Storybord with three maps of Vietnam showing various locations of importance such as Saigon, Nui Dat, Vung Tau, Binh Ba, Long Tan, FSB Horseshoe, An Nhut, Baria, Hoa Long and Xuyen Moc.storyboard, behind the wire, maps, saigon, nui dat, vung tau, long tan

Wooden buttons made in Camp 3 during WW2. 8 brown wood domed buttons with wooden shank which has a hole through to stitch to clothing. Fastened onto a piece of tan cardboard with cream thread. 1 button larger than the rest.buttons, wooden buttons, frank family

Unaddressed and unsigned card with the following message: 'With Every Good Wish for Christmas and the New Year from The Mayor and The Mayoress of St. Kilda (Councillor and Mrs T. P. Tierney)'Folded tan card with an image of 'Mary and Child' in gold, black and white against a blue background, and bordered in gold, printed on the front. White interior with blue printing (including the City of St Kilda logo).city of st kilda, st kilda mayor t. p. tierney

David Waterston, refer Cat No 2410 for service details.Warning Unexploded Projectiles. Frame black painted metal, poster has red and black printed instructions on beige background. Small white label at top of frame contains information in black print.On the back board - handwritten in red felt tip pen "The Tree Warning Poster/ was printed the same month/as the battle of Long Tan/ (18 Aug 1966 SVN) D Coy 6 RAR.documents - posters, frame accessories, signs- warnings

15230 Sergeant Jeffrey Max Duroux, Royal Australian Infantry, Units:6 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment* 9 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Vietnam service: 8 June 1966- 5 January 1969 Date of death: 5 January 1969, South Vietnam. *Duroux was a Battle of Long Tan veteran. He was an Aboriginal soldier, one of several who served in Vietnam.1x Australian Active Service Medal (clasps Thai-Malaya, Malaya, Vietnam) 1x General Service Medal (clasp Malaya) 1x Vietnam Medal 1x Australian Service Medal 1945-75 S.E. Asia 1x Australian Defence Medal 1x Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal 1960- 1x Malaysia Medal 1x Infantry Combat Badge 3x Presidential Unit Citation Badgessgt. jeffrey max duroux, aboriginal, long tan, 6 rar, 9 rar, medal, badge, killed in action

Black / white head & shoulders portrait photo of a soldier in uniform, wearing peaked cap & 2 pocket jacket. Frame is tan ornate wood with gold inner edge, glass front, fawn cardboard backing.In black on white sticker front bottom RHS & bottom LHS on back: "55"passchendaele barracks trust, portraits, framed

Cap, khaki cotton fabric with peaked front with leather front strap attached at sides with brass AMF studs, leather head band sewn inside with tan silk lining, 4 small vents at back.“1951 - Size 7 - Made in England - D & D” Inside head band: “38th Inf 3 -- - 164. - Watton”uniforms - military - army, costume - male headwear, passchendaele barracks trust

Map & detailed description on framed information board. Tan coloured wooden frame, glass front, masonite backing, coloured detailed map of Tobruk area with history of area featured on blue border around map.Siege of Tobruk April - Dec 1941.documents-maps, frame accessories, tobruk

The Victorian Railways began in 1854 and in the first 14 years up to 1868 had managed to complete about 250 miles of track. The next 60 years saw the system expand to nearly 3000 miles. By 1931 every town with a population over 500 had its own railway station. Early Victorian railway maps indicate that the extension from Colac to Warrnambool and then onwards to Koroit, occurred in the period of the 1880’s when the act known as the Octopus act saw a rapid expansion of lines. At the time there was much debate over where the expansion of the lines should take place, with one of the prime considerations for Warrnambool was the impact it would have on its port.The building of the railway to Warrnambool and onward to Koroit was a significant event for the town. Green cloth cover with tan suede corner points and spine. Title printed in gold on front cover. Title printed in gold on red on spine. 92 pages. The contract is printed and includes handwritten entries with specifications.Handwritten on front cover and inside front cover ” Copy for Engr in Chief” .On Page 2 transferred to Allan Reid * 24/1/88 Co Briscoe & Co Little Collins Street, Melbourne.warrnambool, railways, warrnambool to koroit railway, victorian railways contract no 2937

