Mechanics Institutes were first established in the 19th century in Scotland and England to improve the education of working class men and to instruct them in their various trades. In Australia Mechanics’ Institutes were set up in the late 1920s with the first one in Melbourne dating from 1839. The Institutes in Victoria were (and some still are) a feature of Victorian country towns, usually consisting of a hall containing a Library and in bigger centres art class rooms and other recreation areas. The Woodford Mechanics’ Institute was established in 1861, enlarged in 1868 and burnt down in 1917.This seal is of major interest as it is the only seal we have of Mechanics’ Institutes in our district. These Mechanics’ Institutes were very important in the educational and social development of Victorian country towns. This is a seal or stamp made of brass and attached to a wooden handle. The wood on the handle is of a dark colour and is urn-shapedStamp - Woodford Mechanics Institutemechanics’ institutes, woodford, early mechanic institute seal

This tea caddy, an attractive item, was given to Margaret Fletcher (date of presentation unknown). A tea caddy in the 19th century was a valued object as tea was expensive and was bought in small quantities. The two side containers are for green and black tea and the middle one was for blending the tea mixtures. The caddy was lockable so that domestic workers etc could not have easy access to a valuable commodity. The local provenance of this object and the identity of Margaret Fletcher have not yet been established. She may be related to John Fletcher, the Warrnambool cordial maker or James Fletcher, the Warrnambool lawyer. This tea caddy is of great interest as an attractive artefact from the 19th century and as an example of a household item no longer in use. It is also of interest because it was given to Margaret Fletcher, possibly a local Warrnambool person. This is a polished wood container made in a casket style. The wood is believed to be Coramandel. The casket has curved sides and is on a base with four legs. The lid has a brass hinge and a gold lock with the key and the lock mechanism missing. Inside are three compartments, two with hinged lids with leather tops and zinc linings. The middle compartment has a glass container set in a wooden compartment. The inscription is on a brass plate inside the casket. ‘Presented to Margaret Fletcher as a Mark of Respect’. margaret fletcher, history of warrnambool

These items have no provenance but would be useful for display purposes. They are typical of the Victorian era displaying the romanticized beauty of children and young women. Flowers, gardens and pets were also displayed in this manner. This is all amply displayed in these two prints. Items were also quite readily and cheaply mass produced and thus available for many people to cheaply decorate their homes in the latest styles. Reproduction was possible and popular resulting in an enduring style which could be said to be eclectic The Victorian Era is named after the reigning monarch, of the second half of the 19th century Queen Victoria.This pair of prints has little provenance but being typical of the era will be useful for display. These are a matching pair of framed prints of a young boy and girl with a wide dark green border around the edge with a row of dots on the outside of the glass. The boy is holding posy of violets and the girl a fan. The edge is finished in a metal, possibly tin. Both are backed with heavy card. The glass on the girl frame is broken .There is a small metal chain from the girl frame.warrnambool

There is evidence of the game of marbles in the ruins of Pompeii and the tombs of Egyptians as well as early American Indians. The earliest marbles were simply rounded stones which had been polished but this was refined to handmade versions made of clay, stone and glass. It was in the late 19th century that mass production began and it gives testament to the popularity of the game that the Dyke factory of Ohio could produce 1,000,000 marbles a day. It was around 1915 that the mass production of glass marbles began. The game reached the height of popularity in the 1920-1930’s. Many were prized for their designs.The game of marbles was one of the most common games played universally, from childhood hence has a strong link with people of all ages and cultures. Five marbles in glass jar. All are various sizes ranging from large yellow streaked with red and blue, black striped with white, marbled tan, clear with multi coloured streaks and bright blue. Shapes are roughly spherical. Materials range from glass to glazed and stone. Three have pontil marks either on end.The lid of the jar has Nestle vacuumed sealed for extra protection. Use special key to open. Old sticker on base with 173 written in black lead pencil. toys, marbles, children's games, warrnambool, handmade marbles, glass marbles, clay marbles, agate marbles

