Showing 1339 items
matching the lighthouse
-
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Match Safe, after 1830's
This match safe was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The match safe was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. Pocket match safes or match safes were small portable boxes, or containers made in a great variety of forms and shapes, each with lids or covers to contain matches and retain their quality. Matches came into use around the 1830's and were produced extensively between the years 1890 and 1920. During this period everyone carried strike anywhere matches, so they could ignite stoves, lanterns and other devices. Early matches were unreliable and prone to ignite from rubbing on one another or spontaneously. Accordingly, most people carried a match safe to house their matches. Wealthy people had ‘match safes made of gold or silver, while common folk had ones made of tin or brass. They were made throughout the world including the United Kingdom, in the U.S.A., continental Europe and Australia. Significant English makers of cases were, Sampson Mordan and Asprey & Co. Significant American manufacturers of match safes include Wm. B. Kerr, Gorham, Unger Brothers, Battin, Blackington , Whiting, George Scheibler and Shreve & Co. Different patterns and types run into thousands as well as plain and decorative examples. They were also made in a wide range of materials, including pressed brass, pressed tin, gunmetal, nickel silver, gold, bone, ivory, the wood of varying types, early plastics like tortoiseshell and Bakelite, and ceramics. A distinguishing characteristic of match safes is that they have a ribbed surface, usually on the bottom, for lighting the matches. The item gives a snapshot into the social development through it's application in every day use match safes were used at a time when there were no safety matches and the early use of matches was a dangerous affair given they were easily combustive if rubbed together in a pocket for example. The item is also an example of the shipwreck artefacts gathered along the southwest coast of Victoria.Match Safe; hollow brass cylinder with ribbed match striker texture on base and screw thread around top. Fitted brass lid has an internal screw thread, and the top's flat surface has concentric circles design, with a twisted rope pattern grip around the edge. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, match container, match safe, matches, fire lighter, fire safety, heat, fire, portable match safe, 19th century -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Foghorn, Late 19th century
A foghorn is a device that uses sound to warn of navigational hazards like rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used with marine transport. When visual navigation aids such as lighthouses are obscured, foghorns provide an audible warning of rocky outcrops, shoals, headlands, or other dangers to shipping. An early form of fog signal was to use a bell, gong, explosive signal or firing a cannon to alert shipping. From the early 20th century an improved device called the diaphone was used in place of these other devices, The diaphone horn was based directly on the organ stop of the same name invented by Robert Hope-Jones, creator of the Wurlitzer organ. Hope-Jones' design was based on a piston that was closed only at its bottom end and had slots, perpendicular to its axis, cut through its sides, the slotted piston moved within a similarly slotted cylinder. Outside of the cylinder was a reservoir of high-pressure air. Initially, this air would be admitted behind the piston, pushing it forward. When the slots of the piston aligned with those of the cylinder, air passed into the piston, making a sound and pushing the piston back to its starting position, whence the cycle would be repeated. This method of producing a low audible sound was further developed as a fog signal by John Northey of Toronto and these diaphones were powered by compressed air produced by an electric motor or other mechanical means that admitted extremely powerful low-frequency notes. The example in the Flagstaff collection is an early cased and portable diaphone used on pleasure or sailing craft. By manually turning the crank handle air is produced and fed into valves that direct air across vibrating metal reeds to produce the required sound. in foggy weather, fog horns are used to pinpoint a vessels position and to indicate how the vessel is sailing in foggy conditions. One blast, when sailing on starboard tack and two blasts, when sailing on a port tack and three dots, when with wind is behind the vessel. Since the automation of lighthouses became common in the 1960s and 1970s, most older foghorn marine installations have been removed to avoid the need to run the complex machinery associated with them, and have been replaced with an electrically powered diaphragm or compressed air horns. The example in the collection is significant as it was used in the early 19th century for sailing vessels was important but these portable crank fog horns have also been superseded by modern electric varieties. Therefore the item has a historical connection with sailing and maritime pursuits from our past.English Rotary Norwegian Pattern nautical foghorn within a boxed pine varnished case with exposed corner dovetailing, original leather carrying strap, brass side crank, and original copper trumped horn. Card accessory with Directions for Use in both English and French.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, foghorn, maritime technology, maritime communication, marine warning signal, portable foghorn, bellows foghorn, crank handle, robert hope-jones, john northey -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Lid, ship tank
The heavy cast iron, round lid was originally fastened into a large, riveted metal box, known as a ship tank. It has the name ‘John Bellamy London’ cast in capitals in a continuous circle on the outer edge of the lid face, and the words ‘Byng St Millwall’ on the inner circle. , of Millwall, London, manufactured boilers and ship tanks from the 1860s to the 1930s and came from a family of tank makers who began manufacturing tanks some time before 1856. Ship tanks were invented in 1808 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 vessels and thus use space efficiently, while its metal fabric preserved and secured its liquid or solid contents 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. Pearson found photographic evidence of their use in the 1860s, and by the 1870s they appeared to be in common use. lids surviving from containers indicate that nearly all the tanks transported to Australia came from London manufacturers. It was usual for the brand name to also feature as a stencil on the tank but in most cases this eventually wore off. A tank without its original stencil survives at Wilsons Promontory. Tanks transporting ‘drinking water or perishable dry goods were hermetically sealed by the use of the tightly fitting lid with 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’. The raised iron rod welded across the outer face of many lids such as the Bellamy example, allowed for screwing the lid tight. Once in the colonies, the ship tanks were often recycled and adapted for many resourceful uses such as packing cases, dog kennels, water tanks, oil containers and food stores and this invariably led to the separation of the lid and tank. The Bellamy lid could have been salvaged from a shipwreck but is more likely to have to have originated from a recycled tank that was brought to the lightstation for water storage purposes. 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. Parks Victoria has identified five tank lids in the lightstation collections covered by this project. In addition to the Bellamy lid at Point Hicks, they include a Bow brand lid at Point Hicks and another at Cape Otway, unidentified lids at Cape Otway and Wilsons Promontory. Pearson and Miles Lewis have each recorded two versions of the Bellamy trade name on the lids; one being ‘John Bellamy Byng St. London’; the other, ‘John Bellamy Byng St. Millwall London’. The Point Hicks lid has the second version of the name, as do other examples in Victoria that Lewis has identified at Illawarra, Toorak; Warrock homestead, Casterton; Eeyeuk homestead, Terang; Ward’s Mill, Kyneton; and Boisdale homestead near Maffra, and in NSW at Ayrdale Park, Wolumla; and Bishop’s Lodge, Hay. Pearson’s list includes the same lids in NSW at Tumbarumba; the Quarantine Station, Sydney; Willandra Station; Bedervale, Braidwood; Gunnedah Museum; Walla Walla and Macquarie Island. The Point Hicks lid is currently stored in the lighthouse although it is unlikely that its use had any association with this building. The lid is in good condition and retains the central bung. 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’.347 The Bellamy ship tank lid has first level contributory significance for its historic values. Circular cast-iron disc with raised outer ridge with inscription. It also has an inner depression with inscription. Two metal sections form handles over inner depression. Hole in middle of disc.Around perimeter of outer edge "JOHN BELLAMY LONDON" Around inner area "BYNG ST MILLWALL" -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph - Vessel - Sailing Ship, Fred. Kruger, Loch Vennachar of Glasgow, 1875-1888
