Part of Grham Collection, donated by the Family of Misses Mary and Edith Maude Graham, of 4 Blair Street, Portland. Made in Birmingham.Shoe horn with English made steel body and sterling silver handle. Handle monogrammed with letter 'M'. Hallmarks: Lion passant Anchor - Birmingham - 1912 A & LLFront: 'M' (engraved, handle) English made steel (engraved, body).

The family of Miss Carol Pedersen-Green migrated to Australia from Norway c1900 and probably brought this desk set with them. A desk set comprising a wooden base with 2 cut outs for 2 clear glass ink wells with silver hinged lids. A ledge on either side to hold pens. and 4 rubber stops under base to maintain stability 5 wooden pens with steel nibs writig equipment, pens, glass inkwells, pederson-green carole, cheltenham, moorabbin, bentleigh, early settlers

KING RAZOR MFG. CO.Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; moved to Indiana, Pennsylvania in 1911.ca. 1904 - 1919 Marked "Made in Germany", although the company's offices were located at 118 E. 28th Street, New York City. ca. 1934-1943 Used the "THE KING OF RAZORS REGISTERED TRADEMARK" trademark. 47-1/2 and Trademark: Crown and Wolf. For 500 years the Weyersberg family has been producing the finest blades in the world. For centuries the King’s Crown™ mark has been synonymous with exacting precision, hand-craftsmanship and quality. For the first few hundred years the blades, made in Solingen, Germany (the “City of Blades”), were for swords. As times changed, the Weyersberg family transitioned into making cut throat razors. The Greb. Weyersberg™ family business.continue to place our mark on each and every product sold as we have done since first being able to register it in 1774. For over a 100 years, the straight razors continue to be produced in Solingen (Germany). King's Crown™A folding cut-throat razoron blade ; KING'S / CROWN 'a crown trademark' RAZOR / EXTRA HOLLOW GROUND around 'trademark' ; SET READY FOR USE on steel handle; MADE IN GERMANYcut-throat razors, straight razors, shaving equipment, steel blades, swords, weyersberg family, king crown pty ltd., solingen, germany, early settlers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham,

Bengal’ THOMAS RADLEY CADMAN & SONS St. Mary's Road, Sheffield In business at least 1892-1919 Originally a trademark of Luke Cadman, Sheffield, England from ca. 1748-1906. From ca. 1906 - 1953, used by: Thomas Radley Cadman & Sons St. Mary's Road, Sheffield. In business at least between 1892 and 1965. The Cadman family originally came from Derbyshire and settled in the village of Eckington, to the south of Sheffield. Luke Cadman (1727-1788) moved to Sheffield in 1740 and became apprenticed into the cutlery trade. He became a freeman of the Cutlers' Company of Hallamshire in 1748 and was granted the trademark "BENGALL". (Another branch of the family was granted the trademark "SENEGALL"). Two of Cadman's sons followed him into the business. The Cadmans' business was located at various addresses in Sheffield over the years. In the early 1870s Thomas Radley Cadman (1833-1917) took over the firm. By 1933 the firm had diversified into safety razor and pocket knife manufacture. T.R.Cadman & Sons, Ltd. ceased trading in 1965. A man's cut-throat razor that folds to protect the blade inside the handle , 'Bengal'on blade 'BENGAL'cut-throat razors, straight razors, shaving equipment, steel blades, sheffield steel, england, thomas radley cadman & sons ltd., cutlers, steel manufacturers, ‘bengal’ trade mark, early settlers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham,

This meat mincer was a common kitchen utensil used by housewives for the preparation of meat when cooking food for their familiesA 'Universal' steel, meat mincer with clamp to attach to table or bench, funnel top, and an adjustable screw - to cut meat - that is operated by a steel crank with a wooden handle.Front ; 2 'Universal' Crank arm : L.F&C. NEW BRITAIN, CONN, USAearly settlers, pioneers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, housewives, home cooking, meat preparation, thatcher frank, l f & c pty ltd conneticut, butchers

