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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Copper Sheathing
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid ...This sheet of copper sheathing or muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and other damage has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SHOMBERG When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned. In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery. Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill. The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day Copper sheathing or "Muntz metal" - 60% copper and 40% zinc, used to line the hull of the Schomberg to prevent shipworm infestation. Recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg. Folded, with verdigris, marine growth and slight encrustation. Irregular shaped 2' 2" long by 2' 1" wide.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Copper Sheathing, ca 1855
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid ...This sheet of copper sheathing or Muntz metal has been recovered from the sea at the wreck-site of the ship SCHOMBERG. . It has been damaged by the reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and has other damage that has caused the edges to break away or fold over. Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in seawater and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the outsides of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 per cent copper and 40 per cent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUTH THE SCHOMBERG- When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned. In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery. Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill.The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its dayCopper sheathing or Muntz metal recovered from the shipwreck Schomberg. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, coppper sheathing, ship building, sea worm -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Copper Sheathing
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid ...This sheet of copper sheathing or muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and other damage has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned. In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery. Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill. The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day Copper sheathing or "Muntz metal" - 60% copper and 40% zinc, used to line the hull of the Schomberg to prevent shipworm infestation. Recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg. With verdigris, marine growth and slight encrustation. Irregular shaped 1' 2½" Wide by 2' 7" long.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Copper Sheathing
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid ...This sheet of copper sheathing or muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and other damage has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned. In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery. Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill. The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day Piece of rectangular Muntz metal from the wreck of the Schomberg. Metal has been bent back on itself at one end. Evidence of nail holes. Metal has verdigris and marine encrustation. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Copper Sheathing, ca. 1855
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the cover... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the cover ...This sheet of copper sheathing or muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and other damage has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the outsides of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 per cent copper and 40 per cent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG- When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three-masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first-class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned.32 In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the cover and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery.33 Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photographs from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill.The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its dayCopper sheathing or "Muntz metal" - 60% copper and 40% zinc, used to line the hull of the Schomberg to prevent shipworm infestation. The sheet was recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg. It is irregular in shape with nail holes and slight encrustation.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building, late 19th century sailing ships -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Copper Sheathing
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully ...This sheet of copper sheathing or Muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by the reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and has other damage that has caused the edges to break away or fold over. Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in seawater and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the outsides of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 per cent copper and 40 per cent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG- When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oak with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned.32 In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery.33 Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill.The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck, The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day This Muntz sheet was recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg. It has been folded, bent and wrinkled. It has nail holes, Verdigris, marine growth and slight encrustation. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, schomberg, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Copper sheathing
... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid... a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid ...This sheet of copper sheathing or muntz metal has been recovered from the sea. It has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea, it has encrustations from the sea such as sand, and other damage has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ Early timber sailing ships had a problem of the timber hulls being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper sheathing or a combination of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oat with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned.32 In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery.33 Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill. The Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck. The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day Copper sheathing or Muntz metal in concretion. Recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg.warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwrecked-artefact, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, muntz, muntz metal, copper sheating,, copper sheathing, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Copper sheathing, c. 1855
... broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully... broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully ...This object is a piece of Muntz or copper sheathing, a sheet of metal used for lining a ship's hull as protection from sea worm or muntz worm. It has been salvaged from the Schomberg ship wreck. The muntz has been damaged by reaction of the metals to the sea. It also has encrustations from the sea such as sand. Other damage, such as movement of the sea or objects in the sea, has caused the edges to break away or fold over. ABOUT MUNTZ The hulls of early timber sailing ships had a problem of being eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called ‘sea worms’ or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and the bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by applying coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch onto the timber. In the 18th and 19th centuries ships were built with their hulls sheathed in sheets of copper or a combination of 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc (called Muntz metal). The ships would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing remained effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. ABOUT THE SCHOMBERG When the ship Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the most perfect clipper ship ever to be built. James Blaine’s Black Ball Line had commissioned her to be built for their fleet of passenger liners. At a cost of £43,103, the Aberdeen builders designed her to sail faster than the quick clippers designed by North American Donald McKay. She was a three masted wooden clipper ship, built with diagonal planking of British oat with layers of Scottish larch. This luxury vessel was designed to transport emigrants to Melbourne in superior comfort. She had ventilation ducts to provide air to the lower decks and a dining saloon, smoking room, library and bathrooms for the first class passengers. At the launch of Schomberg’s maiden voyage, her master Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes, drunkenly predicted that he would make the journey between Liverpool and Melbourne in 60 days. Schomberg departed Liverpool on 6 October 1855 with 430 passengers and 3000 tons cargo including iron rails and equipment intended the build the Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. The winds were poor as Schomberg sailed across the equator, slowing her journey considerably. She was 78 days out of Liverpool when she ran aground on a sand-spit near Peterborough, Victoria, on 27 December; the sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes’s map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the SS Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers were able to disembark safely. The Black Ball Line’s Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers’ baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo, but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. After two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned.32 In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery.33 Flagstaff Hill also holds ship fittings and equipment, personal effects, a lithograph, tickets and photograph from the Schomberg. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill. This piece of muntz sheathing is representative of building methods and materials used in late 19th and early 20th century ship building. The munts is also significant for its association with the Schomberg, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612), has great historical significance as a rare example of a large, fast clipper ship on the England to Australia run, carrying emigrants at the time of the Victorian gold rush. She represents the technical advances made to break sailing records between Europe and Australia. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is significant for its association with the shipwreck. The collection is primarily significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg. It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international passenger Ship. It is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the shipwreck and the ship, which was designed to be fastest and most luxurious of its day Copper sheathing or Muntz metal in concretion. Recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg.warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwrecked-artefact, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, aberdeen clipper ship, captain forbes, peterborough shipwreck, ss queen, copper sheathing, muntz, muntz metal, teredo worms, sea worms, sea termites, ship building, 19th century sailing ships -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Accessory - Badge, Before 1855
... and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold... and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold ...The badge recovered from the Schomberg wreck is believed to depict one of the first steam engines. The engine's design by Charles Tayleur & Co. was to be produced for the Great Western Railway in England. The first nineteen of these locomotives were ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway including six 2-2-2 Charles Tayleur locomotives. They were built by Charles Tayleur and Company, which later the Vulcan Foundry. The locomotives were unsuccessful and were rapidly supplemented by the Star Class locomotives ordered by Daniel Gooch once he had been appointed as the Locomotive Engineer. As built, they comprised two groups of three, the first group, was delivered in 1837. This locomotive was the first to run on the Great Western Railway when it was tested on 28 December 1837 from its shed at West Drayton. It was withdrawn in 1843 but was rebuilt as a 2-2-2T tank locomotive and returned to service in 1846, running in this form until 1868. It survived for two more years at Reading as a stationary boiler. It is named after the workshops where it was built, which themselves were named after the Roman god of fire. (Although a supposition, it is possible that the owner was a passenger on the ill-fated Schomberg and that they worked either for the Great Western Railway or the Vulcan Foundry that made the engine in the 1830s.) Wreck of the Schomberg: Schomberg was a large three-masted full-ship rigged wooden ship built in 1855 by Alexander Hall and Co in Aberdeen, Scotland for James Baines' famous Black Ball Line at £43,103. The vessel was 288 feet (88 meters) in length, with a beam of 45 feet (14 meters), a depth of 29.5 feet (8.99 meters) of 2,284 tons. The mainmast was 210 feet (64 meters) high and she carried 3.3 acres of sail. The vessel was constructed with three skins. One planked fore and aft, and two diagonally planked, fastened together with screw-threaded trunnels (wooden rails). The Schomberg is one of only three clipper wrecks in Victorian waters that operated the England to Australia run. While the other two, Empress of the Sea and Lightning, were built by the famous American shipbuilder, Donald Mac Kay. Schomberg was an attempt to build a faster ship than Mac Kay and a vessel fast enough to break the sailing record to Australia. The Schomberg sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool on 6 October 1855, under the command of Captain James Forbes, on its maiden voyage to Australia with a general cargo, jewellery, spirits, machinery, and 2,000 tons of iron rails and equipment intended to build the Melbourne to Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. She also carried a cow for fresh milk, pens for fowls and pigs, plus 90,000 gallons of water for washing and drinking. She also carried 17,000 letters and 31,800 newspapers. There were approximately 473 passengers and a crew of 105. It was hoped that Schomberg would make Melbourne in sixty days, setting a record for the voyage, but light winds at the equator dashed those expectations. The ship sighted Moonlight Head in southwest Victoria on Christmas Day but through a deadly combination of wind, currents, and unmarked sand spits, the vessel gently ran aground on 26 December 1855 on a spit that juts into Newfield Bay, just east of Curdies Inlet, and the present town of Peterborough. Fortunately, the SS Queen was nearby and managed to save all passengers and crew. The steamers Keera and Maitland were dispatched to salvage the passenger's baggage and the more valuable cargo. Other salvage attempts were made, but deteriorating weather made the work impossible, and within two weeks the Schomberg's hull was broken up and the vessel abandoned. The wrecking of the Schomberg caused quite a public stir, particularly in light of the fact the vessel was supposed to be, the most perfect clipper ship ever built. Captain Forbes was charged in the Supreme Court under suspicion that he was playing cards with two female passengers below decks when his ship ran aground. Despite a protest meeting, two inquiries, and the court proceedings, he was found not guilty and cleared of all charges. In 1975, divers from Flagstaff Hill, including Peter Ronald, found an ornate communion set at the wreck. The set comprised a jug, two chalices, a plate, and a lid. The