This is a photographic image of the three-masted iron clipper Loch Vennachar created by photographer Fred Kruger of Geelong. Fred Kruger was born in Germany in 1831 and migrated to Victoria before his wife, who arrived in 1863. He began working in photography in the 1850s. He was internationally recognised for his work, which covered a variety of subjects. He settled in Geelong in later years, registering his studio in Skene St, Newtown. He passed away in February 1888. The National Gallery of Victoria now holds much of his work. Loch Vennachar: - Loch Vennachar made many journeys from Britain to Australia and was well-known in Australian ports. On one of its homeward-bound journeys from Australia, the ship sank in the River Thames. Its cargo included 850 tonnes of preserved canned rabbits from Warrnambool's Western Meat Preserving Company. The ship was raised and continued trading for another four years. On 14th June 1905, Loch Vennachar departed Glasgow for Adelaide and Melbourne. The last known sighting of it was on 6th September 1875 when overtaken by the SS Yongala; the captains exchanged the “all well” signals. After that, the ship disappeared with loss of all 27 lives, according to a list that was received by Fremantle through the English mail. The list indicated that there were no passengers on that voyage. Sadly, other Loch Line ships med with similar disasters. The list of lost crew on the Loch Vennachar included Thomas. W. Pearce, apprentice, Southampton. His father was Tom Pearce, one of the two survivors of the Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878. Also, Thomas’ grandfather, James Pearce, was the captain of SS Gothenburg at the time of her wrecking in 1875. Consequently, the wrecking of the Loch Vennachar and the Loc Sloy near the southwest point of Kangaroo Island, a lighthouse was erected, officially opening in June 1907. The northern headland of West Bay was named Vennachar Point in memory of the ship in 1908. The wreck was discovered in 1976 by divers from the Society for Underwater Historical Research, over seventy years after being lost off Kangaroo Island.The Loch Vennachar performed a significant role in Australia’s colonial trade, taking goods between Great Britain and Australia. These goods included locally preserved tinned rabbits processed at a factory in Warrnambool for overseas trade.Black and white photograph of the Loch Vennachar at the dock, without sails. (aka Loch Vennacher). Printed below photo "Loch Vennachar of Glasgow, 1485 Tons Reg. AA1 100. T.S. Ozanne, Comander" and "Fred Kruger Photo / Skene Street, Geelong" Printed below photo "Loch Vennachar of Glasgow, 1485 Tons Reg. AA1 100. T.S. Ozanne, Comander" and "Fred Kruger Photo / Skene Street, Geelong" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch vennachar, loch vennacher, loch line ship, glasgow shipping co, 1875 clipper ship, loch vennachar image., kangaroo island shipwreck, 1905 shipwreck, fred kruger photographer, photograph loch vennachar, preserved rabbits, canned rabbits, meat preserving company, western meat preserving company, 1901, 1905 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Three draw Telescope, 20th century
This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. Many companies were making scientific instruments in Liverpool. Between 1730 up too today, they manufactured spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmoscopes, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. Liverpool was a major centre for the production of scientific items rivaling Glasgow and London from 1850 to 1920. This telescope appears to be of quality manufacture but the origins can only be surmised at based on the gold embossing to the leather surrounding the main brass tube as being associated with Liverpool England. There is no maker or owners mark, so again there is no sure way to determine the year of manufacture or maker. There were many opticians and scientific instrument makers working in and around Liverpool from 1730 through too today. Also the possibility the telescope could have been made outside Liverpool overseas should not be overlooked and may have been made as a souvenir item from Liverpool from the mid to late 20th century. The size and type of telescope is a traditional type that was used for many sporting activities in the mid to late 19th century for deer stalking, bird watching, or used generally. I believe the item dates from sometime around the early to late part of the 20th century as the use of the liver bird mark became popular in 1911. It began appearing on many manufactured items of the period up too today, denoting that these items were made by companies operating in or around Liverpool England. If the item had been made by a notable firm it would have been engraved with the makers name city of origin, or owner as was the accepted practice for these items. The writer has been unable to determine if any specific company had had exclusive use of the liver bird logo as it was widely used and was not copyrighted until the Liverpool football club successfully won a court case giving them the sole rights to the trademark in 2012.The item is also an example of the shipwreck artefacts gathered along the southwest coast of Victoria. It is also a sample of scientific instruments used up to the mid 20th century.Victorian style gentleman's three draw brass telescope with machine milling surrounding the end of each tube and around the objective end. The three tube draw has no split and all three cartridges are held within the main brass tube wrapped in leather with rope bindings at both ends 5 cm in length and beginning 7 cm from the objective end. The last 2.8 cm makes up the remainder of the brass tube which has a sliding brass sunshade. The eyepiece is flat and has a protective slide over the lens aperture. Two relay lenses are missing on the ends of the second and third tube. Gold embossed into the leather an inscription “Trade the Liver Mark” also embossed in gold a depiction of the mythical liver bird, associated with the city seal of Liverpool England. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, liver bird, scientific instrument, telescope, three drawer telescope, liverpool, liver bird trade mark, trade mark -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Ceramic Bottle (Chinese Style), Minton Potteries, Late 19th century
The subject item is believed to be a "Chinese style stoneware liquor bottle used to store "Tiger Whiskey" (rice wine). These Chinese liquor bottles are made of glazed pottery known as brown stoneware and have been made throughout the centuries by many makers until well after American Prohibition. Later varieties from the mid 20th century are commonly found in the USA with the raised lettering "Federal Law Forbids Sale Or Re-use of this bottle" a sure sign of post-1934 manufacture. This example is interesting as it has a British Minton mark of two triangles on the base indicating a date of 1879 and was likely exported to Australia by Minton. These ceramic bottles virtually always have irregularities and flaws which indicate a product has been hastily manufactured, in any event, this is a fine example of a relatively common item that may have been copied by Minton and sold as a decorative domestic item for display or mass produced for storing liquor. Giles Family: The pair of ceramic bottles were given to Vera Giles by Jim Thompson and are just many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with Warrnambool and the Giles Family history. Items donated by the family have come to be known as the “Giles Collection”. Many items in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) who married in 1880 and whose photos are on display in the parlour. Henry was born at Tower Hill in 1858, and was a labourer on the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater before leaving in 1895 for around seven years to build bridges in NSW. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook and she attended Mailor’s Flat State School and where she eventually was to become a student teacher. After which she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, had once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family consisted of six, some of the children were born at Mailor’s Flat and later some children at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. A significant item of lead-glazed ceramic with the possibility it was made by the Minton potteries in England who were renowned for making quality pottery. The item style is in all probability a copy of a Chinese liquor bottle that was in common use throughout the British colonies and America up until the mid 20th Century. The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Museum was established.Chinese liquor bottle one of a pair, lead glazed ceramic, dark brown and blue/black. Part of the Giles Collection.Mark of a double triangle, apex touching, on base, (Minton mark for 1879).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, vase, pottery, ceramic ornament, domestic ware, late 19th - early 20th centuy ornament, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century household goods -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Ceramic Bottle (Chinese Style), Minton Potteries, Late 19th century
The subject item is believed to be a "Chinese style stoneware liquor bottle used to store "Tiger Whiskey" (rice wine). These Chinese liquor jugs are made of glazed pottery known as brown stoneware and have been made throughout the centuries by many makers until well after American Prohibition. Later varieties from the mid 20th century are commonly found in the USA with the raised lettering "Federal Law Forbids Sale Or Re-use of this bottle" a sure sign of post-1934 manufacture. This example is interesting as it has a British Minton mark of two triangles on the base indicating a date of 1879 and was likely exported to Australia by Minton. These ceramic bottles virtually always have irregularities and flaws which indicate a product has been hastily manufactured, in any event, this is a fine example of a relatively common item that may have been copied by Minton and sold as a decorative domestic item for display or mass produced for storing liquor. Giles Family: The pair of ceramic bottles were given to Vera Giles by Jim Thompson and are just many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with Warrnambool and the Giles Family history. Items donated by the family have come to be known as the “Giles Collection”. Many items in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) who married in 1880 and whose photos are on display in the parlour. Henry was born at Tower Hill in 1858, and was a labourer on the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater before leaving in 1895 for around seven years to build bridges in NSW. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook and she attended Mailor’s Flat State School and where she eventually was to become a student teacher. After which she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, had once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family consisted of six, some of the children were born at Mailor’s Flat and later some children at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. A significant item of lead-glazed ceramic with the possibility it was made by the Minton potteries in England who were renowned for making quality pottery. The item style is in all probability a copy of a Chinese liquor bottle that was in common use throughout the British colonies and America up until the mid 20th Century. The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Museum was established.Chinese liquor bottle one of a pair, lead glazed ceramic, dark brown and blue/black. Part of the Giles Collection.Mark of a double triangle, apex touching, on base, (Minton mark for 1879).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, vase, pottery, ceramic ornament, domestic ware, late 19th - early 20th centuy ornament, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century household goods -
