Showing 5217 items matching "half-reactions"
-
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Slate pencil, Made on or before May 1891
Slate pencils were made from a rod of soft slate material and used for writing on thin slate boards. The slate boards were approximately 9cm x 12cm used in schools for writing practice in place of pencil and paper, which were more expensive and less durable. They could be used then easily erased for re-use. In work places, slate boards were sometimes bound into slate books The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Remnants of a black slate pencil salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. Pencil has no casing and is in three pieces. One piece is broken laterally and has a rounded end. The other two pieces have a longitudinal break and fit together. (The nature of the break indicates a material of natural formation, for example sedimentary rock such as slate.) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, slate pencil, pencil, slate board, writing, stationery -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Leisure object - Monkey, ca. 1891
This toy monkey was part of the cargo from Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool-based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation of Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous southwest winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30 am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17-year-old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut loose with his sheath knife when it became tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach and then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10 am on Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in a singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath knife, ready for all emergencies. At first, they were concerned about his wild and shaggy-looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 remaining on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29-year-old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26-year-old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of Fiji smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Master's Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism of the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue were in half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. The essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers' homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the lootings, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand-crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, and limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, a sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Toy white China monkey in a seated pose. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and is creamy sand colour with a rust-coloured mark on its face. The surface is slightly pitted. It was salvaged from the wreck of the ship FIJI. 1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, monkey -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Monkey, 19th Century
This toy monkey was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. This toy monkey is classified as Fiji 5 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Ceramic toy monkey salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The monkey is in a seated pose with its arms around its knees. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and the material is an orange colour. The surface is slightly pitted.ceramic, china, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, bisque, toys, miniature animals, monkey, ornament -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Monkey, 19th century
This toy monkey was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. This toy monkey is classified as Fiji 5 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. China toy monkey salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The monkey is in a seated pose with its arms around its knees. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and the material is an pinkish brown colour with darker orange in its lap. The surface is worn and slightly pitted.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, monkey -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Rabbit, 19th century
This toy rabbit was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife This toy rabbit is classified as Fiji 4 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. China toy rabbit salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The rabbit is in a lying pose. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and the material is an orange-sandy colour with darker orange markings. The surface is slightly pitted.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, rabbit -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Gorilla, 19th century
This toy gorilla was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife This toy gorilla is classified as Fiji 7 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. China toy gorilla salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The gorilla is in a standing pose. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and the material is pale creamy colour with a slightly pitted surface.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, gorilla -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Cat, 19th century
This toy cat was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife.This toy cat is classified as Fiji 10 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. China toy cat salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The cat is in a resting pose. This solid, moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and the material is tan in colour with a slightly pitted surface.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, cat -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Rubber ball, 19th century
This rubber ball was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. A press report notes that the balls collected from the Fiji’s cargo were originally red and white. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. This toy rubber ball is classified as Fiji 3 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Rubber ball salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The rubber is perishing and the surface is pitted and bumpy. The material is tan in colour with a slightly pitted surface. 1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, miniature animals, rubber ball -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Rubber ball, 19th Century
This rubber ball was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. A press report notes that the balls collected from the Fiji’s cargo were originally red and white. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. This toy rubber ball is classified as Fiji 3 on the SWR Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Rubber ball salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The rubber is perishing and the surface is pitted and bumpy. The material is tan in colour with a slightly pitted surface. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, wreck bay, moonlight head, 1891, cargo, rubber ball, toy, fiji, captain vickers, william vickers -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - TOWN HALL, THE BENDIGO CHORAL SOCIETY
