Buttons from Mr William Donald McDonald. He trained for 5 years with Armstrong Tailors He had a tailor’s shop at the southern end of Liebig St before World War 1. On returning from overseas war service, he was employed by Warrnambool City Council as a gas meter reader. He was later promoted to office staff. He died in 1947.A common item which is linked to a Warrnambool business and person. Four small silver metal buttons with recessed shank. Embossed on front surface with lettering. Stitched to light card.W McDonald Warrnambool.warrnambool, william donald mcdonald, buttons, tailors’ buttons, w. mcdonald tailor, mcdonald tailor

James Parker and William McMeekin arrived in 1881 in Victoria and commenced their business a large proportion of which was in Warrnambool. They opened up a butter, cheese and pork export trade with South Australia, which operated successfully for sometime before South Australia altered their tariff duties which badly affected trade. After a period dealing with Queensland, they set their sights further afield to London. The Warrnambool butter Factory was commenced around this time and William McMeekin was closely connected with its establishment. They traded in other farm produce and machinery as well as having interests in land, loans and insurance. William McMeekin was a member of the Town Council for some time and J.P. McMeekin was a member of the Villiers and Heytesbury Agricultural Society and was a director of the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory. They operated their business from different sites in Kepler Street and Raglan Parade.An everyday item with a link to an individuals and a company which had a long association with Warrnambool.Aluminium cover with raised edge shaped to fit around top, bottom and one side. Designed to fit around match box leaving striking edge exposed. Embossed lettering on front and back. Contains matchbox with label depicting shell in green with green and yellow background. Box is faded blue. J.P. McMeekin Produce Merchant Warrnambool Phone 263 on front and back. Prov pat ** 367 on side. warrnambool, p.l. phillips, grocer, provision merchant, nestle warrnambool, nestle dennington, calendar 1919

This cookery book was produced in 2014 as a school fundraiser. It was purchased at Allansford Cheese World in January 2015 for $15. Allansford school was established as a National School in 1856 on land reserved for the purpose by John McMahon Allan. It comprised two sandstone classrooms -one for boys and one for girls -with an attached pise teacher's residence. In 1872 when the Victorian Education Department was set up existing schools were listed in alphabetical order and given a number. Allansford State School was No.3. The school was enlarged in the late 1800s and again in the early 1920s. In 1994 following the amalgamation of the Allansford, Allans Forest and Naringal schools a new school was built which adjoined the existing buildings. The old buildings were refurbished as administration and staff facilities. John McMahon Allan settled in the area in 1839 with his brother William Osborne Allan. They were the sons of David Allan, Deputy Commissary General during Macquarie's term of government. The brothers divided the station with William retaining the Allandale portion and John naming his portion Tooram. John McMahon Allan was president of the early district Roads Board. In an attempt to recoup some of the heavy losses due to the disastrous Bateman fire of 1854 John subdivided a portion of Tooram at the Hopkins River crossing known as Allans ford. A school reserve was included in this subdivision. Source: McLeod, Graeme & Barbara. Allansford 1855-2006This book has social and historical interest and significance as it is connected to a local school. It provides a snapshot of food and cooking methods in the early 21st cebturyCookery book with full colour cover featuring 8 photographs and drawings of the Allansford Primary School surrounds and pupil activities on. The images are 'stitched' together with a white zig-zag diamond pattern as if a quilt. The foldout cover has an image of the school's centenary memorial gates and a brief history of the school. Inside the foldout are images of the pupils in each of the school's four team houses. The foldout back cover has full colour images of pupils performing at the school concert. A white strip noting 'our values' is included on the inside back cover foldout. Soft cover, 112 pages.allansford school, a ton of class, allansford primary school, a ton of class recipe book

This watch key is inscribed with the name of ‘T. Ferguson’, a watchmaker and jeweller from Warrnambool. He may have been the maker of the key or the distributor. No information has been found on ‘T. Ferguson’ but he may have been related to William Ferguson, a well-known Warrnambool watchmaker, jeweller and oculist in the early 1900s. William Ferguson was a Warrnambool Councillor and Mayor. His shop was in Timor Street.This watch key is of minor interest as one with some provenance. It is of Warrnambool origin. It also has some social significance as an example of the type of pocket watch and key used in the early 20th century. This is a small watch key with a metal mechanism for winding a pocket watch, a circular metal section, gilded over, with the name of the watchmaker and a small top section with a ring for hanging the item on a chain etc. On one side of the circular section: ‘T.Ferguson, Warnambool’(sic) On the reverse side: ‘Watch Maker & Jeweller’ ferguson, watchmaker and jeweller, t.ferguson, watchmaker, jeweller, oculist, warrnambool, william ferguson

