The breeches buoy and traveller block are part of the beach rescue apparatus used by lifesaving crew overseas and in Australia in the 1860s to 1960s. The breeches buoy (or chair bucket or petticoat breeches) were invented by Lieutenant Kisbee by the 1850s. It looks like a pair of canvas shorts with a cork lifebuoy ring attached around the top. The set-up works similar way to a zip wire and allows for two-way travel. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria has had 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. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it, followed in 1864 by a rocket house to safely store the Rocket Rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost one hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain and improve their skills, summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The first use of a lifesaving rocket rescue system is often credited to Captain Manby and his invention of a life mortar, first used in 1808 to fire a line onto a ship to rescue lives. Henry Trengrouse’s invention of 1820 was the first to use a sky rocket’s power to throw a line, and his invention included a chair for carrying the shipwrecked victims to shore. In 1832 John Dennett invented a rocket specifically for shore to ship rescue. It had an iron case and an 8 foot pole attached and could shoot the line as far as 250 yards (about 230 metres). From the 1860s the rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It comprised a breeches buoy and traveller block that was suspended on a line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. Colonel Boxer, who had invented an early line-thrower, designed a rocket in 1865 with a range from 300 to 470 yards. It was the first two-stage rocket, with two rockets placed one in front of the other in a tube that carried the rescue line. The hemp line was faked, or coiled, in a particular way in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired, and the angle of firing the rocket was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol around 1920, which used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. Victoria’s Government adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain, which used Colonel Boxer’s rocket apparatus rescue method. The British Board of Trade published instructions in 1850 for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line attached, then firing it across the stranded vessel. A tally board was then sent out with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the continuous whip line and attach the whip block to a mast or sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a heavier hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser is then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rocket system could also be used from one ship to another. This item 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.Breeches buoy and traveller lock; white canvas breeches (shorts) with lifebuoy ring attached to its waistband, with ropes for attaching it to the traveller block. Wooden traveller block has double brass inline sheaves and brass rollers on each cheek of the block, and each shell is scored for the strop. The thimble attached to the strop has a wooden slat for quick release of the breeches buoy. The ropes comprise of two equal lengths of rope that have been bunched together to form two loops, then bound together just below the loops, while the four hanging ends are looped around the lifebuoy, equally spaced, with each end finished in an eye-splice. The apparatus is suspended by the loops at the top and attached to the traveller block, which has a quick release device.flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, irish hand barrow, government of victoria

There is a single record with the RAN for a John Kidd, who commenced service in 1909 and left in 1912. Kidd was born in 1885 in Sydney and his mother lived in Queenscliff. He served on the HMAS Parramatta from 1911-1912. There is no evidence of him having served on the HMAS Melbourne. Kidd served from 1911-1912 on the HMAS Parramatta, the first ship launched for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).A wooden box with mortise and tenon joins, brass fittings, circular handles, silver hinges and a name plate on the front. The box has a lift out section creating compartments. On the inside lid of the box is a postcard of the HMAS Melbourne surrounded by small rope decoration. A number of keepsakes are inside including a fidd for splicing ropes, a Capstan Wills tobacco tin, 3 postcards, a "Bengall Imperial" cut throat razor (T.R. Cadman & Sons, Sheffield England), black and white bakelite buttons with embossed crown and anchor and brass shank (either for war time or junior officers), gold naval buttons with embossed naval anchor and 2 piece shank (from a coat and cuffs), a bullet casing (Webley '45), a petty officers cloth badge (crossed anchors with a Crown), 4 shells, a good conduct badge (black with gold embroidery) and a red/brown vulcanized asbestos fibre fireproof dog- tag with rope attached."John Kidd" on front of box. "20171" stamped on edge of box. Tobacco tin: "Medium/"Capstan"/Registered/Ready Rubbed Fine Cut Tobacco/-1 oz net weight when packed/W.D. & H.O. Wills/(Australia) Ltd., Sydney. Postcard: Main Street, Samarai. Postcard: Sydney from Lavender Bay Kerry (Copyright) Sydney. Postcard: "Docks showing cathedral, Bristol BL 193. Copyright Lilywhite (1932) Ltd, Sowerby Bridge". Buttons: "AUSTRALIA/Y6-298", "Buttons Ltd B'HAM mark trade" "AUSTRALIA Stokes & Son Melbourne". Bullet casing "WEB WRA 45". Dog-Tag may read "L/Ford" written in ink?ditty box, john kidd, dog-tag, wwi identification tag, lilywhite ltd, w.d & h.o wills, stokes & son melbourne, naval buttons, hmas melbourne