Mission to Seafarers Victoria
Journal (item) - Periodicals-Annual, Shiplovers' Society of Victoria, The Annual Dog Watch
This journal provides the reader with glimpses of the adventures and hardships of a seaman's life. Many of the stories are of sailing ships.Contributes to our knowledge of the importance of shipping and places on record those stories of the sea which would otherwise be lost.Contents Foreword - P. C. Kelly, F.C.I.T. - 9 The Pamir's Last Australian Voyage - Ross Osmond - 13 Store of the "Wyatt Earp" - - 19 The Old Ship - C. E. Bonwick - 24 Rescue From Skull Rock - Jane Brett Hilder, F.R.G.S - 25 The End of H.M.A.S. Canberra - D. J. Bull - 31 Monkey Business - Constance Gurd Taylor - 37 The s.s. Great Britain Comes Home - L. W. Rogers - 41 Pearling Off the Aru Islands - Capt. W. J. Cowling - 47 The Wreck of the Jane Lovett - J. M. MacKenzie - 59 Captain Dale's Torpedo - C. Halls - 61 After Thoughts - - 71 Two Incidents - 73 More Light On The Early P.P. Pilots - 74 Lighthouses of U.S.A. - N. S. Smith - 78 Voyage In The s.s. Orange Branch -- 1918 - I. L. Barton - 85 A Dramatic Rescue - - 98 A New Record Discovered In Australia / America Passages - W. G. Watson - 99 Some Highlights of Western Ports Maritime History - Arthur E. Woodley - 103 Going To Sea In The Last Of The British Sailing Ships - Lionel Adams - 108 More About Willemein - E. W. R. Peterson - 119 Piracy On The China Coast - Capt. W. E. Eglen - 123 Book Reviews - - 125 Glossary - - 129sailing ships, steamships, shipping, seafaring life, shiplovers' society of victoria, dog watch -
Mission to Seafarers Victoria
Journal (item) - Periodicals-Annual, Shiplovers' Society of Victoria, The Annual Dog Watch
This journal provides the reader with glimpses of the adventures and hardships of a seaman's life. Many of the stories are of sailing ships.Contributes to our knowledge of the importance of shipping and places on record those stories of the sea which would otherwise be lost.Contents Foreword - 13 Editorial - 15 The Quincentenary of the Pioneer Prince Henry of Portugal - Sylvia Seeley - 19 Bayside Windjammers - Captain H. R. Watson -29 A Pair of Sea Boots - Y. Helberg - 37 The Polar Ship “Farm” - Toralv Duus Lorentzen - 39 The Mahogany Ship - J. MacKenzie - 50 Out of the Past - - 58 Extracts from the Petrel Papers - N. Wellbury - 68 Whiskers - Fred B. Duncan - 76 Unhappy Passage - - 87 Ship Knocks a Lighthouse Over - Vernon Smith - 92 The Log of the “Padua” - Captain H. Piening - 94 The End of the S.S. “Riverina” - H. A. Bull - 101 Shipwreck on the Round Pond - J. M. Mackie - 102 An Unsolved Mystery of the Sea - N. Bainbridge Fuller - 104 Working Your Passage — 1849 - Captain W. E. Eglen - 106 “Georgette” Plaque Unveiled - N. B. Fuller - 108 Sealers and Castaways - Captain Harry O’May - 112 Sailings Hips and the City Shipbrokers Celebrate Centenary - - 114 War Without Tears - F. B. Finch - 118 Operation Co-operation - S. I. Hill, C.B.E., M.R.I.N.A. - 128 Denizens of the Australian Bight - J. Merriman - 130 German Battleship “Admiral Graf Spec” - - 132 Grog - J. Scrafton - 135 Book Reviews - - 136sailing ships, steamships, shipping, seafaring life, shiplovers' society of victoria, dog watch -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Financial record - Bank Transaction Book, Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, before 1931
The financial account book was used by the Warrnambool Harbour Board for its Emergency Account. It records transactions made with The Warrnambool branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited during the year 1931. The Secretary of the Warrnambool Harbour Board would have used this book in 1931. James Menzies, Pilot arid Harbour Master from 1929, was appointed as Acting Secretary for the Board in 1932 and held this office until the Board ceased in 1936. Warrnambool’s CBC Manager during this time was L E Whitney; he was Manager from 1924 to 1939. The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited opened in 1893. On January 1, 1927 the CBC amalgamated with the Bank of Victoria. In 1981 the CBC merged with the National Bank of Australasia Limited and on January 1, 1983 the bank started using the abbreviated name of the National Australia Bank (NAB). Warrnambool Harbour Board- The Warrnambool Harbour Board was constituted by Order of Council on May 29, 1928, under the Harbour Board’s Act of 1927, taking over from the Ports and Harbours Branch of the Public Works Department of Victoria. The Board was then the only body with power to manage and control the whole Port, including shipping, facilities upkeep and improvements of the port. The work it carried out involved dredging, building of port facilities and drafting of port regulations, and collecting taxes, tolls, rates and charges. The Board was officially dissolved on June 30, 1936, at which time the Public Works Department again had control. The Warrnambool Harbour Board had rented out the Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters from the 1920s until 1936, when the Board closed down. However, rentals continued with other currently unknown landlords until Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage, in stages. Text on the fly page of the book is as follows – “The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited with which is Amalgamated THE BANK OF VICTORIA LIMITED. Head Office – SYDNEY. Melbourne Office: 237 COLLINS STREET. BANKING Business of every description transacted. BRANCHES throughout VICTORIA, NEW SOUTH WALES and QUEENSLAND, and ADELAIDE BRANCH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, and AGENCIES throughout AUSTRALASIA and NEW ZEALAND on which DRAFTS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT Are issued and also on LONDON BRANCH and AGENCIES in all the PRINCIPAL CITIES of the world. Telegraphic Remittances made, Bills Negotiated or Forwarded for Collection, Advances made, Deposits received, Current Accounts kept. FURTHER PARTICULARS ON APPLICATON. “ This bank transaction book is of local and state significance for its association with the Port of Warrnambool and the Warrnambool Harbour Board. The Warrnambool Harbour Board was the only board formed under the 1927 Harbour Boards Acts, even though other Victorian ports were eligible. The book is also significant as an example of bank records used by Australian and overseas branches of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, and the Bank of Victoria Limited.Maroon coloured rectangular book with textured cover and cream coloured label attached. Label has a printed title on book plus hand written titles added in black and red. The corners of the book are rounded. The white pages have pre-printed text and lines. The book was used for transactions between the Warrnambool Harbour Board’s Emergency Account and the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited during the year 1931.Handwritten in black “WARRNAMBOOL HARBOUR BOARD “, “EMERGENCY A/C” Printed in black “IN ACCOUNT CURRENT WITH”, “The Commercial Banking Coy. Of Sydney Ltd.”, “WITH WHICH IS AMALGAMATED”, “THE BANK OF VICTORIA LIMITED”, “Page …”warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, warrnambool harbour board, financial account, emergency account, financial record, commercial banking company of sydney limited, 1931 bank book, bank of victoria limited, transaction book, financial management, stationery, deposit book, public works department, ports and harbours, commercial banking company of sydney ltd., james menzies, harbour master, l e whitney, cbc manager warrnambool, harbour board act, port of warrnambool, warrnambool harbour, lady bay, harbour pilot -
Federation University Historical Collection
Postcard, G. Lelong, The Sugar Manufacture, Somme, France, c1917, c1917
