McIlwraith McEacharn Line Pty.Ltd., reg. Melbourne. 1918: Commandeered as a troopship. 1919: Returned to owners. 1920: Resumed Australian coastal service. 1941: Commandeered as a troopship. 1942 Aug 4: Fired upon in the Great Australian Bight (WA) by a Japanese submarine. 1946: Returned to owners & sold to Compania Maritima del Este, reg. Panama. Refitted at Genoa and sailed under Greek Line flag. 1947: Chartered to French Line for Caribbean service. 1949: Refitted at Genoa & placed on Europe-Canada run. 1954: Neptunia Shipping Co. 1957: Laid up at Bremerhaven. 1958: Laid up at Piraeus. 1959 Sept.29: Arrived at Nagasaki, Japan having been sold to shipbreakers.Served with SS Duntroon leaving Melbourne on 12 February 1942, to join convoy MS5 to Colombo escorted by aircraft carrier HMS Enterprise. She then embarked 640 Second AIF troops to be redeployed to the South West Pacific after serving in the middle east.Brass name plate 'SS Katoomba'SS KATOOMBAwwi, wwii, passenger steamships, ss katoomba

Three copies of the Anzac Day Commemoration Ceremony. The 1959 and 1960 copies have a photo of the Cenotaph on the back and were printed by Arthur Hocking, Printer. All copies have a copy of the R.S.L. badge on the front. The Order of Ceremony and names of dignitaries are mentioned on all copies. Copies are from the years 1959, 1960 & 1963.memorials, cenotaph, bendigo war monument, r.s.l. bendigo collection - anzac day program 1959 - 1960 & 1963, lt-col l j lockwood, ahq survey regiment, col j w swatton, g f osborne, 38th battalion band, lieut-col h w snell, lt-col e p robinson, 38th infantry battalion, cenotaph, bendigo war memorial, max o'halloran, j t sullivan, e bailie, g wheeler, w e p carruthers, j barnes, r wood, e commins, h pinder, a henderson, w frewin, s j ryan, c vaughan, j wood, d scholes, s peterson, j fay, 6th r.a.a.s.c., 6th royal aust army service corp band, laurence binyon, hon n l beaton mhr, the hon l w galvin mla, hon t h grigg mlc, cr r a rae, colonel f d buckland, survey regiment, colonel i barr, ex-servicemen's organisations, bendigo nurses' associations, victorian police force, supt a carruthers, the bendigo fire brigade, ambulance services, red cross, war widows and ladies auxiliaries of ex-servicemen's associations, strathfieldsaye huntly marong & maldon shires, arthur hocking printer

Small grey covered book with no printing on the outside cover. Printed inside is: A.R.P. Questions and Answers. Below is an chalice like emblem with a horse with wings sitting on each side. With the Compliments of Frank E. H. Parry, printed underneath. Written in pencil is: Chief Instructor St Kilda Co-ordinator of Services, St Kilda. Contains information about War Gases and the different types, building fires, and bombs. In the back is a diagram showing bones and arteries.book, a.r.p. questions and answers, frank e h parry

The Lifeboat Queenscliffe was built in Adelaide and commenced service at Queenscliff in 1926. She was taken out of service in 1976 by the Marine Board of Victoria and subsequently offered to the Borough of Queenscliffe for care and display. The Lifeboat is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV). To view the classification follow the link to the Queenscliffe page on the ARHV site. During her 50 years of service the Queenscliffe attended many calls for assistance both inside and outside the Heads. Some of the vessels and calls for help the lifeboat attended were: 1960 - Army Commandos lost in the Rip 1967 - The search for the late Prime Minister Harold Holt 1974 - The last attendance to a vessel was to the Brisbane Trader which was on fire The shed which housed the lifeboat is located on the Queenscliff 'New' or 'Steamer' Pier (built in 1884). This shed includes the internal section of the slipway used to launch and retrieve the lifeboat. The external slipway and some other structures associated with the lifeboat shed have been removed. Originally fitted with two masts, the stern mast being removed in the 1960's. A retractable centre plate was used when under sail. Delivered with an 80 hp Wayburn petrol motor which was later replaced by a 72 hp Gardiner diesel. Top speed of 7.5 knots and a range of 350 miles.Photograph of lifeboat Queenscliff at sea under sailQueenscliffelifeboat, a. macfarlane & sons

