This tuyere (word from French origin) was used by professional blacksmiths and or cattlemen before and during the Kiewa Hydro Electricity Scheme was being constructed. The need to use a furnace or forge in the shaping of metal rods, horse shoes and pipes is both a rural necessity and a construction, on site requirement. The "inventiveness" of cattlemen and construction workers to produce metal objects not available "off the shelf" is one of the inherent traits not only of rural self sufficiency but in the "pioneer" days of rural isolation one of survival.This tuyere is of great significance to the Kiewa Valley and its regions because it highlights one of the greatest strengths of the rural (especially isolated) life and its folk living there, and that is the great human factor of adaptability and survival techniques in sometimes harsh and demanding environmental circumstances. The inventiveness and the attitude, "she'll be right mate", demonstrates life on the land where specialised blacksmith activities can be found in non "professionals" because of the fact that "someone" has to do the job. This is one of the differences between country "rural" life and that found in cities and larger towns.This iron cone shaped tuyere has a small hole (diamenter 25mm) starting within an ever enlarging cone (amplification of the air pressure going through) delivering varying hot or extremely hot air into a furnace or hearth which intensifies the heat to allow the "shaping" of metal objects. The larger "flared" cone extension allows for the directed air to be spread and not concentrated.blacksmith tool, tue, bellows, fashioning metal, forge manufacturing process

Women sewed the family's clothes as they had limited opportunity to travel to towns where clothing shops were available. These booklets enabled them to add interest to their sewing. Many women living in the Kiewa Valley had limited opportunity to travel to the cities to buy clothes.x2 Tip-Top Transfers and x1 The Dainty Smocking Book. The Tip-Top transfer books include 'Book 3 Sprays' and 'Book 16 Florals' and have 6 transfer pages in each book.They are cream with brown print on the front & back covers. The Dainty Smocking Book by Rosina Forl has 16 pages. It is also 9d.and is a pale grey/blue with pale pink print. It gives instructions for different stitches and designs.smocking, transfers for clothing

CWA of Victoria was a popular widely known organisation throughout Australia. The CWA aimed to improve health welfare, and education for women and children living in the country.Each town / area in the Kiewa Valley had an active CWA. The Tawonga branch commenced in Feb. 1946 and often combined activities with other branches of the Kiewa Valley.Country Women's Association of Victoria Group Map, June 1961. each area is colored ad each wit a letter of the alphabet. each group has a number and is listed. eg. blue, 'N' and "Tawonga 14' country women's association, map of cwa groups, tawonga cwa

This item could have been used by a woman who had reasonably good hand stitching and patchwork skills. The time period would be before the 1950's as post 1950s this item would have been commercially available from any medium populated towns Historically this particular item would have been one before circa 1950s, when haberdashery shops would not have been so readily accessible for those families living in the Kiewa Valley. The protection of side boards indicates that furniture at that time was required to look good and last longer. Pride of the family household furniture was also very highTable or dressing table cover made of calico. Hand stitched into Suffolk puffs, large 12 cm in diameter, small 4.5 cm in diameter. 8 large and 103 small ones. All hand stitched together. Hand madepatchwork, calico, hand stitching, home furnishing, furniture coverings

Historically this item would have been used by gold miners, rabbit shooters, mobile "Rag and Bone" traders and other mobile(in caravans and/or horse drawn cart) traders of various small goods and haberdashery. Although marked as not to be used as trade, the isolation and sometimes difficult terrain rules out using larger and more delicate scales. In the early 1900s rough roads and severe weather conditions forced traders to be more flexible in trading with weights and measures. The "close enough is good enough" doctrine was the Australian outback rule of thumb. The significance of this item in the Kiewa Valley during this period demonstrates the slower acceptance of accurate trading measure using the country side principle "my hand shake is my bond". In the Kiewa Valley small quantity commercial undertakings e.g. gold mining, fur pelts and rabbit meat trade did not require bulk weight type scales. Commerce in rural production e.g. fruit and vegetables involved more farmers and their staff in a barter and/or "in kind" payments. This was more so in the depression years 1929 to late 1930s. Self sufficiency was to a large extent more attainable in this region than in the city/ large country town environment. The Australian "fair go" ethical approach to life and commerce was very much ingrained in those living in country regions, like Kiewa Valley as is demonstrated by the not so accurate hand balance, spring loaded scales. Portable Pocket Balance with front plate made from brass. Spring mechanism enclosed by black painted medium gauge steel cover( three quarters cylindrical). Front scale face and rear spring casing fastened by three rivets. Spring loaded marker blade is located in the centre of the front plate. See item KVHS 0224 for a similar scales.Front plate marked: at top "Not legal for use in trade", below this in larger print "Pocket Balance", under and to the right in smaller print "lbs" under this graded marks, first marked with a Zero, then every second mark in ascending order up to 25. At the bottom of the front plate is marked "Made in Germany"antique pocket balance, scales, mobile weights, vintage appliances

The Man from Snowy River" is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. It was first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 26th April 1890. The poem tells the story of a horseback pursuit to recapture the colt of a prizewinning racehorse that escaped from its paddock and is living wild with the brumbies (wild horses) of the mountain ranges. Eventually the brumbies descend a seemingly impassably steep slope, at which point the assembled riders give up the pursuit, except the young hero, who spurs his pony down the "terrible descent" to catch the mob.Two characters mentioned in the early part of the poem are featured in previous Paterson poems; "Clancy of the Overflow" and Harrison from "Old Pardon, Son of Reprieve".The town of Orbost is situated on the Snowy River and the town has always been "the heart of Snowy River country".A first day cover for "The Man From Snowy River" stamps. There is a picture of a saddle in the top left-hand corner. There is a strip 5 stamps on the envelope and it has been stamped at Orbost Post Office. This strip has 5 scenes based on the Banjo Patterson legendary poem by the same name. The stamps include: At The Station, Mountain Bend, The Terrible Descent, At Their Heels and Brought Them Back.first-day-cover man-from-snowy-river stamps philately

