"A court was established in Melton by 1864, when the first recorded case was heard before Mr BA Porter JP, with Mr A Carroll as the Clerk of Courts. John James was convicted of being drunk, for which he was fined five shillings or 24 hours imprisonment. The court was held in the ‘long room’ of the old Melton Hotel, before moving to rented accommodation at the Raglan Hotel, and finally to the Roads Board office. Tenders for construction of the present building were called for by the Public Works Department on 13th February 1892. The architect Samuel Edward Brindley was born in Birmingham, England, in 1842. He was articled to the local architect, J.R. Botham, FRIBA, before emigrating to Victoria where he was employed as an architect in the Education Department from 18 August 1873. With the amalgamation of the architectural branch of the Education Department with the Public Works Department in 1884, Bindley was placed in charge of Victorian government building design for the North-Western District. In 1975, the Melton and District Historical Society became concerned at hearsay that the court house was to be demolished to make way for carparking space. Melton had been declared a ‘satellite city’ and was developing rapidly. A new shopping centre had recently been built at a setback of 60 feet (c.18 metre) from 323-329 High Street, and the court house, together with the adjacent weatherboard police station, had been left standing alone. A new police station was planned, and the weatherboard police station was subsequently demolished. In its nomination of the building for National Trust classification the Society argued that the Court House was ‘the best of two early buildings left in the main street’ (the other being a bluestone hotel) and that its loss would be ‘tragic’. However the nomination was unsuccessful, the National Trust at the time judging that it was of no particular ‘distinction’ or ‘antiquity’. The building continued to be used as a court house at least until 1991 when the Department of Housing and Construction (formerly the PWD) conducted a heritage study of court houses. By this time Federation-era architecture had achieved acceptance within the heritage movement. The building was recognised as being ‘the only surviving example in brick of the Federation Queen Anne style which was used for court houses only twice.’ Twenty years later when it was proposed to modify the eastern façade of the building to accommodate a café, the M&DHS was again concerned. This time the National Trust objected that the proposed extension would be an over-development of the site, and questioned the changes to the interior court room furnishings and fittings. The site never appears to have been nominated to the Victorian Heritage Register. It has since been converted into the Shire of Melton Tourist Information Centre". Opening of the Visitor Centre in Meltoncouncil, local architecture

History of Melton Court house article featured in the Melton and Moorabool Leader local architecture

Date of birth 27th April 1893 Born at Spring Hill – Kyneton Parents – Thomas and Mary Elizabeth nee Coates Lang. The family lived in High Street Melton 1896. He started his schooling at Melton State School in Nov 1897. Mr Lang was the Head Teacher from 1896 – 1917. Horace enlisted on the 29th March 1915 24th Battalion D Company and sailed on the Euripides on the 8th May to Egypt. They landed on Gallipoli in early September returning to Egypt at the end of the year. In April on 1916 Horace and his brother Thomas had an opportunity to meet for a few hours before he moved onto France. He received the military medal in 1916 “For conspicuous gallantry in constructing and holding an advanced bombing post near Flers on 18/19 November within close range of the enemy. The garrison had to remain motionless throughout the day but Corpl. Lang refused to be relieved until his company left the trenches, setting a most encouraging example of endurance.” In May 1917 the Battalion was near Arras – Bullecourt. On 3rd May he was last seen alive carrying a Lewis Gun, and wounded making his way to the casualty station according to witnesses reporting to the court of enquiry. The family, in Melton had a first heard that he had been wounded, or was a prisoner. My grandmother Jessie Barrie and the Lang family went to Port Melbourne as the troop ships arrived hoping they would find someone who might know of his fate. AWM records and Red Cross files reveal the extent of the efforts that family and friends made enquiring about his fate. In December 1917 he was declared Killed in Action on May 3rd at Bullecourt where he is commemorated. Horace Lang postcardRear: Dear Jessie & All, I am in the pink not doing to bad. Haven't had any letters from you for some time. Hope you haven't forgotte me. Don't be so long nest time. Letter later from your loving bro Horace. (PS) Photo is very crook. (Front: Yours Horace, France 28/2/17)local identities

