souvenir glass was produced to commemorate the 1841 arrival in Australia from Ireland of James and Margaret Jellie . They were early settlers in the Warrnambool district, settling first at Port Fairy and then acquiring property along the Merri River in the Warrnambool area. Their children and families were prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries in the Warrnambool district as pastoralists, particularly in the Grasmere area. One son, James had an auctioneering firm in Warrnambool in the late 19th century and two of James’ and Margaret’s granddaughters, Mary and Dorcas. were well-known as teachers at the Warrnambool State School in the 20th century. This glass is of interest as a memento of the Jellie families who have been so prominent in the history of Warrnambool and district.This is a glass tumbler with a rounded base and a rounded body with a gilt rim around the top of the glass. An image of a ship and gold lettering have been impressed on both sides of the glass. ‘James & Margaret Jellie 1841-1991 150th Anniversary’ ‘To commemorate the arrival of James & Margaret Jellie and their children on the Thomas Arbuthnot at Hobson’s Bay, Port Phillip District of New South Wales on 2 October 1841 and their journey to Port Fairy in early 1842’ jellie families, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This junior football shield was given by James Fairbairn (1897-1940), a prominent Western District pastoralist, aviator, local politician and Federal Cabinet minister. He was killed in a Canberra air disaster in 1940. The shield shows that several football teams, including West End, Russells Creek and East Warrnambool won the shield in the 1930s. In 1936 the shield was won outright by West End Football Club. This club, founded in the late 19th century, played in Western District Leagues until 1946 when it joined the newly-formed Warrnambool District Football League. In 1971 it merged with the Allansford Football Club to become the West End-Allansford Club and in 2002 the name ceased to exist when the team name was changed back to Allansford Football Club. This trophy is of interest as a football trophy given over 80 years ago and as a memento of the Warrnambool West End Football Club, a team no longer existing. The sport of Australian football has been, and still is, highly prominent in the Warrnambool district with football first played in the town in 1861. This is a wooden shield with nine silver-coloured metal discs affixed to the shield with metal pins. Eight of these discs are shield-shaped. All of the discs have etched inscriptions. The discs are somewhat stained and the wooden shield has traces of paint on it. There is a wire attached to the back of the shield for hanging on a wall. ‘Warrnambool Junior Football League’ ‘Junior Challenge Shield presented by J.V. Fairbairn Esq. M.L.A. 1932’ ‘Won Outright West End Football Club 1936’ west end football club, warrnambool, j.v.fairbairn

George Houghton established his camera business in London in the 19th Century and sold cameras all over the world.This camera would have been used by a professional photographer in the early 20th Century. It was British made and used extensively in Australia. This camera has no known local provenance but is retained as an interesting example of early photography in 20th Century Australia.This is a folding camera for professional use. It has a concertina mechanism that folds back into a leather case. The lens board can be tilted and the lenses can be changed. The case has a leather handle. The name of the maker is inserted into the case. The case is somewhat rubbed. ENSIGN Made by Houghtons Ltd. London British Made ENSIGNhoughton camera, early 20th century cameras, warrnambool

Magneto wall telephones such as this one were commonly in use in Australia around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The wall telephone, powered by dry cells, was an invention of the late 1870s. In the first half of the 20th century many old wall telephones were restored and put back in use by the Australian P.M.G. when there was a shortage of telephones in the 1930s Depression and during World War Two. This item, a reminder of the days of early technology, has no known local provenance but is retained for display and research purposes.This telephone piece is contained within a brown wooden box with a back board that has curved edges and extends over the edges of the box. On the back there are three metal screws for attaching the box to a wall or door. The front section of the box has curved edges with an inset panel around the edges. There is a metal turning handle on one side of the box and on the other side there is a metal clip holding a hearing piece attached to the box by a cord. On the front of the box is a speaking piece attached to the box by a metal piece. Attached to the front of the box are two semi-circular ringing pieces now situated some centimetres out from the box. The box was originally varnished but the edges are now rubbed and there are some splotches of paint. vintage wall telephones, history of warrnambool, magneto wall telephones