QUEENSCLIFFE was built in 1926 to a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) design called the Watson Class. The double-diagonal planked vessel was built by A McFarlane and Sons in Port Adelaide SA, commissioned on the 6th of March 1926, and then officially named and launched on the 9th of April 1926. The original Wayburn petrol engine was replaced with a Gardner diesel. This gave QUEENSCLIFFE a top speed of 7.5 knots with a range of 350 miles. The equipment carried aboard included a VHF Radio Telephone, HF radio transceiver, visual signals, life rafts, hand rocket gun, flare gun, generator, search light and first aid supplies. In the tradition of many shore based lifeboats, QUEENSCLIFFE had its own shed and slipway and was always ready for launching when required to go to sea in response to an emergency call. Its area of operation included 'the Rip' at Port Phillip Heads and the Bass Strait seas immediately offshore. She was taken out of service in 1976 by the Marine Board of Victoria and subsequently offered to the Borough of Queenscliffe for care and display. The Lifeboat is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV). During her 50 years of service the Queenscliffe attended many calls for assistance both inside and outside the Heads. Some of the vessels and calls for help the lifeboat attended were: 1960 - Army Commandos lost in the Rip 1967 - The search for the late Prime Minister Harold Holt 1974 - The last attendance to a vessel was to the Brisbane Trader which was on fire The shed which housed the lifeboat is located on the Queenscliff 'New' or 'Steamer' Pier (built in 1884). This shed includes the internal section of the slipway used to launch and retrieve the lifeboat. The external slipway and some other structures associated with the lifeboat shed have been removed. Originally fitted with two masts, the stern mast being removed in the 1960's. A retractable centre plate was used when under sail. Delivered with an 80 hp Wayburn petrol motor which was later replaced by a 72 hp Gardiner diesel. Top speed of 7.5 knots and a range of 350 miles.QUEENSCLIFFE is a wooden lifeboat built in 1926 in South Australia. It has a long association with the Victorian port of Queenscliff. It was manned voluntarily by their local fishermen and is therefore closely attached to families of the Queenscliff community. It is a rare surviving example of the coastal shore-based lifeboats that were based around the Australian coastline.The lifeboat 'Queenscliffe' a Watson Class LifeboatQueenscliffelifeboat, rescue, watson class boat

The Lifeboat Queenscliffe was built in Adelaide and commenced service at Queenscliff in 1926. She was taken out of service in 1976 by the Marine Board of Victoria and subsequently offered to the Borough of Queenscliffe for care and display.A framed monochrome photograph of the lifeboat 'Queenscliffe' underway at sea with crew members on board.lifeboat, 'queenscliffe'

She was among many Allied merchant ships who escaped to Britain rather than be interned in occupied countries in World War II. Together with Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam she served in the Allied cause. She was then chartered to the British Ministry of War Transport and put into service. Under the terms of the charter the flag and crew would remain Dutch. Volendam was assigned to the Children's Overseas Reception Board, a British Government scheme introduced in 1940 to evacuate UK school children overseas. She sailed from Liverpool on Thursday 29 August 1940 as one of 33 ships in Convoy OB 205. On 30 August 1940 whilst several hundred miles off Malin Head, Northern Ireland and heading into the Atlantic, she was attacked about 2300 hrs by the German submarine U-60, firing two torpedoes that hit No. 1 hold and damaged and caused flooding in No. 2 hold. Captain Wepster then gave the order to abandon ship, and despite rough seas all 18 lifeboats got away safely.In 1947 she was used in the Australia emigrant service and in June 1948 made her first Rotterdam – Quebec sailing for the Netherlands government with capacity for 1,500 single class passengers. On Tuesday October 17, 1950 she departed Rotterdam for Sydney, arriving 6-weeks and 1 day later at her destination on Wednesday November 29, 1950. She brought with her a ship-load of (mainly Dutch) immigrants, all eager to forge new lives in Australia. In September 1948 she started her first Rotterdam – New York sailing and commenced her last voyage on this route in February 1951.A framed oil painting of the MV Volenda,Volendammv volendam, migrant ships, troop ships, u boat attack

