This copper and tin container was used for the storage and transport of cordite that replaced black powder in 1889 as a military propellant. The stamped of a government broad arrow and date 1903 show the item was made for the war department and not for commercial use. The container once empty of explosives was used for many years as a flour bin on board the crayfish ketch "Lady Brassey" by Mr Charlie Washbourne, Crib Point, Australia (on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria). The ketch Lady Brassey was probably named after Anna or "Annie" Brassey (née Allnutt), Baroness Brassey (7 October 1839 – 14 September 1887) who was an English traveller and writer. Her bestselling book A Voyage in the Sunbeam, Our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months (1878) describes a voyage around the world including a visit to Australia.The explosives container is an example of how explosive compounds were stored and transported at the turn of the 20th century. It is significate as it is in very good condition and an artefact from Australia's colonial history around the Federation, just as the country was gaining independence from Britain.Metal box with tin sides, copper top and base and round, double layered lid that has a folding, D shaped handle. Referred to as a cordite container or copper drum. Inscriptions are stamped onto the drum and are on a sticker under the lid.Handle stamped "S & Co. 1900" on lid. Base is stamped "R.G.D. 1903" (meaning the container seals are resistant to Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD)") Logo: triangular "(vertical arrow) / A T " between letters and date. Base also has blue plastic label "N.T. 55" Sticker: "B55". flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, copper container, gunpowder container, government issue container, r.g.d. 1903, lady brassey, charlie washbourne, crib point, baroness brassey, cordite container, copper drum, gun powder container, gun powder, black powder, black powder container, explosives storage, crayfish ketch

A sailing block is single or multiple pulleys with one or more sheaves that are enclosed in an assembly between cheeks or chocks. In use, a block is fixed to the end of a line, to a spar, or a surface. A rope line is reeved through the sheaves, and maybe through one or more matching blocks at the far end, to make up what's known as a tackle. The purchase of a tackle refers to its mechanical advantage. In general, the more sheaves in the blocks that make up a tackle, the higher its mechanical advantage. The matter is slightly complicated by the fact that every tackle has a working end where the final run of rope leaves the last sheave. More mechanical advantage can be obtained if this end is attached to the moving load rather than the fixed end of the tackle. Various types of blocks are used in sailing. Some blocks are used to increase mechanical advantage and others are used simply to change the direction of a line. A ratchet block turns freely when a line is pulled in one direction but does not turn the other direction, although the line may slip past the sheave. This kind of block makes a loaded line easier to hold by hand, and is sometimes used on smaller boats for lines like main and jib sheets that are frequently adjusted. A single, large, sail-powered warship in the mid-19th century required more than 1,400 blocks of various kinds and sizes. An item from an old sailing vessel from the late 19th to early 20th century, unfortunately, the item cannot be identified as to what vessel it belonged to. It does however give an insight into a piece of sailing equipment that's design is still in use today on pleasure sailing craft. Wooden closed spelter double rope block with two pully's between sheaves, block has metal frame around outside of the sheaves and 4 metal pins, 2 each side of the frame at top and 2 at bottom, joining the sheaves together. The shaft between the sheaves is also wooden. Remnants of orange and black paint on outside of block. Shafts are chipped, wood has borer holes. (NOTE: Block was rediscovered after relocating objects to new storage area)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, sailing ship, pulley, block, sheave, ship equipment, rope block, sail rigging

The image on this coin shows a British monarch, the mature Queen Victoria, in 1900. This was the period just prior to Australia's Federation in 1901,This coin represents the currency used in Australia at the turn of the 20th century, and just prior to the Federation of Australia in 1901..Coin, Queen Victorian Half Penny, 1900, Obverse shows the "Old Head" of Queen Victoria. Reverse shows Britannia. Coin well worn.Obverse: "VICTORIA : DEI : GRA : BRITT : REGINA : FID : IND : IMP : Reverse: "HALF PENNY" "1900"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, coin, british coin, currency, half penny, 20th century, queen victoria, old queen victoria, brittania, 1900, prior to federation

The timber on this captain's chair has been worn smooth across the backrest. It is of solid construction. A captain's chair is typically a wooden armchair with a back that curves around to form the armrests. The style of chair was used in the 19th century and was a statement of status aboard a ship. This captain's chair is an example of the type of furniture used onboard a ship in the 19th and early 20th centuries.Captain's chair; an oak armchair with a low curved back that forms the armrests. It has six turned spindles, a fretted back, a solid saddle seat and is supported on four turned legs. The timber backrest feels smooth and well-worn. Circa 1900.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, wooden chair, captain's chair, armchair, 19th century furniture, nautical furniture, seating

This toolbox was part of the equipment of the coastal trader Reginald M. It is typical of general-purpose toolboxes of the early 20th century. The covering of pitch on the outside was likely to be a form of waterproofing and protection. The vessel “Reginald M” was a two-masted coastal ketch, owned and built by Mr Jack (John) Murch of Birkenhead, Port of Adelaide, South Australia. Its construction took approximately 6 months and it was launched at Largs Bay in 1922. The vessel had many owners and adventures over the years until it was purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum & Village in 1975. It was then used as an active display until 2016. Visitors could go aboard, turn the ship's wheel, go below deck and get the feel of the captain's quarters, sailors' quarters and the storage space available. The Reginald M was a popular exhibit for young and old, until 2016.This toolbox is significant because of its connection to the history of the vessel REGINALD M, the coastal trading ketch from South Australia built in 1922 and in existence until 2016. Its flat bottom, single-chine shape illustrates a very simple but robust method of construction, compared to other round-bilged examples of trading vessels. The Reginald M is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV Number: HV000562.) Wooden toolbox with hinged lid covering tree-quarters of the box. A case handle is attached for carrying. Hook on one side but nothing to catch it on. Toolbox has been covered with pitch on the outside. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, reginald m, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, maritime museum, coastal trader, ketch, john murch, sailor's equipment, ship maintenance, wooden toolbox, toolbox

