The letters of the completed banner were made by different churches within in the presbytery and spelled a sentence, presumably "BUILD YOUR CHURCH LORD!" Orbost was one of the churches that had the finished banner on display. One of 24 small banners with tabs at the top of each for hanging on a rod. 19 have large blue letters appliqued on them. Twenty two of the banners are roughly square and two are smaller and oblong. Three have no letters and are used as spacers in the four word sentence that the letters make. The banners are decorated with rural and coastal images. BN068.2 "U" fabric paint words: "LOCH POOWONG east poowong nyora strezlecki kernang athlone" "U"uniting church adult fellowship

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981Ordinary rice straw is used imaginatively here to create a most functional and beautiful container. Since a set of items in Japan is five rather than half a dozen (five teacups, five cake plates, and the like), this carrier contains just five eggs. Devised by farmers in Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan, it is an example of packaging born of rural necessity. Interestingly enough, it seems to emphasize the freshness of the eggs. - Professor Hideyuki Oka, curator.japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

This type of cast iron kettle was used by pioneer families, mainly rural in the early 1900's upon open fires (log). It covered rural activities that needed a constant readily available source of boiling water, in or mainly outside the kitchen of homesteads. This kettle was used in the early to late 1900's for the refreshment of stock men and farmers that had irregular "tea" breaks under sometimes hard and gruelling conditions.This kettle belonged to and was used by a Kiewa Valley, pioneer family, the Roper Family. This kettle was moved from their Kiewa Valley property to their hut built on the Bogong High Plains. The Bogong High Plains area provided Kiewa Valley cattlemen a good supply of fodder to supplement their Kiewa Valley grazing areas. This "camp draft" activity , in the high plains, could take up to six weeks.This large cast iron modified camp pot (cauldron) has a long tap connection located at the bottom end. The "tap" is made from brass and has a simple elongated "bar" control swivel at the end to control the water flow. The tap suggests that only water was heated (to a constant boil) for the replenishment of cattlemen's, or other horse rider's, tea or coffee mugs. Refreshments at a "temporary" location on the Bogong High Plains. There was a "log" hut built by the Roper family as temporary accommodation for cattlemen and other family members.Ot the flat bottom "FIRST QUALITY 2 GALLONS"camp fire cooking utensils, hot plate, cast iron cooking appliance, drovers kitchen

This washboard is relatively "young" in that the timber has not "aged," however it could have been used by a rural family to wash "delicate" clothing which could not be placed within a large family washing machine or "copper". This type of washboard i.e. glass washboard, was used extensively during the war periods, 1914 to 1918 and 1939 to 1945 when corrugated metal was in scarce supply. Rural areas were the last sectors in Australia where washboards where, through necessity( droughts and lack of domestic water), used up until the late 1900s. This lingering usage was due to the fact that rural properties, on the whole, had water supplies sourced from farm dams and be the ones whose priority feed was targeting crops and farm animals before clothes and other domestic requirements. In the two millennium however, most rural areas are well stocked with water supplies and the very strict edict of conserving water, especially during droughts, of earlier times is not so critical.The Kiewa Valley although well supplied by rivers, streams and artesian water does occasionally through severe drought lack of water for farm domestic washing requirements.This washboard is made of a wooden frame and glass insert (corrugated on one side and smooth on the other). The washboard glass panel is contained within the wooden frame by routered grooves. The frame extends beyond the glass to form two legs below the glass insert and a hand grip above it. This hand grip allows for one hand to hold the washboard firmly upright and one hand to rub clothes vigorously (up and down) against the glass ridges.This action combined with a soap and water based freeing agent loosen any dirt particles which can be rinsed off. The appearance of this washboard is basic but does not detract from its effectiveness. The lack of "wear and tear" on the wooden frame suggest limited use. The construction suggests good workmanship even though there is no manufacturer's logo to be found on it.hand washing, household washing, domestic clothes washing, laundry

These bellows are from the Lynn property at Jarrahmond and were used in the blacksmith's shop. It was common for rural properties to have , of necessity, their own blacksmithing facilities.These bellows are from the Lynn property at Jarrahmond and were used in the blacksmith's shop. It was common for rural properties to have , of necessity, their own blacksmithing facilities. The Lynn family settled in Orbost circa 1890 and is well known in the Orbost area.Wood and leather bellows with metal studs. The frame and handle were constructed by Graham Fall c.2009 and are not original. The handle is attached by a chain. This was probably used on the Lynn property at Jarrahmond in the blacksmith's shop.blacksmith bellows tools

