Eltham Community Festival, 4-13 August 1978 Newsletter No. 3 September 1978 Eltham Community Festival. This year’s Eltham Community Festival was held from August 4th to 13th. The society was involved with the Warrandyte Historical Society in arranging an exhibition at the Community Centre and also provided notes and a map for a self-guided walking tour of historic buildings and locations around Eltham. Copies of notes will continue to be available from the Eltham Shire Offices and the tour may be under-taken at any time. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The Eltham Society displayed early photographs associated with the walking tour, whilst the Warrandyte Society showed their photographs and artefacts of the Warrandyte gold era. An outstanding feature was the large "blow-up" photos of early Warrandyte. Colour photographeltham, main road, eltham festival, alan whitmore estate agents, shell service station, mount pleasant road, parade, parade float, wingrove park, apex

Eltham Community Festival, 4-13 August 1978 Newsletter No. 3 September 1978 Eltham Community Festival. This year’s Eltham Community Festival was held from August 4th to 13th. The society was involved with the Warrandyte Historical Society in arranging an exhibition at the Community Centre and also provided notes and a map for a self-guided walking tour of historic buildings and locations around Eltham. Copies of notes will continue to be available from the Eltham Shire Offices and the tour may be under-taken at any time. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The Eltham Society displayed early photographs associated with the walking tour, whilst the Warrandyte Society showed their photographs and artefacts of the Warrandyte gold era. An outstanding feature was the large "blow-up" photos of early Warrandyte. Colour photographeltham, main road, eltham festival, alan whitmore estate agents, shell service station, mount pleasant road, parade, parade float, wingrove park, !st eltham scouts

Eltham Community Festival, 4-13 August 1978 Newsletter No. 3 September 1978 Eltham Community Festival. This year’s Eltham Community Festival was held from August 4th to 13th. The society was involved with the Warrandyte Historical Society in arranging an exhibition at the Community Centre and also provided notes and a map for a self-guided walking tour of historic buildings and locations around Eltham. Copies of notes will continue to be available from the Eltham Shire Offices and the tour may be under-taken at any time. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The Eltham Society displayed early photographs associated with the walking tour, whilst the Warrandyte Society showed their photographs and artefacts of the Warrandyte gold era. An outstanding feature was the large "blow-up" photos of early Warrandyte. Colour photographeltham, main road, eltham festival, alan whitmore estate agents, shell service station, mount pleasant road, parade, parade float, wingrove park

Eltham Community Festival, 4-13 August 1978 Newsletter No. 3 September 1978 Eltham Community Festival. This year’s Eltham Community Festival was held from August 4th to 13th. The society was involved with the Warrandyte Historical Society in arranging an exhibition at the Community Centre and also provided notes and a map for a self-guided walking tour of historic buildings and locations around Eltham. Copies of notes will continue to be available from the Eltham Shire Offices and the tour may be under-taken at any time. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The Eltham Society displayed early photographs associated with the walking tour, whilst the Warrandyte Society showed their photographs and artefacts of the Warrandyte gold era. An outstanding feature was the large "blow-up" photos of early Warrandyte. Colour photographeltham, main road, eltham festival, alan whitmore estate agents, shell service station, mount pleasant road, parade, parade float, wingrove park

Eltham Community Festival, 4-13 August 1978 Newsletter No. 3 September 1978 Eltham Community Festival. This year’s Eltham Community Festival was held from August 4th to 13th. The society was involved with the Warrandyte Historical Society in arranging an exhibition at the Community Centre and also provided notes and a map for a self-guided walking tour of historic buildings and locations around Eltham. Copies of notes will continue to be available from the Eltham Shire Offices and the tour may be under-taken at any time. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The Eltham Society displayed early photographs associated with the walking tour, whilst the Warrandyte Society showed their photographs and artefacts of the Warrandyte gold era. An outstanding feature was the large "blow-up" photos of early Warrandyte. Colour photographeltham, main road, eltham festival, alan whitmore estate agents, shell service station, mount pleasant road, parade, parade float, wingrove park

History and Beliefs of Jehovah's Witness Religious OrganisationThe Baker family lived in the Kiewa Valley. Their herd of 15 cows yielded an average of 5614 lbs. Milk 5.2% average test and 301.71 lbs. Butterfat in 273 days with allowances for junior cows in the year 1930-31 1. Book - 'Bible Readings for Home Circle' 1906 2. Book - 'Christ's Object Lessons' 3. 8 small folded papers each with a religious message 4. Certificate to Mr J. Baker presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria re Dairy Herd in Oct. 1931 5. Certificate to L.A.C.I. G. Baker 49th Optl. Based Unit R.A.A.F. Shire of Yackandandah Feb. 1946baker family, kiewa valley, jehovah's witness, dairy farming

An adventure novel of 192 pages set in the Kiewa Valley. Allan Aldous also has also written a series of McGowan Books set in different parts of the world.This book is set in the Kiewa Valley in Victoria where a Mr. Shapley finds new employment on the huge hydro-electric project. Hard cover red book with coloured paper dust jacket that has the title in red at the top and the author's name at the bottom left corner. The coloured picture is of 3 skiers and an aeroplane in the mountains. First Australian Edition 1950Inside on front page a certificate has been pasted on: "Presbyterian Church / of Victoria and Tasmania / League of / Young Worshippers / 'Mordialloc' Church / Awarded to / 'Robert Firth' / for attending '47' Sundays / at Church during the Year. / 'Rev. L Hercot' Minister The second book has "To Mark / Wishing you a Happy/ Birthday / Best Wishes from/ Trevor and Kevin / 19th March 1954"kiewa adventure, allan aldous author

