) ‘deckseat’ for a binnacle at the stern. It may support the idea of a ‘head frame’ on a cooped companionway or a ‘deckseat’ for a mainmast pump. But this is only speculation. The actual identification is not known. The wreck of the CHILDREN is of State significance - Victorian Heritage Register S116Ship's fitting, of heavy gauge brass circle, previously classified as section of ship's fitting, which was raised from the wreck of the Children. One end is broken off at an original bolt hole and the other is severed or cut at an acute angle from the inner rim. The artefact is 6cm across and 1cm deep, indicating strength and function as a substantial and finished item of moulded metal. The upper face bears sedimentary accretion stained red/brown. The rear face has been gouged by hard or corrosive materials and bears brilliant blue/green oxidisation.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, the children, brass flange, brass rim, shop fitting

This deck cannon is believed to be a replica Carronade as it has no foundry mark, year of manufacture, proof marks or weight of carronade on it. However, its design matches the design of Carronades used in the early to mid 19th century. History: The carronade was designed as a short-range naval weapon with a low muzzle velocity for merchant ships, but it also found a niche role on warships. It was produced by the Carron iron works and was at first sold as a complete system with the gun, mounting, and shot altogether. Carronades initially became popular on British merchant ships during the American Revolutionary War. A lightweight gun that needed only a small gun crew and was devastating at short range was well suited to defending merchant ships against French and American privateers.   Its invention is variously attributed to Lieutenant General Robert Melville in 1759, or to Charles Gascoigne, manager of the Carron Company from 1769 to 1779. In its early years, the weapon was sometimes called a "mellvinade" or a "gasconade". The carronade can be seen as the culmination of a development of naval guns reducing the barrel length and thereby the gunpowder charge. The Carron Company was already selling a "new light-constructed" gun, two-thirds of the weight of the standard naval gun and charged with one-sixth of the weight of the ball in powder before it introduced the carronade, which further halved the gunpowder charge. The theory of its design was to use less powder and had other advantages that were advertised in the company's sales pamphlet of the time, state. The smaller gunpowder charge reduced the barrel heating in action, also reduced the recoil. The mounting, attached to the side of the ship on a pivot, took the recoil on a slider, without altering the alignment of the gun. The pamphlet advocated the use of woolen cartridges, which eliminated the need for wadding and worming, although they were more expensive. Carronades also simplified gunnery for comparatively untrained merchant seamen in both aiming and reloading that was part of the rationale for adopting the gun. Other advantages promoted by the company were. The replacement of trunnions by a bolt underneath, to connect the gun to the mounting, reduced the width of the carriage that enhanced the wide angle of fire. A merchant ship would almost always be running away from an enemy, so a wide-angle of fire was much more important than on a warship. A carronade weighed a quarter as much as a standard cannon and used a quarter to a third of the gunpowder charge. This reduced charge allowed Carronades to have a shorter length and much lighter weight than long guns. Increasing the size of the bore and ball reduces the required length of the barrel. The force acting on the ball is proportional to the square of the diameter, while the mass of the ball rises by the cube, so acceleration is slower; thus, the barrel can be shorter and therefore lighter. Long guns were also much heavier than Carronades because they were over-specified to be capable of being double-shotted,(to load cannons with twice the shot, for increased damage at the expense of range). Whereas it was dangerous to do this in a carronade. A ship could carry more carronades, or carronades of a larger caliber, than long guns, and carronades could be mounted on the upper decks, where heavy long guns could cause the ship to be top-heavy and unstable. Carronades also required a smaller gun crew, which was very important for merchant ships, and they were faster to reload. Additional notes: Cannon cast in England, Wales and Scotland had their imperial weight chiselled or engraved in the format of 4-2-0 on the bottom of the cascabel, indicating the weight of the cannon as 4 hundredweight, 2 quarters and 0 pounds. Since a hundredweight equals 112 pounds and a quarter weight is 28 pounds the total weight is 504 pounds or about 228 kilograms. The small bore replica carronade and carriage is part of a collection of nineteenth Century Flagstaff Hill Guns and cannons, and is a representation of carronades used from the early 18th up to the 1850s on merchant and military ships particularly the British Royal Navy until 1850. This example is not significant in the historic sense but demonstrates the type of artillery used aboard vessels of the time for protection & offensive military actions. Cannon, cast iron, small smooth bore cannon on the stepped wooden carriage with wooden wheels. It appears to fire a 12-pound cannonball. The Cannon barrel can have its elevation adjusted via a sliding sloped block at the rear of the cannon. Gun carriage has loops for locating and holding the carriage in position with the use of ropes. It is believed this carronade is a replica of a mid-to-late 19th-century Carronade cannon.Cast into metal; [Royal emblem of Queen Victoria (VR "Victoria Regina")]warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, cannon, naval cannon, cannon on carriage, 19th century cannon, fortifications, smooth bore cannon, 12 pounder, carronade, artillery, replica, deck cannon, cannon in carriage, ship cannon

