William McGrath enlisted as a Trooper in the 8th Light Horse in 1915. He rose to the rank of Squadron Sergeant Major and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on Gallipoli. McGrath served throughout the war with 8th Light Horse Regiment progressing through the officer ranks. As adjutant, he compiled a history of the regiment both from personal knowledge and the regiment's war diary. McGrath's successor as adjutant, Captain Austin, is believed to have had input into the document and for some years was thought to have been the originator. The 8th Light Horse Regiment AIF was raised at Broadmeadows Victoria in September 1914 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander White and formed part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. The regiment served at Gallipoli where in a courageous but ill-fated charge at the Nek on 7 August 1915 it suffered horrendous casualties including Lieutenant Colonel White. Rebuilt in Egypt under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Maygar VC the regiment went on the serve throughout the Middle East Campaign. Colonel Maygar died of wounds at Beersheba when the regiment was attacked by enemy aircraft while waiting to follow up the successful charge of the 4th LH Brigade on 30 October 1917. The 8th Light Horse AIF was disbanded in 1919, but soon after re-raised as the 8th (Indi) Light Horse in the Citizen Military Forces, superseding 16th (Indi) Light HorseBlack and white photograph of two 8th Light Horse officers ; Captains McGrath (left) and Austin. Photograph is glued to fluted plastic board.mcgrath, austin, 8th light horse, world war one, wwi

The SS Schomberg was a clipper built in Aberdeen by Alexander Hall & Co. for "the Black Ball line" which was a subsidiary of James Baines & Co., for carrying large cargoes and steerage passengers. When built, she was regarded as the most luxurious and well-built clipper of the period. She was sunk on her maiden voyage in 1855 on the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria, Australia.Baines & Co were the owners of the SS Great Britain, and Alexander Hall & Co. was the leading clipper shipbuilder in Britain. She was named after Captain Charles Frederick Schomberg R N., the Emigration Commissioner for Liverpool, an influential man when it came to securing government contracts for the carriage of emigrants. The Black Ball Line’s owners clearly sought his favour. She was launched in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 7 April 1855 and sank on her maiden voyage in 1855 on the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria, Australia.A cast brass boot spurschomberg, salvage, diving, shipwreck coast

Alexander Mitchell, grazier and citizen soldier of Thoona Victoria. Enlisted as a trooper in 8th Light Horse CMF 14 September 1893. Commissioned second lieutenant 8th LH 1 July 1908. Appointed Captain 13th Light Horse AIF 21 July 1915. Commanded B Squadron 13th LH at Gallipoli September - December 1915 and on Western Front July 1916 to May 1918. Seconded to 28th Infantry Battalion AIF western Front May - October 1918. Awarded DSO and MID. Following the war, served in CMF as commanding officer 8th LH and later 2nd Light Horse Brigade. Collection of medals and memorabilia of distinguished citizen soldier from northeast Victoria who served with both 8th and 13th Light Horse regiments in peace and war. These regiments make up the lineage of 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles.Framed collection of medals and memorabilia of Colonel Alexander Mitchell DSO MID, VD, a grazier of Thoona Victoria. Display includes epaulette boards with Colonel's badges of rank; Ribbon bar and medals: Distinguished Service Order, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal with oak leaf, Volunteer Decoration; Rising Sun collar badge, 8th Light Horse collar badge, pair 13th Light Horse collar badges; facsimile of letter from General Birdwood dated 9 June congratulating Mitchell on the award of the DSO. Stained wooden frame with glass cover pane. 8th light horse, 2nd light horse brigade, 13th light horse, medal, mitchell

Alexander Mitchell, grazier and citizen soldier of Thoona, Victoria. Enlisted as a trooper in Victorian Mounted Rifles in September 1893. Commissioned second Lieutenant July 1908. Appointed Captain 13th Light Horse AIF 21July 1915. Seconded to 28th Infantry Battalion in France, May - October 1918, Awarded DSO. Following the War rejoined CMF as Commanding Officer 8th Light Horse and later 2nd Light Horse Brigade.Complements collection of medals and memorabilia listed as item 4244.Typewritten letter on Australian Imperial Force 130 Horseferry Road Westminister Road SW1 letterhead and signed by General W. Birdwood. The letter is dated 9 June 1919 and congratulates Major Alexander Mitchell on being awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO )

The Ballarat School of Mines was the first School of Mines in Australia and was established in 1870. 22 page booklet titles 'The Ballarat School of Mines: A Statement of the Objects and Resources of the School.' The book has a number of illustrations including the interior of the Ballarat School of Mines Laboratory, and the former Ballarat Circuit Court House. It includes a statement of the formation, progress, and present position of the School of Mines, Ballaarat. The image of the Ballarat School Mines Assay Room shows assay furnaces, crucibles, chimney, and teacher Joseph Flude on the far right. This room is now is a building known as the 'Old Chemistry Building'. Plan and elevation of the new Metallurgical Laboratory and Proposed Chemical Laboratory is depicted.On front cover "Recorded in M-A" "1873"ballarat school of mines, assay, courthouse, joseph flude, crucible, furnace, flude, warrington rogers, brough smyth, harrie wood, wood, james bickett, bickett, redmond barry, somerville learmonth, metallurgy, chemistry, laboratory, examinations, mining engineer, assayer, inorganic chemistry, underground managers, captains of shift, engieners, enginedrivers, louis balhausen, james campbell, l.s. christie, j.j. casey, alexander dempster, g. higinbotham, james martin, alexander millan, malcolm morrison, band of hope and albion, city of ballarat mining company, city of canterbury gold mining company, egerton mining company, el dorado gold mining company, golden reef gold mining company, happy valley company, hope quartz mining company, long tunnel gold mining company walhalla, hopewell quartz mining company, imperial quartz mining company, student numbers, fees, magdala quartz mining company stawell, mariners and sloane's quartz mining company, new north clunes company, park company, temperence quartz company, tookey quartz company new zealand, walhalla gold mining company, matthew seal, harrie woodmuseum, duke of cornwall claim, john lynch, robert m. sergeant, engineers, f.w. niven, william henry barnard, ballarat school of mines museum, museum, ballarat school of mines library, donations of specimens, mining

This medal is the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s “Bramley-Moore medal for saving life at sea 1872”. The Society was formed in 1839. In 1872 Mr John Bramley-Moore donated £500 on condition that the medal have the specific inscription above on its reverse. The Bramley Morre medal was first awarded in 1874 and records show that since that time only one gold medal has been awarded, twenty-two silver medals and seventeen bronze medals, the last being in 1945. This Bromley-Moore medal was awarded to Peter Carmody for his bravery in saving lives on the Newfield shipwreck. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1889 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt, the main export product of Sharpness. At about 9pm on 28th August 1892, in heavy weather, Captain Scott sighted, between heavy squalls, the Cape Otway light on the mainland of Victoria but, due to a navigational error (the ship’s chronometers were wrong), he assumed it to be the Cape Wickham light on King Island, some 40 miles south. He altered his course to the north, expecting to enter Bass Strait. The ship was now heading straight for the south west Victorian coast. At about 1:30am the Newfield ran aground on a reef about 100 yards from shore and one mile east of Curdie’s Inlet, Peterborough. The ship struck heavily three times before grounding on an inner shoal with 6 feet of water in the holds. Rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile off shore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. According to Jack Loney ‘… when the drama was over . . the Newfield was deserted except for the Captain’s dog and two pigs.’ Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at Ssea, which he received by mail on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody’s grand-daughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. The Medal and Letter of Congratulations join other items in the Newfield collection.The Carmody Medal recognises the bravery of Peter Carmody in risking his life to rescue crew members of the Barque Newfield when it was wrecked near Curdies Inlet in August 1892. The ‘Bramley-Moore medal for saving life at sea, 1872’ was presented by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society. The medal and accompanying letter have local and international historic significance as they demonstrate both the difficulties associated with navigation and the dangers of shipping along the South West Coast of Victoria in the 19th century and the medal’s association with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society and John Bramley-Moore, who provided £500 to found the Bramley-Moore medal. The medal is socially significant. It emphasises the importance of Peter Carmody in rescuing victims of shipwrecks with little thought for his own safety. The medal reminds us of the importance of local people to Victoria’s maritime history. The Carmody Medal and Humane Society letter were in the Carmody family until they were presented to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, by the grand-daughter and great-grandson of Peter Carmody, on the 25th May 2006. The medal is significant for its complete provenance recorded in the donation documentation. The medal is in very good condition and relatively rare with only 22 silver medals awarded between 1874 and 1945. The Carmody Medal and letter add a human element to the story of the shipwrecks. They give life and significance to the Newfield, its victims and its artefacts. Bramley-Moore medal from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, awarded to Peter Carmody. The round,silver medal is attached to a looped blue ribbon by a decorative, swivelling silver connector. The top of the ribbon has a silver pin bar threaded through it. The obverse of the medal has a design of a man kneeling on a floating part of a wreck. He is rescuing a child from the sea. There is a manned boat in the distance rescuing someone from the sea. In the far background there is a sailing ship. The top third of the medal has an inscription around it. The reverse shows a long-legged hen cormorant with extended wings holding an olive branch in its beak. The bird is surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves made from two branches. There is an inscription between the design and the rim that goes all the way around the circumference. There is a name engraved around the edge of the medal. The medal in embedded in a purple velvet panel that rests inside a brown, leather-covered case. The lid of the case has a gold embossed emblem in the cemtre. Both the lid and base have a rectangular gold border. The lid is attached to the base with two brass hinges. The base has a brass push-button catch. The box is lined with padded cream silk. The lining inside the lid has a gold emblem in the centre.The obverse has the words "LORD, SAVE US, WE PERISH". The reverse has the words "BRAMLEY-MOORE MEDAL FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA" and "1872". Around the edge of the medal are the words "PETER CARMODY, FOR HAVING BEEN MAINLY INSTRUMENTAL IN RESCUING THE CREW OF THE BARQUE NEWFIELD, AUG 29 1892" The pin bar has the words “LIVERPOOL SHIPWRECK & HUMANE SOCIETY” written across it. The gold embossed emblem on the lid of the box has the words in the centre "SHIPWRECK AND …. …. ….FOUNDED 1839" The gold emblem on the cream silk lining has the words “BY APPOINTMENT ELKINGTON & CO” printed on it.medal, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, peter, peter carmody, carmody, bramley moore, newfield, liverpool shipwreck and humane society, 1892, 28 august 1892, august 1892, port campbell, bravery, shipwreck, rescue, nineteenth century, ship, curdie s river, victorian shipwrecks, barque, stuart bracken, norma bracken, gerard irvine, james mckenzie