lid did not fit any of the other objects and in 1978 a piece of the lid broke off, revealing a glint of gold. As museum staff carefully examined the lid and removed marine growth, they found a diamond ring, which is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum that also displays ship fittings and equipment, and personal effects. Most of the artefacts were salvaged from the wreck by Peter Ronald, former director of Flagstaff Hill.The Schomberg has historical significance as one of the first luxurious ships built to bring emigrants to Australia to cash in on the gold rush era. And is included on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S612). The collection of Schomberg artefacts held at Flagstaff Hill Museum is primarily significant because of the relationship between these recovered items having a high potential to interpret the story of the Schomberg and its foundering during a storm. The shipwreck is of additional historical significance for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and for its association with the first passenger ship, which was designed not only to be the fastest and most luxurious of its day but foundered on its maiden voyage to Australia.Gold coloured brass badge depicting an 1840's steam engine or locomotive with the figure of a fireman standing on the back. Smoke is coming from the smokestack. The reverse has three holes, possible where a mounting pin or fastener was attached. The badge was recovered from the wreck of the Schomberg.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwrecked-artefact, clipper ship, black ball line, 1855 shipwreck, captain forbes, ss queen, badge, charles tayleur, great western railway, vulcan foundry, isambard kingdom brunel, locomoive, brooch -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, Approximately 1930
Taken in approximately 1930, this photograph depicts the ruins of Rosehill Dairy. A woman stands beside the ruins, observing them solemnly. The owner of this once prominent dairy, John Brewer, was born in Cornwall, England in 1832. After coming to Australia in 1849, Brewer worked in various forms of livestock transportation. Upon hearing of the vast discovery of gold in Victoria's north-east, he engaged in mining in the Ovens Goldfield district before starting his own dairy on Wooragee road (now Old Wooragee road). The Wooragee Valley, approximately five kilometres north of Beechworth, was used extensively during the nineteenth century to build farming practices in the area, possessing eighteen farms by 1860. Brewer enjoyed a prosperous career in the dairy industry, personally delivering milk to the residents of Beechworth. He died on the thirteenth of August 1915, a few weeks shy of his eighty-third birthday. As this photograph is dated approximately fifteen years later, it can be assumed that the dairy fell into neglect following his death. This photograph is historically significant as it provides insight the development of the dairy industry in Beechworth in the second half of the nineteenth century.Black and white square photograph printed on matte photographic paper Reverse: 1997.2912 / John Brewers / Rosehill / Dairy / top of the 'rising sun' /john brewer, 1930 beechworth, rosehill dairy, dairy industry beechworh, dairy factories beechworth, dairying, dairy farm beechworth, wooragee road, wooragee valley, old wooragee road, dairy farm ruins -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c. 1870
This photograph was captured at an undisclosed location and at an unidentified time but likely dates to approximately 1870. The photographer's details are not recorded and the identities of the men in the image are also not known. This image depicts a group of 10 men in typical miners fashion. Four of them are sat on a large log with one holding a small dog. Six miners stand behind those sitting. All these men are wearing a white button-up shirt and tan coloured work trousers. They wear heavy boots and seven have included a dark vest over their shirt. The man holding the dog has a pipe in his mouth. Two of these men are clean shaven with the remainder sporting a moustache and two with a beard. The ages of these men vary from late 20s to middle age. This group of men are located in a mining location with what appears to be an open cut mine in the background of the image. The ground is muddy and has elements which can help identify it as a mining location based on the condition of the landscape. The bottom of the men's trousers are muddy which provides the assurance that these men were working in this location when their photograph was captured. In the background there is one structure, possibly a dwelling, and bush which identifies the location as Australia. Open cut sluicing is a method used to extract gold and other precious metals from beneath the surface of the earth. This technique involved the use of high-powered hoses which broke down the soil enabling miners to come along and search this soil for gold. After the gold rush of the early 1850s, diggers had to enlist the assistance of heavy machinery and techniques like hydraulic sluicing in order to reach gold because the surface alluvial gold had already been discovered and removed. This heavy machinery was not used until after 1853. The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on board.Reverse: 1997.2518mining, goldfields, beechworth, 1870, australia, australian goldfields, diggers, victoria, sluicing, gold mining, miners, diggers victoria -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c.1870
This photograph was taken in approximately 1870 and depicts four male miners standing in mining sluice at the Three Mile Goldfields. These men are wearing typical attire for 1870s gold miners. They wear white shirts, tan coloured pants with water proof shoes and most of the men are wearing an apron to prevent their clothing from becoming too dirty from the mud. Each man is wearing a wide brim hat and hold large wooden tools used for sorting through the sluice. Three of the four men have full beards. The photograph was donated to the Burke Museum by R. Ziegenbein before 2001 but the photographer and the individuals captured in the photo are unknown. The image depicts the landscape of the Three Mile Goldfields during a period when open cut sluicing was undertaken to reach gold. Open cut sluicing is a method used to extract gold and other precious metals from beneath the surface of the earth. This technique involved the use of high-powered hoses which broke down the soil enabling miners to come along and search this soil for gold. After the gold rush of the early 1850s, diggers had to enlist the assistance of heavy machinery and techniques like hydraulic sluicing in order to reach gold because the surface alluvial gold had already been discovered and removed. This heavy machinery was not used until after 1853. The Three Mile Goldfields was a site of rich alluvial gold deposits located about 5 km south of Beechworth in Victoria. Today, the location of this gold deposit is called Baarmutha. It was a popular area for gold mining in the 1850s but became largely abandoned by the following decade. In 1865, a man named John Pund recognized that the area could be potentially rich if a better water supply could be obtained. He secured a 15 year license with three other miners. Within the next five years, these men had constructed 19 km of water race going from Upper Nine Mile Creek to Three Mile Creek. By 1881, these four men had delivered 950,000 gallons to the Three Mile Sluicing area which is depicted in this photograph. Pund was later go into partnership with John Alston Wallace who would become owner of the Star Hotel in Beechworth. The Three Mile sluicing location continued to be operational until 1950. Sluice box workers were a vital part of gold mining regardless of how inefficient they were in the recovery of gold. After using hydraulic sluicing to cut away the earth, miners would use the big wooden boxes depicted in the image to catch the earth which would then be sifted for gold. However, accidents would occur often which would result in the gold washing away and unable to be recovered. It was not a very efficient system because the gold, which was alluvial and thus very fine, would often pass through the sluice box undetected.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and mounted on board.[illegible] about 1870 / 97 2514.1 / 2594 30three mile goldfields, goldfields, 1870, 1870 gold, australia, australian landscape, miners, gold miners, diggers, gold diggers, beechworth, victoria, sluice box workers, sluicing, sluice, mining -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Photograph - Reproduction, W. D. Gibbon, Early 1900s
