Canvas bag, khaki colour with flap lid closed with brass press stud, rectangular box shape. Straps on rear provide attachment to a waist belt short straps with brass buckle on sides - no shoulder strap with item. Inside flap lid are 2 tubular shaped holders for pencils/pens.Handwritten in black ink on back of bag: “Hennequin / 3203681” Stamped into press stud top: “Newey's Pat. 10949/16”containers, military history - equipment, passchendaele barracks trust

Pens, nib pens and later fountain pens, with suitable inks, were commonly used for writing communications from the 18th century to the mod 20th century. Fountain pens continue to be used and enjoyed. Dip pens with a wide variety of nibs are used for calligraphy writing, a hobby enjoyed by many people. The quality of the pen handle, the nib and the ink all work together to produce fine handwriting that expresses the character and mood of the writer. This Bakelite ink case has been specifically moulded to snugly contain an ink bottle, with just enough room to wrap the bottle with a padding or card or blotting paper. The screw top lid fits the case well and this container would be a good way to travel with ink because any spillage would be kept within the waterproof case. The Bakelite material is lightweight and strong. Ink bottle cases, or travelling cases, have been made as an accessory for nib pen writers. The first patent for a “pocket-case for bottles”, a wooden case, was applied for in the US in 1891. Other materials such as steel, pewter and aluminum as well as Bakelite have also been used. The British Museum has an elaborately decorated bronze ink pot holder that is inlaid with turquoise. Today ink bottle cases are even available in fabric with loops to attach to a belt. Bakelite, the material used for this ink bottle case, is made from synthetic materials and is an early form of plastic, developed in 1907 and used extensively until the 1940’s. It is still in used today for specific applications but has been largely replaced by more modern forms of plastics. This ink bottle case carries the imprint of Mabie, Todd & Co. (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. This form of company name was used from 1938 to the mid 1950’s. The Swan ink bottle’s information says it was made by Mabie, Todd & Co. Ltd., London and Sydney, so dates the ink bottle from about 1908 until 1934. (Australian newspapers display advertisements dated 1908 until 1934 for Sydney wholesalers and agents for Mabie, Todd & Co. Ltd.) ABOUT PERSONAL FOUNTAIN PENS (FOUNT PENS) A 1917 newspaper advertisement recommends that the owner of a “Swan” doesn’t lend it to anyone else to use due to its qualities of it personalised to the owner. It reads “Don’t lend your “Swan” fountpen, recommend it, but don’t let other people use it. You see, a good pen doesn’t wear, but its “tamper” (or spring) works into the writer’s pressure and manner of holding. Another person with a dashing style of writing may strain it do that it will no longer feel just like your own.” This personalisation of nib pens may be the reason that legal documents in the past being acceptable only if they were signed using a ‘wet ink’ pen. Forgeries of signatures could be easily detected as the nib takes on the character of the pen’s owner. A ballpoint pen was not acceptable. This is a strong contrast to modern times when a digital signature is widely accepted. ABOUT MABIE TODD Pty Ltd. The American company Mabie Todd began by making pencil cases in New York in the 1860’s. The Bard Brothers, makers of Gold nibs, joined Mabie Todd and the company was established in the 1870’s as Mabie Todd and Bard. In 1878 the company filed a patent for the design of a fountain pen and in 1884 the first Swan fountain pen was released. In 1884 a Mabie Todd and Bard office and showroom was established in London. In 1906 the company’s name changed to Mabie Todd & Co, New York. The UK offices also used this new name and in 1907 the UK began producing their own Swan pens. Manufacturing was going so well in England that New York sold their rights to European and Colonial business to the new Mabie Todd & Company Ltd of England. By the end of the 1930’s all components for the pens were being made in the UK; the pens in the London factory, the gold nibs in Birmingham and the ink in Liverpool. Newspaper articles from 1934 stated that Mabie Todd were large buyers of Tasmanian iridium, which had been welded with gold and used since 1834 for the tips of nib and fountain pens. Fountain pen points were the largest market buyers for Tasmanian iridium, which was classed as “the best in the world”. Production growth continued up until WWII times, when the headquarters and main factory were destroyed. Mabie Todd & Company Ltd of England rebuilt out of the inner city and by 1946 pen production began again. The market for nib and fountain pens was diminishing by this time, with people beginning to use the new ballpoint ‘Biro’ pens. The Mabie Todd bought shares in Biro Pens and in 1952 became Biro Swan. They went on to make more ballpoint pens than any other manufacturer in Britain. The ink refills that Biro-Swan produced came in five different viscosity or thickness xhoices, depending on the season and location of where the pen would be used . Along with the ballpoint pens, Biro-Swan also introduced a range of Calligraph pens to attract those following the new trend for italic writing. In 