Town Hall, The Bendigo Choral Society. (Season 1919-Third Concert) Eleventh Grand Concert, Town Hall. Wednesday, December 17th, 1919. Artists: Miss Claire Colgan, Miss Myrtle Knight, Mr. E H Collett, Mr. A E Sayer. Conductor: Mr. W C Frazier, A.R.C.O. Pianiste: Miss Muriel Hyett, L.A.B. Patron-His Worship the Mayor (Cr. J H Curnow). President-Mr. H M Leggo. Vice-Presidents-Sir John Quick, Cr. C W Beebe, Mr. Oscar Flight, Mr. E S Cahill, Mr. D Berrriman, Mr A L Bolton, Mr. G E Bolton, Dr W G Long, DR O Penfold, Mr. J G Oliphant, Mr. Alf E Wallis, Mr. A Whitehead, Mr. W Watts. From the performing Members-Mr. E H Collett, Mr. A W McGibboney. Conductor-Mr. W C Frazier, A.R.C.O. Sub-Conductor- Mr. E A Miller, Pianist-Miss Muriel Hyett, L.A.B. Ass. Sec.-Mr. Fred A Wittscheibi. Treasurer-Mr. D H Holden. Librarians-Mr. R J Duguid & G L McCoy. Auditors-Mr. H T Bayton, A.A.I.S. * Harold Walker. Committee-Office Bearers: Mesdames T Scott, & Chisholm, & Misses Colgan, Gall, Field & Wheaton, & Messrs. Sleeman, Jeffrey, McClure, Brown, F J Walter & Frank Wittscheibe. Subscribers may book at Flights on and After 12th December, without extra fee. Holders of 2/2 tickets may also book by paying difference, 1/1. Admission- 2/2/ Reserved, 1/1/ Ordinary, including tax. J Hudspeth, Hon. Secretary, 85 Wills Street, Bendigo. Programme. 'Comfort Ye' 'Every Valley' 'And the Glory', Hungarian Danse' No.3, 'Softly Sighs', 'Fire, Fire my Heart', 'Spring', 'Best Pair of Sirens', ' Legende', 'Eleanore', 'Dream Wind', 'Ave Maria', 'Fantasie Pastorale', 'O Great is the Depth'. 'Dream Wind' Words by William Sharp. 'Fire, Fire My Heart' Words by Morley. 'Blest Sirens' ''Voice'' and ''Verse'' Words by Milton. The Bendigo Choral Society. Exists for the worthy production of the choral works of the great composers. Under the leadership of Mr. Frazier, it can fairly claim to have accomplished this, at least in some degree, during the past year. Works have been. . . . . . Note - The rehearsals will be resumed 2nd week in February 1920. Annual Meeting 3rd week. A and b are same, a is in excellent condition, b has some slight discoloration on the back. Both have been folded in half and in half againBolton Bros, Printersprogram, theatre, the bendigo choral society -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - PETER ELLIS COLLECTION: BUSH MUSIC CLUB COLONIAL BALL, 1991
Small yellow booklet outline of a man on left of title and woman on right. Bush Music Club Inc. Colonial Subscription Ball 1991 Dancers Companion (A guide to the Quadrilles) The Quadrille Figure 1 (Le Pantelon) (2x32) 8 Top couples R and L through. (without giving hands). 8 Set & turn Partners 8 Top ladies chain. 4 Top couples promenade across set. 4 Half R and L to place. 32 Side couples repeat Figure 2 (Le 'Ete) (4x24) 4 Top couples advance & retire. 4 Cross over (without changing places with partner). 8 Repeat back to place. 8 Set & turn partners. 24 Sides repeat. 48 Top and Sides repeat. Figure 3 (La Poule) (4x32) 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, tough RH, retire to opposite place. 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, join LH give RH to partner 4 Line of 4 balance fwd & back twice. 4 Men lead partners to opp. Place. 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv. & ret. 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, honour & ret. 4 Top couples, advance & retire. 4 Half R & L to place. 32 Repeat with Lady 2, Man !. 32 Repeat with Lady 3, Man 4. 32 Repeat with Lady 4, Man 3. The Quadrille Figure 4. (La Pastourelle) (4x32) 4 1st couple advance & retire. 4 1st couple adv, lady join 2nd couple. 4 Line of 3 adv. & ret, 1st man retire. 4 Line of 3 adv. Ladies cross to 1st man. 4 Line of 3 adv. & ret, 2nd man retire. 4 Re-advance, form circle with 2nd man. 4 Circle L half way round. 4 Half R & L to place. 32 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. 32 Repeat with 3rd couple leading. 32 Repeat with 4th couple leading. Figure 5 (La Finale) (4 x 32 + 8) 4 All advance & retire. 4 Turn partners. 4 Ladies adv, curtsey & retire. 4 Men advance, bow & retire. 8 All set & turn corners. 8 Promenade with corner. (men to original place with corner) 96 Repeat 3 times to return to partner. 4 All advance & retire. Turn Partners. Notes: 1 Couples numbered 1 4 2 3 2 Set & turn is a 'balance' set and open hand turn. The Lancers Quadrille Figure 1 (4x24) 4 1st lady, 2nd man advance & retire, 4 Adv, turn two hands, return to place. 4 1st couple lead through across set 4 2nd couple lead through back 8 all set & turn corners. 24 Repeat, 2nd lady, 1st man leading 24 Repeat 3rd lady, 4th man leading 24 Repeat, 4th lady, 3rd man leading Figure 2 (4x24) 4 1st couple advance & retire. 2 1st lady adv to centre, turn to face partner 2 1st couple honour each other. 8 1st couple set and turn then sides form top & bottom lines 4 Lines advance & retire, 4 Advance and turn partners to place. 24 Repeat with 2nd couple leading 24 Repeat with 3rd couple leading 24 Repeat with 4th couple leading Figure 3. (2x32) 4 Ladies advance, curtsey & retire. 4 Men adv, bow, turn by left, bow to partners, then join RH in centre, (ladies RH on partners left elbow). 8 Promenade round set to place. 4 Ladies adv, curtsey & retire again. 4 Men adv, bow, turn by right, bow to partners, join LH in centre, right arm behind partner. 8 Promenade round to set in place. 32 Repeat. The Lancers Quadrille. Figure 4. (4x24) 8 Top couples visit R then L 4 Right Hands around with LH couple 4 then left hands around. 8 Circle left with that couple. 24 Repeat with side couples leading. 24 repeat, top couples visit L then R. 24 Repeat, side couples visit L then R. Figure 5. (4x48 +24) 8 All grand chain 1/2 way round and honour partners. 8 Continue grand chain to place and honour partners. 8 1st couple visit, return to place, facing out with sides in behind. 2 Change places with partner, 2 All rock fwd and back 2 change places again 2 All rock fwd and back 8 Cast out reform in lines 4 Lines advance & retire 4 Advance & turn partners to place 48 Repeat with 2nd couple leading 48 Repeat with 3rd couple leading 48 Repeat with 4th couple leading. 8 Grand chain 1/2 way round and honour partners. 8 continue grand chain to place and honour partners 8 swing partners (R arm round partner, LH in air) Note: All figures walked. Set & Turn is a 'balance' set and open two hand turn. The Prince Imperial's Quadrille Figure 1. (4x24) 4 Top couples visit right, honour sides. 4 Top men retire with partner & side lady to opposite place, (ladies facing each other). 8 Ladies grand chain to places 8 All set and turn partners 24 Top couples repeat back to place. 48 Repeat with side couples. Figure 2 (4 x 24) 4 1st Lady, 2nd man adv & turn in centre finish facing 2nd lady. 2 2nd lady pass through to 1st man. 2 Both couples turn out to place. 4 top couples advance & retire. 4 Ladies chain back to place. (Nariel) 8 Chasse-croise. (4 steps past partner RH turn corner 4 steps back, LH turn with partner.) 24 Repeat with 2nd lady, 1st man leading 24 Repeat with 3rd lady, 4th man leading 24 Repeat wth 4th lady, 3rd man leading. Figure 3 (4x32) 4 1st lady to centre, curtsey to partner. (RH in RH, ACW turn in to centre) 4 2nd lady to centre, curtsey to partner. 4 3rd lady to centre, curtsey to partner.4 4th lady to centre, curtsey to partner. 8 ladies join hands, circle R, small steps after circle R, Men join circle, (giving RH to partner). 4 Balance for 4 (step lift x 4) 4 Turn partners to place, bow & curtsey. 32 Repeat, Lady 2, 1, 4 & 3 to centre 32 Repeat Lady 3, 4, 2 & 1 to centre 32 Repeat, Lady 4, 3, 1 & 2 to centre The Prince Imperial's Quadrille Figure 4 (4x32) 4 Top couples advance & retire. 4 Top couples adv, ladies move to R, as men retire to place. 8 Line of 3 adv & ret twice. 4 Single men adv, bow and retire. 4 Re-advance and turn to face partner. 4 Circle L half way round (with partner & side couple). 4 Half R & L to place. 32 Repeat with side couples leading. 32 Repeat with top couples leading (men moving to left as ladies retire) 32 Repeat with Side couple leading. (Men moving to left as ladies retire) Figure 5 (4x32 +32) 16 Ladies to the right, (RH turn with corner man then continue round to the right turning each man) 4 1st Lady, 2nd man advance & retire 4 re-advance & turn RH (finish facing partners) 8 set & turn partners (finishing in place) 32 Repeat with 2nd Lady, 1st man leading 32 repeat with 3rd lady, 4th man leading 32 Repeat with 4th Lady, 3rd man leading 16 Ladies to the right again. 4 Men turn partners to centre. 4 All bow and curtsey. 8 Promenade set ( hall) Note: Set & turn is a 'balance' set and open hand turn. The Parisienne Quadrille Figure 1 (1x32) 8 Couples R and L through. (without giving hands) 8 set & turn partners 8 Ladies chain. 4 Couples promenade across set. 4 Half R and L to place. Figure 2 (2x24) 4 Couples advance & retire. 4 Cross over (without changing places with partners) 8 Repeat back to place. 8 Set & turn partners. 24 Repeat. Figure 3 (2x32) 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, touch RH, retire to opposite place. 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, join LH, give RH to partner. 4 Line of 4 balance fwd & back twice 4 Men lead partners to opp. Place 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv & retire 4 Lady 1, Man 2 adv, honour & ret. 4 Couples, advance & retire. 