This iron chaff cutter was a vital piece of rural machinery especial for cattle in areas subjected to limited grass growing seasons. The Kiewa Valley and Alpine regions were up to the 21st century "snowed" in. The conditions requiring summer crops and fodder to be prolonged for the harsh winter climate are now becoming less and less and may confirm the precursor of "global warming". The Kiewa Valley is still a strong base for dairy cattle and other stock requiring all year access to hay/grass supplies. The use of, now defunct, Tobacco drying sheds for the storage of hay and other fodder is typical of the Australian farmer/grazier's adaptability to utilise anything available. To think outside the square.Black Iron Chaff Cutter. The wheel has a single piece inside with 4 curved spokes with adjustable blades attached by 4 screws & 3 rivets. The wheel has a wooden handle. Operated by cogs. HOCKING GREASE BALLARAT COGS FREELYagriculture, farm machinery, stock feeding, grazier, farm animals

Born 9 May 1901 in Prahran. Her Record of Conduct and Service describes her as being 5' 2½" and 8 stones 3 lbs, with hazel eyes, dark brown hair, a fresh complexion and of good appearance. She belonged to the Church of Christ. She commenced training at the Police Training Depot in 1929. In December of that year she passed the examination for a licence as a Shorthand Writer under the Evidence Act. In 1938 she won first prize for the 'empire-wide' King's Police Gold Medal Essay Competition - the set topic for that year was 'Juvenile Crime - Its Causes and Treatment'. The essay was subsequently published in two parts in The Australian Quarterly. Jessie suffered ill health in later life and died after a stroke on 3 June 1952. She had worked mainly at the Russell Street and the Fitzroy P.C.B. and C.I.B.Jessie Clarey 8507 taken in the early 1930spolice women, clarey, jessie jemima 8507, king's police gold medal, police woman, policewomen, policewoman

Stephenson departed Melbourne on 3 September 1941 onboard the Queen Mary. Diary runs from departure date until September 1 1942, covering Stephenson's Middle East service and his wounding in action at Alamein. One year later, Stephenson was wounded in action at Buiem River in New Guinea, and a few days later died from the wounds received.WW 2 diary of William Stephenson (VX 51713 2/23 Battalion).william john stephenson, ww11, 2/23 battalion, diaries

Two cartons labelled Ringwood Apex - 4352A and 4352B - Historic Apex documents donated by Neville Fuller - former office bearer - 22Feb2017 following presentation as guest speaker at first RDHS monthly meeting for 2017. CONTENTS: 4352A 4352/A01 - ANNUAL REPORTS 1966 - 1991 4352/A02 - Orange binder containing DINNER NOTICES – Inaugural Dinner 12/10/1966 and DINNER NOTICES 26/10/1966 – 9/10/1967 4352/A02B - Red binder - DINNER NOTICES 20/11/1967 - 22/1/1969 4352/A03 - DINNER NOTICES 19/2/1969 – 30/11/70 4352/A04 - DINNER NOTICES 10/1/1971 – 6/12/1971 4352/A05 - DINNER NOTICES 10/1/72 – 24/7/1972 4352/A06 - 100TH DINNER NOTICE 28/10/1970 400TH DINNER NOTICE 18/2/1983 500TH DINNER NOTICE 28/2/1987 4352/A07 - ODD DINNER NOTICES 23/10/67, 3/6/68, 26/10/75, 21/10/76 (10th ANNIVERSARY) [MISSING APEX DINNER NOTICES … 23/10/1967-5/2/1969] CONTENTS: 4352B 4352/B01 - DINNER NOTICES 22/9/77-17/11/77 (Part year) 4352/B02 - DINNER NOTICES 27/1/78-23/11/78 4352/B03 - DINNER NOTICES 18/1/79-7/11/79 4352/B04 - DINNER NOTICES 19/11/79-19/112/80 4352/B05 - DINNER NOTICES 29/1/81-17/12/81 4352/B06 - DINNER NOTICES 14/1/82-17/12/82 4352/B07 - DINNER NOTICES 13/1/83-16/12/83 4352/B08 - DINNER NOTICES 19/1/84-20/12/84 4352/B09 - DINNER NOTICES 17/1/85-20/12/85 4352/B10 - DINNER NOTICES 30/1/86-18/12/86 4352/B11 - DINNER NOTICES 29/1/87-17/12/87

(No identification of students or class or year).

Heathmont Ladies Probus 3 newsletters 1990 to 1993; Ringwood Ladies Probus 10 year booklet "Ever Widening Circles"Packet includes: . Ladies Probus Club of Ringwood Inc. 10 year booklet- "Ever Widening Circles". . Newspaper clipping. . Heathmont Ladies Probus Club, 3 newsletters 1990 to 1993.

This item was used at J.D, Torley, Nicholson Street in Orbost by Mr H.A. Murray.. Chemists who worked in Orbost included Henry Cottman; James Alfred Dubois Williams; Harry Arthur Murray; Miss P.E .Mason (Phyllis Estelle?); Miss Sybil Monica Buzza; Thomas James Frayer; Australia Shaw; James David Torley; John William Zimmer; Dalkeith William Steele; William Thomas Hollingsworth; E.E. Cohen; R.S. Anderson; Frances John Perry Faith Everard Pardew and Charles Anthony Wurf. From POISONS ACT. Act No. 54, 1952. "1 2 . (1) Every person who sells any poison included in the first part of Schedule One of the Poisons List shall, before delivery thereof to the purchaser, inquire his name, place of abode, and occupation and the purpose for which such poison is required or stated to be required. (2) Such person shall thereupon make a faithful entry of such sale, specifying the poison and the quantity thereof, and all such particulars so given by the purchaser, together with the day of the month and year of such sale, in a book to be kept by the vendor for that purpose in the form prescribed. (3) Every such entry shall be signed by the person making the same, and shall, subject to sections thirteen and fourteen of this Act, be also signed by the purchaser, unless he declares himself unable to write, in which case the person making the entry shall add thereto the words "Purchaser cannot write". (4) Whenever a witness to the sale is required by this Act, such entry shall be signed by such witness, and shall also state his place of abode. (5) The book referred to in subsection two of this section shall be preserved by the vendor for at least five years from the date on which the final entry in the book is made." Before these ledgers were used there had an increasing number of proprietary medicines appearing on an unregulated market, with many products regarded as ‘quack’ medicines with amazing therapeutic claims.State governments moved to control claims for these product sand the Commonwealth strengthened controls on imported biological products. This item reflects the history of pharmaceutical practices. Until the mid 1950s there was no government co-ordinated record-keeping of the sales of poisons. This item is indicative of that period.A thin cardboard covered book - orange cover with red cloth binding. It contains information -dates, names, addresses, occupations, witnesses and name and purpose of poison. The details are hand-written.ledger-sale-of-poisons turley-chemist zimmer-john pharmacies-orbost

