Beige linen ladies blouse. Foldover collar. Sleeveless with turned back cuffs at arm holes 7 cm at shoulder. Front opening with three 1 cm white plastic buttons and one press-stud 12 cm above the waist. Front made of two pieces with 24 cm dart from hemline. Breast pocket on LHS with turn over flap. Back made from one piece with 23 cm darts from hemline.Label inside back neckline ''SPORTSCRAFT'' Regd. In a Moygashel. Pure Irish Linencostume, female, ladies irish linen blouse

Cream linen, round neckline, finished with two cm wide scallops embroidered at the neckline edge in buttonhole stitch. A small embroidered eyelet at the centre of each scallop, allows a narrow pink silk ribbon to pass through as a drawstring. The centre front opening, 17cm long, fastens with on metal press-stud, and one pearl button, with handstitched button hole-one cm long. Garment has no shoulder seams, and does have extended, short sleeves, finished with embroidered scallops, as the neckline. Five petal shaped cutwork decorations are on each sleeve, and both sides of front placket.Garment is slightly flared at the hemline. French side seams - machined and machine stitched hem.costume, children's, cream linen child's nightgown

Cream coloured men's short sleeved dress shirt made by Matthews Bros. Centre front placket withthree button holes. Top button hole closed with gold coloured stud. Lower buttonholes have white 1 cm buttons. Stand up collar 1.5 cm with buttonhole at centre back with 1.2 cm white stud. Two labels below back collar. "Matthews Bros. Bendigo Drapers and Mercers" 'Luvisca Courtalds B13" Printed centre lower front and centre lower back "562 2D" Handwritten in ink above lower back hem "C W Hercus"Matthews Bros. Bendigo Drapers and Mercers

Clothing. Child's white linen dress. Wide round hemmed neckline. Dress made up of two pieces of fabric. Dress is straight to below the waist (35cm) and then widens to the hem (51 cm). Sleeveless with arm holes edged with one cm lace. Front of dress is cotton fabric with alternating vertical stripes of embroidered fabric and floral patterned lace. Back opening (16cm) with placket, fastened with two metal press-studs.costume, children's, child's white linen dress

Mounted black and white photograph of Vietnamese child with injured right eye. He is wearing long-sleeved pajama top fastened with a press-stud and eating a piece of baguette, which he is holding in his right hand. Image in black wooden frame which has holes from where it was fastened to wall, but lacks a back board.VICTIM OF WAR -- IN A VUNGTAU / ORPHANAGE IN 1968 / PICTURED BY ALEX GALLphotograph, orphanage, vietnamese children, alex gall, vung tau

Reverend Edwin Iredale Watkin, D.D. (1839-1916) was born in Sydney and spent his early life in New Zealand before coming to Australia . He began his Wesleyan ministry in 1859. He was a leading member of the Royal Geographical Society of Victoria. He had a winning personality and was held in high regard and affection by the communities in worked in. The plaque appears to be from the double-seated buggy the Rev E.I.Watkin was presented with together with an inscribed silver teapot, a set of gold studs and a gold pencil case on his leaving the Geelong East Methodist Circuit.Small silver plaque with an inscription and six holes around the edge."Presented TO THE REV. E.I. Watkin. AS A TOKEN OF ESTEEM AND AFFECTION BY HIS FRIENDS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS LEAVING THE Geelong East Circuit April 6th 1875"geelong east methodist circuit, yarra street wesleyan church, rev edwin iredale watkin (1839-1916)

Believed to have been used at the Sunbury Pop Festival between 1972-1975 and held on George Duncan's property.Leather wallet with floral embossed design on outside mainly burgundy colour. Punched holes with press stud closure pocket, open divide and joined together with leather lacing.sunbury pop festival, duncan, george, george evans collection

Made by MRS Harris for her daughter Norma (donor) in 1920Baby's Cream silk dress with round neck sleeves, opening down back of bodice with three press studs to waist. Waist band has 18 button holes for ribbon to be threaded through. Herringbone stitch insert 2/3 down skirt. Embroidered flowers on skirt and bodice. All edges finished with crochet edging. All embroidery and crochet in cream silk thread.costume, children's