Candle stick manufacturing moulds were extensively used throughout the Kiewa Valley and its regions to provide rural homes and businesses with illumination during times of limited light e.g. night time. These candles were used before the Kiewa Valley was placed of the electrical grid. The candles were made from parrafin wax. Before the 1920"s electricity was in limited supply due to the inability of the private electricity suppliers to service isolated rural regions. It was not until the Victorian State Government passed legislation (1920) to improve electricity supplies by forming the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (S.E.C.V.) Isolated rural communities could not meet the higher costs to have electricity supplies connected and therefore it was not until the 1950's that adequate domestic electrical power could be supplied.The isolation that the Kiewa Valley provided was of a greater hindrance to any utility (power,roads & telephone) where the cost per instillation was beyond the rural population's ability to pay either directly or indirectly. One of the benefits that the "closed" community of Mount Beauty had, when it was administered by the SECV was that some utility costs were a lot lower than that of the other settlements in the Kiewa Valley. This disparity led to a conference in 1928 of the rural and regional councils to demand from the Government an equality of electricity tariffs. This equality did not take place until 1965. The demand and usage of cheaper and affordable lighting that wax candles provided was for some rural families a way of life until the mid 1900's.This candle making mould is made from mild rolled sheet steel(tin). The top basin is rectangular in shape with beveled edges(facing in on all sides. There are six holes in the top basin for vertical hollow tubes to feed off. The six tapered cyclindrical tubes running from the top basin to the bottom raised platform base. All connections are welded together. The bottom of each cylinder has an opening for the candle wick. The wick is positioned in place before the molten wax is poured into the cylinders. A positioning ring has been welded to one bottom ring for stability.parrafin wax, candles, domestic household ighting

This nut roll tin was used in a period before 1959(when plastic containers started being used). It was a period when "home" cooking(desert & cakes) was the only method of having cakes and other pastry dishes in rural areas. The utensils available for this home cooking had to be strong and reliable and low maintenance. This nut roll can is very significant(in rural Australia) because it highlights a period in time when the majority of cakes and other pastry dishes were cooked in the family kitchen and not purchased from a shop. This was a period of self sufficiency especially in semi remote rural areas such as the Kiewa Valley. This was a time when cooking utensils were either made in Australia or imported from England or Europe. After World War II imports from the USA increased significantly and then followed by cheaper products from Asia.This cylindrical nut loaf tin(mild steel) has a removable lid and base. There are three retaining hooks which stop the spring steel "main body" from being condensed beyond the circumference of both top and bottom "lids" The tin is pliable enough to "open" up and allow the baked nut loaf to be removed.On the outside edge of each lid "NUT LOAF" and the opposite side "TIN"baking tins, kitchen utensils, tins

The Tawonga District Hospital opened in the early 1950's in the Kiewa Valley to treat local patients from Mt Beauty and the residents of the KIewa Valley. The State Electricity Commission of Victoria assisted with the building of the hospital as the population of Mt Beauty increased with the S.E.C. workers and their families during the construction of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme. The Tawonga Hospital was later relocated to Mt Beauty. All the enamel equipment was eventually replaced with stainless steel.This grey enamel basin is large with a royal blue lip. It was used in the Tawonga District Hospital to wash patients.enamel basin, tawonga hospital, medical, kiewa hydro electric scheme

The cattlemen's huts on the High Plains were used as shelter during the herding of the cattle on the Bogong High Plains during summer. Wallace's Hut is the oldest cattleman's hut and was owned by the Wallace family.This long handled spade was used by the 3 Wallace Brothers to dig 6 post holes for the posts of Wallace's Hut in 1889. On the 6th hole they struck rock 6 inches down but they persevered and succeeded in chipping away the rock to the required depth of 3 feet. This is the post in the south east corner.This long handled spade was made in Birmingham and was used by the 3 Wallace Brothers to dig 6 postholes for Wallace's Hut on the bogong high Plains in 1889.Birmingham 3 Cast Steel 234bogong high plains. wallace's hut. cattlemen's huts. tool.

Flies are plentiful and a problem especially in Australia's summer. Farms were a breeding ground for flies that bred in cow manure. Fly-wire was used to keep flies away from food as well as light cloth covers. Farmers could use this sieve to fill with sand etc. to sort the sizes and also to use for eg. wheat to sort the grain. Yabbies are trapped in the creek or river by leaving food in the net for the yabby to crawl into.Food covers were used by residents of the Kiewa Valley especially as many of them were dairy farmers. Farmers often made their own tools for a purpose such as sieving or for the family catching yabbies to eat or for fun.Tall triangular steel fly wire cover with a steel handle and frame. or The frame can be held in order to fill the sieve or to empty it. or the frame can hold bait for yabbiesfood cover, fly-wire, flies, sieve, handmade tool

