Childers Cove is situated about 15 ks east of Warrnambool in the area known as Mepunga. It is named after the shipwreck of 'The Children.The documents relate to the running of the Childer's Cove Progress Association. There are a number of social activities including gymkhanas, racing meetings, making of roads and improving with planting trees There are many names which are still familiar with the area nearly 100 years later, including Wallace, McDowall, Burleigh, Murnane, Bonnett, Abraham Laidlaw Keogh Holloway and Palmer. Some of the meetings were held at the Mepunga South School with others held at Eckers Hotel Warrnambool and some at the race course. Fundraising events were held also from athletic meetings and district school children's races. This collection of papers is representative of many small communities around Australia where people came together and worked to improve their community facilities. It therefore has strong social and historic significance.This is a collection of papers most of which relate to the Childer's Cove Progress Association. Included are: .1 Minute Book/ Exercise book Childer's Cove Progress Association.May 1928-1932 .2 Minute Book/ Exercise book Childer's Cove Progress Association. 1924-1926 .3 Letter from Warrnambool Football Club 1930. .4 Account Archibald MacFarlane & Co March 1929 .5 Western District Racing Association Oct 1929. .6 Federal Taxation Dep Re Entertainment Tax 11/02/1930 .7 Chief Secretary Office re Racing Permits March 1923. .8-.9 Warrnambool Standard Invoices Jan 1930's .10 Archibald MacFarlane & Co Jan 1930. .11 Chief Office for Stamp Duties 12/02/1928 .12 Flyer - Childer's Cove Progress Association April 17 1926. .13 Flyer- Monster Gymkhana 12/02/ 1927. .14 Handwritten Invoice Charles Palmer Nov 1929. .15 Cheque Book Childer's Cove Progress Association 1929-31. .16 Deposit Book Childer's Cove Progress Association 1932-1942 .17 Bundle of invoices. .1 C J Caddy & Sons.2 Western Ice & Ice Products .3 Department of Lands & Survey Aug 1923 .4 J S Tait re Licence April 1924 .5 Warrnambool Standard31/12/1923 .6 Warrnambool Standard 31/03/1924 .7 Devenish & Co August 1924 .8 Warrnambool Standard 31/06/1924 H J Paynter & Co 03/05/1924 .10 Chief Secretary's Office Melbourne 01/05/1924 with receipt. .11 Permit for a race meeting April 19 1924 .12 Commonwealth of Australia Entertainment Tax 06/09/1924.13 Commonwealth of Australia Entertainment Notice 27/08/01924 .14 Commonwealth of Australia Entertainment Tax notice 12/08/1924 .18 William Ardlie handwritten letter 28/03/1928 .19 Envelope Addressed to W R Abrahams .20 Final notice Handwritten Charles Palmer Jan 1930. .21 Balance Sheet Childer's Cove Racing Club 18/03/1929 .22 H J Paynter & Co Account and receipt 25/02/1930. .23 Raglan Parade Timber Yards Alex Donaldson Feb 1930. .24 The School Paper Feb 1964 No 741 childer's cove, mepunga, childer's cove progress association

