Sliding Gunter was the nom de Plume of Thomas Hamilton Tracey Osborne. Thomas Hamilton Tracey Osborne was born at Belfast 4/9/1851, the son of Thomas Hamilton Trail Osborne and his second wife Eliza nee Treacey. The young Thomas spent many hours among seamen and ships at Port Fairy. He moved to Warrnambool and commenced work as secretary to the Western Steam Navigation Company becoming manager in 1883. After the company failed he joined with Mark Saltau and they traded as Saltau and Osborne. His writings as Sliding Gunter appeared in The Warrnambool Standard and the Belfast Gazette. He was knowlegable and maintained an interest in shipping and the sea. He died in 11th December 1902 and his body was taken on board the Julia Percy and was buried at sea out from the Breakwater. He was well liked in the district and people lined the Cannon Hill area and the foreshore to farewell him. As an avid writer he corresponded with many people and this letter is one such letter The writer J J Crawford from Koroit tells the story of some of his family and their travels to Australia and early years in South Australia. The contents of letters such as these show he drew information from various sources.These letters as they relate to one of Warrnambool's earliest writers hold historic and social significance.002192.1 Plain white paper letter handwritten in black ink on back and front of letter 002192.2 Plain white paper letter handwritten in black ink on front and section on the back written sideways. Both letters are in the same hand.002192.1 dated 27 Feb 1902, Koroit. Signed J J Crawford 002192.2 Dated 1 March 1902, Koroit.sliding gunter

In 1854 in Melbourne George Rolfe Senior established an import business dealing in groceries, wines and spirits and tea. His son George, born in England, took over the business of Rolfe and Co in 1871. A keen sportsman, George Rolfe’s love of fishing led him to take frequent holidays in Warrnambool. He began buying blocks of land near the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool in the 1870s. By the 1880s Rolfe owned 50 acres in the Hopkins River area and named the property, Lyndoch. He built stables, chaff and bone sheds, a jetty, a boatshed, a water well, a windmill, a reservoir and extensive gardens. He also bought the nearby properties of Shipley and Fairy Hill, establishing a stud farm and breeding cattle. In 1891 he married Jane Ann Lake, the widow of his property manager, and when he died in 1919 his step-daughters, Florence and Annie Lake, inherited Lyndoch. The property was sold and became an aged care facility in 1952. The cutlery items were in use in the building erected by Florence Lake in 1920 and known today as Lyndoch but the ‘R’ monogram on the items suggest that they belonged to George Rolfe or even his father before him.These cutlery items are of considerable importance as mementoes of George Rolfe and his family. They were prominent in Warrnambool’s history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the establishment and development of the property, Lyndoch, near the mouth of the Hopkins River. These are 17 pieces from a silver cutlery set that belonged to the Rolfe family (one tablespoon, six large forks, five smaller forks, four small spoons and one mustard spoon.) All the pieces of cutlery have a monogrammed ‘R’ at the end of the handles. Twelve of the items are tarnished and one small spoon is very worn. All the items have six hallmarks. ‘R’george rolfe, lyndoch, warrnambool, rolfe & co. melbourne, florence lake, lyndoch warrnambool., history of warrnambool

Basil Watson departed Melbourne on 24th January 1917, on the initial leg of Australia's first 'barnstorming' aviation tour, promoted by the entrepreneurs Albert Sculthorpe and R. Sissons. During the trip, which lasted over a month, Watson visited Warrnambool, Hamilton and Mount Gambier, before returning via stopovers at Casterton, Hamilton, Warrnambool and Camperdown. At each town he presented a public flying demonstration for crowds of spectators, featuring his usual aerobatic displays with feats such 'looping the loop', upside down flying, somersaulting and 'perpendicular nose dives', generating much amazement and admiration. The promoters had received approval from the Postmaster General's Department to carry an experimental airmail consignment on the return journey from Mount Gambier, and Watson landed in Albert Park on his arrival back in Melbourne on 27th February, carrying over 1,000 pieces of airmail collected from each of the towns on route. Much of the mail was in the form of official souvenir postcards commemorating the event, which were reposted on arrival to local addresses in Melbourne. Churchward, M. (2017) Basil George Watson, Pioneering Aviator (1894-1917) in Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/15473 Accessed 18 December 2018.Book. ' Basil G. Watson, Pioneer Airman, the Mount Gambier to Melbourne 1917 experimental air mail'. Grey cover, 39 pages with photographs and illustrations.H.N. Eustisbiography, aviation, basil g. watson, aviation, airmail, bendigo, basil g. watson.eric j. ames pty ltd printers, 14 chesser street adelaide