A visiting card, also known as a calling card, is a small paper card with one's name printed on it, and often bearing an artistic design. Visiting cards became an indispensable tool of etiquette, with sophisticated rules governing their use. The essential convention was that one person would not expect to see another person in his own home (unless invited or introduced) without first leaving his visiting card for the person at his home. Upon leaving the card, he would not expect to be admitted at first, but might receive a card at his own home in response. This would serve as a signal that a personal visit and meeting at home would be welcome. On the other hand, if no card were forthcoming, or if a card were sent in an envelope, a personal visit was thereby discouraged. As an adoption from French and English etiquette, visiting cards became common amongst the aristocracy of Europe, and also in the United States. The whole procedure depended upon there being servants to open the door and receive the cards and it was, therefore, confined to the social classes which employed servants. Some visiting cards included refined engraved ornaments, embossed lettering, and fantastic coats of arms. However, the standard form visiting card in the 19th century in the United Kingdom was a plain card with nothing more than the bearer's name on it. Sometimes the name of a gentlemen's club might be added, but addresses were not otherwise included. If a card was left with a turned corner it indicated that the card had been left in person rather than by a servant. Visiting cards were kept in highly decorated card cases.A timber calling card case, heavily carved with flowers, leaves and huts.craftwork, woodwork, visiting cards, early settlers, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, market gardeners

Thought to be the chains used for the Henty's bullock harness. The Henty family are known as Victoria's earliest European settlers and pastoralists, emigrant squatters who played a defining role in the establishment of Portland and the development of the region's wool trade. Facing challenges as a farmer in early 19th-century England, West Sussex grazier Thomas Henty (1775–1839) turned his sights south to the colonies, where he believed his seven sons would have a brighter future as sheep breeders and wool producers. He had been the first to introduce merino to the south of England, and would do so in the colonies also.Thought to be the chains used for the Henty's bullock harness.Iron chains with fittings for bullock harnesses.farming, rural industry, henty, bullock, chains

From Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre: A Yacht Log was a nautical instrument for measuring a vessel's speed and distance travelled. When navigating a ship it is essential to be able to estimate the boat's speed and distance travelled to determine its position at sea. In times past the only way to measure a ship's speed was to throw a wood log into the water and observe how fast it moved away from the ship. In the 16th century, the log was fastened to a rope knotted at set intervals. The log was thrown over the stern (back) of the vessel and a crew member counted the number of knots that were paid out in a set time. From this they could estimate the speed of the vessel through the water. This was known as streaming the log and is also the derivation of the knot as a measurement of nautical speed. In 1878, Thomas Ferdinand Walker (1837–1921), an engineer in Birmingham, patented a mechanical log in which a recording instrument was attached to a rail at the stern of a vessel connected by a long cord with a rotor which was towed behind the ship. The instrument dial recorded the distance travelled. The 'Log' at the Heritage Centre was recovered from a skip in Scarborough and was one of the first artefacts collected by the volunteer group. It is made of brass with a ceramic dial, with the main scale marked from 0 to 100 nautical miles and an inset dial marked from 0 to 10 miles. It has a fixing plate, on which it can turn, with which it would have been attached to the 'taffrail', the rail at the stern of a ship, usually on the starboard side. The Walker’s Excelsior Mark IV instrument was designed for smaller vessels, such as yachts, launches and fishing vessels. Its exact date of manufacture cannot be determined but this design was manufactured in the first half of the 20th century. These mechanical logs have now been superseded by electronic equipment such as GPS navigation instruments.This instrument was made by a significant nautical instrument manufacturer and demonstrates the innovation needed at the time for improved navigation and safety at sea.Timber Box containing an instrument for measuring speed and distance. There is a brass, cased log with a white enamel dial. It also includes a towing cord and cylindrical rotator. The box has paper labelling on the front and also the inside of the lid. The label on the inside of the lid has instructions for use. Although the lid is hinged it has broken off and is separate. The hinges remain attached.Enamel Dial: Walkers Patent Excelsior Yacht Logmaritime, maritime history, tool, navigational tool, navigational instrument, navigation, sailing, walkers, maritime technology, walker & son

This is the 1854 fourth edition of a book on diseases of the eye by William MacKenzie (1791-1868) first published in 1830. William MacKenzie was surgeon oculist in Scotland to Her Majesty (Queen Victoria), lecturer in the University of Glasgow and a surgeon in the Glasgow Eye Infirmary. This fourth edition appeared just after Helmholtz's invention of the ophthalmoscope, but Mackenzie did not at this stage have much understanding of the internal diseases of the eye. Nor did he properly understand refractive errors which were soon to be elucidated by the work of Donders. MacKenzie did however recognise the hardness of the eye as being an essential sign of glaucoma.This book is significant historically as it shows contemporary understanding of eye disease in the early nineteenth century. It is not rare as copies still turn up at book markets and also are held in other Australian institutions.This book, bound in full calf leather (probably later 19th Century) with 1107 pages including an index and is followed by a publisher's catalogue. It is the 1854 fourth edition of William MacKenzie's 'A practical treatise on the diseases of the eye' first published in 1830. It has a long (32 pages) introductory section on the anatomy of the eye by Thomas Wharton Jones, FRS. There are 27 chapters on eye disease. Chapter 24 is on refractive errors and presbyopia.eye, ocular anatomy, ocular disease