This horse trough is the only survivor of the two troughs originally installed in Raglan Parade, Warrnambool, in 1932. It was later moved to the Pony Club at Albert Part, near the north corner of Coulstock and Craig Streets. Over the time there its purpose was changed from a horse watering trough to a colourful garden bed of agapanthus plants. By February 2013 the horse trough had been transferred to Flagstaff Hill for display in the Maritime Village’s grounds. This trough is one of hundreds provided by the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust since 1927 for the welfare of working horses and dogs. The original concrete cap over the small compartment is still retained. There are also markings on the right side of the trough where it probably had a birdbath, tap or a dish for the horseman’s dog, similar to other troughs donated elsewhere by the Trust. Less than half of the troughs produced for the Annis and George Bills Trust still survive. In 2017 Felicity Watson, National Trust Victoria’s advocacy manager, said that the troughs were treasures and becoming rare, with more than a dozen across Victoria now being heritage protected. ABOUT ANNIS AND GEORGE BILLS The 1927 Will of George Bills included setting up the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust, which provided for hundreds of horse troughs to be supplied and installed throughout Australia, Britain, USA and other parts of the world for the welfare of horses. Town and city councils could apply to the Trustees for a horse trough for their communities. George “Joe” Bills was born in Brighton, England, in 1859. The family migrated first to New Zealand then to Australia in 1873, settling in the Echuca-Moama district. George moved to Brisbane in 1882 where he met Annis Swann, formerly from Sheffield. Both were animal lovers. George and Annis married 1885 and moved to Sydney to join George’s brother Henry in his mattress wire weaving business, later known as the Bills Brothers. They patented their own machine in 1893 and the business became very profitable. George was able to donate to charities that supported his passion to improve animal welfare. He and Annis joined the Victorian Society for the Protection of Animals and in 1924 George received a Life Membership with the RSPCA. George retired in 1908. The couple moved to Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1910, where they donated troughs for the work horses of Melbourne. During a visit to England Annis passed away. In 1927 George moved from Hawthorn to Camberwell, where he passed away at the end of that year. George had requested in his Will that a trust fund be set up from his estate "…construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained." The troughs were to bear a plaque inscribed “Donated by Annis and George Bills, Australia”. In 1927 the cost to make a trough was about £13 (which converts to about $1079 in 2020 ), plus transport and installation costs. Most of the troughs were installed between 1930 and 1939 in Victoria and New South Wales. It is estimated that over that time around 500-700 Bills Horse Troughs were installed in Australia and another 50 overseas. Most of the troughs made in Victoria had three moulded front panels like this trough, and no panels moulded on the rear, whereas troughs made in NSW had four panels on the front and five on the back. Victorian troughs were made by a Bills’ relative, J H Phillips. Later, other manufactures for the Trust’s troughs included Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd, in Auburn Road, Hawthorn, Victoria, who produced to the same original design. No further troughs produced after the end of World War II. A memorial to Annis and George Bills was first erected in Hawthorn in 1929. It included a drinking fountain and a dog dish. Its current location is unknown. In 1964 the George Bills RSPCA Resource Centre opened in Burwood East. This Bills horse trough is nationally significant as one of the surviving examples of the standard Bills memorial horse troughs that still has its compartment cap and evidence of it once having had attached fittings, possibly for a birdbath or dog dish. This trough has State historical significance for being produced in the early 1930s by a business in Hawthorn, Victoria. This example of a Bills horse trough is significant for being in comparatively good condition. The trough is locally significant for being the sole survivor of the two Bills horse troughs installed in the City of Warrnambool in 1932, originally installed on Raglan Parade and continued to be used in the community at the Pony Club, then finally transferred to its current location at Flagstaff Hill by early 2013. It is culturally significant as it represents the community’s dependence on horses for travel and transportation previous to motorised vehicles. It is morally significant as a generous gift from a couple concerned with the welfare of animals.Horse trough; a long narrow rectangular container used for storing water. Trough is made from pre-cast concrete with one large open compartment and a small covered compartment. The base of the small compartment is raised slightly above the base of the trough and is covered by a removable concrete cap. The design of the front of the trough includes three panels moulded into it that align with the shape of the back pediment (panel). The pediment is shaped with side arcs that step up to a wide centre arc. A rectangular concrete plaque is cast into the centre of the pediment and is engraved with the names of the original donors, Annis and George Bills. The trough was made in Hawthorn, Victoria, by J H Phillips circa 1932. “DONATED BY / ANNIS & GEORGE BILLS / AUSTRALIA”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, annis and george bills, bills trust, j h phillips, rocla concrete pipes ltd, hawthorn, water trough, watering trough, horse trough, animal welfare, bills horse trough

Yields information about the tram operations and the landscape views of the Sturt St median strip.Ten (10) Digital images taken by George Coop during the period 1968 - 1970, of SEC trams in Sturt St, between the City and Pleasant Streets. .1 - Tram 26 climbing the Sturt St hill to Lydiard St, with the Cook's Private Hotel, the Commonwealth Bank and the National Mutual Life building in the background. Photo taken from the Titanic Bandstand. .2 - Tram 40 Sturt St, enough to Lydiard St North just before Raglan St. Has a lady passenger by the tram stop. .3 - Tram 30 - Sturt St north side, near Armstrong St, - has a blue framing line around the photograph. .4 - Tram 39, Sturt St, near Doveton St, shows the rotunda in the median strip. .5 - Tram 18, with median step in view. .6 - Tram 31, with two Johnnie Walker whiskey roof adverts, outside the National Mutual Life building with the Alan Bros Jewellers and Golden Star Chinese Cafe in the view. .7 - Tram 31, Sturt St south side with Town Hall and the Golden City Hotel in the view. Tram has destination of Gardens via Drummond North. .8 - Tram 41 - ditto - going to Sebastopol. .9 - Tram 13, south side, Gardens via Sturt West, about , near Ripon St, with the Ampol service station in the background and about to pick up a lady passenger .10 - Tram 17, near Doveton St. Has a Twin Lakes sign and a Wilkinson Sword Razor Bladese roof advert. trams, tramways, sturt st, raglan st, passengers, doveton st, tram 26, tram 40, tram 30, tram 39, tram 18, tram 31, tram 41, tram 13, tram 17