SS New Australia was a UK-built turbo-electric passenger steamship that had a varied career from 1931 to 1966. She was built as the ocean liner Monarch of Bermuda, was a troop ship in the Second World War and was damaged by fire in 1947. She was then refitted to carry emigrants to Australia and renamed New Australia. In 1958 she was refitted again, renamed Arkadia and served as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship.The ship originally had three funnels. Thornycroft rebuilt her with a single funnel, plus an unusual bipod structure aft of her bridge that served as both a funnel and a mainmast. The MoT renamed her New Australia, contracted Shaw, Savill & Albion Line to manage her and put her into service carrying UK emigrants to Australia. She plied this trade from 1950 until 1957. In September 1958 New Australia was serving as a troop ship again when she suffered slight damage in a collision with a tanker in the Torres Strait.a framed oil painting of the migrant ship MV New AustraliaNew Australiamv new australia, migrant ships

A Bush Fire Control map is a valuable tool used by emergency services and communities to respond to respond to bushfires.Cream coloured parchment map showing roads, railway lines, telephone lines, rivers, creeks and water courses. Also marked are houses, Post Offices, Police stations, bush fire brigades, water channels, swamps, marshes, dense, medium and scattered timber, aqueducts and reservoirs. Villages, districts and Towns are clearly marked. Printed in red, green, black and blue. Very clear and easy to read. Undated.bush fires, bendigo area map

A Volunteer Fire Brigade was established in Kew in 1879 and a fire station established in Walton Street, Kew. The Brigade was formally disbanded by the Fire Brigade Act of 1890 and the volunteers replaced by a unit of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1891. The building shown in this rare photograph was constructed in 1893. In the background can be seen a house on the corner of Walton and Peel Streets, one of two, built in 1893 for firemen of the Brigade. An article in The Weekly Times (1 April 1911) records that: "Kew Troop - A,S.M. Williams reports:- The troop under S.M. Kellett. marched to the Kew Fire Brigade station, to receive instruction in fire drill from Mr Gross, the officer in charge, but as he was unexpectedly called away, the S.M. S and A.S.M had to instruct the Troop. Every boy was taught how to sink the hydrant, and how to couple and uncouple the hose. The hose reel was then brought into action, and the boys were divided into sets of six, each division taking its turn in pulling the reel up a hill to the water plug, where the hydrant was quickly sunk by one Scout, two more uncoupling the hose and coupling it on to the hydrant. We have gained four recruits during the last week, and are expecting two more next week."This is a fine, original photograph, probably taken by a commercial photographer, showing the 1st Kew Scouts in front of the old Kew Fire Brigade building in Walton Street in 1911. The building, constructed in 1893 was later demolished in 1941. This is a rare historic photograph of the Station. Unfortunately the name of the photographer is unrecorded.1st Kew Scouts undertaking a fire drill in front of the old Kew Fire Station in Walton Street, Kew. The reverse details the names and addresses of the Scouts featured in the photograph. An integral part of the Scout program is service to others and working with the fire brigade would have been just one of many such training activities enthusiastically undertaken by the Scouts. The Kew Fire Brigade had hand-drawn fire appliances up until 1919 when a motorised vehicle was purchased. The fire station was replaced by the Belford Road station in 1941 and subsequently demolished. Front: "First Kew Scouts - Fire Drill - In front of Kew Fire Station - Walton St. Kew" Reverse: "Walton St Kew / Kew Fire Station / Mr Gross o/c Fire Station / Bert Gundy Clark, part-time fireman / Allan Sewell Gellibrand St. / Clappy Williams Hawthorn ? / Allan Barrett Cobden St / Allan Woollard High St"kew fire brigade - walton street, scout groups --- kew (vic), 1st kew boy scouts