These photographs were taken just after the McKillop's Bridge was completed after the flood damage. The current McKillop’s Bridge was built by the Country Roads Board in two stages between 1931-36, during which its height was raised after the original bridge superstructure was washed away in record floods of January 1934, prior to its original official opening. In its reconstructed form the original concrete abutments were turned into additional piers and the welded-steel trusses were cantilevered back over them to meet the new higher road approaches. It is sited at McKillops Crossing, named after pioneer overlanding squatter George McKillop who crossed here in 1835. This was a stock crossing place for almost a century before the bridge was constructed. (info. from Victoria Heritage Register)This is a pictorial record of the history of McKillop's Bridge, in itself of historical significance for its association with Victoria's long and important pastoral history, its technicl significance and aesthetic significance.Three black / white photographs. 3133.1 shows the approach to a washed away bridge. 3133.2 is of a bridge over a river with men clearing debris. 3133.3 is a close-up showing the wreckage of the bridge.mckillop's-bridge snowy-river flood-damage-1934

These items are from the estate of Norma Adelaide Scott (nee Johnston) ,January 2, 1925 - May 18, 2018 (93 years old) who died in Orbost. Norma was part of the Morris family who came to Newmerella in 1888, had land on Grandview Road and on the flats. Mr Morris had been a school teacher at Lake Tyers Mission before coming to Orbost. "Bobs y’r Uncle" was a nursery rhyme game designed by Frank H. Simpson for John Waddington Ltd. in 1935. The game was especially designed for children. The cards had scenes from nursery rhymes and six cards were needed to make up each rhyme in a set. Games turned out to become an important part in the progress of Waddingtons, who eventually acquired the rights to Monopoly in the UK, and then published Cluedo, opening the way for their supremacy in the toy industry These items are examples of common household items used in an Orbost family in the first - mid 20th century.3228.1 is a wooden tray with handles. The tray is lacquered and hand - painted with green leaves and orange flowers. 3228.2 is a brush with a curved wooden handle, lacquered and decorated in a similar pattern of green leaves and flowers. 3228.3 is a small wooden tray, lacquered and hand -painted with green leaves and yellow flowers. It is a rectangular shape with raised edging attached on the four sides. 3229.4 is a pack of cards in a red box with a cartoon type drawing of a man wearing a checked coat and hat holding two dogs on leashes.3228.5 is an orange / white cardboard box containing a pair of nylon stockings: box labelled " 'KOLOTEX/ Free-n-eezy" stockings.3228,5 - in orange and white print - "KOLOTEX/ Free-n-eezy/ Clings/ 40 denier/ SEAMLESS/ S-T-R-E-T-C-H" and in black - "NEW guaranteed never to ladder"scott-norma cards-playing hosiery-kolotex-stockings trays-wooden household

This is a camp of survey workers surveying the railway line . They were camped at Mossiface in 1907. It has been sent as a postcard - "Dear Miss Ross, Just a card, hoping you are well etc, trust you have not forgotten our trip. I forgot to get the name of the street in Hobart of Mr Benjamin or Temple?????? Sufficient. Yours sincerely H.R. Gordon". It has been dated September 30th 1907. There had been men surveying in East Gippsland from the late 19th century. Railway surveyors advocated two lines beyond Bairnsdale – one via Bruthen and the Tambo Valley to Omeo, the other via Swan Reach and Colquhoun to Orbost, then on to Bendoc and the border. With all the argument and feuding between the warring factions, by the end of 1891, the Parliamentary Railways Standing Committee gave up in despair of trying to reach any agreement and abandoned the idea altogether. Finally, with all problems solved, the first sod was turned at Mossiface on 9.1.1912, the government sticking to the original route in the 1890 survey .This is a pictorial record of a surveyors' camp in the early 20th century. The Bairnsdale to Orbost Railway was a significant contributor to the economy of Orbost until it closed.A black / white photograph / postcard of a group of men at a campsite. In the background is a row of tents. on the right side is a clothes line with several sheets hung over it. Two men are studying a map or chart; one man is sitting with a cloth around his shoulders while another is standing behind him cutting his hair; one man is washing cloth in a tin tub; another appears to be stirring a pot; others are sitting reading or just observing.on front - handwritten is " R.L.Y.S. SURVEY CAMP MOSSIFACE 27.7.07" on back is a letter - "Dear Miss Ross.............yours sincerely ????? Gordon"surveying-railway east-gippsland-railway mossiface-survey-camp

In the late 19th century in the Orbost area roads were just bush tracks which generally were unsuitable for any type of vehicular traffic so were traversed mainly by horseback. As the settlement grew, a weekly mail service from Cunninghame (Lakes Entrance) was estab-lished. The settlers had to carry the mail for three months and each took a turn as mailman during that time. The first coach was driven by Mr Alex Hall. Eventually a daily mail service was set up and many drivers included B. Sutherland, W. Middleton, Jonson Bros., J. Mitchell, F. Newport, J. Geddes, A. Coulson, Bert Cessor, H. Weekes and A. Barthile. (info. from Newletter August 2007) This photograph is one of A. Coulson’s Coach crossing the Sand Bar at Lake Tyers.This is associated with early transport in East Gippsland.A black / white postcard photograph of four horses alone on a beach.on front - At Lake Tyers on back - "Mr A. Coulson, coach driver, Orbost"lake-tyers coulson-coach-driver transport-horse-drawn

