This type of head dress was very commonly worn by British Commonwealth Forces in the Sub Continent and other tropical areas. This particular example would have been a common sight in Northern Australia during the time frame, as well as Africa, Middle East and the Pacific. It is a light weight ventilated helmet offering good air circulation via the vent in the top of the crown, and shade to the back of the neck. As well as protection by the peaked front for the eyes reducing glare, preventing sun and heat stroke. It also created an image of gentlemanly dress and pride in appearance. It conformed to an ideal and was considered quite fashionable and a little dashing, often worn at a jaunty angle, creating a rakish air, far from today's simplistic view of pure functionality and at as low as possible cost. Whether worn with a tropical uniform with jacket and trousers, or open necked shirt and shorts, the wearer was easily identifiable as British or one of the Commonwealth countries.WW2 RAAF Wolsley cork helmet. Helmet Khaki cotton six (6) panel outer, with three (3) fold pugaree. Colour patch on left side approximately 6cm X 5.5cm, Dark blue,2.5cm, Light blue, 0.5cm and Maroon 2.5cm. Tan leather trim around brim, tan leather chin strap. Traditional pith helmet four (4) hole domed type vent on top of crown. Beige leather sweat band pierced around the top and with a cotton cord adjustment threaded around. Fixed to shell in four points diagonally. Interior is also covered in Khaki cotton. Hand written in brown ink. A1917 F/Lt C KERR GRANTworld war two, head dress, helmet, pith, cork, cloth covered, leather trimmed, royal australian air force, officer, flight lieutenant, khaki, pith helmet, air force, tropical, hat

One of the most important and successful attacks on merchant ships inside an enemy harbour during world war two by English and Australian Commandoes or Special Unit Forces, launched from Australia. Nil deaths by the Commandoes were recorded, and 40000 tons of enemy ships were damaged or destroyed. To enlighten RSL Members and the public, the history of the MV Krait and the importance of our Military History. The newsletter has a typed story and pictures of members of M and Z Special Force. Krait took a small force on one of its missions and they sank about 38,000 tons of Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour in 1943. The newsletters front page has pink large writng on a white background. The word Krait and a photo of it on the Brisbane River. The newsletter is 4 pages with a photo of the men on board on page 2. Page 3 has another photo of the Krait. It is on loan from Mr.Jim Muir, world war two, pamphlet, short story, mv krait, motor vessel, singapore, singapore harbour, 1943

A woven belt of unknown origin, although the wording on it seems to have a French flavour to it. Adourned with a number of assorted minitary badges. This type of belt is/was common amongsrt Mounted Regimens and each one had its own unique colour scheme and pattern, making the units readily identifiable at a glanc. During conflicts it was a common practice to swap or souvenir varios badges and other items and adourn the belt as a record of travels.

Bugle Trench D2228 Copper and Brass Victor Class A, of British origin, with red lanyard and white metal mouth piece.

A short dress sword thought to be turkish, with pointed etched blade including a crescent and star motif and brass hand guard also with etched crescent and star motif.

Brass belt buckle similar in style to the German equivalent. Thought to have belonged to a Turkish Officer.It has an embossd Crescent and Star emblem.

Hand carved wooden cane depicting a Rising Sun Emblem, and the names of places visited and vessels traveled on. Including, K.M. MURRAY AANS 1917 HMS MOOLTAN COLOMBO ADEN SUEZ ALEXANDRIA PORT SAID and on the reverse, KANDY It is riddled with borer holes and is broken at the neck. The tassle is also suffering wear as it is a woven grass like material.

Bugle, Brass and white metal,1915, Prussian, with leather shoulder strap, marked F.SCHEDIWY, LUDWIGSBURG. With Embossed Imperial Eagle on bell. Taken from a German Soldier by John. E. Palethorpe, in WW1.

A waterproofed cloth trench map of the Becelaere area, including Polygon Wood and other severely contested areas.

Sword Bayonet, brass handgrip morticed to suit Martini Henry, "Yataghan" Style.

General issue Infantry Officers Sword 1897 Pattern, George V cypher on basket, manufactured by WW Greener, Birmingham, once used on the battlefield by officers, during conflicts up to and inclusive of WW1.