Black and White postcard of sailors on deck Writing on front of card reads "Mystery ship H.M.S. Hyderabad for'd Gun Masked" and "No. 12". . (SH 123.2 Ships F - H).Writing on front of card reads "Mystery ship H.M.S. Hyderabad for'd Gun Masked" and "No. 12". flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, h.m.s. hyderabad, mystery ship, wwi ship, battle ship, post card, postcard

Black and White postcard of sailors on deck. Writing on front of card reads "Mystery ship H.M.S. Hyderabad and Gun" and "No. 13" . (SH 123.3 Ships F - H). Writing on front of card reads "Mystery ship H.M.S. Hyderabad and Gun" and "No. 13" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, h.m.s. hyderabad, wwi ship, mystery ship, post card, postcard

A hand lance with a long iron shaft and a small oval or leaf-shaped tip was also known as a killing iron. It was designed to dispatch a whale quickly and efficiently, once the mammal came to the water surface for the last time. The hand lance was stabbed repeatedly into a whale’s thick neck arteries. The sharp leaf-shaped tip allowed easy removal for another thrust. Cutting these arteries prevented the whale from deep dives and hastened its bleeding to death. Normally, multiple hand lances were carried aboard a whaleboat, so that if one was lost it could be easily replaced without returning to the mother ship for a spare one. By the late 19th century, guns had replaced most hand-thrown harpoons and lances. They were more efficient, more accurate, and safer, for a whaler could shoot a dart at a greater distance from the dangerous whale than a harpoon could be thrown.An item that gives an insight into 19th century whaling practices that were carried out all along the southern coasts of Australia.Hand Lance or Killing Iron Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whaling equipment, whaling, killing lance, whaling lance, harpoon