This wooden sword is said to “possibly be the only remaining part of the figurehead from the sailing ship Eric the Red.” It was previously part of the collection of the old Warrnambool Museum and the entry in its inventory says “Wooden sword, portion of the figurehead, held by “Eric the Red” at the bow.” A large part of the ship’s hull was found on the rocks and a figurehead may have been attached or washed up on the shore. The shipping records for E. & A. Sewall, the builders, owners and managers of Eric the Red, are now preserved in the Maine Maritime Museum. There is no photograph on record of Eric the Red but photographs of other ships built around that time by the same company show that these did not have figureheads, and there is no record found of a figurehead for Eric the Red being ordered or paid for. Further research is being carried out. The ship building company E. & A. Sewall, from Bath, Maine, USA, built Eric the Red, 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, and was the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows that Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, 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 - from America 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 Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. On 4th September 1880 the ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. Eric the Red approached Cape Otway in a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am 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, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast 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 4:30am 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 Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Cries were heard coming from out of the darkness. Captain Jones sent out two life 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 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 Z. 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 the 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. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts and bravery, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. 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 steam ship 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 on to 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 floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east 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 fly catchers 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 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 a medal for bravery. 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 tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. 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 sheds 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 ship building 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. 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 Eric the Red 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 carved wooden sword, recovered from the Eric the Red, is possibly the only portion of the figurehead recovered after the wreck. There are spirals carved from the base of the handle to the top of the sword. The hilt of the sword is a lion’s head holding its tail in its mouth, the tail forming the handle. The blade of the sword has engraved patterns on it. Tiny particles of gold leaf and dark blue paint fragments can be seen between the carving marks. There are remnants of yellowish-orange and crimson paint on the handle. At some time after the sword was salvaged the name of the ship was hand painted on the blade in black paint. The tip of the sword has broken or split and the remaining part is charcoal in appearance. On both the tip and the base of the handle are parts made where the sword could have been joined onto the figurehead There is a white coating over some areas of the sword, similar to white lead putty used in traditional shipbuilding. The words “ERIC the RED” have been hand painted on the blade of the sword in black paint sometime after it was salvaged.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, sword, wooden sword, eric the red, carved sword, figurehead, snake head on sword

Post Office Receiving Pillar was Collected from Warrnambool City Council’s Scott Street Depot and transported to Flagstaff Hill, stored in the Barracks area Friends of Flagstaff Hill began the project of restoring the Post Office Receiving Pillar in early 2011. The replacement dome required a pattern to be made from paper, then timber, then someone to manufacture it. The cast iron body required sand blasting and undercoating. The pillar was installed in Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in March 2014. A specialist visited the Village and painted the pillar with 7 coats of ‘post office red’ then completed the job with gold paint on the details. In 2015 an information plate of brass was fitted to the Pillar in the position that would have originally announced the clearing times. It was originally manufactured by G Couch, Engineer, Alliance Iron Works, Melbourne. Gordon Couch passed away in June 1896 and his Works were offered for auction in November 1897. HISTORY OF POST OFFICE RECEIVING PILLARS In 1851 ‘pillar boxes’ were installed at roadside locations in the island of Jersey, England; they had already been successful in several European countries. The use of new prepaid, adhesive postage stamps as well as the roadside pillar boxes meant there was no need for the public to take a trip to the Post Office just to post a letter. By 1855 London had installed its first six Pillar Boxes. In 1856 the pillar boxes were first introduced in Sydney. These were circular with a crown on the dome, supported by leaves. Early Victoria Mail was originally collected by ‘letter carriers’, first appointed in Melbourne in 1841, equipped with leather bag and hand bell. He wore a red coat with brass buttons and a black top hat! In 1844 two wooden receiving boxes were erected in Melbourne. The first cast iron boxes were installed in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and were still in service until 1967. They were a fluted circular design and made in England. In the early 1860’s the ‘low door round’ design posting box was introduced, being circular and surrounded by a crown, with two broad embossed bands around its circumference. The clearance door was in front of the box and low down. These were made in Australia. In the early 1870’s square boxes with a tapering top were being used. These too were made in Australia by different manufacturers with slight variations on style such as the orientation and number of slots. Next came the circular boxes again, similar to the ‘low door round’ but with the clearance door extending to just below the posting slot, often referred to as ‘high door round’. These boxes did not have embossed bands. In 1887 small cast iron boxes were introduced, attached to posts and poles and called ‘lamp post receivers’. Around 1930 a ‘London’ model was used in Victoria. It was copied from the flat-domed type in London but made in Tasmania. … [References: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village records, The Argus, 11th April, 1890, The Argus, 2nd July, 1896, The Argus, 30th Nov. 1897, “Stamps.Au” http://www.stampsau.com, 4th April 2011 (Extracted from “Australian Street Posting Boxes” by Ken Sparks – out of print)] Post Office Receiving Pillar, or letterbox.1885 "High Door Round" design, restored 2014 Tall cast iron sylinder with decorative dome cap, slot in side, hinged door with handle shaped as a fist. Painted red with gold trip..Reconditioned barrel, reconstructed dome. Restored by Friends of Flagstaff Hill, 2014. Now a working letterbox. Made in Melbourne.Oval maker's plate “ - G. COUCH - / ENGINEER / ALLIANCE IRON / WORKS / MELBOURNE”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, post office receiving pillar, letterbox, mailbox, australia post

