On a piece of paper subsequently glued near one end of its curved upper face, this length of planed and polished hardwood timber bears the inscription: “A [p]iece of w[r]ec[k] of the Loch Ard wrecked near Sherbroke River”. The timber is carefully worked with rich dark colouring and a uniformly moulded design, suggesting that it was part of a fitting or furnishing that was publicly visible and prominent. If the artefact is what it is declared to be, then it is possible that it formed part of the ship’s railings or companionway stairs. The LOCH ARD was a 1,693 ton, 3 masted barque, built on the Clyde in 1873. In an age of increasing competition for the emigrant passenger trade from steam-driven vessels, special attention was paid to her wooden furnishings and fittings. The Loch Line owners prided themselves on their attractive, distinctively painted, sailing ships. Below decks, where cargo and third class passengers were stowed, was made of iron. But everything above deck, and on show to the saloon and second class passengers, was carved and varnished timber. Captain Daish’s 1878 report for the ship’s underwriters notes “a quantity of general Cargo washed up in a confused mass” in the cove and “a number of Cases, Casks and Bales; also deals and boards floating about in some of the gorges” further west of the shipwreck. Contemporary newspaper accounts also reported a large quantity of cargo and timber washed ashore in the days following the LOCH ARD shipwreck, adding “but those were speedily removed by persons who came down from Port Campbell, Scott’s Creek and other places with carts and pack horses”. The appearance and good condition of this wood artefact, and the aged patina and dated hand-writing style of its pasted on inscription, support the suggestion that it was ‘souvenired’ from the floating debris of the LOCH ARD at or near the 1878 date of its foundering off Mutton Bird Island. HISTORY OF THE LOCH ARD The LOCH ARD belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many ships from England to Australia. Built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the LOCH ARD was a three-masted square rigged iron sailing ship. The ship measured 262ft 7" (79.87m) in length, 38ft (11.58m) in width, 23ft (7m) in depth and had a gross tonnage of 1693 tons. The LOCH ARD's main mast measured a massive 150ft (45.7m) in height. LOCH ARD made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its final voyage. LOCH ARD left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of Captain Gibbs, a newly married, 29 year old. She was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers and a load of cargo. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. On board were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionary, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were items included that intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. At 3am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land and the passengers were becoming excited as they prepared to view their new homeland in the early morning. But LOCH ARD was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4am the fog lifted. A man aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and LOCH ARD's bow swung back. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time LOCH ARD was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind the ship. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves broke over the ship and the top deck was loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of LOCH ARD and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael had raced onto deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached LOCH ARD Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland, this time by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the LOCH ARD disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the LOCH ARD tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of LOCH ARD still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some was washed up into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton porcelain peacock - one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today, the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artefact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. The Loch Ard wreck is of state significance – Victorian Heritage Register S417. However there is a lack of documented provenance that limits the interpretive value of this piece of timber (for example, its potential to interpret nineteenth century souveniring and scavenging from shipwrecks along the south west coast of Victoria). Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing 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 collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. A length of hardwood timber, planed and varnished to smooth finish on three sides, with two unfinished tongues protruding from each end (one broken off), possibly from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The front or upper face is moulded and routed to a regular, linear (skirting board type) design along its entire length, the two sides flat planed. One side contains two inserted dowel rods that have been broken off. The bottom face has not been finished to the same standard. The sample is good quality wood that has retained its density and weight and shows no evidence of having been submerged in seawater for any length of time. Glued on to the upper face of the length of timber near the right hand end is a deteriorated square of paper bearing an inscription. The paper, peeling back and with torn edges, is stuck over an original wood stain but under a subsequent layer of varnish. The faded ink words are indecipherable where paper is missing, but written carefully in an old fashioned cursive script.The inscription on the paper reads: “A [p]iece of w[r]ec[k] of the Loch Ard wrecked near Sherbroke River”. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, nineteenth-century souveniring, shipwreck scavenging, loch line sailing ships, wood sample