Grey hammertone cylindrical house with removable lid. Compass equipped with sighting wire and slot attachments. "Sirius" Mounting flange on bottom face with 17mm diameter female screw head. Tan leather carry case.scinetific instrument, scientific object, compass, esdale & sons

Commanding Officer's Report 20 August 1966 to 1 Fd Regt RAA Nui Dat. Congratulating then on their performance and behaviour at the Battle of Long Tan and the effective employment of artillery in support (in white Australia Post Envelope)1x2 page laminated copy of message 1x2 page copy of messagelong tan, c.o.message

WW1 Personnel Record Thomas Kneebone number 658. Thomas Kneebone Scholar, Black Dog Creek via Chiltern. WW1 Circa 1914-1918 Thomas Kneebone Scholar Blackdog Creek, Chiltern. Buff light tan coloured Record of Service book WW1 Thomas Kneebone Service number 658 Hard front and back cover, booklet consists o 52 pages light ivory coloured paper. A.M. Form M. 7 Record of Service Book issued to Kneeborn (Kneebone) Thomas Training Area 56C Albury. ww1 the great war 1914-1918, thomas kneebone, black dog creek, via chiltern, thomas kneebone scholar/teacher

Shoes were worn with a matching handbag NA4168.Black kid court shoes with brown suede on the instep and toward the heel. Tan leather trim separates the black leather from the brown suede. Heels are black leather Cuban style. The matching handbag is NA4163.Margaret Jcostume, female footwear

S.D. Fisher, Australian Jockeys, Sniders and Abrahams Issues, Standard Cigarettes, Series of 61 unnumbered, Issued 1908-1909Cream, cardboard card. Front, image of jockey in pink jacket with brown hoops, brown sleeves and brown cap, with jockey name in brown text on bottom of image. Back, 'Standard Cigarettes' in tan text in box.s.d. fisher

Photo in front of Long Tan Memorial cross- 40th anniversary tour 2006. L-R: Col Trinnee, Peter Parkinson, Peter Bruce, David Witherow, Damien Batty, Peter Smith, Bob MaloneCol Trinnee, Peter Parkinson, Peter Bruce, David Witherow, Damien Batty, Peter Smith, Bob Malonephotograph, long tan, 40th anniversry

Tan coloured floral fabric hardcover novel, Mildred's Boys and Girls by Martha Finley (Martha Farquharson) with black lettering for title and author. Spine has title, author and publisher in black lettering and a coloured flower.fictionA family story of Mildred's life with her children and husband set in the time of the Civil War in America. The Landreths harbour a family of fugitive slaves and fear the possibility of sending fathers, sons brothers and cousins off to fight. Strong religious themes throughout.family life fiction, civil war united states, children's fiction, religious fiction

Captain John E D White, Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam (AATTV) took over command of 11 Mobile Strike Force (Mike Force) Company in Da Nang, Vietnam, in February 1968. He was 26 years old. The 2 NVA Division was moving from Laos into South Vietnam and his mission was to establish contact with the division and trace its movements south. In mid-March the company was air lifted to the Special Forces camp of Kham Duc, near the Laotian border. They used an old French Foreign Legion fort as a temporary base from which patrols could be sent out. White called it Ngok Tavak after a nearby mountain. Initially, patrols failed to find the enemy, but in late April a patrol clashed with the enemy. At the same time, White received intelligence that the NVA division was closing in. At night they could hear explosions in the distance heading toward them. White decided their best chance was to leave the fort and take to the jungle to adopt guerrilla tactics. However, in the meantime a platoon of United States Marine Corps artillery arrived bringing with them two howitzers and a stockpile of ammunition. To abandon the fort was to abandon the guns. White contacted Da Nang, explaining the predicament, and was ordered to remain where he was. A Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) platoon was sent to reinforce his numbers. This was a para military force comprised mainly of indigenous highlanders, trained by United States Special Forces. They also brought with them two mortars and their crews. At 3.15am on 10 May 1968 some members of the CIDG chose to assist the NVA to attack the fort instead of supporting Mike Force, and close hand to hand fighting followed, along with grenade attacks and heavy machine gun fire. Air support offered a brief respite from the NVA attack, and some NVA forces were pushed back outside the perimeter by counter attacks, but at 9am White contacted Da Nang to advise that his position was untenable. A second attack was imminent and they could not withstand it, so they would have to withdraw. The wounded were evacuated by helicopter (under orders from Major Mai, the NVA had not attacked the previous medical helicopters that collected the wounded under the cover of air strikes) and at 1pm the rest of the force evacuated east, into the jungle. The NVA did not notice their withdrawal, and continued mortar attacks on the fort for another ninety minutes. Seven kilometres from the fort White called for a helicopter withdrawal of his forces. The force was successfully lifted to Kham Duc and then Da Nang. (Credit AWM)Coloured image of John (Jed) White, aged 26 arriving at Tan Son Nhut Airport in full uniform, bag straps over left shoulder. Close- up of chest and head with plane visible in the background.AWM - p 11058,001capt john (jed) white, aattv, battle of ngok tavak