SHARP DOWNPOUR. ONE INCH IN 45 MINUTES. SOUTHERN SUBURBS DELUGED. TRAIN STOPPED AT SOUTH YARRA. One of the sudden downpours of rain which occasionally fall in Melbourne occurred yesterday afternoon, when nearly an inch of rain fell in the course of three quarters of an hour, and caused a flood for an hour or two in certain localities. During the early part of the day, the sky had been clouded over, but there was nothing to indicate a storm of such intensity as that which followed. At about half-past 1 o'clock residents of South Yarra, South Melbourne, Prahran, and St. Kilda noticed a few drops of rain. Still, it appeared unlikely that there would be anything exceptional, until with startling suddenness at about 10 minutes to 1 o'clock, one of the heaviest downpours within the memory of residents burst upon those suburbs. A strange feature of the storm was that it was practically confined to an area of about three miles square. The city was but little affected, though at a spot as close as the Observatory 86 points of rain were recorded in three-quarters of an hour. Thunder and lightning accompanied the downpour, which was cyclonic in character, the rain driving heavily from all points of the compass as the cyclone passed. It was in South Yarra and Prahran that the rain fell heaviest. Within a few minutes after it commenced, the low-lying portions of Toorak-road and practically the whole length of Chapel-street were under water. The depression at the intersection of Toorak-road and Darling-street speedily filled to the dimensions of a small lake. Several shops were inundated, while the water from the higher levels rushed down like a mountain torrent, and in several in-stances swept through the rear of houses and shops, carrying furniture in a floating mass against the further walls. In one case a footbridge was carried bodily away and dashed to pieces. Darling-street itself Great Davis-street, and other low-lying and flat thoroughfares in the vicinity became flooded from kerb to kerb, while on the other side of the railway-bridge the valley between Kensington-road and River-street became filled for some minutes to a depth of several feet. Meanwhile the waters from South Yarra hill, seeking a lower level, found it in the railway cutting, and the excavations from South Yarra station to Prahran on the one line, and to the Chapel-street bridge on the other, were converted into a couple of canals. At the platforms at South Yarra the water was two feet deep on the permanent way, and towards Hawksburn, at the sudden depression under Chapel-street bridge, it was at one time deep enough to cover a tall man's head. Into this swirling mass of water the 1:50 p.m. train from Oakleigh plunged on its way to Melbourne. The impact caused a mighty fountain of water to rise to a height of about 20 feet above the level of Chapel-street and send clouds of spray in all directions. Under the belief that a terrible explosion had occurred residents braved the rain and rushed to the spot, only to find that the train had been brought to a stand-still in the middle of what seemed to be a river. The water was so high that it had entered the fire-box from below, extinguishing the fires and cutting off the steam supply. In the meantime the officials at the South Yarra station had been preparing for emergencies. Inspectors were on duty at intervals along the line, and the moment the alarm was given an extra engine was backed carefully down and continued on to connect with the stranded train without losing its own power. There was a delay of about ten minutes in the service for an hour or two, but by 5 o'clock all the trains were running on time again, and the water had run off all but the spot beneath the Chapel-street bridge. Here the water remained about four feet deep until nightfall, and throughout the afternoon several hundreds of people including biograph operators and photographers, were gathered around watching each train pass through. Even with the water two feet lower, this was a work attended with considerable difficulty. Each train had to absolutely force its way through the weight of water, almost enveloped by the spray thrown up, and it was only just able to negotiate the "ford" by using every ounce of steam. ... The Argus, 26 January 1907, p19.The item forms part of the Laurie Bennett collection of thirty-six postcards and photographs of Kew and early Melbourne, donated to the Kew Historical Society in 1980. The postcards in the Bennett collection, like other images in the Society's holdings date from the 1890s to the present and comprehensively indicate points-of-view or scenes considered historically, aesthetically or socially significant in the period in which they were produced.Postcard depicting a flood at South Yarra Station in 1907. The title and photographer's name are identified on the front of the postcard. Donated by L. Bennett, 1980flood - south yarra, trains - melbourne, postcards, r mcgeehan - prahran