The badge represents the Victoria Division of the Australian Red Cross Society, which was formed on 21st August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. Stokes & Sons of Melbourne made the button. It was made by Stokes & Sons Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne. The maker, Thomas Stokes, migrated to Melbourne from Birmingham in 1854 and set up business in Mincer Lane as a die-sinker, producing medals, tokens, buttons and silverware, and offered an engraving service. He moved to Flinders Lane in 1856. After a time, in 1894, the business became Stokes & Sons Pty. Ltd, electroplates and badge makers at Post Office Place in Melbourne. The maker's mark 'Stokes & Sons' continued to be made on badges up until 1962. This badge is one of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus from the organisations in which he was involved. The set of badges is now part of Flagstaff Hill’s comprehensive W.R. Angus Collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus, surgeon and oculist. The W.R. Angus Collection: - The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) and Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. It includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II He served as a Military Doctor in the Australian Defence Forces. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Both Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill and the layout of the gardens there. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This badge is significant for connecting Doctor Angus with organisations that he supported. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Badge; a round metal and enamel badge with a blue band around the perimeter and a silver-edged red cross on a white background in the centre. The badge has a vertical pin on the back. It is the badge of the Victorian Division of the Red Cross Society. the maker was Stokes & Sons of Melbourne. This badge is part of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus. the set represents organisations that he was involved in, and is part of the W.R. Angus Collection.Printed within the blue band; “RED CROSS SOCIETY” “VICTORIAN DIVISION” Embossed on the reverse; “STOKES & SONS / MELB” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, w.r. angus, badge, organisation badge, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, australian red cross, victorian division, charity, volunteer organisation, w.r. angus collection

This painting was part of the original furnishings of the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen's Church at 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria. The Church was operated by the Mission to Seamen organisation. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews) The Missions to Seamen was an Anglican charity that served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. It symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centres in over 200 ports worldwide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria, the organisation began in Williamstown in 1857 as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’ in an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981, and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. This painting is significant historically for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of seafarers. It originated in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. The painting is historically significant for its connection to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, an organisation of women, formed to support seafarers. The connection of this painting to the Mission to Seamen and to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary highlights the strong community awareness of the life of people at sea, their dangers and hardships, and their need for physical, financial, spiritual and moral support. Painting, oil on board, behind glass framed with wood. Portrait of a child dressed in white, kneeling in prayer, within a dark room. The artist, P Butcher, titled the picture "The Infant Samuel". This object is part of the St Nicholas Seamen's Church Collection. Painted at centre bottom edge "THE INFANT SAMUEL.", and right bottom edge "B. BUTCHER"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, religion, religious service, st nicholas seamen’s church, williamstown, missions to seamen victoria, painting, oil painting, religious painting, infant samuel, p butcher

The Missal lectern was part of the original furnishings of St Nicholas Seamen's Church, Williamstown, Victoria, and was donated by Mrs R J Eward for use in the religious services there. The church was operated by the Williamstown Missions to Seamen organisation. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History): - The Missions to Seamen was an Anglican charity in Great Britain that has served the world's seafarers since 1856. Its symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today, there are centres in over 200 ports worldwide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria, the organisation began in Williamstown in 1857 as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’ in an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000, the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres, such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943, a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981, and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. This Missal lectern is historically significant for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for seafarers' physical, social, and spiritual needs. It originated in Bristol, England, when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. It is also an example of a community-supported local charity organisation.Solid wooden Missal Lectern on two supporting legs. The top section has an angled back and a small shelf at the front, designed to support a bible. The two legs, with decorative feet, are supported by the decorative wooden bar. There appears to be a rectangular label in the centre front of the small shelf. This lectern is part of the St. Nicholas Seamen's Church Collection. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, religion, religious service, church furniture, religious furniture, lectern, preaching equipment, missal lectern, bible support, music stand

This framed print is part of a number of items from the St. Nicholas Seamen’s Church, 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria, used during religious services there. The Church was operated by the Mission to Seamen organisation. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews) The Missions to Seamen, an Anglican charity, has served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. Its symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centres in over 200 ports worldwide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria, the orgainsation began in Williamstown in 1857. It was a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’. Its location was an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981, and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. This print is significant historically for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of seafarers. It originated in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. The item is historically significant for its connection to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, an organisation of women, formed to support seafarers. The connection of this item to the Mission to Seamen and to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary highlights the strong community awareness of the life of people at sea, their dangers and hardships, and their need for physical, financial, spiritual and moral support. Print of a watercolour painting, framed in Huon pine wood behind glass.Depicts the artist's impression of the Biblical event referred to as The Last Supper. Inscription marked on the back. Australian, circa 1890. The print is part of the St Nicholas Seamen's Church Collection (NOTE: This is not a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper'.)On rear of board: "156" flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, religion, religious service, st nicholas seamen’s church, williamstown, missions to seamen victoria, last supper, worship, religious worship, ladies lightkeepers’ auxiliary

The double bevel gauge is used as a drawing tool, to measure, set angles and transfer angles. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.This double bevel gauge has three lengths of flat brass that swivel at the joints. The long piece has curved ends and indented arcs, one on each side, along the length. The short pieces have diagonal ends. The centre length has a hole through the middle. The short pieces have a screw with its head above the flat brass. The tool has an inscription. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.Bevel marked "L DILKS" "G. M."flagstaff hill, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, ship maintenance, cooper, tool, marine technology, bevel, drawing tool, measuring tool, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne

One end of the peg hammer’s head had a wedge-shaped tapered end, which was referred to as the peg poll and was used for hammering in pegs or bolts. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.Pin hammer; Wooden handle and steel head, thick heavy rounded end on one side, tapered wedge shape end on the other side. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, ship maintenance, cooper, tool, marine technology, hammer, shipwright's hammer, pin hammer, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne

This wagon is linked to Mr Stanley James Bell via his father Mr John Bell, who owned "Warrumyea" at Wangoom. It is believed that Stanley grew up and worked for his father at this property, eventuality inheriting his father's death in 1920. This wagon was likely used at Mr Stanley Bell's property “Warrumyea” at Wangoom around 1920-1940. The wagon was donated in 1984, at which time it was noted as having a brass plate inscribed "Jas", which name Stanley was known by. Also, a painted on the wage was “S J Bell Wangoom”. Remnants of the original paint colours of blue and yellow show on the photograph, which was taken at the time of cataloguing. Mr John Bell Snr from Plymouth, England, arrived in Portland, Victoria, around 1860. He had served in the British navy as a lad for a number of years. On arriving in Australia he travelled to the Wangoom district where he lived for many years. Mr J Bell worked for 20 years as herd manager at “Wangoom Park”., for Mr F Tozer (1843-1954), one of the original pioneers of the western district. He went on to pursue dairying and general farming at his property “Warrumyea” Wangoom. Bell’s son Stanley James Bell went to the Wangoom School. His first reader from this school, published in 1909, has his name inscribed in the flyleaf “Stanley J. Bell, Warrumyea, Wangoom” and is now in the collection of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society. Stanley went on working the property “Warrumyea” and eventually purchased “Wangoom Park” in 1956, where his father had been employed years before. Mr S J Bell died in 1968.The wagon is significant for its association with the farming history of Wangoom and the Warrnambool area in general. Also, the wage is significant for its association with one of the early families that settled in the Warrnambool area and their contribution to the dairying and general farming industries that sprang from their efforts. The wagon has a good provenance linking it to Mr Stanley James Bell and is also a good example of how goods were transported using horse-drawn vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century.Four-wheeled wagon or cart,12 spokes in each wheel, wooden axle with rear hub brake. Hinged and chained tailboard. Wheels have metal rims. Metal frame and wooden superstructure. Wagon has two pairs of staves. Wooden shelves, one missing with turntable. Small toolbox in front. Made by Kelly and Preston of Ballarat. Metal nameplate of the owner attached, "Jas" (S J Bell of Wangoom).. Original inscription, now obscured, was painted “Kelly and Preston Builders Ballarat”. Metal plate inscribed "Jas", and "S J Bell Wangoom". flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, wagon, sj bell, stanley james bell, wangoom park, warrumyea, first reader, john bell 1830-1920, stanley james bell 1904-1968, warrnambool pioneers, f tozer, western district, kelly and preston of ballarat

This framed print of the Loch Vennachar has been framed as a gift given by McPherson's Ltd. of Melbourne Sydney Brisbane Perth, as per the inscription below the print. Loch Vennachar made many journeys from Britain to Australia and was well-known in Australian ports. On one of its homeward-bound journeys from Australia, the ship sank in the River Thames. Its cargo included 850 tonnes of preserved canned rabbits from Warrnambool's Western Meat Preserving Company. The ship was raised and continued trading for another four years. On 14th June 1905, Loch Vennachar departed Glasgow for Adelaide and Melbourne. The last known sighting of it was on 6th September 1875 when overtaken by the SS Yongala; the captains exchanged the “all well” signals. After that, the ship disappeared with loss of all 27 lives, according to a list that was received by Fremantle through the English mail. The list indicated that there were no passengers on that voyage. Sadly, other Loch Line ships med with similar disasters. The list of lost crew on the Loch Vennachar included Thomas. W. Pearce, apprentice, Southampton. His father was Tom Pearce, one of the two survivors of the Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878. Also, Thomas’ grandfather, James Pearce, was the captain of SS Gothenburg at the time of her wrecking in 1875. Consequently, the wrecking of the Loch Vennachar and the Loc Sloy near the southwest point of Kangaroo Island, a lighthouse was erected, officially opening in June 1907. The northern headland of West Bay was named Vennachar Point in memory of the ship in 1908. The wreck was discovered in 1976 by divers from the Society for Underwater Historical Research, over seventy years after being lost off Kangaroo Island. The Loch Vennachar performed a significant role in Australia’s colonial trade, taking goods between Great Britain and Australia. These goods included locally preserved tinned rabbits processed at a factory in Warrnambool for overseas trade.Print of painting clipper ship Loch Vennachar. (aka Loch Vennacher, as spelled on this print). Print is under glass in white painted timber frame. The vessel was wrecked on Kangaroo Island September 1905 with the loss of all hands. There is an inscription below the print"Loch Vannacher" on right below print, "Compliments from McPherson's Ltd. Melbourne,Sydney, Brisbane, Perth" on left below printflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch vennachar, loch vennacher, loch line ship, glasgow shipping co, mcpherson's ltd. melbourne sydney brisbane perth, loch vennachar image., kangaroo island shipwreck, 1905 shipwreck, mcpherson's ltd. melbourne sydney brisbane perth, canned rabbits, preserved rabbits, western meat preserving company