19th century ? Single lens brass microscope on timber stand.DENNIS LONDONmicroscope, dennis, single lens, london, brass

Rectangular wooden frame with glass ribbed insert used to hand wash clothes (pre electric washing machines). Early wash boards were made of wood, then replaced by metal (19th century)O. In the 20th century galvanised steel was most common. Some modern boards were made of glass as this one is.Nonelaundry, washboard

Parts of newspapers from the 1940's, some pages torn, quite yellowed. The Age (Sept 24th, 1942), The Age (Sept 2nd, 1943), The Herald (Oct 29th 1940), The Herald (Oct 19th, 1940), The Herald (Sept 23rd, 1940), The Herald (Aug 30th, 1941), The Spectator (March 17, 1943)newspapers, age, herald, spectator, war stories, 1940's

Small catalogue for an auction sale at the New Garfield Gold Mine at Chewton, Vic. Auction of Mining Plant, Buildings and Equipment was held on 19th March 1947 by Order of the Mine's Department. J. H. Curnow & Son Pty Ltd. Were the auctioneers. Contains description of machinery, poppet legs and steel smoke stack.business, auctioneers, j h curnow & son pty ltd, ian dyett collection - auction catalogue - new garfield gold mine, mine's department, j h curnow & son pty ltd, prahran telegraph printing co

Report - printed onto a folded double folio sheet, titled "The Melbourne, Brunswick and Coburg Tramways Trust - Quarterly Report - to January 19th, 1918. Gives notes on Statistics, finances, contracts, shelter sheds, and the Engineer and Manager's Report of Mr S. Robertson. Dated 5/2/1918. Three Copies held.trams, tramways, mbctt, reports, construction, finances, operations

A letter copying press was first developed by James Watt in 1780. Copying clerks were employed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to copy letters and documents. In this press a sheet of oiled paper was inserted next to a dampened piece of tissue in the copying book. An unblotted letter written in special copying ink was then inserted with its face up against the back of the tissue. The book was then put into the press and screwed down tightly for a few minutes, depending on how many copies were being made. Many of these old letter books with important historical information still clearly legible survive today. This letter copying press is of great interest as it shows how letters and documents were duplicated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is of relevance to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society as its historical collection includes many letter books with copies of letters and documents relating to our local history.This is a metal letter copying press. It has a rectangular base with an over-arching curved metal piece and a handle which was able to be turned around to screw down a book. The press has been painted black at some stage but is now partly corroded. vintage letter books, history of warrnambool

This instrument is a folding arm protractor. It is used for measuring angles on the vertical and horizontal planes. The two folding arms have small metal support springs where they are attached to provide support and the other ends have pins with which to mark particular points. A screw mechanism on the rim allows fine tuning of plotting. Chadburn, Brothers were fine instrument makers of Sheffield making optical and nautical instruments during the 19th century. This item was donated by a local resident whose grandfather Carl Spence was a bridge builder who worked on the Warrnambool Breakwater extension c 1919. This item has scientific significance which is possibly linked via the owner to one of Warrnambool's most well known landmarks.Brass, circular instrument with fold out sections which are hinged and a movable section. The circular part is marked in degrees around the circle. Notches on inner rim at 90 degrees intervals. Chadburn ,Brothers Sheffield. Graduated scale measuring 360 degrees.warrnambool, warrnambool breakwater

By the 19th century, porcelain had become the favored material for doll heads, and starting in the 1830s, high-quality china dolls hit the market. Most of these were made in central Europe, and often the assembly work was done by individual families, which is why many antique china dolls are not marked. German-made china dolls usually have black molded hair and blue eyes. The most common china dolls are Low Brow china dolls, made in the millions in the 1890s (so called because their hairdo has bangs and lays low on their forehead, giving them a "low brow").This doll is a good example of a late 19th century china doll.China-headed doll with soft body. It has a low brow,moulded black hair and is wearing a black dress with a white collar and cuffs. Over the dress is a white pleated, embroidered pinafore. It has a broderie Anglaise petticoat.doll toys china-doll