This is an 1877 document, the Letters of Administration in connection with the will and probate of William Ellis, a veterinary surgeon from Wimmera Street, Stawell. He died after an altercation with W. Richards, the landlord of the Post Office Hotel, where he was knocked against the wall of the verandah of the hotel. He left a small estate, with his property valued at under £107. This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of lawyer Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in the forerunner firm of Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out. This is a piece of parchment folded and sealed at the bottom edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The material in the document is handwritten in black ink. The document is stained and part of it is torn and missing. ‘In the Estate of William Ellis, late of Stawell, deceased, Letters of Administration, 16/8/77, Matthew W. Taylor, Proctor, Stawell’. william ellis,, stawell, warrnambool

This 1891 document contains the information on the Will and Probate of John Gould, an engineer from Russells Creek. No information has been found on John Gould except that he died in October 1890 at the age of 67. The solicitor, William Ardlie was a well-known Warrnambool lawyer, commencing a practice in 1865 and continuing well into the 20th century making him at the time one of the longest-serving lawyers in the British Empire. Tait collection: item 10 of 62This document is of interest in that it includes information on a resident of Russells Creek in the Warrnambool area, and also the lawyer concerned is William Ardlie, one of the best-known identities in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.This is an 1891 piece of parchment folded in half to give four pages of written material. This material is handwritten in black ink. A seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon. The document is somewhat discoloured. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in the probate jurisdiction in the Will of John Gould, late of Russells Creek near Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Engineer, deceased, Probate. I certify that there is no duty payable. J. F. Poole, Officer under Section 96, Act 1060, June 23rd 1891. Extracted by William Ardlie, Solicitor, Warrnambool’. john gould, william ardlie, warrnambool

This document shows that Mary Irwin of Peterborough, Victoria, died in April 1892 without making a will and the Letters of Administration were granted to her husband, William Irwin. However he died in 1901 without having fully administered Mary Irwin’s estate. In turn the estate administration was passed over to Charles McGillivray of Peterborough and one of Mary Irwin’s sons, William Irwin, residing in New Zealand. This document was drawn up in 1907, fifteen years after Mary Irwin’s death. She left property to the value of £100. No other details on Mary Irwin are available. Tait collection: item 11 of 62This document is of interest because it was drawn up by a local Warrnambool solicitor, Ernest Chamber. He had a practice in Kepler Street, Warrnambool with the known dates, 1897 to 1910, with other offices in Koroit and Port Fairy during the same time. His manager in Warrnambool was Thomas Goodall who appears to have passed this document on to lawyers continuing on in the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the building once used by the legal business of Mackay Taylor.This is a piece of parchment paper folded in two and written on the back and front in brown-coloured ink (perhaps originally black). There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and three red stamps of the Master in Equity in the Supreme Court. Apart from some yellow staining the document is in good condition.‘In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the unadministered Estate of Mary Jane Irwin, late of Peterborough in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria, married woman, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, de bonis non. I certify there is no duty or fee payable on these Letters of Administration, Dated 8th day of November 1907, Officer under Sec. 96 Act.1060, Extracted by E.J.W.Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’mary irwin, solicitor, warrnambool, peterborough, ernest chambers