The Melton Court House constructed in 1892 and operated for nearly 100 years. It is one of only two early buildings remaining in Melton's main shopping street, and the only nineteenth century building in the street. It has been converted into the visitor centre and cafe.Melton Court House, High Street Meltonlocal architecture

BUSINESS TRADE AND DIRECTORY MAP NORTH of High Street RALIEGHS Road - Early settlers Oliver Reierson ( Norwegian) Raliegh SHEBLER Court Auguste EMIL Court Jongebloed Family residence “Hemlich” ALEXANDRA Street Coronation King, Queen Alexandra - 1903 O’NEILS Road Farmer OLDERSHAW Road CORR Grove Early landowner, Teacher at the Common School – Denominational Churches, 1850’s Wesleyan (Methodist) BRYAN Court 1850’s resident renamed from earliest town site - Flat HURLEY Street Early settler and farmers - CHESNEY Road was named Minns, due to duplication altered to Chesney (Minns) SOUTH of High ALKEMADE Drive. Family name ARNOLD Court Family BARRIES Road Charles Ernest Barrie “Darlingsford” 1911 Residence KILPATRICKS Road became Barries Road west of Station Road BLACKWOOD Drive Alexander, Early settler CALLANAN Drive Surveyor early LUBY Court John Luby - Crown Grant Land title KERWIN Street Michael - Crown Grant land title (deleted due to Freeway)Pamphlet of Melton Businesses and map of the townlocal identities, misc., council

Cr Robert Hornbuckle Melton Shire President 1882-83, 1896-97, 1997-98, 1907 -08 Justice of the Peace. Melton Mechanics Institute 1st Treasurer 1904, President 1904, 1905 , Trustee 1910 Children of Robert and Mary nee Poulton Sarah, Robert, Emma, William, Charles, Thomas, and Mary Sarah nee Hornbuckle Nixon and Frederick Myers Snr were at school together at the same in the 1880s. CROXTON Court Name of the Hornbuckle and Knox family homePhotocopy of Marriage Certificate of Robert Burton Hornbuckle and Mary Poulton at Kerrie District of Lancefield 27 th May 1869. (some damage to the originial) Descendants of Robert Burton Hornbuckle and Mary Poulton, and Sarah Hornbuckle and George Nixon's Family Treelocal identities, council, pioneer families

Green cloth-bound hardcover book, faded and worn at extremities. Back cover in very poor condition - torn cloth and part board missing lower left side. Water staining on cover. Foxing front flyleaf & title page. End papers torn at lower right corners, foxing. 479 pp. Poor condition.Front flyleaf, various pencilled inscriptions of page references.local government law, kilmore court house library

Local Government Act 1915 (N0. 2) and Rating on Unimproved Values Act 1915, together with Table of Sections Consolidated. Table of Cases and Index.Faded red-brown cloth cover with mid-brown leather spine and corners, worn at extremities, some staining to leather spine. Front hinge broken but not detached.449 pp. Fair condition.Various calculations pencilled inside back cover.local government law, kilmore court house library

The Court House and Police Station would have be built between 1892-1900. The Constables in 1900 was McGuire, later Wade, Riely and McKenzie after that Robert Wilson and Seinfort were here, they were a bit later on. Information from reel to reel tape recording of Tom Collins in Melton 1969. Front and side views of the Court House, located near the corner of High street and Palmerston Street, Melton. emergency services, local architecture

Cashin is the family name of early settlers in the area, Cashin court in Melton is named after them. Houses of Alexandra Street belonging to the Radford, McGuire and Cashin families misc., local identities

View of High Street with the Police Station [House] and Court House in the background. Small house in McKenzie street on right in the distance. Land vacant prior to construction of Supermarket. Small house at the rear of Police Station. emergency services, local architecture