This spiky, pointy metal flower holder, often called a flower frog or kenzan, was made around the late 19th to the early 20th centuries by Stayput Products of Melbourne, Australia. The flat metal base has been made in layers with the head of the spikes between the layers. It is likely to be handmade. Heavy flower holders made of non-corrosive metals are designed to sit in the base of a vase, dish, bowl or other suitable holder so that cut flower stems can be pushed into the spikes and held firmly in the arrangement. Flower frogs can be made of glass, ceramics or, more recently, synthetic materials.The flower holder is an example of Victorian era domestic decoration aids that have carried through to the 21st century.Flower holder, rectangular block made from layers of metal, with spikes embedded into the metal. The block is heavy, likely to be lead, and the spikes are strong brass pints arranged evenly in rows. There are remnants of florist's putty between some spikes. An inscription within concentric oval rings is moulded in the flat base. Made by Stayput Products, Melbourne, Australia.Stamped into the metal: "STAYPUT / PRODUCTS / MELB. AUST."flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, flower frog, flower arrangements, flower holder, pin-holder, stayput, flower aid, ikebana flower arrangement, kenzan, moribana style, flower support, melbourne manufacturer, spiky pin frog, metal flower holder, stayput products, flower block, flower arranger, vintage, antique, late 19th to early 20th centuries, vase accessory, decorative item, floral arrangement support, florist accessory, floral art, needle aids, victorian era

Colour photograph of the Chinese section in the Bendigo Cemetery.A plaque states: This Pomelo Tree (known to the Chinese as the tree of life) was planted on 9 October 1996 in recognition and to the memory of the many Chinese buried at or in close proximity to this site during the 19th and 20th centuries. bendigo cemetery, graves, headstones, chinese, oven

This window was originally above the door at 29 Murphy Street, a butcher shop run by Jas. Ferguson and Company and later bought by Bob Hoysted who had worked for Jas Ferguson as an apprentice. The window sits in a painted wood frame and illustrates a pastoral scene with a cow, two grazing sheep and a path leading to an open gate. Butcher shops typically illustrated their business with illustrations of the animals they sold. The painted glass pieces are held together by lead. Some of the pieces are textured. The artist is unknown. It is possible that the window was imported from Europe since decorative glass works in Australia at the end of the 19th century were rare, if not non-existent. Decorating store fronts with windows such as this one was popular in Melbourne at the end of the 19th century.

Late 19th centuryPainted floral china moustache cup and saucer with handle and gold edging.P9129 in ink on base of cup and saucercup, saucer and plate sets, cups and saucers, drinking cups

Three maps: copies from the 19th century. 1. Handwritten 'Dept of Lands & Survey 1876'. 2. Map of the Ovens & Murray District, Victoria with handwritten 'F.H. Hiscock & Co's, New Victoria Countries Atlas 1874'. 3. Map of the Murray and Gipps Land Distr' with handwritten: "Baillieu's County Atlas of Victoria 1866'.maps of victoria, 19th century, oven and murray district of victoria

Blue paper dated Jan 19th 1872. I hereby Certify that Alfred Clear of Marong is able to follow his usual employment. Signed H. L. Atkinson. Also signed at the end by Alfred Clear declaring himself off the Sick Funds of the Court. Printed by J. Brockley, Printer, Bridge Street, Sandhurst.societies, aof, correspondence, ancient order of foresters no. 3770 collection - medical cetificate, court king of the forest, alfred clear, h l atkinson, j brockley

Order of Service for Memorial Service for Perce McGuire WHITE (Perce WHITE) held at Sandridge Events Centre at North Port Oval on 1st July 2022. Perce was a Councillor for the City of Port Melbourne from 1972 and Mayor 1974/75, 1981/83, and 1985 until Amalgamation in 1988.White card 48 page booklet with fine black rope border with heading Perce McGuire WHITE (Percy WHITE) above his picture and below, 19th June 1932 - 1 June 2022. The rear cover has a colour photograph of Perce having a beer above the words "Work is the curse of the drinking man!".perce mcguire white, perce white, local government - city of port melbourne