From the 1870s Captains were required to sit a steamship competency exam to operate a vessel on the Murray River. Certificate states that Alexander George Smith was born in Echuca Victoria in 1869 and passed examination 22/5/1902.captains, murray river captains, marine board of victoria, certificate of competency, marine act 1890, third class engine-driver

This teak wood sample was part of a handrail from the wreck of the ship Otago. The Otago 1869-1931 The iron-hulled 3-masted barque Otago was built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Kelvinhaugh, as a merchant ship and launched in 1869. The vessel changed hands several times in the late 19th century after being sold to an Australian firm in 1871. During one of its voyages, the captain died while the ship was in port at Bangkok. Marine author Joseph Conrad was on board and, being a qualified captain, he took command and continued the journey to Sydney and Mauritius. It was the only ship he ever commanded. In 1903 the Melbourne shipping company Huddart, Parko & Co., purchased the Otago and converted it to serve as a coal hulk for use in Sydney. The Otago was later sent to Hobart, Tasmania, where it continued as a hulk until 1931. It was sold for scrap and eventually abandoned on the banks of the Derwent River at a place now known as Otago Bay, opposite Conrad Drive, Otago. The outline of the hull is still visible and a nearby plaque tells the story. There are other vessels also named Otago, one of them in the same year. Joseph Conrad (1857-1927): - Polish-born Joseph Conrad became a British subject in 1886. He was a renowned marine fiction writer and, for a short time, a mariner and Captain. As a 13-year-old boy, Joseph Conrad desired to be a sailor. At 19, he joined the British merchant marine, working in several roles. He eventually qualified as a captain but only served in this role once: from 1888 to 1889, when he commanded the barque Otago, taking over from the deceased captain and completing the ship’s journey from Sydney to Mauritius. In 1889 he began writing his first novel, Almayer’s Folly. He retired from life as a mariner in 1894, aged 36. Conrad’s affection for Australia and his visits to Australia from 1878 to 1982 were later commemorated by a plaque in Circular Quay, Sydney. Conrad continued as an author; some characters in his books were said to be inspired by his maritime experiences and the people he had met. By the end of his life, he had completed 19 novels, many stories, and essays, plus one incomplete novel, Suspense, which was finished and published posthumously. In 1924, Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald offered Conrad a knighthood for his work but he declined. There is an 1882 sailing ship named the Joseph Conrad, after the author, that is now preserved at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum in the USA as part of the fleet of historic ships, used as an exhibit and a training ship. The Danish square-rigged training ship was originally named Georg Stage but was renamed by marine author Alan Villiers when he bought It in 1934. The wood sample from the Otago is significant for its association with renowned marine author Joseph Conrad, who had once commanded the vessel; it was his only command as Captain and was known as Joseph Conrad's Otago. The maritime connection with Conrad extends to items in the collection, including some of his maritime novels based on his first-hand knowledge, a wooden ship model of a ship named after him, and a navigation chart of Otago Harbour. The sample of teak is significant as an example of materials used in the construction of the 1869 iron-hulled sailing ship, built in Glasgow, Scotland, specifically for use to sail across the world with cargo to trade between the colonies including Australian ports. Wood sample; a rectangular section of a teak wood handrail that has a bead planed along one side. Two cards with the sample have inscriptions, one handwritten and one typed. The sample is from the wreck of the barque Otago, once under the command of Captain Joseph Conrad. Handwritten card: "PART OF TEAK HANDRAIL / from / Joseph CONRAD'S ship / OTAGO / (HULK at RISDON, DERWENT River, TASMANIA) Typed card: "PART OF THE TEAK HANDRAIL / FROM JOSEPH CONRAD'S SHIP / "OTAGO" / (HILK AT RISDON, DERWENT / RIVER, TASMANIA)"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, joseph conrad, joseph conrad's ship, captain joseph conrad, otago, barque otago, merchant ship, cargo ship, hulk, 1869 ship, iron hull, sailing ship, handrail, fitting, souvenir, wood sample, teak, new zealand, sydney, newcastle, tasmania, hobart, derwent river, otago harbour, otago bay, conrad drive, 19th century, mauritius, marine author, marine novel, alex villiers, georg stage