Part of a collection of photographs out of an old photo album with multiple photos on each page. Donated by Margaret Webster. Margaret's parents were Sir Charles & Lady McGrath who lived near the RSL in Ventnor Road, Cowes.286-18 - Sepia photograph of The Tea Room at Shelly Beach, Phillip Island or San Remo?. Two men, a lady and dog beside two cars. One car has a woman inside. 286-19 - Sepia photograph of a group of 13 people in coastal scrub land at Shelly Beach. 286-20 - Sepia photograph of a group of 13 people in coastal scrub land at Shelly Beach. 286-21 - Sepia photograph of a group of people having a picnic in front of the San Remo Hotel. 286-22 - Sepia photograph of 3 people at The Nobbies, Phillip Island. 286-23 - Sepia photograph of rough seas at The Nobbies, Phillip Island. 286-24 - Sepia photograph of a man with a young penguin possibly at Slummerlands Phillip Island. 286-25 - Sepia photograph of breakers at The Nobbies, Phillip Island. 286-26 - Sepia photograph of The Continental Guesthouse with guests on the verandah. 286-27 - Sepia photograph of an unmade road with scrub vegetation on the sides. 286-28 - Sepia photograph of Cowes foreshore with the Jetty in the background. 286-29 - Sepia photograph of the Cowes Jetty with people arriving off a ferry. 286-30 - Sepia photograph of Cowes foreshore with the Jetty in the background and a ferry.286-18 - "The Teahouse - Shelly Beach" 286-19 - "A Confidential Chat - Shelly Beach" 286-20 - "The Wanders - San Remo" 286-21 - "Lunch at San Remo" 286-22 - "The Nobbies - P.I." 286-23 - "Rough Seas - The Nobbies" 286-24 - "A Young Penguin" 286-25 - "Breakers - The Nobbies" 286-26 - "The Contin - Cowes" 286-27 - "The Road to the Back Beach" 286-28, 29 & 30 - "Beach and Jetty at Cowes"the nobbies phillip island, young penguins, wildlife - penguins, tea house behind shelly beach, shelly beach, san remo hotel, the continental guesthouse, the continental hotel, cowes jetty, margaret webster

A collection of photographs left by an anonymous donor under the Museum door in Cowes, Phillip Island.236-01. Black & White photograph of a koala in low down in the fork of a tree, possibly the Main Street in Cowes. 236-02, 03 & 04. Colour photographs of motor bikes arriving on Phillip Island for the Super Bikes held in November 1995. Taken near the Rhyll turn off from Phillip Island Tourist Road. 236-05. Colour photograph taken from the Cowes Pier looking towards Cowes beach. Band Rotunda obscured in left hand side. Taken 1985236-01 On front: Holiday Cowes 1968. On back: Main Street, Cowes. 236-02 to 04. On back: Super Bike Arrivals & Crowd Nov 95. 236-05 On back: Cowes 1985.wildlife - koalas, motorbikes, superbikes phillip island, cowes beach phillip island

Main Street Greensborough. Mural on Vickers Way (lane between Main Street and carpark near old pool). The mural was demolished as part of the redevelopment on Main Street.2 colour photographsmain street greensborough, vickers way, murals

Digital image of "Watsonia to Melbourne", off peak day train ticket, undated 1970s.Part of a collection of miscellaneous historical images with a connection to the local area.Digital image of train ticket. Pink and grey with black text.train tickets, watsonia station

Perpetual golf trophy awarded by the Thomastown Golf Club for Best off the Stick, 1976-1988. Winners named on small engraved shields: 1976 Peter Wreglesworth; 1977 Ern Holland; 1978 Bob Mitchell; 1979 Peter Wreglesworth and Norm Wrest; 1980 Richard Langton; 1981 Ron Gibson; 1982 Michael Long; 1983 Ron Gibson; 1984 Garry Schreiders and Ron Gibson; 1985 Garry Schreiders; 1986 Kevin Bousfield; 1987 Alan Almond; 1988 Kevin Dousfield. Thomastown Golf Club was a social club formed in 1976. This is part of the Robert (Bob) Jones collection of Club memorabilia.Golf trophy, timber shield with "Thomastown Golf Club" and "Best off the Stick" engraved on plaques attached to shield with 15 small engraved plaques attached naming winners ."Best off the Stick" engraved on plaque attached to top of shield.thomastown golf club, golf trophies, bob jones, robert jones

Storm damage incurred on night of 27-28/10/2021 at carpark off Wellington Street Montmorency.Colour digital photographstorm damage, wellington street montmorency

Storm damage incurred on night of 27-28/10/2021 at carpark off Wellington Street Montmorency.Colour digital photographstorm damage, wellington street montmorency

Historical notes on the community of Sunday Creek, south of Broadford off the Hume Highway in Victoria45 p., black and white illustrationssunday creek, victoria, broadford

Used to warm feet: ancestor of the hot water bottle.Stoneware foot warmer, treacle and off-white glazefoot warmers