This photograph was taken in 1911 at Three Mile Creek, about five kilometers south of Beechworth town. Significant digging took place at this location from late 1855, which led to a flood of workers and stores to follow, though daily earnings were slim compared to the nearby Woolshed site. This remained the case even after workers at Three Mile Creek attempted to protest around Beechworth during an election in November 1855. Three Mile Creek was one of seven significant divisions of the Beechworth Mining District formalised by the Governor-in-Council in 1858, though by the time this photograph was taken, the boundaries of the original seven districts had shifted to create seventeen divisions. The Three Mile Goldfields was a site of rich alluvial gold deposits located about 5km south of Beechworth in Victoria. Today, the location of this gold deposit is called Baarmutha. It was a popular area for gold mining in the 1850s but became largely abandoned by the following decade. In 1865, a man named John Pund (a man second from the left in the back row of this photograph shares this surname) recognized that the area could be potentially rich if a better water supply could be obtained. He secured a 15 year license with three other miners. Within the next five years, these men had constructed 19 km of water race going from Upper Nine Mile Creek to Three Mile Creek. By 1881, these four men had delivered 950,000 gallons to the Three Mile Sluicing area which is depicted in this photograph. Pund would later go into partnership with John Alston Wallace who would become owner of the Star Hotel in Beechworth. The Three Mile sluicing location continued to be operational until 1950. The eleven miners in this photograph are: Back row: Led Guthrie, P. Pund, F. Beel, [Unknown] Miller Front row: Paddy McNamara, J. King, W. Beel, [Unknown] Garland, J. Clarke, J. Ryan, H. Bartsh In the background of the photograph is a huge dirt wall that appears to suffer damage caused by hydraulic sluicing. Hydraulic sluicing is a specialised mining technique that involves directing high pressure water flows at dirt to uncover gold. The technique played a significant role in shaping Beechworth's landscape during the gold rush to create the topography seen today.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1911. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Black and white / sepia rectangular reproduced photograph printed on glossy photographic paper mounted on board.beechworth, beechworth museum, mining, mining team, three mile creek, sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, photography, gold sluicing, gold mining, pund mining -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Photograph - Reproduction, 1890-1900
The photograph appears to depict the of the entrance to the Rocky Mountain Tunnel. The Rocky Mountain Tunnel runs from opening of the tunnel, underneath the Beechworth town, to the Gorge. This tunnel drained the excess water from the upper Spring Creek Goldfield to allow for mining access in the area. The Rocky Mountain Co. blasted through the granite rock to create the original 400ft-long tunnel in 1859, but between 1867 and 1871, the Rocky Mountain Gold Sluicing Co. widened and extended it. At its completion, it measured 14ft deep, 6ft wide, and almost half a mile long. The mining surveyor at Beechworth called it 'without doubt, the greatest undertaking of the kind in the colony'. When the company became the Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Co. in the mid-1870s, they continued the tunnelling work. The work was reportedly vital to mining being able to continue at Beechworth and may have established world records in tunnelling through hard rock. The entrance at the Gorge side of the tunnel can be seen from the Beechworth Gorge Walk. The tunnel continues to be an outfall drain for the lake and the town.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.A black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on matte photographic paper.7814beechworth, beechworth museum, burke museum, australian museum, mining, rocky mountain mining co., rocky mountain mining company, mine, mining company, rocky mountain mine, mine entrance, rocky mountain, gold, gold mining -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, est. 1860-1875
In 1875, the Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Company Ltd was created, utilising the previous Rocky Mountain claim for the area near Lake Sambell. The company employed A.L Martin to survey an area for a tunnel underneath Beechworth and Johnson Stephens to dig it. The tunnel was built at a rate of 40 feet a month and eventually measured 800 metres. The tunnel was a true accomplishment both in the present and during the 19th century. It was considered to be a marvelous engineering feat. Beechworth is renowned for its hydraulic sluice method of mining. This involved soil being exposed to torrents of water from high-pressure hoses. From 1876 until its closure in 1921, the mine produced an astounding 47,926 ozs of gold. Companies like this were the source of income for many Chinese gold-diggers who sought to make their fortune on the goldfields of Beechworth. During the height of the rush, the town had around 7,000 Chinese inhabitants living on the outskirts of town as they were not permitted to live within Beechworth itself.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portrays an open-cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in 1910. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertaken which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. This image of the Rocky Mountain mine is historically significant as the mining complex is now non-existent, with the only remains being the tunnel built in 1880 by the company, which was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the time. The image also provides a first-hand look into the social and cultural networks at play during the 19th century with racial segregation of the Chinese at the 'Chinese Camp', as well as an insight into Beechworth's origins during the Gold Rush.A sepia rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper as a postcardReverse: Historic Beechworth / 7792.1 / ROCKY MOUNTAIN MINE / Viewed from the “Chinese Camp”, shown partly in the foreground, we see the central plant of the famous Rocky Mountain Mining Company. This extensive complex, of which nothing remains, was situated between Silver Creek and the present Lake Sambell area. The company was responsible for a tunnel cut through solid bedrock underneath the town of Beechworth and surfacing near the keystone bridge on the Wangaratta side. Completed in 1880 it was declared to be one of the greatest engineering feats in Australia. The tunnel is still basically intact today. / Series by Wooragee Graphics: Historic Beechworth. / COPYRIGHT BURKE MUSEUM / No.72 beechworth, rocky mountain mine, sluicing, gold rush, mining, gold -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Photograph - Reproduction