The Engineer's Department of the former City of Kew had an extensive collection of photograph of sites in Kew requiring documentation to inform public works. It also kept images of engineering practice in other parts of Melbourne, and overseas, that could be used as models for local activity. Many of these photographs (and plans) were donated to our collection in the 1980s. A number of the photographs are annotated, either on the image itself or on the reverse.This photograph, and others sourced from the City Engineer's Department of the former City of Kew, qualifies as an important record of local streets, public works, street beautification, and engineering techniques of the period. Original black and white photographic positive of automobiles and buildings in Denmark Street, Kew, immediately before the road enters Kew Junction. On the left is McKeon Motors and a retailer of Insulwool, while in the distance is the pharmacy on the corner of High Street and Princess Street (later demolished during the widening of Kew Junction). Notable are the bluestone guttering and what appears to be vacant land on the apex of the triangle of land bounded by High Street South, Denmark Street and Barkers Road. This site was the original location of O'Shaughnessy's 'Kew Hotel', and after the destruction by fire of the latter, the location of a service station. [It is now the site of the Cresco Reserve].Annotation verso: "Indicating the existence of a vehicular entrance at Denmark St abuttal of No.188 High St prior to reconstruction of channeling &c 1972."denmark street -- kew (vic.), kew junction, luestone gutters, mckeon motors, insulwool

.1 25 year bar - white background red lettering .2 30 year bar - navy background silver lettering .3 40 year bar - yellow background silver lettering .4 45 year bar - gold background black lettering .5 Medal attached to red ribbon supported by metal banner. Medal is round, white background with navy in centre. Gold enamel images of hose pump fittings and other firefighting regalia are imposed on the front of the medal. A gold coloured metal insignia is pinned to the red ribbon. A pin on a swivel is attached, this pin is used to attach to clothing. .1 25 YEARS .2 30 YEARS .3 40 YEARS .4 45 YEARS .5 LIFE MEMBER is on top of red ribbon, CLUNES is on bottom of red ribbon/INSCRIPTION on reverse of medal "Presented to J. T. Hardin from Officers & Members Clunes Urban Fire Brigade in appreciation of service 5-9-1986" j t hardin, sevice medals

.1 CFA Fireman's dress cap, navy blue in colour with silver cap badge .2 Years of Service Certificate in wooden frame painted black.2 This is to certify that Theodore Harden was a member of the Clunes Urban Fire Brigade of 46 10/12 years and during that time carried out his duties faithfully and performed valuable and self sacrificing work in the interests of the communityclunes fire brigade, harden, dress cap, certificate

A pictorial history of Surrey Hills based on information collected and based at the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. It includes early rural properties and diaries, the coming of the railway, land sub-division and early homes, schools, parks and recreation.A pictorial history of Surrey Hills based on information collected and based at the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. It includes early rural properties and diaries, the coming of the railway, land sub-division and early homes, schools, parks and recreation.surrey hills, railways, land use, migrants, spanish communities, transport, houses, wattle park, festivals and celebrations, churches, education, water supply, fire stations, hospitals, (mr) george klepper, ainger family, (mr) john woodhead, (mr) h. breedon, medical services, real estate agents, businesses, musical events and activities, entertainment, parks and reserves, scouts, guides

A pictorial history of Surrey Hills and Mont Albert based on information collected by the history group at the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. It includes information about early rural properties and dairies, the coming of the railway, land sub-division and early homes, doctors, schools, churches, parks and recreation facilities.A pictorial history of Surrey Hills based on information collected and based at the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. It includes early rural properties and diaries, the coming of the railway, land sub-division and early homes, schools, parks and recreation.1992surrey hills, railways, land use, migrants, spanish communities, transport, houses, wattle park, festivals and celebrations, churches, education, water supply, fire stations, hospitals, (mr) george klepper, ainger family, (mr) john woodhead, (mr) h. breedon, medical services, real estate agents, businesses, musical events and activities, entertainment, parks and reserves, scouts, guides

A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surrey Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn. Deepdene crescent outer circle railway A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.box hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss) kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr)john de la roche bragge, vaughan, alfred purdue (dr) (mr), (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b.n. gandevia

A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.Title page: Alan Holtbox hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss)kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr) john de la roche bragge, (dr) (mr) alfred purdue vaughan, (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b n gandevia, windsor crescent, deepdene outer circle railway

