The Port Fairy Historical Society Float on New Year's Eve 2009 depicting a court room scene to celebrate the 150th year of the courthouse. Robert Whitehead plays the prisoner and Victor Gillett the JudgeColoured photograph of Robert and Victor on float commemorating 150 years of Court house in New Years Eve paradeevents, social, new year's eve, procession, victor gillett, robert whitehead, moyneyana, courthouse, historical society, judge, prisoner

This is one of a series of post cards drawn by artist Mrs Irene Bartlett of Port Fairy. This one depicts the Stag Hotel on the corner of Cox Street and Sackville Street. Now known as Seacombe Houseblack and white drawing of the Stag Hotel and Cottages drawn showing Sackville and Cox street aspects to be used as a post cardStag Hotelhotel, sketch, i.bartlett, post card, sackville street, cox street, seacombe house, stag inn, irene bartlett, stag hotel

Scale model of S.S.Casino presented to the Port Fairy Historical Society on commemoration day 10 July 2007 by John CallenderScale model of S.S.Casino on wooden plinth, box with lid, brush and fixing screw"Casino" 1882-1932s.s.casino, model, b.k.s.n.co, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, port fairy

William Webb Councillor Port Fairy Municipal Council served 1869-1882-1883-892-1901-1903-1905William Webb served as a Councillor in the early days of Port Fairy effectively having a hand in the shaping of the townBlack & white photograph - Portrait of William has a neat pointed beard and moustache and hair parted on the right he is wearing a ribbon bow tiewilliam webb, councillor, port fairy, municipal council

Used primarily for shipping freight between Port Fairy and Melbourne, the Coramba was lost off Phillip Island during a storm on 30th November 1934. Her location was not discovered until 29th May 2011B&W photographship, boat, sea, river, tss coramba

This model was part of eleven pieces designed from an almanac in 1892 printed by the Port Fairy Gazette. The panorama was used in the historical Society rooms in Bank Street on an extended mantle piece, before the Museum and Archives relocated to Gipps StreetThis model was made as a part of an eleven piece model of the streetsccape of Port Fairy in 1892. By a local resident of the town.Small hand made model of a shop front from the 1892 almanacA.W. Handricks Saddlerpanorama, model, mewkill, almanac, bank street

This smock was hand sewn by Florence Kelly for her husband Reuben Kelly to be used as protective clothing when catching couta in Port Fairy 1948.Fishing industry from Queenscliffe to Port Fairy up to the 1950s /60s. A hand sewn fishermen's smock used by the maker's husband as protective clothing when fishing for couta.couta fishing, protective clothing, fishing industry, port fairy, fishermen's smock

Port Fairy Historical Society members taking part in the winning Historical Section float for Moyneyana festival New Year's Eve The float being based on The Stag Inn and "Clocky" Brown the Inn keeper. Angela Syme,....……, Marten Symeblack and white Photograph of Angela,…………., Marten waving to the crowd from a truck in the Moyneyana Paradeevents, civil, procession, new year's eve, angela syme, marten syme, parade

This model was part of a panorama of 11 pieces designed from drawings in an 1892 almanac printed by the Port Fairy Gazette. The panorama was used in the Historical rooms in Bank Street on an extended mantle piece before the museum and Archives were relocated to Gipps Street.This model was made as a part of an eleven piece panorama of the streetscape of Port Fairy in 1892. By a local resident.small hand made model of a shop front from the 1892 almanacTailoring Establishment John Sickler Gazette Officemodel, panorama, sackville street, mewkill, almanac, bank street

Owned by the Belfast & Koroit Steamship Co. Used primarily for shipping freight between Port Fairy and Melbourne, the Coramba was lost off Phillip Island during a storm on 30th November 1934. Her location was not discovered until 29th May 2011B&W photographship, boat, sea, river

Ceremonial collar from Derry (Londonderry) Ireland in Northern Ireland for the Ancient Order of Hibernians and belonging to John Duddy donated in 2013 by the Macalinden family Port Fairy.A rare example of Irish Hibernian regalia in an Australian collection brought to Australia by the immigrant owner and later donated to the Diocesan Archive by his family. The object is significant in its embroidery and applique work and as an example of the importation of an Irish form contrasting to Australian variants of such collars. Significant in its representation of the contribution of migrants and the Irish to Australian culture.applique red hand of Ulster, Shamrock, Harp, Celtic cross with stars on each shoulder. Fringed in gold metal braid.port fairy, hibernian, derry, londonderry, northern ireland.