... and machinery used to access gold or mine more in general. It also ...This photo depicts a man standing next to a large piece of mining equipment identified as a hydraulic chisel (alternative name: drifter dill or power rock drill). This piece of machinery was used in mining to place holes in the walls of a mine which were then filled with dynamite or other explosives for rock blasting or to make holes for plug and feather quarrying. The additional tools to the right of the photograph and in front of the machinery can be identified as either picks or as feather and wedges, the latter of which were used to split stone drilled by the hydraulic or power chisel. Depending on the date of the photograph, which is not provided, this chisel was either powered by electricity or by hydraulics. The following is written on the drill "R.C. FORD'S PATENT No91 / MELBOURNE VICTORIA 1879". The man depicted in this photograph wears a wide brim hat, a loose fitting white shirt and loose pants. He wears boots and has a medium sized dark beard. This attire, along with his locality in the mine and proficiency with the mining equipment, identifies this man as a miner working in this particular, but unidentified, mine. It depicts an instance of hydraulic chiseling which makes this photograph valuable for the study of mining techniques from a date c1880.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray the types of machinery used in mining can reveal important information for technology and highlight the methods used to break apart the earth in order to obtain access to gold and other precious materials during the period this photograph was captured. Further research into RC Ford can potentially reveal even further information pertaining to this photograph. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about the methods and machinery used to access gold or mine more in general. It also highlights the size of machinery at the time and allows us to compare this to the size of the person standing besides the machinery to better understand the manpower which would have been required to use and set-up this macinery.A black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7816/ copy 1/3gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, gold and tin mine, mining, gold mining, beechworth, burke museum, melbourne, victoria, hat, mining machinery, machinery, r. c. ford -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Photograph - Reproduction, c.1870s
This photograph shows a piece of gold mining equipment identified as a mine winch, possibly an air winch cylinder of 1870s RG Ford's Patent design. Throughout the history of mining for gold and other precious materials, the windlass or winch (pictured) was used to bring up buckets full of soil from the bottom of a mine. This soil was then searched for gold/metals before being relocated to a different area. Due to the size and complexity of this particular piece of equipment, this winch may have been used to raise and lower mine carts to the entrance of the mine (often used in coal mining) and could have been used in raising cages up and down (acting as elevators) containing miners if the mine was particularly deep. The actual use of this particular item in the Beechworth locality is undocumented but these are some possibilities based on the use of these pieces of equipment in other mining locations. Mining can have a largely detrimental impact to the environment and therefore, the study of machinery like the one depicted in this photograph can help researches to reconstruct the methods and technologies used in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This particular item appears to have been removed from it's original site where it would have been used to assist with mining. It is possible that this photograph has been taken for recording purposes or as part of a machinery exhibition. Prior documentation records that this piece of equipment had connections to the Rocky Mountains Mining Company. Today, the Rocky Mountains Gold Mining company is famous in Beechworth for having been instrumental in the creation of the Rocky Mountain tunnel. Construction for this tunnel began in 1859 when a group of 12 men blasted a 400ft long tailrace though the rock beneath the town of Beechworth. Today, the 800ft tunnel, completed in 1871, is a popular tourist attraction but during the decades of gold mining, the purpose of this tunnel was to divert water away from the main sluicing operations so miners could better access gold and precious materials. The tunnel was used for this purpose for many years, later becoming useful for the Zwar Brother's tannery and currently as an outfall drain for Lake Sambell. This area continued to be mined until the early 1900s. The period when this item was in use is unclear but it is estimated to have been in the 1870s based on the design and appearance of the image. The gold works at the Rocky Mountain Tunnel closed in the early 1920s but the impact of mining remains in Beechworth today and therefore the study of photographs like this one which contain mining equipment can further understanding of mining in this region.This photograph has historic and research potential for study on the gold mining of the Beechworth region and types of equipment used to locate gold after the initial gold rush of 1853-1854 which resulted in the discovery of the surface gold and required miners to dig deeper to access precious metals. The clarity of the photo, and its good preserved condition, means it can continue to be used for research. This photo is part of a collection of six photos all within the Burke Museum Collection which depict mining equipment.Square black and white photograph on card.7793.1beechworth, mining, goldmining, goldmining equipment, beechworth burke museum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This black and white photograph is estimated to have been taken c1900 inside the Burke Museum. Several objects part of the museum collection at the time can be seen, with a high number of Asian influence objects visible; potentially Chinese in origin, as several Chinese villages were located around Beechworth and across Spring Creek, from the mid 1800s. The Burke Museum is part of the Precinct of Beechworth, which was established upon the discovery of gold in 1852. Originally built as the Beechworth Athenaeum in 1857, the museum was later renamed to the Robert O'Hara Burke Memorial Museum, more commonly known as the Burke Museum, in honour of the famous explorer and former Beechworth Superintendent of Police, Robert O'Hara Burke, after his death in 1861 at Coopers Creek during the famed ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition.This photograph is contextually, historically and socially significant due to its connection to both the Burke Museum and Chinese culture in and around Beechworth during the mid-1800s through to 1900s. Around 4700 people of Chinese heritage lived at the Ovens goldfield by April of 1857, representing one-quarter of the entire population at the time. The object holds strong representativeness to the history of the Burke Museum and to the objects in its collection. Its interpretive capacity could be supported and enhanced with other photographs and objects in the collection. Collectively, these records and objects could provide an insight into the museum's collection and its relationship with the origins of the objects.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on paper. Unmounted; taped to paper. beechworth, spring creek, chinese, burke museum, immigration, chinese immigration, ovens goldfield, china, museum, robert o'hara burke, burke and wills expedition, burke and wills, goldfields -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1999
This photograph depicts members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert was associated with an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were a part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Marching bands, choirs, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, and seasonal activities, such as Mr. Spiller's roller skating rink, founded in the late 1860s, were among the attractions on offer. 'Liedertafel' is a tradition that accompanied German settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. German clubs, complete with marching bands, athletics associations and Liedertafel choirs, were centres of social activity attracting wide audiences not limited to members of their own ethnicity. Alfred Arthur Billson was the youngest son of Mr. George Billson, who served as Beechworth’s mayor between 1869-1871. In 1872, George purchased the Oven’s Brewery in Last Street, which became Billson’s Brewery, one of the oldest continuing beverage manufacturers in Australia. An active member of Beechworth’s cultural, business and political life around the turn of the century, A.A. Billson served on Beechworth Shire Council from 1884 to 1893, and from 1895 to 1910, with three terms as president (1888–89, 1899–1901, 1908–09). He founded the Beechworth Progress Association in 1891 and produced an ‘Illustrated Guide to Beechworth and Vicinity’ to develop tourism potential. This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The image is historically and socially significant for attesting to the enduring appeal of local musical associations, which were a popular means of entertainment that fostered social connections among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Reverse: 7029 / Label: 7029 / Source / Burke Museum / Beechworth / Band / 1999/2000 /liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, protestantism, teetotallism, skating carnivals, beechworth german association, yma's, beechworth skating rink, progress societies, billson's brewery, german-australians, beechworth progess association, lodges, freemasonry, colonial australia -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1999/2000