Maize, or corn as it is called in America and New South Wales, has been grown on the Orbost flats for at least 70 years. When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained, bit by bit, by stout hearted men with short handled shovels and working in mud and water. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize, the latter grew particularly well and became the main crop of district. The problem then was to thresh and deliver the product to the market. A small single cob machine was brought here and one man turned the handle, while the boy or Mum fed the cobs singly into the machine. A good day’s work would thresh about 50 bushels or about 12 bags (4 bushels). The task then was to cart the maize to market. For a few years this was done by horses and dray carrying about 60 bushels to Mossiface, where it was loaded onto river boats to Lakes Entrance, and then by ocean boats to Melbourne. ( from NEWSLETTER OCTOBER, 2006) This is a pictorial record of farming practices in Orbost in the early 20th century.A black / white photograph of a horse team hauling a wagon loaded with bags of maize.A man is sitting on the edge of the wagon.farming-orbost agriculture maize corn transport

The first settler to occupy the Marlo township area was James Stirling around the year 1875. He built a bark hut on the bluff that had two rooms, bark walls, earthen floors and a shingle roof. By 1884, this structure had expanded to a 9 roomed accommodation house and in 1886 became the Marlo Hotel when a liquor license was granted. The Governor-in-Council declared Marlo to be a township on 18 February 1889. During May 1889, the government surveyor, E.L. Bruce set out 19 sections of the new township, with the first sales of subdivided land occurring the following May. At this time, Stirling's Marlo Hotel was the unofficial hub for the community. It was a general store, accommodation house and the unofficial post office, with settlers taking turns in bringing the mail from Orbost or Cunningham. This continued until Aug 1942, and in 1969 was located in a house adjacent to the Marlo Hotel, before being transferred to the Marlo General Store in this year. The official Post Office List states the Marlo Post Office opened around 1902. in 1925, the "Marlo House" (a nine room accommodation guest house) was granted a liquor licence. The "Marlo House" became "The Marlo Hotel". The Marlo Hotel was popular with many Orbost and district settlers, who travelled to Marlo by horseback or buggy. In the early 20th century the hotel advertised itself as " Under Vice-Regal Patronage. Situated on High Cliff, fronting Ocean, Lakes and Snowy River. Those in search of Health, Rest and Sport should visit Marlo. Boating, Fishing, Shooting, Bathing, Golf. Comfort and Convenience at Marlo Hotel, near Orbost, East Gippsland. Nixon's Cars would meet the train at at Orbost. Fare---6s single, 12s return. Telephone No. 1, Marlo. S, P, STEWART, Proprietor." The Marlo Hotel, perched on the hill overlooking the estuaries and the entrance is a significant building in Marlo. Established in 1886, it has been operating for over 120 yearsAn original black / white photograph and a black / white copy of a party being held under trees on the lawn of the Marlo Hotel. It is a postcard with advertising of Marlo on the back.on back - "Where to spend your holiday - Marlo" on front - "Vice Regal Party at Hotel, Marlo"marlo-hotel

In the late 19th century in the Orbost area roads were just bush tracks which generally were unsuitable for any type of vehicular traffic so were traversed mainly by horseback. As the settlement grew, a weekly mail service from Cunninghame (Lakes Entrance) was estab-lished. The settlers had to carry the mail for three months and each took a turn as mailman during that time. The first coach was driven by Mr Alex Hall. Eventually a daily mail service was set up and many drivers included B. Sutherland, W. Middleton, Jonson Bros., J. Mitchell, F. Newport, J. Geddes, A. Coulson, Bert Cessor, H. Weekes and A. Barthile. (info. from Newletter August 2007) This photograph is one of A. Coulson’s Coach crossing the Sand Bar at Lake Tyers.This is a pictorial record of very early transport in East Gippsland.A very faded small postcard / photograph of a horse and cart crossing a beach.on front in black writing - " Crossing at Lake Tyers" on back - "A Coulson"lake-tyers transport coulson-coaches

Tonghi Creek is 66km north - west of Orbost. Prior to the sealing of the Princes Highway west of Orbost, the road surface was anything but good, even by C1917 when cars started to use the road. From Orbost the old road via Marlo to Sydenham was abandoned for the new location which traversed more rugged country via Cabbage Tree, Bell Bird and Club Terrace to Cann River, and the reason for this diversion was on account of settlements being established at Murrungowar and Club Terrace, at which latter place there was a temporary rush to obtain gold. This road was constructed by the Public Works department and a maximum grade of 1 in 19 was adopted, and as speed was not to be catered for the grade followed in and out round the spurs and gullies, resulting in a maze of turns and twists which required a good deal of skill on the part of the horse driver to negotiate." - Bairnsdale Advertiser, Friday, May 2, 1947. (More information from Newsletter February 2010)This item is a pictorial record of roads in the early 20th century in East Gippsland.A large black / white photograph of a bridge over a small creek, surrounded by bush. The photograph is mounted on a thick cream coloured card.on back - "Bridge at Tonghi Creek 1918"tonghi-creek-bridge country-roads-east-gippsland

This sideboard was from the home of Henry and Mary Jane Giles, who lived in Mailor's Flat, Wangoom, and Purnim West, Victoria, and is part of the 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 became 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 were born at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane died in 1940.The Giles family collection is of social significance at a local level, because it not only illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill during it’s establishment. But the Giles collection also gives us today a snapshot into what domestic life was like in early colonial times prior to Federation.Sideboard: Kauri Pine, mirror-backed sideboard. Its two drawers have brass, swing handles, and the two doors are carved traditionally with a leaf design. The back has two shelves, each supported on two turned columns. Three mirrors are fitted into carved panels, matching the design of the doors. The pediment is also carved in the same manner, finishing with scrolled edges. Circa 1880. The sideboard has inscriptions. This item is part of the Giles Collection. Marked in pencil: "Villa Rica" "Ambassadors" "Claro" "50"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, sideboard, furniture, dresser, giles collection, henry giles, vera giles, tower hill, cooramook, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century furniture, purnim west, 1880s furniture, villa rica, ambassadors, claro, 50, australian made furniture, 1880