This postcard was sent from France during World War One WW1 to Violet Holmes [mother and aunty of other WW1 soldiers], by the son of a neighbouring Ascot Tourello District Family, the Wrigley Family. Violet inherited "Sauchieburn" an Ascot property on the death of her husband William Holmes in 1914. On her death this property was to be left to their 4 children and administered by a relative till the youngest child turned 27. As young boys, Violet's husband William, and his brother Henry, lived with their Aunt Catherine Coghill and Uncle William Coghill at ‘Sauchieburn’ Ascot. The Coghills had no children of their own. He and his brother Edward started a stock and station business at Clunes. Henry and Violet Holmes subsequently inherited "Sauchieburn" from Catherine (nee Holmes) and William Coghill, direct descendants of the Coghills Creek, Ascot, Tourello pioneer settler Captain William Coghill [Jane Dyer, May 2024] Catherine and her brother Edward Carter Holmes drowned at sea.This is an extract from the Korumburra Times, Wednesday June 6, 1956: The fated travellers wrecked off N.S.W. ‘On May 29th, 1886 in bright moonlight the Ly-e-Moon, the pride of the Australian coastal fleet, broke her back on the treacherous rocks of Green Cape, off the NSW coast. Eighty souls perished within range of the beacon rays of the lighthouse, including representatives of the earliest families ever to settle in Poowong. The passengers. On the main deck, Mr Edward Holmes, a Poowong grazier and former owner of ‘Wombalano’. He had sold this property with the object of going to Queensland and settling there. The proceeds of sale amounting to 1,200 pounds in gold sovereigns were under lock and key in the Purser's Office. Mr Holmes, although advanced in years, had unformed plans to invest his money in some Queensland enterprise. In the meantime he would visit his married daughter and [his] two sons, who had previously settled in Queensland. With him on board was his widowed sister Mrs Coghill who had also accepted an invitation to go north. News of the shipwreck, means of communication being slow, did not reach Korumburra for nearly a week. By then all hope had been abandoned for the missing. Relations and friends thronged the Melbourne shipping office, but the answer was always the same - All passengers unaccounted for were presumed drowned. Black and white postcard of a sugar refinery in The Somme, France. The name of the town has been scrubbed out in purple pencil by a censor during World War One. The back of the card is written on in pencil,Written on back of card: Dear Violet, received photos and letters and thank you for forwarding same. Are we having lovely spell of weather. This morning is quite warm and pleasant. The photo of you all standing in front of your house is a good one and you all look to be getting enough to eat. Mother looks as if she it getting stronger after her severe illness. Your concert party will be broken up through the Vale girls leaving but you should have no difficulty in finding volunteers to fill the ranks. By all of your letters you are all looking forward to the day we return 9as we are). I wouldn't like to bet too much that we would be home by this time next year [ ? ] by the way fritz is fighting lately he would very much like to get [peace?] I think we will give him all he wants this summer. J. Waller was here last night is looking well. With best wished to you all. I am sincerely. [W.Wrigbee? Wrigley]somme, la suererie, chatham family collection, amiens, france, world war 1, postcard, ly-ee-moon, william coghill junior, ascot victoria, pioneers of ascot, shipwreck -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Fork
HISTORY OF THE LOCH ARD The LOCH ARD belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many ships from England to Australia. Built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the LOCH ARD was a three-masted square rigged iron sailing ship. The ship measured 262ft 7" (79.87m) in length, 38ft (11.58m) in width, 23ft (7m) in depth and had a gross tonnage of 1693 tons. The LOCH ARD's main mast measured a massive 150ft (45.7m) in height. LOCH ARD made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its final voyage. LOCH ARD left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of Captain Gibbs, a newly married, 29 year old. She was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers and a load of cargo. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. On board were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionary, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were items included that intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. At 3am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land and the passengers were becoming excited as they prepared to view their new homeland in the early morning. But LOCH ARD was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4am the fog lifted. A man aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and LOCH ARD's bow swung back. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time LOCH ARD was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind the ship. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The LOCH ARD shipwreck is of State significance – Victorian Heritage Register S 417 Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Silver plated copper alloy table fork from the wreck of the Loch Ard. William Pagewarrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, loch line, loch ard, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, electroplated cutlery, fork -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph - Vessel - steam launch, Mrs. A. Dawson, Lady Loch, Feb 1907 - Jun 1910
The photograph shows the steam launch Lady Loch towing five rowing boats full of passengers on the Hopkins River at Warrnambool. The boat is travelling downstream from the riverbank near Jubilee Park towards Warrnambool and the river mouth. A similar trip in 1909 was a fund-raising excursion when the Lady Loch was to tow boats from Flett & Sons' boating establishment on the Hopkins River, travelling towards Jubilee Park. The photograph was taken between February 1907 and June 1910 by Mrs A. G. Dawson from the Hopkins River Bank at “Allandale”, which she was leasing. She took another photograph that day, which was published in the Warrnambool Standard on 24th March 1973. At the time of the photograph the launch Lady Loch was owned by James Flett & Son who operated a boatshed on the bend of the Hopkins River. The boat was described as “a fine little steamer”. In 1916 it was licenced to carry 42 passengers. The LADY LOCH: - In February 1884 Mr Sutton’s steam launch had the name of Lady of the Lake. The boat was part of the entertainment for a Sunday school picnic at Ballarat Lake and Gardens. In October 1884 Mr Ivey from Lake Wendouree purchased two vessels, the steamer Ballarat and Mr Sutton’s well-known and popular launch, Lady of the Lake, to join his own fleet of pleasure boats. In November 1887 Mr Mark Hooper’s purchase of a ‘new’ pleasure boat, Lady of the Lake, arrived in Colac to be an addition to his boating business. The launch had been transported by road from Ballarat, but the boiler and the engine had travelled by rail the previous day. In June 1888, Fanny Nelson purchased the steam launch Lady of the Lake for her Nelson’s Boating and Fishing Establishment on the Hopkins River, Warrnambool. She renamed it Lady Loch. People have suggested the mane was in honour of the wife of the then-current Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Loch, and the local paper stated that Lady Loch flew the Governor’s colours of yellow, black and blue on her first trip under Nelson’s ownership, Sunday 12th August 1888. In 1890 Fanny Nelson sold her complete business, including Lady Loch, to Mr Chapman. in January 1897 James Flett & Sons, already involved in boating, purchased the business from Chapman. In January 1916, Flett advertised everything for sale, including the boatshed and the steam launch Lady Loch. NOTE: - at least three vessels in Victoria were named Lady Loch; a river launch (ca 1884-ca 1916), a steamer ferry (1884-1920s) and a government steam lighthouse tender HMS Lady Loch (1886-1962)The photograph of the Lady Loch pleasure steamer represents the social and recreational activities of late 19th-century people from Warrnambool and the local district. It shows an example of the pleasure craft of that era. The history of the Lady Loch includes the history of fishing and boat hire businesses of that period. The photograph is also connected with an early Warrnambool buat builder James Flett & Sons. representing the maritime history of the town.Photograph, black and white, of the steam launch Lady Loch towing five rowing boats downstream on the Hopkins River from Jubilee Park towards the river mouth. There are many figures on the boats. The photograph was taken from a property called Allandale on the south river bank between February 1907 and June 1910. The photographer was Mrs A. G. Dawson. The Lady Loch was owned by Mr James Flett & Sons at that time. The photograph is mounted on card.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lady of the lake, lady of the lake steamer, lady loch steamer, lake colac steamer, hopkins river warrnambool, jubilee park warrnambool, francis maria mann, andrew abernathy nelson iiird, hopkins hotel, nelson's boathouse, chapman's boathouse, flett's boathouse, fanny (francis) nelson, james flett & sons -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Memorabilia - Wood Sample, about 1871
The American wooden ship Eric the Red was named after the Icelandic Viking Eric 'the Red-Haired' Thorvaldsson, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America in 980 A.D. The ship Eric the Red was owned by the Sewall family of Bath, Maine, between 1873 and 1877 it operated in the coal trade between Britain and America. It then operated on the South American guano/ nitrates trade, before again trading between Europe and New York. On this voyage the Eric the Red had been chartered to carry a full cargo of American merchandise including many exhibits bound for the international exhibition to be held in Melbourne in 1880. Eighty-five days out from New York with 23 crew and two passengers, the Eric the Red approached Cape Otway nearing the end of its long voyage. At 1 am on 4 September the weather was hazy with a moderate north-westerly wind, Captain Jacques Allen had all sail set except for the mizzen-royal and the cross jack sails doing 8 knots, and was steering by the light to keep 5-6 miles offshore and clear of Otway Reef. Returning to the deck after consulting his charts the ship bumped as it ran onto the Otway Reef. It struck a second time and then a heavy sea carried away the wheel ropes and the man at the wheel. A third bump carried away the rudder, and shortly after this the ship completely broke up - within twelve minutes it had disappeared but for floating wreckage and cargo. Captain Jacques Allen recounted that: "The mizzen topmast fell with all the rigging, but strange to say, not a man was hurt by it, although they were all standing about. As soon as I found out there was no hope