Bendigo Historical Society Invitations from the President and the committee to attend a lunchon for the presentation of the Amy Huxtable History Awards. Sunday 20th March, 1994 Speaker: Dr. Keith Cole Sunday 27th August, 1995 Speaker: Meryl Wilkinson Sunday 19th January, 1997 Speaker: Mr. Bob Marmion. 3 pages.person, individual, amy huxtable

Imported and sold by Holden and Frost during the late 19th century and early 20th century for the purpose of saddlery imported and sold by Holden and Frost on saddlery during the 19th and 20th centuries Sold by Holden and Frost for military agriculture and civilian use c1900Brass buckle used on horse tackleequine, military, agriculture, civilian c1900, buckle

Ushabti are tiny anthropoid (human-shaped) figures placed in the tombs of wealthy Egyptians. They were intended to do the work of the deceased in the afterlife. This purpose is implied through their name, which may have derived from the Egyptian word “to answer”. The Burke Museum in Beechworth is home to a particular ancient Egyptian Ushabti figure. This artefact was donated to the Museum in 1875. No details about how it left Egypt, arrived in Australia, and where it was located before this donation are known. The Nineteenth Century, when this artefact was donated, was a period when many museums acquired items of ancient Egyptian heritage. Many of these items were procured in less than desirable circumstances, having often been looted from ancient tombs and sold to tourists without documentation as to their original location and/or accompanying grave goods. These artefacts were also divested through partage (the trading of artefacts for funds); however, the latter is unlikely to have been the case for this artefact. Since the Ushabti was donated by an unknown donor, it is likely to have been in a private collection rather than an institution. Ushabti can be dated using iconographic analysis which is non-invasive and provides a comprehensive study of the artefact. The later period of the 18th Dynasty marked the beginning of an increase in both the inclusion of Ushabti as essential funerary items and the creation of Ushabti with tools. From this period, they are no longer depicted without tools. Depictions of tools including gardening hoes are frequently depicted grasped in the Ushabti’s hands whilst items like the seed-bag are depicted hanging on the back rather than in an alternative position. This Ushabti figure grasps a gardening hoe and a mattock and a small seed bag surrounded by a yoke bearing water jars are depicted on the upper back of the Ushabti. These features are essential in helping narrow this dating to the late 18th and before the early 20th Dynasty. The position of this seed bag also provides dating information. In the early 18th Dynasty this bag was consistently drawn on the front of the figurine; however, by the reign of Seti I, this feature moved to the back. Thus, since the seed bag is located on the back of this Ushabti, it cannot date to the early 18th Dynasty. By the 19th Dynasty, Ushabti’s were increasingly made from either faience or terracotta. The availability of these materials in Egypt resulted in the increase of Ushabti production with tombs containing many more figurines than previously seen. The Ushabti held by the Burke collections is made from terracotta. Terracotta was rarely used for Ushabti before and during the early 18th Dynasty with only the odd appearance until the late 18th Dynasty and becoming common through that period until the late Third Intermediate Period. Whilst the face has been damaged, there is no evidence for the Ushabti having been provided with an Osirian false beard. This omission rules out a dating of later than the 25th Dynasty when beards became prominent. The inscriptions also date the Ushabti to the New Kingdom. This is because of the use of sḥḏ (“to illuminate”) with Wsjr (“Osiris”) which only occurs in these periods. Therefore, considering all these elements, the Ushabti can be confidently be dated to between the late 18th to early 19th dynasty.Artefacts like this Ushabti are no longer exclusively representative of their origins in burial assemblages and significance in the mythology of the Egyptian afterlife but are also significant for the accumulated histories they have gained through travel. The movement of this artefact from Egypt to Australia allows insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century, and in particular, the reception of ancient Egyptian artefacts in small rural museums. The procurement of Egyptian artefacts was a social trend around the late 1800s to early 1900s. Egyptian artefacts were considered curiosities and recognised for their ability to attract public attention to museums. They were also utilised in Australian museums, like