The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/The form of the jug has been in use for many centuries.Stoneware jug. Two tone brown glaze with pierced lip behind spout. Spout chipped.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, jug, ceramic jug

This small medicine glass has ho manufacturer's or owner's marks. It has no side seams, the base is slightly concave, the embossed inscriptions are inside the glass, the clear glass has slight imperfections and ripples, and the glass is slightly opaque below the lip; these features point to the glass being blown into a mould, partially set, and spun between that mould and an internal mould that had the embossing on it, called a turn-mould process. The lip was then ground to be smooth. The process was patented in 1887 with the title of "Mold for blowing turned bottles".This medicine glass is significant as an example of medical equipment that has a design still used today. It is significant also for having the embossing inside the glass, which was likely produced by the turn-mould method of bottle (and container) making.Medicine glass or dose cup; clear glass with small imperfections and ripples in the glass, no side seams and a slightly concave base. All embossed marks are inside the glass. The imperial measurements are in graduated scales for tablespoons, teaspoons, and ounces and drachmas. "OUNCES DRACHMS" "TABLE TEA"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, medicine glass, measuring glass, dose cup, medicine dispensing, medicine measurement, sambell pharmacy warrnambool, sambell chemist and dentist, internal embossing, glass embossed inside, 20th century chemist, blown glass, two-piece mould, turn-moulded glass, turned bottles

This large, ten-spoked wheel is an example of a ca. 1880s ship's wheel used to steer a large sailing ship. It was made in England from oak wood and brass by a shipwright.This large, heavy wooden ship's wheel is an example of a late 19th-century, handcrafted wheel used at the helm to steer large sailing ships. The design continues to be used on sailing vessels today. This wheel has been on display for decades to demonstrate the perspective of the size of equipment on a sailing ship.Ship's wheel: a large ship's wheel made of oak wood and brass. It has ten turned, grooved spokes with rounded handles; some are bolted through the centre to the wheel. The hub and inlaid outer reinforcing ring are made of brass. The heavy hub has a metal backing and shaft. The ship's wheel was made in England ca. 1880s.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, ship's wheel, 10-spoked ship's wheel, wooden ship's wheel, navigation, ship's steering, ship's steering wheel, maring technology, ship's fitting, navigational equipment, sailing ship's wheel, handcraft, shipwright, large ship's wheel, 19th century, 1880s, oak

This external horn is part of an Edison Fireside Phonograph made in c.1909. The horn was attached to the machine when in use. The rings on the side of the horn allowed the horn to be suspended above the machine. The narrow opening on the horn was attached to the sound outlet on the machine and the conical shape of the horn amplified the sound. The horn was suspended to allow a clear sound. This was done by attaching the ring fitted to the outside of the horn to a chain or chord, which in turn was attached to a curved wire fitted to the phonograph machine. The phonograph machine was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the late 19th century. Edison adapted the idea used when sending messages over a telegraph machine. He patented the phonograph in early 1878. The phonograph was able to record sound and play it back sound. This amazing invention opened up a whole new world of entertainments, where wax cylinders of pre-recorded sound could be purchased with a wide variety of music and played over and over. The first wax cylinders were white and used a combination of bees' wax and animal fax or tallow. By 1892 Edison was using 'brown wax' cylinders that ranged from cream through to dark brown. The Edison Phonograph Company was formed in 1887 to produce these machines. He sold the company in 1855 to the North American Phonograph Company but bought that company in 1890. He started the Edison Spring Motor factory in 1895 and then the National Phonograph Company in 1896. In 1910 the company became Thomas A. Edison Inc. In 1898 Edison produced the Edison Standard Phonograph, the first phonograph to carry his own trade mark. He began mass producing duplicate copies of his wax cylinders in 1901 using moulds instead of engraving the cylinders. The wax was black and harder than the brown wax. The ends of the cylinders were bevelled so that the title's label could be added. The last phonograph machine to use an external horn was produced in 1912 due to the much more robust records being invented. In 1913 Edison started producing the Edison Disc Phonograph. The company stopped trading in 1929. [NOTE: a phonograph machine plays cylinders, a gramophone plays records]This Edison external phonograph horn is significant for its connection to the c.1909 Edison Fireside phonograph model. The phonograph machine brought a new era of music into the homes of everyday people but was only popular for a few decades due to the growing popularity of records, which gave a much higher quality sound and were more robust.Phonograph horn; open horn, a conical shape with the lower part flaring out. The horn's shape on the opening half is octagonal, made from eight joined sheets of metal with a scalloped finish at the opening. The narrow end is hollow and ready to fit onto a phonograph outlet. There are two rings attached together on the side of the horn, perhaps for storing on a hook. The inner surface of the horn has remnants of deep red paint. This horn is from the Edison Fireside phonograph. (There is a mark on the outside of the horn where the Edison brand would be)flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, gramophone, phonograph, music player, entertainment, audio equipment, edison, thomas a edison, horn, phonograph horn, amplifier, audio, sound recording, sound playback, phonograph machine, external horn, edison phonograph company, wax cylinders, edison spring motor factory, national phonograph company, thomas a. edison inc, phonographic cylinder, sound reproduction