These are the Probate papers for Patrick Mahony, a farmer from Wangoom who died in 1894. He left an estate of £995 and personal effects worth £138. The estate was to be administered by the two sons, William and Timothy in trust for another son, Michael Mahony. The wife Margaret was granted three acres of land, £25 a year and ‘the choice of two cows out of my stock’. The daughter Johanna was to receive the same benefits after the death of her mother. Patrick Mahony, being illiterate, signed his will with a cross. Tait collection: item 12 of 62This document is of interest as it concerns a local farmer, Patrick Mahony and a local lawyer, William Ardlie. The latter had a practice in Warrnambool for the best part of seventy years, firstly in Timor Street and then in Kepler Street. He was a prominent resident in Warrnambool. The document was originally in the hands of the law clerk, Thomas Goodall and it was passed on to lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the buildings once used by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two with writing in black ink on all four pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and three red stamps of the Master in Equity in the Supreme Court. The document has ruled lines and some annotations in the margins. ‘280, In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Patrick Mahony, late of Wangoom, in the Colony of Victoria, Farmer deceased, Probate. I certify that there is no duty payable on the within Probate, J. Poole, Officer under Section 96 of Act 1060, 24/October/1894, William Ardlie, Proctor for Executors, Warrnambool’patrick mahony, william ardlie, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 19 of 62 This is an 1899 document giving Will and Probate details of William Cox who died in Warrnambool in March 1899. He was a farmer residing in Moore Street Warrnambool at the time of his death at the age of 83. He left real estate to the value of £425 and personal estate to the value of £412 to Gwenllian Williams who may have been his sister or niece. A Mr and Mrs Williams were also living in the Moore Street house at the time of Cox’s death. His executors were Thomas Goodall, a law clerk who managed the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool and John Ward, a pioneer settler in Warrnambool and a shopkeeper in Jamieson Street in 1899. No other details are available on William Cox. This is an interesting document as it gives details of the Will and Probate belonging to a local Warrnambool person, William Cox. The lawyer dealing with the document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document has been passed on to successive lawyers occupying legal chambers in the Kepler Street building and that is where the document was held until passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014.This is an 1899 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides of the paper. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with blue ribbon and there are two stamps, one blue one of the Colonial Bank in Warrnambool and the other a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The writing is very clear but the pages are a little stained.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of William Cox late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased; Probate; I certify there is no duty payable on this probate (signature) Officer under Section 96 of act No 106; E J W Chambers Warrnambool Proctors for the Executorswilliam cox, ernest chambers, john ward, thomas goodall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 20 of 62 This 1900 document gives details on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, described as a ‘Gentleman’, who died in April 1900. He left real estate to the value of £240 and personal estate to the value of £286. His wife Jane received the income from these assets during her lifetime and on her death the estate went to Bickle’s nephew and niece. The executors were John Warren, a painter of Jamieson Street, Warrnambool and Thomas Goodall, a law clerk of Warrnambool. No other details are available on William Bickle. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the law office of Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool. Chambers had offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, a Warrnambool resident at the time of his death. The document was in the possession of the lawyer, Ernest Chambers and has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street building. It was then passed on in 2014 to be part of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society collection.This is a 1900 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are two stamps, one a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court, Melbourne and the other a blue one of the Savings Bank, Warrnambool. The handwriting is highly legible.william bickle, ernest chambers, tait collection, john warren

Tait collection: item 25 of 62 This is a 1904 document containing information on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth. He died in September 1904. He was a chimney sweep and nightman who came to Warrnambool in 1854 and married Sophia Ingham in 1855. They had six children but their married life was stormy because of Sophia’s problem with alcohol. She became notorious for her court appearances and gaol terms and her erratic behaviour in public. William Charlesworth was not able to control the situation and tried several times to get her to leave the town. Sadly she committed suicide in 1891 by throwing herself off the Hopkins River Bridge. William Charlesworth left real estate to the value of £650 and personal estate to the value of £194. The main beneficiaries were Charlesworth’s son, Alfred, his daughter Amelia Charlesworth and his grandchildren, George and Alice Tait. Ernest Chambers, the lawyer concerned with this document, had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The document was passed down to successive lawyers who occupied the legal premises in Kepler Street and located there in 2014 when it was passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of considerable interest as both William and Sophia Charlesworth were well-known residents of Warrnambool in the 19th century. It will be useful to researchers.This is a piece of cream-coloured parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four sides of the paper. It contains details on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth, 1904. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are two purple stamps, one from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne and the other from the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The document is somewhat stained on one side but the writing is legible.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of William Charlesworth late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Laborer deceasedwilliam charlesworth, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 33 of 62 This probate document gives details of the will of Thomas Smith, a farmer in the Wangoom district who was a pioneer settler, having arrived in the area about 1848. He erected the Shamrock Hotel in Dennington in 1868 and it was opened for business in 1869 with David Duffy as the first licensee. Thomas Smith was the licensee in 1870 and members of his family (Cornelius, Robert and Mary Smith) held the licence of the hotel until 1880. A codicil to the will gave Mary Smith, Thomas’ daughter, the hotel land and building. This hotel closed in 2011. Thomas Smith signed the original will with a cross (his mark). Other names mentioned in the probate document are Frederick Wilkinson, Master-in-Equity, Ernest Chambers, Solicitor, John Drayton, Clerk to E. Chambers, William Ardlie, Senior, Solicitor, Thomas Goodall, Clerk to William Ardlie, Richard Sheldrick, Clerk to William Ardlie, Walter Davies, Stationer.This is a significant document as Thomas Smith was a prominent owner of land, especially in the Dennington area. The Shamrock Hotel in Dennington was built by Smith and still owned by him when he died in 1880. The will gives important details of the estate of Thomas Smith and adds to our knowledge of his life and work. Document – Probate, 1880/1907 - the Will and Codicil of Thomas Smith, Farmer of Dennington The will has six ruled paper pages of typewritten material. Each page has printed ruled red lines top, bottom and sides and all are tied with green corded string. There are handwritten corrections and signatures, including those of Ernest Chambers, Solicitor of Warrnambool and John Drayton, Clerk to E. Chambers.Thomas Smith Shamrock Hotel, Dennington Ernest Chambers, Solicitor thomas smith wangoom 1848, shamrock hotel dennington, warrnambool history, thomas smith 1880