This is a typed copy of William Earle’s History of Port Fairy written in 1896. The history is of interest to researchers and the information contained in it has been updated and extended by historians in recent times. William Earle, a printer with a business in Port Fairy came to Australia with his parents, William and Mary, in 1854. He was a Councillor and Mayor and was heavily involved in local community affairs. He died in 1902 at the age of 51. His 1896 history won a prize in a local Industrial Exhibition and was widely acknowledged as an important primary source of early Port Fairy history. This booklet is of minor interest as it is a copy of a 19th century Port Fairy history book and is not a rare item. It is retained as it came from the Baulch collection of documents and belonged to David Baulch of Koonongal Estate, HwakesdaleThis is a booklet of 59 pages of typed material bound into a brown cardboard cover with metal screws. The pages are typed on one side only and have a black border around all sides.David Baulch Koonongal Estate Hawkesdale 3287baulch family, dunmore and rose park, history of warrnambool

This label comes from the pharmacy of D.W.Gleeson. He had a chemist shop in Timor Street, Warrnambool in the late 19th century. This label is of interest as a memento of a late 19th century chemist in Warrnambool – D.W. GleesonThis is a piece of cream-coloured paper with blue edging, an Australian logo and blue printing. The paper has been pasted on to a piece of pink card. This bottle contains…. doses Gold Medallist by Competitive Examination Purity of Drugs Guaranteed Dispensing Chemist D.W.Gleeson Timor Street Warrnambool d.w.gleeson, chemist, history of warrnambool

This Bible belonged to Minnie Maud Middleton (d. 1958). She came from Framlingham, near Warrnambool. Miss Middleton’s parents, Hannah and Thomas, brought the Bible to Australia from England in the 1870s. The Bible, printed in 1816, contains a pencil drawing of the Roydon Church of England where the Middletons worshipped in England. This Bible is of interest as an example of a Bible that many families owned, treasured and read in times gone by and especially in the 19th century. It has local provenance.This is a Bible with a hard leather cover and the spine covering replaced at some stage. The front and back of the book are much rubbed and scored. The pages are numbered according to the sections and the font varies with two columns to each page. There are over 40 black and white illustrations (from engravings) and several pressed ferns. Some pages are damaged. There are four loose sheets. Brown’s Holy Bible printed 1816 Presented to G. Phillpot 80 Kelp St Warrnambool in 1953 by Miss M. Middleton of Bendigo, late of Framlingham. Was brought to Australia by Miss Middleton’s parents approx 80 years ago. The pencil drawing is of Roydon Church of England where Miss Middleton’s parents worshipped. Copy of ‘Willing Work’ dated Nov 3 1877 was found in the Bible. minnie maud middleton, framlingham, history of warrnambool, bible, roydon church of england

These two works of art are by Dr Don Edgar, a sociologist, educator and author. He taught sociology at Stanford University, the University of Chicago, Monash University and La Trobe University and was the founding Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In the 1950s Dr Edgar was a student at Warrnambool High School and these works of art were produced at that time. For a school project he researched the early history of the Warrnambool Art Gallery and some of its collection, dating from the 19th century. In 2019 he published a book, ‘Art For the Country’, the story of Victoria’s regional art galleries and the book includes information on the founding and the later history of the Warrnambool Art Gallery.These works of art are of interest as they were painted by Dr Don Edgar, a noted academic and author today and a former resident of Warrnambool. The two works of art also have historical interest as they depict Warrnambool scenes painted over 60 years ago. .1 An art work (oil on artboard) – the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens with bridge and reflections, a gum tree and a poplar tree, all in green and orange tonings. The wooden frame has a light varnish with gold and white trim .2 An art work (oil on artboard) – multi-coloured view of the mouth of Hopkins River with the Hopkins River bridge, Lyndoch bungalow and boathouse. The frame is wooden with a mottled varnish and a white insert edging. .1 Don Edgar 1953 Don Edgar 1953 (High School Student) .2 D.E. 53 Don Edgar 1953 (High School Student) dr don edgar, sociologist, author and educator, warrnambool art gallery, history of warrnambool