These hames are part of the harness used by the family of Michael Conway who established a dairy farm of 35 acres in Wodonga in 1940. He and his wife Catherine nee Carroll settled there and raised 5 children. Before coming to Wodonga Michael carried on a bakery business at Urana. The hames were part of the harness attached to the horse which pulled his bakery cart. In Wodonga Michael Conway built a 2 bail dairy and milked up to 20 cows, separated the cream from the milk by hand and sold it to the local butter factory of Holdensen and Nielsen. In later years only whole milk was sold. The farm was on the outskirts of East Wodonga. Michael Conway died on 6th January 1945. The farm was later sold for residential and industrial development and includes Conway Court.This item has a clear connection to the family of Michael Conway of Wodonga, Victoria2 metal sections shaped to fit around the exterior of a horse collar. They are joined at the lower end by a chain and upper end by a leather strap. Approximately halfway up each section a hinged hook is located to which chains are hooked and attached to the cart. Towards the upper end is attached a ring through which reins pass before being connected to the bit.michael conway wodonga, horse harnesses, dairy industry wodonga

This horse collar was made and used by the family of Michael Conway who established a dairy farm of 35 acres in Wodonga in 1940. He and his wife Catherine nee Carroll settled there and raised 5 children. Before coming to Wodonga Michael carried on a bakery business at Urana. This collar was used to attach the hames, harness and chains which pulled his bakery cart. In Wodonga Michael Conway built a 2 bail dairy and milked up to 20 cows, separated the cream from the milk by hand and sold it to the local butter factory of Holdensen and Nielsen. In later years only whole milk was sold. The farm was on the outskirts of East Wodonga. Michael Conway died on 6th January 1945. The farm was later sold for residential and industrial development and includes Conway Court.This item has a clear connection to the family of Michael Conway of Wodonga, VictoriaA handmade leather horse collar padded with straw and cloth. It has metal buckles secured by leather straps which are held in place with metal studs.michael conway wodonga, horse harnesses, dairy industry wodonga

Miss Olive Codling was a Foundation Member and a Life Member of the Wodonga Historical Society. Many of her prize-winning photos are held in the Society Collection. She also held a range of roles and committee positions in a wide range of Wodonga community organisations. WODONGA'S SECOND COURTHOUSE The Court House was situated in the Customs or Bond Store building alongside the Wodonga Police Station in 93 High Street. This was on the west side of High Street at its intersection with Bond Street. The building was converted to the courthouse in 1920. In early 1964, the courthouse building was burnt beyond repair and furniture and other property destroyed. The cause of the fire was never found. The Police Station was lucky to survive but only because of the efforts of the local Fire Brigade. After the fire, the court was held first at the old Fire Station premises near where the present Wodonga Post Office, then it moved to a vacant building in Mitchell Street which was later turned into a Child Care Centre. Foundations for the new courthouse in Elgin Street were laid in October 1965.This photo collection is significant as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the l20th century.2 black and white photos of the Court House, formerly used as a Bond Store for collection of customs.high st wodonga, wodonga court house

A small publication by a local author. A4 size including photographs and a map.This publication tells the story of the village of Mitta Junction which was established in about 1920 on the Victorian side of the Hume Dam construction site. The town was built to house workers and their families during the construction of the Hume Weir. It included houses, a shop, hall and school as well as tennis courts. After the completion of the weir the village and all its contents was sold at auction in June 1936 for £7000. The Mitta Junction school continued to operate until the mid 1980s. The book also documents aspects of the history of the Clark family of Bonegilla.mitta junction township, hume weir construction, clark family bonegilla

Princes Court was an amusement park in Melbourne, located on St Kilda Road. Established in 1904, it closed its doors in 1909 after poor ticket sales due to Melbourne's temperamental weather. The park featured a toboggan ride and water chute ride where patrons inside open carriages were plunged down sloping structures from a height at great speeds. The park's other facilities and activities included a rifle range, a tug of war game, a Japanese tea house, a wine bar, a variety show, an open air cinema, and roller skating and bicycle races.This item contributes to our understanding of social life and recreation in early twentieth century Victoria. A souvenir booklet for Princes Court, an amusement park in Melbourne, printed for the years 1904-5. The booklet features photographs of the park's attractions, and advertisements for local businesses in Melbourne. wodonga, melbourne, princes park, amusement park, rides, fair, fairground, japanese tea house, st kilda