I said to Ned Sewell, the owner's son, and the third mate on board "Stick to me, and hang on to this mizzen mast". I peeled off everything I had on except my drawers thinking I would be able to swim better without my clothes; and Sewell and myself, clinging to the mast, were washed overboard...It was a fearful sea; I have never seen anything like it". Attempting to swim to a more substantial raft of wreckage, and losing touch with young Sewell in the process, Captain Allen struck out: " Just as I left the spar my drawers got down my legs, and entangled them, and down I went. I managed to clear one of my legs and on coming up I managed to get hold of some floating timber. There was a clear space of water between this timber and the deck, except for the spare royal yard, and I again started, but the surf struck me and I went over and over. I managed to get hold of the spare yard, and after holding on to it for some time I managed to get to the deck. When I was pulled on to it I could not move, being so numb and cramped with the cold. The men had some blankets and other things which they had got from the passengers' room in the deck house, and they wrapped me in these. Shortly after I got onto the wreck we made out the steamer's lights, and as soon as she was within hearing distance the men haled. This must have been about half-past four the Captain of the Dawn sent two of his boats to cruise about, and at daylight, they picked us up off the wreck. We had drifted about four miles from the reef where the ship struck, all those who were rescued were more or less bruised. One man had two or three ribs broken, and another had some fingers crushed off. My left foot is very much hurt, and I am black and blue from head to foot. I never knew such ten minutes as that of the wreck, and I thought the time had come for me to 'hand in my checks'. The ship was worth about £15,000, and neither it nor the freight was insured one dollar". (Argus 14/9/1880). Three of the crew and one of the passengers had been swept away and drowned. Fortunately for those clinging to the remains of the shattered hull and floating wreckage, the steamer SS Dawn passed close by and the crew heard the distressed cries of the survivors. Boats were lowered and the survivors were rescued. The Dawn stayed in the area for several hours searching for more survivors. One body was found washed up at Cape Otway and was buried in the lighthouse cemetery. The captain and crew of the Dawn later received rewards and thanks from the United States consul for their efforts. The hull and cargo were sold for £410, and large rafts of floating wreckage and cargo washed up all over the Victorian coast. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at the Parker River beach, an anchor is on the rocks at Point Franklin, a second anchor is on display at the Cape Otway lighthouse and parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park and the Apollo Bay museum. Various wreckage is located in a concentration off Point Franklin, but suitable diving conditions are rare due to waves and strong currents. At the time of the wreck parts of its were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including Milford House (since burnt down in bush fires), which had furniture and fittings from the ship, and the dining room floor made out of its timbers. A ketch the Apollo was also built from its timbers and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters.The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th-century shipwrecks. The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse. (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S 239, Official Number 8745 USA) Wood sample from the wreck of the ship Eric the Red the wood is dark in colour and is very light in weight. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwreck-artefact, eric-the-red, zaccheus-allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne-exhibition, cape-otway, otway-reef, wood-sample, s.s.-dawn -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Post Office Receiving Pillar, 1885
This Post Office Receiving Pillar was restored in 1980 and is now a fully operational Australia Post mailbox. In early August 1980 Prime Minister Mr. Fraser posted Warrnambool’s first commemorative envelope into this restored Post Office Receiving Pillar at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The special limited edition envelopes are numbered 1 – 7000. When posted, the envelopes would have the Flagstaff Hill Logo and Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s own postmark of a ship’s steering wheel surrounding a lighthouse and a sailing ship, and were dated August 3 on the First Day Cover. Amongst Flagstaff Hill’s collection is that very first letter posted by Prime Minister Fraser. HISTORY OF POST OFFICE RECEIVING PILLARS In 1851 ‘pillar boxes’ were installed at roadside locations in the island of Jersey, England; they had already been successful in several European countries. The use of new prepaid, adhesive postage stamps as well as the roadside pillar boxes meant there was no need for the public to take a trip to the Post Office just to post a letter. By 1855 London had installed its first six Pillar Boxes. In 1856 the pillar boxes were first introduced in Sydney. These were circular with a crown on the dome, supported by leaves. Early Victoria Mail was originally collected by ‘letter carriers’, first appointed in Melbourne in 1841, equipped with leather bag and hand bell. He wore a red coat with brass buttons and a black top hat! In 1844 two wooden receiving boxes were erected in Melbourne. The first cast iron boxes were installed in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and were still in service until 1967. They were a fluted circular design and made in England. In the early 1860’s the ‘low door round’ design posting box was introduced, being circular and surrounded by a crown, with two broad embossed bands around its circumference. The clearance door was in front of the box and low down. These were made in Australia. In the early 1870’s square boxes with a tapering top were being used. These too were made in Australia by different manufacturers with slight variations on style such as the orientation and number of slots. Next came the circular boxes again, similar to the ‘low door round’ but with the clearance door extending to just below the posting slot, often referred to as ‘high door round’. These boxes did not have embossed bands. In 1887 small cast iron boxes were introduced, attached to posts and poles and called ‘lamp post receivers’. Around 1930 a ‘London’ model was used in Victoria. It was copied from the flat-domed type in London but made in Tasmania. [References: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village records, The Warrnambool Standard, August 1st, 1980, “Stamps.Au” http://www.stampsau.com, 4th April 2011 (Extracted from “Australian Street Posting Boxes” by Ken Sparks – out of print)] Post Office Receiving Pillar, or letterbox.1885 “High Door Round” design. Tall cast iron cylinder with decorative dome cap with crown on top. Side has a slot and a hinged door with handle shaped as a fist. Painted red with gold trim. “POST OFFICE / RECEIVING PILLAR” lettering cast into cylinder. Restored in 1980 and once again operating as an Australia Post mailbox. Commemorative plague on pillar.“POST OFFICE / RECEIVING PILLAR” lettering cast into cylinder. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum – Port of Warrnambool. This letter receiver was officially commissioned on 3rd August 1980 by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser M.P. on completion of 25 years’ service as the Federal Minister for Wannon.”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, post office receiving pillar, letterbox, mailbox, australia post -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Furniture - Chair, 1897-1921
These cane chairs are one of many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with Warrnambool and the Giles Family history. Items donated by the family have come to be known as the “Giles Collection”. Many items in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) who married in 1880 and whose photos are on display in the parlour. Henry was born at Tower Hill in 1858, and was a labourer on the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater before leaving in 1895 for around seven years to build bridges in NSW. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook and she attended Mailor’s Flat State School and where she eventually was to become a student teacher. After which she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, had once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family consisted of six, some of the children were born at Mailor’s Flat and later some children at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. Heywood & Wakefield Furniture Co: The Heywood-Wakefield Company is an American furniture manufacturer established in 1897. It went on to become a major presence in the US. Its older products are considered collectibles and have been featured on television antique programs. The Heywood brothers established themselves in 1826, as furniture makers and the Wakefield Company began in 1855 as a separate company. Both firms produced wicker and rattan furniture, and as these products became increasingly popular towards the end of the century, they became serious rivals. In 1897 the companies merged as Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company (this name was changed to Heywood-Wakefield Company in 1921), purchasing Washburn-Heywood Chair Company in 1916, Oregon Chair Company in 1920, and Lloyd Manufacturing Company in 1921. While its wooden furniture plant in Gardner, Massachusetts closed in 1979, a branch in Menominee, Michigan continued to manufacture metal outdoor seats, auditorium seats, and school furniture. The Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex in Gardner was added to the National Historic Register in 1983. The South Beach Furniture Company acquired the rights to the name in 1994 and