Three Folk Festival handbooks containing names and a short summary of performers, programs, photos of some of the performers, History of the Folk Song & Dance Society of Victoria, advertisements and attractions. The three programs are the 20th National Folk Festival Melbourne 1986, 22nd National Folk Festival & Sutherland Bicentennial Crafts Fair 1988 (has Corry written on the front cover) and the Port Fairy Folk Festival 1989.entertainment, music, national folk festival, peter ellis collection, emu creek bush band, peter ellis, 20th national folk festival melbourne 1986, 22nd national folk festival & sutherland bicentennial crafts fair 1988, port fairy folk festival 1989

Iconic Hotel in Port Fairy Built as the first of a proposed chain of hotels by John Walwyn Taylor in 1855 on the corner of Bank and Sackville Streets. 2 stories with a balcony wrapping around 2 sides of the building. The site was formerly occupied by the wooden hotel "The Sally Ann". A snapshot of time showing the hotel the power lines, and the style of cars from that era.Black and white photograph of the Star of the West Hotel on a brown bordered mountWritten in Pen at top and underlined - STAR OF THE WEST HOTEL Lower right - ball point pen museum numbers 62.04B.011D On Back- Pencil - 3-17 - S2-7-57 - j o h 2-7-57john walwyn taylor, the sally ann, bank street, sackville street, hotel, star of the west

Councillor J Cruikshank. Owned “Terka” station near Kirkstall. The property had for some years sheltered and fed a number of kangaroos and he expressed the wish that they would be given a home there. The homestead is a bluestone building with a shingle roof, built by Robert Ireland of Port FairyBlack and white portrait of a male with a beard and moustachebelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, terka, kirkstall, cr j cruikshank

This book is a 19th Century treatise on aids to navigation. It belonged to John Cowtan who held land near the Cassady's Bridge area in Caramut Road today (he was related to the Cassady family) and who is mainly important in the history of Port Fairy. Captain John Cowtan was a ship's master for John Griffiths and a Launceston entrepreneur and ship owner between 1839 and 1844. In 1847 he went into partnership with John Bland, establishing a merchant's business with riverside buildings at the Port Fairy wharf. He left Port Fairy in the 1860s. The date of John Cowtan's signature in this book is 1849 (certainly a very early one in our history) and inside the front cover he has written notes about the local weather, mainly as it affected sailing conditions in late 1849 and early 1850. These notes are of great historical interestThis book is of great interest because it belonged to a Port Fairy historical figure and because of the hand written weather notes inside the front cover. This is a hard covered,leather bound book of 680 pages. It contains printed text, illustrations, tables, maps and sketches.One page is torn Some pages are stained. . J Cowtan 1849john cowtan, port fairy

This bottle came from the general store of Russell and Powell of Fairy Street Warrnambool. This store sold an extensive range of imported wines and spirits as well as tea, clothing materials and hardware. Samuel Giffen Russell, born in Belfast, Ireland, established his store in Warrnambool in 1878 and took Joseph Powell as a partner in 1881. The business premises in Fairy Street were built in 1882. Giffen Russell was Mayor of Warrnambool from 1898 to 1900. By the early 1900s the firm had a store in Bank Street, Port Fairy and was known as Giffen Russell and Company and the business continued under that name until the late 1940s, the proprietor at that time being Harry Lynch. The Lynch family carried on this business until the second decade of the 21st century. This stoneware bottle is of some importance as it is one of the few items we have that came from the long-established Warrnambool general store of S.Giffen Russell.This is a stone bottle in cream and brown tonings. It has a circular base and body with a short neck and a moulded top opening. There is a screw top. The inscription on the bottle is in black print.‘Russell & Powell Warrnambool and Port Fairy’ russell & powell, warrnambool, giffen russell & co., warrnambool