W&G 476 "Dual-Face" Trigonometrical (Stadia) Made in Melbourne, Australia by White & Gillespie Record Processing Co. a precision engineering firm. Front Scale LL (or LL3), L, A [ B, Reciprocal (or CI), C ] D, Cu, LL (or LL2) Back Scale Stadia V, H, Chord, A [ B, SIN<6 COS>5, SIN>5 COS <6, C ] D, TAN 30-6, COT 84-90, TAN 5-45, COT 85-45 Conventional Cursor This type of sliding scale was used to design Battleships during WWII. A subsidiary was W&G Records an Australian recording company that operated from the early 1950s to the 1970s. It released many significant recordings by Australian popular artists of the 1960s and also issued recordings of popular American artists, notably releases from ABC-Paramount (Ampar) label, which W&G distributed from 1955 until 1960, when the Australian distribution was taken over by Festival Records. A Trigonometrical sliding scale rule in its original boxW & G / DUALFACE / TRIGONOMETRICAL / SLIDE RULE / MODEL 476 measurements, slide rulers, physics, calculations, ship design, navigation, ww11 1939-45, white & gillespie record, processing company, melbourne, bentleigh, moorabbin, cheltenham, australian defense force

Photograph,Service DetailsColin J. Whiston -21-Sydney, NSW. Drafted 29/9/1965. Private - Rifleman in D. Company, 6 RAR. Killed by sniper in the Battle of Long Tan. 5pm 18/8/1966.whiston, colin j., battle of long tan

Refers to the service of Lt. Colonel "Roy Shadforth" 38 Bn NVR.1. Jacket - Ceremonial dress, black woollen. Brass AMF buttons. Northern Victorian Regiment. Brass Badges on collars - Major's Rank Badge. 2. Trousers - black ceremonial with red strip. 3. Whistle, pea. with lanyard, leather. 4. Sam Browne belt, tan leather, brass fittings. 5. Hat, peaked, black with gold braid on brim, green band NVR badge. 6.& 7. Gloves, leather, brown, lined. 8. Scabbard sword. Tan leather, silver top (No Sword in Museum). 38 bn, post ww2., roy shadforth, passchendaele barracks trust

This ledger contains entries for expenses such as wages, street trees, ploughing and repairs, and receipts for items such as common fees, sale of bulls. There are also a number of loose sheets with lists of names and receipts. Quite a number of entries seem to relate to the running of the common areas and expenses of same. The entries in this ledger relate to a period of time in Warrnambool’s history where there was a council run common areas such as the Western Reserve and common proper.Hard green cloth cover with tan suede spine and corners Title Cash book written in gold lettering on red background on spine. Inside front and back covers is red and blue mottled paper. 183 pages.In grey lead on first page B/B T/-warrnambool, warrnambool common, western reserve

A small card at the back of the picture reads,’ This Picture was a teaching aid used in St. John’s Kinderg S.S and was found in the Church Ruins after the fire in July 1920 by Nancy McC(Absalom). Later framed by Grandma. St. John’s Presbyterian Church was built in 1875 and was burned down July 21st 1920. A volunteer fireman Mr T Spicer discovered the fire and despite the prompt arrival of the fire brigade, after an hour only the walls and tower remained. Some items were salvaged including vestry furnishings and church register. A bible which had been given to the Church in 1895 was rescued by an unknown young man whose identity remained a mystery until1976 when a Mr Stan Williams of Ballarat told his story. The Church was rebuilt in 1922. The event of this fire remains one of the most significant in the history of Warrnambool. Framed print of kookaburra on branch in natural setting. The bird is coloured blue, green and tan. Background is in muted greens. The light wooden frame is covered in fabric in pinks and green. A patterned metal edge sits atop the fabric. On back of picture, ‘ From Grandmother to Nancy on her 5th Birthday, Aug 20th 1920. This is a relic of the burning of St John’s Church July 21st 1920. Picked up by Nancy and framed by E Black.” warrnambool, st.john's presbyterian church, st john's fire warrnambool, st john's fire relic