These Binoculars and case are thought to have belonged to an officer, however they also appear on the 'Vickers" website as part of the complete equipment schedule of a 'Vickers' machine gun sighting equipment. The case is a superior quality leather of robust construction and would be as serviceable today as when first made. The Binoculars are af high quality and would likewise be as servicable today.

Hand theatre made "trench art", utilising used artillery brass shell casings, of various calibres, hand made with such "tools" as were available at the time. They have been decoratively trimmed at the mouth of each with a "scalloped" pattern, the shallowest casing mounted on small arms casings as "feet" and the large casing inverted engraved and embossed with a depiction of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces "Rising Sun" badge.This "Dinner Gong" and "Striker" are significant Historically and Socially, as it is believed to be the only example of a dinner gong and striker made in theatre as contemporary "trench art" by serving members of this group. Around the top of the main part of the Gong are stamped the initials of the Australian members of the Royal Flying Corps at the time, it is of possible National historical significance, as they were such a small group at best, and a highly vulnerable group, quite likely to not survive the conflict. This group and their desendants went on to be a part of the formation of the Australian Flying Corps, the beginings of the Royal Australian Air Force. It relates to the embrionic stages of a part of the now Australian Defence Force.A commemorative Dinner Gong construted from Artillery Shell Casings of various sizes. The largest cut short at the bottom, mounted on rifle or machine gun casings cut short as 'feet'. A slightly smaller diameter inverted as the 'gong' with decorative engravings depicting, a Rising Sun emblem on a decorated back ground, 'AFC' (Australian Flying Corps) crowned wings, on the same decorated back ground. The open ends of these larger casings is 'scalloped' and decorated beautifully, while the closed ends have a 'pie crust effect around the flanged edge. There is a biforcated mount at the top to hold the 'striker' made from white metal ballastered rod with a wooden eliptical knob. On the top around the striker mount are stamped the initials of those believed to be the first Australian Aviators in the then AFC.

Gilt bronze lapel badges issued to men returned from WW1. these are the original ROAC badges which were issued on return from active service.

Leather Wallet. three part construction, embossed on the front cover with rectangular bordering with foilate designs in the upper right and left corners and a vertical eliptical lozenge in the top centre featuring a gilt 'swastika' design similar to the ancient Chinese symbol. The inside front leaf has the number 6018, and the name Jmes Lindsay

Woolen putees worn as lower leg protection. These were wrapped around the lower leg from the top of the ankle boot upwards and tucked into the top to offer some sort of protection from the elements, wire entanglements and to prevent loose clothing from becoming a hazard. Officers had high topped bootd and Mounted personal had leather leggings. These were for the rankl and file infantry and other members of the forces.

Robust leather leggings, wrapped around the ankle and calf from the boot top and fixed in place with the leather strapping coiled around the outside. These offered substantial protection to the lower legs of mouted troops such as, Light Horse, Mounted Artillery, and Mounted Field Ambulance. Tey are as readily identifiable with Light Horse as are the Emu Plumes, (Kangaroo feather) worn in the Pugaree.

A piece of equipment for the storage and carriage of extra ammunition. Made up of a shoulder strap with nine closeable leather pouches, each able to carry ten rounds of ammunition. Although in their day they were purely functional, they are still worn by flag and Guidon escorts in Royal Australian Armourd Corp Units to this day in recognition of the ties to their forebears. The only difference is they are now coloured black.

Gilt and white metal, this is thought to be an officers belt buckle. It has the imperial crown embossed in the centre surrounded bu a wreath at the bottom and the words 'GOTT MIT UNS' (God with us) above.

A plain belt buckle of the type worn by German troops in WW1. It has the Imperial Crown embossed in the centre and a wreath at the bottom and the words 'GOTT MIT UNS' (God with us) above.