This copper nail, sometimes known as a ‘Dumpy Bolt’ or spike, was salvaged from the hull of the wreck of the “George III”. It dates back to at least 1810. It was found by an abalone diver on the south east coast of Tasmania. The nail would have been used to hold the layers of the ship’s keel frame and the planking together. The nail has been passed from the abalone diver to an interested business man on a trip to the south of Hobart, on again to the business man’s close friend who then donated it to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The metal of nails such as this one, after being in the sea for a long time, become affected by the natural reaction of the sea water, causing it to degenerate and thin, and the stress from the force of the sea over the years alters its shape. Iron nails had been used on ships previously, but they quickly corroded in the salt; ships needed regular, costly and time-consuming maintenance to replace the iron nails. Towards the end of the 18th century the British Navy trialled the use of copper nails, finding them to be very successful. Merchant ships began to adopt this process in the early 19th century, although it made ship building very expensive and was more often used for ships such as the “George III” that sailed on long voyages. The three masted sailing ship “George III” was a convict transport ship built in Deptford, England, in 1810. On 14th December 1834 she left Woolwich, England, bound for Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), under Captain William Hall Moxey. She was carrying 220 male convicts plus crew, guards and their families, totalling 294 persons (another 2 were during the voyage). Amongst the cargo were military stores including several copper drums of gun powder. On 27th January 1835 the “George III” was near the Equator, about half way into her journey. A fire broke out and the gun powder was in danger of explosion, threatening the whole ship. Two convicts braved the heat and smoke, entered the store and seized the gun powder drums, suffering burns for their efforts but saving a probable disaster. The fire destroyed some of the provisions and food was scarce. Many became ill with scurvy and some died during the journey. Nearing the end of their journey on 10th April 1835 the “George III” was headed through the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, south east Tasmania, between the mainland and Bruny Island. She was sailing in the moonlit night to hasten her arrival in port due to the great number of sick on board. She struck uncharted rocks, known only to the local whalers, between Actaeon Reef and Southport Lagoon and within hours began to break up. The ship’s boats were used to first rescue the women and children. Firearms were used to help quell the panic of the convicts below decks and some were killed by the shots. Many convicts, including the sick, were drowned. In all, 133 lives were lost including 5 of the crew, guards and their families. It was the third worst shipping disaster in Tasmanian waters. A monument in honour of the prisoners who perished in the “George III” has been erected, noting the date of the wreck as “Friday 10th April 1835.” (NOTE: there are a few differences between sources regarding dates of the shipwreck, some saying March and others April 1835. There are also differences in the figures of those on board and the number of lives lost.) The copper nail is significant as an example of sailing ship construction; fasteners used in the early 19th century on ships carrying convicts to Australia. The nail is also significant for its association with the ship “George III”. The “George III” is registered on the Australian National Shipwreck Database, ID 7195 as an Historic Shipwreck. She is the third worst shipwreck in Tasmanian waters. She is also associated with Early Australian History and the transportation of convicts to Australia. The incident of the fire on board and the bravery of the convicts in making the gun powder safe is an example of the social character of the people in early Tasmanian colonisation. Copper nail (also called a Dumpy bolt or spike) from the convict ship George III, wrecked in 1835. Nail is long, bent in an ‘L’ shape about 3/5ths along, tapering from both ends to the bend. Both ends are flat and do not taper to a point, nor have a thread. The shorter end has been polished, showing bright copper. There is pitting along the nail and virdigris is evident on the longer, unpolished end. The nail is displayed with the longer section resting on a wooden board between two ‘U’ shaped uprights, the shorter section upright. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, george iii, ship construction, ship nail, 1835 shipwreck, 19th century shipwreck, william moxey, d'entrecasteaux channel, convict transportation, copper nail, dumpy bolt, spike, keel nail

Hollis Brothers were first recorded trading from 11 Weaman Row in 1840 but appear to have started trading a little earlier. The firm later became Isaac Hollis & Sons and claimed establishment from 1814. Richard & William Hollis were recorded trading in Bath Street Birmingham from 1814 to 1818 so it may be that the Hollis brothers were descended from them. The brothers were Isaac Hollis (b.1815) and Frederick Hollis (birth date unknown), but Frederick died 20 December 1839. Isaac was recorded in the 1841 census living in Weaman Row. He was a 25-year-old gun and pistol maker, married to Emma 1821. They had two children, Isaac (1837), and Henry (1839). After Frederick died, Isaac carried on trading under the name of Hollis Brothers until 1845 when he re-named the business Hollis Brothers & Co who traded up to 1848. In 1844 Isaac entered into a short term partnership with William Tranter at 10 & 11 Weaman Row, presumably to complete a particular contract or supply certain parts. This partnership lasted until 1849. In 1848 Isaac took in Isaac Brentnall Sheath as a partner, and the firm of Hollis & Sheath was established, expanding into 10 Weaman Row. Hollis & Sheath were licenced makers of percussion breech-loading guns. In 1861 the firm changed its name to Isaac Hollis & Sons on the departure of Isaac Brentnall Sheath. Isaac Sheath died in July 1875. By about 1870 Isaac Hollis and Henry Hollis had taken over the day to day running of the business. Isaac Hollis was responsible for the overall management and the marketing of the firm's products. Henry was responsible for manufacturing. The firm became volume producers of inexpensive trade guns and sporting guns for the South African and the British colonies. In 1870 the firm opened a shop at 44a Cannon Street in London; in 1871 this moved to 83 Cheapside. Isaac Hollis Jnr died October 1875 in Birmingham aged 37. He was never married and in 1876/1877 Henry registered a limited liability company, Isaac Hollis & Sons Ltd, but by 1879 they were again trading as Isaac Hollis & Sons. From 1879 the London shop was at 6 Great Winchester Street. From 1932 to 1933 the London business traded as Hollis, Bentley & Playfair Hollis, Bentley & Playfair finally closed in Birmingham in 1953. This gun is a typical example of the type of firearm issued to the colony's military in 1861. Specifically made by Isaac Hollis and Sons for the military market of the time and sold through contractors Hebbert & Sons, military suppliers, in London. The gun was probably issued from the Hythe Armory to British troops (a training facility) or police prior to coming to Tasmania Australia around 1861.Gun; Percussion Carbine, .577 Cal. Colonial Tasmanian issue Artillery carbine, Pattern 1861. Muzzle loading "Cap and Ball" musket. Wood stock and ram rod. Inscriptions are on the stock and breech. Gun was made for Herbert & Co. London by Isaac Hollis & Sons, Birmingham.Stamped on stock "SOLD 95", " ISAAC HOLLIS & SONS" "GUN & PISTOL MANUFACTURES" "BIRMINGHAM" "LASTON ARMOURER HYTHE" "MANUFACTURED EXPRESSLY FOR HEBBERT & CO LONDON". Stamped on breech "25", and "25C ---05"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, firearms, gun, muzzle loading musket, isaac hollis and son, hebbert & sons, military supplies, lee enfield

