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Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Badge, Warrnambool Racing Club, 1952
This badge has been issued to a member of the Warrnambool Racing Club in 1952. Horse racing meetings have been held in Warrnambool since the early days of settlement. The Warrnambool Racing Club was formed in 1854 and the first race meetings were held at the site of the present-day racecourse in the late 1850s. Today the chief event on the Warrnambool racing calendar is the annual three-day May Racing Carnival, with the main event being the well-known Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase. This badge is retained as an example of a badge issued to members of the Warrnambool Racing Club in the mid 20th century.This is a metal badge in the shape of a shield. It has gold trim around the edges and a circle of blue on a white background with gold initials and lettering. The badge has a metal clip at the back. WRC Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1952-3 A 242 Stokes warrnambool racing club, history of warrnambool, badge -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Badges, Stokes, Warrnambool Racing Club, 1950s
These badges were issued to members of the Warrnambool Racing Club in the 1950s. Horse race meetings have been held in Warrnambool since the early days of European settlement, with the Warrnambool Racing Club formed in 1854. Races have been held on the site of the present day racecourse since the late 1850s. Today the chief event on the Warrnambool racing calendar is the annual three-day May Racing Carnival, featuring the well-known Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase. These badges are retained as examples of the badges of members of the Warrnambool Racing Club in the 1950s. They will be useful for display. .1A metal badge (roughly in the shape of a double triangle) with an image in blue, white, green and gold of a horse and jockey clearing a hurdle. The badge has gold lettering, a metal clip at the back and a metal ring at the top for attachment to a cord. .2 .3. As above except that the colourings of blue, red, green and red are differently placed .4 As above in .1 except that the colourings are black, brown and green .5 A round metal badge with the image as in .1 above, with the colourings being black, white and green. .1 Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1954-55 121 Stokes Melb. .2 Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1955-56 128 Stokes .3 Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1957-58 106 Stokes .4 Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1959-1960 95 Stokes Melb .5 Warrnambool Racing Club Not Transferable Season 1956-1957 123 Stokes warrnambool racing club, history of warrnambool -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Book, Basil Watson, March 2015
... of a large crowd at the Warrnambool Racecourse and brought three ...This book gives details on the life and work of Basil Watson (1893-1917), a pioneer aviator in Australia. From 1914 to 1916 he worked in England for the Sopwith Aviation Company, receiving training in the workshops and becoming a test pilot. Back in Australia Watson commenced building his own plane in the billiard room at his parents’ home in Brighton, Victoria. He flew this plane to Bendigo, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Camperdown, Casterton and Mount Gambier and carried the first official airmail to these places. He also gave exhibitions of aerial flying stunts at these towns. He died when he crashed into the sea near Point Cook in March 1917.This book is of some importance to Warrnambool as it tells the story of Basil Watson who was the first person to fly to Warrnambool in January 1917. On this occasion he performed aerial stunts in front of a large crowd at the Warrnambool Racecourse and brought three letters to the Mayor of Warrnambool, thus being the bearer of the first aerial post to this city. The book includes several photographs and posters of Watson’s time in Warrnambool. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society has several mementos of Watson’s flight, including one of his original letters and the seat This is a paper back book with a plastic-laminated cover. There are 61 pages with diagrams, photographs, illustrations, advertisements, posters and newspaper cuttings. The cover is mainly grey and white in colour with printed material in a red insert and two photographs superimposed over the background.Front cover: Basil Watson – Pioneer Aviator- Carole Winter Back cover: Printed material (summary of book’s contents) PenFolk Publishing, Blackburn, March 2015 ISBN 978 1 875894 95 6 basil watson, warrnambool and aviation pioneer -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Booklet, Basil Watson 1893-1971, 2017