Steering Gear Operation: All steering was done from the stern of the ship and a steering mechanism was used to connect the rudder to the ship's wheel, often housed in a box-like construction behind the helm. The rudder was, in turn, mounted on a pintle or stern-post held in place by gudgeon's (sockets). The steering was activated with lines attached to the blocks on the two threads (half left hand, half right hand) of the steering gear. As the helmsman turned the helm in the direction in which he wished the ship to travel, the central screw of the steering gear, which was attached to the back of the helm, turned horizontally. This caused the rods on either side of the gear to move backwards or forwards at the same time, which then turned the pintle and rudder to port or starboard. A brief history of the Newfield (1889-1892): - The Newfield was an iron and steel sailing barque of 1306 tons, built in 1889 by Alexander Stephen & Sons Dundee (Yard No 89) for Brownelles & Co., Liverpool. The Newfield was on a voyage from Sharpness to Brisbane on 29 August 1892, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. The Cape Otway light had been sighted in squally, bumpy weather, but the captain was under the impression it was the King Island light. The ship’s chronometers were wrong, and orders were given to tack the ship away from the light, which headed it straight for the cliffs of the Victorian coast. The vessel struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and five feet of water immediately filled the holds. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The panic resulted in the deaths of nine men, including the captain when they drowned after the boats capsized in heavy seas. The seventeen men who regained the ship decided to wait until daylight and rowed to Peterborough in the ship’s jolly boat and gig after locals had failed to secure a rocket apparatus line to the ship. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the captain had not heeded the advice of his crew.The Newfield wreck and its collection of recovered items are heritage listed and are regarded as historically significant. They represent aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and their potential for us today to interpret the maritime history and social themes of the time. The assemblage of various Newfield artefacts held in the Flagstaff Hill Museum is not only significant for its association with the shipwreck but helps archaeologists when examining the relationship between the objects to better understand our colonial marine past.Ship’s steering gear, cast iron, consists of a long round metal rod into which gears have been machined. The thread of the gear from one end to almost the centre winds in a left hand direction while the thread of the gear from the other end to almost the centre winds in the right hand direction. Each end of the rod has a metal coupler attached and two narrower round rods are also attached to the coupling, one each side of the gear rod, the same length as it and parallel to it. Two more ‘S’ shaped couplers are joined to the gear rod. Each of these have an opening through which the gear rod is threaded and can move along. There is another opening in these couplers through which one of the narrower rods is threaded. The other end of this coupler has half length metal rod attached to it by a bolt through the ring at the end of the rod. One end of the steering gear still has the brass hub of the ship’s wheel solidly attached. The hub no longer has its wooden spokes but the ten holes for the spokes can be easily recognised.Noneflagstaff hill, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, peter carmody, carmody, newfield, shipwreck, peterborough, south west victoria, rocket, rocket crew, shipwreck artefact, flagstaff hil maritime museum, steering, steering gear, screw steering gear, sailing ship

