This majestic peacock embodies technical achievement, skill and ingenuity of artisans during the 19th century. It is now known as the 'Loch Ard Peacock' and was designed and modelled in 1873 by Paul Comolera (1818-1897), and fired in one piece at the Minton factory at Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom in 1875. The peacock has been portrayed in symbolic motifs and has figured heavily in folktales and fables since antiquity, and many cultures around the world see it as a symbol of beauty, rebirth and power. Wealthy Victorians, loved majolica, and the large peacock would have been the ultimate home accessory, as a conservatory ornament – combining their desire for nature, the exotic and vibrant colours. The peacock model was listed in catalogues by Minton & Co. for a retail price of 35 guineas or sold as a pair for 90 guineas. Minton & Co. was founded in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1765–1836) and became famous pottery and porcelain manufacturers. Comolera was a French artist and sculptor, renowned for dramatic naturalistic forms, and life-size renditions of birds and animals that won him admiration in public and artistic circles. He was employed by Minton & Co. from 1873 to 1880, and the life-sized peacock became his best known work. Comolera, kept a live peacock loaned from the nearby Duke of Sutherland's Trentham Hall Estate in his studio, to create a life-size model of fine buff earthenware model, which was then hand painted in brilliantly coloured green and blue glazes to mimic the peafowl’s dazzling plumage. There are no surviving production records, but according to documents in the Minton Archive, nine peacocks were made by Comolera. However, today some historians now believe that twelve were fired at the Minton factory, research is still on-going. These peacocks were so admired that the Minton & Co. used them as exhibition showpieces at International Exhibitions in London, Paris, and the United States of America, assuring the company had a worldwide reputation. So, when Melbourne hosted an International Exposition in 1880, Minton & Co. sent out ceramics, tiles and in particular, this peacock was intended to be part of their exhibit in the British Court in the Exhibition Building, built in the Carlton Gardens. The early dispatch date (1878) indicates that the company may have intended to exhibit their wares including the peacock at the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition, but the company did not take up this option. The ship that Minton & Co. used to bring the peacock and their other wares to the Australian colonies was the ill-fated Loch Ard, which sunk after striking Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell, Victoria in calm foggy weather in June 1878 on the final leg on the ships journey to Melbourne. The loss of 52 lives made it one of Victoria’s worst shipwrecks. Therefore, this peacock never made it to the grand exposition in Melbourne, as Minton & Co. had planned. Charles McGillivray dragged this peacock, still in its original packing case onto the beach in the gorge just two days after the Loch Ard went down. The peacock was rescued unscathed apart from a chip on its beak (only repaired in 1988). After a disagreement with Melbourne Customs Officer, Joseph Daish, McGillivray stopped his salvage operations, leaving the peacock on the beach. The second salvagers were James Miller and Thomas Keys. Miller was a member of the firm Howarth, Miller and Matthews, Geelong, who had brought the salvage rights to the Loch Ard wreck on 10 June. When Miller and Keys arrived at the wreck site, a storm had washed many of the salvaged goods including this peacock back into the sea. The two men found the peacock in its case ‘bobbing along in the water’, and pulled it back to the beach. To ensure the peacock wasn't washed out to sea again, Miller and Keys hauled the packing case containing the peacock up the gorge's cliff face to the top, ready to be transported. In an interview in 1928, Keys claimed that at the time of the rescue the head had broken from the body. This account was proven to be true in 1988, following the birds display in Brisbane. This peacock began its life in Australia, not in grandeur of an International Exhibition as intended, but in the hallway of a simple domestic house in Geelong. It appears Minton &Co. did not attempt to buy this peacock back. Florence Miller, daughter of James Miller (Loch Ard salvage rights holder), later remarked that the only item of real value rescued from the wreck had been the peacock and that this had been kept by her father in the family home for many years, and became a treasured family possession. As such, this 'Loch Ard peacock' was almost forgotten and mistaken with other Minton peacocks around the world. Florence tried to sell the peacock due to financial difficulties in the 1930s but was unsuccessful. While attempting to sell the peacock, it was displayed in the window of the Argus newspaper office on Collins Street, and at the National Museum on 1st June 1935, the date of the 57th anniversary of the Loch Ard wreck. As a result, the peacock again attracted public attention with books, newspaper and magazine articles being published telling the story of its survival from a shipwreck. After Miller's death, the peacock remained in an antique dealer's shop in Melbourne for many years until it was bought at auction by Frank Ridley-Lee, in the 1940s, who displayed the bird at his home in Ivanhoe/Heidelberg. The peacock remained in the hands of the Ridley-Lee, until it was offered for sale in 1975 as part of Mrs Ridley-Lee's estate. In 1975, an advertisement in Melbourne newspaper, the Age announced the sale by auction of the art collection of the Ridley-Lee estate that included this peacock. The peacock was not sold at this time, as the reserve price of $4500 was not met. This news was passed on to the board of the newly created Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Urgent efforts were made to raise the necessary funds through fundraising by the Warrnambool City Council and public donations. The Fletcher Jones Company and the Victorian Government contributed half of the of the cost. On 9 September 1975, the peacock was purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and it found a new home at the maritime museum. Since, it has only left Warrnambool twice. Firstly, in 1980 at the centenary celebrations of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, and secondly, in 1988, the peacock was given pride of place at the entrance to the Victorian Pavilion at the Brisbane World Expo, acknowledging that this Minton majolica peacock is the most significant shipwreck object in Australia. The Minton majolica peacock is considered of historical social and aesthetic significance to Victoria and is one of only a few 'objects' registered on the Victorian Heritage Register (H 2132), as it is a most notable and rare object associated with the Minton factory of the 1870s and works by the celebrated sculptor Paul Comolera along with the wreck of the Loch Ard on the Victorian coastline. This Minton peacock is historically significant for its rarity; it was one of only 9-12 known to exist. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is also of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register Ref (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. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so 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 early social and historical themes. The collection is historically significant is that it is associated, unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. The peacock, resplendent in polychrome glaze, stands perched on a rocky plinth decorated with vines, leaves, flowers, blackberries and wild mushrooms. The peacock’s breast is cobalt blue; the wings and legs are in naturalistic colours. The tail is a mass of feathers coloured in green, ochre blue and brown — a fantastic display of artistry and Minton expertise. Inscribed at the base :P Comolera, and a Minton & Co. design number: 2045.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, loch ard, loch ard gorge, peacock, paul comolera, victorian heritage register, minton peacock, minton & co., stoke upon trent, bird figures, mintons, ceramics, international expositions, majolica, naturalistic, staffordshire