reproduces its wooden furniture. Both founding companies produced wicker and rattan furniture in the late 19th century. The wicker styles drew on the Aesthetic Movement and Japanese influences simpler designs arose in the wake of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The merged entity stayed abreast of wicker furniture trends by hiring designers such as Paul Frankl and Donald Deskey during the 1920s. Its furniture was exhibited at the 1933 Century of Progress exhibition and the 1964 New York World's Fair. During the 1930s and 1940s, Heywood-Wakefield began producing furniture using sleek designs based on French Art Deco.The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the village and Museum was established. The wicker furniture is a fine example of late 19th and early 20th century light weight domestic furniture that are today very collectible items and quite rare and valuable.Pair of wicker armchairs, painted dark brown. The open wicker weave pattern extends from the seat up to the armrests and completely over the backrest, plus across the front of the chair below the seat. The seat is very firmly woven and fitted into a timber frame. A reinforcing pattern of wicker work covers the top edges of the armrests and backrest in one piece and folds around to the underside, referred to as ‘rolled serpentine arms and back’. The hollow ends of the armrests are filled with a circular knob of wicker work. The back legs are also completed with decorative wicker knobs. One chair base (3788.01) has been strengthened with metal bracing. The other chair (3788.02) has the remnants of an orange manufacture’s tag fixed to the base. The chairs were made 1897-1921 by Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company, USA. These chairs are part of the Giles Collection.Printed in black on an orange tag “MANUFA - Heywood B – GARDNE”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, giles collection, giles family, henry and mary jane giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century furniture, wicker armchairs, rolled serpentine wicker work, cane armchair, classic wicker furniture, victorian style furniture, domestic furniture late 19th century, heywood-wakefield company -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book - Programme, South Street Eisteddfod Official Guide, 1907, 1907
South Street competitions have been held in Ballarat since 1991.Official guide to the 1907 South Street competitions. Images include: Prince of Wales, Lord Northcote, W.D. Thomas, South Street Competition Executive Committee (W.H. Pearson, W.H. Chandler, A. Prichard, W.H. Richards, W.D. Hill, Col. Williams, W.D. Thomas, F. Besemeres, F.J. Martell, J.T. Morris. F.J. Williams, R. Maddern, R.J. Gribble), Sir John Madden, Lord Tennyson, W.D. Hill, Frederick Bevan, Ballarat (Sturt Street), Lake Wendouree (Yachts), J.W. Beswick, Lawrence Campbell, City of Ballarat Mayor and Councillor (Mayor Brawn, E. Williams, E. Morey. Cr Brokenshire, J. Whykes, J.M. Barker, G. Crocker, W.D. Hill, R. Pearse, T. Hollway), Ballarat East Mayor and Councillors (J. Gent, Cr Glendenning, J.N. Dunn, I. Pearce, C. Bunting, A. Levy, J. Ritchie, J. McNeil, A. McKenzie, Cr Penhalluriak), Sturt Street Looking West, Old Curiosity House, Entrance to the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Interior of the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat East Town Hall and Gardens, Lake Wendouree Ferry, W.E. Swenson, S.B. Swenson, J.G.M. Swenson, Rev. T. Flynn, Edwards' Pyrites, Lestor's Hotel, Sunshine Sheild, W to W Shield, Frank Herman, W.F. Coultman, Marks' Trophy, Lighthouse Port Fairy, R. Correll Music Seller, James Smith, Isaac Pitman, Arthur Brumfield, Hugh Leschen, John Robson, St Augustine's Band Geelong, Moorabool Falls, Kirks Dam, Ballarat Choral Society, Alfred Deakin, James Long, Hugh McKay Advertisements include: Huttons the Jewellers, Sam Jamieson, Sun Foundry, City Saw Mills, Blomeley Bros Iron and Brass Founders, G. Bongiorno- Railway Fruit Palace, Henry Brind & Co., Andrew Cant, Harrison's Foundry, Umbrella and Sunshade Emporium, Ballarat City Baths, Ballarat Coffee Palace, Irwin's Provincial Hotel, Victa Studio; D. Lem Chinese Medical Practitioner, Bosisto's Eucalyptus Oil, Ronaldson Bros & Tippett, Unicorn HOtel, Mrs F. Allen Caterer, Coles & Pullum, J.C. Dillon & Co., Surrey Tannery, Coulthard's Ballarat Business College, George Farmer, MrBride's Boots, L.J. Austin, Dyason's, Ballarat Brewing Company, Phoenix Brewery, Royal Standard Brewery, Edwards' Pyrites, Lestor's Hotel, Robson's College of Music, James A. Gear, Williams Shoemen, Tekardo Brothers, Powell & Co.south street competitions, eisteddfod, chinese herbalist, south street, r.b. lemmon, g. bongiorno, w.d. thomas, john madden, lord tennyson, w.d. hill, frederick bevan, j.w. beswick, lawrence campbell, boer war memorial, queen victoria statue, curiosity shop, m.b. john foundry, ballarat east town hall and gardens, sunshine shield, hugh victor mckay, w to w shield, w.j. coltman, frank herman, j. hutton-jones, t. downer, j. marks, hutton and co trophy, marks trophy, hugh leschen, john robson, st augustine's band, geelong, downer trophy, trekardo brothers, moorabool falls, kirks dam, ballarat choral society, alfred deakin, challenge cup, james long, grand national eisteddfod of australasia, ballarat east gardens, ballarat east town hall -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, circa 1888
This photograph was taken close to the time of the wreck of the "Edinburgh Castle". The “Edinburgh Castle”, three-masted iron barque, was built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1863 by J.G. Lawrie. She was 53.7 meters long and weighed 627 tons. She was owned by shipping company T Skinner and Co and registered at Liverpool, England. She sailed from 1863 to 1885 along the trade route between Scotland, China, and Singapore. In 1887 the Master, Captain J.B. Darling, sailed the “Edinburgh Castle” for its new owners Gifford & Nicholson from London to Warrnambool. Her cargo was 4,900 casks of cement for the construction of the new Warrnambool Breakwater. Over the three month journey, the ship met with rough weather and even a hurricane. On January 15th 1888 the “Edinburgh Castle” approached Lady Bay where a welcoming crowd gathered. The Port’s relief Harbour Master, Pilot Carless took over to complete the docking. As he tried to guide her, the Lighthouse Keeper signalled that the ship was too close to shore. The pilot continued on his course, causing her to ‘miss stays’ (make an incorrect tack). The crew dropped anchors and tried to lighten the load by throwing some of the casks of cement overboard but this was to no avail, and she drifted sideways in calm waters, lodging in the sand. A distress signal was sent to the coastal steamer “Julia Percy”, which spent several hours trying to pull the stranded ship away, but it would not budge. Those involved hoped to re-float the ship but efforts to save the vessel were useless. The captain and some crew stayed on board. When the weather became rough the rocket crew brought its lifesaving gear to the shore, ready to launch a line to the ship. The three men on board sent those onshore a message in a bottle to assure the on-lookers that they were quite comfortable to stay aboard. After a night of bad weather, the crew were glad to accept the rocket crew’s help and were in turn safely hauled to shore in a breeches buoy. The ship broke up quickly. Very little of the cargo could be saved. A week later all that could be seen of her was the bow and some of the stern. The beach was littered with wreckage, including cement cask fragments, for weeks. Ironically, on the morning after the ship ran aground, the very same “Edinburgh Castle” was offered for sale at an auction in Melbourne, billed as “a sound ship with all the fittings and in the best order.” The sale was completed before they heard the news that the ship was totally wrecked! Over the decades the shifting sands concealed the wreck of “Edinburgh Castle”. However, in October 1985 two local divers, Peter Ronald and Colin Goodall discovered her near the Hopkins River mouth. Peter said in his book ‘Exploring Shipwrecks of Western Victoria’, “In the midst of this sand-cloud I could clearly see row after row of neatly stacked barrels”. He remarked, “I am privileged to have had at least a glimpse of one of Warrnambool's most significant wrecks.” Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “Edinburgh Castle” and the “La Bella”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The sailing ship “Edinburgh Castle” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. The “Edinburgh Castle” is significant for being one of the largest vessels lost in the bay. The significance of the wreck of the “Edinburgh Castle” was recognised by being listed on the Victorian Heritage Database VHR S209. She was declared an Historic Shipwreck on 17th January 1989 under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). The “Edinburgh Castle” wreck is also significant for the connection of its cargo with the building of the Warrnambool Breakwater, also listed on the Victorian Heritage Database VHR H2024. The “Edinburgh Castle” is included as one of the shipwrecks in Heritage Victoria’s Historic Shipwreck Trail on Victoria’s West Coast. Black and white photograph of the iron barque 'Edinburgh Castle' on breaking waves, land in the background. The ship was stranded and wrecked in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, on January 15th 1888. Figures are standing on deck. The masts are free from sails.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, great ocean road, edinburgh castle barque 1863, edinburgh castle shipwreck 1888, shipwreck 15-05-1888, glasgow ship, jg lawrie, t skinner and co, liverpool ship register, captain j.b. darling, gifford & nicholson, cement casks, cement barrels, warrnambool breakwater construction, breaches buoy, rocket crew, rocket launcher, lifesaving equipment, warrnambool harbour, lady bay warrnambool, ship pilot carless, lady bay shipwreck, peter ronald, colin goodall, lady bay diving site, marine archaeology, victorian heritage register, vhr s209 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph - Photograph of Edinburgh Castle' stranded and wrecked at Lady Bay, circa 1888