Bruce ANDERSON (20 August 1950- Born Surry Hills, Melbourne, Victoria In 1971 Bruce Anderson obtained a Diploma of Art (Sculpture) from the Prahran Institute of Technology. For the next two years, he worked at Raynham Ceramics in East Bentleigh, making slipcast ware. After a year of National Service, he completed a teacher education course at the State College of Victoria, Auburn and taught for a time in the secondary school system. In 1977, he moved to Queensland to take up a position as Head of the Ceramics Department at Townsville TAFE. In 1984, he relocated to the Darling Downs Institute in Toowoomba and was still teaching there in his entry in the 1986-7 directory, working in raku and blackware fired with gas in a ceramic fibre kiln. During 1986, he moved to Adelaide to take up a position as senior lecturer in ceramics at the South Australian School of Design. During the late 1980s and 1990s, he began to make sculptural works of architactural form cast from a mixture of terracotta clay and refractory concrete. Part-glazed, the works allude to primitive industry and utilitarianism. In 1984 Bruce Anderson was a guest at Spotkanie held at the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education.Raku teapot with tall handle. bruce anderson, ceramics, jan feder memorial ceramics collection, gippsland campus, teapot, raynham ceramics

Janet MANSFIELD (1934-2013 ) Born Sydney, New South Wales Janet Mansfield studied Ceramics at the National School of Art, East Sydney Technical College in 1964 to 1965. She received a Crafts Board Grants in 1974 to study in the United States of America; to research salt glaze technique in 1975; to exhibit in Japan in 1985; to travel to Hungary fir a symposium, and an Australia-Japan Foundation Grant in 1977 to study in Japan. She was a visiting lecturer to the Gippsland Centre for Art and Design in 1980 and a Spotkanie guest in 1984. Her work was fired to wood kilns and taken to stoneware temperatures. She used salt for shorter firings, or in the anagama kiln depended on the ash and flame for glaze effects. Janet Mansfield has been editor of 'Pottery in Australia' and 'Ceramics: Art and Perception'. In 1987 she was awarded an Order Of Australia Medal for services to art and ceramics. In 1980 Janet Mansfield was a visiting lecturer at the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education. She was a guest at Spotkanie in 1984.Wheel thrown wood fired and salt-glazed stoneware.jan feder memorial ceramics collection, ceramics, janet mansfield, gippsland campus, visiting lecturer, spotkanie