This painting is one of a pair of large paintings by W. Langley-Taylor in our collection. Currently, no further information has been found about the artist but research is ongoing. The subjects of these paintings are seascapes of notable areas of the coast on each side of Port Phillip Bay, south of Melbourne, Victoria. This painting is of Eagle Rock, Warrnambool, which is on the west of Port Phillip Bay. Eagle Rock is located about 400 metres west of Thunder Point, near Shelly Beach. The painting includes the rocky cliff formations looking east towards the Warrnambool Breakwater. The walk from the Thunder Point car park westwards to Shelly Beach has been popular over the decades with residents as well as tourists. Many photographs include the rock, with varying backgrounds depending on the angle of the camera. It is a popular dive site for locals and visitors, in calm weather! The site can be approached by boat from the open sea in favourable conditions, and there is plenty of native marine to be seen in this marine sanctuary. This part of Warrnambool’s rugged coastline is unprotected from the Southern Ocean with its wild icy winds and high seas. The painting’s crashing waves and the northerly direction of the smoke on the steamship sailing north show the effect of the southerly wind. INSCRIPTIONS “Mrs M Irby” and “980/Regency” The significance of the inscription “Mrs M Irby”, on the back of each of the two paintings, has not yet been discovered. Perhaps she was connected with the ship or shipping company “Irby”. A ship named “Irby”, built in Merseyside, Liverpool in 1881 by R & J Evans, Birkenhead. It was a four-masted iron ship built for the White Star Line. Henry Wilson Hewitt bought her in 1882, then later she was owned by Chadwick & Pritchard. In 1888 she was registered under the Irby Ship Co. Ltd. (trading as J. Joyce) in Liverpool. In 1912 Galgate Co. Ltd owned her. She traded between London, England and Australia, and is recorded as being in Melbourne and Hobart. In 1919 the Irby was destroyed by a mine when on her way to England. Or perhaps her name and the inscription in pencil “980/Regency” on the Eagle Rock Warrnambool, painting could be a delivery address for the paintings, perhaps an apartment in a hotel. This painting is significant geographically for its representation of the coastal scenery of Victoria, Australia. It is also significant as one of a pair of paintings of seascape, one at sites each side of Port Phillip Bay. The painting is significant historically as an example of late 19th and early 20th methods and materials used to construct a painting’s frame. Painting oil on board in a dark wooden frame, portrait orientation. Seascape of rock formation and cliffs, two yachts, a two-masted steamboat with red funnel and smoke, flying birds, high waves breaking onto rocks, blue sky with clouds, some tinted pink.. The title is painted on lower left corner and the artist, W. Langley-Taylor, has signed his name on lower right. The inscription on the back is a handwritten script in red crayon or thick red pencil. The board is held in place inside the timber frame with small, dark metal tacks around all sides. Metal eyes join the wire to the frame. Small round, dark metal nail heads are dispersed around the frame and there is a change of colour on both the board and the wood of the frame. Painted on front “W.LANGLEY-TAYLOR.” and “EAGLE ROCK, WARRNAMBOOL, VIC.” Handwritten on back “Mrs. M. Irby” and “980 [underlined] Regency”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, eagle rock warrnambool, w. langley-taylor, oil painting, wall decoration, seascape of victoria's coast, mrs m irby, art, seascape, pair of paintings