BHS CollectionNine typed pages of notes on a preliminary draft for a brochure on the Bendigo Diggings. First part is the objective which is to preserve the mining history and to have exhibits in the places they were used, e.g. quartz mining machinery exhibited in a quartz mining area, not on an alluvial field. Part B is historical notes on the area. Part C is the Site - Victoria Hill area. Part D is Stage One which consists of carpark area, technological museum, restaurant, mineral haulage line, picnic ground, earthworks and planting over the area. Part E is Stage Two which will consist of the open-air exhibits, in the area surrounded by the mineral haulage line, and the Central Nell Gwynne mine on the west side of the site. Part F is Stage Three which will consist of the winery, the steam tram track, the lake, the wildlife sanctuary and various buildings associated with gold mining. Part G is Costing with the prices to be filled in. Parts H and I are the Appeal and the Committee. Details to be filled in. Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.mining, marketing, victoria hill, victoria hill, the bendigo diggings - preliminary draft for brochure, aust national travel association, tullamarine jetport, emu bottom homestead, kyneton historical museum, chinese joss house, eaglehawk museum, whipstick scrub, cairn curran reservoir, castelmaine historical museum and market hall, national trust, ballarat hiatorical park, echuca's hopwood gardens, swan hill folk museum, gibson's mount alexander no 2 squatting run, captain brown, chief commissioner wright, hustler's reef, thomas hustler, mining board, drainage of reefs act 1862, first world war, bendigo amalgamated goldfields, second world war, sandhurst, w c vahland, battery trams, horse trams, steam trams, electric trams, central nell gwynne mine, theodore ballerstadt, george lansell, new chum hill, ballerstadt's open cut, 180 mine, new chum syncline battery, william rae, victoria quartz, wittscheibe's 'jeweller's shop', luffsman and sterry, gold mines hotel, adventure, bendigo and district tourist association, bendigo city council, bendigo branch of the royal historical society of victoria, professor brian lewis, school of architecture and building at the university of melbourne, taylor horsfield, lord robert cecil, south australian gold commissioner

Program Bendigo Operatic Society '' Anything Goes'' Capital Theatre Bendigo Opening 6th April 1962 for Four Nights. Producer: Beatrice Oakley -Musical Director: Max O'Loghlen - Ballet Mistress: Madge Welch - Society Pianist Phyllis House. In memory Of Norman Lee Society's Founder and Producer Passed away 06/01/1962. Cast in Order of Appearance: Denis Cremen as Bartender - John Stephens as Elisha J. Whitney - Ferd Lorenz as Bill Crocker - Heather Lindhe as Reno Lagrange - Margery Reed as Girl Reporter - Lenn Carr as Cameraman - Fred Trewarne as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Bart - Carol McKenzie as Hope Harcourt - Bernice Boromeo as Mrs. Wadsworth T. Harcourt - Max Beckwith as Bishop Dobson - Peter Unmack as Ching - Daryl Walker as Ling - Victor White as Purser - Roger Sprawson as Steward - Roy Cronin as 1st Detective - George Steele as 2nd Detective - Joan Crane as Mrs. Wentworth - Joan Heard as Mrs. Frick - Alfred Annison as Dr. Moon - Kath Alexander as Bonnie le Tour - Denis Cremen as Ship's Drunk - Reginald Boromeo as Captain - Ray Austin as Junior - Peter Houston as William Oakleigh (Sir Evelyn's Uncle).program, theatre, bendigo operatic society

Program Bendigo Operatic Society ''The New Moon'' Capital Theatre for Six Nights Opening September 27th, 1963. Producer: Beatrice Oakley - Musical Director: Max O'Loghlen - Ballet Mistress: Miss M. Welch - Society Pianist: Mrs. R. Conolan. Cast in Order of Appearance: Mary Speedy as Julie - Victor White as Monsieur Beaunoir - Desmond Duguid as Captain George Duval - Peter Houston as Vicomte Ribaud - Alfred Annison as Monsieur Fouchet - Leonard Carr as Robert Misson - Fred Trewarne as Alexander - Reginald Boromeo as Jacques - Roger Sprawson as Besac - George Steele as Brunet - Aileen Simmonds as Marianne Beaunoir - Graham Filcock as Doorkeeper of Tavern - Max Rule as Philippe Léntendu - Gertrude Perry as Clotilde Lombaste - Graham Filcock as Admiral De Jean - Erica Scharp as A Dancing Girl - Anne Pearson as A Flower Girl.program, theatre, bendigo operatic society