The barrel was used in the Wodonga Court House as part of the selection process for jurors. It was a standard issue barrel used throughout Victoria. It was retrieved from the ruins of the court house which was destroyed by fire. It was then donated to the Wodonga Historical Society. The timber display stand was made and donated by Jake Tooley, a Wodonga Historical Society member, The Court House was situated in the Customs Store building alongside the Wodonga Police Station in 93 High Street. (The house where the Police Station was had originally been the home of the Customs Officer). In early 1964, the court house building was burnt beyond repair and furniture and other property destroyed. The cause of the fire was never found. The Police Station was lucky to survive but only because of the efforts of the local Fire Brigade. After the fire, the court was held first at the old Fire Station premises near where the Wodonga Post Office is near Woodland Grove, then it moved to a vacant building in Mitchell Street which was later turned into a Child Care Centre. Foundations for the new court house in Elgin Street were laid in October 1965 Local significance due to its use in the Wodonga Court House and its survival of a major fire. State significance as it documents a procedure used in the Victorian Court and Legal system Cylindrical metal-iron barrel painted black with writing stenciled on the front in white The timber mount was made for storage and display is not part of the original object,Inscription on Barrel "WODONGA./ Jurors in use./ Special"wodonga court, jurors, selection, legal system, fire

non-fictionBorn in Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland in 1824, McIllree was the youngest son of a large family. He achieved much after running away from home, aged just 14, to escape being sent into penury as a clergyman. By the time of his untimely death at Wodonga in 1882, McIllree had packed a lot into his life. He had sailed the high seas as an Able Seaman, toiled as a miner, run the Wodonga pound for 19 years, bought town blocks, set up a farm, a vineyard and a short- lived butchery business, served on local boards, appeared in court, leased and bought Upper Murray grazing lands, established a horse and cattle breeding enterprise at Biggara, taken horses to India for sale, and visited Aotearoa/ New Zealand’s Rotorua spas for a heart disease cure. Perhaps the most important even in his life was marrying a young Irish girl, Isabella Johnston from Belfast, at Wodonga in 1855. Their marriage produced 11 children, seven of whom have descendants living in Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Kiribati, the Philippines, and the United States of America.henry mcillree, irish immigration, mcillree genealogy, wodonga pioneers

Mr Robert Crone Phillips was born in Stanley, Victoria and later moved to Wangaratta where he worked at Pinkertons and Sons. On 1 April 1912 he purchased the grocery, ironmongery, and wine and spirits business conducted in Sydney Street, Wodonga, by Mr. D. M. Stavely. This business was beside the old Wodonga Police Station. He received a spirit merchant's license under the new Licensing Act in the Wodonga Licensing Court on 20 March 1912. This was the first occasion on which spirit merchants' licenses have been granted by the court. This license was renewed annually until November 1920. On Friday 15 July 1921, a fire occurred in which Phillips grocer’s shop and a neighbouring draper’s shop, owned by Mr. R. W. McLeish, were seriously damaged. In August 1921 Robert Philips filed for insolvency with assets of £660 10/ and liabilities of £1126 19/6. The cause of insolvency listed was loss sustained by fire and the pressure of creditors. Mr. Phillips retired to Wangaratta. He passed away in 1948. The demijohn is of local significance as it represents an artefact from a local business. Its provenance is clear due to the inscription in the item. It is representative of ceramic wares from the early 1900s.A ceramiic demijohn with business name"R C PHILLIPS/ WODONGA"wodonga businesses, sydney road wodonga, r c phillips

Mitta Junction which was established about 1920 on the Victorian side of the Hume Dam construction site (originally called the Mitta Junction Reservoir). The town was built to house workers and their families. It included houses, private and government boarding houses, a shop, hall and school as well as tennis courts and a cricket pitch. Mitta Junction was a thriving community with many activities, including Balls and Euchre Nights, held at the Hall which opened in February 1922. The community also fielded a very successful football team in the local competition. After the completion of the Dam, the village and all its contents were sold at auction in June 1936 for £7,000. Individual houses sold at about £40 for removal to nearby towns. The Mitta Junction School which opened in 1922 continued to operate with very small numbers after the village was moved. Its numbers were boosted in the early 1980s by the children of Army staff at the nearby Latchford Barracks Army Apprenticeship School. It finally closed in December 1985.These images are significant because they capture the history of an important vanished town whose residents played a vital role in the construction of the Hume Dam.A collection of black and white images and a sketch map featuring the village of Mitta Junction, built to house workers on the construction of the Hume Dam. Some of the photographs have been mounted on heavy card.mitta junction township, hume dam construction, hume dam history