The early settlers of Victoria depended on horse drawn vehicles to farm, make roads and railways, deliver produce and transport people. Horse harnesses were an important requisite for all drivers and could be found wherever there were working horses. Horse Harnesses have played an essential role in different cultures throughout history. Simple, utilitarian horse harnesses made of leather straps and iron rings were being used in early China before AD 500 as well as ancient Greece and Rome allowing horses to pull chariots and ploughs. The Greeks and Romans were the first to use a "horse collar" which distributed the weight of the harness evenly across the horse's chest rather than relying on a "throat harness" that could damage a horse's throat or choke them. During the medieval period, European horse harnesses became more elaborate and decorative. Variations of different horse harnesses were also found in Native American and Middle Eastern cultures. Horse Harnesses usually have four basic components which include - 1. Communication - the bridle, bit and reins allows the driver to communicate instructions and commands to the horse, guiding its movement and direction. 2. Draft - the collar, hame straps, hames, traces and chains enables the horse to draw and pull the load efficiently by distributing the weight and transferring the pulling force to the vehicle. 3. Stopping - the breeching band, pole straps and breast strap helps to control or stabilise the horse and vehicle when moving downhill or stopping. 4. Support - the back pad, backband, belly band and back saddle keep the harness in the correct position and proper alignment. This dray harness is a plain, basic harness and reflects its working class origins. It was used by Mr. Oswald (Jack) Bourke with his horse and dray to firstly deliver drygoods from Sunbury to Melbourne in the 1930's and later (through the 1940's and 1950's up to 1961) when he worked on the garbage round for the Springvale City Council. This horse harness is a significant example of the equipment that was needed wherever horses were being used - particularly in the early years of Victoria's settlement by white settlers. Harnesses such as this example were used with drays, farming equipment, delivery carts and personal transportation.A leather and metal horse harness used with a horse and dray circa 1930's to the early 1960's. It is made up of a number of components. 1. A leather bridle with metal buckles and rings, blinkers and a metal single jointed, snaffle bit that has the initials M B stamped onto the leather. 2. A leather bridle with metal buckles and rings and a metal "straight bar" Eggbut snaffle bit. It has an elongated X design (with 4 dots) stamped onto the leather strap holders near each buckle. 3. A blue and white vinyl halter with one leather patched strap. The nose band and a chin strap are covered with woollen padding. 4. A pair of leather shaft protectors. They have lacing holes along each edge and a repeating design of small shapes (flowers, wings, crosses and arrowheads) which run along the front of each protector. 5. A leather strap with a stainless steel chain and catch and a maker's mark for "Glenn's Leather Goods, Pearcedale Victoria" stamped onto the end. 6. A wide leather strap covered with a webbing sleeve. It has two large metal rings and each end and one ring has a rope attached. 7. A leather strap comprised of three separate sections (two shorter and one longer) joined with two metal rings. The longer section has notches along its length and the shorter section at the other end has a buckle. It also had a maker's mark stamped on it but the mark is very worn and the writing is difficult to read. 8. An adjustable leather horse collar with two buckles and straps at the top opening and two "B's" stamped into the leather. The top of the collar is made from treated leather pieces stitched together and the underneath of the collar is untreated leather. It has a padded indentation running all the way around the collar for the hames to sit in. 9. Two pairs of long leather traces - each having a buckle and notched section at one end and each one is made with three lengths of leather spliced together. 10. A leather strap (with one spliced join) belonging to a horse harness with two shorter straps (each ending with a metal clip) attached to a steel D ring at one end. 11. Three assorted short leather straps - the top one has clips at each end and a buckle (for adjusting the length) in the centre, the middle strap has notches and a buckle and the bottom strap is white with notches and a buckle.Bridle with blinkers - "M B" Bridle - design showing an elongated X with a dot in each section stamped onto strap holder Shaft Protectors - stamped design of flowers, wings, crosses and arrowheads Strap with chain - "Glenn's leather goods / Pearcedale / Victoria" Leather Strap (with two metal rings) - Maker's stamp - "name indecipherable / SADDLER / ...OURNE" Collar - "B / B" Leather strap - flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, sunbury, springvale, dray, delivery dray, harness, horse harness, horse drawn vehicles, working horse, oswald (jack) bourke, bridle, horse collar, hames, shaft protectors