Fine white cotton camisole with crochet cotton lace at neck and sleeves. (Torchon Lace). Front held together by tape tie at neck. Three press studs sewn over original button holes in placket.costume, female underwear

Slouch Hat without liner. Metal stud fitting to hold up side. One piece flat pugaree. Hole in pugaree at the front for badge. Possibly Militia or RAAF.Nil

Male wool shirt made in Bradford, U.K. The shirt is cut from first fabric woven from 100% traceable Australian wool. Bradford Mills differ to Australian mills in that the entire process of producing worsted material does not take place at the one firm/factory. Rather it is split between many firm/factories specialising in their task in the production of worsted material. For example, the wool goes from merchants to combers to produce tops, the tops to spinners to produce yarn and then the yarn is sold to manufactures who weave it into cloth. After the weaving is done the cloth has to be sent to the dryers and finishers, who scour, dye and finish the cloth. Finally, the finished cloth is purchase by a fresh set of merchants, who will later sell the cloth elsewhere in England or abroad. At each these steps a new firm is handling the wool/cloth making it hard to track lineage of wool through this process and hence hard to guarantee 100% Australian wool. This shirt was purchased and worn by the donor’s husband, George H. Gerber, an Australian Wool Buyer. The shirt was purchased on one of George’s trips to Bradford in the U.K. on company business. Gerber was a second-generation Wool Traders in his family. His father, also named George H. Gerber, worked for Kreglinger & Furneau. He worked for them in Boston, U.S.A. before he died from the Spanish Flu in 1918. The company then promised a job to his oldest son (donor’s husband) once he finished school. Thus, George came to be trained as a Fine Wool Classer by Kreglinger & Furneaux (Aust.) Pty Ltd where he was employed as a Wool Buyer all his working life. He retired in 1969 as the head of their Australian office when the company was taken over Also of note, the shirt was sold with 2 add-on collars. Having additional collars was advantageous as changing only the collar increased the number of days the shirt could be worn without washing. Cream coloured shirt with black and red single thread verticle stripes.“Grandpa” collar (with 1 of its 2 supplied add-on collars included). French cuffs. Sold with 2 add-on collars, hence both ends of the collar have buttonholes to take a stud, and a partially-opened button-hole is at the centre of the neck on the outside of the collar for a second stud.Letering label on shirt: GENT’S OUTFITTER Herbert Winfield 23 CHEAPSIDE, BRADFORDbradford, u.k, kreglinger & furneaux (aust.) pty ltd, 100% australian wool

Electrical telegraphs were point to point text messaging systems primarily used from the 1840's until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecommunications system and were sent by an operator or telegrapher using Morse code. Social telegrams were also encouraged and special pictorial forms and envelopes were designed such as the special purple form and envelope which was used when conveying condolence details during World War 2.(fn. Powerhouse https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/163103). There was a brief resurgence in telegraphy during World War I but the decline continued as the world entered the Great Depression years of the 1930s.  Although telegraph lines continued to play an important part in distributing news feeds from news agencies post World War 2, the rise of the internet in the 1990s and the widespread installation of the telephones in homes saw the need for telegrams to greatly decline. When the Commonwealth Post and Telegraph Act was passed in June 1902, and a national Postmaster General's Department (the PMG) was established the responsibility for the nation's mail and telephone services fell on Post Offices. The Bendigo Post Office, built in 1887 and situated on Pall Mall was the central distribution centre for receiving and delivering telegrams and continued to deliver communication and postal services until 1997. Now a Visitor Centre, dedicated volunteers at the Post Office continued to demonstrate and educate the public about telegraphic services and the development of this unique form of communication up until 2019 when Covid 19 disrupted every day life, coupled with the death Ted Rankins (the last Post Master and a long term telegraph volunteer at the Post Office). This satchel was used by Junior Postal Workers in Bendigo to carry telegrams which were delivered by bicycle in the early years and is part of the postal collection donated by the Rankins family in memory of Ted. Small, dark coloured rectangle, leather satchel with attached belt and ornate buckle. Satchel is made of four pieces of leather: two side pieces, one piece which is folded to create the front, bottom, back and flap and one piece for the central strap. The central strap has a single hole through which a metal toggle is inserted to secure the flap closed. Stitching is evident around the side seams, around the metal toggle and inside flap where strap is attached and has been reinforced. Satchel has four metal tabs to secure the top front to the top sides and an internal pocket on inside. The leather belt is attached to the back outside of the satchel with four metal press studs. The left side buckle also has reinforced stitching. Both sides of the buckle have decorative elements with the words Post Office / Communications/ Australia on the left side around outer circular edge. Underside of right side of buckle end has the words AROS pressed into it. Inside flap of satchel; Australia / Post / Telegram / Boys written in marker. Buckle; Post Office / Communications / Australia. Underside of right side of buckle end; AROS Internal; Gold address sticker with Ted Rankins contact details.ted rankins collection, bendigo post office, bendigo tourism, city of greater bendigo tourism, post office collection