A.W.Dickson was a Real Estate Agent in Ringwood for many years. These calendars show the local buildings of the day. For example the original Eastland 's building of 1967, Maroondah Hospital 1976 and the Civic Centre now the Karralyka Centre.1 1987 calendar with six black and white photos of buildings and vistas around Ringwood with monthly dates in lower quarter of page. 2 1988 calendar with six posters advertising early 20th century land sales in Ringwood, Heathmont and Ringwood East with dates in lower quarter of page Compiled by A.W.Dickson Pty. Ltd. Real Estate Agent. Photographed by C.M.S. Photographers - 725 9441 (January February 1987) RINGWOOD LAKE - Ideal picnic spot for Ringwood Model power boats frequently on display. Barbecue area, playground, resting place for old steam engine. Yabbie netting is a favourite pastime here. (March April 1987) CLOCK TOWER - Moved from its former site on Warrandyte Road corner in 1967 and re-built in its present location, brick by brick. A wreath laying ceremony is held here on Anzac day each year. (May June 1987) RINGWOOD AQUATIC CENTRE - A world class swimming facility opened in 1986 at a cost of $3 million. Featuring the latest ozone water treatment techniques. In summer folding doors can be opened to give access to existing outdoor pools and sunbathing area. (July August 1987) MAROONDAH HOSPITAL - Opened in 1976 after many years of fund raising efforts by local people. The opening of casualty facilities was welcomed by locals as previously Box Hill Hospital catered for the entre area. (September October 1987) EASTLAND - Opened October 1967. Built on a former football oval. Now about to undergo major extensions to cater for Ringwood's population growth into the 21st Century. November December 1987 CIVIC CENTRE - Built on the site of a former antimony mine behind the council offices. Now the venue for many activities and a local point for Ringwood's Cultural Life.

Black and white photograph (2 copies)"Written on back of one of the photographs," L to R: 1. Joe Archbold, 2. J. Roberts, 3. B. Tann, 4. W. Bamford, 5. C. Palmer, 6. J. Tancoe, 7. G. Young, 8. S. Hunt, 9. Horace Dowsing, 10. T. Roberts, 11. G. Cox". Year c1947.

This pair of brass binoculars was presented to Tom Pearce in recognition of his heroic efforts at the wrecking of the Loch Ard and saving Eva Carmichael. They were presented to him by the Lady Mayoress of Sydney on 27th July 1878 on behalf of the colonists of New South Wales "In recognition of his gallant conduct on the occasion of the wreck of the Loch Ard". Tom (Thomas) Pearce was born in Ireland in 1859 and arrived in Melbourne two years later; he considered himself as Australian. Before sailing on the Loch Ard he had been at sea for three years as an apprentice sailor and had already experienced one shipwreck. Tom was on the deck of the Loch Ard with Captain Gibb throughout the night of May 31st 1878. It was mistakenly thought they were 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Cape Otway. By 2:00 am on June 1st, the wind was blowing "pretty fresh" but a thick haze remained and, when it eventually cleared, the land was so close the unsuccessful battle to save the Loch Ard began. After the ship struck Mutton Bird Island Tom and five others were sent to the lifeboats. Conditions were very dangerous as waves broke over the decks and they were all washed away. Tom found himself in the stormy waters and under a lifeboat, which had also been washed into the sea. After being swept into the gorge Tom left the boat and swam into shore; he was alone. Eva Carmichael, a passenger on the ship, had been snatched from her bed just before dawn and into the chaos, confusion and terror of the shipwreck, with rigging and rocks raining down. Thrown into the sea, she afterwards said: "God taught me to swim in my distressful plight, for I never swam before". Clinging to a spar, she was swept into the gorge and saw Tom Pearce walking along the beach. Upon hearing the cries of Eva, Tom swam out and with great difficulty brought her to the shore and placed her safely in a cave where he made a bed of grass and shrubs and gave her brandy to revive her. She sank into exhausted unconsciousness. Tom then scrambled to the top of the high cliff and after walking for some time he stumbled upon workers from Glenample Homestead. They rode back to the homestead for help but Tom insisted on returning to Eva. When Eva awoke she found herself alone, "cold, weak and terrified with the wild waves before me, and caves and cliffs around me" and upon hearing strange noises, which she imagined to be made by the local indigenous people, she hid. The noises were made by the rescue party from Glenample Homestead. After eventually discovering Eva they hauled her up the cliff in the darkness of night, “a work of great difficulty and danger” and took her to Glenample. Sadly, Tom and Eva were the only survivors of the 54 people on board the Loch Ard. Tom’s rewards for his bravery included the Gold Medal of the Humane Society, a gold watch and £1000 from the Victorian Government, a set of nautical instruments, (which included the binoculars) from the people of Sydney and £60 from the people of Warrnambool. He was also presented with a Bible by a “Friend of the Loyal Orange Institution of Victoria, Protestant Hall Melbourne” in August 1878. Coleman Jacobs composed the music "The Young Hero Schottische" and dedicated it, by permission, to Mr Thomas R. (Tom) Pearce. The sheet music was published in 1878 by Mr Roberts, professor of dancing and was on sale for 3/- (3 shillings) in aid of the "Loch Ard" fund. Tom Pearce went on to join the Loch Sunart on her return to England, only to be wrecked again off the Irish coast in January 1879. Tom left the Loch Line in 1883 and the following year married Edith Gurney Strasenbergh, the sister of his friend Robert who had died on the Loch Ard. They had three children, unfortunately, two of the male children were to die at sea. In 1895 Tom obtained his first command as Master of The Larne, a vessel with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. He remained with the company until he died in Southampton, England, on 14th December 1908. Tom Pearce never saw Eva Carmichael after he had fare welled her some 30 years before. Eveline Victoria Berta Carmichael was born in 1859 in Mountrath, Queens County, Ireland. After recovering from her ordeal in August 1878 Eva returned to Ireland and in 1884 married Thomas Achilles Townshend, a Civil Engineer. They had three sons, all of whom had successful military careers, and when Eva’s death notice appeared in the Melbourne Argus It read. "Townshend on 8th April 1934 aged 74 at her residence in Bedford, England, Evaline Victoria, widow of the late Thomas Archilles Townshend, C.E. of Co. Cork, Ireland. Mrs Townshend was the Eva Carmichael who, with the late Tom Pearce, were the only two survivors of the ship Loch Ard, which was wrecked near Port Campbell on June 1st 1878." The binoculars are significant for their association with the wreck of the Loch Ard and the only two surviving members of that wreck Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from Loch Ard is significant for being one of the largest. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The assemblage of items from the wreck is of historical significance in that they are associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Pair of brass marine binoculars in a wooden box On the left hand eye piece, on the underside, is an engraved inscription and another engraved word. On the right hand eye piece there is another small inscription and on the underside there is a small green mark. The binoculars have a pattern of embossed tiny circles on the outside. Some of the patterning is very shiny due to wear and rubbing, there is a brass ring on the underside of the binoculars for the attachment of a lanyard. The wooden box has a hinged lid and on the front of the box in the centre is a lock, and at either end are two hooks and eyes. The box is split across the top for about 3/4 of the length. Marking on the left underside reads, 'Presented on behalf of the Colonists of New South Wales By the Mayoress of Sydney on 27th. July 1878 to Mr Thomas B Pearce. In recognition of his gallant conduct on the occasion of the wreck of the "Loch Ard"'. Underneath this inscription is engraved 'Sydney'. On the other eye piece is engraved what looks like 'Mac Donnell & Co' binoculars, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, loch ard shipwreck, tom pearce, thomas r pearce, eva carmichael, mutton bird island, loch ard survivor, loch ard hero, coleman jacobs, the young hero schottische, photograph of tom pearce, glenample homestead