1948 Mr. T. Burke, a director for Mabie Todd & Co. (Aust.) Pty Ltd., announced that there would be a £40,000 factory built in Sydney in 1949 for the manufacture of ink. The plant for the factory would be imported from overseas. Sadly the company struggled against competition and in 1956 Mabie Todd closed business and no more Swan pens were produced. The ink bottle and container was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, Surgeon and Oculist. It is part of the “W.R. Angus Collection” includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928 (also known as Dr Roy Angus) was born in Murrumbeena, Victoria in 1901 and lived until 1970. He qualified as a doctor in 1923 at University of Adelaide, was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1924 and for a period was house surgeon to Sir (then Mr.) Henry Simpson Newland. Dr Angus was briefly an Assistant to Dr Riddell of Kapunda, then commenced private practice at Curramulka, Yorke Peninsula, SA, where he was physician, surgeon and chemist. In 1926, he was appointed as new Medical Assistant to Dr Thomas Francis Ryan (T.F. Ryan, or Tom), in Nhill, Victoria, where his experiences included radiology and pharmacy. In 1927 he was Acting House Surgeon in Dr Tom Ryan’s absence. Dr Angus had become engaged to Gladys Forsyth and they decided he further his studies overseas in the UK in 1927. He studied at London University College Hospital and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928, was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh. He worked his passage back to Australia as a Ship’s Surgeon on the on the Australian Commonwealth Line’s T.S.S. Largs Bay. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1929, in Ballarat. (They went on to have one son (Graham 1932, born in SA) and two daughters (Helen (died 12/07/1996) and Berenice (Berry), both born at Mira, Nhill ) According to Berry, her mother Gladys made a lot of their clothes. She was very talented and did some lovely embroidery including lingerie for her trousseau and beautifully handmade baby clothes. Dr Angus was a ‘flying doctor’ for the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service in 1928 . Its first station was in the remote town of Oodnadatta, where Dr Angus was stationed. He was locum tenens there on North-South Railway at 21 Mile Camp. He took up this ‘flying doctor’ position in response to a call from Dr John Flynn; the organisation was later known as the Flying Doctor Service, then the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A lot of his work during this time involved dental surgery also. Between 1928-1932 he was surgeon at the Curramulka Hospital, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. In 1933 Dr Angus returned to Nhill and purchased a share of the Nelson Street practice and Mira hospital (a 2 bed ward at the Nelson Street Practice) from Dr Les Middleton one of the Middleton Brothers, the current owners of what previously once Dr Tom Ryan’s practice. Dr Tom and his brother had worked as surgeons included eye surgery. Dr Tom Ryan performed many of his operations in the Mira private hospital on his premises. He had been House Surgeon at the Nhill Hospital 1902-1926. Dr Tom Ryan had one of the only two pieces of radiology equipment in Victoria during his practicing years – The Royal Melbourne Hospital had the other one. Over the years Dr Tom Ryan had gradually set up what was effectively a training school for country general-practitioner-surgeons. Each patient was carefully examined, including using the X-ray machine, and any surgery was discussed and planned with Dr Ryan’s assistants several days in advance. Dr Angus gained experience in using the X-ray machine there during his time as assistant to Dr Ryan. When Dr Angus bought into the Nelson Street premises in Nhill he was also appointed as the Nhill Hospital’s Honorary House Surgeon 1933-1938. His practitioner’s plate from his Nhill surgery is now mounted on the doorway to the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. When Dr Angus took up practice in the Dr Edward and Dr Tom Ryan’s old premises he obtained their extensive collection of historical medical equipment and materials spanning 1884-1926. A large part of this collection is now on display at the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. In 1939 Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson, at 214 Koroit Street. (This property was sold in1965 to the State Government and is now the site of the Warrnambool Police Station. and an ALDI sore is on the land that was once their tennis court). The Angus family was able to afford gardeners, cooks and maids; their home was a popular place for visiting dignitaries to stay whilst visiting Warrnambool. Dr Angus had his own silk worm farm at home in a Mulberry tree. His young daughter used his centrifuge for spinning the silk. Dr Angus was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer (Health Officer) in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool; he was thus Warrnambool’s last serving Port Medical Officer. (Masters of immigrant ships arriving in port reported incidents of diseases, illness and death and the Port Medical Officer made a decision on whether the ship required Quarantine and for how long, in this way preventing contagious illness from spreading from new immigrants to the residents already in the colony.) Dr Angus was a member of the