The subject of this photograph is the S.S.Rowilla, a passenger steam ferry built in Hobart for use in Tasmania's rivers, the Derwent and the Tamar. The photograph shows her docked at the Charles Street Wharf in Launceston. The S.S. Rowitta was built by Purdon & Featherstone, at Battery Point, Hobart (Tasmania) in 1909 from Huon Pine and Kauri planking. Her final configuration included three masts and a ship rig. S.S. Rowitta took its first voyage from Hobart to Launceston in 1909 and operated for 30 years as a passenger ferry on the Tamar and Derwent Rivers. She also served as a freighter, an army supply ship, a luxury charter ferry and a floating restaurant as well as a prawn boat at Lakes Entrance. (She has also been named “Sorrento” and “Tarkarri”.). In the very early days of Flagstaff Hill ‘Rowitta’ was purchased from Lakes Entrance by Warrnambool City Council and the Victorian State Government for $20,000. The Rowitta had a hull configuration very similar to a local boat named the SPECULANT, which played a key role in the Port of Warrnambool in the early 1900s. The Speculant was the largest ship ever registered with Warrnambool as her home port. Local owner and trader P J McGennan & Co, (Peter McGennan) used her as a freight carrier to Melbourne and timber trader between New Zealand and Victoria. She sunk at Cape Otway in 1911 on a voyage to Melbourne. In 1974 Rowitta was delivered to Port Fairy and then later sailed to Warrnambool’s Breakwater where she was lifted out of Lady Bay and loaded onto the back of a long transport truck and slowly and carefully driven along Pertobe Road, through the Surfside Caravan Park and over the railway line, into Flagstaff Hill’s Maritime Village. Transfer arrangements were coordinated by Jack Morse, of Morse Engineering, a member of the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board, and Ken Goyen, a local crane operator. The ‘Rowitta’ was originally acquired to be rebuilt to match the original SPECULANT. When finances became tight in 1976 a review of all plans ended in the decision to restore the “Rowitta” to her original configuration. She was then restored, renamed the original name of “Rowitta” and installed in the Village’s Harbour Lake to become one of the popular vessels on display for visitors to enjoy. It was the decision of the Advisory Committee to Flagstaff Hill to have Rowitta demolished in April 2015 due to extensive deterioration. Items associated with the Rowitta continue to be held in Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s Collection.The photograph of the passenger ferry S.S. Rowitta.is significant for its association with Tasmanian history from the early to mid-1900s. It is also connected to the history of the Rowitta, which was a large exhibit on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village from the museum’s early beginnings until the vessel’s end of life 40 years later. The Rowitta represents the importance of coastal traders to transport, trade and communication along the coast of Victoria, between states, and in Australia before rail and motor vehicles. The vessel was an example of a ferry built in the early 20th century that served many different roles over its lifetime of over 100 years. Black and white photograph of the steamship S.S. Rowitta at Charles Street Wharf, Launceston. It shows the vessel docked at the Charles Street Wharf in Launceston. Smoke is coming from its funnel and there are people on board. There is a handwritten inscription on the top edge of the photograph. The vessel was built in 1909 by Purdon & Featherstone, Hobart. Blue-green handwriting on top left margin "ROWITTA AT LAUNCESTON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, photograph, s.s. rowitta, charles street wharf,, launceston., purdon & featherstone, rowitta, tarkarri, speculant, purdon & featherstone of hobart, passenger ferry 1909, sorrento