An adze is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes are used for smoothing or carving wood in hand woodworking, and as a hoe for agriculture and horticulture. Two basic forms of an adze are the hand adze (short hoe) a short handled tool swung with one hand and the foot adze (hoe) a long handled tool capable of powerful swings using both hands, the cutting edge usually striking at foot or shin level. Mathieson & Sons Maker: In 1792 John Manners had set up a workshop making woodworking planes at 14 Saracens Lane Glasgow. He also had employed an apprentice Alexander Mathieson (1773-1851). But in the following year at Saracen's Lane, the 1841 census describes Alexander Mathieson as a master plane-maker now at 38 Saracen Lane with his son Thomas Adam working with him as a journeyman plane-maker. Presumably, Alexander must have taken over the premises and business of John Manners. Now that the business had Thomas Adam Mathieson working with his father it gradually grew and became more diversified, and it is recorded at the time by the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory that by 1847-1848 Alexander Mathieson was a “plane, brace, bit, auger & edge tool maker” In 1849 the firm of James & William Stewart at 65 Nicholson Street, Edinburgh was taken over and Thomas was put in charge of the business, trading under the name Thomas A. Mathieson & Co. as plane and edge-tool makers. Thomas company went on to acquire the Edinburgh edge-tool makers “Charles & Hugh McPherson” and took over their premises in Gilmore Street. In the Edinburgh directory of 1856/7, the business is recorded as being Alexander Mathieson & Son, plane and edge-tool makers at 48 Nicholson Street and Paul's Work, Gilmore Street Edinburgh. The 1851 census Alexander is recorded as working as a tool and plane-maker employing eight men. Later that year Alexander died and his son Thomas took over the business. Under the heading of an edge-tool maker in the 1852/3 Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory the firm is now listed as Alexander Mathieson & Son, with further entries as "turning-lathe and vice manufacturers". By the early 1850s, the business had moved to 24 Saracen Lane. The directory for 1857/8 records that the firm had moved again only a few years later to East Campbell Street, off the Gallowgate area, and that through further diversification was also manufacturing coopers' and tin men's tools. The ten-yearly censuses report the firm's growth in 1861 stating that Thomas was a tool manufacturer employing 95 men and 30 boys; in 1871 he had 200 men working for him and in 1881 300 men. By 1899 the firm had been incorporated as Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd, even though only Alexander's son Thomas appears ever to have joined the firm so the company was still in his fathers' name. In September 1868 Thomas Mathieson put a notice in the newspapers of the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent and the Sheffield Daily Telegraph stating that his firm had used the trade-mark of a crescent and star "for some time" and that "using or imitating the Mark would be proceeded against for infringement". The firm had acquired its interest in the crescent-and-star mark from the heirs of Charles Pickslay, the Sheffield cutler who had registered it with the Cutlers' Company in 1833 and had died in 1852. The year 1868 seems also to be the one in which the name Saracen Tool Works was first adopted; not only does it figure at the foot of the notice in the Sheffield press, it also makes its first appearance in the firm's entry in the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory in the 1868/9 edition. As Thomas Mathieson's business grew, so too did his involvement in local public life and philanthropy. One of the representatives of the third ward on the town council of Glasgow, he became a river Bailie in 1868, a magistrate in 1870 and a preceptor of Hutcheson's Hospital in 1878. He had a passion for books and was an "ardent Ruskinian". He served on the committee handling the bequest for the setting up of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. When he died at Coulter Maynes near Biggar in 1899, he left an estate worth £142,764. The firm of Alexander Mathieson & Sons was one of the leading makers of hand tools in Scotland. Its success went hand in hand with the growth of the shipbuilding industries on the Firth of Clyde in the nineteenth century and the emergence of Glasgow as the "second city of the Empire". It also reflected the firm's skill in responding to an unprecedented demand for quality tools by shipyards, cooperages and other industries, both locally and far and wide.Coopers Adze steel with wooden handle No 194 A Mathieson & Sons Glasgowflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road