This is a supplement issued by the Weekly Times newspaper in 1896 to commemorate the opening of the Warrnambool Industrial ad Art Exhibition in November 1896. The exhibition ran for three months in the Warrnambool Town Hall/Mechanics Institute area with some temporary buildings. The attendance was recorded as 70,000, making it one of the biggest events ever held in Warrnambool. There were displays, competitions, concerts and operas and sporting and cultural events. The exhibition was historically important as being the time and place when the earliest surviving sound recordings made in Australia were produced by Tommy Rome on an Edison phonograph. The supplement came from the estate of Bruce Morris, the editor of the Warrnambool Standard from 1946 to 1968 and an important Warrnambool historian.This paper, although tattered is a most important souvenir of the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896-7, a significant event in Warrnambool’s history. The supplement is also a valuable record of businesses and people of the late 19th century in Warrnambool.This is a supplement to an 1896 newspaper. It has 20 pages but is incomplete. It has printed material and black and white and sepia photographs. Most of the pages are loose and are tattered. warrnambool industrial and art exhibition 1896-7, bruce morris, warrnambool, thomas rome, warrnambool

This stool appears to have been home-made. It was used in the days (first half of the 20th century) when cows were mostly milked by hand. It was most likely to have been used to milk a house cow, perhaps in Warrnambool or a nearby town. The cow would have been kept during the day time on the town common and brought back to the home for milking and returned to the common the next day. The production of milk, cheese and butter has been an important industry in the Warrnambool district since the second half of the 19th century, with the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory at Allansford being established in 1888. It is the oldest surviving dairy company in Australia. This stool is of considerable interest as an example of the stools used when cows were hand milked and when many households in the towns and outer areas had a house cow to supply milk for the household. This is a hand-made wooden milking stool with a rectangular piece of wood for the seat and four rounded legs that taper slightly outwards. The legs have been inserted into four holes on the top seating part. The seat has a small circular hole in the middle. The stool is well-worn. dairying in western victoria

This hat has the brand name or model, ‘The Solent’ which is the name of the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. Boater hats such as these were mostly worn for informal occasions and were usually associated with sporting events such as boating and sailing, particularly in Britain. Hats of this type were also part of the school uniform of some Australian schools, usually prominent private schools with a British tradition, in the first half of the 20th century and there may be some schools still using the style today. This boater is of interest as an example of the informal head gear worn by men in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful for display.This is a cream straw boater hat with a flat circular crown and round brim. The straw is stiffened and plaited. There is a black material band ending with a black bow around the base of the crown. The hat has brown leather internal lining with a cream cord insert for altering the inside size of the hat. Inside the hat is a printed shield with the maker’s details and some gold ornamentation with printed material. The Criterion Brand Reg. No. 15094 The Solent Extra Quality Copyright. vintage headware, history of warrnambool

This fire helmet may have been one used in England or one used in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Australia. It was made by Firmin & Sons of England, a firm which was founded in 1655. It supplies military ceremonial buttons, badges and uniforms and brass and pith helmets of various kinds. It is regarded as the oldest manufacturing business operating in England today. The Warrnambool Fire Brigade was established in the early 1860s and today has both paid and volunteer firefighters.This helmet has no known local provenance but is retained for display purposes.This is a brass helmet with an oval crown with an ornate scrolled curved piece coming over the crown. There is a decoration of a winged dragon breathing fire and on the front side a torch, an axe and a hose with decorative surrounds. There is a breathing hole at the top of the crown in a petal shape. On the sides are metal medallions holding a chin strap which is adjustable. The edge of the crown has a scrolled band. The front peak is angled with a folded metal edge and the rear peak is a concave shape with a brass screw in the middle. Inside the helmet are 8 screws holding the upper decorative arching piece and a black leather band with eyelets tied together to fir the individual head. There is an oval plaque with wording contained within a decorative belt.Firmin & Sons Ltd 108 & 109 St Martins Lane W.C. Late of 153 & 154 Strandwarrnambool fire brigade, history of warrnambool