Used primarily for shipping freight between Port Fairy and Melbourne, the Coramba was lost off Phillip Island during a storm on 30th November 1934. Her location was not discovered until 29th May 2011. This photograph is unique because it shows the ship using the turning basin in the Moyne River.B&W photograph ship, boat, sea, river

This shop stood at the corner of Bank and Church Streets and was pulled down to make way for another service station. When the service station closed in the 1990's it was used as a storage unit for a Port Fairy builder. It in turn has been pulled down and replaced with 2 shops, a bank and two units above.Black & white photographshop, commercial, warehouse, bank street, church street

This shop stood at the corner of Bank and Church Streets and was pulled down to make way for another service station. When the service station closed in the 1990's it was used as a storage unit for a Port Fairy builder. It in turn has been pulled down and replaced with 2 shops, a bank and two units above.Black & white photographMrs C.W. Freckleton Toolong.- my father's saddlery business-shop now owned by Mr Richter taken in 1880shop, commercial, warehouse, bank street, church street

Entrance to Port Fairy Botanical Gardens. The Port Fairy Botanical Gardens were formed in 1856 making it one of the earliest gardens in Victoria. The first curator was James Prior, he was paid fifty-two pounds per annum. He was an outstanding curator having been apprenticed to the trade in England at the age of 12, his brother Edward in later years was the Curator of the Koroit Gardens. Prior retired in 1903. During the years of his curatorship Port Fairy was said to have the best gardens outside the city of Melbourne, he was constantly in touch with Baron Von Mueller and later Guilfoyle of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne. In the early years plants from all over the world were planted here with varying rates of success many of them sent by Baron Von Mueller. In the 1930’ and 40’s the gardens were still very beautiful, and the curator was Roy Manuell. The beautiful iron gates at the entrance were destroyed in the 1946 floods and were replaced in 1989 using some of the material from the original gates. From the 1950’s on the gardens went into a state of decline, much being taken up by the caravan park until in 1986, after a public meeting ‘Friends of the Gardens’ was founded when the entrance section was restored. Sepia landscape of the gates to the Botanical Gardens (taken on a slant)Post card - correspondence-Addressbotanical, garden, park, griffith street, gates

Drill Hall, Bank Street, Port Fairy. This two-storied building was constructed in 1874 as livery stables and was later used for the garrison from c.1885. The structure is symmetrically arranged about a large arched opening and features include the plinth, quions and the parapet. Reconditioned c.2000 when the interior was renovated for functionsBlack and white photograph of the drill hall a two storied rendered building with double doors opening into the streetdefence, hall, drill hall, bank street

this building was built to house the Port Fairy Masonic Lodge No 67 with two seperate large spaces a general l meeting room in the front and the formal Lodge space to the rear. it is now occupied as a book shop by ‘Blarney Books’Coloured photograph of brick fronted building housing Blarney Booksshop, commercial, port fairy masonic lodge no.67, blarney books, books

Victoria (580 tons) was the first warship to be built in England for a British colony. Designed by the British naval architect Oliver Lang she was launched in London on 30 June 1855 by Lady Constance Talbot. Arrived in Australia 1856. Out of service 1882 and broken up in 1895 Visited Port Fairy 1859, 1862 and 1873 (twice) Black & white photographvictoria, war ship, ship, navy, lady constance talbot

Victoria (580 tons) was the first warship to be built in England for a British colony. Designed by the British naval architect Oliver Lang she was launched in London on 30 June 1855 by Lady Constance Talbot. Arrived in Australia 1856. Out of service 1882 and broken up in 1895 Visited Port Fairy 1859, 1862 and 1873 (twice) First warship to be built in England for a British colony. Black & white photographwarship, hmvs victoria