Tait collection: item 43 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration of John Moloney, a farmer from Bushfield, who died in July 1897. He died intestate but had real estate to the value of £510 and personal estate to the value of £142. The beneficiary was his wife, Mary Ann Moloney. The lawyer involved in drawing up this document was William Ardlie, one of the best-known lawyers in Warrnambool in the 19th and 20th centuries. He commenced his business in the 1860s and continued on until the 1930s when he was well in his eighties, making him at the time the oldest practising lawyer in Australasia. The document seemed to have been passed down by successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street legal premises and located there in 2014.This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Letters of Administration of John Moloney, a 19th century farmer from Bushfield and it also concerns the lawyer, William Ardlie, a prominent Warrnambool lawyer at that time. It will be useful for researchers.This is a piece of cream-coloured thin parchment paper folded in two. It has handwritten material on two pages (black ink) containing details of the Letters of Administration following the death of John Moloney of Bushfield in 1897. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat dirty but quite legible. The numbers ‘255’ and ‘14’ are written in blue pencil on the back page. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Estate of John Moloney late of Bushfield in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceased Intestatejohn moloney, warrnambool, william ardlie, bushfield, tait collection

Tait collection: item 44 of 62 This document gives details of the Will and Probate of William McJannet, a Warrnambool carpenter who died in 1898 at the age of 80. He and his wife and two of his children came to Australia from Scotland in the 1850s and at the time of his death he was living in Raglan Parade. He left real estate to the value of £400 and the beneficiaries were his children. The lawyer concerned with this document, H. Parrington, had legal offices in Kepler Street with the firm known as Higgins and Parrington but Mr Parrington was in partnership with Mr J.Tait when this document was drawn up. The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises and located in this building in 2014. This document is of some importance as William McJannet was a well-known resident of Warrnambool in the 19th century. The document will be useful to researchers. This is a piece of white paper folded in two with printed red lines on the edges of three of the pages. Three pages have typed material and one page has handwritten material in black ink. It gives details of the Will and Probate of William McJannet who died in 1898. In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will and Codicil of William McJannet late of Warrnambool Victoria Carpenter deceasedwilliam mcjannet, h.r.parrington, warrnambool, tait collection

This bat was awarded to Thomas William Southcombe in 1876 for the best batting average during the 1875-6 season at Warrnambool Cricket Club. Thomas William Southcombe was the son of Thomas and Mary Southcombe of Port Fairy. With his parents, Thomas and Mary, he arrived in Port Fairy in 1854. Thomas Senior was a carpenter who established several businesses in Port Fairy and served on the local Council for many years as a Councillor and Mayor. Thomas Junior appears to have migrated to U.S.A. and died there in 1904. The cricket bat was manufactured by the British firm of James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co. James Lillywhite was an English cricketer whose uncle had originally established the sports store and manufacturing business which lasted under various names until the 21st century. A cricketer named Lillywhite played in Warrnambool in 1874 with an All England Team under the captaincy of W.G.Grace. It is not known whether this was James Lillywhite or another member of the Liilywhite family as several of them played first class cricket.. The impression of the signature of W.H.Ponsford on the bat is an intriguing one. W.H. (Bill) Ponsford was a famous Australian cricketer who retired in the late 1930s. The Southcombe cricket bat was given by Mary Southcombe (Thomas’ sister) to the old Warrnambool Museum in 1923 and it is surmised that Bill Ponsford visited Warrnambool in 1957 (tthis appears to be the date under the signature imprint) and was shown the bat. It is then surmised that he rested a piece of paper or an album page on the bat while he signed his name and the impression of the signature has come through onto the bat. The old Museum closed in the 1960s and the bat was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society from the Warrnambool City Council collection of items from the Museum. This bat is of considerable importance because of its provenance and its connection with the Warrnambool Cricket Club, the Southcombe family of Port Fairy, the Lillywhite manufacturers, the old Warrnambool Museum and Bill Ponsford. It is also a good example of the type of cricket bat used in Australia in the 1870s. This is a wooden cricket bat (light colour wood, presumably willow) with a handle covered in oiled thread. It has an etched inscription on one side of the bat and the names of the manufacturer and distributor on the other side. There is also a faint impression of another signature. The blade of the bat is slightly curved. ‘W.C.C. Season 1875-6 Presented to T.W. Southcombe, for Best Batting Average’ ‘James Lillywhite Frowd & Co., Manufacturers, Borough, England’ ‘Made for George Marsh, Melbourne’ ‘W.H.Ponsford, -/1/1957’ warrnambool cricket club, thomas william southcombe, w.h.ponsford, warrnambool’s old museum