An original Certificate of Service from the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. Issued to 6/1511 Sergeant William Diamond, stating his service and locations and signed by the then Govenor General, 'Liverpool'

The F4E depicted was tasked to 'cold soak" Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles in the troposphere at 53,000 feetabove Darwin in a joint exercise for the RAAF and the United States Navy in 1972.The aircraft is being readied for flight by the aircrew and ground crew at RAAF Darwin.F4E at start up RAAF Darwin tarmac.Armed with Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles. Photograph taken from the aircraft nose showing raised cockpit canopies,groundcrew and aircrew readying the airrcraft for flight. Note air start is connected Aircraft Serial No. A69-217.f4e, raaf, missle, peace time, darwin, vietnam, noelryan

HMS Hood was one of the most powerful ships in the Royal Navy during ww2. She was sunk by the German Battleship Bismark with a loss of all hands on board.The main threat of the Bismark was to allied convoys, so an all out bid was made to find and sink her. Unfortunately she was too powerfull for the HMS HoodBlack and White photograph of HMS Hood under way. Crew are lined up from bow to stern for leaving harbour. HMS Hood hand written in white ink just below forward guns controllerhood, hms, world war ii, royal navy

curved ,silver-nickle instrument used by the bosun or boatswain of the vessel ( naval)arrowhead pointing towards upper apertureon right hand sidemaritime, boatswain, bosuns pipe, naval, welcome for visiting captains, officials, admirals

This tea spoon is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, a Loch Line ship of 1,693 tons which sailed from Gravesend, London, on 2 March 1878 with 17 passengers and a crew of 36 under Captain George Gibbs. “The intention was to discharge cargo in Melbourne, before returning to London via the Horn with wool and wheat”. Instead, on 1 June 1878, after 90 days at sea, she struck the sandstone cliffs of Mutton Bird Island on the south west coast of Victoria, and sank with the loss of 52 lives and all her cargo. The manifest of the LOCH ARD listed an array of manufactured goods and bulk metals being exported to the Colony of Victoria, with a declared value of £53,700. (202 bills of lading show an actual invoice value of £68, 456, with insurance underwriting to £30,000 of all cargo). Included in the manifest is the item of “Tin hardware & cutlery £7,530”. This teaspoon is one of 482 similar items of electro-plated cutlery from the LOCH ARD site, comprising spoons and forks of various sizes but all sharing the same general shape or design and metallic composition. 49 of these pieces display a legible makers’ mark — the initials “W” and “P” placed within a raised diamond outline, which is in turn contained within a sunken crown shape — identifying the manufacturer as William Page & Co of Birmingham. An electroplater’s makers’ marks, unlike sterling silver hallmarks, are not consistent identifiers of quality or date and place of manufacture. A similar line of five impressions was usually made to impress the consumer with an implication of industry standards, but what each one actually signified was not regulated and so they varied according to the whim of the individual foundry. In this case, the maker’s marks are often obscured by sedimentary accretion or removed by corrosion after a century of submersion in the ocean. However sufficient detail has survived to indicate that these samples of electro-plated cutlery probably originated from the same consignment in the LOCH ARD’s cargo. The following descriptions of maker’s marks are drawn from 255 tea spoons, 125 dessert spoons, and 99 table forks. These marks are clearly visible in 66 instances, while the same sequence of general outlines, or depression shapes, is discernible in another 166 examples. 1. A recessed Crown containing a raised Diamond outline and the initials “W” and “P” (the recognised trademark of William Page & Co) 2. An impressed Ellipse containing a raised, pivoted, Triangle in its lower part and bearing a Resurrection Cross on its upper section (a possible dissenting church symbol reflecting religious affiliation); OR a rounded Square impression containing a raised, ‘lazy’, letter “B” (possibly mimicking sterling silver hallmark signifying city of manufacture i.e. Birmingham) 3. An impressed rounded Square filled with a raised Maltese Cross (the base metal composite of nickel silver was also known as ‘German silver’ after its Berlin inventors in 1823) 4. A recessed Circle containing a Crab or Scarab Beetle image; OR a recessed Circle containing a rotated ‘fleur de lys’ or ‘fasces’ design 5. A depressed Diamond shape enclosing a large raised letter “R” and a small raised letter “D” (mimicking the U.K. Patent Office stamp which abbreviated the term ‘registered’ to “RD”, but also included date and class of patent) Suggested trade names for William Page & Co’s particular blend of brass plating are ‘roman silver’ or ‘silverite’. This copper alloy polishes to a lustrous gold when new, discolouring to a murky grey with greenish hue when neglected. 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 seven 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 shipwreck is of State significance – Victorian Heritage Register S 417. 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. Unrestored tea spoon from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The spoon design has a flattened fiddle-back handle, with a thin stem or shank, flared collar, and elongated bowl. The spoons metallic composition is a thin layer of brass alloy which has partially corroded back to a nickel-silver base metal. Approximately 30%of original electroplating remains. Small amount of concretion on stem.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, electroplated cutlery, loch ard shipwreck, nickel silver, william page & co, birmingham, brass plating, makers marks