4 Half R & L to place. 32 Repeat with Lady 2, Man 1. The Parisienne Quadrille Figure 4. (2x32) 4 1st couple advance & retire. 4 1st couple adv, lady join 2nd couple. 4 Line of 3 adv. & ret, 1st man retire. 4 Line of 3 adv. Ladies cross to 1st man. 4 Line of 3 adv. & ret, 2nd man retire. 4 Re-advance, form circle with 2nd man. 4 Circle L half way round. 4 Half R & L to place. 32 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. Figure 5 (2x32) 4 Couples advance & retire 4 Cross over 8 Repeat back to place. 8 Ladies chain across & back.8 Set & turn partners. 32 Repeat Notes: 1 This 'quadrille' is similar to the first set (1st 4 figures) and is danced as two couple sets. 2 Set & turn is a 'balance' set and open hand turn. Wellington Waltz 8 Honour Partner, honour corner 8 Circle L 7 steps, then tap, tap 8 Circle R 7 steps, then tap, tap 4 Top couples, 2 side-steps to centre and back with lady turning under man's left arm. 4 Waltz across to opposite side 8 Side couples repeat. 8 Top ladies chain across. (pause in centre, turn twice with opp. Man) 8 Side ladies chain across. 8 Grand Chain half way round set. 8 Waltz to man's place. 64 Repeat with side couples leading. Waltz Cotillon 8 Honour Partner, honour corner 16 1st couple waltz the set. 8 Top ladies cross over.8 Side ladies cross over. 8 Top men cross over. 8 Side men cross over. 16 All waltz back to place. Form top & bottom lines, 8 Adv. & ret, cross over. 8 Adv. & ret, cross back. 16 Waltz chain to meet partner. 16 All waltz back to place. Form top & bottom lines, 8 Adv. & ret, cross over. 8 Adv. & ret, cross back. 16 Waltz chain to meet partner. 16 All waltz back to place. 112 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. 112 Repeat with 3rd couple leading. Side lines adv. & ret. 112 Repeat with 4th couple leading. Side lines adv. & ret. Galopade Quadrille 8 Honour Partner, honour corner 8 All galop round set. (Galop half way round set, on opp. Side change places with partner, continue galop to place.) 8 Top couples R & L through. 8 Side couples R & L through. 8 All set & swing partners. 8 All galop round set. 8 Top ladies chain. 8 Side ladies chain. 8 All set & swing partners. 8 All galop round set. 8 1st couple lead through, 2nd on return 8 3rd couple lead through, 4th on return 8 All set & swing partners. 8 All galop round set. 4 1st lady & 2nd man adv. & ret. 4 2nd lady & 1st man adv. & ret. 4 3rd lady & 4th man adv. & ret. 4 4th lady & 3rd man adv. & ret. 8 All set & swing partners. 8 All galop round set. 4 Ladies advance & retire. 4 Men advance & retire. 8 Double ladies chain. 8 All set & swing partners. 8 All galop round set. 8 Top couples waltz the set 8 Side couples waltz the set 8 All set & swing partners. 32 Waltz the hall. The Caledonians Quadrille Figure 1. (2x32) 4 Top couples R.H. across, move CW (Ladies hands joined over Mens). 4 then L.H. across, move ACW. 8 Set & swing Partners 8 Top ladies chain. 4 Top couples promenade across set. 4 Half R and L to place. 32 Side couples repeat. Figure 2. (4x24) 8 1st Man advance & retire twice. 8 Set & swing corners. 8 Promenade with corners (to men's position.) 24 2nd man repeat. 48 3rd and 4th man repeat. Figure 3. (4x32) 4 Lady 1, Man 2 advance & retire. 4 Re-advance, 2 hand turn to place. 8 1st & 2nd couples lead through and back. (1st lead through across, 2nd back) 8 Set & swing corners. 4 All advance & retire. 4 Swing partners. 32 Repeat wth Lady 2, Man 1. 32 Repeat with Lady 3, Man 4. 32 Repeat with Lady 4, Man 3. The Caledonians Quadrille Figure 4. (4x24) 2 Lady 1, Man 2 advance and stop. 2 Lady 2, Man 1 advance and stop. 4 Turn partners back to place. 2 All ladies to the right 4 steps. 2 All men to the left 4 steps. 2 All ladies to the right 4 steps. 2 All men to the left 4 steps. 4 Promenade to place. 4 Swing partners. 24 Repeat wth Lady 2, Man 1 leading. 24 Repeat wth Lady 3, Man 4 leading. 24 Repeat wth Lady 4, Man 3 leading. Figure 5. (4x48 + 16) 8 1st couple visit. 4 Ladies advance, curtsey & retire. 4 Men advance, bow & retire. 8 All set & swing partners. 8 Grand chain 1/2 way round and honour partners. 4 Promenade to place 4 and swing partners. 8 Chasse-croise, (4 steps past partner, RH to corner balance fwd & back, then 4 steps back, LH to partner balance fwd & back). 48 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. 48 Repeat wth 3rd couple leading. 48 Repeat wth 4th couple leading. 8 All promenade set. 8 Swing partners. Note: Set & swing is 'normal' set and cross hand swing. The Lancers Quadrille (BMC version) Figure 1. (4x32) 8 1st Lady, 2nd man advance & swing in centre (with ballroom hold). 4 Partners move 1/2 way across, Centres keep swinging. 4 Promenade partner to opp. Place. 8 1st couple lead through to place. 8 All swing corners. 32 Repeat with 2nd lady, 1st man. 32 Repeat with 3rd lady, 4th man. 32 Repeat with 4th lady, 3rd man. Figure 2. (4x32) 8 1st couple lead up (to 2nd) & retire. 8 1st couple swing in place Form top & bottom lines. 8 Lines adv & retire twice. 8 Swing partners. 32 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. 32 Repeat with 3rd couple leading. (Forming side lines instead) 32 Repeat with 4th couple leading. (Forming side lines instead) Figure 3. (2x32) 4 Introduction - Ladies to the centre and men form a circle around them. 8 Men circle left. 8 Men circle right. Men form a grand cross (LH) Right arm behind partners. 16 Promenade round set. Ladies return to the centre. 32 Repeat - Circle L & R, & Grand Cross. The Lancers Quadrille (BMC version) Figure 4. (2x48) 8 Top couples visit. 4 Tops RH star. 4 then LH star. 8 Tops basket Left. 8 Tops basket Right. 8 Tops circle Left. Tops circle Right. 48 Repeat with side couples leading. Figure 5. ((4x 16+32) + 24) 8 All grand chain 1/2 way round and honour partners. 8 Promenade with partners to place. 8 1st couple lead up, turn and lead out with side falling in behind. 8 Cast out, reform top & bottom lines. 4 Lines advance & retire. 4 Advance & swing partners to place. 8 Swing partners in place. 48 Repeat with 2nd couple leading. 48 Repeat with 3rd couple leading (forming side lines) 48 Repeat with 4th couple leading. (forming side lines) 8 All grand chain 1/2 way round and honour partners. 8 Promenade with partners to place. 8 Swing partners in place. Note: Normal swing here is with hands crossed. 1. The Quadrille 2.The Lancers Quadrille 3. The Prince Imperials 4. The Parisienne Quadrille 5. The Wellington Waltz 6. The Waltz Cotillon 7. The Galopade Quadrille 8. The Caledonians Quadrille 9. The Lancers Quadrille (BMC)person, individual, peter ellis oam -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Weapon - Knife, Made on or before September 1891
This sheath knife belonging originally to German seaman Julius Gebauhr and an artifact associated with the story of the survivors of the wreck of Fiji. A three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a varied cargo consisting of cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, various spirits, sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos and other musical instruments. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in a squally and boisterous south-west wind, the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers' calculation of his position. At about 2:30 am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed Fiji struck rock only 274 meters from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Efforts were made to lower boats but all capsized or became swamped two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after the line broke. The other, 17-year-old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt without a line, which he had cut loose with his sheath-knife when it becomes tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the cliffs in search of help. At about 10 am on Sunday a party of land selectors including F. J. Stanmore, Leslie Dickson found Gebauer. They were on their travels back from Princetown towards Moonlight Head. Gebauer was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in a singlet, socks, belt and his sheath-knife. His rescues gave him food and brandy and some clothing and gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stanmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and was set up on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line the light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, as many as five at a time, however, some were washed off. Only 14 of the 24 men who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. The wreck of Fiji has smashed apart within 20 minutes of the last man being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6 m of water. Of the 26 men on Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach. They were buried on the clifftop above the wreck. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship and his Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe who had dragged the captain out of the surf with his silver cased pocket watch, the only possession that he had left, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother in law Gilbert Hulands as payment of a debt. Since that time it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stanmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle has a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200 m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with this sheath knife and Captain Vickers’ pocket watch. Flagstaff Hill’s collection from the wreck of the Fiji and Julius Gebauhr knife is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the vessel, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S 259). The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th-century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo still evident. Also the story of the heroic attempt by many to save the crew of the Fiji. The knife also represents an aspect of shipping history and fits in well with Victoria's framework of historical themes of living with natural processes as items such as these contribute to a better understanding of Victoria’s cultural history.Knife, metal with black wooden handle. Handle is riveted to knife in 3 places, with shaft of knife between the 2 parts of the handle. The handle also has a carved ring around the end, possibly for attaching a wrist strap. Knife blade is pointed in the centre of the tip and is rusty. The knife has a rectangular metal plaque on handle with inscription. The hand crafted dark brown, soft leather sheath is shaped to fit the knife and joined at the back with cross stitching. The sheath also has a leather belt strap that has come away from the sheath at one end.Metal plaque “FROM JULIUS GEBAUHR/”FIJI” /TO F.J.S.” (F J Standmore recipient)1891, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, knife, fiji, pocket watch, moonlight head, gebauhr, stansmore, wreck bay, sheath knife -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Archive, Marnoo – Independent Order of Rechabites No 486 and Star of Marnoo Tent No 408 & Junior Tent No 408 Lodge Books, 1912 - 1953
Lodge BooksIndependent Order of Rechabites Marnoo No 486 4 Books: Members Ledger - Feb1912 - Feb 1918 - Mar 1918 - Nov 1923 - Feb 1924 - Aug 1930 - Feb 1931 - May 1940 Treasuers' Cash Book - June 1921 - May 1944 Secretary's Cash Book - Nov 1911 - Nov 1914 (Lodge Stamp) - June 1921 - Aug 1939 Minute Books - Nov 1911 - Nov 1914 - Aug 1921 - Nov 1925 1 Book: Half Yearly Meeting Minutes - May 1941 - Nov 1953 1 Book: Quarterly Balance Sheets - Aug 1936 - Aug 1947 1 Deposits Book - June 1930 - June 1939 Commonwealth Bank Ballarat STAR Of MARNOO "Tent 408" - 2-09-1913 - 12-09-1919 Meeting Minutes Members Accounts "Marnoo Junior Tent No 408" - dec 1928 - June 1947 Greeting Card 1947 From IOR Vic Dist. No,. 82. Plus several other Papers Relevant to I.O.R. (In Plastic Sleeve.) stawell -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Book - Butler & Stevens' Sandhurst, Castlemaine, and Echuca Directory 1865-66
Produced by John W Butler and George Stevens, relevant councils received copies of this directory in September 1865.Butler & Stevens' Sandhurst, Castlemaine and Echuca directory 1865-66 Produced in 1866. The directory has a brown fabric cover which has been embossed. The embossing has been worn down and is hard to see. The title is written in gold foiling in the centre of the cover. The directory contains 73 pages of address listings and an additional 24 pages of advertisements. Each town has had its addresses listed by street location and a separate listing of the same addresses listed in alphabetical order by name of occupant. Additional handwritten pages were placed inside the front cover (2 A4 pages folded in half). Written in pen. Inside the front cover and back cover written in pen: "E.A. Martin 17 Johnston Street Castlemaine" Title page (written in pen): "Miss Martin AMW Brotherton from Miss Martin 24th April 1951" Page 49 (written in pen) under Hargreaves Street - South to North right hand. "Dublin and Melbourne Portrait Rooms" and "-Now 102 23 Feb 1953 The slate steps up from the street, there in 1888, still there walked up there then + again today" Page 52 written in pencil next to the address for the Bank of New South Wales and the Bank of Australasia. "Completed 1861" Page 54 written in pencil under the F and G headers. "Miss Martin says had to (illegible) she meant Aitken's Street." "See Duke of Edinburgh (illegible)" Page 57 written in pencil under the S header. "Smyth '' of Hargreaves street" "Kate living at (illegible) 19/7/52" 19th century victoria, castlemaine, sandhurst, bendigo, echuca, butler & stevens, miss e a martin, amw brotherton -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Bottle, circa 1885 - 1891
This bottle was one of the items salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji in 1891. Joseph Bosisto began manufacturing Eucalyptus Oil in Australia from 1854. This bottle is marked ‘J. BOSISTO”, which probably dates it from 1885 when the company J. Bosisto & Co. was formed. The marking on the bottom of the bottle “GERMAN/B_ _ E” could mean that the bottle was imported by J. Bosisto from Germany. In the early years bottles were imported from overseas countries including England and Germany. In 1872 the Melbourne Bottle Works was established to supply the bottles locally and more cheaply but had difficulty keeping up with the supply. From 1865 Australian-made Bosisto’s Eucalyptus Oil began to be exported to England then later to Germany and other countries. Bosisto’s Eucalyptus Oil won many prizes at exhibitions between 1854 – 1891. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the last man being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, this glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. The glass bottle is registered as “Artefact Reg No Fiji/1”. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Clear glass oval medical bottle with rounded corners and flattened sides on front and back surfaces. Opening of bottle has a lip around it and could have been sealed with a stopper. There is a chip in the lip. One face of the bottle has a rectangular border with a name embossed vertically on it, “J. BOSISTO / RICHMOND”. The oval base of the bottle also has letters embossed on it “GE_ _AN” “B _ _ _ _ _”. There is also a large chip out of the base. The sides of the bottle have a vertical joining line. The bottle was recovered from the wreck of the Fiji.Flat side of bottle has rectangular border with “J BOSISTO / RICHMOND” embossed in the centre. The base of the bottle has “G E . . A N/B . . . . . .” embossed on it. Other letters have been removed with the chip. (probable wording was ‘GERMAN/BOTTLE)warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, fiji, 1891, glass bottle, medicine bottle, bosistos, j bosistos, german bottle -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Marguerite Marshall, Souter House, 23 Falkiner Street, Eltham, 20 June 2008