Electrical telegraphs were point to point text messaging systems primarily used from the 1840's until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecommunications system and were sent by an operator or telegrapher using Morse code. Social telegrams were also encouraged and special pictorial forms and envelopes were designed such as the special purple form and envelope which was used when conveying condolence details during World War 2.(fn. Powerhouse https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/163103). There was a brief resurgence in telegraphy during World War I but the decline continued as the world entered the Great Depression years of the 1930s.  Although telegraph lines continued to play an important part in distributing news feeds from news agencies post World War 2, the rise of the internet in the 1990s and the widespread installation of the telephones in homes saw the need for telegrams to greatly decline. When the Commonwealth Post and Telegraph Act was passed in June 1902, and a national Postmaster General's Department (the PMG) was established the responsibility for the nation's mail and telephone services fell on Post Offices. The Bendigo Post Office, built in 1887 and situated on Pall Mall was the central distribution centre for receiving and delivering telegrams and continued to deliver communication and postal services until 1997. Now a Visitor Centre, dedicated volunteers at the Post Office continued to demonstrate and educate the public about telegraphic services and the development of this unique form of communication up until 2019 when Covid 19 disrupted every day life, coupled with the death Ted Rankins (the last Post Master and a long term telegraph volunteer at the Post Office). This satchel was used by Junior Postal Workers in Bendigo to carry telegrams which were delivered by bicycle in the early years. Small, rectangle, leather satchel with attached shoulder strap and buckle. Satchel is made of five pieces of leather: two side pieces, one piece which is folded to create the front, bottom, back and flap and two small pieces to hold strap ring. The flap has a single hole through which a metal toggle is inserted to secure the flap closed. Satchel has four metal tabs to secure the top front to the top sides and an internal pocket on inside. The leather strap is attached to the top of the side seams of the satchel with circular metal rings and two metal press studs. Inside flap: Sticker with '540B'bendigo post office, bendigo tourism, city of greater bendigo tourism, making a nation exhibition, post office collection

The garment was a sealed sample 26 feb 1962. It is unknown when the dress was replaced. It is a representative example of this type of uniform in the period.The dress is in excellent condition.Light green,short sleeves.410mm shoulder to shoulder.1018mm top of collar to bottom of dress.320 mm wide waist.25mm sleeve from shoulder top to sleeve end. Sleeve cuff 4 cm wide.Two pockets on front, each set 12 cmm below waist and 9 mm from edge of centre opening.bottom of pocket is 10 cm from edge of centre opening.The dress opens at front with 8 button holes (24mm) openings,with a neck button loop(2cm). Two epaulettes 5cmm x 11 cm(long). The pockets have a sewn flap 2cm long from pocket top and 5 cm (at apex) from top of pocket.Two loops (5cm high) at each side of dress.A loop for hanging dress is inside collar at rear.Three press studs at front to fasten dress.Attached certificate in plastic seal. “Department of Army - inspection service/ SFC 8.3.13. (June 1958). Sealed sample/ sealed pattern no class 8415 article/CLO 1489 DRESS WOMEN’S indoor uniform,short/sleeves.RAANC,S55./ the supply is not to differ from this sale sample except in such/ respects as may shown on back thereof./Approved 26.2.1962/ for Director of inspection” On reverse of sealed tag is: “ measurements shall be as specified.Buttons/RAANC Line 30 (fronts) . Buttons RAANC LINE 26/(SHOULDER STRAPS).”dress, women’s, raanc, short sleeve, uniform

