During World War 2, more than 14,000 Australians fought at Tobruk (Libya), during the historic 242 day siege. These men became famously known as the Rats of Tobruk. After returning to Australia, the Tobruk siege servicemen looking for comradeship, established the Rats of Tobruk Association. Around 1944, active branches and sub-branches were started in every state. In more recent times, these branches and subbranches have been wound up owing to the declining numbers of surviving veteran members. The only exception has been the Victorian Branch, which has now operated for over 70 years.Large blue cloth banner housed between two timber poles. In the centre of the banner there is a crown above a grey,black and yellow T shape overlaid by a crest with a kangaroo in a yellow circleRats of Tobruk Assoc GV & NE Sub Branchrats of tobruk, ww2

Article about poet Leigh Hay regarding issues with cancer and Daffodil Day exhibitionText and black and white imagepoetry, leigh hay, cancer, daffodil day

These hair tongs were used to curl or wave hair. They have the name’ Marcel’ on them. In 1872 Francois Marcel Grateau invented a hairstyle called the ‘Marcel Wave’ where women’s hair styles had mostly deep waves rather than curls. The tongs that were held manually and heated and used at home to produce deep waves or curls become a commonplace item in a woman’s home in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1930s electric hair tongs were introduced but the non-electric ones continued to be used until the 1950s. These hair tongs belonged to a woman from England and would have been used in the 1930s or 40s. They are a good example of the type of household article used by women 70 or 80 years ago and will be useful for display.This is a scissors-like article with wooden handles and metal blades for waving or curling hair. One blade is heavily curved and the other is a solid round shape. The ends of the blades are tapered. The blades were heated over a stove and used manually to enclose part of a woman’s hair to produce waves or curls. The handles were originally polished black and are somewhat rubbed and the blades and other metal parts are a little rusty. ‘Marcel’ ‘12’ hair curling tongs, warrnambool

This photograph shows Lady Bay and Lake Pertobe in the late 1930s or early 1940s. This is before Lake Pertobe was developed in the 1970s as a recreation area and when ships were still anchoring at the Breakwater. This is a print of a photograph and its interest lies only in the fact that it is nicely framed and is suitable for hanging. It shows the foreshore over 70 years ago so is of historical interest. This is a print of a colour photograph of Lake Pertobe and Lady Bay in a gilt-edged wooden frame with a linen cloth insert. On back of frame – ‘Frame -Right, 98 Fairy Street, Warrnambool 3280’ (telephone number not decipherable)warrnambool, lady bay

Set of 6 Tram Route Guides, published during April 2017, following the introduction of route 58. Consolidates into 6 folders the previous individual guides for each route.. Each comprises a A2 folded sheet, full colour printed on non-gloss paper. Has the Yarra Trams and PTV logos, listing the stops, interchanges with bus and other tram services, ticketing zones, estimated frequencies with adverts for Night tram services, TramTracker and Myki tickets. On the rear is a large map, a list of the other route guides and a short summary of the routes list in the guide. .1 - Set A - Routes 1, 6, 11, 19 and 86 .2 - Set B - Routes 57, 58, 59 and 82 .3 - Set C - Routes 3, 3a, 64 and 67 .4 - Set D - Routes 48, 78, 75, 78 and 109 .5 - Set E - Routes 5, 6, 16, 58 and 72 .6 - Set F - Routes 12, 30, 35, 96 .7 - as for .1 A - dated May 2017 .8 - as for .2 B- dated 20 May 2018 .9 - as for .3 C- dated 20 May 2018 .10 - as for .4 D - dated 20 May 2018 .11 - as for .6 F - dated 20 May 2018 (E was not updated as at 17-7-2018) .12 - as for .1, dated 16/9/2018. .13 - Set A - dated 1 June 2019 .14 - Set B - dated 1 Jan 2019 .15 - Set C - dated 1 Jan 2019 .16 - Set D - dated 1 June 2019 .17 - Set E - dated 1 Jan 2019 .18 - Set F - dated 1 Jan 2019 .19 - Set F - dated 1 June 2019 Collected during 2019, added 2/1/2020.trams, tramways, timetables, maps, route 1, route 3, route 3a, route 5, route 6, route 8, route 11, route 12, route 30, route 35, route 19, route 48, route 57, route 58, route 59, route 70, route 72, route 75, route 78, route 82, route 86, route 96, route 109, east coburg, south melbourne, malvern, glen iris, moreland, toorak, west maribyrnong, wattle park, docklands, camberwell, vermont south, footscray, moonee ponds