This photograph was taken close to the time of the wreck of the "Edinburgh Castle". The “Edinburgh Castle”, three-masted iron barque, was built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1863 by J.G. Lawrie. She was 53.7 meters long and weighed 627 tons. She was owned by shipping company T Skinner and Co and registered at Liverpool, England. She sailed from 1863 to 1885 along the trade route between Scotland, China, and Singapore. In 1887 the Master, Captain J.B. Darling, sailed the “Edinburgh Castle” for its new owners Gifford & Nicholson from London to Warrnambool. Her cargo was 4,900 casks of cement for the construction of the new Warrnambool Breakwater. Over the three month journey, the ship met with rough weather and even a hurricane. On January 15th 1888 the “Edinburgh Castle” approached Lady Bay where a welcoming crowd gathered. The Port’s relief Harbour Master, Pilot Carless took over to complete the docking. As he tried to guide her, the Lighthouse Keeper signalled that the ship was too close to shore. The pilot continued on his course, causing her to ‘miss stays’ (make an incorrect tack). The crew dropped anchors and tried to lighten the load by throwing some of the casks of cement overboard but this was to no avail, and she drifted sideways in calm waters, lodging in the sand. A distress signal was sent to the coastal steamer “Julia Percy”, which spent several hours trying to pull the stranded ship away, but it would not budge. Those involved hoped to re-float the ship but efforts to save the vessel were useless. The captain and some crew stayed on board. When the weather became rough the rocket crew brought its lifesaving gear to the shore, ready to launch a line to the ship. The three men on board sent those onshore a message in a bottle to assure the on-lookers that they were quite comfortable to stay aboard. After a night of bad weather, the crew were glad to accept the rocket crew’s help and were in turn safely hauled to shore in a breeches buoy. The ship broke up quickly. Very little of the cargo could be saved. A week later all that could be seen of her was the bow and some of the stern. The beach was littered with wreckage, including cement cask fragments, for weeks. Ironically, on the morning after the ship ran aground, the very same “Edinburgh Castle” was offered for sale at an auction in Melbourne, billed as “a sound ship with all the fittings and in the best order.” The sale was completed before they heard the news that the ship was totally wrecked! Over the decades the shifting sands concealed the wreck of “Edinburgh Castle”. However, in October 1985 two local divers, Peter Ronald and Colin Goodall discovered her near the Hopkins River mouth. Peter said in his book ‘Exploring Shipwrecks of Western Victoria’, “In the midst of this sand-cloud I could clearly see row after row of neatly stacked barrels”. He remarked, “I am privileged to have had at least a glimpse of one of Warrnambool's most significant wrecks.” Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “Edinburgh Castle” and the “La Bella”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The sailing ship “Edinburgh Castle” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. The “Edinburgh Castle” is significant for being one of the largest vessels lost in the bay. The significance of the wreck of the “Edinburgh Castle” was recognised by being listed on the Victorian Heritage Database VHR S209. She was declared an Historic Shipwreck on 17th January 1989 under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). The “Edinburgh Castle” wreck is also significant for the connection of its cargo with the building of the Warrnambool Breakwater, also listed on the Victorian Heritage Database VHR H2024. The “Edinburgh Castle” is included as one of the shipwrecks in Heritage Victoria’s Historic Shipwreck Trail on Victoria’s West Coast. Black and white photograph of the iron barque 'Edinburgh Castle' stranded and wrecked at Lady Bay, Warrnambool, on January 15th 1888. The photograph shows wreckage along the shore and two standing figures looking on.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, great ocean road, edinburgh castle barque 1863, edinburgh castle shipwreck 1888, shipwreck 15-05-1888, glasgow ship, jg lawrie, t skinner and co, liverpool ship register, captain j.b. darling, gifford & nicholson, cement casks, cement barrels, warrnambool breakwater construction, breaches buoy, rocket crew, rocket launcher, lifesaving equipment, warrnambool harbour, lady bay warrnambool, ship pilot carless, lady bay shipwreck, peter ronald, colin goodall, lady bay diving site, marine archaeology, victorian heritage register, vhr s209 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Marine Telescope, 1870-1880
This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. John Browning was particularly well known for his scientific advances in the fields of spectroscopy, astronomy, and optometry. Between 1856 and 1872, Browning acquired provisional patents for designs of numerous scientific instruments. He was also the recipient of an award at the 1862 International Exhibition held in London. Also recognised for his temperature-compensated aneroid barometer. Browning's scientific instruments were used in physics, chemistry, and biology. The products he designed and manufactured included spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmologist, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. John Browning was born around 1831 in Kent, England. His father, William Spencer Browning, was a maker of nautical instruments. John Browning's great-grandfather was also an instrument maker as well as John’s brother Samuel Browning of the firms Spencer & Browning and Spencer, Browning & Rust, who also manufactured navigational instruments. The latter firm was in operation in London from 1784 to 1840 and was succeeded by the firm of Spencer, Browning & Co. John Browning initially intended to follow the medical profession and entered Guy's Hospital, a teaching hospital and a school of medicine. Despite having passed the required examinations, however, he abandoned his plans. Instead, he apprenticed with his father, William Spencer Browning. At the same time, in the late 1840s, he was a student attending the Royal College of Chemistry several days per week. By the early 1870s, practical optics had become John Browning's primary interest, and he listed his occupation as an optician on the census records from 1871 to 1901. He was well known among London's ophthalmic surgeons for his various ophthalmic instruments. He had a large part in reforming the art of crafting spectacles. Other achievements were as an author of the book, How to Use Our Eyes and How to Preserve them by the Aid of Spectacles. Published in 1883, the book included thirty-seven illustrations, including a diagram demonstrating the anatomy of the eye. In 1895, he was one of the founders of the "British Ophthalmology" the first professional organisation for optometry. He was not only its first president but also registered as its first member so many considered him to be the first professional optometrist. Other professional organisations he belonged too was as a member of “The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain”. In 1871 constructing the first wind tunnel located at Greenwich Marine Engineering Works. He was also a member of other scientific organisations, such as the “Microscopical Society of London”, the “Meteorological Society”, and the “Royal”. Then in 1908 the company of W. Watson & Son, opticians and camera makers, took over John Browning's company since 1901 John Browning had been semi-retired but in 1908 he fully retired and moved to Bournemouth in Hampshire. He died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1925.The telescope is significant for its association with one of the world’s leading scientific instrument makers and inventor of the 19th and early 20th century. It is believed the donation came off a wreck either in Port Philip Bay or between Point Lonsdale and the Nepean Heads making it a significant maritime historical artefact. Its provenance is good given it was taken off a wreck in this area by the Point Lonsdale lighthouse caretaker. Examples of John Browning's telescopes because of their scientific and historical importance are highly valued by collectors.Marine style single draw brass telescope with a sunshade. The single draw has no split and the second cartridge is held in a long brass tube within the single draw, mounted from the objective end. The eyepiece is flat and at the end of the first draw in a very faded engraving that is believed to read "John Browning, 63 Strand, and should read London under the word strand but this is hard to establish given the engravings condition. This interpretation of the engraving has been arrived at by examination of other John Browning telescope engraving examples."John Browning, engraved to the first tube in copper plate style "63 STRAND" Engraved under in capital textflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, john browning, telescope, spectroscopy, optometry, scientific instruments, william spencer browning, optician, navigational instrument, microscopical society of london, aeronautical society, marine technology -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Leisure object - Doll's Leg, ca 1878/
This is part of a child's toy, a doll with ceramic legs. It was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. China doll's leg, cream and beige ceramic, foot shaped at the end of the leg. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, china dolls leg, doll's leg, china doll's leg, doll's limb, ceramic doll -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Leisure object - Doll's Leg, ca 1878