This is a bowler hat, commonly worn by men in the second half of the 19th century for semi-formal and informal wear. The bowler hat was first made by the hatters, Thomas and William Bowler, in 1849 and was said to have been commissioned by the owners of Holkham Hall, England, for use by gamekeepers on horseback to protect their heads from low-hanging branches. In the 19th and early 20th centuries bowler hats were worn mainly by businessmen in Britain, U.S.A and Australia but were also popularized for general use by notable personalities and actors such as Charlie Chaplin. This hat has no known local provenance but is retained for display purposesThis is a black felt hat with a rounded crown and a ribbon around the crown. The rim is slightly turned up. There are breathing holes in the crown.men’s headgear from the past, history of warrnambool

This tool, along with many other vintage tools in the collection of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society, is believed to have belonged to Henry Phillips, a19th century Warrnambool identity. English-born Henry Phillips (1821-1896) came with his wife Elizabeth to Australia in 1849 and lived in Port Fairy for some years. In 1865 Phillips formed a partnership with Christopher Beattie in the Warrnambool undertaking business of Beattie and Phillips. This was a major business in Warrnambool, continuing after the deaths of Phillips and Beattie until the year 2000. Henry Phillips was involved in the management of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and the Art Gallery. This tool is of interest as an example of a 19th century tool and as a memento of a prominent Warrnambool businessman of the 19th century, Henry Phillips. This is a planing tool with a rectangular-shaped wooden body and two round polished wooden handles at either end. The wooden piece is curved on the base. A metal plate with a curved end is inserted in an opening on the top of the wooden piece and extends down to a small slit at the base. Metal screws keep the handles and the metal blade in place. vintage carpentry tools, henry phillips, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This plane tool is believed to have belonged to a Warrnambool carpenter, Henry Phillips. English-born Henry Phillips (1821-1896) came to Australia with his wife Elizabeth in 1849 and lived for some time in Port Fairy. In 1865 he formed a partnership in Warrnambool with Christopher Beattie and established the undertaking business of Beattie and Phillips. This business continued on after the deaths of the founding partners, Beattie and Phillips and lasted until the year 2000. In Warrnambool Henry Phillips was involved in the management of the Mechanics’ Institute.This tool is of interest, firstly as an example of a 19th century carpenter’s tool and secondly as a memento of the 19th century Warrnambool businessman, Henry Phillips. This is a wooden plane tool with a boat-shaped body curved at the sides and a wooden piece inserted in a top opening. This wooden piece holds a metal blade which protrudes at a slit opening in the base of the body. The straight-edged metal blade and the wooden piece are held together by a metal screw. vintage tools, henry phillips

This tool is part of a large collection of vintage tools and they are believed to have belonged to a Warrnambool businessman, Henry Phillips. English-born carpenter, Henry Phillips (1821-1896), with his wife, Elizabeth, came to Australia in 1849 and lived in Port Fairy for some time. In 1865 he formed a partnership with Christopher Beattie and established the undertaking firm of Beattie and Phillips. The funeral business continued on after the deaths of the two founders and lasted until the year 2000. In Warrnambool Henry Phillips was involved with the management of the Mechanics’ Institute.This tool is of interest as an example of a vintage tool and also as a memento of the 19th century Warrnambool businessman, Henry Phillips.This is a large rectangular-shaped wooden plane tool. It has a curved wooden handle with a flattened top and this is inserted into the top of the body of the tool. The middle section of the top of the tool had been gouged out and a metal blade inserted at an angle and this blade partly protrudes at the base to make a planing tool. The metal blade is held in place by a covering piece of wood and a metal screw holds both the inserted wood and the blade in place.vintage tools, henry phillips,, history of warrnambool

P. S. Rodney , owned by Permewan Wright, was used to transport non Union strikebreaking shearers to the Darling River sheep stations , during the later 19th century. Union shearers burnt it to the waterline. This shows the remains of the P. S. Rodney.This photograph is very significant as it was one of the events of the Australian shearers' strike of 1891-1894. When unionised shearers burnt the P. S. Rodney for carrying non-Union shearers to the Darling river sheep stations.Black and white photograph of the remains of P. S. Rodney, showing iron "skeleton" by the Darling River bank near Pooncarie. A youth stands near it, and a fallen tree is at the left, close up.On the reverse in pen, "Remains of RODNEY." Kodak paper. Stamped J176shearers strike, p. s. rodney - remains, pooncarie, n. s. w