These oak and rattan high-backed armchairs were previously the old Warrnambool Council's furniture. The group of chairs was later held by the Warrnambool Art Gallery, then transferred to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village in 1976, soon after it opened. Warrnambool became a municipality in 1855, with a population of 1500. In 1863, it became a borough, and the Shire of Warrnambool was constituted in the same year. In 1883, Warrnambool was proclaimed a Town, and in 1918, it became the City of Warrnambool. In 1994, the City of Warrnambool and part of the Shire of Warrnambool amalgamated, becoming the Warrnambool City Council. Chairs are significant to local history as they were originally purchased for use in the Warrnambool Council. The chairs were part of the social and cultural history of Warrnambool.Chair, oak wood arm chair (set of 9), cureved back with decorated wooden edges, shield carved into top and protective metal plates on top at rear. Padded leather seat studded at edge, over rattan cane seat. Rattan cane is stitched onto wooden frame through drilled holes. Front and side legs each have two spindles between them. back legs have one. Legs are turned and slightly cambriol. Some chairs have written on back leg "1486". Made in England, c. 1896Some of the chairs have hand written black pen on back leg "1486"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, chair, armchair, rattan chair, warrnambool museum, warrnambool art gallery, 1890s chair, 19th century furniture, domestic furniture, warrnambool council, council chairs

The basic balance scale has been around for thousands of years and its accuracy has improved dramatically over the last several centuries, the principle behind this tool remains unchanged. Its parts include a fulcrum, a beam that balances on it, a pan at the end of the beam to hold the materials to be weighed, and a flat platform at the other for the counter-balancing weights. Balance scales that require equal weights on each side of the fulcrum have been used by everyone from apothecaries and assayers to jewellers and postal workers. Known as an unequal arm balance scale, this variety builds the counterweight into the device. Counter scales used in dry-goods stores and domestic kitchens often featured Japanned or (blackened) cast iron with bronze trims. Made by companies such as Howe and Fairbanks, the footed tin pans of these scales were often oblong, some encircled at one end so bulk items could be easily poured into a bag. Seamless pans were typically stamped from brass and given style names like Snuff (the smallest) and Birmingham (the largest). Some counter scales were designed for measuring spices, others for weighing slices of cake. In the 18th century, spring scales began to appear and would use the resistance of spring to calculate weights, which are read automatically on the scale’s face. The ease of use of spring scales over balance scales. One of the most common types of spring scales was the kitchen scale also known as a family or dial scale. Designed for horizontal surfaces, these vintage kitchen scales used the weight of goods in a pan at the top of the scale to force the spring down rather than the balance system. Such scales were common in early 20th century households and were sold by many companies. Many had flat weighing surfaces but some were topped by shallow pans. Companies such as Salters, Chatillon, and Fairbanks were the most popular brands used. These scales are significant as they identify one of the basic preparation items for the weighing of foodstuff in the family kitchen to prepare everyday meals. This item is significant as it gives a snapshot into domestic life within the average home in Australia around the turn of the twentieth century and is, therefore, an item with social relevance. Black cast iron, medium weighing scales, with a fulcrum which the beam that balances on, there is as scoop at one end for the material to be weighted and a flat circular disc at the other end that holds the weights. Around the cast iron base is an embossed leaf pattern. All the weights have their weight embossed within the casting.There are 5 weights, marked 2 oz, 4 oz,8 oz,1 lb,2 lb, This scale does not have any visual markings on the arms to identify a maker or true balance. It is therefore assumed that these scales were made for domestic use only.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, spring scale, scale

Large platform scales such as these ones made by W. & T. Avery were used for weighing goods for trading and passengers' luggage. They would be used in places such as railway stations, shipping ports, customs offices and ticketing offices. Often fees would be charged to customers according to the weight of their goods and luggage. Items would be placed onto the large horizontal platform then weights would be added to the weighing bar until the bar leveled to being horizontal. The weights would be added together and the total of the weights would be used for the final figure. These scales were made in Birmingham, England, by the British company, W and T Avery. The company had its origins in the early 1700s but only became known as W and T Avery when the brothers William and Thomas Avery inherited the scale-making business from a relative, Joseph Balden, on his death in 1813. By 1885 they had three factories and In 1895, the company acquired James Watt & Co and two years later had moved to the 25-acre Soho Foundry site in Smethwick, Birmingham where James Watt had manufactured steam engines. When the last Avery family member died in 1918, the company employed over 3,000 people and had businesses all over the world. Following the highly successful introduction of the first digital retail scale in 1971, the company was taken over by the GEC Group in 1979. The business was subsequently acquired by the American company, Weigh-Tronix, in 2000 which had already acquired a competitor, Salter. The Avery name continues today in the company known as Avery Weigh-Tronix.An item that was used at the turn of the century as train platform scales or for weighing agricultural products. Made by a company that pioneered weighing equipment with offices all over the world. With many examples of this scale in museums throughout the world. Platform scales with wheels. Large cast iron, scales painted black, weight capacity to 7 CWT (hundred weight). Weight beam has markers "0. 5. 10. 15. 20. 25". Platform scale loose weight type with relieving handle; cast iron construction, fluted columns with integral weight stand, the two wheels are fitted to base at front of platform; there is a graduated steelyard 0-14bs with pear-shaped poise. Weight carrier is missing.Pressed into cast iron arm on scale, one side "W. & T. AVERY", opposite side "BIRMINGHAM", and into the platform "TO WEIGH 7 CWT, W. & T. AVERY, MAKERS, LONDON & BIRMINGHAM" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, measuring scales, weighing scales, weighing instrument, fees for goods, fees for luggage, ticket office