This photograph depicts female singers accompanied by members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert related to an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 'Liedertafel' is a German tradition that accompanied European settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by president, Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. Marching bands, choirs, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, and seasonal activities, such as Mr. Spiller's roller skating rink, which was founded in the late 1860s, were among the entertainments on offer in Beechworth.This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The image is historically and socially significant for attesting to the enduring appeal of local musical associations, which were a popular means of entertainment that fostered social connections among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Liedertafel choirs were originally male-only, therefore, the presence of female singers at the 1999 exhibition reflects progressive social and community values with regard to gender and inclusion.Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7030 / Label: Burke Museum / Liedertafel Exh / Emily Messen, Luetta / Schier, Hannah / Routledge, Sarah / McKinley 2000 (?) / 2000 (?) / liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, exhibition 1999, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, past exhibitions, performances at the burke museum, european settlers, german community, german choral societies, brass bands, male choir, colonial passtimes, colonial entertainments, cultural traditions, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, camp st beechworth, beechworth historic district, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, benevolent societies, intellectual societies, protestantism, billson brewery beechworth, teetotallism, fancy dress carnivals, skating carnivals, fundraising societies, german musicians, crimean war, beechworth german association, freemasonry, yma's, beechworth athenaeum, beechworth skating rink -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph depicts two members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert related to an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were a part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 'Liedertafel' is a German tradition that accompanied European settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by president, Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. Marching bands, choirs, processions, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, fancy dress and roller skating carnivals, were among the vibrant and diverse entertainments offered in Beechworth during the gold rush period. Race meetings were revived with a gala atmosphere at Baarmutha on New Year's Day and Easter Monday in the early 1880s. 'Spiller's Skating Rink', which premiered at St. Georges Hall in August 1869, was accompanied by the 'Beechworth Fire and Drum band'. In 1888, Beechworth had two skating rinks in operation, the Columbia Elite at Oddfellow's Hall, and the Beechworth Skating Rink, corner Camp and Last Streets, Beechworth. Vandenberg's Beechworth Brass Band was reported to have provided musical entertainment for patrons at both venues.This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The story of Liedertafel's and Beechworth Brass Band is historically and socially significant for understanding the role played by German immigrants in building Victorian communities. In settler communities, cultural associations centred on artistic, recreational and sporting activities not only provided a popular means of entertainment, but fostered social cohesion among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds.Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Obverse (On keyboard): Technics / Reverse: 7028 / Label: Liedertafel / exh. / Beechworth / Band / 1999/2000 /liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, protestantism, teetotallism, skating carnivals, beechworth german association, yma's, beechworth skating rink, progress societies, billson's brewery, german-australians, roller skating history -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1999-2000
This photograph taken c1999/2000, depicts the Burke Museum’s granite façade and vestibule entrance. The museum's large red door is closed and there is a white sign is attached to the door. The museum site dates to the 1857 founding of the Beechworth Public Library and Athenaeum by a newly formed Young Men's Association (YMA). In 1863 the museum was dedicated as a memorial to former Beechworth police superintendent (1854-1858) and explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, following Burke’s death from malnutrition on the Burke and Wills expedition in 1861. Funded by the Victorian Government and the Royal Society of Victoria, the officially titled 'Victorian Exploring Expedition' was tasked with being the first European party to traverse Australia from south to north. The Burke Museum holds objects from the famous expedition and explores the multi-layered history of Beechworth and surrounds from the gold rush era to the present.This photograph is historically significant for its depiction of the Burke Museum c1999/2000. The Burke Museum is Australia’s oldest regional museum and part of Beechworth's Historic and Cultural Precinct, one of Australia’s best preserved historic-town sites and a popular tourist destination. Once the government centre for a vast gold fields region, this collection of nationally significant buildings tells the story of how Australia grew and prospered. The frequent use of honey-coloured local granite as a building material, which can be seen in the museum's fabric, gives Beechworth’s historic buildings a distinct and cohesive local character. This photograph captures this distinctive character and may be compared and studied alongside other images of historic buildings in the Burke Museum Photographic Collection.Rectangular colour photograph printed on photographic paper.Reverse: 7031 / Label: Burke Museum / 1999/2000 /burke museum, indigo shire, beechworth athanaeum, beechworth library, beechworth historic building, historic precinct, burke museum exhibition, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, honey-coloured local granite, robert o'hara burke, victorian gold fields, historic towns in victoria, colonial australia, liedertafel, colonial entertainments, beechworth brass band, historic victorian architecture, australia's oldest regional museum, burke and wills expedition, first europeans to cross australia, yound mens associations, beechworth tourism, things to see in beechworth, beechworth historic trail, young men's associations -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, Unknown