The P.S Rodney was used by Permewan Wright to transport non Union strike breaking shearers to the Darling River sheep stations during the late 19th Century. The Union shearers who were on strike, burnt it to the water line where it remains still.This photograph is very significant as it was one of the events in the Australia wide Shearers strike of 1891-1894. When Unionised Shearers burnt the P.S Rodney while carrying non Union Shearers to the Darling River sheep stations.A rectangular black and white photograph and negative of the remains of the P.S Rodney by the bank of the Darling River, near Pooncarrie N.S.W. Shows the "skeleton" remains. A man stands in the background.Stamped on the back in black ink is 'J176'. In hand writing in black ink are the words " Remains of Rodney."p.s rodney, shearers' strike, pooncarrie n.s.w

P. S. Rodney , owned by Permewan Wright, was used to transport non Union strikebreaking shearers to the Darling River sheep stations , during the later 19th century. Union shearers burnt it to the waterline. This shows the remains of the P. S. Rodney.This photograph is very significant as it was one of the events of the Australian shearers' strike of 1891-1894. When unionised shearers burnt the P. S. Rodney for carrying non-Union shearers to the Darling river sheep stations.Black and white photograph from the water, of the remains of the P. S. Rodney , showing,(not very clearly) the iron "skeleton" on the bank amidst a mess of branches. A piece of bark pierces the water at right and the bank of the river fills the left of the view. On reverse "The remains of the Paddle-Steamer "RODNEY" burnt on the "Darling" River. Printed Kodak paper, stamped B012 p. s. rodney - remains, shearers' strike, pooncarie, n. s. w

This book by Jack Gorman contains articles on horse racing in Australia, and in particular, Victoria and the Western District in the 19th and 20th centuries. It includes articles on the 1891 Melbourne Cup, the Casterton Centenary Cup of 1961, the champion horse ‘Waranton’, hunting in the Casterton district, the 1922 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool and many people associated with horse racing in the past. This book is retained as it contains articles on various horse races and people associated with horse racing of the past in the Western District of Victoria, including accounts of Warrnambool races. It will be a useful addition to our local history library. This is a soft cover book of 52 pages. The cover has brown and white colouring and has an image of the finish of a horse race and black printing. The pages contain printed material, black and white photographs and sketches. The book has been stapled but the staples have been removed.western district horse racing, grand annual steeplechase, history of warrnambool, casterton centenary cup, jack gorman

This is a financial record of goods bought from the Warrnambool property of Woodend owned by the Davidson family. Entry dates are from 1895 to 1924. The property Woodend was founded by James Davidson in 1853/1854. James Davidson came to Australia in 1847 and arrived in Warrnambool with his family and his brother in 1850. He had a store in Warrnambool in partnership with J.C. A Kruger and was also an auctioneer. He died as a result of an accident at sea in 1862 and his family continued on at the Woodend farm.This item is of interest as a record of the day to day purchases of a Warrnambool farmer in the late 19th and 20th centuries.This is a hard covered book with a mottled pattern on the cover. The binding is black. The pages contain printed red lines and hand written entries in black ink.warrnambool woodend farm, davidson farm

Lists all towns and villages with entries in the Victorian censuses between 1841 and 1901. It includes in excess of 1400 entries with the latitude and longitude for each town, numbers males and females in the town, and the number of occupied dwellings (where available). For many of these settlements the only visible trace of them today is in the census results collected by the fledgling governments of Colonial Victoria. It is a comprehensive reference and a fascinating insight into the movements of early populations of new Australians.cities and towns victoria, history 19th century, statistics, ghost towns - victoria, geographical names victoria, victoria census

Blue covered book celebraring 150 years since the establishment of the Ballarat School of Mines in Ballarat. Many illustrations from the Federation Univsity Historical Collection. non-fictionfederation university, history, anniversary, sesquicentenary, terry moran, duncan bentley, cameron pegg, carolyn simm, clare gervasoni, margot burke