Originally built in the 1850s by Charles Souter from earth excavated from his property. It was a forerunner for a building style that was later to be synonymous with Eltham. The house is historically significant as the oldest mud brick building in the Shire of Nillumbik, as one of less than half a dozen buildings from the 1850s that survive in the Shire. It underwent several additions and alterations between c.1950s-1980s. It is also significant for its associations with Mervyn Skipper from the well-known Eltham family who was one of the founders of the artist's colony at Montsalvat. The house is architecturally significant because its north section was designed by the noted 'Eltham-style' architect, Alistair Knox, and the two long Oregon beams supporting the main floor were added by the noted 'Eltham-style' builder, Horrie Judd who built the southern room. A onetime tenant in the house, Judd built many Eltham houses and was a major builder of Montsalvat. The 1934 flood destroyed the south wall and the house remained unoccupied for some time. Sonia Skipper, one of Montsalvat’s builders who also worked for Alistair Knox oversaw rebuilding it. She employed landscape designer Gordon Ford, artist Peter Glass and Tim Burstall. The house originally had a cellar for making and storing wine, reputedly the first made in the district according to Alistair Knox in his book ‘We are what we stand on’ (p33). Water would seep into the cellar so Sonia’s father and then owner of the house, Mervyn Skipper bulldozed a channel outside to divert it. The Brocksopp family purchased the house in 1950 and added an outside door to the cellar and converted it into a gallery. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p51This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, falkiner street, mud brick building, mudbrick houses, souter house -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Document - Folder, Greensborough Railway Station Estate, Lots 26, 26A and 26B, Crown Portion 3, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn (Rattray Road, Montmorency)
Crown Portion 3 of Eltham, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn, Lots 26, 26A and 26B were part of the Greensborough Railway Station Estate. The land detailed is bounded by present-day Rattray Road, Reichelt Avenue, Wooded Way and Ryrie Court, Montmorency. Originally purchased in September 1913 by George William Miller, signwriter of Greensborough and Harry Frederick Miller, the land was sold to Mrs Margaret Barr Honeyman, 24 June 1918 on mortgage for £400, deposit paid £150. In February 1920, Mr Honeyman called for the title and paid off the loan early, settlement occuring 11 October 1920. Contents: 1. Handwritten payment plan (Sep 1913 to Mar 1923) for Lots 26, 26A and 26B being parts of Crown Portion 3, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn on the plan of subdivision making up the Greensborough Railway Station Estate situated on Rattray Road; purchased for £179.2.0 with a deposit of £18.0.0. 2. Receipt: From Messrs G.W. and H.F. Miller for £11.15.8 being instalment and interest, 9 Sep 1913 3. Invoice: To Messrs G.W. and H.F. Miller for £11.12.0 being instalment and interest due 15 Sep 1914 4. Contract of Sale: George William Miller and Harry Frederick Miller to Mrs. Margaret Barr Honeyman, in respect of sale of Lots 26, 26A and 26B for £400.0.0, 24 June 1918. Deposit of £150.0.0 balance to be paid half yearly instalments of £15 with interest at 5% per annum added. 5. Letter: Percy J. Russell, Solicitor to G.W. Miller, 5 Feb 1920 advising Mr Honeyman has called for the title and wishes to pay off mortgage. 6. Letter: Percy J. Russell, Solicitor to G.W. Miller, 11 Oct 1920 advising settlement and payment of Miller to Honeyman.contract of sale, george william miller, greensborough railway station estate, harry frederick miller, land sale, margaret barr honeyman, montmorency, rattray road, reichelt avenue, ryrie court, wooded way -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, Warren, Mrs H, C1900- 1910
This photograph was found in the Orbost Historical Society's cupboard. School is unknown. A copy of this photograph has been donated by Gil and Heather Richardson via the Mary Gilbert Collection. It is probably of students of Jarrahmond school where Miss Cope was the head teacher C 1916. This photograph could be associated with a celebration of Empire Day. The celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24 was renamed Empire Day in 1903 after her death in 1901. It was celebrated throughout the British Empire culminating in fireworks and bonfires in the evening. Empire Day was first introduced in 1905 to promote loyalty among the dominion countries of the British Empire. (from https://dictionaryofsydney.org/event/empire_day) Celebrated on 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday, it was directed especially at school children. Teachers were encouraged to promote special steps to develop a feeling of pride in the British Empire and the achievements of the British race. Often a morning of short addresses, recitations and patriotic songs such as 'Rule Britannia' and 'Advance Australia' was followed by a half-day holiday to mark the celebration of Australia's strong ties to the British Empire. (from MuseumsVictoria) Some identified are; Top row -E- Eva Trewin; N-Rita Mundy; G-Elva Trewin; N- Jack Mundy D-Jack Trewin Middle row - Miss Cope, teacher. I Daisy or Katie McLeod Front row - L -Jack Stephenson; A Lindsay Trewin ; N-Frank Richardson Helena Warren was a self-taught photographer who became both the local press correspondent and a producer of humorous trompe l'oeil postcard images. The photographer, was a thirty-two year old settler living on a small mixed farm with her husband, William, at Newmerella, near Orbost in Gippsland, Victoria, when she bought her first camera, an Austral Box quarter-plate. Her family says she was entirely self-taught. Although not clearly dentified the photograph has significance in its association with Helen Frances Warren, a popular Orbost identity who was well known as an accomplished photographer and needleworker, It is associated with education in Orbost.A very old and damaged photograph of students an a teacher under a tree. The students are holding up cards that read "England, Ireland, Scotland". The photo is on a black card frame. a woman is standing on the left. Children are posed into three rows. There is also a copy of this photograph.photograph-helena-warren education-jarrahmond -
Orbost & District Historical Society
book, Orbost 2744 School Centenary 1886 1986, 1986
2228.1 belonged to Ruth Legge. 2228.2 belonged to Mary Gilbert. This book was produced as a souvenir history of Orbost Primary School. The Orbost State School opened on 19th of March 1886 .The school had first operated temporarily in a leased building, and on a half-time basis with SS2745 Jarrahmond. The first head teacher was HT Campbell Mackay. However he remained in charge only until 12th of May 1886. The second HT, John Rowe, served until 1908. On 30th of June 1887, a portable room was provided; it being brought to the area by schooner. The school then had accommodation for 30 pupils; the teacher's welfare was considered because quarters of two rooms were attached. As the population increased so did the needs of the school. This was reflected in the provision of a larger classroom in 1898. During 1910-11 the first approaches were made to the Department for the establishment of a HES in Orbost and this became a reality in 1912. Orbost HES supplied post-primary education in the district until a high school was built in 1948. When fire destroyed the school in 1941 local halls were used as classrooms until a new school was built. Work was quite rapid and a new brick structure was opened by the Hon. A. E. Lind, MLA, on 13th of February 1942. The head teacher then was Leslie Collins. Orbost continued to develop and the new school was soon overtaxed. This resulted in the erection of two Bristol classrooms in 1947. By 1950, when the school population had reached 500 pupils the opening of the new school at Orbost North was welcomed by all concerned. In 1963 the Department purchased land diagonally opposite the school and developed it as a playing area. In 1965 two LTCs were opened in November, and in October 1968 the Brodribb School building was moved to SS2744 Orbost for use as a general purpose room. This book is a useful research resource.Two copies of a yellow paper book book. On the front cover is a sketch of some trees beneath the title which is in green print ( these are the school colours) . This is a souvenir record of the history of Orbost Primary School.2228.1 has autographs on the back fly.orbost-primary-school book orbost-history -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book, Ballarat Teachers' College, Ballarat Teachers College Extra Muros, 1946, 1946