The subject router is commonly referred to disparagingly as the ‘old woman’s tooth’ or ‘hag’s tooth.’ It is a router that houses a plough plane iron instead of a purpose made shoe-type cutting iron. They work fine but rarely give the type of clean surface required for veneer inlays. These types of tools are adjusted by the same hammer-tap tapping method used generally on wooden-bodied planes on the iron or plane body. These tools are effective and practical when used in general carpentry and joinery. Company History: The firm of Alexander Mathieson & Sons was one of the leading makers of hand tools in Scotland. Its success went hand in hand with the growth of the shipbuilding industries on the Firth of Clyde in the nineteenth century and the emergence of Glasgow regarded as the "second city of the Empire". It also reflected the firm's skill in responding to an unprecedented demand for quality tools by shipyards, cooperage's and other industries, both locally and far and wide. The year 1792 was deemed by the firm to be that of its foundation it was in all likelihood the year in which John Manners had set up his plane-making workshop on Saracen Lane off the Gallowgate in the heart of Glasgow, not far from the Saracen's Head Inn, where Dr Johnson and James Boswell had stayed on their tour of Scotland in 1773. Alexander Mathieson (1797–1851) is recorded in 1822 as a plane-maker at 25 Gallowgate, but in the following year at 14 Saracen's Lane, presumably having taken over the premises of John Manners. The 1841 national census described Alexander Mathieson as a master plane-maker at 38 Saracen Lane with his son Thomas Adam working as a journeyman plane-maker. In 1849 the firm of James & William Stewart at 65 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh was taken over and Thomas was put in charge of the business, trading under the name Thomas A. Mathieson & Co. as plane and edge-tool makers. Thomas's company acquired the Edinburgh edge-tool makers Charles & Hugh McPherson and took over their premises in Gilmore Street. The Edinburgh directory of 1856/7 the business is recorded as being Alexander Mathieson & Son, plane and edge-tool makers at 48 Nicolson Street and Paul's Work, Gilmore Street. The 1851 census records indicate that Alexander was working as a tool and plane-maker employing eight men. Later that year Alexander died and his son Thomas took over the business. Under the heading of an edge-tool maker in the 1852/3 (Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory) the firm is now listed as Alexander Mathieson & Son. By the early 1850s, the business had moved to 24 Saracen Lane. The directory for 1857/8 records that the firm had moved again only a few years later to East Campbell Street, also off the Gallowgate, and that through further diversification was also manufacturing coopers' and tinmen's tools. The ten-yearly censuses log the firm's growth and in 1861 Thomas was a tool manufacturer employing 95 men and 30 boys; in 1871 he had 200 men working for him and in 1881 300 men. By 1899 the firm had been incorporated as Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd, even though only Alexander's son Thomas appears ever to have joined the firm. A vintage tool made by a well-known firm made for other firms and individuals that worked in wood. The tool was used for making timber veneers or smoothing a trench in a piece of timber that was then used in some form of cabinet manufacture or wood working enterprise. A significant item from the mid to late 19th century that today is sought after by collectors. It gives us a snapshot of how furniture was made predominately by hand and with tools that were themselves hand made and required considerable skill in their use. Old Woman's Tooth Router Mathieson. Single iron cut down from a larger plane iron. Has Marked A Mathieson & Son also stamped inscription on side G Hill. (owner)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, plane, old woman's tooth, router, hag's tooth router, cabinet making, woodworking tools, a mathieson & sons, cabinet tool makers

In 1792 John Manners had set up a workshop making woodworking planes at 14 Saracens Lane Glasgow. He also had employed an apprentice Alexander Mathieson (1773-1851). But in the following year at Saracen's Lane, the 1841 census describes Alexander Mathieson as a master plane-maker now at 38 Saracen Lane with his son Thomas Adam working with him as a journeyman plane-maker. Presumably, Alexander must have taken over the premises and business of John Manners. Now that the business had Thomas Adam Mathieson working with his father it gradually grew and became more diversified, and it is recorded at the time by the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory that by 1847-1848 Alexander Mathieson was a “plane, brace, bit, auger & edge tool maker” In 1849 the firm of James & William Stewart at 65 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh was taken over and Thomas was put in charge of the business, trading under the name Thomas A. Mathieson & Co. as plane and edge-tool makers. Thomas's company went on to acquire the Edinburgh edge-tool makers “Charles & Hugh McPherson” and took over their premises in Gilmore Street. In the Edinburgh directory of 1856/7, the business is recorded as being Alexander Mathieson & Son, plane and edge-tool makers at 48 Nicolson Street and Paul's Work, Gilmore Street Edinburgh. The 1851 census Alexander is recorded as working as a tool and plane-maker employing eight men. Later that year Alexander died and his son Thomas took over the business. Under the heading of an edge-tool maker in the 1852/3 Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory the firm is now listed as Alexander Mathieson & Son, with further entries as "turning-lathe and vice manufacturers". By the early 1850s, the business had moved to 24 Saracen Lane. The directory for 1857/8 records that the firm had moved again only a few years later to East Campbell Street, off the Gallowgate area, and that through further diversification was also manufacturing coopers' and tinmen's tools. The ten-yearly censuses report the firm's growth in 1861 stating that Thomas was a tool manufacturer employing 95 men and 30 boys; in 1871 he had 200 men working for him and in 1881 300 men. By 1899 the firm had been incorporated as Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd, even though only Alexander's son Thomas appears ever to have joined the firm so the company was still in his fathers' name. In September 1868 Thomas Mathieson put a notice in the newspapers of the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent and the Sheffield Daily Telegraph stating that his firm had used the trade-mark of a crescent and star "for some time" and that "using or imitating the Mark would be proceeded against for infringement". The firm had acquired its interest in the crescent-and-star mark from the heirs of Charles Pickslay, the Sheffield cutler who had registered it with the Cutlers' Company in 1833 and had died in 1852. The year 1868 seems also to be the one in which the name Saracen Tool Works was first adopted; not only does it figure at the foot of the notice in the Sheffield press, it also makes its first appearance in the firm's entry in the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory in the 1868/9 edition. As Thomas Mathieson's business grew, so too did his involvement in local public life and philanthropy. One of the representatives of the third ward on the town council of Glasgow, he became a river bailie in 1868, a magistrate in 1870 and a preceptor of Hutcheson's Hospital in 1878. He had a passion for books and was an "ardent Ruskinian". He served on the committee handling the bequest for the setting up of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. When he died at Coulter Maynes near Biggar in 1899, he left an estate worth £142,764.  Company's later years: Both Thomas's sons, James Harper and Thomas Ogilvie were involved in the continuing life of the firm. James followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a local public figure. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the County of the City of Glasgow and was made a deacon of the Incorporation of the Hammermen of Glasgow in 1919. His brother Thomas Ogilvie was recorded as tool manufacturer and employer in the 1911 census. Thomas Ogilvie's son Thomas Alastair Sutherland Ogilvie Mathieson was born in 1908 took a rather different approach to engineering, however, by becoming a racing driver. In 1947 he wed the French film actress Mila Parély. The firm had won many awards at world fairs for their goods. At the Great Exhibition, London, 1851. Prize medal for joiners' tools in the class of Cutlery & Edge Tools, Great London Exposition, 1862. Prize medal honoris causa. International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1880. Gold medal International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art, Edinburgh, 1886. Prize medal The firm of Alexander Mathieson & Sons was one of the leading makers of hand tools in Scotland. Its success went hand in hand with the growth of the shipbuilding industries on the Firth of Clyde in the nineteenth century and the emergence of Glasgow as the "second city of the Empire". It also reflected the firm's skill in responding to an unprecedented demand for quality tools by shipyards, cooperages and other industries, both locally and far and wide.Scotch Eye Auger, Double Twist with Lead Screw 2 inch bit with round shaft leading to handle socketStamped A Mathiesonflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, auger, ring auger, ship building