Prams were very common as few families had cars in the 1940s to transport children. Prams were used so that babies could sleep outdoors and be moved within walking distance.Original vintage cyclops 1940s pram. This pram is typical of the prams used in the Kiewa Valley during the 1940s and into the 1950s when Mt Beauty township was built and included many families with young children.Painted beige cane and steel pram with 4 spoked wheels and rubber tyres supported by steel springs. Cream colour. Lined with vinyl (perhaps). Cane decoration on each side.Decorative cane pattern on each sidewicker, pram, cyclops

This bamboo fishing rod was used in the mid to late 1900's and demonstrates that local production of recreational fishing poles was at a high level and their demand was high. Imported recreational sporting goods from either the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Asia countries was due to the larger lead up times from these suppliers and the greater import costs from slower ocean supply ships. It was only after World War II that the trade influx from other countries has supplied cheaper goods. This recreational fishing pole is highly significant to the Kiewa Valley as it demonstrates that recreational fishing has been evolved from the need to supply a balanced diet by the early pioneer families of fish from the major Kiewa rivers. The ability of the Kiewa Valley rivers to provide a good fishing environment (high protein diet) for both early indigenous families and early pioneers was the important food source that provided for a balanced diet and the higher level of nutritious development of both body and mind. This two piece wooden fishing Rod is made from bamboo shafts or poles, one length thicker than the other. The smaller diameter shaft is the top end and fits into the longer thicker shaft at a stainless steel tube end.The smaller shaft has a stainless steel reinforcement ring where both shafts fit together. At the bottom end of the thick shaft is a black rubber "stopper" or "foot". There are two stainless steel rings, each with a reel holding "bulge" which allows for the the reel's "prongs" to be secured. The top ring has a greater diameter allowing it to move up and down the shaft/pole to secure the top "prong" firmly onto the shaft/pole.recreation, river, rod, fishing, industry, fish

This knife was used by Lottie Rem who ran the cookhouse at Astergren;s Timber Mill at Cabbage Tree in East Gippsland from 1954 until 1966.. It was bought in Orbost around 1957 - 1958. Sited on the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek, the township was built by the timber mills to house their workers. Although the timber mills have disappeared, some of the buildings still remain. The "Cook House" and "Manager's House" are two buildings. The Cook House was built to supply meals to the workers of the Alstergren Mill. Some of the original interior walls were made from hessian and wallpaper. The few houses to survive to today are now used as private dwellings.The Cabbage Tree Creek township was established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. this item is associated with the history of Cabbage Tree.A stainless steel serrated edged knife with a cream coloured handle (bone?)on blade -""Made in Sheffield expressly for Orbost Hardware and Timber Co, Orbost"alstergren-timber-cabbage-tree rem-lottie cook-house-alstergren's-timber-mill bread-knife-orbost-hardware

A mangle or wringer is a mechanical laundry aid consisting of two rollers in a sturdy frame, connected by cogs and, in its home version, powered by a hand crank or electrically. A household mangle/wringer could be attached to a bench for easier use. The washing process itself involved lifting the items from the cold soak and wringing or mangling each item before transferring them, with more soap flakes, into the copper for boiling. Items that remained soiled, even after an overnight soak, were rubbed on a scrubbing board before being transferred to the copper. The clothes mangle would be used to squeeze out all the excess water. Clothes would then be hung out to dry on a clothes line, or laid over a clothes-horse next to the kitchen or living room fire. This one was owned by the mother of Bob Clarke, an Orbost resident.This item is an example of the typical laundry equipment used by families in the Orbost district in the early 20th century.Clothes mangle [wringer] which has a wooden and metal turning handle. It has a ratchet and 2 tap screws for pressure. It has of two rollers in a frame, connected by cogs and is powered by a hand crank.On top - "No. Hardwood Rolls 124" Front - "Household Clothes Mangle Steel ball bearings The American Wringer Company New York USA"laundry wringer mangle

Used domestically, though any extra butter could have been sold to neighbours. Many families kept a cow or two for milk etc. Cream needed to be at least 2 days old - the thicker the better. The handle was turned until the cream turned to butter,the whey was poured off and the butter washed in cold water until the water ran clear. Generally salt and bicarbonate of soda were added. Two pats were used to form butter into 1lb lots. This butter was most typically meant for consumption by the family, but in some instances it may be taken away for consignment by commercial receivers of dairy produce. This item is typical of the period when food processing was done at home. It would have been before the time of mass food processing factories.A metal butter churn with cast iron hand crank on side. The bowl container has a steel lid. It sits on a tripod stand.dairy butter-churn farming