This undated photograph depicts two people standing in the vestibule entrance at the Burke Museum, Beechworth. The museum site dates to the 1857 founding of the Beechworth Public Library and Athenaeum by a newly formed Young Men's Association (YMA). In 1863 the museum was dedicated as a memorial to former Beechworth police superintendent (1854-1858) and explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, following Burke’s death from malnutrition on the Burke and Wills expedition in 1861. Funded by the Victorian Government and the Royal Society of Victoria, the officially titled 'Victorian Exploring Expedition' was tasked with being the first European party to traverse Australia from south to north. The Burke Museum holds objects from the famous expedition and explores the multi-layered history of Beechworth and surrounds from the gold rush era to the present.This photograph is historically significant for its depiction of the Burke Museum and Loch Street streetscape. The Burke Museum is Australia’s oldest regional museum and part of Beechworth's Historic and Cultural Precinct, one of Australia’s best preserved historic-town sites and a popular tourist destination. Once the government centre for a vast gold fields region, this collection of nationally significant buildings tells the story of how Australia grew and prospered. The frequent use of honey-coloured local granite as a building material, which can be seen in the museum's fabric, gives Beechworth’s historic buildings a distinct and cohesive local character. This photograph may be compared and studied alongside other images of historic buildings in the Burke Museum Photographic Collection.Rectangular colour photograph printed on photographic paper.Reverse: 3440burke museum, beechworth athenaeum, beechworth library, beechworth historic precinct, robert o'hara burke, australia's oldest regional museum, indigo shire, beechworth athanaeum, beechworth historic building, historic precinct, honey-coloured local granite, victorian gold fields, historic towns in victoria, victoria's high country, colonial australia, beechworth tourism, things to see in beechworth, beechworth historic trail, historic victorian architecture, burke and wills expedition, first europeans to cross australia, young men's associations -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1990s--estimated
Taken in 1990, this photograph depicts a row of shops in Beechworth, with the shopfront of watchmaker and jewellers, William Turner and C.F. Falck, in the foreground, and newsagent and bookseller James Ingram's shop in the background.This photograph is of social significance to the Beechworth community in depicting the Street of Shops, the creation of curator, Roy Harvey, which opened in 1979 at Burke Museum. According to the Indigo Shire Council webpage for Burke Museum, this addition 'began a new period of collecting with Roy Harvey calling to the community for donations. The response resulted in an influx of material adding to the town history/ development and local identities collections. The Shops and their contents reflect another period in museology.' The historic shopfronts in this image portray those of local settlers, William Turner and CF Falck's Watchmaker and Jeweller store, and James Ingram's news agency and bookshop. William Turner was originally a goldfields official who became a commissioner on the Ovens goldfield, and later a resident warden, at times performing magisterial duties and chairing the Local Court. Charles Frederick Falck, born in Korlin, Germany, in 1833, a skilled watchmaker and jeweller, ran the jewellery business from 1862. Along with William Turner and Melbourne barrister, George Milner Stephen, he prepared a dazzling display of gems and jewellery from Beechworth for the Royal Society's Exhibition in Melbourne in 1865. This act signposted Beechworth's progress as a nineteenth-century gold rush town with a population of around 3000. In the mid-1850s, newsagent James Ingram established a newsagency and supplied papers and stationary to the goldfields. He and bookseller R.T. Vale stocked a wide range of literary, historical and religious works, textbooks, periodicals and newspapers, as well as hosting a reading and writing room on Camp Street{?}. James Ingram was a 'devoted instigator and supporter of the town's welfare institutions', who raised funds for to establish a hospital, primary school and benevolent asylum, and assisted people who'd fallen on hard times with his wife. He was also a mainstay of the early Baptist church, holding meetings in his house. He died in 1928, six weeks short of his 100th birthday. Ingram's Rock, north-west of Beechworth near where he lived in later life, was named after him. Colour rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Obverse: FALCK 1880 / maker & Jeweller/ WARDENS OFFICE/COACHING OFFICE/ EST. ??55/ ????ON HOUSE/ JAMES INGRAM/ NEWS?????? AND BOOKSELLER/ TOYS visible above shopfront in left foreground. Reverse: Catalogue item number 3305 pencilled in top right-hand corner.beechworth, beechworth historic shops, william turner, cf falck, james ingram, turner and falck watchmaker and jeweller, james ingram newsagent and bookseller, burke museum, promoting settlement, marketing and retailing, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, beechworth founders, victorian gold rush towns, beechworth pioneers, ingram's rock, 1860s beechworth, street of shops, roy harvey -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1990s -- estimated
Taken in the 1990s, this photograph depicts a line of historically restored shopfronts on Ford Street, Beechworth, with Beechworth Bazaar in the foreground and George Gammon's Chemist and Druggist adjacent to it.This photograph is of social significance to the Beechworth community in depicting the Street of Shops, the creation of curator, Roy Harvey, which opened in 1979 at Burke Museum. According to the Indigo Shire Council webpage for Burke Museum, this addition 'began a new period of collecting with Roy Harvey calling to the community for donations. The response resulted in an influx of material adding to the town history/ development and local identities collections. The Shops and their contents reflect another period in museology.' This photograph evokes the historic shopfronts of Beechworth Bazaar and George Gammon's Chemist and Druggist from the Street of Shops, which were established during the mid-1850s on the back of gold mining wealth. The expansion of banks within Beechworth also stimulated the local economy.Colour rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper.Obverse: BEECHWORTH BAZAAR est. 1855/ CHINA GLASSWARE SILVERPLATE EARTHENWARE/ ?ESTER HO?E/ R.?ALL. ? LT.LITTLEWOO?/ SINGLEMAN & RIEDLE GEORGE GAMMON/ MEDICAL GALVANISM/ CUPPING/ TEETH EXTRACTED/ CHEMIST & DRUGGIST Reverse: 3. 3055 burke museum, beechworth, beechworth bazaar, 19th-century victorian history, beechworth historic shops, burke museum, promoting settlement, marketing and retailing, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, victorian gold rush towns, beechworth pioneers, 1850s beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1990s
Taken in the 1990’s, the photograph depicts an exhibition in Beechworth featuring a series of shop fronts or a streetscape inspired by the 1850s gold rush to Beechworth. Gold was discovered in the Beechworth area in 1852, leading to a significant rush to the area as diggers and hopeful migrants alike hoped to strike it rich. This gold rush to Beechworth, which was part of a larger and prolonged gold rush to the Victorian colony in the 1850’s, led to significant communal, social, and economic shifts in the area and the colony.This photograph contains historical and social significance, connecting with several themes such as gold mining, making regional centres, and marking significant phases of development for Victoria’s towns. The gold rush of the 1850’s was a significant historical phase for the Victorian colony that led to widespread social, economic, and communal changes as the population of the colony nearly tripled in size. The rush to Beechworth after the discovery of gold in 1852 was one of the earliest gold finds. The photograph depicts an interpretation of store fronts in Beechworth during the 1850’s following the gold rush, providing an example of the historical interpretation of the Beechworth gold rush in the 1990’s. The photograph also demonstrates the enduring importance of Beechworth’s gold rush history to the local community, who continued to demonstrate an interest in the Beechworth gold rush. Colour rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper.Obverse: DANCING EVERY NIGHT 8 P.M-6 A.M/ GOLD DIGGERS ARMS HOTEL/ STAR (illegible)/ SALOON/ EST. 1853/ BEECHWORTH GOLD (illegible)/ J. DAVIDSON/ LICENSE/ BANK OF VICTORIA/ GOLD BUYING OFFICE/ EST. 1856 (illegible) Reverse: 3306 gold rush, beechworth, exhibition, victorian colony, shops, store fronts, streetscape, saloon, gold buyer, hotel, store, bank of victoria, j. davidson -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1999