Colour print showing two Y1 class trams at the Batman Ave terminus at Princes Bridge. The tram on the left has the destination of Burwood, with the driver attending to the pole. The tram on the right, Y1 610 has the destination of Wattle Park Elgar Road. Both these trams were based at Camberwell Depot during the 1960s and 1970s. Photo likely mid-1960s. Yields information about the use of the Y1 class trams during the 1960s.Colour print - printed on Kodak Royal paper.trams, tramways, batman ave, y1 class, tram 610, mmtb, route 70, wattle park

Photograph of W2 525 by Les Kossatz as part of the Transporting Art project of 1978. For the principal pamphlet using a similar photograph featuring the first 15 tramcars see item 404. Yields information about Les Kossatz Transporting Art tram of 1978.Colour print with remnants of mounting paper on rear.tramways, transporting art, w2 class, tram 525, les kossatz, trams

288 p. : Bound in cloth which is printed with product advertisements.fictionExplores "the complexities of the marriage market, and social constraints place on women in the [Victorian] era".fiction, charlotte eliza riddell, t. craig [bookbinder]

merri-bek public art collection

256 p.non-fictionYarra Birrarung: Artists, Writers and the River is an illustrated history of life on the Yarra. Through the lens of artists and writers, the book explores how life has flourished on the river, including recreation, industry and land use, as well as infrastructure, natural history and social history. This is the first comprehensive illustrated story of the Yarra River over the past 200 years, examined through the lives of its creatives.yarra river, melbourne

non-fictionIn the course researching the opening of Masonic temples in Victoria, James Nicolas noticed that many non-Masonic buildings in the 19th century were opened with Masonic ceremonies. They were primarily historic buildings, including Mechanics Institutes, Town Halls, bridges, schools, hospitals and churches. They Masonic aspect was frequently a key part of the opening ceremony. Nicolas looks at the history including the opposition, including newspapers and the strident opposition of the Catholic Church. Nicolas also explores the apparent expunging of Freemasonry from contemporary histories of the openings of these buildings.freemasonry, historic buildings

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. About Ion L Idriess Ion Llewellyn Idriess was born in Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales on 20th September 1889 and passed away on 6th June 1979 in Mona Vale, Sydney, New South Wales at the age 89. After Idriess finished school he worked in the assay office of Broken Hill Proprietary mine. Both Idriess and his mother had typhoid fever when Ion was about 15 years old and it caused his mother’s death. After spending time with his Grandmother in Sydney he found work on a paddle-steamer and had a relapse of the fever. He then went into the western district of New South Wales where he worked in many different itinerant jobs, including rabbit poisoner, boundary rider, drover, sandalwood harvester, shearer, dingo shooter and opal miner. While opal mining at Lightning Ridge he wrote short stories, about life on the opal fields, for the Bulletin using the name “Gouger”. Idriess then moved to North Queensland in search of gold, tin and sandalwood. He travelled over a great deal of the Cape York Peninsula spending a lot of this travel time with local indigenous people; thus began his lifelong interest in their customs. He then spent time on cattle stations in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In 1914 Idriess travelled to Townsville and enlisted in the 5th Light Horse as a trooper. He became a specialist in sniping and was a spotter for the noted sniper Billy Sing. He saw service in Palestine, Sinai and Turkey. Idriess was wounded at Beersheba and after fighting the Battle of Gaza he was invalided home in March 1918. After recovering from his wounds Idriess again travelled to Cape York Peninsula where he worked with pearlers and missionaries in the Torres Strait Islands. He then went gold mining in Papua New Guinea, buffalo shooting in the Northern Territory of Australia and then exploring in Central and Western Australia. LITERARY WORKS OF IDRIESS In 1928 Idriess settled in Sydney and published the first of his 47 books. In 1931 - “Lasseter’s Last Ride”, became his first best seller. In the years 1932 and 1940 he published three books in each year. “The Cattle King” (1936) and “Flynn of the Inland” (1932) have gone through reprinting forty to fifty times. His last book was published in 1969. Idriess’ books where in general non-fiction and were written in a colourful and immediate story style, taken from life experiences gained during his travels. Idriess was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to literature in 1968. The Great Boomerang Author: Ion L Idriess Publisher: Angus & Robertson Date: 1948Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 919 IDR Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, great ocean road, the great boomerang, ion l idriess

