Lid for ship's tanks used for early domestic water storage (1860's) at the lightstation The water tank and lid are probably from the same unit that was used for transporting drinking water or perishable dry goods on ships. The unit comprised a large, riveted metal tank which was fitted with a heavy cast iron round lid to form a hermetically sealed container. It had a rubber sealing ring ‘which was screwed tight with the aid of lugs cast into the lid and wedges cast into the rim of the loading hole’. A raised iron rod welded across the outer face of many lids allowed for screwing the lid tight. Ship tanks were invented in1808 by notable engineer, Richard Trevithick and his associate John Dickinson. Their patent obtained the same year described the tank’s superior cubic shape that allowed it to fit squarely as a container in ships and thus use space efficiently, while its metal fabric preserved and secured its contents, whether liquid or solid, from damage. The containers revolutionised the movement of goods by ship and made wooden casks redundant. Research by Michael Pearson has determined that they were carried on passages to Australia from at least the 1830s, conveying ships’ victuals and water storage as well as general goods heading for the colonies, and by the 1870s they were in common use. Once in the colonies, the tanks were often recycled and adapted for many resourceful uses such as water tanks, packing cases, dog kennels, oil containers and food stores and this invariably led to the separation of the lid and tank. Raised lettering on the lids indicates that nearly all of the ship tanks transported to Australia came from London manufacturers, and it was usual also for the brand name to feature as a stencil on the associated square tank but in most cases this eventually wore off. It is not known if the Wilsons Promontory tank retains its stencil, and the heavy lid will need to be turned over to reveal its manufacturer’s name. How it came to the lightstation is also not known, but it was either brought to the site as a recycled tank or salvaged from a shipwreck. Pearson writes that Ship tanks show up at a wide range of sites, many of them isolated like lighthouses. They were, I think, usually taken there for the purposes they filled, usually water storage, as they were readily available, relatively light to transport, and probably very cheap to buy as second‐hand goods containers. In rural areas they may have been scavenged for their new uses from local stores, to whom goods were delivered in them. Recycled to serve as a water tank, the Wilsons Promontory tank is the last surviving example of several that were used at the site to hold water for domestic consumption. The tank has had its lid removed and a tap fitted to the one of the sides. It stands on concrete blocks next to a building to receive water running off the roof via a metal pipe. Wilsons Promontory is the only lightstation managed by Parks Victoria with a tank container, although Cape Otway and Point Hicks have lids. Parks Victoria has identified four other lids which include two at Point Hicks, one manufactured by Lancaster and Co. the other by Bellamy. Cape Otway also has two, one unidentified and the other by the Bow Tank Works, East London, which produced tanks between 1910 and 1930. Pearson notes that ‘surviving lids are far less numerous than the tanks themselves, presumably because the uses to which the tanks were put did not require the lid to be retained’. The tank and lid, which are possibly part of the same unit, have first level contributory significance for their historic values and rarity. Round ship's tanks lid, iron.

1950 decade HAY FORK - A local invention. Bill and Arthur Gillespie and Bon Barrie In the early 1950’s Bill Gillespie of Bulmans Lane had been experimenting in developing a machine to improve the collection of hay sheaves at harvesting and stack building time. The ripened crop was cut by a reaper and binder which bundled the storks into sheaves tied with binder twine. The reaper and binder was towed by a tractor by the mid 1940s previously teams of draught horses were used to pull the reaper and binder. A photograph taken at the Barrie farm shows three binders the first being towed with a tractor and the others with horse teams. Two workmen were needed to operate the binder when cutting a crop. The sheaves collected on the binder and released onto the ground and were scattered across the paddocks. Using a conventional two pronged pitch fork the harvest hands collected the sheaves and placed each one cut edge on the ground in an upright position and layered with about 15 sheaves into an apex shape to form was is known as a stook. The shape of the stook allowed for drying and draining of water if rain had occurred. Prior to the invention of the mechanical hayfork this was a laborious task requiring each sheaf to be pitched onto a tray truck and moved to the location of the haystack. The mechanised HAYFORK was operated by one person on tractor greatly reducing the need for gangs of labourers. At harvest time farmers had relied on itinerant teams of workers descending on the district looking for work. The three Barrie brothers on their adjoining farms combined forces to cut their crop at its optimum time while the weather was in their favour. Up to many 20 workers at times formed a team in earlier times. Agricultural university students were also keen to gain practical experience in the field. Each of the brothers had a particular skill, and Tom Barrie was the expert on stack building. The district haystacks had a distinctive shape and could be recognised by their builder. Bill Gillespie’s first operational HAY FORK consisted of a large 13 pronged fork situated forward of the truck cabin. It was attached with iron girders and mounted on the rear of the cabin to the tray of his British Bedford truck. It was constructed in metal and iron and welded in the farmers work sheds. The mechanism was raised and lowered by the driver scooping along the ground to pick up a complete stook to raise high enough to deposit all the sheaves in one stook onto the stack or truck tray. The fork section was released by a rope and operated by the driver in the cabin. This model was trialled on the Barrie farm at Ferris Lane. It proved to be very successful and the Barrie/ Gillespie brothers went on to develop a HAYFORK which attached to a tractor and was operated with a series of levers and was raised and lowered hydraulically. It was detached from the tractor when stacking was completed. In its early days farmers travelling along the Western Highway called at the Barrie farm at Ferris Lane to inspect its construction and operation of the invention. It became a widely adopted by farmers throughout the State. It was being used on Wattie Palmer’s farm on Bridge Road Melton South in 1997. Farming in Melton, hay growing and stack building. agriculture, local identities

To protect face from welding or assay operation.Medium size, rectangular shaped mask. Mask has a small slot for viewing through, framed in metal and with 12 rivets around rim and two rivets to attach a handle at the base of the mask.