This knife was found in a drawer from the estate of Judy Walcott who died in 2016 in Orbost. The Dicken Bros, shop is in the main street of Orbost . Frank B. Dicken and his son, Selwyn, were General Merchants. Frank and May Dicken moved to Orbost in 1936 where Frank became manager of Pardew Brothers store in Nicholson Street. In 1945, Frank purchased the business and in 1947, formed a partnership with his son, Selwyn. The store was then called F.B. Dicken and Son. The premise are still retained by the Dicken family although the shop business was sold in 1981. (ref. In Times Gone By - Deborah Hall) This item is an example of an item produced for advertising and promotion. The Dicken General Merchandising business is no longer an Orbost feature.A bone handled butter knife with an inscription on one side of the blade. Handle is a cream bone with a rounded end. Stainless Steel Made in Sheffield Expressly fo F.B. Dicken & Son ORBOST

Caulking is the traditional technique used on wooden vessels built with butted or clinker-built planks to fill the gaps between these planks while still allowing the wood to flex and move. This involved driving the irons, hammered in with the mallet, deep into the seams to open them up. After this, spun yarn, oakum (hemp) or cotton was driven deep into the gaps. The hemp or cotton was soaked in creosote or pine tar to make the joins watertight. Caulking also played a structural role in tightening up the hull or deck by reducing the longitudinal movement of the neighbouring planks. The subject item was made by Ward & Payne of the Limbrick Works at Hillsborough, Sheffield England manufacturers of hand-forged tools. Their trademark registered in 1850 was a Letter "W" & "P" stamped into the steel. The firm was established by David Ward (1767-1822) in 1803 the company became David Ward & Sons, in 1837 after Ward's son Edward joined the firm. In 1845 Henry Payne the founder's son-in-law became a partner but died in 1850 after which the company reverted to the Ward family. The business then concentrated on making carving tools, chisels and gouges. In 1882 David Ward's grandson David Ward Jr. (1835-1889) purchased land and built a factory at Sheffield North known as the "Limerick Wheel". For a time Wards operated from both 106-114 West Street Sheffield and at Limbrick Road, Hillsborough on the river Loxley. By 1911 they had expanded into making spades, forks, sheep shears and many other types of edged tools including drills and wood planes. In 1967 Wilkinson Sword purchased all the company's share capital and continued to sell Ward & Payne tools until 1970 when a fire burned the factory down and housing development was built on the site. The subject item is significant as it gives a snapshot of the technological development of sailing ships and their operation before steam-powered vessels took over around the world. Tools such as the subject item demonstrate the traditional craftsmanship and skill of the shipwright and the aesthetic quality of the timber ships designs of the time. Caulking tool with square end"WARD Sheffield"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, james s steele, caulking iron, caulking tool, shipwright tools, ward & payne sheffield, forged tools

An adze is an ancient and versatile cutting tool and has been in use for thousands of years. Adze are similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. They have been used since the Stone Age. Adzes are hand tools used for smoothing or carving wood. The subject item was made by Ward & Payne of the Limbrick Works at Hillsborough, Sheffield England manufacturers of hand-forged tools. Their trademark registered in 1850 was a Letter "W" & "P" stamped into the steel. The firm was established by David Ward (1767-1822) in 1803 the company became David Ward & Sons, in 1837 after Ward's son Edward joined the firm. In 1845 Henry Payne the founder's son-in-law became a partner but died in 1850 after which the company reverted to the Ward family. The business then concentrated on making carving tools, chisels and gouges. In 1882 David Ward's grandson David Ward Jr. (1835-1889) purchased land and built a factory at Sheffield North known as the "Limerick Wheel". For a time Wards operated from both 106-114 West Street Sheffield and at Limbrick Road, Hillsborough on the river Loxley. By 1911 they had expanded into making spades, forks, sheep shears and many other types of edged tools including drills and wood planes. In 1967 Wilkinson Sword purchased all the company's share capital and continued to sell Ward & Payne tools until 1970 when a fire burned the factory down and housing development was built on the site.The subject item is significant as it gives a snapshot of the technological development of sailing ships and their operation before steam-powered vessels took over around the world. Tools such as the subject item demonstrate the traditional craftsmanship and skill of the shipwright and the aesthetic quality of the timber ships designs of the time. Adze with wooden handle curved painted green with patent number and maker's name inscribed on inside curve of blade. Inscribed "Patd 561 Ward" "2w". flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, smoothing tool, hand tool, carpenders tool, adze, coopers tool, woodworking tools