the Burke Museum, to connect the collection to one of the oldest civilisations known to man and since Australia was considered a “young” country by European settlers, this was vital and derived from an interest in Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” 1859. Furthermore, there was a culture of collecting in the 1800s amongst the affluent in English society which led to the appearance of many Egyptian artefacts in private collections. The acquisition of this Ushabti figure is not certain, but it was likely donated from a private collection rather than an institution. This particular artefact is significant as an example of a high-quality Ushabti representative of those produced during the late 18th or early 19th century. It provides insight into the individualism of an Ushabti and the mythology of ancient Egypt. It also provides an example of the types of items required in the tomb assemblages of this period and reinforces the importance of ensuring the successful afterlife of the deceased through art. This Ushabti belonged to a woman named Taweret-Khaiti, Chantress of Amun, in the late 18th Dynasty or early 19th Dynasty (c.1292 BC) of the Egyptian New Kingdom. It likely comes from an undetermined tomb in the locality of Thebes. This figure is made from Nile silt clay (a polyester terracotta; clay sourced from the banks of the Nile River) which was a popular material for Ushabti construction in the early 19th Dynasty. It is in a fair state of preservation (with the exception of a break through the centre) and originally made to a high quality. The face has been damaged but the eyes and eyebrows are clearly marked with black ink and the sclera painted white. The Ushabti is painted a light brown/yellow colour and features a vertical line of inscription down the lower front. The Ushabti wears a large wig and and a schematic collar. The arms are painted light brown and depicted crossed with bracelets around the wrists. It grasps a hoe and mattock. A yellow seed-basket is depicted on the Ushabti’s back. These features represent the likelihood that this particular Ushabti was intended to complete farm work for the deceased in the next life. There would have been additional Ushabti of similar design within the tomb who worked under the supervision of a foreman Ushabti. The foreman Ushabti would be depicted dressed in the clothing of the living. The inscriptions are painted freehand in black ink and written in a vertical column from the base of the collar to the foot pedestal on the front of the Ushabti. The owner of the Ushabti could elect to have the figures inscribed with their name, the Ushabti spell and any other details they deemed necessary. In the case of this example, the Ushabti is inscribed with the owner’s details and is an abbreviated version of the standard Ushabti formula. This formula ensured that the Ushabti would complete the desired task in the afterlife when called upon by the deceased. Ushabti which were not inscribed would represent their intended purpose through design; however, this Ushabti, like most made in the late 18th Dynasty, conveys its purpose both through both design and inscription. The inscription is as follows: sHD wsir nbt pr Smayt imn tA-wr(t)-xai(ti) mAa xrw which translates to: "The illuminated one, the Osiris (the deceased), the mistress of the household, Chantress of Amun, Taweret-Khaiti, true of voice (justified)"ancient egypt

The Criterion Hotel was located on the western side of Kepler Street near the corner of Lava Street. John Tate of Woodford was the first licensee of the Criterion Hotel in 1873. The Humm family and the McGennan families were licensees for a considerable amount of time in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It was one of the last venues in the town to host live music. The last publican, John Palmer remembered it as a workers pub popular with local truckies and football clubs, in particular, Bushfield, Russell’s Creek and South Rovers. The Criterion closed in 2008 with the aim of turning it into office space but it was burnt beyond repair in 2010 and the remains were demolished in 2013.The Criterion Hotel was one of the earliest and longest licensed hotels in Warrnambool. As such it has local historical significance. The original building was an impressive landmark and the hotel itself has significant social importanceWhite plaster fragment with floral pattern enclosed within two plain borders. It is roughly five sided but edges are broken.criterion hotel, history of warrnambool, warrnambool hotels

It was made late 19th Century.A long large steel curved handled single headed plough spanner made by a blacksmith. It was used to tighten or loosen large nuts on a plough or other machinery.spanners, wrenches, tools, farm equipment, steel