This book, by the well-known author R.M.Ballantyne, was awarded to Edith Newton in 1877 when she was a pupil at the Warrnambool State School. This school was opened on August 1st 1876 when the National School in Warrnambool closed and most of the pupils of other denominational schools in Warrnambool at the time moved to the new State School. The Head Teacher, William Bryant was at the school until 1894. (Blanch) Edith Newton was born in 1868, the eighth child of Robert and Mary Newton. Robert Newton was a Rate Collector, Borough Inspector and Manager of the Town Common in Warrnambool. It is noted that the prize received by Edith Newton was an adventure book mostly appealing to male readers. This book is significant because it is connected with important elements in Warrnambool in 1877 – the school, Warrnambool State School, the pupil, Edith Newton and the Head Teacher, William Bryant,This is a hard cover book of 330 pages. It has a dark red cover with etched ornamental borders and patterns and an image of a jungle scene on the front cover and on the spine. The title and author’s name are in gold lettering. At the heading of each chapter there is an ornamental scroll and there are several black and white sketches throughout the pages. There are blue stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society at the front and back of the book and a school plate label attached to the inside front cover. The spine is partly detached and torn and the cover is very worn and water or mould damaged. A letter from the donor accompanies the book. ‘Warrnambool State School, No. 1743, Prize Awarded to Edith Newton, 4th Class, Divn. 111, for Home Exercises, 19th December 1877, W.Bryant, Head Teacher.’ warrnambool state school, history of warrnambool, william bryant, edith newton

This booklet (fourth edition) was written in Warrnambool in 1910 by William Britton Harvey. The book has the sub-title ‘A Study in Nature and Character – Being a Quiet Talk to an Imaginary Audience of Young Men and Young Women’. Born in Britain, William Britton Harvey was the Editor of the Warrnambool Standard newspaper from 1905 to 1919. It was he who initiated in Warrnambool the scheme known as the Annual Hospital Egg Appeal, a community activity that was later adopted by most hospitals in Australia. William Britton Harvey wrote other small books of a similar nature to ‘Human Pearls in a Beautiful Setting’. This book is important because it was written in Warrnambool in 1910 by William Britton Harvey – a prominent person in Warrnambool at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a good example of the type of didactic book written 100 years ago with the purpose of encouraging high moral conduct in the youth of the day. This is a small soft cover booklet of 32 pages. The cover is cream with a woven pattern and the lettering on the front cover is gold. The cover has one gold line separating the name of the book from that of the author and the letter ‘H’ has an ornamental border. The cover overlaps the pages. The pages are a cream colour with blue printing. There are six black and white illustrations. The cover is torn at the edges and there is some silverfish damage on the back cover. The book has been bound with one metal staple and tied with green string. The staple has been removed. william britton harvey, warrnambool standard, history of warrnambool

This is an early school arithmetic book with the front preface indicating it is the third edition published in 1842. The book appears to have been used about the 1860s by members of the Bell family who probably lived at Cudgee. The names of the children, presumably the Bell children, are scattered throughout the book – Margaret, Walter, Sarah and William. No information is available on this Bell family though there are records of births in Warrnambool of Bell children in the 1850s to William and Jane Bell. Cudgee, a small settlement on the Cudgee Creek, is about 16 kilometres from Warrnambool. This book is of some minor interest because of its age and because it has some association with the Bell family who may have lived at Cudgee in the mid 19th century. The exercises in the book are of interest as examples of the arithmetical problems given to children in the mid 19th century. This is a hard cover book of 282 pages. The cover is dark brown with gold lettering on the spine but the front cover and part of the first few pages are missing. The pages are ragged and dog-eared and quite dirty in places. There is handwritten material in both pencil and ink on the front pages, throughout the text and on the back page. ‘Margaret’ ‘Walter’ ‘Sarah’ ‘William Bell’ ‘Cudgee’ mathematics, bell family, cudgee, warrnambool history