Australian Medical Association, for 35 years and surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942, He served with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during WWII 1942-45, in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W., completing his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. During his convalescence he carved an intricate and ‘most artistic’ chess set from the material that dentures were made from. He then studied ophthalmology at the Royal Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital and created cosmetically superior artificial eyes by pioneering using the intrascleral cartilage. Angus received accolades from the Ophthalmological Society of Australasia for this work. He returned to Warrnambool to commence practice as an ophthalmologist, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years. He made monthly visits to Portland as a visiting surgeon, to perform eye surgery. He represented the Victorian South-West subdivision of the Australian Medical Association as its secretary between 1949 and 1956 and as chairman from 1956 to 1958. In 1968 Dr Angus was elected member of Spain’s Barraquer Institute of Barcelona after his research work in Intrasclearal cartilage grafting, becoming one of the few Australian ophthalmologists to receive this honour, and in the following year presented his final paper on Living Intrasclearal Cartilage Implants at the Inaugural Meeting of the Australian College of Ophthalmologists in Melbourne In his personal life Dr Angus was a Presbyterian and treated Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest. He would visit 3 or 4 country patients on a Sunday, taking his children along ‘for the ride’ and to visit with him. Sunday evenings he would play the pianola and sing Scottish songs to his family. One of Dr Angus’ patients was Margaret MacKenzie, author of a book on local shipwrecks that she’d seen as an eye witness from the late 1880’s in Peterborough, Victoria. In the early 1950’s Dr Angus, painted a picture of a shipwreck for the cover jacket of Margaret’s book, Shipwrecks and More Shipwrecks. She was blind in later life and her daughter wrote the actual book for her. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s society with a strong interest in civic affairs. He had an interest in people and the community They were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill, including the layout of the gardens. After his death (28th March 1970) his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. The ink bottle case is significant for its association with writing methods commonly used during the colonisation of Australia until the mid-20th century. The protective Bakelite case demonstrates the value placed on caring for the user’s supply of ink and protecting other belongings of the user, enabling writers to easily carry and safely transport their ink without the concern of spilling it. The case’s design is a good example of the use of new technology. The properties of Bakelite have enabled its moulded design and make it waterproof and lightweight, easily cleaned, closely fitted to the shape of the ink bottle within and lid and base join together using a smooth screwing action. The maker’s marks have also been moulded into the Bakelite, therefore not distracting from the simple but elegant design. This ink bottle case also represents the period of early to mid-20th century when handwriting materials for writers using ink and nib pens were imported into Australia and developed for the Australian market and sold by wholesalers on behalf of overseas companies. Vintage brown Bakelite travelling ink bottle case (or holder, pot, well) containing glass ink bottle and original textured cardboard liner, made by Swan Ink, Mabie, Todd & Co. (Aust) Pty.. Ltd. The Bakelite container is shaped to fit snugly around the ink bottle. It still retains its original shiny finish, the lid screws on and off perfectly. The maker’s name is embossed on lid and base of the Bakelite container. The inkwell contains a glass Ink bottle with a tiny amount of dried up ink Swan triple filtered ink inside. The bottle is cylindrical with curved shoulders tapering to a neck of around 2cm. The white metal screw-on lid and the white and red paper label on the side of the bottle both have a printed description of the ink and maker. Circa 1934-1950’sBAKELITE INK CASE - embossed on either side of the lid “ “SWAN” INK / ”SWAN” INK “ - embossed into base, written in a circle “MABIE TODD & Co (Aust.) PTY. LTD.” GLASS BOTTLE – printed on lid “SWAN”/ [corporate logo combining letters ‘M, T, co’]/TRIPLE FILTERED/ INK.” - printed on label “SWAN” INK /FOR FOUNTAIN & / STEEL PENS / A BLUE BLACK INK OF/ THE FINEST QUALITY/ MADE IN ENGLAND/ MABIE. TODD & CO LTD …….. LONDON. SYDNEY/ Makers of “SWAN” Pens, Gold Pens & Ink“ - moulded into the base of the ink bottle and written around the bottom outside edge of the bottle are the words “THIS BOTTLE ALWAYS REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF/ MABIE TODD/AUST”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ink bottle holder, ink bottle case, ink bottle pot, travelling inkwell, portable inkwell, travelling ink pot, travelling ink bottle case, ink bottle, inkwell, ink well, swan ink, bakelite, dip pen ink, nib pen ink, fountain pen, fontpen, writing methods, stationery, mabie todd & co, swan fountain pens, biro-swan