The key was recovered from the Falls of Halladale, a four-masted iron-hulled barque that was built in 1886 for the long-distance bulk carrier trade. The vessel was built for the Falls Line (Wright, Breakenridge & Co., Glasgow, Scotland) at the shipyard of Russell & Co., Greenock on the River Clyde, she was named after a waterfall on the Halladale River in the Caithness district of Scotland. The ship's design was advanced for her time, incorporating features that improved crew safety and efficiency such as elevated bridges to allow the crew to move between forward and aft in relative safety during heavy seas. The Falls of Halladale was the seventh vessel in a series of eight similar iron-hulled sailing ships, all built by Russell & Co and all named after waterfalls in Scotland. The Falls of Halladale was preceded by the Falls of Clyde (1878), the Falls of Bruar (1879), the Falls of Dee (1882), the Falls of Afton (1882), the Falls of Foyers (1883) and the Falls of Earn (1884). The Falls of Halladale was followed by a sister ship, the Falls of Garry (1886). The Falls of Clyde is afloat today and is a major attraction at the Hawaii Maritime Centre in Honolulu. The Falls of Halladale is best known for her spectacular demise in a shipwreck near Peterborough, Victoria on the shipwreck coast of Victoria, Australia. On the night of 14 November 1908, she was sailed in dense fog directly onto the rocks due to a navigational error. The crew of 29 abandoned ship safely and all made it ashore by boat, leaving the ship foundering with her sails set. For weeks after the wreck, large crowds gathered to view the ship as she gradually broke up and then sank in the shallow water. Soon after the accident the ship's master, Capt. David Wood Thomson was brought before a Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne and found guilty of a gross act of misconduct, having carelessly navigated the ship, having neglected to take proper soundings, and having failed to place the ship on a port tack before it became too late to avoid the shipwreck. Capt. Thomson's punishment included a small fine and he had his Certificate of Competency as a Master suspended for six months. Today the Falls of Halladale is a popular destination for recreational divers. The wreck is easily accessible by scuba divers about 300 m offshore in 3 to 15 m of water. The hull lies on its collapsed starboard side. Some of the original cargo of 56,763 roof slates remains at the site of the wreck along with corroded masses of what used to be coils of barbed wire. Twenty-two thousand slates were salvaged in the 1980s and used to provide roofing at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. An anchor that was recovered in 1974 is on display at the village. The key is significant as a salvaged item from the Victorian heritage-listed Falls of Halladale wreck. As an artifact from the wrecked ship, it helps us to remember today the story of the wrecking and is an important reminder of a marine incident in Victoria's maritime history. KeyNoneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, falls of halladale, shipwreck peterborough, 1908 shipwreck, great clipper ships, russell & co., key

The encrusted rope probably used on rigging comes from the Falls of Halladale, a four-masted iron-hulled barque that was built in 1886 for the long-distance bulk carrier trade. The vessel was built for the Falls Line (Wright, Breakenridge & Co., Glasgow, Scotland) at the shipyard of Russell & Co., Greenock on the River Clyde, she was named after a waterfall on the Halladale River in the Caithness district of Scotland. The ship's design was advanced for her time, incorporating features that improved crew safety and efficiency such as elevated bridges to allow the crew to move between forward and aft in relative safety during heavy seas. The Falls of Halladale was the seventh vessel in a series of eight similar iron-hulled sailing ships, all built by Russell & Co and all named after waterfalls in Scotland. The Falls of Halladale was preceded by the Falls of Clyde (1878), the Falls of Bruar (1879), the Falls of Dee (1882), the Falls of Afton (1882), the Falls of Foyers (1883) and the Falls of Earn (1884). The Falls of Halladale was followed by a sister ship, the Falls of Garry (1886). The Falls of Clyde is afloat today and is a major attraction at the Hawaii Maritime Centre in Honolulu. The Falls of Halladale is best known for her spectacular demise in a shipwreck near Peterborough, Victoria on the shipwreck coast of Victoria, Australia. On the night of 14 November 1908, she was sailed in dense fog directly onto the rocks due to a navigational error. The crew of 29 abandoned ship safely and all made it ashore by boat, leaving the ship foundering with her sails set. For weeks after the wreck, large crowds gathered to view the ship as she gradually broke up and then sank in the shallow water. Soon after the accident the ship's master, Capt. David Wood Thomson was brought before a Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne and found guilty of a gross act of misconduct, having carelessly navigated the ship, having neglected to take proper soundings, and having failed to place the ship on a port tack before it became too late to avoid the shipwreck. Capt. Thomson's punishment included a small fine and he had his Certificate of Competency as a Master suspended for six months. Today the Falls of Halladale is a popular destination for recreational divers. The wreck is easily accessible by scuba divers about 300 m offshore in 3 to 15 m of water. The hull lies on its collapsed starboard side. Some of the original cargo of 56,763 roof slates remains at the site of the wreck along with corroded masses of what used to be coils of barbed wire. Twenty-two thousand slates were salvaged in the 1980s and used to provide roofing at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. An anchor that was recovered in 1974 is on display at the village. The encrusted rope is significant as a salvaged item from the Victorian heritage-listed Falls of Halladale wreck. As an artifact from the wrecked ship, it helps us to remember today the story of the wrecking and is an important reminder of a marine incident in Victoria's maritime history.Piece of encrusted rope. Artifact Reg No FoH/1.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, falls of halladale, shipwreck peterborough, 1908 shipwreck, great clipper ships, russell & co., rope