This book belonged to John Cowtan. He was a purchaser of land near Cassady’s Bridge in Warrnambool and an important and early settler in Port Fairy. The land that John Cowtan selected was bought by Williaam Cassady whose sister, Ann, was married to John Cowtan. Cassady established the property, Boughton where Cassady’s Bridge is today. This book came from a Cassady estate sale early in the 21st century. Between 1839 and 1844 John Cowtan was a ship’s captain for John Griffiths, a shipowner and entrepreneur. In 1844 Cowtan established a merchant trading and produce business in Port Fairy with John Bland. In the 1860 John Cowtan went to live in Melbourne.This book is of great interest because of its early date (one year after the founding of Warrnambool) and because of its association with John Cowtan, a pioneer settler of Port Fairy with connections to Warrnambool.This is a brown leather cover book of 385 pages. The spine has gold lettering. The binding has come apart and has been mended with white cotton material on the inside of the cover. The insides of the cover have a brown, white, blue and yellow mottled pattern. The cover is stained and torn at the edges and has a deep gouging on the front. The first page has been torn and mended with tape and some of the pages are stained. There are two pressed fern fronds, one loose newspaper cutting and a bookmark with a sepia-coloured image, lace paper edges and coloured embroidery contained within the pages. The book has a preface and 58 chapters. The inscription is handwritten in black ink. ‘J. Cowtan 1848’ john cowtan, port fairy history, william cassady

These trophies were presented to Ray (Roo) Smith for the Best and Fairest player in the Port Fairy Football Club for the years 1956 -572 Two silver cups - one large, one small both on plinthes (EPNS)PFFC Best & Fairest 1956 Ray Smith - Port Fairy- PFFC Best & Fairest 1957 Ray Smithlocal history, trophies & awards, sports

This is a ticket for a complimentary concert to the Victorian soprano, Miss Mollie Hayres, in the Warrnambool Town Hall in 1926. Inez Mary (Mollie) Hayres (1897-1980) was born in Port Fairy and received her early musical training from the Good Samaritan Sisters in Port Fairy. She received local funding to enable her to study at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music under Madame Weiderman and toured the Western District in 1926, supported by the pianist May Broderick and the violinist Cecil Parkes, in a series of complimentary concerts to give her funding to study in Europe. She became a well-known singer and singing teacher in Melbourne, featuring in radio programs and concerts. This ticket is of interest as a memento of Mollie Hayres, a noted singer in Victoria in the first half of the 20th century.This is a small white card with black edging and printing. Grand Complimentary Concert to Miss Mollie Hayresmollie hayres soprano, good samaritan sisters port fairy

The Mahogany Ship is today regarded as a legend and refers to an ancient wreck that is purported to lie beneath the sand beside Armstrong Bay, several kilometres west of Warrnambool, Its location is currently unknown. For well over a century the mystery of this ship has fascinated Australians because the existence of such a vessel could throw a different light on the earliest phases of exploration of eastern Australia by Europeans. The story is that in January 1836 a party of whalers from Port Fairy travelled to the mouth of the Hopkins River in search of seals. Their boat overturned and one man was drowned. The three survivors were walking the 30 kilometres back to Port Fairy along the coast when, about halfway along, they discovered the wrecked ship in the dunes. It is said that Captain John Mills, who was in charge of the whaling station at Port Fairy promptly visited the wreck with several of his men, including Hugh Donnelly. Donnelly who was the originator of that version of events is now regarded as unreliable. Local history researcher Joan Fawcett believes Donnelly could not have visited the wreck in 1836 because he did not arrive in Victoria until 1841. The "mahogany" description can be traced to a letter from Port Fairy builder, architect and surveyor John Mason and published in the Melbourne Argus in 1876. He said he had seen the hull in 1846 and it "had the appearance of either cedar or mahogany." In 1884 Argus journalist `The Vagabond' wrote that the hull was built of "Spanish mahogany" and six years later Mason wrote another letter saying it might not have been mahogany but red gum or ironbark from New South Wales. He was too late with this new description as the wrecks mahogany tag was here to stay all through the hull was not visible as it had disappeared beneath the shifting sands by 1880. A more reliable account was later presented by the former editor of the Warrnambool Examiner, historian Richard Osburne, who wrote about the wreck in his book History of Warrnambool (published 1887). In it the author remembers to have noticed a wreck in the hummocks between Belfast and Warrnambool, in 1847 or 1848; he stated it was much nearer Warrnambool than Belfast, now known as Port Fairy, going on to state “in fact, it was only two or three miles from the former place, to the west of the big hummock which was supposed to fill Warrnambool Bay with drift sand washed by the Merri River before the cutting was made.” Osburne followed up with a letter to the Port Fairy Gazette on June 25, 1876, during a period of heightened interest in the wreck, although he was unsure of the provenance of the ship he went on to state in his letter. “The old wreck was, in fact, miles away from the Port Fairy beach, and only about four miles from Warrnambool. In the years 1847 and 1848. I have often seen the wreck and I regret to say I do not believe she was a foreign ship at all.”The ship model is significant for its association with the Warrnambool story of what is now referred to as the Mahogany Ship, an ancient shipwreck. The model is significant as it is an interpretation of a Portuguese caravel and possibly associated with the early history and exploration of Southern Australia. The model is a fine example of a hand crafted ship made from plans, not from a kit. Some of the materials used for the model are significant to the Gembrook community in that the timber used is a portion from a 30-meter pine tree that fell onto and destroyed the 120-year-old Gembrook church building. The model is also a dedication to Edward Kermond, who grew up in Warrnambool and claimed to have seen the shipwreck in the dunes when he was a lad in the late 19th century. (See note section of this document for further information on the creator and donation of the subject item).Ship model, an interpretation of a mahogany Portuguese carvel vessel in a glass display case with wood frame and a description plaque. Model is made from dark stained wood. The three masted vessel is fully rigged, with a Portuguese-like flag on mast. Plaque is rectangular, free standing on a pedestal. The model was handmade by Joe Hilder (Senior) in 1999 from flooring obtained from the Gembrook Uniting Church in Victoria. Inscriptions, hand written, under base of case and on plaque.Under base, black felt tip pen “Ship & Case made From / Flooring from Gembrook uniting Church, Flattened in 1999 / By Large Pine Tree.” On plaque, white paint "This interpretation of the Fabled Mahogany Ship was made by Joe Hilder, Gembrook Vic. is displayed in the memory of the late Edward Kermond (Ted) 1887-1973, a Warrnambool son who claimed to have seen the original ship as a child." flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ship model, mahogany ship, mahogany ship story, portuguese caravel, joe hilder, edward kermond, ted kermond, gembrook uniting church, gembrook storm 1999, port fairy whalers, belfast whalers