The Eltham Community Art & Craft Market was a long-standing weekend market in the Eltham area, offering, at first, arts and crafts of many types, made by local residents. It expanded to include produce in later years. Initially run by the Eltham Community Market Stallholders Association Incorporated, it is now run by Diamond Valley Community Support. These boards were displayed at the market to advertise upcoming market dates.GHS member Dawn Bennetts was a stall holder at this market and donated her memorabilia.White plastic board with red text."1997" written in pen on top right of postereltham community market, diamond valley community support, markets

The Eltham Community Art & Craft Market was a long-standing weekend market in the Eltham area, offering, at first, arts and crafts of many types, made by local residents. It expanded to include produce in later years. Initially run by the Eltham Community Market Stallholders Association Incorporated, it is now run by Diamond Valley Community Support. These boards were displayed at the market to advertise upcoming market dates.GHS member Dawn Bennetts was a stall holder at this market and donated her memorabilia.White plastic board with red text."1998" written in pen on top right of postereltham community market, diamond valley community support, markets

Ball pen for household or office use, with stick on mount to avoid the pen being removed from the desired location. This item is unused and in original packaging.Cream plastic ball point pen attached by coil to stick-on holder, in bubble pack mounted on card"Stick-on ball pen" "Made in Hong Kong"ball point pens, pens

Zinc ink well with five holes for pens. Central plastic (black) ink well with screw lid suspended in central hole in zinc frame (possibly Bakelite). Dried ink in well.Front: Made in England/Velos/Trade Mark/Reg'd. Design/N8773399/No.1219/improved non-spill (relief text, base of inkwell)inkwell, writing, stationery

Zinc ink well with five holes for pens. Central plastic (black) ink well with screw lid suspended in central hole in zinc frame (possibly Bakelite). Dried in in well.Front: Made in England/Velos/Trade Mark/Reg'd. Design/N8773399/No. 1219/improved non-spill (relief text, base of ink well).

Part of Graham Collection, donated by the Family of Misses Mary and Edith Maude Graham, of 4 Blair Street, Portland.Rectangular glass shallow dish with cut pattern in sides.

The "nib" pen was the preferred scribe method up until the "fountain" pen was produced (1940's), both could use specific inks that had longer life periods on paper surfaces. Ink wells such as those incorporated in this desk set allowed the user to select the colour and "type of ink" required. The nib pen was the only writing pen that could tolerate "Iron gall" ink. Legal documents were at the start of the mid 1980's required by law(in Australia) to be signed by "well" filled pens. The inks used were either "indian" or "iron/oak gall" because their infusion into paper could not be erased and they had a longer "paper" life and were harder to forge. Bottled ink was superior to that supplied in fountain pens or "biro pens" because the user's choice to a greater range of inks covered a variety of scenarios. Forging a nib signature is extremely hard compared to that of a "biro pen" because a nib settles in to the users particular style of pen movement and arm pressure.This desk writing set was typical of those used by administrators, businesses or quasi legal sectors within the Kiewa Valley, before the lifting of the ban on the use of biros "to sign" legal documents. Fountain pens were used extensively before cheaper biros (throw away) writing implements (1940's) came into the market place.This glass ink well desk set has two circular ink wells connected to their respective nib holders. The nib holders are smaller circular receptacles and feed off the larger ink reservoirs. Between the two larger ink wells is a shallow bottomed elongated "oval" sphere able to contain "slide on" clips, two pronged fasteners (require a hole to be punched in papers) or small "bulldog" clips. At the front edge is an elongated and grooved (two) place for writing nibs. The grooves keep each nib or fountain pen separated.The glass structure is made from clear glass and only the outside "boxed" walls of the desk set make contact with the desk surface. The ink wells can also securely accommodate small bottles of ink. This would have been the case for refillable fountain pens.stationery, fountain pens, nib pens, ink receptors, glass ink wells