This life jacket was issued by the Australian Government's General Naval Store in N.S.W.. It was inspected in 1940. Life Jackets - Life jackets were part of the equipment carried by the Life Saving Rescue Crew of South Western Victoria, including Warrnambool, from around 1858 until the 1950s. The purpose of a life jacket is to keep the wearer afloat until he or she is rescued from the water. Life jackets were first invented in 1854 by Captain Ward of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in Britain. The early life jackets were filled with cork, which is very buoyant. However, many times he cork caused the jacket to rise up quickly with a force that caused unconsciousness, sometimes turning the person face down in the water , causing them to drown. After the tragic loss of the ship RMS Titanic in 1912 and the lost lives of those onboard, a woman named Orpheus Newman designed the Salvus life jacket (Salvus means safe), which was filled with kapok instead of cork. Kapok comes from seed pods of the Ceiba Pentandra tree and is waterproof as well as buoyant. These Salvus jackets were used by the Royal Navy until new synthetic materials became available around the time of World War II.This life jacket is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Life jacket, canvas covered, with two padded compartments filled with kapok. Designed to slip over the head. it has shoulder straps and straps for tying under the arms. An inscription and symbol is stamped on one shoulder strap. The life jacket was supplied by the General Naval Store, Defence Department, N.S.W., and inspected in in 1940.Inscription "G.N.S. [crown symbol] N.S.W / 12 JUN 1940 / INSPECTED".flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, g.n.s., general naval store, 1940s life jacket, captain ward, royal national lifeboat instution, cork, kapok, life jacket, orpheus newman, salvus jacket, life saving, rescue, rescue crew, l.s.r.c., life saving equipment, marine technology, lifeboat, shipwreck victim, vintage

Slate pencils were made from a rod of soft slate material and used for writing on thin slate boards. The slate boards were approximately 9cm x 12cm used in schools for writing practice in place of pencil and paper, which were more expensive and less durable. They could be used then easily erased for re-use. In work places, slate boards were sometimes bound into slate books The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Remnants of a black slate pencil salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. Pencil has no casing and is in three pieces. One piece is broken laterally and has a rounded end. The other two pieces have a longitudinal break and fit together. (The nature of the break indicates a material of natural formation, for example sedimentary rock such as slate.) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, slate pencil, pencil, slate board, writing, stationery

The nine postcards in this set were donated together and date to the early 1900s. All but one postcard in this set shows images of Warrnambool, in the Western District of Victoria; the other has a London image. The postcards were all printed in Great Britain according to that country’s postal regulations. The fronts of all cards have titles printed in red. Most of the images on the cards are attributed to photographer Joseph Jordan and belong to the Jordan Series. The back of these cards has an outline for a postage stamp, a vertical dividing line and a heading on each side of the line to separate the Correspondence from the Address. However, this postcard is the 'odd one out' in that its location is London, it has no border, it has no reference to 'Jordan' or 'Jordan Series' no reference to the printer, no 'correspondence heading', it is slightly smaller than the others, and it has text in the stamp area that refers to 'inland' and 'foreign' postage, a half-penny inland and one-penny overseas.. Postcards or ‘correspondence cards’ appeared in Britain in 1894. They were plain cards with a space for the message on one side and an address on the other; regulations didn’t allow anything but the address to be written on the ‘address’ side. In 1902 the British regulations then allowed a picture to be printed on the front and the address on the back, so messages had to be written on the picture side. Soon, the regulations changed and the back was divided for a message and the address. New Gaiety Theatre, Strand [London] - The New Gaiety Theatre opened in 1903 on the corner of The Strand and Aldwych, London. The second show performed in the new theatre was “The Spring Chicken” in 1905. The third show followed in 1907. The preprinted postage cost on the stamp outline is ½ d. or half penny; according to The Great Britain Philatelic Society, Great Britain Postcard Stamps were priced 1/2 d. or Half Penny from 1-Oct-1870 to 3-Jun-1916. The postcard is significant for its inclusion with a set of nine postcards, eight of which are images of Warrnambool and its district and photographed by Joseph Jordan. It is also curious for is lack of connection to Jordan. Postcard, one of nine, portrait orientation, coloured print. The image shows a tall three-storey corner building with a statue on its domed tower and smaller towers on the sides. The top two storeys have balconies with columns, and overhang the ground floor, providing cover over the footpath. The foreground has horse-drawn carriages and coaches, and motorised vehicles including a bus. Figures wearing top hats and others in long dresses are in front of the building, which has a sign on the corner advertising the building and its current show. There is no correspondence written on the card. The front of the postcard has a printed red title and an inscription on the image. The reverse has inscriptions and outlines for a postage stamp. Made in Britain.Sign on the image of the building: “GAIETY / SPRING CHICKEN / THEATRE” On the front in red: “New Gaiety Theatre, Strand” On the back in printed in green: Stamp box “INLAND / 1/2d.’ STAMP / FOREIGN 1d.” “POST CARD” “THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN HERE” flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, warrnambool, great ocean road, warrnambool and district, warrnambool scenes, local scenes, views of warrnambool, postcard, souvenir, correspondence, cameo postcard, new gaiety theater, the strand, spring chicken, gaiety theatre, london theatre