We have not statement of significanceWooden framed black and white photograph of a two foot gauge steel rail line from the mill sight to Alexandra. This locomotive, a Kraus, steam engine (year ?)is passing through Lower Rubicon. It hauls three carriages with timber and on the side of the rail there are open boxes. A wooden house on Gilmore's family property is halfway up the hill. The property shows signs of damage of the recent Goulburn River flooding in 1916. There is a hook in the top of the frame and writing on the bottom of the frame "Lower Rubicon 1916".On bottom of the frame "Lower Rubicon 1916?" written with black texta colour pen in capital letters. 1916, cottage, rail, locomotive, train, floods, dead trees, two foot gauge, timber stacks, goulburn river floods, gilmore, lower rubicon, carriages, rubicon, kraus

This painting of the “La Bella” is associated with Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the wreck of the “La Bella”. It was painted around the 1980s by maritime artist Philip J. Gray. 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. The Kosnar Picture Framing and Mirrors Shop identified the "GRAY 3135, Y04/111" as their job number for the framing and said that the label "ANOTHER KOSNAR FEATURE" was last used before about 1990. About artist Philip J. Gray “Philip is one of Australia’s leading maritime artists and his meticulous research and social commentary paintings of ships, such as, the Loch Ard and Schomberg form an important part of Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.” [Dr Marion Manifold, Artist and Art Historian, 2014] Philip James Gray was born in London but has lived most of his life in Australia. He graduated from a London school of art as an illustrator, specialising in technical and scientific illustration as well as other commercial and applied art. He was also a student for a time of Fyffe Christie - British figurative artist, mural painter and humanitarian – who had a great influence on his career. Philip has always worked as a professional artist and illustrator. Many publications on maritime history have featured his work. His paintings have been released and sold all over the world as limited edition prints. The State Library of Victoria’s ‘Latrobe Collection’ holds two of his paintings. His street painting of ‘The Ashes Contest’ decorates the brick wall of Old Bakery Laneway in Sunbury and a Sunbury café owner commissioned him to paint the ‘Sunbury Pop Festival’ as a remembrance of local history. Philip has been an active member of the Sunbury Art Society in Victoria for several years, serving on the committee for some of that time and being involved in exhibitions. He enjoys helping new artists and sharing his skills and experience. About the “La Bella” The wreck of the La Bella lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour in Lady Bay. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked there but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … 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 being 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. La Bella 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 sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on 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 11pm 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 11pm 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 2am 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 was 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 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.This painting of the La Bella by Philip J. Gray 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 painting connects with other objects and artefacts associated with the wreck of the La Bella. This painting 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. Large framed painting of the three masted barquentine "La Bella" fully rigged. Painted by Phillip J Gray. A fine printed line squares off the painting. Beneath painting and line is a gold plate with black copper plate designating "La Bella" is encased in glass, surrounded by a silver-metal frame. Yellow and brown paper label is adhered to back of painting. Picture framed by Kosnar in Melbourne."The La Bella" on gold plaque Logo of "K" inside a brown square. "GRAY 3135, Y04/111", "ANOTHER KOSNAR FEATURE" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, painting, la bella, artist phillip j gray, maritime painting, lady bay warrnambool

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

James Dixon & Sons were founded in 1806 in Sheffield and were one of the major British manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution. They were manufacturers of pewter ware, electroplated Britannia metal, silverware, and electroplated nickel silver. Their products included hundreds of items for use in the kitchen (e.g. bowls, cutting tools) and the dining room (e.g. tea services, cocktail shakers, and mixers) as well as items such as candlesticks. They were a world leader in manufacturing shooting accessories through the nineteenth century and exported powder flasks in large quantities to America, They were known as whistle makers, which like most of their products were of outstanding quality. They were located first at Silver Street (1806), Cornish Place (1822) Sheffield. Their registered trademark since 1879 was a Trumpet with a Banner hanging from it. Although registered in 1879, the "Trumpet with Banner" logo was used at times before registration and appears on some of their silver plate pieces. They were one of the foremost names in EPNS and sterling silver tableware including silver tea services and hollowware pieces. They also made silverware serving pieces and had a wide catalogue of patterns. Their tea sets and hollowware pieces produced in silver are now very valuable as antiques. The firm continued to be a family-run enterprise until 1976. The patterns are currently owned by another Sheffield firm that exports products mainly to the Middle East.An item made for domestic use late19th to early 20th century by a renowned maker of pewter and silverware products. These types of products give us a snapshot into domestic and social life during the time it was made.Pewter Cloche or cover for food ornate handle at top. Ring on one end. Number 399 inside lid & Dixon & Sons Sheffield.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, pewter ware, james dixon, silver ware, kitchen cutlery, britannia steel, food cover, cloche