The set of seven 1858 plans shows proposed plans for the original Lighthouse Complex that was built on Middle Island in 1858-1859. The whole complex was then transferred to Flagstaff Hill in 1871. The plan, dated 1909, is for proposed additions and repairs to the Quarters at Flagstaff Hill. The plan 'Alterations and Additions' shows alternate plans for changes to the quarters at the Flagstaff Hill location. This plan has no date. The Complex comprised the Lighthouse, the Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, the Store (now called the Chart Room) and a Privy, which was not included in these plans. The Keeper’s bluestone Quarters was a cottage divided into two compartments, one for each keeper and his family. The bluestone Store was divided into three; a store, a workshop an oil store (or office). The Privy comprised of a small building also divided into two separate, back-to-back toilets, one for each Keeper and his family. The Flagstaff Hill Keeper's Quarters have had extensions and additions at various times, and these have also been removed at various other times. THE PLANS - *Dec. 1858 (12/58) ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool’ (2375.01)* Public Works Office Melbourne – Front and Back elevations, sections, and floor plan. The drawing shows timber walls. [The floor plan is the closest plan to the current building, however, the walls are timber in this plan.] *Nov. 1858 – No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool’ (2375.02)* Office of Public Works, Melbourne – Back and End elevations and section through. The drawing shows stone walls. One side; Senior Keeper’s bedroom, living room and kitchen with storeroom. Another side; is the Assistant’s bedroom, living room and storeroom. *Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool’ (2375.03)* Office of Public Works – Front, Side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows stone walls. *Nov. 1858 – No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.04)* Office of Public Works – Front, side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows timber walls. *Nov. 1858 – ‘Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.05)* Public Works Office Melbourne. The plan shows the foundations, joists and eaves. The drawing shows timber walls. (Nov. 1858 – ‘No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool’ (2375.06)* Public Works Melbourne (Part of the paper is missing). This plan shows an octagonal tower, internal stairs, a balcony landing, and a weather vane on top. *November 1858 – No. 1, ‘Lighthouse – Warrnambool’ (2375.07)* Office of Public Works Melbourne. This plan shows a round tower, including the stairs, windows on the tower and the weather vane on the top. *4/3/9 [1909] – ‘Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan’ (2375.8)* Department of Public Works Melbourne’s official stamp is signed by Croft. It shows the floor plans of the Store, Upper Lighthouse and the Quarters. The Store building has three sections; a Store, Work-Shop and Office, with an internal wall between them and separate entries. The Quarters are divided into two dwellings. The Senior Keeper’s side on the left has fireplaces in two of the three bedrooms and there is a pantry and wash house. The Assistant’s side has no fireplaces in the bedrooms and there’s no pantry or washhouse. These plans include proposed changes to the buildings. The Senior Keeper’s Quarters would have a partition on bedroom 2, a bath with plumbing and drainage, a wall moved and a built-in side porch. The Store would also have a built-in porch. The undated plan 'Additions and Alterations' (2375.9) shows alternative arrangements for water tanks, plumbing and such. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSES- In the 1800s ships sailing from England to Australia began to use Bass Strait as a faster route to Melbourne. Small navigation errors led to many tragic shipwrecks. From 1848 lighthouses were operating along Victoria’s southern coast as a guide for sailors. Coastal towns such as Warrnambool grew and the exchange of trade and passengers were of great benefit. However, the uncertain weather changes, relatively shallow waters and treacherous, hidden rocky reefs were not suitable for a Harbour and in the 1840s and 1850s there were many shipwrecks in the area, with some even stranded in its Lady Bay harbour. A jetty was built in 1850 and a flagstaff to guide seafarers was placed up high on what became known now as Flagstaff Hill. In November 1857 the Victorian Government recommended that Warrnambool Harbour had beacons and two lighthouses to guide vessels into and out of the Harbour safely. The white light of the Middle Island lighthouse was to be used for the first time on September 1, 1859. The red light of the Beach Lighthouse, a wooden obelisk structure, was first operated on March 25, 1860, but in 1868 this light was ‘discontinued’ due to it being too low. Melbourne’s Department of Public Works decided to relocate the Middle Island Lighthouse Complex - Lighthouse, Keeper’s Quarters, Privy, Store Room and even water tanks - to Flagstaff Hill. The lower obelisk was shortened, and a protruding gallery, railing, and external ladder were added, as well as the light from the Beach Lighthouse. A green guiding light was erected on the end of the jetty. The transfer of the Complex began in March 1871. Each shaped stone of the lighthouse was carefully numbered, removed then reassembled on Flagstaff Hill. In 1872 the well was sunk behind the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage. The Keepers and families had left Middle Island in April and moved to Flagstaff Hill in October 1871. Vessels entering Lady Bay align the Upper and Lower Lighthouse towers during the day