This is a book of 122 pages. The cover is green with a green and blue map on the front and white printing on the front and back. It contains a Foreword and Acknowledgements, an Epilogue, Appendices, Bibliography, Index and printed material, maps, sketches, tables and black and white photographs.non-fictionThis book explores aspects of the Mahogany Ship wreck and aspects of early Port Fairy history.port fairy history, the tamar opportunists, mahogany ship

Red gum shield was made from a piece of the Ovens River punt which served as a river crossing at the Sydney Hotel two centuries ago and which had lain on the river bed for approximately 100 years. The punt was raised by members of the Royal Australian Engineers whose names, unit and badge apear on the shield in the early 1970s.Red gum shield was made from a piece of the Ovens River punt which served as a river crossing at the Sydney Hotel two centuries ago and which had lain on the river bed for approximately 100 years. The punt was raised by members of the Royal Australian Engineers whose names, unit and badge appear on the shield in the early 1970s. In 2019, after nearly 70 years at Balcke House, the Wangaratta RSL Sub Branch will take up new residence at the Sydney Hotel.Red Gum timber in shape of shield with crest and plaque.Crown of Australian Engineers above a list of the soldiers who worked on the project. Attached is a card which states :- This red gum shield was made from a piece of the Ovens River punt which served as a river crossing at the Sydney Hotel two centuries ago and which had lain on the river bed for approximately 100 years. The punt was raised by members of the Royal Australian Engineers whose names, unit and badge appear on the shield in the early 1970s. It was made and presented to the Wangaratta RSL by Jim Sloan of Wangaratta.ovens river, sydney hotel wangaratta

Jenna Lee dissects and reconstructs colonial 'Indigenous dictionaries' and embeds the works with new cultural meaning. Long obsessed with the duality of the destructive and healing properties that fire can yield, this element has been applied to the paper in the forms of burning and mark-making. In Without Us, Lee uses charcoal to conceal the text on the page, viewing this process as a ritualistic act of reclaiming and honouring Indigenous heritage while challenging the oppressive legacies of colonialism. Lee explains in Art Guide (2022), ‘These books in particular [used to create the proposed works] are Aboriginal language dictionaries—but there’s no such thing as “Aboriginal language”. There are hundreds of languages. The dictionary just presents words, with no reference to where they came from. It was specifically published by collating compendiums from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, with the purpose to give [non-Indigenous] people pleasant sounding Aboriginal words to name children, houses and boats. And yet the first things that were taken from us was our language, children, land and water. And the reason our words were so widely written down was because [white Australians] were trying to eradicate us. They thought we were going extinct. The deeper you get into it, the darker it gets. But the purpose of my work is to take those horrible things and cast them as something beautiful.’Framed artwork

Index, ill, p.180.non-fictionThis book explores the human dimensions of the Australian Railways Union's history and looks at the way in which one of the oldest industrial unions in Australia has responded to the challenges of social and economic change.australian railways union - victorian branch - history, trade unions - railways - history

BHS Publishing directors, Clare Gervasoni and Dorothy Wickham, and editor David Nichols at the launch of Deeper Leads: New approaches to Victorian Goldfields History,. The book was a collaborative effort between Ballarat Heritage Services and Melbourne University, editors Keir Reeves and David Nichols.Clipping on the book 'Deeper Leads: New Approaches to Goldfields Historydeeper leads, david nichols, keir reeves, clare gervasoin, dorothy wickham, ballarat heritage services

A hard cover book of 244 pages. The front of glossy paper dust jacket has a black and white, 1918 portrait of Vera Deakin in uniform with a red cross badge on her left lapel. The rear cover has a black and white photo of a family home. The book title is in maroon print and the author's name is in white print at the bottom of the front cover non-fictionThis book is a biographical account of Vera Deakin, daughter of Alfred and Pattie Deakin and explores Vera's national and international humanitarian activism and the key role she played in searching for the missing in World War One.vera deakin, red cross, world war one

Items issued to "Tom Iser". Refer cat 383.2 for his service details 1. & 2. One pair of khaki woollen shin socks with sewn on tag stating the name of the owner.Sewn on tag "T.H. ISER" socks, shin socks, t.h. iser, passchendaele barracks trust, no.70 uniform