The subject item is a saw blade sharpening clamp that attaches to a bench allowing the operator to sharpen the teeth on a saw with a file while keeping the saw blade in an upright position. Henry Disston (1819–1878) began his career as an American saw maker in Philadelphia. He emigrated from England in 1833 and started making saws and squares in 1840. In 1850, he founded the company that would become the largest saw maker in the world the ”Keystone Saw Works” on the Delaware River. Some five years later, Disston built a furnace possibly the first melting plant for steel in America and began producing the first crucible saw steel ever made in the United States. While his competitors were buying good steel from Britain, he was making his own, to his specification, for his own needs. Disston subsequently constructed a special rolling mill exclusively for saw blades. Over the following decade, the Disston company continued to grow, even while dedicating itself to the Union Army's war effort. In 1865, when his son Hamilton Disston rejoined the business after serving in the Civil War, Disston changed the company's name to Henry Disston & Son. Henry Disston and his sons set the standards for American saw makers, both in terms of producing high-quality saws and developing innovative manufacturing techniques. Disston also started making files in 1865. In September 1872, Henry Disston and two other men dug a part of the foundation for what was to become the largest saw manufacturing facility in the world: Disston Saw Works. This was in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Having previously moved his expanding business from near Second and Market Streets to Front and Laurel Streets, Disston sought to establish his business away from this cramped area. It took over 25 years to move the entire facility to Tacony. This Philadelphia neighborhood seems to have been the only company town in the United States established within an existing city. At its peak of operations, Disston Saw Works employed 8,000 people and the factory covered 300 acres. The company, known as Henry Disston and Sons, Inc by the early 20th century, cast the first crucible steel in the nation from an electric furnace in 1906. The firm's Armour plate building near Princeton Avenue and Milnor Street contributed tremendously to the World War II effort. But the company's innovation and industriousness would not last forever. In 1955, with mounting cash-flow problems and waning interest on the family's part to run the firm, Henry Disston and Sons were sold to the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh. Porter's Disston Division was sold in 1978 and became the Henry Disston Division of Sandvik Saw of Sweden. This division was then sold in 1984 to R.A.F. Industries of Philadelphia and became known as Disston Precision Incorporated, a maker of specialized flat steel products. In 2013, R.A.F. Industries sold Disston Precision Inc. in a private sale. Although the company has ceased making Disston handsaws, the Disston brand name still exists in this firm. A significant American company that pioneered the making of high-quality steel and saws along with other tools and accessories. The subject item is significant as it was made at a time when the company was in its hay day. Adjustable Ball & Socket Saw Sharpening vice, cast iron, with clamp to attach to a workbench. Made by Henry Disston & Co. No 1 painted greyflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, saw clamp, henry disston & sons, saw sharpening, tool accessories, wood saws

This brass rail holder fixture would have been used to hold the end of a rail in place. There is no information as to where the fitting or rail would have been placed on the ship; sailing ships had many brass fittings. It was recovered from the wreck of the La Bella, which lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … 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 being 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 sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on 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 11pm 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 11pm 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 2am 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 was 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 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. 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. 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. 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 item 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. Brass rail holder from the wreck "La Bella". This rail holder would have been used as a fitting for the end of a rail. It is made up of two parts and looks a little like a goblet in shape. The top is a hollow spherical shape with a circular hole cut out on one side, into which the end of a round rail would fit. There are two gouge marks close to each other on one side of the hole, about one centimetre apart, at 1 and 2 o’clock position. The sphere has a hollow pipe-like stem with a screw thread turned into the outside of the lower section and the bottom of the stem has been flared out after having the base fitted. The base is round and has a mound in the centre. The edge has four evenly spaced fixture holes around its edge. The metal shows signs of pitting and has mild encrustation. The fitting of the base is loose, allowing it to swivel in a complete circle. The top of the sphere is rough and has a dent in it. Underneath the base there is verdigris; some has flaked off and reveals a bright golden colour underneath. rail holder, brass rail holder, la bella, lady bay, norway, 1893, new zealand, captain mylius, william ferrier, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