This rocket launcher key was used with the Dennett's Rocket Launcher system to remove the end cap of the Dennett's Rocket to expose the propellant to be fused . Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. Rocket Rescue Method - Rocket rescue became the preferred lifesaving method of the rescue crews, being much safer that using a lifeboat in rough seas and poor conditions. The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. . The British Board of Trade regularly published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle, determined by the Head of the crew and measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A continuous whip line was then sent out to the ship’s crew, who hauled it in then followed the instructions – in four languages - on the attached tally board. The survivors would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line with a tail block connected to it. They then secured the block to the mast or other strong part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the survivors fixed above the whip’s tail block. The hawser was then tightened by the crew pulling on it, or by using the hooked block on the shore end of the whip and attaching it to a sand anchor. The breeches buoy was attached to the traveller block on the hawser, and the shore crew then used the whip line to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rescue crew wore scarlet, numbered armbands and worked on a numerical rotation system, swapping members out to rest them. This rocket launcher key is a necessary part of the equipment for the the rocket launcher, which is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Key, part of the Rocket Rescue equipment. T shaped metal key, round handle across the top and hexagonal shaped shaft and square end. Used to remove the end cap of the Dennett's Rocket to expose the propellant to be fused . Donation from Ports and Harbour.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, breakwater, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, lifeboat men, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket equipment, marine technology, rescue boat, lifeboat, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, rocket rescue method, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, line throwing mortar, mortar, rocket rescue apparatus, line thrower, line throwing, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket house, rocket shed, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, beach rescue set, rocket set, john dennett, rocket key, rocket launcher key, life saving

Marriage licence issued to James Bostock and Alicen Aitkin to be executed within a period of 3 months. It has been issued by the Bishop of Melbourne of the United Church of England and Ireland. It is signed by P Teulon Beamish who was arch Deacon in Warrnambool for many years. Three Bostock brothers married three the Aitkin sisters. James was the youngest of the Bostock family as his mother died in childbirth at his delivery. He had a keen interest in horses and worked for both Augustus and John .He died in 1919. Alice died in 1896 at the age of 53.This is one of a number of documents which relate to the Bostock family who were one of the most important pioneering families of the Western District. They owned and leased various properties around Warrnambool and were involved in many aspects of social and business life. This particular personal document shows a link between two influential families in the district at the time.Heavy cream paper with black printing and handwritten black ink inserts. Oval stamped seal in bottom right hand corner. No 2782 stamped in top right hand corner.warrnambool, bostock, aitkin, james bostock, alice aitkin, 1875,

This book belonged to Pearl McCullagh whose address is given as Oak Grove (the name of the property) inYangery with the name of Illowa S. School under the address. Because of the content of the book it is presumed that the ‘S’ stands for Sabbath or Sunday and the Sunday School may have been a Presbyterian one. Yangery is situated between Woodford and Koroit and Illowa, nearby, is about 8 kilometres from Koroit and about 9 kilometres from Warrnambool. Pearl McCullagh was the daughter of Samuel James and Charlotte Jane McCullagh. She was born in 1906 and married Ernest Keen. This book is of interest because it belonged to an early 20th century resident, Pearl McCullagh who lived at Oak Grove in Yangery. This is a soft cover book of 104 pages. The cover is brown with black lettering on the front cover. The cover is crumpled and worn away in places and the pages are dog-eared. The inscription is handwritten in pencil. ‘Pearl McCullagh, Oak Grove Yangery, Illowa S. School’.pearl mccullagh, history of illowa, history of yangery, oak grove yangery

This is a book produced by Rex and Bernice Battarbee and contains reproductions of aboriginal art work, including the work of several of Albert Namatjira’s children. Reginald (Rex) Battarbee (1893-1973) was the son of George and Mary Battarbee who lived in East Warrnambool at a property called ‘Skiddaw’. Rex’s sister, Florinda was a local artist who was his first teacher of art. Rex became a well-known artist, depicting mainly the Central Australian landscape. He is credited with discovering and fostering the artistic talent of Albert Namatjira, the best-known of the early Australian aboriginal artists. This is one of the few mementoes we have of the artist Rex Battarbee who was born in Warrnambool and spent his early years in this city. This is a hard cover book with the pages unnumbered. The cover is brown with colour reproductions of two aboriginal paintings on the front and back cover. The printing on the front cover is in yellow and white lettering. The book contains written text and many reproductions of aboriginal paintings. The inscription on the first page is handwritten in black biro. ‘L. Durrant, From Russ, May 1979’. rex battarbee, aboriginal art, albert namatjira

This is a booklet that was once bound, probably with staples. The front cover is a beige colour with black print and ornamental scrolls and images forming a border. The front cover has writing in black ink. The back cover is missing and several pages are loose. The pages contain printing and calligraphy work and lined spaces for a person to copy from the original. Some of the pages are stained and torn at the edges. non-fictionChild's Copy Bookschool copy books, vere foster copy books, dorothy rutledge

This is a Nestle badge. Henri Nestle formed the Nestle Company in 1867 with the headquarters based in Switzerland. Today this company is the largest nutrition, health and wellness company in the world. Nestle Australia was established in 1908 and a Nestle factory was established in Dennington (Warrnambool) in 1911. At this time the name, Nestle, was retained but the factory was actually operated by the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. The Dennington factory was for many years the world's largest milk condensery. In 1948 the factory began producing Nescafe coffee. In 2008, after 94 years of operations, the Dennington factory was sold to the New Zealand firm of Fonterra. This badge is of particular interest because of the many years of local association with the firm of Nestle (Dennington Factory).Circular 14 carat gold stud featuring a raised image of a bird feeding baby bird in a nest, twig and leaves.an text and a minute diamond.NESTLEnestle factory, dennington, anglo-swiss condensed milk company, warrnambool history