The Australian Chain Manufacturing Co. was formed in 1933 to acquire the business of Luigi Benini who had started his business in Cardigan Street, Carlton with William Johnson McCredie.Catalogue for steel welded and weldless chains. The Australian Chain Manuacturing Company Pty. Ltd. A light cardboard cover in a green/brown colour. Nine paper pages with lists of costs and illustrations of types of chain. It has two metal staples in the spine. There is an ink stamp on the front cover with a sole agent of Gollin &Company 561/8 Bourke st Melbourne. Printed by The Imperial Press, 678 Elizabeth Street Melbourne in B&W ink.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's kitchens were built separate from the main house for safety, as the open fire was used daily for all cooking, washing and heating of water. This very heavy strong fireplace crane could support several items such as cast iron kettles, pans and boilers which were hung on the hinged swing-arm, known as a “crane”. The metal arm was swung out from the fireplace to access the hot water in a kettle relatively safely. A black cast iron fireplace crane with a supporting pole bolted to the wall in the side of the brick open fireplace. It has a swinging handle with a rectangular hand grip at the end to move it over or away from the fire. The metal arm was swung out from the fireplace to access the hot water in a kettle relatively safely. There are holes in the bar for hanging hooks which kitchen cooking pots may be hung. Two small hooks are welded to the bar and there are two small removable hooks and two long ones. architectural elements, fireplaces, fireplace accessories, heating equipment, fireplace crane

Heavy duty cast iron kettles were used as a domestic item to boil water safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier utensils had. The household depended on constant hot water availability for all cooking, washing and other household chores.A large vintage rusted black cast iron heavy kettle with no lid. It has a flat base and mushroom shaped handle welded onto the pot below the rim of the pot opening. It has a rim to position the teapot lid. The goose neck spout has a shaped pouring end. It was used as a domestic item to boil water safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier utensils had.kitchenware, kettles, kitchen equipment

This bean slicer was made about the 1920s by the British firm of Spong & Co. This firm was founded by James Osborn Spong in 1856 in London. James Spong invented over 100 labour-saving devices during his lifetime and his firm became well-known for its production of domestic labour-saving and safety devices, especially its grinding machine and its bean slicer. These domestic items were to be found in most households from the 1880s to the 1950s prior to the advent of electrical items that carried out similar labour-saving processes. This bean slicer is of interest as a reminder of the many labour -saving devices that were available to most women early in the 20th century, even those in the rural and more remote areas in AustraliaThis a heavy metal bean slicer with a circular piece with a rounded cut-out at the top for the insertion of the bean and an attached bolted handle with a wooden top. Attached to the circular top is a circular revolving piece with three cutters. Welded on to the top piece is a metal clamp with a large screw for attaching the slicer to a table or bench. The slicer is painted green and has the name of the manufacturer etched on the top piece.Spong & Co Ltd Made In England No 632 Bean Slicervintage bean slicers, spong & co london, vintage household items

Two of these plates were produced to be used on trams for drivers undergoing their first day of training from the Hawthorn Tram Depot. The 6th Image is of a cutting from The Sun 5 Dec 1969 shows the purpose of the L plate in position on tram 603. Advised that by 1974, this plate was not in use,Demonstrates the MMTB advising other road users that the tram driver was under training.Metal sign, fabricated steel sheet and tube with rolled edges, with a hook welded onto the rear to fit into the tow bar hole of a tramcar. Painted yellow with a large black "L" on the front.signs, drivers, driver training, l plate, trams, tramways, tram 603

Metal Cash Tray for holding coins, formed from stainless steel and welded to give five compartments or areas for coins and one full length slot or opening at the rear for notes and other papers. Used by One Person Operator (OPO) or drivers from the time of the introduction of OPO's on the tramways until the full introduction of Metcard. Collected by Carolyn Dean/Cleak. Two copies held.trams, tramways, tickets, cash handling, metcard

Heavy duty cast iron kettles were used as a domestic item to boil water safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier utensils had. The household depended on constant hot water availability for all cooking, washing and other household chores.A large heavy black cast iron kettle with a curved handle, goose neck spout with a shaped pouring end and a removable lid with a small looped open knob. It has a flat base and mushroom shaped handle welded onto the pot below the rim of the pot opening. There is a shaped grip underneath at the top hold it steady. It was used as a domestic item to boil water safely without the concern that the metal may contain lead or arsenic as earlier utensils had.On the base - 'England. First quality. No.3 6 pints. C. Clark and Co Ltd'kitchenware, kitchen equipment, kettles

An example of an early design of a kerosene / oil air pump. An example of an early design of a kerosene / oil air pump.Metal air pump fuel syphon. Long cylinder with a cap of feet at the bottom, top has a ring pull that activates the pump action. Curved spout close to the top. Weld on the spout looks to be newer than the original.Nonekerosene, air pump, fuel

Trench Art. Used shell base 25 pounder dated 1941 plus various rounds to depict a fighter plane. Belonged to John Donald McSween, no. 117346 LAC RAAF, enlisted 14.8.1942; discharged 14.5.1945Fighter plane mounted on ashtray base(2 pieces). Plane removable, made from artillery rounds, central stem welded onto ash tray base.Badge on central stem, "AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES".ornaments - metal, souvenirs - military history, trench art