This testing voltmeter recorder was last certified by SEC Vic laboratories on the 17/4/77. It was used extensively as mobile recorder placed for periods of one month at locations experiencing unacceptable fluctuations of power. These locations would cover the North East regions of Victoria. They cover voltage drops at domestic and business properties especially those that were experiencing regular fluctuations(daily) at approximately the same time of the day. As the electrical network is required to operate within a set level of voltage, fluctuations outside of this has to be investigated and necessary remedial action taken. This is especially so for rural properties where power "drainage" can occur through animal/bird and tree interference. It can also be the result of defective wiring and overloading at peek operational times (milking machines).This mobile voltage recorder is very significant to the Kiewa Valley because it highlights the difficulties that can occur in maintaining a power supply that experiences fluctuating power demands by the rural industries that it supplies. The requirement of a mobile testing apparatus to cover the various sections in the Kiewa Valley and other rural areas in the northeast region is one of necessity as electricity once connected to a rural property is a labour saving supply as generators on rural properties require a higher degree of maintenance an ultimately at a higher cost. The testing of the SEC Vic supplied electricity to rural properties,those who had previously run on generators, had to be quick and unassuming with certainty of correct supply levels.The mechanism of this voltage recorder has been installed(by the manufacturer) into its own protective wooden box. This box has a front (swing open) lockable section which permits direct access to the installed measuring equipment (for servicing and data collection). The top section of the box has two screw on terminals for access to the machine being tested. This tester has its own inbuilt ink supply facilities and a mechanical clockwork device that unwinds a roll of paper onto a second roll at a rate of 10 mm per hour. The recording chart is marked with time slots against voltage. There is a recording arm which has an ink pen at the end. Both arm and pen carry the ink supply from the ink reservoir, located on the left side of the cabinet door in specially constructed bottle holder( three small bottle capacity). To record a suspect power problem to a home or business establishment the voltmeter is connected to a power supply outlet being tested and wind the recording clockwork mechanism (gives a four week running time). Before leaving the recorder in situ the electrician checks to see if the chart is recording the correct voltage and that the clock mechanism is advancing correctly.On the front of the access "door" at the top a metal label "RECORDING AMMETER" below this "MURDAY SYSTEM" below this "ALTERNATING CURRENT" and below this the manufacturer's registered number "No. 139156" Below this is a metal tag with State Electricity Commission of Victoria Electrical Engineer's Section equipment number "338" Below these tags and above the viewing window is the manufacturer's dtails "EVERSHED & VIGNOLES Led LONDON"sec vic kiewa hydro scheme, alternate energy supplies, alpine feasibility studies temperature, rainfall, power outages

Silver plated inkstand with two handles and four decorative legs, candle holder supported in middle by two swan figures presented to Joseph Bosisto but found in a houjse in Richmond next door to engineering shop owned by Melville Lobers (buried in Macclesfield) who is a relative of Mirren Alenson. Joseph Bosisto was a pharmaceutical chemist from Yorkshire, who set up eucalyptus distilleries at Emerald, Menzies Creek and Macclesfield in 1882. Joseph Bosisto was a Commissioner of the Melbourne International Exhibition 1880-1881 Presented to Joseph Bosisto Esq. M.L.A. by the employees of the Public Parks and Gardens 1882

This ink-well was used in the Bacchus Marsh Court House, possibly for book-keeping and/or for court records. This type of ink-well and pen were in use everywhere in schools, businesses, courts, etc before the invention of the type-writer and the ball-point pen. Clerks were usually male and a good copperplate hand-writing was admired. Ink was often mixed by hand used a powdered ink mixed with water.Of local significance in the history of the town of Bacchus Marsh.Round pewter ink-well, with hinged lid and ceramic insert. Five round holes pierced in inner rim of metal to hold pens. Two ribbed bands around exterior of pot. Two bands indented around top of lid. Insert designed to hold ink. Pen with marbled blue handle, metal nib holder and metal nib.Indecipherable imprint on bottom of pot, possibly machine markings. Illegible written marks on side of pewter pot. Ceramic insert marked on side and bottom by red and black ink.ink, ink well, hand writing, record keeping, pens, nibs, clerical work, court records