Principal Frank Lord gave an ANZAC Day address called "Live Every Day as an Anzac Day". The address started with "Our opportunity is with the children. If we failed i nthe past, lest us begin again now. You are young, and let it be your resolve to live every day as an Anzac Day, and achieve some of the things for which the men of two wars have laid down their lives. Living your days with an air of kindness and decency, you will set an example to the children, and when a country's children are made happier and finer, it will follow that the county will be a happier and finer place." Mt Lord referred to theseven and a half months' occupation of Gallipoli, and the tenacious clinging by Anzac troops to their square mile of territory. Illness, disease and death came to the confined area, but there also came a spirit of self-sacrifice and charity, and a courage whoich scorrned death and won for the Australian troops world renown. Strong men broke under the conditions, but their comrades carried them on, and the prevailing spirit among men was that the had dedicated ther lives to ensuring a decent society at home, free of tyranny. For the achievement of this, they were prepared to die. It became characteristic that when things were at their worst, men were at their best. Discipline did not come from above on Gallipoli, for the men stuck their own standards of discipline, and stuck to them. ... After the 1914-18 war, it was surprising to find head teachers who did not know children of deceased and disabled soldiers in their schools. All teachers should acquaint themselves with this knowledge, and seek assistance from children who are eligible for help from the Repatriation Department. For those pupils who do not come withing the scope of Repatriation, teachers might secure the required help from the Teachers; R.S.L. sub-branch, the Carry-on Club, for from Government Scholarships. Blue soft covered magazine. Contents include: *Principal Frank Lord's Foreward * Rupert Brooke * Hostel Jottings * Looking Back * College photograph Images include: * Queenscliff Camp * Sport * ClubsCover 'File Copy' inside front cover (possibly by Monica Miller) 'With Compliments Ballarat Teachers' College. Xmas 1946'ballarat teachers college, monica miller, m fogarty, james parkinson, beatrix basterfield, patricia rea, nola stanway, valmai sprigg, valda sharp, queenscliffe, lonsdale, thea rowe, student hostel, student residence, wf lord, g kentish, don johnson, neville bunning, henry yeo, irene handley, betty smith, heather fraser, ron schneider, alma sunderland, pauline griffin, betty redford, robert eastcott, kathleen tobin, margaret mcintyre, jean somerville, ken andrews, frank lord -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Plate, c. 1850's
In the words of the donor, Betty Stone, "This pewter plate belonged to Joshua and Susan Chamberlain. They, with their family, arrived in Australia as assisted migrants in January 1855. Our Chamberlain family was among those chosen to participate in a Bounty Scheme and on 24 October 1854 embarked on SS Shand to begin their journey. A few years later they set up a home on a small farming property in Wangoom, Warrnambool with the possessions they had brought with them from the village of Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, England. Amongst those household possessions was this plate. During the first half of the nineteenth century, a Bounty scheme was introduced to encourage migrants to Australia to work on properties granted or sold to settlers. Agents in England were engaged to select suitable emigrants; applicants had to be "sober, industrious and of good moral character....and married men over the age of forty-eight were only eligible to receive the bounty if they had five or more children over the age of ten years'. The successful applicant also had to pay one pound sterling for each adult, and ten shillings for each child between the ages of one and fourteen years. This payment covered the cost of a mattress, bolster, blanket, small box, knife and fork, two spoons, metal plate, and drinking mug, all of which became the emigrant's property on arrival in the colony. The pewter plate, handed down from one generation to the next, was always valued by members of the family as an important artefact. The plate has a mark stamped on the back which is almost indecipherable." (Reference- Brown Martyn- Australia Bound! The story of West Country connections 1688- 1888 Bradford on Avon Wiltshire Ex Libris Press 1988 p 112.) (Note: For additional information please refer to Betty Stone’s book “Pioneers and Places - A History of three Warrnambool Pioneering Families” ie. Chamberlain, Dale and Lees Families)This item is associated with the families of Chamberlain, Dale and Lees. These families are listed in the "Pioneers' Register" for Warrnambool Township and Shire, 1835-1900, published by A.I.G.S. Warrnambool Branch. The plate is an example of the goods emigrants brought to Australia under the Bounty Scheme in the 1850s.Pewter plate: metal plate with a wide rim and shallow bowl. The top has a gold-brown colour, underside is grey with a red-brown mark. Made c. 1850. The plate has an Inscription stamped on the back and front.It is part of the 'Chamberlain, Dale and Lees Collection' Maker's Mark on back: 'rectangle with rounded corners / T H all within a circle' almost indecipherable. Mark heavily stamped on front: 'L / T M'flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, chamberlain, dale, lees, stone, betty stone, warrnambool pioneers, pewter plate, emigration, bountey system, dinner ware, joshua chamberlain, susan chamberlain, 1855, emigrant, assisted migrant, ss shand, wangoom, triplow, cambridgeshire -
Old Colonists' Association of Ballarat Inc.
F.J. Williams' Home, Charles Anderson Grove
The Old Colonists' Association Ballarat Inc. is a not for profit charitable organisation providing accommodation for elderly people. It manages a 27 Home retirement village at Charles Anderson Grove Ballarat. Accommodation is offered at significantly below market rates. It has been providing low cost accommodation to the elderly since the 1920s. The Association Council overseas the running of this facility on a voluntary basis. "GIFT COTTAGES.- Ballarat Old Colonists Benefit BALLARAT.— High tribute to the good citizenship of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Williams, now of Melbourne, and Mr. S. Clark, of Ballarat. was paid by a representative gathering at Gillies-street on Thursday afternoon, when the two cottages respectively presented by them for the use of old and indigent colonists were handed over to the council of the Ballarat Old Colonists' Association. The cottages are handsome brick structures, modern in design and equipment, and cost about £650 each. Mr. A. H. Nevett, president of the Ballarat organisation, expressed the gratification of the association at the commencement of a scheme of cottages for old colonists, which had been the aim of the association for many years. Mr. Williams said that when in Ballarat he had been in many public movements as President of South-street and president of the amalgamtion (sic) movement, but in giving this cottage for the use of the old people he had established a tangible and definite link between himself and Ballarat. Similar sentiments were expressed by Mr. Clark, who said his benefaction had given him a great and genuine pleasure. Both donors were warmly thanked on be half of citizens generally by the mayor (Cr. A. E. Nicholson). At subsequent social gathering appropriate toasts were honored, and assurances were given that the association's scheme for 50 gift cottages on the lines of Melbourne would be furthered by several in the not far distant future. (The Age, 30 October 1925.)ballarat old colonists' club, old colonists' association, s. clark, f.j. williams, charles anderson grove, philanthropy -
Federation University Art Collection
Drawing - Conte on paper, David Alexander, Portrait of David Alexander, 1947 by Geoffrey Mainwaring, 1947