Since the establishment of the School of Mines Ballarat (SMB) in 1870, Federation University Australia has emerged in multiple forms, and under multiple names, to educate generations of engineers, nurses, and teachers – and in more recent years, games designers, sports and exercise scientists, craft beer brewers, and other professional occupations inconceivable to the University’s founders in the late 19th century. Today, our footprint stretches around the world, thanks to key partnerships established domestically, and with institutions in China, Malaysia, and India. But the story starts with a meeting of the Ballarat Mining Board, in 1869, and a pressing need for innovation.A number of screen backgrounds used during 2020, the 150th anniversary of the Ballarat School of Mines. The anniversary took place in the middle of lockdowns associated with Covid19, making screen backgrounds important.non-fictionfederation university, anniversary, sesquicentenary, 150th anniversary, covid19

The pins in this collection vary in the timber used and the design. They were found in a warehouse beside Crown Casino in Melbourne, located along the Yarra River, close to the sailing ship "Polly Woodside" and not far from the docks of Port Melbourne. Some of the pins have the mark of a 'Broad Arrow' with 'D ↑ D, which signifies that they were the property of the Australian Government's Department of Defence. Belaying pins are essential equipment on a traditional sailing ship of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They are usually made of wood but some are metal. A belaying pin is used to secure the running ropes of the rigging to the ship's rails using holes drilled onto the rails for that purpose. The belaying pins are inserted into holes in the ship’s rail, drilled for that purpose. When the sail has been raised, the ropes are wrapped around the upper and lower sections of the pins in a figure-eight pattern. The shapes of these belaying pins taper from the rounded end of the handle inwards towards the bottom, which allows them to have a firm fit into the holes in the rails. The rigging rope is wound around the pins in such a way that a tug on the pin's handle pulls it out of the hole and quickly frees the rope and the sail.These belaying pins are significant for their association with sailing vessels, particularly vessels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are also significant for their association with the Port of Melbourne where sailing ships docked to and from the Port of Melbourne. Some of the pins have additional significance for being connected with the Australian Government's Department of Defence.Belaying pin, wooden, simple design, wooden shaft with a wider rounded end on top third, tapering to the centre third, which is wider than a lower third. The bottom has a blunt base. Some of the pins have the three sections divided by a line around their circumferences. This collection of fifty-seven pins of varying shapes, colours and timber. Some of the pins are stained with colour, and some have been left natural Stored in a wooden crate. Some have inscriptions.Marks: (Government Defence Department Broad Arrow) "D ↑ D"sailiing equipment, nautical equipment, rigging, yards, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, belaying pin, broad arrow, australian government, australian department of defence, sailing ship, sail