xi, 148 p., [8] p. of col. plates : ill., facsims., ports. ; 27 cm.non-fictionRoyal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club had its beginnings in the 1880s. The development of the club has been closely associated with the development of the game of tennis, with its changing styles of play. The Club has changed dramatically since its foundation in 1884. Tennis was a garden party pastime then and the clubhouse was a small wooden structure overlooking three asphalt courts. In the 1980s Royal South Yarra has been referred to as one of the best tennis clubs in the world. This history vividly recalls the early days of tennis and the tournaments and social events that enlivened the Club.royal south yarra lawn tennis club -- history, tennis clubs -- victoria -- south yarra -- history, richard yallop

Kralcopic Pty Ltd, was a subsidiary of Bendigo-based company GBM Gold and had previously held mining licences around Bendigo, which incorporated sites including Kangaroo Flat, New Moon, Eaglehawk and the associated Woodvale Evaporation Ponds Complex. In August 2019, the Earth Resources Regulator decided not to renew Kralcopic’s three mining licences, due to the company’s inability to provide surety that it could finance its mining activities and site rehabilitation obligations. In October 2020, the company filed legal proceedings in the Supreme Court challenging the decision not to renew these licences. The Supreme Court later upheld the regulator’s decision not to renew the licences. On 23 April 2021, the Federal Court of Australia appointed KPMG as Kralcopic’s liquidators. On 14 May 2021, the liquidator lodged papers with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to disclaim Kralcopic’s freehold land at Woodvale and parcels of land around the company’s former Bendigo sites, with the land to subsequently become Crown land. The Earth Resources Regulator has put a statutory exemption in place to preclude new mining licence applications on the sites while we undertake rehabilitation. The exemption also provides an opportunity for government to consider future uses of the sites in consultation with the City of Greater Bendigo and the local community. The Earth Resources Regulator holds rehabilitation bonds totalling $5.9 million, which it will use to rehabilitate the former sites.Colour photocopy of original photo. Image shows Catherine Reef South shaft with rectangular concrete capping. Ventilation pipe in concrete capping. On back in pencil: Catherine Reef South shaft with cap - Kralcopicwestern mining corporation, goldmining, capping, shaft, mining regulations, williams united shaft, kralcopic

The Court House in Main Street Bacchus Marsh was built in 1858 using local sandstone. It opened in 1859. It has been used for jury trials, a Court of Petty Sessions, a County Court and a Crown Land sales office. Other uses included an office for the Registrar of Births and Deaths, a Dairy Inspectors office from 1863-1865, and as meeting rooms for the Bacchus Marsh Roads Board, a forerunner of the Shire Council. It was also used by the Bacchus Marsh Shire Council for its offices until at least 1884. In more recent years it has functioned as a Magistrates Court with weekly court sessions. Small sepia unframed photograph on card with gold border framing photograph. Housed in the album, 'Photographs of Bacchus Marsh and District in 1883 by Stevenson and McNicoll'. The view of the Court House building is seen from the northern side of Main Street looking south or south-east. Three men are standing in the street in front of the building. The men on the left and the right wearing police helmets appear to be police officers. The man in the middle is in civilian clothes and might be an officer or employee of the Court House. He has his dog with him. A white picket fence runs along the front of the building. The front courtyard of the building has been renovated since, but this building still operates as a court house.On the front: Stevenson & McNicoll. Photo. 108 Elizabeth St. Melbourne. COPIES CAN BE OBTAINED AT ANY TIME. On the back: LIGHT & TRUTH inscribed on a banner surmounted by a representation of the rising sun. Copies of this Portrait can be had at any time by sending the Name and Post Office Money Order or Stamps for the amount of order to STEVENSON & McNICOLL LATE BENSON & STEVENSON, Photographers. 108 Elizabeth Street, MELBOURNE. stevenson and mcnicoll 1883 photographs of bacchus marsh and district, courthouses, bacchus marsh court house

Double-sided advertisement for Ringwood High View Orchard Estate land auction sale on Saturday, 13th March, 1971, including aerial photograph, map, and summary of local facilities and services.Subdivision includes Wonga Road, Oban Road, Sang Court, Ambrie Avenue, Hendra Grove, and Mullum Mullum Road. Agent - A.W. Dickson Pty. Ltd., 136 Whitehorse Road, Ringwood, 3134. Telephones: 870 6000, 870 6007, 870 7016, after hours 870 6868. A separate copy of the advertisement includes a local newspaper follow-up clipping reports thirty home sites grossing $102,350 at the auction.