Philip Webley was born in 1813, he was the younger brother of James Webley who was born in 1807. Both were born in Birmingham. Towards the end of the 1800s, the firm claimed establishment in 1790, this must have been the date James and Philip's father or grandfather originally established a bullet or gun implement making business. It was not, as is often stated, the date William Davis established his business. Philip Webley was apprenticed in 1827 to Benjamin Watson. James Webley also seems to have been apprenticed but to who is not known. In 1834 James and Philip established their partnership as percussioners, lock filers and gun makers at 7 Weaman Street,Birmingham which was William Davis' old premises Davis, a gun implement maker, mould and toolmaker, died in 1831 and his wife Sarah inherited the business at 84 Weaman Street which she ran with her daughter, Caroline. On 5 January 1838 Philip Webley married Caroline. Philip was recorded at 84 Weaman Street from 1838 as a gun percussioner, lock filer and gun maker and this is when the partnership was last recorded, but the brothers apparently continued to co-operate until 1845 when Philip reportedly sold his interest to James and used the money to purchase Sarah Davis' business. Even then, they worked together particularly about the design and manufacture of percussion revolvers. Philip Webley was recorded in the 1851 census as a 38-year-old gun and pistol implement manufacturer living at 84 Weaman Street with his wife Caroline they had four sons and one daughter Thomas William, Emma, and Philip Jnr, and two other sons, James, and Henry and Philip's cousin, also lived with the family probably as a nurse, Sarah Haywood. On 4 February 1853 Philip Webley registered patent No. 335 for a hinged revolver and on 14 September 1853 he registered patent No. 2127 for improvement for the first muzzle-loading percussion cap and ball revolver which became known as the "Longspur". In 1859 Philips son Thomas William, aged 21, was made a partner in the firm, which then changed its name to P Webley & Son and described itself as "Gun and Pistol Makers and Patent Revolving Pistol Makers", probably exploiting Philip Webley's patent No. 305 of February 1853 for a revolver frame and lock, and its improvement under patent No. 2127 of September 1853. Thomas later went on to managed the shotgun side of the business. From about 1863 up to the First World War, the firm made rook rifles for Holland & Holland. From the 1890s they supplied magazine rifles. In 1863 and 1864 the firm's address was given as 83-84 Weaman Street, but from late 1864 to 1875 their address was 84 Weaman Street. By 1874 the firm had a showroom in London at an unknown address. In 1875 the firm expanded into 82-84 and 88-89 Weaman Street. The item is an early muzzle loading sporting shotgun not in very good condition and is unusable as a firearm and not very significant historically or valuable, although made by a well known and respected manufacturer of firearms there are many better examples of shotguns made by P Webley and Son in collections and for sale. This particular example is of a standard pattern for utilitarian use of which many were made. Shotgun, black powder, muzzle Loading, double barrel, percussion cap. P Webley & Son maker on left and right lock and P Webley & Son James St London on top of barrel. Barrel split in two. Has 14 stamped under each barrel with Birmingham proof marks for black powder shotguns. on undersides of both barrels. Proof marks used are early metal parts have decorative engravings of a gun dog flushing a birdwarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, gun, shotgun, double-barrel shotgun, firearm, muzzel loading shotgun, philip webley, black powder, percussion cap, hunting weapon, birmingham gun manufactures, w & c scott & son