This ledger was used in the business of Twites Bakery which was in Timor Street Warrnambool and dates from the 1940s or 1950s. Max Cust, a breadcutter and relief driver at Twites, used this ledger to record the bread delivered in the South Warrnambool area. He lived in Banyan Street, Warrnambool and worked at Twites for a great number of years. This ledger is of interest as an example of the way bread deliveries were recorded in Warrnambool in the mid 20th century and tells us a little about many of the people living in South Warrnambool at that time.This is a ledger of 285 pages. It has a green thick card cover with tan leather spine and corners. The cover is scratched and stained and a couple of corners are a little tattered. The pages are ruled and contain handwritten names and delivery details in ink.warrnambool bakeries, twites bakery, max cust baker

Certificates issued to returning soldiers in Bendigo Shire WW2Coloured certificate with Australian & Union Jack flags & 7 service members at top. Cream background featuring Pall Mall Bendigo. Tan wooden frame with glass front, white backing with wire hanging strap on back.Printed on certificate: “TO YOU WHO SERVED 1939 - 1945. THE CITIZENS OF BENDIGO EXPRESS DEEP THANKFULNESS To N J Oliver” Signed by: “Major & Town Clerk” Bottom R: “Red seal”certificate, shire, bendigo

The pay books belonged to Francis William (Dinky) Dean BEM, No's VX93960 2nd AIF, 3742 1RAR. Refer Cat No 124.2 for his service details..1) Pay book, mustard colour No 26748. B & W image of soldier, passport size, stapled inside back cover. .2, .3, .4) Pay books, Tan colour, No's 27965, 11195, 15297.Handwritten on each pay book: "3742 Dean Francis William."documents, financial, service records, army, military history