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr. R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 percent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 percent reference and 40 percent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items has become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850’s to the late 1950’s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr. R. Pattison. Rolf Boldrewood (1826-1915) ‘Rolf Boldrewood’ is the pen-name used by Thomas Alexander Browne as a writer. Browne was the eldest child of Captain Sylvester John Brown and Elizabeth Angell nee Alexander. He was born in London on 6th August 1826 and arrived in Australia with his parents and siblings when he was 5 years old and grew up in Sydney. In the 1860’s Browne added the ‘e’ to his surname. As a 17 year old Browne took up land in the Western District of Victoria between Portland and Port Fairy on a property named “Squattlesea Mere”. He remained there until 1858, enjoying the squatters’ life on his 32,000 acre property, growing potatoes and running cattle and horses. He sold in 1858 and purchased a sheep station on the Murray River near Swan Hill. He later sold this and bought another sheep station near Narrandera until bad seasons and severe droughts eventually caused him to change his career after 25 years as a squatter. Over the next 25 years Browne held the position of Police Magistrate and as a gold commissioner in various locations. His third career as an author lasted approximately 40 years. In 1865 he wrote two articles on pastoral life while he was recovering from a riding accident. In the 1870’s his writing was bringing in the income to support his family, changing his focus to the writing of novels. A series of these was written for the Australian market and published in The Sydney Mail and the Centennial Magazine. His later novels were aimed at the overseas markets. His best known novel “Robbery Under Arms” was written from 1882 to 1883 and has been serialised on radio in Australia and Britain. The novel was filmed in 1907, 1920 and 1957, and in 1985 it was made into a television series. It is now an Australian Classic. He also wrote short stories, several nonfiction graziers’ guides, and an autobiography named “Old Melbourne Memories” in 1884. [This information has been taken from Wikipedia; Australian Authors-Perry Meddlemiss; Australian Dictionary of Biography, Browne, Thomas Alexander (1826-1915)] The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Miners Right A tale of the Australian Goldfields Author: Rolf Boldrewood Publisher: Macmillan And Co Date: 1922Label on spine cover with typed text R.A. 823.91 BOL Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, great ocean road, the miners right, australian goldfields, australian rush, rolf boldrewood, gold rush