Rollin White was an American gunsmith who invented a single shot bored-through revolver cylinder that allowed paper cartridges to be loaded from the rear of a revolver's cylinder. Wen his patent expired the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company started working on its own metallic cartridge revolvers. Thus, after having introduced its first rear-loading pistols in 1871 the (Colt House/Cloverleaf revolver) and the 1872 (Colt Open Top revolver), in 1873 Colt launched the Colt Peacemaker along with a new line of pocket revolvers, sorted in five different calibers (.22, .30, .32, .38, .41 cal). Since it was an entirely new line of revolvers this model was called the Colt New Line. Circa 1884-1886 (the .32 cal was only made during 1873-1884). Submerged by the company's competitors' cheaper imitations and refusing to introduce a lower quality among its own firearms to match its competitors, the Colt company dropped the line and ceased production.The Colt New Line was one of the first metallic cartridge rear-loading revolvers manufactured by Colt. It demonstrates the evolution of firearm production and development of firearms as manufacturers moved away from percussion muzzle-loading firearms to those that would accept cartridges. That incorporated the bullet, propellant and primer all within a brass cylinder allowing the projectile to be loaded directly into a pistols cylinder, or a rifle magazine. Pistol or handgun, Colt New Line revolver, single action five shot spur trigger. The rimfire revolver is .32 calibre. It has a black handle. There maker's name is impressed into the textured handle and the name and model is impressed onto the barrel. Made by Colt.Inscriptions on side of barrel and top "No 18842", "Colt New .32" . On top "Colt's FT.F.AMFG.CC Hartford.Ct.USA"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, revolver, colt, colt new line revolver, cartridge casing, cartridge, new line revolver, pistol, matalic cartridge, firearm, rollin white, new line, hand gun, single shot

This little book has been designed to fit into a small space such as a pocket, backpack or trunk. The brass book lock helps keep the pages and covers together, preserving them from being bent, torn or damaged in handling.The book includes four of ten parts of the Manual, published for use in training the garrison troops, including the placement and firing of cannon. The four parts included in this Volume I are: - Part 1 - Gunnery Part 2 - Ammunition Part 3 - Siege Artillery Part 4 - Garrison Gun Drills The remaining six of then parts are: - Part 5 - Material and Appliances Part 6 - Elementary Instruction Part 7 - Machines Part 8 - Mounting and Dismounting Ordnance Part 9 - Sleighs Part 10 - Sheers and DerricksThe book is significant to both British and Australian history, being issued for the training of the garrison defense of both countries in the late 10th Century. It is also significant for its connection with other historical military items within the Collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village.Manual of Siege and Garrison Artillery Exercises Vol 1 [Parts I, II, III, IV] Publisher Her Majestys Stationery Office Date 1879, Corrected June 24th 1882 Small, red, hard-cover book with embossed gold letters and British Coat of Arms on the front. The book has a brass closure or locking clip across the text block. There are diagrams and a foldout table within the text. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, training manual, book, british garrison, garrison artillery, siege exercises, british government training book, technical book, pocket book, manual of siege and garrison artillery exercises vol 1, garrison exercises, military training, defense training, british artillery, royal artillery, gunnery, gun drill, brass book lock, british war office, locking clip, reference book