Royal Australian Navy officer's peaked cap with a woven dark navy band and off-white piqued top in synthetic material. Patent leather peak is black with green underside. The cap has a black patent leather chin strap that runs across the top of the peak, secured on left and right with press stud buttons. Above the peak is an embroidered insignia of the Royal Australian Navy, a crown with an anchor underneath. Hat brim is stiffened by foam and bears a brown leather band with punched holes, presumably for ventilation. The interior lining is black.Interior tag at back of hat reads "59". Inscription on underside of hat peak is illegible.royal australian navy, navy, hat, cap, uniform

This belt was manufactured for military service. It is presumably a World War Two era article of Army uniform.This Army belt was presumably made and used during the World War Two era and therefore has historic value. Brown leather belt with a brass buckle. The belt has twelve holes in two rows at one end for fastening into the buckle. The very tip narrows to a point. There is light brown stitching along the edges of the belt. There are two brass studs which hold the leather in a loop of the other end. There is an additional piece of leather fixed to this looped edge for holding the other end in place. The buckle is made of a silver coloured brass and has two rods which pass through two of the twelve holes for fastening. The buckle also exhibits blue/green copper corrosion in several areas. belt, war, uniform, army, royal australian army, world war two, ww2, wwii, second world war

This military bandolier contains pouches for the storage of live ammunition during wartime. Worn by soldiers around their waistManufactured and sold by Holden and Frost during the Bore War, WW1 and WW2Leather belt with nine pouches placed over belt. Has a buckle at end and holed other end, another buckle in middle of belt. Pouches leather with brass stud closuresHolden and Frost 1916military, bandalier, leather

This knife and scabbard belongs to Lindsay Fankhouser, who wore it on his ankle when he served as an engineer/ crewman in the RAAF (Iroquois and Hercules) during the Vietnam war. He used this knife many times a day while he was serving. It is a brown leather knife sheath, with a decorative front and two canvas straps attached at the back. The shorter strap is located at the bottom of the sheath and the longer strap is located just below the belt loop. Both straps are fixed in place with stitching. The top strap has a square of stitching, while the bottom strap has two lines of stitching that follows the stitching of the sheath. The belt loop is at the top of sheath and is a fixed flap of leather that is folded across the top and also holds the handle of the knife in place using a circular hole that fits around the butt of the knife. The bottom canvas strap has three adjustable brass male press studs on the left side as well as the fixed female one on the right. The top canvas strap has four adjustable brass male press studs on the right side as well as as the fixed female one on the right. The sheath is held together by stitching and five iron rivets. There is one on the point of the sheath, two on either side of the top, and two more 51mm below the top two. 46mm above the sheath, there are another two iron rivets on either side. Above that on the holding flap, there are two iron rivets just above the circular hole on either side. On the flap, around the hole there are three brass flat-headed split pins, one on either side and one on the front. At the top of the sheath, above the decorative embossing, there is a dark brown jagged cut strip of fixed leather. All the leather on the object is a reddish-brown, while the canvas and stitching is light beige. The end stitching on the canvas straps is dark grey. The front of the sheath is polished leather, while the back is rough.On back of belt loop flap, there is an embossd manufactuing patent number; PATENT Nr152.463 On face of the sheaf there embossed decoration. It depicts a lion with stylised decorative foliage and above the lion there is a fleur de lise. Above that it reads Soallingen Norge.norway, norge, soallingen, knife, small knife, hunting, scabbard, sheath, vietnam, lindsay fankhouser, raaf