This label comes from the wine and spirits store of Harry Lynch and dates from about the 1940s. A wine and spirits store was established in Fairy Street, Warrnambool (116-118 today) by Giffen Russell in 1878. The business was still known as Giffen Russell and Co in the 1930s when Harry Lynch took over and was later known as Lynch’s store. Harry Lynch died in 1953. After Kelvin Matthew Lynch became the proprietor the K.M. Lynch Food and Liquor store operated under that name until its closure in the second decade of the 21st century. This label is of minor significance and is retained as a memento of Lynch’s Wine and Spirit Store which operated in Fairy Street Warrnambool for over 80 years.A piece of white paper with red and black printing pasted on to a piece of card.Old Judge Pure Australian Wine Rich Port bottled by H.L. Lynchh.l.lynch,, wine & spirits store, history of warrnambool

The Victory medal was awarded to all Allied servicemen and women who served in World War One. Australians were issued with the medal made for British service personnel. The medal described above was awarded to Private Thomas Wickham. He was born in Port Fairy in 1886 and died in Warrnambool in 1955. Private Wickham enlisted in February 1916 and his next of kin was his wife Elizabeth, living at that time in Terang. Thomas Wickham was a member of the 58th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement. He served overseas and returned to Australia in 1919 and was discharged as medically unfit because of rheumatism. This is a round bronze medal with the image of a winged female figure of Victory on the obverse side and engraved lettering surrounded by laurel leaves on the reverse side. There is lettering around the edge of the medal. The medal has a metal ring to which is attached a rainbow-coloured ribbonThe Great War For Civilisation 1914-1919 1773 Pte. T. Wickham 58 Bn. A.I.F. world war one, thomas wickham, history of warrnambool

These two items, a military disc or dog tag and a medallion, belonged to Private Thomas Wickham who was born in Port Fairy in 1886 and enlisted in the Australian Military Forces in February 1916 (World War One).He was in the 58th Battalion (2nd Reinforcement) and served overseas, returning to Australia in 1919. He was living in Terang at the time of his enlistment with his wife, Elizabeth his next-of- kin. The people of Terang gave medals to those local residents who served in World War One. Thomas Wickham died on Warrnambool in 1955.These medals are of interest as they are mementoes of a local soldier who served in World War One.1 This is a brown metal military disc or dog tag with a name and number etched on one side and a hole at the top .2 This is a gold-coloured metal medallion with an image of an Australian soldier on one side and printed wording on the other. It has an ornamental clip at the top.1 1773 Wickham T. 58 BN CE .2 Presented to T. Wickham who served in the Great European War 1914-1919 Presented by the citizens of Terangthomas wickham, world war one

This tea tin is part of the Uebergang Collection. The collection is the property of the 'Ray & Joyce Uebergang Foundation' and was held in store for several years before being transferred to the care of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company Ltd's Cheese World Museum. The Uebergang family came from Silesia in 1848 and were early settlers in the Allansford area. The Uebergangs purchased Tooram Park in 1912 and lived there until it was sold following the death of the last member of the family in 1994. The family often re-used, recycled and repaired items. The tea tin is an example of re-use. Moran & Cato was Dark blue cylindrical tin with push-on lid decorated with a bronze ring around the top and bottom for retail tea sales. The tin was sold by retail firm Moran & Cato and is decorated with their name in large white lettering on the front, and the address in scrolls at the bottom. The firm's logo/trade mark is featured in a circle at the top with a flower design each side. The logo/trade mark has the letters M & C intertwined and the company motto in a scroll below. The tin was designed to be used for storage once empty and is marked on the back with the word 'Cakes' in a cream scroll across the centre. The top half of this side is light blue and the bottom half dark blue.Trade mark: We Keep Troth Moran & Cato's Pure Tea/Branches in all suburbs of Melbourne and throughout Victoria, Hobart (Tas). At base: Moran & Cato Pty Ltd/277 Brunswick St/Fitzroy. Distributors for NSW. Moran & Cato Ltd Sydney. Reverse: Cakes On bottom: A24uebergang, tins, tea, moran & cato, recycling

Royal Doulton as part of the Minton Miniature series produced this heron model in 2001. A limited edition of 1,793 pieces were made, and this heron is number 89. The heron is a scaled down model of the original life-size piece first produced by Paul Comolera, c. 1892, as a walking stick and umbrella stand. Comolera was a French artist and sculptor, renowned for dramatic naturalistic forms, and life-size renditions of birds and animals that won him admiration in public and artistic circles. The Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG) has a life-sized Heron in its collection. A rare miniature heron demonstrates the artistry and skill required to produce Majolica ware during the 19th century and the present.A miniature grey heron standing by bulrushes and holding a struggling fish in its beak, its plumage naturalistically coloured, on a circular base glazed in tones of grey and green and applied with further leaves and water lilies.Inscribed at the base Minton founded 1793, made in Englandminton & co., majolica, miniature model, flagstaff hill maritime museum, stoke upon trent, paul comolera, staffordshire

All boys aged 12 to 17 began Compulsory Military Training in Australia from 1912. The following year the militia was reformed with Ballarat East being allocated the 70th Infantry and Ballarat West being allocated the 71st Infantry. The 71st Battalion was known as the Ballarat West Battalion until changing to (City of Ballarat) Infantry with its depots reaching as far as Warrnambool. In this photograph of the prize winning 71st Battalion Bugle Band a young 16 year old Michael Taffe is a bugler and won several awards with the band and as a solo bugler. A record of the immediate post-war activities still popular in 1919-1920.Mounted photograph of bugle bandcity of ballarat infantry, 71st battalion, warrnambool, ballarat, michael taffe, ballarat west battalion, cadets., bugle band, awards, bugler