Bi-folded single sheet with black print both sides advertising Auction on Saturday, 22nd November, 1969. Details include location map, vendor terms, subdivision features and local facilities. Centre page shows allotment numbers and property dimensions.(Agent) Whitehorse Real Estate, 1123 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, (Phone) 890502, After hours 8781429.

From 1851 the Victorian government required all men on Victorian Goldfields to carry a Gold License. The fee was one pound per month, and was payable in advance. There was agitation surrounding the gold license which was thought to be an excessive fee and did not give the bearer right to representation. On 03 December 1854 the gold diggers on the Eureka Lead fought a short battle against the army and police troopers. A few months later a new system of taxing gold diggers was introduced - the Miner's Right.The Victorian Gold Licence was issued from 1851 until early 1855. Every man on a Victorian goldfield had to carry a valid gold license, so few survived the harsh treatment of being carried around a working goldfield. There was much dissatisfaction about what was thought to be an unfair mining tax (or gold license). On 29 November 1854 Ballarat miners burnt their licenses on Bakery Hill. On 3 December 1854 the Eureka Stockade Battle took place, resulting in the Goldfields Commission. The first Miner's Right was issued in late June 1855, and in July the first Local Courts were elected by miner's right holders. The two Fitnall Gold Licenses are important because they were issued on either side of the Eureka Stockade, and are in very good condition. The Gold Licenses were donated to the Ballarat School of Mines by John Wilson in 1921. Two gold licenses issued by the Colony of Victoria. The licenses are printed onto blue paper with a Colony of Victoria logo at the top. The licenses were issued on either side of the historic Eureka Stockade in Ballarat East which took place on 03 December 1854. .1) No 219 - Made out to [H?] Fithall on 16 April 1854 and signed by Commissioner R.C. Mackenzie. The license was valid until 31 July 1854. .2) No. 214 - Made out to [H?] Fithall on 1 May 1854 and signed by Commissioner J. Johnston. The license was valid until 15 May 1855.On the backing card "Given to the School of Mines, October 6 1921, by John Wilson Errard Street, Ballarat."mining, gold license, gold licence, mining license, mining licence, mackenzie, johnston, fitnall, gold commissioner, eureka