Geoffrey MAINWARING (29 October 1912-13 April 2000) Born Adelaide, South Australia Geoffrey Mainwaring studied at the South Australian School of Arts and Crafts before becoming an art teacher at Thebarton Technical School (1928-36). Mainwaring was adept at depicting a variety of subjects, from landscapes to portraits, and was very competent using a variety of media, including pencil, oils, and watercolour. He was a confident draftsperson, and completed many sensitively rendered portraits that give an insight into the character of the sitter. In June 1941 Geoffrey Mainwaring (SX13471) joined the 2nd Australian Imperial Force, and after five months was transferred to the Engineers and employed as a Sergeant-Instructor, specialising in demolitions. In late 1942, he was sent to New Guinea as an Australian army artist on probation. On 27 May 1947, Mainwaring was discharged from the Army, having served for five and a half years. He was appointed as an artist on a civilian basis until his paintings were completed in March 1948. In 1949 he was appointed Head of the Art School at the Ballarat School of Mines (now Federation University Australia). He continued to paint commissioned portraits for the Australian War Memorial until the late 1950s. Geoffrey Mainwaring died at Ballarat in April 2000. David Alexander was a medical doctor in Ballarat for many years. Alongside his medical work he was a committed artist, producing a large body of work over his lifetime. He was an instigator of the Federation University Art Collection and was a great supporter of local artists. Geoff Mainwaring taught painiting at the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Mines. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Framed portrait of Dr David Alexander by Geoffrey Mainwaring. Gift of David Alexander, 2014art, artwork, david alexander, available, ballarat technical art school, portrait, geoff mainwaring, mainwaring, australian war artist -
Melton City Libraries
Document, Country Fire Authority Wireless Licence Schedule, 1971
Early member of the Bush Fire Brigade, Bon Barrie saw the need for improved speed of communication. With the formation of the Country Fire Authority by mid 1950 Melton introduced H F high frequency two way radio sets. A set was located in the Barrie home, which was an idea location to observe smoke sighting given its 360 degree view of the distant horizon. A large antenna was built to improve reception and sending strength. Author – Edna Barrie hand written notes. In its policy of creating smaller compact groups of fire brigades the Country Fire Authority Regional Officer Harry Rothsay in 1967 requested that the following 6 brigades surrounding Mt Cottrell transfer from their respective groups. Melton and Rockbank from Bacchus Marsh Group, Toolern Vale and Sydenham from Mt Macedon Group and Truganina and Werribee from Little River Group forming a new Group to the be named Mt Cottrell Fire Brigades Group. Group Headquarters was established at the Ferris road residence of Melton Captain E W Bon Barrie, who was elected Group and Communications Officer of Mt Cottrell. E W (Eddie) Gillespie and Keith Watt of the Toolern Vale brigade were appointed Deputy Group Officer and Group Secretary respectively. The Base Radio was installed at the Group Headquarters by the CFA. Brigades contributed to half the cost. A grant of $1000 was made available by the Shire of Melton in 1969 toward the cost of VHS (Very High Frequency) replacing the HF(High Frequency) Radios which has been introduced in the 1950’s. Shire of Werribee and the City of Keilor supported Werribee and Sydenham in a similar manner. The Call sign for the new group became VL3LY VHF Channel 1 163.12 m/cs. HF 3836 k/cs. Mount Cottrell Group's Wireless Licence Scheduleemergency services, local identities -
Melton City Libraries
Photograph, Melton Railway Bridge, c.1884
"The Melton Viaduct, opened in 1886, is of State heritage significance as a very large and visually distinctive wrought iron, lattice girder trestle bridge over the Werribee River (now Melton Reservoir). It comprises 18.3 and 9.1 metre spans, in a generally alternate arrangement, of total length 375 metres, and standing 38 metres over the Werribee River. Wrought iron small section iron was used to build tension trussed trestle legs, which supported four lines of rivetted wrought-iron deck-type double lattice trusses. It has bluestone abutments and pier bases of coursed rock-faced bluestone with drafted margins. The larger half-piers, now usually submerged in the Melton Reservoir have sharp tapered cutwaters and curved coping at the tops. While designed to carry two rail tracks it has only ever been used as a single track line. Despite several alterations to its deck structure, it remains an outstanding example of a lighter structural design employing open metal trestle supports and metal truss girders. The direct Melbourne to Ballarat railway link of which the Melton viaduct was the major engineering work contributed significantly to the history and development of Victoria. This new link reflected Ballarat’s diversifying economy as well as the commercial and political influence of the metropolis. Construction of the bridge, and the associated large workers camp, were extensively photographed, documenting an important episode in local history. The railway enabled the development of new industries in the Melton area, notably the timber industry and a chaff industry of national importance, greatly facilitated the later transition of the Shire from a pastoral to a farming economy, and struck a major blow to Melton township’s era as a wayside town servicing Ballarat road (especially coach) traffic". Melton Railway Bridge being built across the Werribee Rivertransport -
Melton City Libraries
Photograph, Jim (James) and William (Horace) Barrie, Unknown, c.1940
In 1939 when World War 11 erupted Jim and Horace enlisted in the RAAF Jim to become a pilot and Horace a navigator. James Edward Barrie enlisted in the RAAF on 21st June 1941, aged 19 years. He was sent to Canada and then later to England to become a Spitfire Pilot. Half way through the War he returned to Australia to be sent north to fight the Japanese. At one stage he had to bail out over the Pacific after his engine had failed. Fortunately, he had time to radio his position before he abandoned his Spitfire. He dropped his boot out to determine how far below the water was, parachuted down inflated his dinghy and waited to be rescued. He was picked up very quickly by a rescue crew just as a heavy fog descended, or he may never have been found. He lost many of his mates in that Squadron in the Pacific, it was a particularly vital time for the Allies and these boys played a major part in turning the tide against the Japanese. This information has been taken from the writings of Mary Robinson, sister of Jim. My parents Bon and Edna Barrie spoke about this incident leaving a vivid impression in my mind as a young child. Jim is mentioned in the book Two Steps to Tokyo. A Story of the RAAF in the Trobriand and Admiralty Islands by Gordon Powell Chaplain, RAAF. After the war Jim returned to Darlingsford. In 1953 he married Wilma Ryan of Yarram. He continued in the family farming tradition obtaining a Soldier Settlement Block at Shelford. Jim regularly attended the ANZAC day march to the Shrine. He died in August 2004 This account has been compiled by his niece Wendy Barrie Sons of Charles (Ernie) and Jessie Barrie of Darlingsford Meltonlocal identities -
Mission to Seafarers Victoria
Drawing - Sketches, digital copy, Stuart Webber, 2005
"26th March 2019 In contribution to the historical account of the Mission to Seafarers, Melbourne. To whom it may concern, In 2005, the Mission to Seafarers’ Padre Bevil Lunson assigned an upgrade to the existing bar and gift shop. The brief outlined alignment with health code and liquor licence regulations, rethink of stock display and aesthetic upgrade of white peg-board and fluorescent-lit display-case. Two students of architecture answered the call and provided pro bono design, building and installation services. Beyond the updated flooring, work surfaces and new hand-wash point their ethos of sustainable design presented a strategy of redressing the existing on a shoe-string; helping minimise trades and protect the heritage substrate. A new standing-bar was proposed to envelope the display case and re-orient the hall back toward the stage. Punters were directed to the seated-bar for purchases. The chosen palette aimed to anchor the bar below the hall’s half-timbered dado-line utilising the muted tones of recycled materials. Glass bottles set in resin diffusing panels and timbers sourced from throw-outs were dressed and composed to suggest the multiple approaches to a calling of the sea. This flotsam and jetsam was intended to provide a shifting background that is representative of the many walks of life that support and are supported by the mission. Two uninstalled elements further accented the design: -the flying angel logo was to appear hovering within the bar’s archway and also inverted by the dado-line in the