The name ‘Ruttledge’ may have no local significance thought the name ‘Rutledge’ is important in our history, commencing with William Rutledge who purchased the Farnham Special Survey in the 1840s( Tower Hill to Dennington). The name ‘Swinton’ is prominent in our history. Mrs John Swinton (Charlotte Scott nee Dunn, 1871-1944) was married to John Swinton, the son of William and Ann Swinton who came to Warrnambool in 1854. William established a store in Timor Street in the 1850s and opened branches of this store in several local towns. The Swinton family still has commercial interests in Timor Street. This book is of interest because it belonged to Charlotte Swinton, a member of the Swinton family important in Warrnambool’s commercial and community history. This is a black leather-covered book of 656 pages plus a Supplement of Hymns of 32 pages. The cover has gold lettering on the front and the spine. The pages have a gilt edging. The inscriptions are handwritten in pencil. The cover is somewhat scuffed and worn. ‘Mrs John Swinton’ ‘A. Ruttledge, 317 Wattletree Rd., E. Malvern’ swinton family, warrnambool, john swinton, charlotte swinton, history of warrnambool

This book was given as a prize to William Giles in the late 19th century. It came from the Skiddaw Sunday (or Sabbath) School. Skiddaw was the home of the Batterbee family and was situated on the old Princes Highway in East Warrnambool near Simpson Street today. The corner here was known as ‘Batterbees Corner’ and there is a Skiddaw Street in the locality today. George Batterbee had a ham and bacon business in Warrnambool. For 36 years his wife, Mary, conducted a Sunday School at Skiddaw (from 1882 to 1918). This Sunday School was under the auspices of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Warrnambool. Mrs Batterbee was assisted by her daughter Florinda and other teachers. Florinda and her brother Rex were both artists of note. William Giles and his family lived on the Allansford Road. The Logan family farm was in the vicinity of where Logans Beach is today. This book, though tattered and stained, is most important as the only item we have in our collection that is associated with the Skiddaw Sunday School. Situated in a family home, this Presbyterian-sponsored Sunday School operated for 36 years under the direction of Mary Batterbee. This is a book of 32 pages with the cover and perhaps some of the pages missing. It has been stapled but the staples have been removed. The book has large print and illustrations on all the pages. The illustrations have been coloured in by hand. The first page is loose and scribbled on. The pages are very stained and torn in places. The inscription is handwritten in black ink. ‘Skiddaw S. School, Second Prize, Awarded to William Giles for diligence in class, S. Logan, Teacher’. skiddaw, east warrnambool, batterbee family, giles family, logan family, history of warrnambool

This recipe book has been compiled by Mrs W. Moffatt to raise funds for the Wickliffe Hall Improvement Fund (1915). Wickliffe is a small town in Western Victoria situated on the banks of the Hopkins River on the Glenelg Highway 100 kilometres from Warrnambool. Jessie Moffatt (nee McLellan) married William Moffatt in 1885 and died in 1938. William Moffatt leased the Berrambool Estate near Wickliffe in 1893, bought it in 1903 and the Moffatts lived there until their deaths in the 1930s. This recipe book is of interest because of its social history, telling us what recipes were popular in the early 1900s and the use made of a recipe book to raise funds for local community funds. The book is also of interest because it is an example of the voluntary work done by a woman in the Western District in the early 20th century. The book is also of interest because the names of some of those who contributed the recipes are listed and many of them have local connections. The Warrnambool names listed include Williams and McCormick. This is a soft cover book of 149 pages. The cover is grey with dark blue lettering and some ornamental patterning. The book contains over 1400 recipes and many advertisements for businesses in Victoria at the back and front of the book. There are two loose sheets of paper with recipes. The binding has come apart and has been loosely mended with adhesive tape. The cover and some of the pages are a little tattered. jessie and william moffatt of berrambool, history of warrnambool

This exercise book has been used by Winnifred (Winnie) Goodall in 1916 when she was a pupil at the Warrnambool Technical School. The material in the book mostly consists of letter-writing practice for business purposes. The Goodalls were pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district with William and Ellen Goodall arriving in the area in the late 1840s. Eventually they had a property named Wanstead on the Allansford Road in East Warrnambool. One son, William, was an early manager of the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement. Another son, Thomas, was a Warrnambool law clerk and Winnie, (born 1901 to mother Leah), was his granddaughter. The Warrnambool Technical School was established in 1913.This exercise book is of interest as an example of school work completed by a Warrnambool Technical School student in 1916. It is also of interest because it belonged to Winnie Goodall, a member of an important pioneering family in the Warrnambool district. This is a school exercise book with a cardboard cover and 17 double pages. The cover has a mottled pattern of brown and mauve and the pages have been attached by metal staples but the staples have been removed. The pages have blue ruled lines with handwritten material in blue and black ink. Some of the pages have red hand-drawn lines. The cover is slightly torn. On the first page two cartoon sketches from a newspaper have been pasted in. The front cover has a printed label in blue and white colouring pasted on, with handwritten information on the label. ‘Exercise Book Written by Winnie Goodall, Commenced 9th February 1916’. winnifred goodall goodall families, warrnambool warrnambool technical school.