The letter to William Ferrier of South Warrnambool from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth recognised the significance of William’s brave and courageous lifesaving act to the people of Australia; “They all feel that your conduct was worthy of the best deeds done by British sailors in the past and they are proud to know that Australia can produce such as you.” The story of that brave rescue follows on below … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, The company was one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the Pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October 1905, the twelve-year-old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia. She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with seawater and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on the shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11 pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11 pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2 am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise, the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning, Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25-year-old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days, an unidentified body of a young person has washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues, he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor-General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with the manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. As well as this letter, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and a postcard of William Ferrier with four of the survivors. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. This original congratulatory letter sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia demonstrates the importance attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The letter is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The letter to William Ferrier from the Australian Government acknowledges the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The letter is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it honours William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The letter connects to the postcard of William Ferrier with four of the five rescued crew, the photograph of the wreck of the La Bella and the artefact from the wreck, the rail holder. This letter is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella”. The “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Letter to William Ferrier of South Warrnambool from the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament commending him on his bravery. The printed letterhead includes a coat of arms in the top centre and the official address. The letter is very neatly hand written in black pen and includes 4 signatures of Members of Parliament. The rectangular paper is cream coloured with some yellow/brown discolouring. It has the letterhead on the right hand side of it and the written letter begins below the letterhead. The paper has been folded so that the right side becomes the cover page of the letter. The writing is continued onto the inside right hand page of the folded paper and the writing ends here. There is more recent writing on the bottom right hand corner of the back page. The paper has been officially folded in half a total 3 times and there is heavy discolouration on the sections that form the front and back of the folded letter. There is a 4th fold line that is less pronounced that the other folds and would make the paper the size to fit into a pocket. At several fold creases the paper has worn through. The edges of the paper have minor tears. The printed coat of arms is that of the House of Representatives. Underneath is printed “The Parliament of the Commonwealth, / Parliament House / Melbourne”. The hand written, letter is dated “14th November, 1905” and addressed to “Mr. William Ferrier / South Warrnambool” The letter begins “The Speaker, the Prime Minister and Members of the Ministry and its supporters, the Leader and Members of the Opposition, the Leader and Members of the Labour Party, being all the Members of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Australia” … It continues “desire to express to you their appreciation of your bravery in skulling out to the wreck of the “La Bella” at Warrnambool on Saturday, 11th November, 1905, and recovering therefrom two of the crew who were in imminent danger of their lives. They all feel that your conduct was worthy of the best deeds done by British sailors in the past and they are proud to know that Australia can produce such as you.” The letter is “Signed on behalf of the Members – Speaker (Frederick Holder ), Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Joseph Cook ), Prime Minister (Alfred Deakin), Leader of the Labour Party ( J.C. Watson)” On the back of the letter is blue ink handwriting “OWNER / G. FERRIER / TO. BE. PHOTOGRAPHED / 27-4-76”la bella, william ferrier, bill ferrier, lady bay, 1905, 10th november 1905, 11th november 1905, parliament of the commonwealth, prime minister, australian government, new zealand, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