Northern District School of Nursing trainee nurse's base uniform from 1972Nurse's one piece dress in yellow with yoke and central front chest panel in white. Dress fastens with full back zip to waist and metal hook and eye. There are two pockets at sides below waist. There is a gusset to each side of back to sleeve. There is a long sleeved, waist length jacket, satin lined, with round neck with five buttons and button holes at front. The fabric is of stretch cotton. There is a metal press stud at the top of the jacketDress has a white label with gold embroidered 'House of King, Melbourne' stitched to left rear neck facing. Stitched to the top of this label is another small white label with the name 'Anne Fitzpatrick' in green embroidery. The jacket has a white label stitched to the lining at base of neck with 'Florgale Uniforms, Melbourne, Sydney" in gold. 'SW' and a female figure in long dress is embroidered in navy blue on the label.nurses uniform, northern district school of nursing, dress, jacket

Although it’s unknown when these two photos were taken, the South African Pattern Mk IV Slotted Template Machine was in service from 1936 to 1952. The machine was used to cut slots and holes in an acetate film medium. This template was then used to fit several runs of aerial photography to ground control points at a desired scale with a substitution of the templates in the assembly. Radial slots on the templates from central holes representing the photograph’s principal point (centre) were placed over hollow metal studs mounted over control points on the scaled base sheet. The studs represented the intersection of radial lines through common points of detail of overlapping photos. A pricker was used to transfer from the photo-points to the templates. The slotted template methodology was later used as an essential aero-triangulation exercise in advance courses conducted at the School of Military Survey.These three photographs are of a slotted template machine used in aero-triangulation. The first two photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 300 dpi. The third photograph was captured from a collection using a smart phone. .1) and .2) - Photo, black & white, 1936-1952. South African Pattern Mk IV Slotted Template Machine. .3) - Photo, black & white, 1936-1952. WO2 Bob Pratt operating the Slotted Template Machine. .1 and .2 –annotated on back “Slotted Template” .3P - annotated on front “COMPILATION SECTION SLOTTED TEMPLATE MACHINE WO2 BOB PRATT”royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr, air survey, aerotrig