bar’s rear mirror (refer attached sketch), -and the two lampshades, referencing the inverted form of nautical beacons, were to shepherd clientele to the bar (refer attached sketch). Where are they now? Derek Stevenson – Turner Townsend Thinc Stuart Webber – ARM Architecture The bar was dismantled during the renovation mid 2019 and replace by another bar.These documents provide insight into an early 21st C refurbishment to the interior of the MTSV and Mission club operations in the early 21st Century and provides names and details of both the consideration of the need to: protect heritage components, provide a functional service point, incorporate recycled materials that related to aspects of the sea and environment, the flotsam and jetsam that is found where the sea, and those from the sea meets the land. Also provides an example of early career designs by two practising 21st C Australian architects and designers. During the renovations in winter 2019, the decision was made to demolish to make space to another more convenient one brought from a cafe, along with new chairs and tables for the club.Digital copy files sent in March 2019 by architect Stuart Webber after a visit to the Mission. Along with two sketches he submitted, he sent a document telling how the bar came to life in 2005.bar, stuart webber, derek stevenson, mts club, mts interior, bevil lunson -
Chelsea & District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Mr Alfred Morton with his brothers and friends, Bike picnic at Morton's property, c 1890
Alfred Louis Morton (known as Louis) was born in Geelong in 1866, the fifth of eleven children of Mark Morton and Eliza nee Heard (married 1898). Alfred began work for the Post Office at South Yarra in the 1890s. In the late 1800s it was common for people from Melbourne and north of the city to travel to Chelsea area beaches for their holidays and many liked the area so much that, like the Mortons, they moved here permanently. In the 1890s Alfred’s sister, Mrs William Ashmore, built a weekend house at the foot of what is now Foy Avenue in Chelsea. The Morton family, including Alfred, visited the area often, camping on the foreshore during the 1890s. In 1911 Alfred moved his family permanently to a house on the corner of Morton Grove and Main Road Chelsea (now known as the Nepean Highway) on property that extended from the main road to the beach. This house was destroyed in the fire of 22 December 1913 which raged amongst the ti-tree on the foreshore between Aspendale and Chelsea. Many buildings were destroyed in this fire. The Argus newspaper reported on Wednesday 24 December that 94 houses were burnt with glowing embers blown a mile and half inland. According to the Argus but for the wide break provided by the Point Nepean Road (now the Nepean Highway) and the railway line, the scrub on the other side might have caught. The Morton children, Elsa and Ivan, attended Chelsea State School (now Chelsea Primary School) and Mrs Morton was active in the establishment of St Chad’s Church of England in Chelsea. At the age of 80 in 1945 Mr Morton was concerned about reports that English children had lost their toys due to the war and so he made (as part of a wider effort in Australia) 100 toy engines that were sent to England. He died in 1946 in Chelsea. Sepia photograph of Mr Alfred Morton with his brothers in law and friend at Carrum in the 1890's, some perched in a tree others grouped at the base of the tree, bikes in the foreground.bike riding, picnic, morton, morton grove, chelsea, carrum -
Chelsea & District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Morton Family, Mr Alfred Morton with his mother and aunt, c 1866
Alfred Louis Morton (known as Louis) was born in Geelong in 1866, the fifth of eleven children of Mark Morton and Eliza nee Heard (married 1898). Alfred began work for the Post Office at South Yarra in the 1890s. In the late 1800s it was common for people from Melbourne and north of the city to travel to Chelsea area beaches for their holidays and many liked the area so much that, like the Mortons, they moved here permanently. In the 1890s Alfred’s sister, Mrs William Ashmore, built a weekend house at the foot of what is now Foy Avenue in Chelsea. The Morton family, including Alfred, visited the area often, camping on the foreshore during the 1890s. In 1911 Alfred moved his family permanently to a house on the corner of Morton Grove and Main Road Chelsea (now known as the Nepean Highway) on property that extended from the main road to the beach. This house was destroyed in the fire of 22 December 1913 which raged amongst the ti-tree on the foreshore between Aspendale and Chelsea. Many buildings were destroyed in this fire. The Argus newspaper reported on Wednesday 24 December that 94 houses were burnt with glowing embers blown a mile and half inland. According to the Argus but for the wide break provided by the Point Nepean Road (now the Nepean Highway) and the railway line, the scrub on the other side might have caught. The Morton children, Elsa and Ivan, attended Chelsea State School (now Chelsea Primary School) and Mrs Morton was active in the establishment of St Chad’s Church of England in Chelsea. At the age of 80 in 1945 Mr Morton was concerned about reports that English children had lost their toys due to the war and so he made (as part of a wider effort in Australia) 100 toy engines that were sent to England. He died in 1946 in Chelsea. Sepia photograph of Mr Alfred Morton as a baby, on the lap of his mother, Eliza, sitting on a chair, and his aunt, standing.morton, mr alfred louis morton -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Functional object - Walker's 'Excelsior' Yacht Log Mark II, Thomas Walker, c. 1900
From Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre: A Yacht Log was a nautical instrument for measuring a vessel's speed and distance travelled. When navigating a ship it is essential to be able to estimate the boat's speed and distance travelled to determine its position at sea. In times past the only way to measure a ship's speed was to throw a wood log into the water and observe how fast it moved away from the ship. In the 16th century, the log was fastened to a rope knotted at set intervals. The log was thrown over the stern (back) of the vessel and a crew member counted the number of knots that were paid out in a set time. From this they could estimate the speed of the vessel through the water. This was known as streaming the log and is also the derivation of the knot as a measurement of nautical speed. In 1878, Thomas Ferdinand Walker (1837–1921), an engineer in Birmingham, patented a mechanical log in which a recording instrument was attached to a rail at the stern of a vessel connected by a long cord with a rotor which was towed behind the ship. The instrument dial recorded the distance travelled. The 'Log' at the Heritage Centre was recovered from a skip in Scarborough and was one of the first artefacts collected by the volunteer group. It is made of brass with a ceramic dial, with the main scale marked from 0 to 100 nautical miles and an inset dial marked from 0 to 10 miles. It has a fixing plate, on which it can turn, with which it would have been attached to the 'taffrail', the rail at the stern of a ship, usually on the starboard side. The Walker’s Excelsior Mark IV instrument was designed for smaller vessels, such as yachts, launches and fishing vessels. Its exact date of manufacture cannot be determined but this design was manufactured in the first half of the 20th century. These mechanical logs have now been superseded by electronic equipment such as GPS navigation instruments.This instrument was made by a significant nautical instrument manufacturer and demonstrates the innovation needed at the time for improved navigation and safety at sea.Timber Box containing an instrument for measuring speed and distance. There is a brass, cased log with a white enamel dial. It also includes a towing cord and cylindrical rotator. The box has paper labelling on the front and also the inside of the lid. The label on the inside of the lid has instructions for use. Although the lid is hinged it has broken off and is separate. The hinges remain attached.Enamel Dial: Walkers Patent Excelsior Yacht Logmaritime, maritime history, tool, navigational tool, navigational instrument, navigation, sailing, walkers, maritime technology, walker & son