Footprint Tools is a hand tool manufacturer based in Sheffield, England. In 2014 most of their hand tools are still made in Sheffield at the Footprint factory. Footprint Tools can trace its manufacturing history as far back as the 1760s when Alfrid Ridge & Sons was established as a manufacturer of wood working tools. Ridge was bought by the current owning family in 1932. The Footprint brand originates from 1875 when Thomas R Ellin, a member of a cutlery manufacturing family, started a tool manufacturing business under the brand “Footprint”. This subsequently became known as Thomas R Ellin (Footprint Works). This company was bought by the current owning family in 1948 and began to manufacture a range of tools under the Footprint, Domino, Climax, John Bull and Clinker brands. During World War 2 the divisions of the business were engaged in manufacturing hand tools for British and Commonwealth forces. After the war Footprint continued to grow, manufacture and expand its range hand tools for the professional tradesman. In 2004, Footprint cooperated with the University of Sheffield in a study of modern manufacturing techniques. In 2008 Footprint moved to a larger factory and invested in new forging equipment, but this process was interrupted by a global recession, and Footprint was unable to generate enough business to cover the cost of the upgrades. In early 2009 the company was forced to liquidate and lay off its staff in order to pay creditors. The Jewitt family retained the brand and intellectual property, and later that year revived the company under the name Footprint Sheffield, and began producing a smaller range of products at first. With the same family of owner managers, now run by the fourth generation, in 2015 Footprint continues to manufacture most products in Sheffield, England and exports worldwide.A tool that was made by a UK company in the 1950s that has a long history of tool manufacture and after many changes in company ownership is still producing tools today in Sheffield England.Screw driver wooden handle turned and steel blade. Made in Sheffield by Alfrid Ridge and Son. London patternNoneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, screw driver, alfrid ridge & son, footprint tools, tools

Disston Saw Works of Philadelphia was one of the better known and highly regarded manufacturers of handsaws in the United States. During the Machine Age, the company was known as Henry Disston & Sons, Inc. a supplier of industrial saw blades. History: The story of handsaws in the United States mirrors the technical and development of steel in Sheffield, England, which was the center of handsaw production during the 18th century and through most of the 19th century. England's political and economic lock-on steel making in the colonies held American saw makers at bay until well after the Revolutionary War. American steel producers were unable to compete until the US government introduced import tariffs to level the playing field in 1861. Henry Disston: Henry Disston (1819–1878) began his career as an American saw maker in Philadelphia. He had emigrated from England in 1833 and started making saws and squares in 1840. In 1850, he founded the company that would become the largest saw maker in the world, the Keystone Saw Works. Some five years later, Disston built a furnace—perhaps the first melting plant for steel in America and began producing the first crucible saw steel ever made in the United States. While his competitors were buying good steel from Britain, he was making his own, to his specification, for his own needs. Disston subsequently constructed a special rolling mill exclusively for saw blades. Over the following decade, the Disston company continued to grow, even while dedicating itself to the Union Army's war effort. In 1865, when his son Hamilton Disston rejoined the business after serving in the Civil War, Disston changed the company's name to Henry Disston & Son. Henry Disston and his sons began to set the standards for American saw makers, both in terms of producing high-quality saws and files in 1865 through his development of innovative manufacturing techniques. In September 1872, Henry Disston and two other men dug a part of the foundation for what was to become the largest saw manufacturing facility in the world: Disston Saw Works. This was in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Having previously moved his expanding business from near Second and Market Streets to Front and Laurel Streets. It took over 25 years to move the entire facility to Tacony. Henry Disston was renowned for having one of the first industries that exhibited environmental responsibility, as well as a paternalistic view towards his employees. For example, he had thousands of homes built in Tacony for his workmen. Funds to purchase these homes were made available through a building and loan association set up by the Disston firm. His caring influence on the community was evident in everyday life. To meet employees' cultural needs, a hall and a library were built with Henry Disston agreeing to pay a fixed sum towards its maintenance. The Tacony Music Hall was erected in 1885, also with the assistance of Disston money. Henry Disston had fallen ill by 1877 and never truly recovered; he suffered a stroke and died the next year. This came only one and a half years after seeing his products receive the highest honors at the great Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. His vision of a working-class community and the completion of the transfer of his enormous saw plant was carried out by his wife and his sons. The company, by the early 20th century, cast the first crucible steel in the nation from an electric furnace in 1906. The firm's armor-plate building near Princeton Avenue and Milnor Street contributed tremendously to the World War II effort. But the company's innovation and industriousness would not last forever. In 1955, with mounting cash-flow problems and waning interest on the family's part to run the firm, Henry Disston and Sons were sold to the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh. Porter's Disston Division was sold in 1978 and became the Henry Disston Division of Sandvik Saw of Sweden. This division was then sold in 1984 to R.A.F. Industries of Philadelphia and became known as Disston Precision Incorporated, a maker of specialized flat steel products. In 2013, R.A.F. Industries sold Disston Precision Inc. in a private sale. Although the company has ceased making Disston handsaws, the Disston brand name still exists in this firm. A tool used to set and sharpen cross cut saws used to fell trees for building construction made by a well known American maker whos firm pioneered the making of saws and their related items including files.combination cross cut saw raker and gauge/jointerDisston USA in the castingflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