Black and white photographs - 2 copiesTyped below photograph, "Boiler explosion at Ringwood station 20/6/1894. Heard in Box Hill". Article from newspapers:- Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 27 January 1894, page 21 Official enquiry. The Board of Enquiry appointed by the Railway Commissioners to enquire into the causes of the boiler explosion which shattered the locomotive at Ringwood on Saturday night, assembled at the Railway department on Wednesday to commence its deliberations, The board consisted of Mr R. Fulton, engineer, C. W. McLean; engineer to the Marine Board, and Mr Mephan Ferguson, iron-founder. There is some difficulty at the outset about the constitution of the board; It was suggested that the Apt of Parliament contemplated that boards of experts, after the manner of the present one, needed, to have their appointments confirmed by the Governor-in-Council. The point, however, was not considered sufficiently important to prevent the board from proceeding with evidence. Robert Greyford, stationmaster at Ringwood, was the first witness. He said he saw the explosion on Saturday night at about twenty minutes to 8. There was a rush to the engine to see what had happened, and the driver and fireman were both found on the platform of the engine. The driver seemed badly hurt, but the fireman, to all appearances, was not so badly injured. They were both attended to and sent up to Melbourne by the last suburban train. Witness had a look at the engine and found the dome and all the plates round the boiler blown clean, away. The springs were also blown clean away. The Chairman (Mr Fulton) : Did you measure the distance ? Witness: Yes; one of the plates was 209 yards away. A piece from the top of the boiler 15 pounds in weight he found driven into the hard beaten track 410 yards away. Several pieces of boiler plate were found scattered at various distances. The buildings roundabout were injured. The Chairman; Did you notice anything peculiar about either of the driver or the fireman ? — No ; nothing wrong, with either of them. If the engine was blowing off at all, it must have been very light. In your opinion, were they perfectly sober ? — Perfectly. In approaching the station, is there a down or an up grade? — A very slight down grade. How is the road from Healesville ? — Up and down all the way. It is down, grade for about 200 yards coming into Ringwood station. They shut off ; steam about a quarter of a mile away, and come in at a good pace. They generally put on 15 pounds of steam while they are in the station. Mr Ferguson : Had the driver the usual load on ? — Yes ; about the usual load. Witness added that he had known the driver personally for about 10 years, and he had always been a careful, steady, sober man. He did not know the fireman so well. John Palmer, porter at Ringwood station, also saw the explosion. He was attending to the train on its arrival. He was knocked down by the force of the explosion. When he got up he saw the engine driver being carried into the office covered in blood. He noticed nothing peculiar about the driver and fireman, nor about the engine. Mr McLean : How far were you from the engine when you were knocked down ? — From ten to fifteen yards. William Paul, the guard of the train to which the injured locomotive Was attached, said he was looking at the engine at the very moment the explosion occurred. It seemed to come from exactly under the dome. The force of it took him off his feet. He was about 15 yards from the tender. When he rose he tried to reach the engine, but could not do so on account of the steam and coal dust. He called out to know whether any of the passengers were injured, and got no response, so that he concluded they were all right. All the lamps but about half dozen were extinguished by the force of the explosion, although the glass was not broken. He could testify most distinctly that the driver and fireman were both sober. The driver was a man who never drank. The steam started to blow off about a minute and a half before the explosion took place. The last place at which the engine took water was Healesville. The Chairman : Do yon know anything of the quality of the water there ? Is it creek water ? — Yes ; it comes from the Graceburn River. You never heard of its quality ?— No. How long have you known this engine on the road— About 13 months. Hew long have you known the driver on this line ? — About six weeks. I have known the fireman several years. The driver was a strict teetotaller, and I never saw the fireman take anything to drink in his life. Mr T. H, Woodroffe, chief mechanical engineer of the Victorian Railways, produced a report he had written to the secretary, about this explosion. The document gave facts concerning the engine and the explosion. It stated that the rapture seemed to have occurred at the rim of the plates adjoining the fire box. The engine was built at the Phoenix Foundry, Ballarat, in 1883. It was repaired at various times, the last time being in July of last year when it was sent to the Port Melbourne shops, and was then tested to a cold water pressure of 195 and found all right. It was the custom to overhaul all locomotives about every five years. The Chairman : There were no very heavy repairs in July, 1893; were there? — Not to the boilers. The shop manager's report says that the plug and safety tap holes were repaired, five new copper studs put in firebox, ash-pan door repaired, tender cleaned and overhauled, and studs re-rivetted, and boiler tested to pressure of 195, cold water. Mr Woodroffe read the report of the repairs effected to the boiler in December, 1888. That would be the time the plate was put in the boiler. On that occasion three new plates were put in the bottom and the boiler tested up to 195. The Chairman: Do you keep a record of the water used ?