Copy photograph of a small photograph contained within item Reg. No. 587. Photograph is of, ESCo later SEC tram No. 24 in Sturt St, with motor car alongside. Print is possibly out of focus. Caption on 687 is "1st New Tram to run to Sebastopol - No. 23 in Sturt St. between Raglan - Errard Sts."trams, tramways, ballarat, new trams, m class, sturt st, esco , tram 24

Kodachrome Transparency - 35mm slide - cardboard mount, with one side with red border and words "Kodachrome Transparency / Processed by Kodak" top and bottom. Photo taken by Ben Parle 5/4/1958. Has slide No. "3" stamped in red in top corner and date stamped on slide. Photo of No. 19 westbound in Sturt St. at the intersection of Raglan St, with the City Brigade Hotel in the background. "Sturt St" "-5 APR 1958"tramways, trams, sturt st, raglan st, city brigade hotel, tram 19

Yields information about the Ballarat City fire station August 1971 and Sturt St.Kodak - Kodachrome slide - cardboard mount featuring tram 21, inbound in Sturt St, passing the Ballarat City fire station at intersection of Raglan St - 11 August 1971.In ink on slide "11 Aug 71 (Wed), Up Gdns at Raglan St in Sturt St.tramways, trams, sturt st, fire station, raglan st, tram 21

Yields information about the preparations undertaken by the Ballarat Fire Brigade to form a welcoming arch for a visiting Governor General..Digital image from the Wal Jack Ballarat Album of Ballarat No. 20 passing under the two LaFrance fire brigade ladders forming an arch outside the Ballarat City Fire station on 8/3/1955 to greet the Governor General Sir William Slim, Sturt and Raglan Streets. Wal's album notes say "No. 20 passing under 2-100' extension ladders as an arch to welcome Sir William Slim, Governor General. Sturt and Raglan St 8-3-1955." See image i2 for rear of photograph. See image i3 for hi res scan of print. See image i4 for hi res scan of negative\ Neville Britton of the BTM advised 2/5/2020: Seven LaFrance 100' ladders built by the American LaFrance Company, of Elmira, New York arrived in Australia in 1942 as part of the WW2 lend lease program. One each to Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Four initially to the MFB but within a short period of time went to the CFA. One each to Geelong City FS, Ballarat City FS and Bendigo FS. The fourth was a stand in and was located at the Ballarat FS when not required. Thus the two ladders in the photo at the Ballarat City FS. I was a volunteer at Ballarat City FB from 1967 and commenced my career employment there in 1970. The two LaFrance ladders were still in Ballarat at that time. In the mid 70's the 'spare' was allocated to the Dandenong FS. They were retired in the 1980's. The four Victorian ladders still survive. Ex Geelong City is at the Fire Services Museum Victoria. They have a second one that was acquired by a private collector. It was neglected and returned to the FSMV in poor condition. Ex Ballarat City was driven to Sydney and remains at the Museum of Fire at Penrith. The fourth one was acquired by a private collector and stored in a shed in North Geelong and never moved. He recently died and it may have been sold. They had a V12 petrol engine with all ignition parts duplicated. So two Distributors, two ignition coils and two spark plugs per cylinder. Splash feed engine lubrication.On rear in ink. Top right hand corner "T175" within the Wal Jack stamp. "SEC Ballarat No. 20 passing under the two LaFrance yank extension ladders ( to greet the Governor General Sir William Slim) Sturt and Raglan Streets. and the date "8 Mar 1955"trams, tramways, sturt st, governors, fire station, ceremonies, tram 20

Photo taken from the City Fire Brigade station at the corner of Sturt and Raglan Streets, looking east towards Mount Warrenheip. Has an eastbound ESCo tram. Photo shows the overhead structures, Harry Davies & Co. Drapers Importers, Ballarat Town Hall and the general view of the city. On the rear is a large Rose symbol and publisher details.Yields information about Sturt St during 1920sPostcard - Rose Series P 1717, Sturt Street looking east. Second copy - cigarette card size - 63mm x 87mmHas an address in Macarthur St, Ballarat on rear. Second copy has in ink "To Ken from Paul Kiwi4755"ballarat, sturt st, fire watch tower, harry davies