This book was given as a Sunday School prize to James Cassady. The donor was William Wines. The Wines families were pioneers in the Woodford district. James Cassady was the son of William and Elizabeth Cassady and the family lived at Boughton on the Merri River (near Cassady’s Bridge, Caramut Road today). This property was established about 1845. Charley and Joe, whose names have also been written in the book, were James’ brothers. This book is of interest because it belonged to James Cassady, the son of pioneer settlers in Cassadys’ Bridge/Woodford area. This is a hard cover book of 220 pages with 32 extra pages at the back of the book giving information on other books produced by the same publisher. The cover is grey-green with gold lettering, green and black floral decorations and gold images of two men on horseback and a South American Indian chief. The spine is torn away at the top and the cover and pages are stained and crumpled. There are many black and white illustrations throughout the text, with the frontispiece protected by a piece of tissue. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink and pencil.‘Woodford Sunday School presented to James Cassidy (sic) by his well-wisher William Wines’ (this is re-written underneath in pencil with the correct spelling of ‘Cassady’) ‘Chaley cassady, boughton, merri river (sic) “Joe’ james cassady,, boughton, william wines, woodford sunday school, history of warrnambool

This book has been given by the Woodford Sunday School to Edith Cassady (note the misspelling of ‘Cassady’). Edith Cassady was the daughter of William and Elizabeth who lived at Boughton on the Merri River (near Cassady’s Bridge, Caramut Road today). This property was established about 1845. The donor of the book was William Wines, a member of a pioneering family in the Woodford district. This book is of some interest as it belonged to Edith Cassady, a member of a pioneering family who lived at Boughton on the Merri River. This is a hard cover book of 344 pages. The cover is red with black border decorations and black and gold lettering. There are several full page black and white illustrations scattered throughout the book which has 23 chapters of story. The cover and pages are much water-stained. The inscription is handwritten in black ink. ‘Woodford Sunday School Presented to Edith Cassidy (sic) by her well-wisher William Wines’ william wines, woodford, history of woodford, edith cassady, boughton property, cassady family

The Davidson brothers, James and John, were pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district, with John establishing th property of Rosebrook in Woodford and James establishing the homestead of Woodend in West Warrnambool. Another brother William was an early storekeeper in Woolsthorpe. He died in 1904 and may be the W. Davidson who was the recipient of this book. The Midgleys came to the Yangery Creek area in 1852 and established the property of Yangery Grange. Mrs Midgley presumably belonged to one of these families from pioneer times. Ethel Davidson would be a descendant of one of the Davidson families but there were several women with this name born in the 19th century though one born to a William Davidson in 1887 may be the later owner of this book. This book is of interest because of its connection to members of the Davidson families – pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool area.This is a hard cover book of 461 pages. The cover is dark red with some ornamental borders and gold lettering. The book has two black and white full page illustrations, with the first one protected with tissue paper. The inscriptions are handwritten in blue and black ink. ‘To W. Davidson from Mrs Midgley’ ‘Ethel M. Davidson’ william davidson, ethel davidson, history of warrnambool.

This book contains the Constitutions of the Freemason Lodges in Victoria. Freemasonry is a world-wide benefit society. Moves were made in the 1860s to establish a Masonic Lodge in Warrnambool with the first Lodge being St. John’s (No. 895). The Masonic Hall in Kepler Street was built in 1870. This book belonged to a member of the Flaxman family and John Flaxman was a prominent Warrnambool resident in the 19th century – an insurance agent and moneylender in the 1860 and 70s and an employee of the auctioneer, Samuel Macgregor. The book, however, seems to belong to a W. Flaxman. John Flaxman had a brother William but, as far as can be ascertained, he did not live in Warrnambool. There is nothing known so far to link this book with Warrnaambool but it is kept because of the name ‘Flaxman’ and so it may have some relevance.This is hard cover book of 142 pages. The cover is blue with gold lettering on the front cover. The cover is slightly marked. The inscription on the first page is handwritten in black ink. ‘Br W.S.B.J.Flaxman 24-2-25’ william flaxman, freemasonry in warrnambool