and the lights at night. The Upper Lighthouse is a round tower, the Lower Light is square. The Lighthouses were categorised as harbour lights rather than coastal lights, so they remain under the control of the Victorian Government’s Ports and Harbours section. The lights were originally powered by oil, then acetylene gas, later by electricity, and then converted to solar power in 1988. In 1993 the solar panel was replaced by a battery charger. A decision was made in 1936 to replace the lighthouses’ lights with unattended lights that no longer required Keepers and Assistants. At least 29 Keepers had attended to the lighthouse from its opening in 1859 to when the last official Lightkeepers left In April 1916. The Warrnambool Harbour Board rented out the Quarters from 1916 to 1936. The Board closed down but the rentals continued with other unknown landlords. In the 1970s the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board was set up under the chairmanship of John Lindsay. The Board was to make recommendations to the Warrnambool City Council regarding the use of the buildings and the rest of the Crown Land on the site. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage in stages, during which time evidence of a 1920s fire was found in the eastern section of the cottage. Additions of a porch on the west and a washroom on the east were made in the 1980s. The western part of the building is now a Shipwreck Museum and the east has returned to a late 19th-century Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage and includes the screen made by Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Hope during one of his two periods of service there. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS Lighthouse Keepers were responsible for keeping their Lighthouse’s lights shining at night. They kept a lookout for passing vessels and changes in weather. They were expected to clean, polish and maintain the equipment and buildings. They kept regular and detailed records of who was on watch, and the time the light was lit, trimmed and extinguished. They kept a journal about other events that occurred. They keep regular, accurate Meteorological Logs. It was expected that they were competent in Morse code signalling. They would be called to help in times of disasters and shipwrecks, and to give official statements about these events. Many Lighthouse Keepers also volunteered as members of the lifeboat crew. The Lady Bay lighthouses were officially classified as small, so the Keepers had the official titles of Senior Assistant Lighthouse Keeper and Assistant Lighthouse Keeper. They were employed by the Public Service and paid rent to live in the Lighthouse Quarters. They were compulsorily retired at the age of 60, with most receiving a superannuation payment. Despite their time-consuming duties, there was time to follow hobbies and crafts such as growing vegetables, playing musical instruments, making models of buildings including lighthouses, and crafting furniture pieces. An example of a keeper’s skills is the carved fire screen made by /assistant Keeper Thomas Hope in the early 20th century and displayed in the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage at Flagstaff Hill. The last occupants of the Middle Island Complex were Senior Keeper Robert Deverell, his Assistant Keeper, Andrew Farncombe, and their families. They all became the first occupants at the Lady Bay Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters on Merri Street. The Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex plans are the origin of what is now the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. They are a record of the people, process and departments involved in bringing the complex into fruition. The plans are significant to the Complex, which is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, H1520, for being of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. The Complex is significant as an example of early colonial development. The plan are significant for their connection with the important navigational function of the Lighthouses, a function still being performed to this day. The plans are also significant as an example of a product from the Public Works Department in Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. The structures built to these plans still stand strong. Plans for the Lighthouse Complex in Warrnambool, including Lighthouses, Keeper's Quarters and Stores. Seven of the plans are on thin fragile paper, one is on thicker, stronger paper. The drawings have been made in pens coloured red and black. They originate from Public Works in Melbourne. Seven were drawn in 1858, one in 1904, the other is not dated.Dec. 1858 - Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool. Public Works Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No. 1, Lighthouse - Warrnambool. Office of Public Works Melbourne. 4/3/9 [1909] - Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan. Department of Public Works Melbourne. SIGNED "Croft" "15A" on reverse [no date] - Lighthouse Quarters Warrnambool, Additions and Alterations. "9A" on reverseflagstaff hill, warrnambool, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse residence, lighthouse, plans, public works, melbourne, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, chart room, quarters, privy, middle island, beach lighthouse, obelisk, lighthouse keeper, assistant keeper, lighthouse complex, lady bay, lady bay complex, keepers, upper lighthouse, lower lighthouse, ports and harbours, cottage, harbour board, flagstaff hill planning board, meteorological record, robert deverell, andrew farncombe, warrnambool port, warrnambool harbour, residence, alterations, repairs, department of works