Arthur Hoey, a Port Fairy Builder inspecting the ruins of a cottage on Albert Road. Arthur went on to restore the cottage. Research done by family found that the house a t one stage belonged at one time to Chidley a photographer . Further information also to hand mentions the area being used by Stan Chidley for a "scent farm". Several types of herbs and flowers were being grown thereColoured photograph of Arthur Hoey standing in a hole in the wall of the cottagecottage, building, home, house, albert road, scent farm

These are three volumes of Peloubet’s Select Notes. The book contents are described as ‘Inductive, Suggestive, Explanatory, Illustrative, Doctrinal and Practical’. The books were issued as curriculum material for Sunday Schools and were first published in the mid 1870s and continued to be published for the next 100 years. These three volumes belonged to M. P. McMeekin and this is presumed to be Margaret Parker McMeekin (1868-1948), the daughter of John McMeekin and Isabella Parker of Warrnambool. John McMeekin was the Rate Collector and Inspector and then the Valuer for the Warrnambool Shire in the 1860s, 70s and 80s. Two sons, William and James, operated a produce export business in Kepler Street under the name of McMeekin Brothers and another son, Charles was an auctioneer in Warrnambool. It is surmised that Margaret McMeekin was a Sunday School teacher either in Warrnambool or Port Fairy. These books are of interest as examples of what was taught in Sunday Schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are also of interest because they belonged to Margaret McMeekin, a member of a prominent family in Warrnambool at that time. These are three books of a religious nature written by F. and M. Peloubet and published in 1895, 1898 and 1904. .1 A hard cover book of 346 pages with a greenish brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. Two blue stamps of the Warrnmbool & District Historical Society and a handwritten name are on the first page .2 A hard cover book of 344 pages with a brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. Two blue stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society are on the first and last page. The cover has worn edges. .3 A hard cover book of 358 pages with a greenish brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. There are two blue stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society on the first and last page. There is a black and white full page plate at the beginning of the book and this is protected by a piece of tissue. ‘M.P. McMeekin, Port Fairy’ (1895 volume) sunday schools, margaret mcmeekin, warrnambool history