This is a first edition copy of the Victorian School Readers (Eighth Book) issued by the Education Department of Victoria. These readers were first published in 1928 and became standard texts for all school children up to Year Eight. They complemented the School Paper which had been published monthly for different year levels since the end of the 19th century. Both the Readers and the School Papers were in widespread use until the late 1940s and the early 1950s. William McCullagh and his wife Margaret had the property Oak Grove at Yangery at the end of the 19th century and in the early decades of the 20th century. Yangery is an agricultural area situated between Woodford and Koroit. There is a record of Silvie Jean McCullagh (parents – William and Margaret) born in 1914 and this is probably the person who owned and used this reader. This book is of interest not only because it is a first edition copy of one of the well-known Victorian School Readers but also because it was connected to the McCullagh family of Oak Grove, Yangery. This is a hard cover book of 260 pages. The cover was originally a burnished brown colour but the book has been covered with a mottled patterned cloth material (red, green and brown). The cover is partly torn off at the bottom of the spine. The book has poetry and prose extracts and includes many black and white sketches, maps, photographs and illustrations. The inscription and some other annotations throughout the book are handwritten in pencil. ‘Sylvia McCullagh, Oak Grove, Yangery, Dennington P. Office’ history of warrnambool, oak grove, yangery, mccullagh family, school readers

Augustus Bostock was the 9th child of Robert & Rachael Bostock of Vaucluse Epping Forest, Van Diemen’s Land. He was only 4 years old when his mother died. He along with his brothers, was inspired by his father to seek his fortune in the Western District of Victoria. He arrived around 1850. He married Margaret Aitkin in July 1865. Augustus owned several properties in the district and leased others. He sat on the court of Warrnambool, Mortlake or Hexham as required. He resided at Marramook in Hawkesdale and later moved to Vaucluse in Hopetoun Road Warrnambool, where he died in 1920 at the age of 87. He was involved in many aspects of life in the Western District, racing, cricket, and social activities to name a few. James Bostock was the youngest of Robert and Rachel Bostock with his mother dying in childbirth with his delivery. He loved working with horses and was close to his brothers Augustus and John. He was the third of the Bostock brothers to marry an Aitkin sister in this case Alice in 1875. He was a commission agent and money lender in Warrnambool. He died in 1919. In the 1860/70’s William Melville traded in partnership with William Bayles as merchants in Melbourne and as landholders and leases of land in the Western District Weerangourt with 14192 acres freehold. This lease is for approximately 6000 acres and is for a period of 10 years at 2/9 per acre. This is one of a number of documents which relate to the Bostock family who were one of the most important pioneering families of the Western District. They owned and leased various properties around Warrnambool and were involved in many aspects of social and business life. The document itself is indicative of its time and provides an insight into the details and terms of such documents at the time. Ten page, large sheeted document, handwritten in black ink on blue paper. It has been folded in four. Date and names of people involved on one section.William Melville Augustus Bostock James Bostock.warrnambool, bostock, augustus bostock, james bostock, william melville, lease 1862,

This is an empty box but the cover tells us that it was a box used for dentist materials from William Davidson, the Warrnambool dentist. Davidson (1870-1945) came to Warrnambool in 1892 and set up his dental business in the Tozer Buildings in Kepler Street. By 1915 Davidson had one of the most extensive dental practices in the Western District. He served in World War One and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and was mentioned in despatches. In Warrnambool Davidson was a keen sportsman, being active in the cricket and bowls clubs. He retired in the early 1940s. This box is of some significance as it came from the dental practice of William Davidson, a prominent dentist in Warrnambool for nearly 50 years. It also shows the type of box used by dentists in the early 20th centuryThis is a cardboard box reinforced at the edges with metal clips. It is light brown in colour and is printed on the top of the box with the details of William Davidson the Warrnambool dentist.‘W.J. S. Davidson, Surgeon Dentist, Kepler Street, Warrnambool, Telephone 304’william davidson dentist, warrnambool dentists

This souvenir of the Coronation of Edward V11 in 1902 was produced by William Ferguson when he was the Mayor of Warrnambool (1901-2). Ferguson was a jeweller, optician and watchmaker in Timor Street in the early 1900s. This is an interesting item as an example of the fervor with which the coronation of a King of England was celebrated in Warrnambool in 1902. It was appropriate at the time that the Mayor of Warrnambool should issue a commemorative ribbon as a loyal gesture from the civic authorities. This is a fragment of red silk ribbon which was a souvenir piece produced by William Ferguson in 1902 to celebrate the Coronation of King Edward V11 of England. The ribbon is braided at the sides and frayed at the edges and has a split in the middle and tears across the top section. The ribbon has an imprint of the Royal Crest, the side profiles of Edward and Alexandra and the Town of Warrnambool crest. ‘Born 1841, Crowned 1902, Edwardvs V11 Rex et Imp et Alexandra, Reg. 1902, Presented by W. Ferguson, Mayor, June 26th 1902’edward v11 coronation, william ferguson, warrnambool