Before the introduction of electricity, lighthouses had a clockwork mechanism that caused the lens to rotate with a light source inside that was either powered by Kerosene or Colza oil. The mechanism consisted of a large weight attached by a cable through the centre of the lighthouse to the top where the cable wrapped around a barrel, drum or wheels that controlled the speed of the lights rotation by a clockwork mechanism. The keeper would crank the clockwork mechanism, which would lift the weight ready for the next cycle similar to an old grandfather clock mechanism. Once the weight lifted to its apex at the bottom of the first landing, the keeper would let it fall, which would pull on the cable, which would, in turn, operate a series of gears activating the rotation of the Fresnel optical lens, which would then rotate to create the lighthouse’s unique light speed of rotation characteristic. Creating a specific characteristic required a way to regulate the speed of the rotation, and was important as sailors could identify a particular light by its speed and time between flashes. The weight had to fall at a certain rate to create the proper rotation speed of the lens and a regulator within the mechanism accomplished this. History: From 1851, Chance Brothers became a major lighthouse engineering company, producing optical components, machinery, and other equipment for lighthouses around the world. James Timmins Chance pioneered placing lighthouse lamps inside a cage surrounded by Fresnel lenses to increase the available light output these cages, are known as optics and they revolutionised lighthouse design. Another important innovation from Chance Brothers was the introduction of rotating optics, allowing adjacent lighthouses to be distinguished from each other by the number of times per revolution the light flashes. The noted English physicist and engineer, John Hopkins invented this system while employed at Chance Brothers. Chance Brothers and Company was a glass works and originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands England. The company became a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glass making technology. The Chance family originated in Bromsgrove as farmers and craftsmen before setting up a business in Smethwick near Birmingham in 1824. They took advantage of the skilled workers, canals and many other industrial advances taking place in the West Midlands at the time. Robert Lucas Chance (1782–1865), known as 'Lucas', bought the British Crown Glass Company's works in Spon Lane in 1824. The company specialised in making crown window glass, the company ran into difficulty and its survival was guaranteed in 1832 by investment from Chance's brother, William (1788 – 1856). William owned an iron factoring business in Great Charles Street, Birmingham. After a previous partnership that Lucas had dissolved in 1836, Lucas and William Chance became partners in the business which was renamed, Chance Brothers and Company. Chance Brothers invented many innovative processes and became known as the greatest glass manufacturer in Britain. In 1848 under the supervision of Georges Bontemps, a French glass maker from Choosy-le-Roi, a new plant was set up to manufacture crown and flint glass for lighthouse optics, telescopes and cameras. Bontemps agreed to share his processes that up to then had been secret with the Chance Brothers and stayed in England to collaborate with them for six years. In 1900 a baronetcy was created for James Timmins Chance (1814–1902), a grandson of William Chance, who had started the family business in 1771 with his brother Robert. Roberts grandson, James became head of Chance Brothers until his retirement in 1889 when the company became a public company and its name changed to Chance Brothers & Co. Ltd. Additional information: Lighthouses are equipped with unique light characteristic or flashing pattern that sailors can use to identify specific lighthouses during the night. Lighthouses can achieve distinctive light characteristics in a few different ways. A lighthouse can flash, which is when brief periods of light interrupt longer moments of darkness. The light can occult, which is when brief periods of darkness interrupt longer moments of light. The light can be fixed, which is when the light never goes dark. A lighthouse can use a combination of flashing, oscillating, or being fixed in a variety of combinations and intervals to create individual light characteristics. It is a common misconception that a lighthouse's light source changes the intensity to create a light characteristic. The light source remains constant and the rotating Fresnel lens creates the various changes in appearance. Some Fresnel lenses have "bulls-eye" panels create beams of light that, when rotated between the light and the observer, make the light appear to flash. Conversely, some lenses have metal panels that, when rotated between the light and the observer, make the light appear to go dark. This Dioptric clockwork apparatus used to turn a lighthouse optical lens is very significant as it is integral to a lighthouses operation, we can also look at the social aspect of lighthouses as being traditionally rich with symbolism and conceptual meanings. Lighthouses illustrate social concepts such as danger, risk, adversity, challenge and vigilance but they also offers guidance, salvation and safety. The glowing lamp reminds sailors that security and home are well within reach, they also symbolize the way forward and help in navigating our way through rough waters not just on the oceans of the world but in our personal lives be it financial, personal, business or spiritual in nature. Nothing else speaks of safety and security in the face of adversity and challenge quite the way a lighthouse does. Revolving dioptric clockwork apparatus used to turn a Fresnel optical lighthouse lens. A cylindrical cast metal pillar and cabinet painted green with 3 glass doors enclosing the top section. Inside the pillar/cabinet is a large clockwork mechanism used to turn and regulate a lighthouse light by means of weights and a chain attached to same. One door has the name "Adams Mare" in metallic dots similar to "Braille" to the inside edge of door frame.shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, flagstaff hill, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, revolving dioptric mechanism, dioptric mechanism for lighthouse, lighthouse clockwork timing mechanism, acetylene lighthouse light mechanism, 19th century lighthouse mechanism, kerosene light, fresnel lenses, colza oil, chance brothers

No information to indicate significance of item regards association with a historic or significant event, person, maker or place.Item is significant as regards to it's possible age of manufacture believed to be early 20th century.Cedar Chest of drawers, wooden varnished 4 narrow drawers, 2 sets on either side of a square drawer and 3 wide drawers. 4 turned legs.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast

The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/ The bowl is an example of kitchenware used in the 19th century and still in use today.Bowl white ceramic. Crack on side. Badly stained.Backstamp very faint and unable to be read.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, mixing bowl, food preparation, kitchen equipment, ceramic

Some very early tables were made and used by the Ancient Egyptians around 2500 BC, using wood and alabaster. They were often little more than stone platforms used to keep objects off the floor, though a few examples of wooden tables have been found in tombs. Food and drinks were usually put on large plates deposed on a pedestal for eating. The Egyptians made use of various small tables and elevated playing boards. The Chinese also created very early tables in order to pursue the arts of writing and painting, as did people in Mesopotamia, where various metals were used. The Greeks and Romans made more frequent use of tables, notably for eating, although Greek tables were pushed under a bed after use. The Greeks invented a piece of furniture very similar to the guéridon. Tables were made of marble or wood and metal (typically bronze or silver alloys), sometimes with richly ornate legs. Later, the larger rectangular tables were made of separate platforms and pillars. The Romans also introduced a large, semicircular table to Italy, the mensa lunata. Plutarch mentions use of "tables" by Persians. Furniture during the Middle Ages is not as well known as that of earlier or later periods, and most sources show the types used by the nobility. In the Eastern Roman Empire, tables were made of metal or wood, usually with four feet and frequently linked by x-shaped stretchers. Tables for eating were large and often round or semicircular. A combination of a small round table and a lectern seemed very popular as a writing table. In western Europe, the invasions and internecine wars caused most of the knowledge inherited from the classical era to be lost. As a result of the necessary movability, most tables were simple trestle tables, although small round tables made from joinery reappeared during the 15th century and onward. In the Gothic era, the chest became widespread and was often used as a table. Refectory tables first appeared at least as early as the 17th century, as an advancement of the trestle table; these tables were typically quite long and wide and capable of supporting a sizeable banquet in the great hall or other reception room of a castle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_(furniture)The table is one of the most important items of furniture used in the home, including the kitchen.Table wooden with 4 wooden turned legs and unvarnished raw wood topNone flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, table, kitchen furniture

A rolling pin is a simple tool used to flatten dough. The first civilisation known to have used the rolling pin was the Etruscans. Their advanced farming ability, along with a tendency to cultivate many plants and animals never before used as food and turn them into sophisticated recipes, were passed to invading Greeks, Romans, and Western Europeans. Thanks to the Etruscans, these cultures are associated with gourmet cooking. To prepare their inventive foods, the Etruscans also developed a wide range of cooking tools, including the rolling pin. Although written recipes did not exist until the fourth century B.C., the Etruscans documented their love of food and its preparation in murals, on vases, and on the walls of their tombs. Cooking wares are displayed with pride; rolling pins appear to have been used first to thin-roll pasta that was shaped with cutting wheels. They also used rolling pins to make bread (which they called puls) from the large number of grains they grew. Natives of the Americas used more primitive bread-making tools that are favoured and unchanged in many villages. Chefs who try to use genuine methods to preserve recipes are also interested in both materials and tools. Hands are used as "rolling pins" for flattening dough against a surface, but also for tossing soft dough between the cook's two hands until it enlarges and thins by handling and gravity. Tortillas are probably the most familiar bread made this way. Over the centuries, rolling pins have been made of many different materials, including long cylinders of baked clay, smooth branches with the bark removed, and glass bottles. As the development of breads and pastries spread from Southern to Western and Northern Europe, wood from local forests was cut and finished for use as rolling pins. The French perfected the solid hardwood pin with tapered ends to roll pastry that is thick in the middle; its weight makes rolling easier. The French also use marble rolling pins for buttery dough worked on a marble slab. Glass is still popular; in Italy, full wine bottles that have been chilled make ideal rolling pins because they are heavy and cool the dough. Countries known for their ceramics make porcelain rolling pins with beautiful decorations painted on the rolling surface; their hollow centres can be filled with cold water (the same principle as the wine bottle), and cork or plastic stoppers cap the ends. Designs for most rolling pins follow long-established practices, although some unusual styles and materials are made and used. Within the family of wooden rolling pins, long and short versions are made as well as those that are solid cylinders (one-piece rolling pins) instead of the familiar style with handles. Very short pins called mini rolling pins make use of short lengths of wood and are useful for one-handed rolling and popular with children and collectors. Mini pins ranging from 5 to 7 in (12.7-17.8 cm) in length are called texturing tools and are produced to create steam holes and decorations in pastry and pie crusts; crafters also use them to imprint clay for art projects. These mini pins are made of hardwoods (usually maple) or plastic. Wood handles are supplied for both wood and plastic tools, however. Blown glass rolling pins are made with straight walls and are solid or hollow. Ceramic rolling pins are also produced in hollow form, and glass and ceramic models can be filled with water and plugged with stoppers. Tapered glass rolling pins with stoppers were made for many centuries when salt imports and exports were prohibited or heavily taxed. The rolling pin containers disguised the true contents. The straight-sided cylinder is a more recent development, although tapered glass pins are still common craft projects made by cutting two wine bottles in half and sealing the two ends together so that the necks serve as handles at each end.Tiny rolling pins are also twisted into shape using formed wire. The pins will not flatten and smooth pastry, and the handles do not turn. The metal pins are popular as kitchen decorations and also to hang pots, pans, and potholders. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/food-and-drink/food-and-cooking/rolling-pinThe use of the rolling pin to make thin pastry or pasta.Wooden rolling pin with some damage on cylinder section.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, rolling pin, cooking, pastry