On a piece of paper subsequently glued near one end of its curved upper face, this length of planed and polished hardwood timber bears the inscription: “A [p]iece of w[r]ec[k] of the Loch Ard wrecked near Sherbroke River”. The timber is carefully worked with rich dark colouring and a uniformly moulded design, suggesting that it was part of a fitting or furnishing that was publicly visible and prominent. If the artefact is what it is declared to be, then it is possible that it formed part of the ship’s railings or companionway stairs. The LOCH ARD was a 1,693 ton, 3 masted barque, built on the Clyde in 1873. In an age of increasing competition for the emigrant passenger trade from steam-driven vessels, special attention was paid to her wooden furnishings and fittings. The Loch Line owners prided themselves on their attractive, distinctively painted, sailing ships. Below decks, where cargo and third class passengers were stowed, was made of iron. But everything above deck, and on show to the saloon and second class passengers, was carved and varnished timber. Captain Daish’s 1878 report for the ship’s underwriters notes “a quantity of general Cargo washed up in a confused mass” in the cove and “a number of Cases, Casks and Bales; also deals and boards floating about in some of the gorges” further west of the shipwreck. Contemporary newspaper accounts also reported a large quantity of cargo and timber washed ashore in the days following the LOCH ARD shipwreck, adding “but those were speedily removed by persons who came down from Port Campbell, Scott’s Creek and other places with carts and pack horses”. The appearance and good condition of this wood artefact, and the aged patina and dated hand-writing style of its pasted on inscription, support the suggestion that it was ‘souvenired’ from the floating debris of the LOCH ARD at or near the 1878 date of its foundering off Mutton Bird Island. 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. Waves broke over the ship and the top deck was loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of LOCH ARD and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael had raced onto deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached LOCH ARD Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland, this time by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the LOCH ARD disaster. 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. Ten days after the LOCH ARD tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of LOCH ARD still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some was washed up into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton porcelain peacock - one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today, the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artefact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. The Loch Ard wreck is of state significance – Victorian Heritage Register S417. However there is a lack of documented provenance that limits the interpretive value of this piece of timber (for example, its potential to interpret nineteenth century souveniring and scavenging from shipwrecks along the south west coast of Victoria). 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. A length of hardwood timber, planed and varnished to smooth finish on three sides, with two unfinished tongues protruding from each end (one broken off), possibly from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The front or upper face is moulded and routed to a regular, linear (skirting board type) design along its entire length, the two sides flat planed. One side contains two inserted dowel rods that have been broken off. The bottom face has not been finished to the same standard. The sample is good quality wood that has retained its density and weight and shows no evidence of having been submerged in seawater for any length of time. Glued on to the upper face of the length of timber near the right hand end is a deteriorated square of paper bearing an inscription. The paper, peeling back and with torn edges, is stuck over an original wood stain but under a subsequent layer of varnish. The faded ink words are indecipherable where paper is missing, but written carefully in an old fashioned cursive script.The inscription on the paper reads: “A [p]iece of w[r]ec[k] of the Loch Ard wrecked near Sherbroke River”. 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, nineteenth-century souveniring, shipwreck scavenging, loch line sailing ships, wood sample

Newspaper articleArticle stating Country Roads Board had begun to prepare plans for the San Remo Phillip Island Bridge.local history, documents, newspapers, bridges, phillip island, black & white newspaper clipping, mr dunstan premier of victoria, country roads board

NilScene of Portland Harbour. View includes people walking on beaches, jetties, moored boats (some with sails, some without). Upper centre of image shows a town, with a church to the right. To the left centre is a planned garden with people promenading. In foreground is empty land with a few seagulls. A train track enters the image on bottom centre. Print is predominantly in shades of blue, grey and brown. Mounted in dark cream matt, in wooden frame with glass.Front: A. Hy Fullwood (lower left, grey paint) "Portland Victoria" A. H. Fullwood 1836-1930 (printed below image) Back: (no inscriptions)

In 1965, the Diamond Valley Shire planning association recommended to Council that a large area of land north of Greensborough be acquired for Parkland. The idea of a Civic Centre was included with a map of the area from Grimshaw Street in the south to the MMBW pipeline reserve in the north. Includes a suggested new site for the local school, near Yando Street. This area is now part of the Plenty River Trail.An example of developments in the Greensborough area during the period of Shire of Diamond ValleyNews clipping, black and white text and map. Scanned in 3 parts.shire of diamond valley, civic drive greensborough, yando street greensborough, partingtons flat, plenty river trail

In 1966, Cr A.K.Lines announced his retirement from public life after 25 years in local government, first as a Heidelberg councillor and later as first President of Diamond Valley Shire. A testimonial was planned to honour him.An article about a local politicianNews clipping, black and white text.shire of diamond valley, city of heidelberg, a k lines

In 1973, the planning for the Dunvegan Estate in North Macleod was well under way, with some residential blocks owned and developed by the Housing Commission of Victoria (later the Ministry of Housing).News clipping, black and white text.dunvegan estate macleod, north macleod, housing commission of victoria, ministry of housing victoria

A huge gum tree in the middle of Mine Street, at the intersection of Greenhills Road was in danger of removal due to the proposed road construction. NOTE: In 2020 the tree still stands in the island created for it during street construction in 1974. News clipping, black and white text and image. greenhills, greenhills road greensborough, mine street greensborough, gum trees

Business card for a local financial planning business, Greensborough Investment Advisors, at 367 Greensborough Road, GreensboroughBusiness card, white card with blue text.financial planners, investment advisors, greensborough investment advisors, greensborough road greensborough