Caulking is the traditional technique used on wooden vessels built with butted or clinker-built planks to fill the gaps between these planks while still allowing the wood to flex and move. This involved driving the irons, hammered in with the mallet, deep into the seams to open them up. After this, spun yarn, oakum (hemp) or cotton was driven deep into the gaps. The hemp or cotton was soaked in creosote or pine tar to make the joins watertight. Caulking also played a structural role in tightening up the hull or deck by reducing the longitudinal movement of the neighbouring planks. The subject item was made by Alexander Mathieson & Sons but the company was established in 1792 when John Manners had set up a workshop making woodworking planes at 14 Saracens Lane Glasgow. He also employed an apprentice Alexander Mathieson (1773-1851). But in the following year at Saracen's Lane, the 1841 census describes Alexander Mathieson as a master plane-maker now at 38 Saracen Lane with his son Thomas Adam working with him as a journeyman plane-maker. Presumably, Alexander must have taken over the premises and business of John Manners. Now that the business had Thomas Adam Mathieson working with his father it gradually grew and became more diversified, and it is recorded at the time by the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory that by 1847-1848 Alexander Mathieson was a “plane, brace, bit, auger & edge tool maker”. In 1849 the firm of James & William Stewart at 65 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh was taken over by Mathieson and Thomas was put in charge of the business, trading under the name Thomas A. Mathieson & Co. as plane and edge-tool makers. Thomas's company went on to acquire the Edinburgh edge-tool makers “Charles & Hugh McPherson” and took over their premises in Gilmore Street. In the Edinburgh directory of 1856/7, the business is recorded as being Alexander Mathieson & Son, plane and edge-tool makers at 48 Nicolson Street and Paul's Work, Gilmore Street Edinburgh. In the 1851 census, Alexander is recorded as working as a tool and plane-maker employing eight men. Later that year Alexander died and his son Thomas took over the business. Under the heading of an edge-tool maker in the 1852/3 Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory the firm is now listed as Alexander Mathieson & Son, with further entries as "turning-lathe and vice manufacturers". By the early 1850s, the business had moved to 24 Saracen Lane. The directory for 1857/8 records that the firm had moved again only a few years later to East Campbell Street, off the Gallowgate area, and that through further diversification was also manufacturing coopers' and tinmen's tools. The ten-yearly censuses report the firm's growth in 1861 stating that Thomas was a tool manufacturer employing 95 men and 30 boys; in 1871 he had 200 men working for him and in 1881 300 men. By 1899 the firm had been incorporated as Alexander Mathieson & Sons Ltd, even though only Alexander's son Thomas appears ever to have joined the firm so the company was still in his father's name. In September 1868 Thomas Mathieson put a notice in the newspapers of the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent and the Sheffield Daily Telegraph stating that his firm had used the trade-mark of a crescent and star "for some time" and that "using or imitating the Mark would be proceeded against for infringement". The firm had acquired its interest in the crescent-and-star mark from the heirs of Charles Pickslay, the Sheffield cutler who had registered it with the Cutlers' Company in 1833 and had died in 1852. The year 1868 seems also to be the one in which the name Saracen Tool Works was first adopted; not only does it figure at the foot of the notice in the Sheffield press, but it also makes its first appearance in the firm's entry in the Post-Office Glasgow Annual Directory in the 1868/9 edition. As Thomas Mathieson's business grew, so too did his involvement in local public life and philanthropy. One of the representatives of the third ward on the town council of Glasgow, he became a river bailie in 1868, a magistrate in 1870 and a preceptor of Hutcheson's Hospital in 1878. He had a passion for books and was an "ardent Ruskinian". He served on the committee handling the bequest for the setting up of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. When he died at Coulter Maynes near Biggar in 1899, he left an estate worth £142,764.  In the Company's later years both Thomas's sons, James Harper and Thomas Ogilvie were involved in the continuing life of the firm. James followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a local public figure. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the County of the City of Glasgow and was made a deacon of the Incorporation of the Hammermen of Glasgow in 1919. His brother Thomas Ogilvie was recorded as a tool manufacturer and employer in the 1911 census. Thomas Ogilvie's son Thomas Alastair Sutherland Ogilvie Mathieson was born in 1908 and took a rather different approach to engineer, however, by becoming a racing driver. In 1947 he wed the French film actress Mila Parély. The firm had won many awards at world fairs for their goods. At the Great Exhibition, London, 1851. Prize medal for joiners' tools in the class of Cutlery & Edge Tools, Great London Exposition, 1862. Prize medal honoris causa. International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1880. Gold medal International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art, Edinburgh, 1886. Prize medalThe firm Alexander Mathieson & Sons were one of the leading makers of hand tools in Scotland. Its success went hand in hand with the growth of the shipbuilding industries on the Firth of Clyde in the nineteenth century and the emergence of Glasgow as the "second city of the Empire". It also reflected the firm's skill in responding to an unprecedented demand for quality tools by shipyards, cooperages and other industries, both locally and far and wide. The subject item is of further significance as it gives a snapshot of the technological development of sailing ships and their operation before steam-powered vessels took over around the world. Tools such as the subject item demonstrate the traditional craftsmanship and skill of the shipwright and the aesthetic quality of the timber ships designs of the time. Caulking tool Off-set. Stamped on blade "Mathieson & Son Glasgow" also stamped in handle, James S Steele tool box.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, james s steele, caulking iron, caulking tool, offset caulking tool, alexander mathieson & sons, shipwrights tools, ship building, clinker hull caulking, sailing ships