Manufactured in the 1960s, this mobile emergency telephone exchange was fitted into a caravan. Part of the Shepparton Division State Disaster Plan, the caravan could be towed to areas affected by disasters to enable communications to recommence. The caravan remained in service until approximately 1974.Mobile infrastructure plays an important role in Australian communications, owing to the often remote and hostile environments in which Australians live and work. Exchanges such as this facilitated phone calls in the aftermath of an emergency, particularly for hospitals, police and other emergency services. Today, Mobile Exchange on Wheels (MEOWs), Cell on Wheels (CoW) and Satellite Cell on Wheels (SatCOW) - which provide temporary landline and broadband services, mobile phone coverage and service in areas without communications infrastructure respectively - are a critical part of emergency response procedures for natural disasters such as fire and flood. Though technology has progressed, the need for rapid service in remote areas remains a present concern of the communications service providers in Australia. This mobile service infrastructure is historically significant as an early example of a service which has evolved over decades, yet is still needed today. The exchange, as a representative example of a vehicle which would provide early-response in a disaster, is socially significant as a facilitator of critical communications needs in devastated communities: access to emergency services and contact with family and friends. The exchange itself, intact from its period of use, provides an insight into technology of the 1970s.Mobile emergency exchange housed in a caravan trailer on 2 wheel base, duralin body, steel tow bar, Caravan divided into 3 sections; the exchange room; the relay room and the main frame room. The exchange room contains 3 switchboards, a folding table, cupboards, benches and switch rack (.1). table (.2), steel bar for attaching the table (.3), back boards of switchboards (.4-.6), switches (.7-.16), box of switches (.17). There is a wall phone magneto, 300 type handset on wall and 2 skylights with wire screens. .11? hat pegs and shelf; there are 2 fluorescent tubes for lighting, all in exchange section. The floor is covered with 2 tone grey tiles and there are wire mesh on outside of windows and a geometric curtain inside behind switch rack. There is a flywire screen door as well as exterior door. The relay room has a sectioned door so half can open at a time. Room contains a cupboard with folding bench top beneath a curtained window. The opposite wall has a bank of batteries and transmission condensers; there is a shelf above window, one fluorescent tube and fuse boxes. Tiles on floor also. The main frame room contains many metres of coiled black covered cable, a black covered magneto wall telephone with 300 type handset; grey plastic jumper cords, a rack of termination points and wire with wasp nests attached. There is a small iron step under door, a fluorescent tube on wall and 3 hat hooks. Roll of Paper Handtowels (.18), cord and handle (.19), red exchange cords and plugs (.20-.22), plastic aluminium runners (.23,.24), headset (.25,.26), logbook (.27), battery readings (.28), box containing papers circuit drawings etc (.29-.93), paper lists off wall (.94,.95). Books, record books etc (.96-.103). Manila folder (.104) containing circuit drawings (105-.124). Wooden drawer (.125), metal drawer containing subscribers master cards, record of faults cards, particular switchboards connected, Junction line cards (.126). Box of valves (.127), box of clamps (.128). Box of 2000 type rack fuses, red 1 1/2 AMPS, black 3 AMP, blue 1/2 AMP (.129). Box of sleeves for covering wire joints (.130), plastic beakers (.131,.132), soap (.133), box of white plastic squares (.134), time switch "Venner BF/43 time switch" Made in England (.135), box of bolts, knobs etc (.136), box of switchboard number indicators (.137), fuse (.138), fuse wire (.139), football card (.140). Box of cartridge fuse 6 AMP (.141). Envelope of drawing pins, rubber bands (.142), black plastic, paper tape centres (.143-.152), metal plug (.153), 2 signs "Beware of vehicles" (.154-.155). Paper listing Naringal East automatic conversion (.156). Green Commonwealth of Australia note pad (.157). Wiring plug for tail lights (.158). Black fuse plugs (.159,.160). Box of bolts (.161). 2 sections of blue plastic coated wires (.162,.163). Gloves used for working on batteries (.164-.167). Wasp nests (.168,.169). White fuse (.170). Photographs of van in use (.171,.172)..1 on front: "ANOTHER / MOBILETRAIL / PRODUCT" "MAX SPEED / 25MPH" "TRAILER BRAKES / --- / " On sides: "EMERGENCY TELEPHONE EXCHANGE" "NO 1" "PMG" "TCQ / GROSS 250 / TARE 182 / LOAD 162" "6" "COUNTRY BRANCH / NORTH REGION / [SHEPPARTON DIVISION]" "LAW'S SIGNS" "Telecom Australia" On back: "DANGER / LONG LOAD" "MQA 3787" .133: "FIR OIL" "AUSTRALIA"mobile telephone exchanges, mobile telecommunications trailers, trailers, transport, natural disaster, black saturday, bushfires, floods, emergency communications

During the North-East Victorian bushfires of 1952, Helen Felton, Postmistress of Tintaldra post office, worked continuously for five days and nights to ensure the flow of communication through the disaster. Helen Felton conceded to leave her post for only 45 minutes while “the fire passed within fifteen feet of the spot where she was working,” burning down the garage and neighbouring store, before returning to work. Today, technologies such as cells on wheels, mobile exchanges on wheels, and NBN Sky Muster trucks are deployed in the wake of a disaster to ensure survivors have access to communications services. In a disaster, access to mobile coverage or landline connection to emergency services can be essential for the survival of life and property.emergency, bushfires, communications, regional, post office, telephonist, postmistress, helen felton

Report from individuals and agencies forming the Illawarra Community Centre, including: the fire that damaged the upper level of the building on May 14th 1992, providing services to over 2000 in the Geelong region, local newspaper La Piazetta is now available on tape, and a group of clients are helping the Home Tutor Scheme by providing voluntary conversational English,.1 volume of printed materialassociation for the blind, illawarra community centre