Prior to the 1900s, complicated births, particularly where there was a disproportion between the size of the woman’s pelvis and the foetus’ head, often meant the death of the baby and the mother. Instruments for removing a dead or ailing foetus from within the mother were used to attempt to save the mother’s life. The cranioclast, first invented by Dr. James Simpson in the mid-19th century and later redesigned by others, was used for fetal destruction and removal. Fundamentally a strong pair of forceps, the cranioclast was used to crush the skull, decreasing its diameter. In some cases, this would allow normal uterine contractions to expel the foetus; in others, the physicians would use an obstetrical hook to pull the body out of the mother. Doctors disagreed as to the pelvic diameter that would necessitate this drastic intervention, but generally found that 3 to 3.5 inches was the smallest size through which a living infant could pass. Equally of debate was the pelvic size through which the dead fetus could be extracted. When vaginal extraction was deemed unadvisable, Caesarian section would be performed. As caesarean section became safer and more common with the advent of anaesthetics and antiseptic techniques, the use of cranioclasts and obstetrical hooks diminished. (Museum of Health Care, Kingston) Dr Mitchell Henry O'Sullivan worked in the Victorian country town of Casterton as a general practitioner from 1919 until his death in 1977. He also practiced obstetrics. His son, Dr David More O'Sullivan donated his obstetric bag and its contents to the College in 1999. The bag and contents are a unique time capsule of the type of instruments and pharmaceuticals used in the inter-war period.Hinged metal tool with bakelite handles at one end and serrated teeth at other end. The instrument is in two sections. The right or upper blade has a black bakelite handle. There are two screws on the inside of the handle, 5.5cm apart. In the centre of the blade is a screw notch in the shape of a small horseshoe. On the inner side of the blade is a depression extending most of the length. The left, or lower, blade also has a black bakelite handle. There are two screws on the inside of the handle approximately 6cm apart. Mobile metal clasps in the shape of an 'S' , with three serrations, is attached to the distal end of the handle, which enables the blades to be opened or closed. destructive instruments

This top was made by Toula Mavrokefalos Black (nee Raftopoulos) as a teenager living in Romania. It was intended to be worn under suit jackets. Her daughter, Olga Black, is a longtime Brighton resident. Olga Maria Black was born in Melbourne in 1930, the daughter of Ithacan migrants Constantine and Toula Mavrokefalos. Constantine first emigrated to Australia in 1902, returning to Greece circa 1912-13 to serve his home country in the Balkan Wars. Toula's family had left Ithaca for Romania when she was only six months old, but she happened to be visiting the island at the very time that Constantine arrived, fresh from the war. Within three weeks they were married, and when Constantine returned to Melbourne in 1914 his new bride came with him. Constantine had trained as an accountant, but his qualifications were not recognised in Australia. Changing his surname to the Anglicised "Black", he started off working in his older brother Dionysios's cafés before going into business on his own. In 1917 he opened the Paris Residential Café at 54-56 Swanston Street, which offered both dining and accommodation. The business saw some years of success, but did not survive the Great Depression. Constantine died in 1944. Olga's mother Toula learned to sew as a child, while growing up in the Romanian village of Brila. She developed her skills making lace and embroidering items for her trousseau. Some of the linen she embroidered had been woven from flax on Ithaca by her own grandmother, Efstathia. During the Depression, when money was scarce, Toula embroidered at home, doing work for a factory in Flinders Lane. Using a cotton reel, a threepence and a sixpence she created and embroidered designs on hundreds of blouses. Olga spent her preschool days sitting at the table where her mother worked. Toula would involve Olga by allowing her to help choose the colour combinations. Toula lived with Olga in Brighton until her death in 1976. Olga inherited her mother's sewing skills. She re-invented some of Toula’s trousseau nightdresses and skilfully altered other clothing, making dresses which she wore around Brighton for many years.Long-sleeved top of cream georgette with high round neck. Front features three handmade rectagular lace panel inserts, surrounded with floral cross stitch embroidery in red, blue, black and greentoula mavrokefalos, toula black, olga black, migration, embroidery

J Allan Anderson graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1902. The following year he joined a law practice in the Victorian country centre of Stawell, where he met and married Ethel M. Allingham. Moving to East Kew, Melbourne, in 1917, where his son attended Trinity Grammar School. By March 1921 the family had exchanged their annual summer holidays at Mentone for permanent residence when they moved into Captain Dawson's former home, 'Riviera' off Mentone Parade. Disappointed with standards at this son's new local school and now living in a fast-growing town and district, in 1922, on a train journey to his office in the City, 46-year-old solicitor J.A. Anderson came up with the idea to form a new grammar school for boys in Mentone.

The Gisborne Football Club organised a ball, which was held in the local Community Chambers on 26th May 1937. Judging from the number of people in the hall, the event was well attended.Functions like balls organised by local groups such as sporting clubs have been popular and well attended by the people living in country towns across the country.A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of a group of people in a large hall, posing for a photograph in front of a stage. Streamers are decorating the venue with gumtree branches on either side of the stage.A Memento of the Footballers' Ball inborn 26. 5. 37gisborne football club, football, gisborne, sporting clubs, balls, social gatherings