— Yes, the water in this case, I think, came from the Maroondah scheme. Mr Woodroffe said boilers were examined front time to time in the running sheds. In his opinion every possible care had been taken to keep the engine in proper care. There might, however, be lessons learnt from this. The Chairman: No doubt. From his examination of the plates [the] witness did not think the state of them could have been detected from the outside. There were no signs of leakage or sweating or anything of that sort. The next witness- was Walter Stinton, workshop manager at Newport and he said that the injured engine had been repeatedly repaired under his charge. He gave a technical account of the repairs effected on various occasions. The testing of locomotives was under his special notice. They had a high pressure pipe running; round the works, and a pump set at 2001b. When the boiler was pumped full of water the pressure when applied up to 1951b. The board appointed by the department to inquire into the Ringwood locomotive boiler explosion sat again at Spencer street on 25th inst. Mr R. Fulton presided and the other members of the board were. Mr Mephan Ferguson and Mr C. W. McLean. Charles Grubb, foreman of the boiler-makers at the Newport workshops, said he had inspected the pieces of plate that had been blown out of the engine, and after examining them, pointed out to the Chief Mechanical Engineer the portion where the plate had started to burst. It was under the lap, on the right hand side of the boiler. The grooving might be accounted for by bad water. During the past twenty years he had examined all the boilers that came into the Williamstown workshops, and while some were hardly marked at all, others were very badly eaten away. The practice was to cut out the defective portions. In this case the boiler was repaired in a similar manner. The Chairman : Can you suggest any other way of repairing so as to prevent accident ? — No, unless by taking out a plate on one side from the joint, and carrying it further up so as to avoid the joints meeting, or by taking out the plate altogether. What would.be the cost .of putting in a new " plate I—Perhaps about double the price; but I wouldn't recommend that course. It would be putting a new plate against plates that have been in use ten years or so and that would not be advisable. I think the present system better. I consider the present system of repairing the best. This is the first we have had so bad like that, to my knowledge. You attributed this to bad water. Is there no other probable cause ? — Well; unless the iron be bad. This was Lowmoor iron. I think this accident was caused by the eating away of plates. This one was the worst I have seen, for the short time it had been running. We use three classes of iron — Lowmoor, Monkbridge and Bowling. By Mr Woodroffe (Chief Mechanical Engineer) ; There are engines still running that were repaired at the same time as this one, in 1888, and. in the same way. These are engines 339 and 333. They have been recently examined and are in splendid order. What in your experience, is the age of a boiler on the Victorian railways? — From 17 to 20 years our earlier boilers stood. The later boilers don't stand so well. How is that? — There is difference in construction, and the material is lighter. The old boilers had thicker plates. Have you been asked in any way to curtail boiler affairs? — No, sir; nor in any way. You have never hesitated to carry out any necessary repairs? — Never. Our orders have been to exercise every care in examining, repairing and renewing boilers. Witness said that his practice was when an engine came into the workshop to find out how long she had been running. If over five years, he informed the workshop manager, and they thought it necessary the tubes were taken nut. If everything was in good order witness reported to the manager. The cost of taking out the tubes and putting them in again was about L20. Mr Woodroffe : Have you ever hesitated to repair a boiler on the score of expense ? — No, never. Mr McLean : Hew do yon ascertain whether a boiler requires repairs?— I keep a record of every boiler examined. From every boiler that comes in I have the dome covers taken off, and when it is practical I get inside. l can almost tell from the top of a boiler what the bottom is like. If there is any doubt about it I have the tubes taken out. If I have suspicion of defective plate I cause to have bored a triangle in the plate at the point where there is the most wear. There is a travelling inspector who visits all the running sheds of the colony except Port Melbourne and tests the boilers. He reports to us and we note what he points out. Alfred Thompson, locomotive inspector of the eastern section, said he knew this engine, 297R. He read a list of her repairs. He heard of the accident on Saturday night and went up to Ringwood. The Chairman : Did you ever notice anything peculiar about the engine? — No, I considered her A1 and would not have hesitated to have put on 140lb pressure owing to the repairs she had undergone. Witness considered that the explosion was caused by the expansion and contraction of the plates ; and, no doubt, the plate had been eaten away through bad water. The other side of the boiler showed: signs of corrosion: By Mr Woodroffe ; Is every care taken with the boilers ? — Yes, every possible care is taken for the safety of boilers, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 27 January 1894, page 7 EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE BOILER, NARROW ESACPE FROM FATALITIES. THE DAMAGED ENGINE. [See drawing of loco – saved in “Railways” folder] The explosion of a locomotive boiler at Ringwood on Saturday evening, formed the subject of much discussion