These remains of a block, shackle and wire are from the sailing ship Newfield. This would have been one of the hundreds of blocks and shackles used in the rigging of the vessel. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1869 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. On the night of 28 August 1892, the Captain mistook the Cape Otway light for that of Cape Wickham (King Island) and altered tack to the north and east putting the vessel on a collision course with the Victorian coast. At around 3:40 am the Newfield struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and 5 feet of water filled the holds immediately. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The starboard lifeboat was cleared for lowering with two seamen and two apprentices in her, but almost as soon as she touched the water she was smashed to bits against the side of the vessel, and only one of the four reached safety ashore, able seaman McLeod. The rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile offshore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. For his heroic efforts, Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at sea on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody's granddaughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is additionally significant because of the medal awarded to a local man Peter Carmody. The Newfield collection historically also represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.This is what remains of a block, shackle and wire from the wreck of the sailing ship “Newfield”. The object is heavily encrusted. The exterior (cheeks) of the block is missing. The disc of the block has a channel part way around its face, about 2 cm from the edge. Two long, narrow plates are joined onto the centre of the disc’s face with a bolt through the centre. The other ends of the two plates join onto the elbow of the shackle. The elbow of the shackle is also joined onto a rod. At the other end of the rod can be seen the ends of thick wire strands.block, 1893, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, peter carmody, newfield, 1892, port campbell, shipwreck, ship, victorian shipwrecks, barque, ship wreck, peterborough, sailing ship, 29 august 1892, block and shackle, curdies river, bramley-moore medal

This large brass porthole is from the sailing ship Newfield this would have been one of the many port holes in the vessel used for light and ventilation. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1869 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. On the night of 28 August 1892, the Captain mistook the Cape Otway light for that of Cape Wickham (King Island) and altered tack to the north and east putting the vessel on a collision course with the Victorian coast. At around 3:40 am the Newfield struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and 5 feet of water filled the holds immediately. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The starboard lifeboat was cleared for lowering with two seamen and two apprentices in her, but almost as soon as she touched the water she was smashed to bits against the side of the vessel, and only one of the four reached safety ashore, able seaman McLeod. The rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile offshore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. For his heroic efforts, Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at sea on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody's granddaughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is additionally significant because of the medal awarded to a local man Peter Carmody. The Newfield collection historically also represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.Heavily encrusted large brass porthole, complete with glass intact object is a circular, thick glass window surrounded by a round brass frame and attached to a round brass porthole frame with 9 bolt holes. This porthole was recovered from the wreck of the NEWFIELD.Nonewarrnambool, peter carmody, newfield, port campbell, shipwreck, nineteenth century, ship, victorian shipwrecks, peterborough, peter ronald, dog screw, newfield porthole, bramley-moore medal, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck artefact, ship fitting, ship window

This skylight frame would have been fitted on the Newfield’s poop deck (or raised deck that forms the roof of a cabin at the aft or rear of the ship). It would have covered and protected a glass pane that allowed light to enter the area below desk. The glass pane from the skylight is missing. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1869 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. On the night of 28 August 1892, the Captain mistook the Cape Otway light for that of Cape Wickham (King Island) and altered tack to the north and east putting the vessel on a collision course with the Victorian coast. At around 3:40 am the Newfield struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and 5 feet of water filled the holds immediately. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The starboard lifeboat was cleared for lowering with two seamen and two apprentices in her, but almost as soon as she touched the water she was smashed to bits against the side of the vessel, and only one of the four reached safety ashore, able seaman McLeod. The rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile offshore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. For his heroic efforts, Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at sea on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody's granddaughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is additionally significant because of the medal awarded to a local man Peter Carmody. The Newfield collection historically also represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.Skylight, frame only. The heavily encrusted brass framework has eight bolts around the long side, and four metal bars forming two ‘v’ shapes across the centre. The frame is, slightly concave towards the inner side. The shorter ends of the frame each have a ‘U’ shaped bracket attached in the centre. The shorter ends are wider on one end and taper towards the other end to about a quarter of the thickness. The frame was recovered from the wreck of the NEWFIELD.Noneflagstaff hill maritime museum, newfield ship wreck, alexander stephen & sons, brownells & co, captain george scott, great ocean road ship wreck, peter carmody, bramley-moore medal, liverpool shipwreck and humane society, skylight cover, skylight frame, ship fitting, light cover, newfield