Proposal to develop the site with existing buildings at 1-3 Mountain View Road Montmorency as a community hub. The buildings are a former church and kindergarten designed by Alistair Knox. 2 p., printed in black both sides on off white paper, plan, photographmontmorency hub, monty hub project

Photograph shows water over ground. This is run off into the Plenty RiverPart of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No caption. Printed maker's mark on slide "Kodak Kodachrome Slide"plenty river

Photograph shows a section of the Plenty River with European trees and clay run-off from building nearby.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.plenty river, vegetation

Photograph shows hill with trees and run off to the river. This is the headwaters of the Plenty River.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.plenty river

These are among the first polarised sunglasses. They were developed specifically for fisherman and were used extensively by Sam Stirling off Portsea in the 1950s and 1960s.Local and cultruralfishing

A framed map depicting trench lines and the battlefields of the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915, made by the Survey Department Egypt. Depth soundings of landing areas off Anzac Cove.Gallipoli - Anzac Cove World War One Map - 1915world war one, anzac, gallipoli, 1915, anzac cove, map, dardenelles, trench lines, depth soundings, landing areas

This item and it’s associated canister (Cat.No. 0096.2) are of a style typical of German WW2 gas masks but the use of vinyl instead of rubber and the Spanish manufacture suggests post WW2 manufacture. German WW2-style full-face mask with single attached filter. Seven point harness. Separate lens. Olive green. Metal, vinyl, glass, leather, cotton webbing. “DAGSA” and DAGSA logo on top surface of filter canister. On white tape around filter canister - “Dreager - Blanco” plus 20630 (ink stamp), “DAGSA. SEGOVIA” “Filtro. polivalente para mascara de guerra” (transl: Multipurpose filter for war mask) “No arrancad la tapa protectora haste el instance de su utilizacion” (transl: do not tear off the protective cap until the moment of use) gas mask

Fiels telephone used in WW2.Military field telephone, with handsetMounted on front of the telephone is an identification plate with the inscriptions “REPLACE HANDSET WHEN FINISHED AND RING OFF. TELEPHONE SET “F” MK 1. STANDARD TELEPHONES AND CABLES PTY LTD SYDNEY 1943. D ^ D. Also mounted to the front of the phone is a smaller plate with inscription “ Serial No. 5971. telephone.

Two metal tins of which one fits into the other. Larger tin has two handles, smaller tin has only one handle as the other has broken off.Smaller tin - D(arrow)D, IDtin, mess tin

WW II British Gun Sight 'Telescopic Bearing' Brass barrel with tops lens for sighting (missing lens cap on barrel) Originally on a circular metal base plate, most of which has been cut off(T)EL BEARING No 10 MK I (imprinted on underside of base plate; other inscriptions on base plate of original article missing from this item) ("T" missing as a result of base plate cutaway)

Appears to be part of sighting telescope for artillery. Further ID information has been sought from various sources, in including the Royal Australian Artillery History Company. The RAAHC have been most cooperative and interested in attempting to identify the equipment of which this item is a part, but with no firm details on its use or history at the time of cataloguing. Detailed communication between RAAHC and MERSL are available from the latter.Off-centre ring part way along barrel has engravings for elevation (?), ranging from 57 to 69 (see 4th picture above). Actual numbers engraved are 57 63 69, with small engravings to mark each degree between these intervals.

Brass 25-pounder shell case cut off above the base and made into an ashtray with 3 indentations and set in the middle of the ashtray is a .50 calibre machine gun round.Outer edge underneath - 1938 LOT 379 25PR ECC 1 Inner edge - No II S45 CY5-40 SH&S 6/40brass shell case, .50 calibre round

Standard West German Army uniform item for that period.Olive drab woolen forage or side cap with cotton liner. Olive diamond-shaped backing with yellow, red, black embroidered rosette cap badge. Manufacturer's off-white label sewn to lining. Label - red ink stamp 'BAMBERGER MUTZEN INDUSTRIE' black ink stamp 'U5 I 2d/11/15644/0048/8, VII/1968, 56, 8405-12-138-8899' Label over-stamped with large 'A'headgear

Repairing land-slip at Windy-Point, showing cables that secured the face of the cliff. These cables ends are cut off and a concrete slab placed over the plate. Working machine below on the G.O.R. and workman holding stop/go sign.land-slip 1971: windy-point; cable-locks. concrete securing blocks. maintenance equipment

Australia's peak infrastructure body has given the North East Link the green light and ticked off on the State Government's business case for the $15.8 billion toll road.News article 1 page, black text.north east link, infrastructure australia