Metal rod of 3 flat sides and 5 half circle concave shapes across the top. Silver plated.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Dip pens emerged in the early 19th century, when they replaced quill pens. They were generally used prior to the development of fountain pens in the later 19th century, and are now mainly used in illustration, calligraphy, and comics. A nib pen usually consists of a metal nib with capillary channels like those of fountain pen nibs, mounted on a handle or holder, often made of wood. Other materials can be used for the holder, including bone, metal and plastic. Generally speaking, dip pens have no ink reservoir; therefore the user has to recharge the ink from an ink bowl or bottle in order to continue drawing or writing. Birmingham, England was home to many of the first dip pen manufacturers. John Mitchell pioneered mass production of steel pens in 1822; prior to that the quill pen had been the most common form of writing instrument. His brother William Mitchell later set up his own pen making business in St Paul's square. The Mitchell family is credited as being the first manufacturers to use machines to cut pen nibs, which greatly sped up the process. Germany 1842 began at the factory of Heintze & Blanckertz in Berlin By 1860 there were about 100 companies making steel nibs in Birmingham, but 12 large firms dominated the trade. Dip pens are rarely used now for regular writing, most commonly having been replaced by fountain pens, rollerball pens, or ballpoint pens. However, dip pens are still appreciated by artists, as they can make great differences between thick and thin lines, and generally write more smoothly than other types of pens. Dip pens are also preferred by calligraphers for fine writing. Richard Esterbrook was a Cornish Quaker from England who saw an opportunity in the United States to manufacture Steel Pens. In 1856 R.Esterbrook traveled to the US to set up shop as 'The Steel Pen Manufacturing Company' where Richard made these steel pens by hand using special tools and machines (mostly that Richard had to invent). In 1858 he was able to establish himself as the sole pen manufacturer in the USA and he changed the company name to 'The Esterbrook Steel Pen Mfg. Co.' The company settled down in Camden, New Jersey. Quality was a key factor in his success. His steel pens were versatile, long lasting, and came in many different styles to fit the varied writing styles of the public. Sadly, Richard Esterbrook didn't see the 'empire' his company was to become as he passed away in Atlanta on October 12th 1895 . in 1896 they started an Esterbrook branch in England to join the ranks of the other main pen manufactures in Birmingham . In 1912 the company had gotten so large that they erected a 5 story building, just to continue manufacturing pens. By 1920 the fountain pen was fast becoming more popular amongst people who were tired of 'dipping.' To meet this demand the company manufactured its first fountain pen. In 1930 the company sought less expensive means of manufacturing pens because gold and 'jewel' tips were too expensive and in this same year they began selling fountain pens in England . The Esterbrook Company began using the metal Iridium which they called 'Durachrome.' To meet the fountain pen demand the company reformed as 'The Esterbrook Hazel Pens Ltd.' In 1940 war had come to strike a blow at the Esterbrook company. On November 19th 1940 their England location was hit by an incendiary bomb destroying half of the location! To make matters worse, when putting out the fire using a human water bucket chain, someone accidentally grabbed a bucket of paraffin and set the place further ablaze. Oddly enough, the company was able to rebuild the structure during the war. However, the government had placed a stipulation that 50% of its capacity was to be used for government related purposes. In 1947 the company bought out John Mitchell and the American branch had already acquired Hazel Pen Co. The company re-formed again as 'The Esterbrook Pen Company.' This is the last company name the dip pen nibs were manufactured under. A box of Steel dipping nibs for writing pensOn Box; Photo of man / R. Esternbrook Co. / PENS / PROBATEsteel nibs, writing pens, education, schools, writing, caligraphy, artists, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, dip pens, inkwells, fountain pens, mitchell john, birmingham england, esternbrook richard, maple barbara

Small metal box containing 8 nibsPen points made in Japandomestic items, writing equipment

Solid moulded glass container with small indents to rest a pen. Glass dish has a shallow recess to hold pins and paper clips. Base of dish has pattern of small squares moulded into it.domestic items, writing equipment, commerce, office equipment / stationery

The items include a wooden ruler, masonite and metal clipboard, metal stapler and desk calendar holder made of metal, date from the 1970s. Three clear glass ink bottles and a black Bakelite fountain pen with screw on top are a little earlier in date, and all appear to have a reliable provenance to the lightstation. They have second level significance as small items of office equipment used in the day-to-day running of the lightstation. Maintaining the lightstation – equipment (themes 2, 3, 5) This sub-collection of workplace objects under the main theme of ‘Running the Lightstation’, includes the equipment used for and maintaining the lightstation. All have second level contributory significance for the insights they provide into the types of appliances needed to keep the lightstation running and functioning as a navigation aid.Metal clipboard, wooden ruler, metal stapler metal calendar /date holder.

Two pens. 1 - Wooden pen with nib. 2 - Bone pencil holderC and N Yargate in gold stamp on wooden handle.pens, writing equipment

Ballpoint pen - plastic, screw type with back plastic base with a gold tip, central band, clip with a white top and the letters "P.T.C." in green covered with a domed clear finish. Fitted with a metal pocket clip. Contained with in a black felt rounded package or holder.trams, tramways, ptc, public transport corporation, passengers, publicity, crews

Pilot's khaki jumpsuit, zipped pocket with holder for two pens on lefthand sleeve, zipped two-way crotch to collar, slanted zipped pockets on each breast, three domed fasteners around waist, zipped waist pockets, two zipped pockets on both lets with sips at base of legs to make smaller. All zips are metal with leather zip pulls. Leather clip on right leg for clipboard.Label below collar - M. Pennisi 1968 Size 5 8415-66-013-1559clothing, jumpsuit