The Birds of Australia is a 12 volume work, in a total of 14 books. The books were used as an ornithological handbook. They contain scientific text as well as over 600 hand-coloured lithographed plates by J.G. Keulemans, H. Grönvold, Roland Green, H. Goodchild and G.E. Lodge. The work was written, sponsored and organised by Gregory M. Matthews, F.R.S.C. Erc. who was a wealthy Australian and an amateur ornithologist. His titles included – -Fellow of the Linnean and Zoological Societies of London -Member of the British Ornithologists’ Union -Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists’ Union The volumes in our collection were originally donated to the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library by William Lindsay. THE LINDSAYS (quoted from the book Of Many Things – A History of Warrnambool Shire by C.E. Sayers) The Lindsays were amongst the most prominent families in the Shire of Warrnambool, as pastoralists, sportsmen, municipal councillors, community leaders. The first of the family William arrived in Melbourne in 1841 and started business as a livestock agent. The gold rushes sent him to the central Victoria diggings dealing in cattle. This was a business that boomed in the early 1850s, and he prospered. In 1859 he took over the Quamby run near Woolsthrope from Paul de Castella, the Yarra Valley Swiss vigneron who had brought the leasehold and improvements in 1853 from George Youl, who had pioneered the run. Quamby was originally 25,000 acres. It was heavily timbered, rough country, much of it swampy, a characteristic of the district. Lindsay used it to fatten cattle which gave large returns with the booming gold diggings towns paying high prices for beef. In 1862 purchases at auction made Quamby a freehold. In the next six years a further 20,000 acres of Crown land were brought at auction to make the run one of the largest in the south-west district. The great profits from his cattle trading enabled Lindsay to make improvements to the holding, and to Union which was added in 1864. Much of the thick timber was cleared and the worst of the swamps drained. Union was 15,000 acres of freehold when Kennedy sold it to Lindsay. It was heavily timbered, mostly blackwood, with large belts of wattle and honeysuckle. Much of the heavy native was ringbarked and cleared; much more was swept away by bushfire. It was expensive work, but Lindsay’s bank passbook was heavy with credit, and he did not spare money to make both Quamby and Union heavily developed stock runs. He was as lavish in social living; the bluestone Quamby homestead was one of the most hospitable in the district when William Lindsay was host there; its paddocks carried high quality thoroughbreds: its stables housed steeplechasers and flat racers which won many races on Warrnambool and other courses; its coach houses were filled with carriages which took his guests to the great racing carnivals of the district. After William Lindsay died in 1897, in his eighty-fifth year, his two sons, William and James, managed Union and Quamby as a joint venture. This partnership ended in 1906 when William took over Union and James kept Quamby. The following year 10,000 acres of Union were subdivided and sold in lots of 100 acres to 700 acres for dairying and general farming. It was well improved country, much of it alluvial flats. By then many of the paddocks were sheltered with blue gum belts, and they carried good pastures. The three Lindsays, father and two sons, gave many years of service to the Shire, and to many charitable, sporting, social and community organisations in the Warrnambool district. William Lindsay senior, was a Shire councillor for 15 years, and President several times. James Lindsay followed his father as a north riding councillor. He served nineteen years, from 1887 until his death in March 1908. He was President four times. Jimmy Lindsay was one of the most popular men in the south-west of Victoria. He was a fine sportsman: horse breeder, owner and a dashing amateur rider. He lived lavishly and played hard. For many years he guarded a herd of kangaroos, as many as 100 head, at Quamby. Descendants of the Lindsay kangaroos are still in the district. James Lindsay’s wife, Margaret Esther was a daughter of Samuel Shaw Parker, the first engineer of the Shire. Nell Lindsay, a daughter, lives in the Bluestone Quamby homestead. Only a little more than 60 acres of the original run still belongs to the property. William Lindsay junior succeeded his brother as a Shire councillor. He served for 25 years from 1908 until his death in 1934. So, the Lindsays, father and two sons, served as Shite councillors for an unbroken period of sixth-five years. William Lindsay junior had a life-long interest in horse racing, as breeder, owner and enthusiastic amateur steeplechase rider. He was elected a member of the Warrnambool racing club in 1901 and was president of the club for thirty-two years. He raced and rode horses for the love of the sport. He won the Villiers and Heytesbury Hunt Cup in the 1870s on his own horse, Ventura. In the year he died his horse Flavedo won the Warrnambool Grand Annual steeplechase. It was a sensational race. All of the contestants fell, or lost their riders. When Flavedo baulked at a jump, its jockey R. Sweetman, remounted and completed the course to win the race. All of the Lindsays were passionately fond of the thoroughbred horse. Nell Lindsay talking to the author in the drawing room of Quamby homestead - with many memories for her of its lavish years – said of a brother that he was put on a horse when he was two years old and never got off. William Lindsay junior made Union into a fine, high-producing property, breeding cattle and horses. He added to the bluestone house that David Kennedy started, established plantations of pines and gums, and made an attractive garden. WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853 a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first meeting room in November1854 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fund raising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year Joseph Archibald established a Museum; however it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established, and in 1885 a new building was built at the back of the Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former court house in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished)). In 1911 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much loved Institution in Warrnambool until the contents of the Museum and Art Gallery were removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historic books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historic Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library, ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed art works and some photographs. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. THE PATTISON COLLECTION This book is also part of the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library, as the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute was then called. When the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. The Birds of Australia by Gregory M. Matthews is now considered a rare and valuable scientific and historic work on its own. These 12 volumes were donated in 1934 to The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and were included as part of the Pattison Collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Birds of Australia Vol 12 Part 1 Author: Gregory M Mathews Publisher: H. F. & G. Witherby 326 HIGH HOLBORN LONDON Date: 1925-1927 Tan leather bound illustrated work.Label on spine cover with typed text RA 598.2994 MAT Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library that reads “Presented by W. Lindsay Esq. ‘Union’ Woolsthrope” Accession Number: 15244 Date Received: 3-34 “W. Lindsay” embossed in gold on front cover, bottom right of book flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the birds of australia, gregory m. matthews, witherby & co., h.f. & g. witherby, w lindsay, william lindsay, quamby woolsthorpe, union woolsthorpe, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool art gallery, joseph archibald, warrnambool mechanics’ institute and free library, ralph eric pattison, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, the birds of australia vol 12 part 1, quamby station, union station, woolsthrope