This medal for bravery, for rescue of the crew from the shipwreck “Eric the Red” on 4th September 1880, was awarded to one of the crew of the steamer S.S. Dawn by the President of the United States in July 1881. The medal is engraved with the name “Nelson Johnson” (the anglicised version of his Swedish name Neils Frederick Yohnson). It was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in 2013 by Nelson’s granddaughter. Nelson had migrated from Sweden to Sydney in 1879. The next year in 1880, aged 24, he was a seaman on the steamship Dawn and involved in the rescue of the survivors of the Eric the Red. Nelson Johnson was a crew member of the S.S. Dawn and was one of the rescue team in the dinghy in the early morning of September 4th 1880. Medals were awarded to the Captain and crew of the S.S. Dawn by the President of the United States, through the Consul-general (Mr Oliver M. Spencer), in July 1881 “ … in recognition of their humane efforts in rescuing the 23 survivors of the American built wooden sailing ship, the Eric the Red, on 4th September 1880.” The men were also presented with substantial monetary rewards and gifts. The city of Warrnambool’s care of the survivors was also mentioned by the President at the presentation, saying that “the city hosted and supported the crew ‘most graciously’. Previously, a week after the shipwreck, the Australian Government had also conveyed its thanks to the Captain and crew of the S.S. Dawn “Captain Griffith Jones, S.S. Dawn, The Hon. Mr Clark desires that the thanks of the Government should be conveyed to you for the prompt, persevering and seamanlike qualities displayed by you, your officers and crew in saving the number of lives you did on the occasion referred to. The hon. The Commissioner has also been pleased to award you a souvenir in commemoration of the occasion, and a sum of 65 pounds to be awarded to your officers and crew according to annexed scale. I am, &c, W Collins Rees, for and in the absence of the Chief Harbour Master.” The Awards are as follows: - Crew of DAWN'S lifeboat-Chief Officer, Mr G. Peat, 15 pounds; boat's crew-G. Sterge, A.B., 5 pounds; T. Hammond, A.B., 5 pounds; J. Black, A.B., 5 pounds; H. Edwards, A.B., 5 pounds. Dinghy's Crew-Second Officer, Mr Christie, 10 pounds; boat's crew -F. Lafer, A.B., 5 pounds; W. Johnstone, A.B., 5 pounds; Mr Lear, provedore, 5 pounds; Mr Dove, purser, 5 pounds. Captain Jones receives a piece of plate. (from “Wreck of the ship Eric the Red” by Jack Loney) The medal’s history, according to the Editor of ‘E-Sylum’ (the newsletter of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society “… appears to be an example of an 1880 State Department medal, catalogued as LS-3 (page 322 of R. W. Julian's book, Medals of the United States Mint: The First Century 1792-1892). The reverse is mostly blank for engraving, surrounded by a thin wreath. It was designed by George Morgan, chief engraver for the Philadelphia Mint, and struck in gold, silver and bronze. The one pictured here (in The Standard newspaper, 2nd July 2013) appears to be silver.” The following is an account of the events which led to the awarding of this medal. The American ship Eric the Red was a wooden, three-masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric ‘the Red-haired’ Thorvaldsson, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first-class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) – about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Zaccheus Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were also 2 saloon passengers on board. The ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. As Eric the Red approached Cape Otway there was a moderate north-west wind and a hazy and overcast atmosphere. On 4th September 1880 at about 1:30 am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However, he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, southwest of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. The sea knocked the helmsman away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The lifeboats were swamped, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its riggings, then the mainmast also fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually, the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30 am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time, they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer SS Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, and its sailing time was different to its usual schedule. She was built in 1876 and bought by the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co. in 1877. At the time of this journey, she was commanded by Captain Jones and was sailing between Melbourne and Portland via Warrnambool. The provedore the Dawn, Benjamin Lear, heard cries of distress coming through the portholes of the saloon. He gave the alarm and the engines were stopped. Cries could be heard clearly, coming from the land. Captain Jones sent out crew in two boats and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight, the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much-needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital for care and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Zaccheus Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. Neither the ship nor its cargo was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steamship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay, the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally, those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation, Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated onto Point Franklin. Some of the vessels' yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of f locating wreckage about 10 miles off land, southeast of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and flycatchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with a chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and this medal awarded for the rescue of the crew. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and teapots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. A Mr G.W. Black has in his possession a medal and a purse that was awarded to his father, another Dawn crew member who was part of the rescue team. The medal is similarly inscribed and named “To John Black ….” (from “Shipwrecks” by Margaret E. Mackenzie, 3rd edition, published 1964). The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high-quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and shed around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7-foot-long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at shipbuilding in Apollo Bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. Nelson Johnson married Elizabeth Howard in 1881 and they had 10 children, the father of the medal’s donor being the youngest. They lived in 13 Tichbourne Place, South Melbourne, Victoria. Nelson died in 1922 in Fitzroy Victoria, age 66. In 1895 the owners of the S.S. Dawn, the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co., wound up and sold out to the Belfast Company who took over the Dawn for one year before selling her to Howard Smith. She was condemned and sunk in Suva in 1928. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". The medal for bravery is associated with the ship the “The Eric the Red which is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) This medal was awarded to Nelson Johnson by the U.S. President for bravery in the rescue of the Eric the Red crew. The obverse of the round, solid silver medal has an inscription around the rim. In the centre of the medal is the head of Liberty to the left, hair in a bun, with a sprig of leaves in the top left of a band around her head. There is a 6-pointed star below the portrait, between the start and end of the inscription. There are two raised areas on the rim, horizontally opposite each other, from the edge to just below the lettering and coinciding with the holes drilled in the edge. Slightly right of the top is a round indentation in the rim. The reverse has a wreath of leaves as a border, joined at the bottom by a ribbon bow. In the centre of the medal is an inscription, decorated with 3-pronged design and dots. The edge is plain with 2 small, rough and uneven holes horizontally opposite to each other, as though they had been used for mounting the medal at some stage. The medal has a matte finish on both sides and is slightly pitted and scratched.“PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES” around the perimeter of the obverse of the medal. “TO / Nelson Johnson, / seaman of the British, / str “Dawn”, for bravery, / at risk of life, / in / rescuing the crew of / the American Ship / “Eric the Red.” “M” on obverse, truncation of the portraitwarrnambool, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, eric the red, zaccheus allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne exhibition, cape otway, otway reef, victorian shipwreck, medal, nelson johnson, neils frederick yohnson, s.s. dawn, george morgan, hero