The fireplace was the main heating source for small houses before 1900, so a bellows to coax a flame from a dying fire was important. Early bellows were a bag made from the skin of a small animal and a piece of metal, usually brass, to direct the gust of air created by squeezing the bellows to fan the flames. Such bellows existed in China at least since the 5th century BC, when it was invented, and had reached Europe by the 16th century. In 240 BC, The ancient Greek inventor Ctesibius of Alexandria independently invented a double-action piston bellow used to lift water from one level to another.An item in domestic use in homes to coax a domestic fire into flame, the subject item was probably used in the late 19th to early 20th century home with open fireplaces as a domestic object. It gives a snapshot into how domestic heating was provided using wood or coal before electricity or gas came into regularly used.Bellows wood, leather and metal, parts Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, bellows, blacksmith bellows, fire bellows

2 sheave wood block with hookflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

2 sheave wood block with hookflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

2 sheave wood block with ringflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

2 sheave wood bock with hookflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

2 sheave wood block with loop flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Piece of wood from wreck of the Cateraqui.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Swagger stick wood with brass endsequipment, ww2, army

Scale model of the four mainarmament guns of H.M.V.S Cerberus.Miniature model of gun mounted on wood.Presented to H.M.A.S Cerberus Museum by CDRE J.S Dickson AM.MBE RAN Commanding Officer reunion H.M.A.S cerberus 8-9 october 1988.

Mercury glass thermometer with wood casing. Intervals to 60 celciusthermometer

Made as a Christmas present for a child in camp 3 by a German POW. Gretl Frank was bought to Australia in September 1941 with her German parents who were residents in Palestine (a British Protectorate at the end of WW1). Temple society members. She was born in Palestine October 1939. Married Hornung, 2 children - Ingrid and Jennifer. She is now resident is Los Angeles USA.Polished wood turned egg cup.GS german pow, christmas present, egg cup, internment camp wood work, gretl frank

W E Herring and his wife arrived in Brighton in 1887 to live in Roslyn Street. They had both been active members of the Fitzroy Street, St Kilda church choir. In 1937 Mr Herring recalled church life in the 1880s and 1890s. Houses were scarce and to reach the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Were Street, Brighton Beach a creek which had no bridge had “to be crossed – in winter, with the help of a hurricane lamp – and it was no uncommon thing for the preacher, if he were a stranger, to arrive late and breathless, or not at all.” In 1907 permission was given to form a tennis club at Were Street and Mr Herring was its first president. He was also the Were street Methodist Sunday School Superintendent, the Were street Methodist church organist and a member of the church’s Trust. “The Sunday School had a fine set of teachers. The rows of well-drilled and disciplined young life that filled the platform on Sunday School anniversaries, and sang their songs under the baton of Mr Herring, constituted a promise that was amply fulfilled as the years rolled on.”* *”Fifty years ago : a little history of Were Street Methodist Church” : Issued in commemoration of its Jubilee by Members of the Trust 1887 – 1937. To celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Mr Herring composed an anthem. The Brighton Southern Cross, Saturday 26 June 1897, page 2 reported: "The diamond jubilee has been instrumental in evoking some local musical talent. Mr W. E. Herring, organist of the Were-street Wesleyan Church, not being able to find any anthem specially suitable to the jubilee services, set his musical genius to work and composed an original piece. The words are selected from the 72nd Psalm. The music is a very tuneful and well harmonised theme, which does credit to the composer's skill and taste. The anthem was rendered twice on Jubilee Sunday at the Were street Church." Stained wood turned music baton.w e herring, were street methodist sunday school superintendent, music baton, were street wesleyan methodist church

Brass plaque on varnished wood mount."This room was furnished by The Young Men Prince Of Wales Park"methodist babies' home

Brass plaque on varnished wood mount."Nurses Balcony the gift of Burke Road Church Balwyn"methodist babies' home

flowers made from wood on a stand