The 1st edition of this famous work, giving an excellent account of the machinery used in late 19th century metal mining in the UK and overseas is very rare. It covers a wide range of equipment - pumps, steam engines, drills, winding engines, stamps & concentration mills, aerial ropeways, tramways and early uses of electricity etc. Brown hard cloth covered book. xvi 564 pages with additional advertisements, with over 300 illustrations and drawings, some fold out. Chapters include Water as a motive power, Wind engines and ventilating machinery, Steam boilers/engines and oil engines, hoisting machinery, draining of Mines, pumping engines, rock drilling machinery, boring machinery, concentration machinery, sizing and classifications trommels, joggers and jigging, fine concentration, milling of gold ores, milling of silver ores, amalgamation plates and machinery, dry and roasting machinery, chlorination and cyandide processes for the extraction of gold, electricity as a motive power for mining, electric lighting and blasting, aerial wire ropeways, transport by rail and road. There a a number of lovely line illustrations in the book including: Poncelot's undershot waterwheel; Fromont furnace;Victor turbine; Pelton waterwheel; Root's positive blower;Cross section and front elevation of Lancashire boiler; Robey's Compound Mill Engine; Portable Winding Plant; Iron Pit Head Gear ; Loading Arrangement in an Incline Shaft; kibble; Worthington Pump; California Pump; Scram's Air Compressor; Rock drill Bits; Special Sharpening tools; Boring tools;Rotating Picking table; Ore Feeder; roller crusher; stamp battery; round buddle; slime table; vanner; amalgamating plant; belt elevator;roasting furnace;splicing wire rope; capel; tipping waggon;mining, cornish pump, linkenbach table, water wheel, ventilation, oil engine, california, america, water, steam boilers, steam engines, oil engines, pumpimg, rock drilling, boring, jiggers, milling, silver, gold, drying and roasting, chlorination, cyaniding, lead, zinc, copper, electricity, electric lighting, wire ropes, transport, wind engine, poppet head

Folder - heavy red covers with two screw sets containing a photocopy of a report by William Pollock, prepared after the closure of the cable tram system titled ""The Melbourne Cable Tramway System". Image numbers listed: Folder – htd4715i1 Inside of folder – htd4715i2.jpg Report –Photocopy of a 14 foolscap sheets, paper titled “The Melbourne Cable Tramway System” by William Pollock, describing the system in detail, listing 26 appendices. Has notes on each Power Station, including a table of opening, closing, power produced and cables, fuel, permanent way (track), cables, underground gear, tunnels, flooding and the grip. Image – htd4714i3.pdf Appendix 1 – Handwritten table “Cost the Melbourne Tramway System” – photocopied special size sheet folded. See image htd4715i4.jpg 2 – Drawing – Typical Power House layout - image htd4715i5.jpg 3 – Drawing – Head of Cable Driver – htd4715i6.jpg 4 – Drawing – Rope Drive – htd4715i7.jpg 5 – Photocopy of a Fuel and Water test sheet for the Esplanade Power House – two sheets – 14/5/1918 – htd4715i8.jpg and htd4715i9.jpg 6 – Section of Cable Tram track – htd4715i10.jpg 7 – Tar Burner used by MTOC 1893 – 1900 - htd4715i11.jpg 8 – Yoke Bracket for line drums – A1 Pulley – htd4715i12.jpg 9 – Tunnel Yoke – htd4715i13.jpg 10 – Elevating Wheel or Pulley with shield plate – htd4715i14.jpg 11 – Curve Pulleys, curve drum and rubbing bar – 2 sheets – htd4715i15.jpg and htd4715i16.jpg 12 – Curve or Conical drum – htd4715i17.jpg 13 – Cable Separating pulley or cone line drum – htd4715i18.jpg 14 – Yoke Pulley or General Pulley – htd4715i19.jpg 15 – Yoke Bracket for Drums – htd4715i20.jpg 16 – Automatic Switch Gear – htd4715i21.jpg 17 – Hand operated switch gear – htd4715i22.jpg 18 – Hand pickup – htd4715i23.jpg 19 & 20 – Photo of bunched strands and damaged cable – htd4715i24 21 – Diagram of Rope – Clarendon St Rope No. 41 – htd4715i25.jpg 22 – Strand Alarm – htd4715i26.jpg 23 – Rope History – two sheets – htd4715i27 and htd4715i28.jpg 24 – Rope Splice – htd4715i29.jpg 25 – Cable Grip – htd4715i30.jpg 26 – Crown Pulley – two sheets – htd4715i30 and htd4715i31trams, tramways, drawings, tramcars, cable trams, trackwork, mto co, reports

Blackout lantern used in WW11. This type of lantern was used during both World War. It is an artillery siege lamp and was originally used by artillery units. The lamps were powered by a single candle, the light being magnified by a lens. A shutter closes over the lens to give an illuminated vertical line. They were used originally in fortified siege artillery positions as a general purpose lamp. They were also used as aiming lamps when they were placed in front of artillery positions and used as a guide in aiming at night. These lamps were often used on the front of bicycles to guide at night. Donated by Clem Heather. Forestry Commision, carved faces on trees with axe., builder of tall. spliced single pole fire towers. This item is considered rare and important. It is historically and technically siginficant at a national level.Small black metal blackout lantern with handle. Front of lantern has round shield with small slit - small door at side for easy lighting of candle. It is hand held or placed on flat area, open base so candle can be inserted and 'screwed' in. Front is a magnifying glass and it has metal lens cover with vertical slit. lantern blackout ww11 military candle-power lamp

Part of collection of various maritime artefacts donated by Bill Libby Five fids made from different timbers and of various sizes. fids, sail making, rope splicing