This black and white photograph shows the crew of the barque Newfield. They are pictured seated on a grassy slope and rock, a lifebuoy from the Newfield, Liverpool, resting on the men in the front row. The men are formally dressed, some with bowler hats, a bow tie and pipe, rather than in their sailing uniforms. ABOUT THE NEWFIELD The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt, the main export product of Sharpness. At about 9pm on 28th August 1892, in heavy weather, Captain Scott sighted, between heavy squalls, the Cape Otway light on the mainland of Victoria but, due to a navigational error (the ship’s chronometers were wrong), he assumed it to be the Cape Wickham light on King Island, some 40 miles south. He altered his course to the north, expecting to enter Bass Strait. The ship was now heading straight for the south west Victorian coast. At about 1:30am the Newfield ran aground on a reef about 100 yards from shore and one mile east of Curdie’s Inlet, Peterborough. The ship struck heavily three times before grounding on an inner shoal with 6 feet of water in the holds. Rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile off shore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. According to Jack Loney ‘… when the drama was over . . the Newfield was deserted except for the Captain’s dog and two pigs.’ Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at Ssea, which he received by mail on January 21st 1893. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects. The Newfield collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international cargo ship. The Newfield collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its association with the shipwreck. The Letter accompanying the Medal for Bravery awarded to Peter Carmody is significant because the attempt to save lives is associated with the shipwreck Newfield. Black and white photograph of the crew of the sailing ship “Newfield”. The men in formal dress are seated on rocky slope with the ship’s lifebuoy showing the name “NEWFIELD, LIVERPOOL”. Photograph taken 1889-1892 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, newfield, photograph, crew of the newfield, 19th century sailing ship, peterborough, cape otway, medal for bravery