This bell was the smaller of the two bells rescued by the crew of the Schomberg when it was wrecked in 1855. All of the crew from the Schomberg wreck survived. They carried the two ship’s bells with them as they made their way along the coast, eventually arriving at the home of settler John Manning, who lived at Hopkins Point near Warrnambool. Manning acquired the Schomberg bells, presenting them to two Warrnambool churches: the smaller one to St Joseph’s Catholic Church and the larger bell to St John’s Presbyterian church. The small bell at St Joseph’s developed a crack after about a year and could no longer be used. Thomas Manifold imported a new bell for that church, and the cracked bell was stored at his farm. The property was sold years later to John Logan, who donated the discarded bell to the Warrnambool Museum when it first opened in 1886. The Curator, Joseph Archibald, displayed the bell in the entry. In 1975, the bell was transferred from the Warrnambool Art Gallery to Flagstaff Hill. THE SAILING SHIP, SCHOMBERG: - When the Schomberg was launched in 1855, she was considered the "Noblest” ship that ever floated on the water. Schomberg's owners, the Black Ball Line, had commissioned the ship for their fleet of passenger liners. She was built by Alexander Hall of Aberdeen for £43,103 and constructed with 3 skins. One planked fore and aft and two diagonally planked, fastened together with screw-threaded trunnels (wooden rails). Her First Class accommodation was simply luxurious with velvet pile carpets, large mirrors, rosewood, birds-eye maple and mahogany timbers throughout, soft furnishings of satin damask, and an oak-lined library with a piano. Overall, she had accommodation for 1000 passengers. At the launch, the Schomberg's 34-year-old master, Captain 'Bully' Forbes, had promised to reach Melbourne in sixty days, stating, "with or without the help of God." Captain James Nicol Forbes was born in Aberdeen in 1821 and rose to fame with his record-breaking voyages on the famous Black Ball Line ships, Marco Polo and Lightning. In 1852, on the ship Marco Polo, he made the record passage from London to Melbourne in 68 days. Unfortunately, there were 53 deaths on the voyage, but the great news was of the record passage by Captain Forbes. In 1854, he took the clipper “Lightning” to Melbourne in 76 days and back in 63 days; this record was never beaten by a sailing ship. He often drove his crew and ship to breaking point to beat his previous records. He cared little for the comfort of the passengers. On this, Schomberg's maiden voyage, he was determined to break existing records. Schomberg departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on 6th October 1855, flying a sign that read "Sixty Days to Melbourne". She departed with 430 passengers and 3000 tons of cargo, including iron rails and equipment intended to build the Melbourne to Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn. She also carried a cow for fresh milk, pens for fowls and pigs, and 90,000 gallons of water for washing and drinking. She also carried 17,000 letters and 31,800 newspapers. The ship and cargo were insured for $300,000, a fortune for the time. The winds were poor as she sailed across the equator, slowing Schomberg's journey considerably. The land was first sighted on Christmas Day, at Cape Bridgewater near Portland. Captain Forbes followed the coastline towards Melbourne. Forbes was said to be playing cards when called by the third mate, Henry Keen, who reported land about 3 miles off. Due in large part to the captain's regarding a card game as more important than his ship, it eventually ran aground on a sand spit near Curdie's Inlet (about 56 km west of Cape Otway) on 26th December 1855, 78 days after leaving Liverpool. The sand spit and the currents were not marked on Forbes's map. Overnight, the crew launched a lifeboat to find a safe place to land the ship’s passengers. The scouting party returned to Schomberg and advised Forbes that it was best to wait until morning because the rough seas could easily overturn the small lifeboats. The ship’s Chief Officer spotted the SS Queen at dawn and signalled the steamer. The master of the Queen approached the stranded vessel and all of Schomberg’s passengers and crew disembarked safely. The Black Ball Line's Melbourne agent sent a steamer to retrieve the passengers' baggage from the Schomberg. Other steamers helped unload her cargo until the weather changed and prevented the salvage teams from accessing the ship. Later, one plunderer found a case of Wellington boots, but alas, all were for the left foot. Local merchants Manifold & Bostock bought the wreck and cargo but did not attempt to salvage the cargo still on board the ship. They eventually sold it on to a Melbourne businessman and two seafarers. In 186,4, after two of the men drowned when they tried to reach Schomberg, salvage efforts were abandoned. In 1870, nearly 15 years after the wreck, parts of the Schomberg had washed ashore on the south island of New Zealand. The wreck now lies in 825 meters of water, and although the woodwork is mostly disintegrated, the shape of the ship can still be determined due to the remaining railway irons, girders and the ship’s frame. A variety of goods and materials can be seen scattered about nearby.The bell is particularly significant in that along with other items from the wreck helped in part to having the legislation changed to protect shipwrecks, with far tighter controls being employed to oversee the salvaging of wreck sites. This bell forms part of the Schomberg collection at Flagstaff Hill maritime museum. The collection as a whole is of historical and archaeological significance at a State level. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Schomberg is also significant for its association with the Victorian Heritage Registered Schomberg shipwreck (VHR S 612). The collection is of additional significance because of the relationship between the objects salvaged, as together they help us to interpret the story of the Schomberg. The collection as a whole is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria's maritime history and its potential to interpret social and historical themes from society at the time of the wreck. A small ship’s bell. The bell bears the ship’s name and year of construction on one side and the name and address of the ship’s builders on the other. These details are deeply engraved into the metal and formed in bold, upper-case lettering. The bell has two bell stands, a left and a right side. Both stands have an Iron pipe made into an inverted ‘Y’ shape with a hole made in the single length and feet attached to a rectangular metal plate at the other two ends. Feet are bolted into a timber base that has a hole drilled through the centre for mounting. Bell's front; “SCHOMBERG” with “1855” below. Bell's back “HALL & SONS (crack splits letter “N”) / BUILDERS (in italics) / ABERDEEN” (crack splits letter “B”).flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, schomberg, silver plated bell, mess bell, bell stands, captain ‘bully’ forbes, alexander hall and son, james baines and company, liverpool’s black ball line, bell, schomberg bell, ship's bell, small bell, st joseph's church, briggs marine, john manning, john logan, warrnambool museum