The purpose of the Melbourne Atlas is to give a spatial view of physical , environmental, social, economic and cultural aspects of Melbourne which can be used in planning. It contains maps and graphs depicting many aspects of life in Melbourne. A snapshot of life in Melbourne in 2006.Various paging, text, illus., colour maps. Wire binding.melbourne, maps, town planning, social conditions

A summary of the plans for the Greensborough District Centre from 1992, with plans for the development of the East side of Main Street Greensborough.16 pages. Black and white line drawings and plans. Has plastic cover and wire binding. greensborough district centre, main street greensborough

A summary of traffic ad parking impacts of the Greensborough District Centre in 1992, with plans for the development of the East side of Main Street Greensborough.14 pages text and 11 pages black and white line drawings. greensborough district centre, main street greensborough, traffic, parking

A summary of investigations into impacts of the Greensborough District Centre in 1989, with plans for the development of the East side of Main Street Greensborough.91 pages text and black and white line drawings. One colour fold out map. Black plastic binding and clear plastic cover. greensborough district centre, main street greensborough, greensborough plaza

Yarra Plenty Regional Library has identified Learning as one of the core activities of the library service. This Learning Strategic Framework follows on from the YPRL Strategic Plan 2013-17. Goals and priorities are laid out in this booklet.34p., colour illus.yarra plenty regional library, yprl, learning activities, education

Planning options for an extended retail development in Diamond Creek 1989.12 p. text, 12p. plans, spiral bound non-fictiondiamond creek, shire of diamond valley, retail developments

A 1989 planning document for the Plenty Valley growth area, as much of it moved from rural to residential zoning.8 p., text and col. illustrationsplenty valley, urban development, plenty river, shire of diamond valley, whittlesea

Watsonia High School students and parent association combined to raise money for an educational scholarship in October 1967. Part of the Watsonia High collection of Glynne Pietzsch who was a student at Watsonia High in the 1960s.Newspaper clippings, Black and white text, and letter to students and car rally tickets.watssonia high school, fund raising

This article covers some of the issues when the development of Greensborough Plaza was in the planning stages in 1977.Shows local resistance to the building of a large shopping complex in Greensborough.News article, black textgreensborough plaza, shire of diamond valley, bob fell

Political campaign brochure from Colin Brooks MP detailing Labor plans for power costs, free kinder, TAFE and transportDouble sided coloured brochurecolin brooks, victoria - politics and government

177 p., illus., maps.non-fictionA history of early development and more recent redevelopment in East Melbourne, from a town planning perspective.east melbourne, town planning, melbourne

The Banyule Banner is published by Banyule Council to advertise upcoming events in the City of Banyule and to report on past events. This edition contains reports on waste services, public toilet plan, Anzac Day in Banyule and council services and community events.A record of events within the City of Banyule.24 pages, colour illustrations. banyule banner, banyule council

A report on Melbourne's future growth and a strategic plan to manage this growth, 2000.36 p., text, col. illus., maps and col. plansmelbourne (victoria), town planning, infrastructure victoria

A report on Melbourne's future growth and a strategic plan to manage this growth, 2000.8 p., text, col. illus.melbourne (victoria), town planning, infrastructure victoria

Photographs of Greensborough Railway Station in February 2021, before the planned rebuild of the station as part of the Hurstbridge rail line upgrade. 3 Colour digital photographsgreensborough railway station, hurstbridge rail line upgrade

Photographs of Greensborough Railway Station signage in February 2021, before the planned rebuild of the station as part of the Hurstbridge rail line upgrade. 2 Colour digital photographsgreensborough railway station, hurstbridge rail line upgrade

Photographs of Poulter Avenue power station at Greensborough Railway Station in February 2021, before the planned rebuild of the station as part of the Hurstbridge rail line upgrade. 4 Colour digital photographsgreensborough railway station, hurstbridge rail line upgrade, poulter avenue greensborough

Photographs of architectural features at Poulter Avenue power station at Greensborough Railway Station in February 2021, before the planned rebuild of the station as part of the Hurstbridge rail line upgrade. 5 Colour digital photographsgreensborough railway station, hurstbridge rail line upgrade, poulter avenue greensborough

Photographs of garden and carpark at Greensborough Railway Station in February 2021, before the planned rebuild of the station as part of the Hurstbridge rail line upgrade. 3 Colour digital photographsgreensborough railway station, hurstbridge rail line upgrade