This photograph features three display board sections showing information and photographs from 'The Harvest' exhibition inside the Burke Museum at Beechworth in 1999. The boards are titled 'To the Market' and 'Orchards'; the accompanying text cannot be read. The two accompanying photographs depict a man and woman picking fruit.This photograph is of social significance to Burke Museum and the Beechworth community, documenting an exhibition, The Harvest, held in 1999 to communicate the importance of agricultural development, specifically of orchards, in the area. The expansion of vineyards and horticulture in the Beechworth district followed gold rush prosperity in the mid-1850s, with nearly ninety acres of gardens and small farms under vineyards by 1865. There were 400 Chinese market gardeners and hawkers in the area in 1868. The growth of agriculture in the Ovens district in the mid -1860s led to advocacy by local farmers for the extension of railway infrastructure from Melbourne to improve access to distant markets.Colour rectangular photograph printed on matte AGFA photographic paper.Obverse: TO THE MARKET / ORCHARDS/ Reverse: 2856beechworth, burke museum, promoting settlement, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, farming and agriculture, orchards, exhibitions, burke museum exhibitions, fruitpicking, building local economies, transforming land, victorian agricultural history, marketing and promoting agricultural products, growing fruit and vegetables, the harvest exhibition, harvests, vineyards, victorian gold rush towns -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, Estimate 1999
This photograph was taken in 1999 at 'The Harvest' exhibition at the Burke Museum for members of Baking Industry Victoria. The grain mill, manufactured by B.M. Purshouse in Wolverhampton, England, was of special interest.This photograph is of primary social significance to the Beechworth community because it depicts a 19th-century grain mill, manufactured by B.M. Purshouse in Wolverhampton, England, which was probably used at flour mills in the Ovens District, such as that at Tarrawingee, which opened in 1866. The purchase of agricultural machinery such as the grain mill accompanied the expansion of agriculture, including grain growing, in the Ovens District following the gold mining prosperity of the 1850s. This photograph may be of interest to researchers who wish to observe an image of the Purshouse grain mill.Colour rectangular photograph printed on matte AGFA photographic paper.Obverse: THE HARVEST / THE HARVEST Reverse: 2854beechworth, burke museum, promoting settlement, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, farming and agriculture, exhibitions, burke museum exhibitions, building local economies, transforming land, victorian agricultural history, marketing and promoting agricultural products, the harvest exhibition, harvests, victorian gold rush towns, grain mill, bm purshouse, crops and grain, baking industry victoria -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1990
... . Beechworth Burke Museum Street of Shops Gold Rush Indigo Shire gold ...Taken in the 1990's, this photograph depicts a row of shop fronts in the 'Street of Shops' exhibition in the Burke Museum in Beechworth. This exhibition was created and opened in 1979 and was intended to reflect and imitate a historic peirod in the town's past. The time period decpicted is that of the Gold Rush which swept through many Victorian towns from the 1850's onwards. For the town of Beechworth, the gold rush began in 1852, when gold was discovered in Spring Creek, drawing in many new residents seeking to make a fortune and transforming a once remote town into a bustling centre brimming with hope and opportunity. By 1857, the town contained over 200,000 residents and with this, the need for more amenities and intsitutions arose. Multiple churches, banks, schools, shops, hospitals and other essential buildings appearing over the years. The wealth acquired through the gold rush is largely responsible for the vast development of the town and many of its significant buildings which still remain to this day. This photograph also highlights the significance of this type of exhibition, providing a new mode of experiencing and learning about the past. The street depicts the many supporting trades and industries that arose from the mass migration during the gold rush. The creation of the Street of Shops in 1979 was envisioned by Roy Harvey who was the curator at the time, with the intention of recreating an authentic feel to the environment while collecting from the community to accurately portray the multiculturalism that is ingrainded in many towns and communities of Victoria. This photograph contains historical significance as it relates to and portrays an especially important period of time within Beechworth and Victoria's history. The gold rush phenomena ushered in a wave of hope and prosperity for citizens and immigrants alike. It provided many with the opportunity to strike it rich, while the town prospered and grew in many ways. This widespread development that accompanied the gold rush occured throughout Victoria and holds great historical importance when recording the social, economic and communal developments that occured throughout the time period which gave way to the beloved towns and communities we know today. Beechworth itself is acknowledged as Victoria's best-preserved gold mining town and deserves recognition of its significance. it also showcases the great significance of social develpment and globalization that occured throughout the state during this period. Coloured rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and unmounted. Obverse: Dancing every night 8pm-6am [mirror] / Gold Diggers Arms Hotel façade / Star / Beechworth Gold / J. Davidson / Saloon Reverse: 3306 beechworth, burke museum, street of shops, gold rush, indigo shire gold rush, 1850s beechworth, burke museum exhibitions, saloon, gold buyer, hotel, historical streetscape, gold rush immigration -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c.1980
This photograph depicts the entrance to the Burke Museum in Beechworth, most likely in 1980. The building was originally established as the Beechworth Athenaeum in 1857 to provide a lecture hall and reading room at the peak of the gold rush. In 1859, it became the Beechworth Public Library, which is why the writing embossed above the main entry says 'Library' rather than 'Museum'. The building was turned into a museum and renamed the Robert O'Hara Burke Memorial Museum in 1863 in honour of Robert O'Hara Burke, former Police Superindendent of Beechworth who died in 1861 on the Burke and Wills expedition. The Burke Museum has been in almost continual operation since that time. In the 1970s, the building underwent renovations to create several verandas, though the main façade visible in this photograph remained as it was when originally built. The Burke Museum currently contains over 30,000 individual objects, including the Gold Rush era items and the Ned Kelly collection advertised on the a-frame in the photograph. The photograph itself is also part of the Burke Museum collection.The Burke Museum itself is very significant to Victorian history. It is on both the Victorian Heritage Register and is part of the National Trust due to its relevance to the history of the Gold Rush period, its architectural features, and its significant collection. Photographs of it throughout its history are an important part of telling the museum's story. This photograph in particular highlights what the museum staff believed would be appealing to a 1980s public, evident by the A-frame advertising board.A black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper.Top right text: 5147. Bottom left text: Beryl Seatt (or possibly Scatt) & friend 1980beechworth, burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth historic precinct, architecture, museum, library, 1980s, 1980s australia, museum staff