in railway circles on Monday. The Minister arrived at the office at an unusually early hour and immediately entered into a consultation with the acting chairman, Mr Kibble, and Mr Commissioner Murray. As the result of the interview it was resolved to ask three gentlemen of acknowledged engineering experience to sib as a board with the . object of inquiring into the cause of the accident and furnishing a report. Mr Richardson and the Commissioners are tally seized of the importance of having a searching investigation into the accident, and, with Mr Murray, the former went to Ringwood to inspect the scene of the disaster. They will he accompanied by Mr Woodroffe. During the morning no official report had come to hand from the driver or fireman of the engine in reference to the accident, but that is thought to be due to the circumstance that they have not sufficiently recovered to be able to give a circumstantial account of what occurred. The engine was one of the old R's, and, Mr Kibble pronounced them to be about the best class of engines used. So far nothing can be said as to the probable cause of the accident, as the broken plating of the engine has not been submitted to the inspection of experts. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 27 January 1894, page 7 STATEMENT BY THE FIREMAN. This morning Thomas Miles, fireman on the engine the boiler of which exploded on Saturday night, is suffering from an injury to the spine, as well as a very severe shaking to the system. He states that he was fireman on the engine attached to the train which left Healesville on Saturday evening, at ten minutes to 8. Everything went all right until Ringwood was reached, when, .just as the train was about to continue its journey, a load explosion took place and Miles remembers nothing more until he was picked np on the platform ; and found himself suffering from a pain in the back, and an injury to his arm. He cannot think of any reason which could have caused the explosion, as there was plenty of water in the boiler, and everything seemed working all right. Mr R. Fulton, consulting engineer, of Queen street; Mr McLean, a member of the Marine Board ; and Mr Mephan Ferguson, engineer, have consented to act as a board to inquire into the cause of the engine boiler explosion at Ringwood on Saturday evening. The board has been appointed under section 117 of Act 1135, which provides that the Governor-in-Council may direct the taking of a such a step. Mr1 Fulton will act as chairman of the board, which met for the first time at the railway offices, Spencer street, this forenoon. Before separating the members of the Board paid a visit to the Prince's Bridge locomotive sheds in company with Mr Woodroffe, the chief mechanical engineer, for the purpose of inspecting the shattered boiler. It has been stated that the explosion is known to have been caused by a flaw in a plate which was put on the boiler about four years ago, but enquiries have tailed to elicit anything in support of that view. The engineers connected with the department are not inclined to say anything on the subject. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 14 April 1894, page 20 The Ringwood Boiler Explosion, The Minister of Railways has received the supplementary report of the board appointed by him to investigate the circumstances connected with the explosion of a locomotive boiler at Ringwood. In their first report the board did not attach blame to anyone. Mr Richardson felt satisfied that the responsibility of having the engines properly inspected and overhauled periodically could be fixed if the inquiry were extended. He therefore referred the matter again to the Board, who took further evidence. In the report now furnished, the Board hold Loco. Inspector Thompson blameable, but point out as a mitigating circumstance that he had not received "written instructions" respecting inspections and overhauls. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 7 July 1894, page 32 The Ringwood Boiler Explosion. The Minister of Railways takes exception to the tone of a paragraph appearing in a morning contemporary respecting the Ringwood boiler explosion. It makes it appear that Mr Richardson has referred the report of the board which considered the facts connected with the explosion to the Crown solicitor simply because he differed from the finding of the board. The Minister explains that when he received the report he found that the responsibility for having boilers properly inspected and overhauled had not been clearly fixed. He personally obtained farther evidence on that point, and arrived at a conclusion, from which the commissioners differed. As he did not like to take upon himself the responsibility of deciding upon the effect of the evidence, he submitted the matter to the Crown Solicitor, but that officer did not furnish him with the information sought. He has, therefore, referred the question to the Attorney-General, together with the draft of a regulation respecting boiler inspections and overhauls in the future. Mr Richardson says that his whole aim is to have the responsibility positively fixed. Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 28 April 1894, page 23 The Minister of Railways has completed his consideration of the supplementary report received by him from the Ringwood Boiler Explosion Board. The report, it will be remembered, held Loco-Inspector Thompson blameable for the non-inspection of the boiler, but considered there was extenuating circumstances. There was a certain amount of doubt as to the absolute instructions given for overhauling engines periodically. Mr. Richardson is sending the report on to the Commissioners with instructions that the responsibility respecting inspection of boilers shall be made clear for the future.