This tea spoon is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, a Loch Line ship of 1,693 tons which sailed from Gravesend, London, on 2 March 1878 with 17 passengers and a crew of 36 under Captain George Gibbs. “The intention was to discharge cargo in Melbourne, before returning to London via the Horn with wool and wheat”. Instead, on 1 June 1878, after 90 days at sea, she struck the sandstone cliffs of Mutton Bird Island on the south west coast of Victoria, and sank with the loss of 52 lives and all her cargo. The manifest of the LOCH ARD listed an array of manufactured goods and bulk metals being exported to the Colony of Victoria, with a declared value of £53,700. (202 bills of lading show an actual invoice value of £68, 456, with insurance underwriting to £30,000 of all cargo). Included in the manifest is the item of “Tin hardware & cutlery £7,530”. This teaspoon is one of 482 similar items of electro-plated cutlery from the LOCH ARD site, comprising spoons and forks of various sizes but all sharing the same general shape or design and metallic composition. 49 of these pieces display a legible makers’ mark — the initials “W” and “P” placed within a raised diamond outline, which is in turn contained within a sunken crown shape — identifying the manufacturer as William Page & Co of Birmingham. An electroplater’s makers’ marks, unlike sterling silver hallmarks, are not consistent identifiers of quality or date and place of manufacture. A similar line of five impressions was usually made to impress the consumer with an implication of industry standards, but what each one actually signified was not regulated and so they varied according to the whim of the individual foundry. In this case, the maker’s marks are often obscured by sedimentary accretion or removed by corrosion after a century of submersion in the ocean. However sufficient detail has survived to indicate that these samples of electro-plated cutlery probably originated from the same consignment in the LOCH ARD’s cargo. The following descriptions of maker’s marks are drawn from 255 tea spoons, 125 dessert spoons, and 99 table forks. These marks are clearly visible in 66 instances, while the same sequence of general outlines, or depression shapes, is discernible in another 166 examples. 1. A recessed Crown containing a raised Diamond outline and the initials “W” and “P” (the recognised trademark of William Page & Co) 2. An impressed Ellipse containing a raised, pivoted, Triangle in its lower part and bearing a Resurrection Cross on its upper section (a possible dissenting church symbol reflecting religious affiliation); OR a rounded Square impression containing a raised, ‘lazy’, letter “B” (possibly mimicking sterling silver hallmark signifying city of manufacture i.e. Birmingham) 3. An impressed rounded Square filled with a raised Maltese Cross (the base metal composite of nickel silver was also known as ‘German silver’ after its Berlin inventors in 1823) 4. A recessed Circle containing a Crab or Scarab Beetle image; OR a recessed Circle containing a rotated ‘fleur de lys’ or ‘fasces’ design 5. A depressed Diamond shape enclosing a large raised letter “R” and a small raised letter “D” (mimicking the U.K. Patent Office stamp which abbreviated the term ‘registered’ to “RD”, but also included date and class of patent) Suggested trade names for William Page & Co’s particular blend of brass plating are ‘roman silver’ or ‘silverite’. This copper alloy polishes to a lustrous gold when new, discolouring to a murky grey with greenish hue when neglected. 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 seven 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 shipwreck is of State significance – Victorian Heritage Register S 417. 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. Unrestored tea spoon from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The spoon design has a flattened fiddle-back handle, with a thin stem or shank, flared collar, and elongated bowl. The spoons metallic composition is a thin layer of brass alloy which has partially corroded back to a nickel-silver base metal. Only 10% of original electroplating remains with some verdigris. No marks visible.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, electroplated cutlery, loch ard shipwreck, nickel silver, william page & co, birmingham, brass plating, makers marks