In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution meant that shipbuilders could build ships using iron. These iron ships could be much larger, with more space for cargo and they didn't need as much work to keep them in good condition. Isambard Kingdom Brunel's "Great Britain" built in 1843, was the first ship to be built entirely of wrought iron. In the 1880's steel began to be used instead of iron. Ships also began to be fitted with steam engines although a great deal of coal was needed to travel even short distances. For this reason, ships continued to be fitted out with sails even though many came with engines. The iron-hulled, four-masted barque, the Falls of Halladale, was a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 on her way to Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold, along with 56,763 tiles of unusual beautiful green American slates (roofing tiles), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6500 gallons of oil, 14400 gallons of benzene, and many other manufactured items, were 117 cases of crockery and glassware. Three months later and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked on a reef off the Peterborough headland at 3 am on the morning of the 15th of November, 1908. The captain and 29 crew members all survived, but her valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. ABOUT THE ‘FALLS OF HALLADALE’ (1886 - 1908) Built: in1886 by Russell & Co., Greenock shipyards, River Clyde, Scotland, UK. The company was founded in 1870 (or 1873) as a partnership between Joseph Russell (1834-1917), Anderson Rodger and William Todd Lithgow. During the period 1882-92 Russell & Co., standardised designs, which sped up their building process so much that they were able to build 271 ships over that time. In 1886 they introduced a 3000 ton class of sailing vessel with auxiliary engines and brace halyard winches. In 1890 they broke the world output record. Owner: Falls Line, Wright, Breakenridge & Co, 111 Union Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Configuration: Four masted sailing ship; iron-hulled barque; iron masts, wire rigging, fore & aft lifting bridges. Size: Length 83.87m x Breadth 12.6m x Depth 7.23m, Gross tonnage 2085 ton Wrecked: the night of 14th November 1908, Curdies Inlet, Peterborough south west Victoria Crew: 29 The Falls of Halladale was a four-masted sailing ship built-in 1886 in Glasgow, Scotland, for the long-distance cargo trade and was mostly used for Pacific grain trade. She was owned by Wright, Breakenridge & Co of Glasgow and was one of several Falls Line ships, all of which were named after waterfalls in Scotland. The lines flag was of red, blue and white vertical stripes. The Falls of Halladale had a sturdy construction built to carry maximum cargo and able to maintain full sail in heavy gales, one of the last of the ‘windjammers’ that sailed the Trade Route. She and her sister ship, the Falls of Garry, were the first ships in the world to include fore and aft lifting bridges. Previous to this, heavily loaded vessels could have heavy seas break along the full length of the deck, causing serious injury or even death to those on deck. The new, raised catwalk-type decking allowed the crew to move above the deck stormy conditions. This idea is still used today on the most modern tankers and cargo vessels and has proved to be an important step forward in the safety of men at sea. On 4th August 1908, with new sails, 29 crew, and 2800 tons of cargo, the Falls of Halladale left New York, bound for Melbourne and Sydney via the Cape of Good Hope. The cargo on board was valued at £35,000 and included 56,763 tiles of American slate roofing tiles (roof slates), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6,500 gallons of oil, 14,400 gallons of benzene, plumbing iron, 117 cases of crockery and glassware and many other manufactured items. The Falls of Halladale had been at sail for 102 days when, at 3 am on the night of 14th November 1908, under full sail in calm seas with a six knots breeze behind and misleading fog along the coast, the great vessel rose upon an ocean swell and settled on top of a submerged reef near Peterborough on the south-west Victoria’s coast. The ship was jammed on the rocks and began filling with water. The crew launched the two lifeboats and all 29 crew landed safely on the beach over 4 miles away at the Bay of Islands. The postmistress at Peterborough, who kept a watch for vessels in distress, saw the stranding and sent out an alert to the local people. A rescue party went to the aid of the sailors and the Port Campbell rocket crew was dispatched, but the crew had all managed to reach shore safely by the time help arrived. The ship stayed in full sail on the rocky shelf for nearly two months, attracting hundreds of sightseers who watched her slowly disintegrate until the pounding seas and dynamiting by salvagers finally broke her back, and her remains disappeared back into deeper water. The valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. Further salvage operations were made from 1974-1986, during which time 22,000 slate tiles were recovered with the help of 14 oil drums to float them, plus personal artefacts, ship fittings, reams of paper and other items. The Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne ruled that the foundering of the ship was entirely due to Captain David Wood Thomson’s navigational error, not too technical failure of the Clyde-built ship. The shipwreck is a popular site for divers, about 300m offshore and in 3 – 15m of water. Some of the original cargo can be seen at the site, including pieces of roof slate and coils of barbed wire. This particular artefact was one of many found by John Laidlaw (a local Warrnambool diver) when diving on the Falls of Halladale in the 1960's. In August 1973, John Laidlaw and Stan McPhee went on to discover the underwater location of the Schomberg - a passenger ship that ran aground on December 26th 1855 near Peterborough and which now lies in 825 metres of water. When John Laidlaw died, his family donated a number of artefacts to Flagstaff Hill. The brass finial may have been part of a larger decorative item such as a lamp or clock bracket.This item is significant as it was taken from the Falls of Halladale shipwreck which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976)A brass, bell shaped object with a body approximately 3 cm high. It has an outer lip, straight sides that taper in and a flat "cap". The inside of the object is plain with evidence of vertigris. It has a decorative topping almost 2 cm high which has a double concave hollow neck.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill divers, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, warrnambool, falls of halladale, falls of halladale wreck, shipwreck artefact, artefact, brass artefact, brass finial, brass fitting, shipwreck coast, diver, john laidlaw, finial, brass decoration, handmade