The black and white photograph depicts the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex at Flagstaff Hill, Warrnambool. It was opened on this site in 1871. From left to right, the Chartroom (previously named the Store), Upper Lighthouse, Flagstaff, Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters. The bluestone buildings are facing North on Merri Street. The Harbour Pilot's Lodgings were on the east of the Complex. There are two unknown male figures standing in front of the light-coloured picket fence that encompasses the Complex. The photograph is mounted on card. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSES In the 1800s ships sailing from England to Australia began to use Bass Strait as a faster route to Melbourne. Small navigation errors led to many tragic shipwrecks. From 1848 lighthouses were operating along Victoria’s southern coast as a guide for sailors. Coastal towns such as Warrnambool grew and the exchange of trade and passengers was of great benefit. However, the uncertain weather changes, relatively shallow waters and treacherous, hidden rocky reefs were not really suitable for a Harbour and in the 1840s and 1850s, there were many shipwrecks in the area, with some even stranded in its Lady Bay harbour. A jetty was built in 1850 and a flagstaff to guide seafarers was placed up high on what became known now as Flagstaff Hill. In November 1857 the Victorian Government recommended that Warrnambool Harbour had beacons and two lighthouses to guide vessels into and out of the Harbour safely. The white light of the Middle Island lighthouse was to be used for the first time on September 1, 1859. The red light of the Beach Lighthouse, a wooden obelisk structure, was first operated on March 25, 1860, but in 1868 this light was ‘discontinued’ due to it being too low. Melbourne’s Department of Public Works decided to relocate the Middle Island Lighthouse Complex - Lighthouse, Keeper’s Quarters, Privy, Store Room and even water tanks - to Flagstaff Hill. The lower obelisk was shortened, and a protruding gallery, railing, and external ladder were added, and the light from the Beach Lighthouse. A green guiding light was erected on the end of the jetty. The transfer of the Complex began in March 1871. Each shaped stone of the lighthouse was carefully numbered, removed then reassembled on Flagstaff Hill. In 1872 the well was sunk behind the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage. The Keepers and families had left Middle Island in April and moved to Flagstaff Hill in October 1871. Vessels entering Lady Bay align the Upper and Lower Lighthouse towers during the day and the lights at night. The Upper Lighthouse is a round tower, and the Lower Light is square. The Lighthouses were categorised as harbour lights rather than coastal lights, so they remain under the control of the Victorian Government’s Ports and Harbours section. The lights were originally powered by oil, then acetylene gas, later by electricity, and then converted to solar power in 1988. In 1993 the solar panel was replaced by a battery charger. A decision was made in 1936 to replace the lighthouses’ lights with unattended lights that no longer required Keepers and Assistants. At least 29 Keepers had attended to the lighthouse from its opening in 1859 to when the last official Lightkeepers left In April 1916. The Warrnambool Harbour Board rented out the Quarters from 1916 to 1936. The Board closed down but the rentals continued with other unknown landlords. In the 1970s the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board was set up under the chairmanship of John Lindsay. The Board was to make recommendations to the Warrnambool City Council regarding using the buildings and the rest of the Crown Land on the site. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage in stages, during which time evidence of a 1920s fire was found in the eastern section of the cottage. Additions of a porch on the west and a washroom on the east were made in the 1980s. The western part of the building is now a Shipwreck Museum and the east has returned to a late 19th-century Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage and includes the screen made by Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Hope in the late 19th century. He served as Assistant Keeper in Warrnambool for two periods.The Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, H1520, for being of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. The Complex is significant as an example of early colonial development. The buildings are significant for their connection with the important navigational function of the Lighthouses, a function still being performed to this day. The buildings are also significant as an example of structures designed and works carried out by the Public Works Department in Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. The structures still stand strong. Photograph; Warrnambool Lighthouse Keeper's cottage, lighthouse, flagstaff and chartroom at Flagstaff Hill, and a light-coloured picket fence with gate. Two male figures are in front of the fence. Black and white print glued to a yellow card. The inscription is indecipherable. The right side of the cottage has a built-in, enclosed addition.Ink stamped in lower right hand corner, too faded to be legible.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse residence, lighthouse, chart room, quarters, privy, middle island, beach lighthouse, obelisk, lighthouse complex, lady bay complex, warrnambool port, warrnambool harbour, lady bay, keepers, lighthouse keeper, upper lighthouse, lower lighthouse, assistant keeper, ports and harbours, cottage