This amber satin evening outfit was worn by Mrs. Isabella Mitchell (nee Russell, 1840 – 1929) at the wedding of her brother Alexander (c.1846–1938) and Eliza (nee Moore c.1854–1939). The jacket and skirt attach to each other at the waist by joining the metal rings that are around the base of the jacket and to the metal hooks that are on the waistband of the skirt. The outfit was donated with its own mannequin and fits it perfectly. In the colonial days, outer clothing was rarely, if ever, washed, due to the expense of fabrics and difficulty in careful laundering. Clever methods were employed to reduce the occurrence of soiling. The mannequin included with the donation would also help keep the outfit in good shape as well as being used for ensuring a flattering fit. FAMILIES’ HISTORY The families connected with this wedding for which this outfit was worn are from Warrnambool’s colonial days. Isabella and Alexander’s parents, Robert Russell and Elizabeth (nee Mitchell) were both born in 1808 and married about 1830. They were from farming families in Northern Ireland where they raised their seven children there before migrating to Australia in the early colonial days, around 1857. Their graves are in the Tower Hill cemetery. Alexander’s wife Eliza (nee Moore, born in 1854) was also from Northern Ireland and migrated to Australia in 1858 with her parents, Thomas and Nancy Moore, in the last voyage of the sailing ship “Chance”. Isabella (Bella) talked with her grand-daughter Ruby Akers about her memories of Alexander and Eliza’s wedding and other events in her life. Ruby recorded these memories in a letter. She says “They were married in the Warrnambool Congregational Church by a pioneer minister, the Reverend Uriah Coombs. The bride wore a pale blue silk wedding gown which was made by herself. Bella was Matron of Honora and Ian McCasker was best man. In those days the transport to the church was usually a carriage – similar to a cab – and a pair of white ponies. They would have the reception at home and then go for a drive afterwards and at night there would be a dance. They did all the catering themselves … Eliza carried on farming in the Dennington, Yarpturk and Purnim districts until they moved to Camperdown around 1905…” Ruby’s letter later mentions “[Isabella] could recall seeing a blackfellows’ corroboree being performed near where the Dennington Bridge now stands. It was rather a terrifying experience, they seemed in a warlike mood and one never knew what they would do next. One lubra came running to granny crying, Hide me, bad man kill me. She was bleeding from a wound in the head. Probably the result of a blow from a waddy. My mother [Margaret Jane McLaughlan nee Mitchell], coming home from school, often met blackfellows walking ahead with spears and boomerang, the two lubras – he usually had two – following in the rear, carrying the children or any burdens they had.“ Margaret would probably have been in primary school in the 1800s when she saw these things. Alexander and Eliza had ten children. One of their daughters, Margaret Jane, was born in Warrnambool in 1879. She married William McCullagh and they had eleven children. Margaret made headlines in the Warrnambool newspapers for celebrating her 100th birthday. She had lived in the district for 60 years before moving to Melbourne. Alexander passed away at the age of 92, and Eliza passed away six months later aged 85. Their graves are in the Colac cemetery. Isabella married Ralph Mitchell and their daughter Margaret Jane married John McLauchlan in 1891. Margaret and John’s daughter, Ruby Elizabeth, Jane married Fredrick Akers in 1938. Fredrick was born in England and was a Boer War veteran and served in the British Army. He migrated to Queensland, Australia, in 1913 and he joined the Australian Army to fight in World War I. In 1935 he moved to Warrnambool where he served in the Volunteer Defence Corps 1938-1945. Both Ruby and Fredrick are buried in the Tower Hill Cemetery.Together, the evening outfit and the mannequin are examples of female fashion of the mid to late 1900s. They are also significant for their association with the colonial pioneer families of Australia, Victoria and Warrnambool. The outfit and mannequin are significant for their connection with a wedding uniting two colonial families from Northern Ireland who immigrated to Australia in the mid-1850s. The families had a significant role in the history of Warrnambool and district. The evening outfit and its mannequin are significant for its connection with colonial families and their contact with the indigenous culture of the district and the contact between the native and European people. This ladies’ evening outfit is made from amber coloured satin fabric. It comprises a short-waisted, long-sleeved jacket and long skirt and it has its own neck-to-floor wooden mannequin on a pedestal. The outfit was worn by Mrs. Isabella Mitchell (nee Russell) as the Matron of Honour at the wedding of her brother Alexander Russell and his fiancé Eliza Moore in Warrnambool, 29th April 1874. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, evening outfit, wedding outfit, bridesmaid’ outfit, matron of honour outfit, clothing female, clothing late 19th century, clothing wedding late 19th century, clothing bridesmaid late 19th century, clothing antique, clothing ladies, women’s clothing, women’s fashion, alexander russell, eliza russell, eliza moore, isabella mitchell, bella mitchell, bella russell, isabella russell, ralph russell, ian mccusker, ruby akers, fredrick william akers, ruby mclauchlan, margaret jane mclaughlan nee mitchell, margaret jane mclaughlan centenarian, william mclaughlan, robert russell, elizabeth russell nee mitchell, irish immigrants, warrnambool volunteer defence corps 1938-1945, antique satin outfit, warrnambool wedding 1874, congregational church warrnambool, reverend uriah coombs, dennington farmer, yarpturk farmer, purnim district farmer, camperdown resident 1905, dennington bridge, indigenous corroboree in dennington, corroboree in warrnambool, 1880s corroboree in warrnambool, lubra and baby, indigenous corroboree in warrnambool