This crosscut saw was originally part of the equipment on the barque Marjorie Craig, which brought New Zealand timber into Warrnambool from about 1908 to 1912 for the local merchants P J McGennan & Co. The toolbox was donated by a member of a local family connected with the La Bella rescue in 1905. The toolbox has carvings and markings that make it unique and connect it to the Marjorie Craig. The Craig Line of sailing ships was from Auckland, New Zealand, and traded in timber and some coal from New Zealand ports to Australia, including Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Warrnambool. They returned with produce from Australia as ballast. In 1912 the Craig fleet included the Ihumata, Inga, Jessie Craig, Marjorie Craig, Louisa Craig and Joseph Craig. The steel barque Marjorie Craig, 500 ton, was built in 1891 as the 'Hirotha', in Ardrossan, Scotland for Norwegian owners. The ship was sold to Auckland’s Donald Ross and others in 1900, then in 1905 it was sold, registered by J.J. Craig in Auckland, New Zealand and renamed Marjorie Craig. Marjorie Craig’s commanders included Master R A Campbell in 1907, J MacFarlane in 1909 and Master R.G. Holmes in 1913. From February 1908, the Marjorie Craig was regularly seen in the Port of Warrnambool with loads of timber for merchants P J McGennan & Co. In February 1912 Marjorie Craig delivered white pine for P J McGennan & Co. In April of the same year, she brought 500,000 feet of timber for McGennan & Co and again in May 1912. On May 12 1912 Marjorie left the Port of Warrnambool with 500 tons of flour for New Zealand; it seems that this was her last time at Warrnambool. Prior to 1908, the vessel Speculant brought in timber from New Zealand for the McGennan firm. The Marjorie Craig had a strong reputation for being a ‘Fast Flyer’, breaking the sailing records for voyages between New Zealand and Australia. It was reported that she made passages with a speed equal to steamboats on several occasions. One of her records was from Warrnambool to Hokianga, NZ in eight-and-a-half days. The ship broke the record in October 1913 for the time from Adelaide to Auckland, sailing in 28 days, even with a damaged ship, and the owner presented Captain Holmes with a gold watch and chain. By the end of December 1913, the Craig Line’s last two surviving sailing ships, Marjorie Craig and Jessie Craig, had been purchased by Huddart, Parker & Co. Ltd. to work as coal hulks, one in Melbourne and one in Hobart.The saw is significant for being created for use in 1905 when the steel barque Marjorie Craig was purchased by J J Craig and given that name. The saw would be part of the sip's equipment and could have been used for the timber carried as cargo on the Marjorie Craig. The saw is significant for its association with the well-known Marjorie Craig, a frequent visitor to the Port of Warrnambool 1908 to 1912, a supplier of New Zealand timber for the local firm P J McGennan & Co, and one of the fastest inter-colonial sailing ships that broke numerous records for its speed including the fastest sailing from Warrnambool to Hokianga. Crosscut saw; blade attached to wooden handles by wingnut each end. The saw has 63 teeth. Also has a tag attached with an inscription. The saw was ship's equipment on the barque, Marjorie Craig.Handwritten on tab: "From sailing ship Marjorie Craig early 1900 Port of Warrnambool"flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shiopwreck coast, woodworking tool, crosscut saw, shipwright tool, saw, marine trade, carpenter, marjorie craig, j j craig, craig line, 1905-1912