This booklet relates the life of Basil Watson. It tells in detail his early life, background, his home built aeroplane, his display flights and his tragic death and the story since. This year marks 100 years since one of Australia’s pioneering aviators, Basil Watson arrived in Warrnambool and delivered the first airmail to the town. Basil Watson was born in Bendigo in 1894. His interest in aviation which began at a young age, took him to England at the commencement of WW1 where he worked at Brookland in aviation workshops and as a test pilot. Despite crashing and suffering injuries he was not deterred. He returned to Australia and by 1916 Basil had built his own plane. He soon took to the air performing tricks and barnstorming to the delight of onlookers. His connection to Warrnambool lies with his delivery of the first airmail to the town, an event which was filled with much excitement. Basil Watson, pioneer aviator landed his 50hp home built aeroplane on the racecourse on Saturday January 27th 1917, after a flight from Point Cook. The trip of 166 miles took just under two hours, and set a record non-stop cross country flight for Australia. Watson was heartily welcomed by the Mayor, to whom he delivered three letters, the first aerial post to Warrnambool. One of the letters, from the Mayor of Melbourne Sir David Hennessy to the Mayor of Warrnambool is now in the W&DHS collection: I have much pleasure in sending you greetings by aeroplane piloted by my friend, Mr Basil Watson. I hope when the cruel war is over and victory crowns our efforts, we, over the Commonwealth, will be able to fly from one State to the other. With best wishes for the New Year. Yours truly, DV Hennessy. Basil Watson was unfortunately killed two months after his historic visit to Warrnambool. While participating in an air show at Point Cook, the plane he way flying that day crashed into the sea. This booklet tells the story of an interesting part of Warrnambool and Australia's aviation history. It has special significance as it enlightens two significant items in our local collection, namely the letter which he delivered and the seat from his aircraft.A small 29 page booklet with blue and white photograph of Basil Watson in his aeroplane. It contains a number of black and white and some colour photographs. Introduction from the author, "This small booklet recognises the short career of Basil Watson. He came to my attention when researching the French aviator Maurice Guillaux who carried the first official air mail in Australia, Melbourne to Sydney in two and a half days 16/18 July 1914..... Tom Lockley 1 June 2017. Handwritten inside front cover,"These items may be of interest to add to your material about Basil Watson. Its a pity that the 100 year anniversary of his flight was not more widely recognised but thank you for mounting some of his records. Tom Hockley."warrnambool, basil watson, first airmail flight, aviation career of basil watson -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Certificate - Royal Review 1901 G Rolfe, 1901
This certificate was sent to those who had been present at one of the celebrations in connection with the Federation of the six States of Australia in 1901 – The Royal Review at Flemington Racecourse on 10th May 1901. The invitation to attend the event was issued by the Government of Victoria. The certificate was intended to be kept as a souvenir of the event and framed. This particular certificate was issued to George Rolfe and his wife of Warrnambool. George Rolfe (1836-1919), a tea merchant from Melbourne, began buying blocks of land near the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool in the 1870s. By the early 1880s he had acquired 50 acres of land in the town and several farming properties. He used the buildings on the land near the mouth of the Hopkins River as holiday accommodation and called the property, Lyndoch. He improved the property by adding stables, chaff and bone sheds, jetty, boathouse, reservoir, water well and windmill and extensive gardens and he spent most of his later life in the Warrnambool area. Lyndoch today is the site of an aged care facility. This certificate is of considerable importance for two reasons: 1. It is an important memento of a signal event on Australia’s history – the Federation of the six States in 1901 and the subsequent celebrations. 2. The certificate was issued to a prominent Warrnambool person, George Rolfe and his wife.This is multi-coloured sheet of paper mounted on card. There are four black and white photographs of the Royal Review at Flemington and photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. The images include the Royal Crest, the shields of the six Australian States, a shield of Victoria with a background of flags, cannon and ammunition, two mounted soldiers with a soldier and sailor standing nearby and swords and bayonets. There is also much colour decoration around the edges of the certificate. The names of Mr and Mrs Rolfe are handwritten in black ink. ‘Australian Commonwealth Celebrations’ ‘The Government of Victoria requests the honour of the presence of Mr & Mrs G. Rolfe at the Royal Review at Flemington on Friday the 10th of May 1901’ federation of australian states, george rolfe of lyndoch, history of warrnambool, george rolfe