Colour photograph in Black Frame.Picture of Back Beachcove. Beach scene with people enjoying the water.- Rocky Edge and green hill. Vung Tau 1970.photograph, vung tau

Colour photograph of two men sitting on an armoured personnel carrier named 'Glen 20 B' Behind them is a hill / rocky Blue sky.It is a brushed Silver frame.Glen 20B. 134290photograph, apc

Churchill Island has a significant photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century.Black and white landscape photograph with a white border of a rocky beach with steep cliffs leading to the shoreline. Rhyll is in the background.Catalogue number written in pencil on reverse. churchill island

Photograph of two recoilless rifles, boxes of amunition and four soldiers shirtless in jungle green trousers in a green rocky field positionphotograph, soldiers

A collection of articles written about the Italian-Australians who served in Vietnamitalians-australians, italian ausralian institute research centre, vietnam, charles (carmelo) di noto, dino de marchi, ivo sist, rosario (ross) lagana, ennio morello, antonino (tony) parrello, emmanuele john (ned) pannuzzo, vincenzo (vince) pezzano, vincent john (vince) restuccia, davide (david) guerino florian, aldo (rocky) andrea matteo maria gerzina, paul frank beraldo, francesco (frank) martino, guido bensi, nicola gaetano (nick john) cassano, salvatore (sam) vecchio, anthony (tony) magnanini, joseph john (joe) valvo, phillip john (phil) vitale, anthony (tony) arena, ennio torresan, peitro bevilacqua, ettore (arthur) savino

Falls of Halladale wrecked to the West of Peterborough and the rocky point of land is now named Halladale Point. the book includes information about the history of the ship and photos of her in action, as well as information and photos of the wreck.Jack Loney researched and wrote a number of books about many shipwrecks along the Victorian coast. This limited edition book summarises the history of the barque Falls of Halladale, which wrecked just to the west of Peterborough and includes interesting photos of the ship at sail and as a wreck on the reef.A3 landscape style spiral bound book with stiff, cardboard pages. Limited editionInside it is noted that this is copy number 452 of 1000 copies, and is signed by the author. Also inscribed in pencil is " Donated by Barry Jenkins"shipwrecks, peterborough, falls of halladale, jack loney

Colour photograph of Rocky crop at Cap Schank.coast, coastal, coastal geomorphology, geology, ocean, waves, cape schank, beach

Colour photograph of Wild Dog Creek flowing in to the beach at Apollo Bay near the rocky outcrop known as Match Point.apollo bay, wild dog creek, match point, beach, coast

Colour photograph of Wild Dog Creek flowing in to the beach near the rocky outcrop known as Match Point, Apollo Bay.apollo bay, wild dog creek, match point, beach, coast

Colour photograph of rocks on the beach at Apollo Bay at a rocky outcrop known as Match Point.apollo bay, match point, beach, coast, rocks

Colour photograph of rocks on the beach at Apollo Bay at a rocky outcrop known as Match Point.apollo bay, match point, beach, coast, rocks

Some men identifiedBlack and white print of group of eleven men seated on rocky shore near the SS Savos, at Cape Everard, Point Hicks. Image shows the ships funnel still in place, vessel facing west. Lakes Entrance Victoriacoast, fishing industry, ocean, ships and shipping

This work depicts the coast at Black Rock. Figures in early 20th century outfits are dotted on the oxide rocky outcrops in the foreground and beyond the water the hazy Red Bluff cliff dominates the coast.Impressionismoil on canvasbeach, coast, figures, jessie traill, red bluff, bayside, black rock, bathers, port phillip bay, bay, water

Nicholas Caire was born on Guernsey in the Channel Islands in 1837. He arrived in Adelaide with his parents in about 1860. In 1867, following photographic journeys in Gippsland, he opened a studio in Adelaide. From 1870 to 1876 he lived and worked in Talbot in Central Victoria. In 1876 he purchased T. F. Chuck's studios in the Royal Arcade Melbourne. In 1885, following the introduction of dry plate photography, he began a series of landscape series, which were commercially successful. As a photographer, he travelled extensively through Victoria, photographing places few of his contemporaries had previously seen. He died in 1918. Reference: Jack Cato, 'Caire, Nicholas John (1837–1918)', Australian Dictionary of Biography.An original, rare photograph from the series 'Views of Victoria: General Series' by the photographer, Nicholas Caire (1837-1918). The 60 photographs that comprise the series were issued c. 1876 and reinforced a neo-Romantic view of the Australian landscape to which a growing nationalist movement would respond. Nicholas Caire was active as a photographer in Australia from 1858 until his death in 1918. His vision of the Australian bush and pioneer life had a counterpart in the works of Henry Lawson and other nationalist poets, authors and painters.‘Crystal Brook, in the Cape Otway Ranges’ : Views of Victoria (General Series) No.53 : Albumen silver photograph | Photo on card with Title and Description on reverse | Mounted 24 x 30 cm; Photo 12 x 17 cm.On Reverse: 'The subject of the present illustration was discovered by one of our operators exploring the Cape in search of scenery. It is situated about four miles from the coast, and is surrounded by dense foliage on the one side, and rocky boulders on the other. This spot being unknown to the settlers, the title we have given to it is highly suggestive of such a romantic and secluded spot.'nicholas caire (1837-1918), landscape photography