This ceramic leg is part of a child's doll. It was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. China doll's leg, cream colour with beige top. Shoe shape is formed at the end of the leg. .Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, china dolls leg, doll's leg, ceramic doll leg, porcelain doll's leg -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Ceramic - Plate, Minton Potteries, ca 1878
This plate is one of a collection of plates with the Asiatic Pheasant design from recovered from the wreck o the Loch Ard. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. This plate is significant for its connection to the potters Minton. It is also significant for its connection with the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard. The Loch Ard shipwreck is significant for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register (S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulations of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The group gives a snapshot of history, enabling us to interpret the story of this tragic event and the lives of the people involved. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allow us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collection's historical significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.China dinner plate, scalloped rim. Floral arrangement with Asiatic Pheasant design, made by Middleport Pottery. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. Within cartouche "B & L / MIDDLEPORT POTTERY" and an 'L" handwritten in black pen.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, plate, minton, loch ard, asiatic pheasant design -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Decorative object - Marble, Before 1878
A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we are able to interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Piece of marble cut from the corner of a fireplace surround. Black marble with brown highlights. Carved boarder. Recovered rom the Loch Ard. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, fireplace surround, marble, black marble -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Wine Glass Stem and Base, ca 1878
The wine glass has been handblown, as shown by the ripple effect in the stem and base. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we are able to interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Wine glass part, stem and base only. Glass has been hand blown. Recovered from the Loch Ard wreck.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, wine glass, handmade drinking glass, blown glass -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Ship's Wheel, 1871 or earlier
The ship building company E. & A. Sewall, from Bath, Maine, USA, built many ships that had wheels with the same decorative, starburst pattern on them as this particular wheel segment, including the Eric the Red. The wheel was manufactured by their local Bath foundry, Geo. Moulton & Co. and sold to the Sewall yard for $100, according to the construction accounts of the vessel. Eric the Red was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, and was the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows that Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) - about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - from America for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. On 4th September 1880 the ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. Eric the Red approached Cape Otway in a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Cries were heard coming from out of the darkness. Captain Jones sent out two life boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Z. Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts and bravery, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and a medal for bravery. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) Segment of a ship's wheel, or helm, from the wreck of the sailing ship Eric the Red. The wheel part is an arc shape from the outer rim of the wheel and is made up of three layers of timber. The centre layer is a dark, dense timber and is wider than the two outer layers, which are less dense and lighter in colour. The wheel segment has a vertically symmetrical, decorative copper plate inlaid on the front. The plate has a starburst pattern; six stars decorate it, each at a point where there is a metal fitting going through the three layers of timber to the rear side of the wheel. On the rear each of the six fittings has an individual copper star around it. The edges of the helm are rounded and bevelled, polished to a shine in a dark stain. Around each of the stars, front and back, the wood is a lighter colour, as though the metal in that area being polished frequently. The length of the segment suggests that it has probably come from a wheel or helm that had ten spokes. (Ref: F.H.M.M. 16th March 1994, 239.6.610.3.7. Artefact Reg No ER/1.)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship's-wheel, eric-the-red, helm, shei's wheel, ship's steering wheel -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Furniture - Door, 1871 or earlier
The wooden door was salvaged from the wreck of the sailing ship Eric the Red, which was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. Eric the Red was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871, having had a 1,580 tons register. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) – about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - from America for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. The ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. On 4th September 1880 the Eric the Red approached Cape Otway with a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. He ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats. The mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast also fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Captain Jones sent out two life boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital for care and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Z. Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod and samples of wood. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) Door from the wreck of the ship Eric the Red. The wooden singular rectangular door includes three insert panel sections. The top section is square shaped and is missing its panel or glass. The centre timber panel is about a third of the height of the top panel and the bottom timber panel is approximately equal in height to the total height of the two upper panels. The door fastenings include both a metal door latch and traditional door bolt. They are both attached to the front right hand side of the door. The bolt is just below the top panel, and the door latch is in approximately the centre of that side. The door latch has a round mark where a handle could have been attached. The wood of the door has scraping marks in a semi-circle around the door latch where the latch has swung around on its one remaining fastening and grazed the surface. There is a metal hinge at the top section of the door on the opposite side to the latch. The painted surface has been scraped back to expose the wood. The door is shorter than the average height of a person. On the reverse of the door there are lines on the panels, just inside their edges, is what appears to be pencil. The door is not aligned straight but is skew to centre.warrnambool, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, eric the red, jaques allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne exhibition 1880, cape otway, otway reef, victorian shipwreck, bass strait, eric-the-red, door -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Pill bottle, Circa 1878
This small pill bottle has been handmade by a glass blower. The battles and seamless concave sides and base show that the glass was blown into a shaped mould. The rough lip shows that the glass was snapped off at the mouth and roughly ground. This was an inexpensive way to produce a bottle. The bottle was recovered from the Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. The glass pill bottle is associated with the shipwreck of the Loch Ard and of significance for Victoria as the wreck is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard of which the pill bottle is one. Its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject item is a small part. The collections objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.Small clear green-hue glass pill bottle, rectangular in shape and chipped lip. Sides and base are seamless and concave and varying thickness. Glass has bubbles and imperfections. A sticker is attached. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, loch ard, 1878 shipwreck, handblown bottle, pill bottle, small bottle, medicine bottle -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Bottle, Singer Sewing Machine Company, ca 1878
This Singer Sewing Machine oil bottle was made by hand, with the glass blown into a mould. Isaac M. Singer established his sewing machine company, I.M. Singer & Co. in America in 1851. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy.The bottle is significant for representing an early innovation in domestic sewing, the treadle sewing machine. It is also significant for its connection with the Loch Ard shipwreck. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we are able to interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collection's historical significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Clear glass bottle, straight neck, broad shoulders tapering to slightly narrower indented base. Bottle once contained Singer Sewing Machine oil. Inscription embossed in the glass. Bottle was recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.Embossed in the glass "The Singer Manufacturing Company" on one side on the reverse "Extra Quality Machine Oil." flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, singer sewing machine, sewing machine oil, singer sewing machine oil, oil bottle, isaac m. singer, loch ard artifacts, loch ard -
Parks Victoria - Wilsons Promontory Lightstation
Tank lid
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.