270 p., black and white photographs, colour dust jacketnon-fictionbox hill

This view of Bicton Street Greensborough, taken from Gladstone Road Briar Hill circa 1950 shows the rural nature of the suburb at this time.Digital copy of black and white photo.bicton street greensborough, gladstone road briar hill

A heavy trying plane would have been used in construction work on rural properties. It can be used for planing hard, difficult timbers.Tools such as this would have been used in the construction of local homes, or rural outbuildings in early Orbost.. It is representative of an era before power tools. A long, heavy wooden plane used in smoothing the edges of roughly planed wood.woodwork tools plane-trying

High rise building on one side and a possible rural development site with a few trees in the background. Nothing is known about this, or when it was made.Black and white photograph

Rural Scene of Mr Gordon Maconachie Ploughing on his property near Callawadda. Disc plough drawn by a team of horses. 1920'scallawadda

The Mount Cotterill Group encompassed the Rural Fire Brigades of Melton, Rockbank, Sydenham, Toolern Vale, Truganina, and Werribee and later Diggers RestMap belonging to the Truganina Fire Brigade emergency services

This image highlights the rural nature of the area during the 1950s where areas that are now major highways and intersections appear like country roads.Black and white photograph of the intersection of Warrigal Road and Centre Road in Oakleigh. There is a truck travelling south toward the camera along Warrigal Road which is a sealed road. On the right hand side is a Caltex petrol station with a street sign for Centre Road.Handwritten in blue ink on reverse: 2191 Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 72%oakleigh, cars, roads, suburbs

This "art deco" style of containers were very popular by the "art and trendy" socialites, be they in the city or in rural towns and properties. This style was very popular in the 1940's to 1950's. The octagonal shape provided the stability of the decanter with its "expensive" contents. Because of its style it blended in well with any lavish meal and socio economic "upper" class environment. It was a part of social atmosphere of elegance and wealth be it in the city or on a rural property. This is very significant to the Kiewa Valley rural "society" environment. At the time of its use the wealth of Australia was "riding on the sheep's back", that is rural income(primary producers), on the whole, was well above that in the cities (industrial). It was in a period where large wealthy property owners could spend lavishly on trendy domestic items.This octagonal glass decanter with its egg shaped stopper is made in an "art deco" style and reflects the 1950's style of bold design. The decanter "stopper" has been cut in a "diamond" cut to reflect the sunlight as does a diamond ring. The stopper is tapered down to permit easy placement and removal. The Stability of the decanter is increased by the broad base and octagonal (8) sides tapering going up the sides.decanter, glass, art deco glass ware, spirits container

The town borrows its name from the Koroitch Gundidj people who occupied the area prior to European settlement. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koroit, accessed 21 December 2016) Koroit was first surveyed as a township in 1847. Around the 1850 the district had the highest population of Irish immigrants in rural Australia. The Koroit Post Office was designed by architect and engineer John Mason of Port Fairy. (Moyne Shire Heritage Study 2006 Stage 2, Volume 2: Environmental History, Prepared for Moyne Shire Council Helen Doyle in association with Context Pty Ltd, 2006.) Rosebrook Bridge, Rosebrook (1853; replaced) Post Office buildings, Bank Street, Port Fairy (c.1857) The author Henry Handel Richardson lived in the Koroit Post Office as a child after her family moved to Koroit in 1878. Remembering Koroit from her youth, the third volume in her The Fortunes of Richard Mahony trilogy is set in the town. When the author was six, her father Walter died in Koroit on 1 August 1879 and was buried at the Koroit cemetery. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koroit, accessed 21 December 2016) In 1878 Mary Richardson was appointed postmistress of the Koroit Post Office at a salary of 72 pounds with free quarters, firewood and kerosene. She lived at the back of the Post Office. (From a Green and Pleasant Land by H. McCorkell and P. Yule.) Photographs showing the bluestone Koroit Post Office, phone box and postbox. It is located at 99 Commercial Road, Koroit. "Historic Area Statement of Significance: The significance of Koroit derives from its role as the urban centre of one of the most concentrated Irish Roman Catholic rural districts in Australia, noted for its mixed livestock and cropping argicultural patterns. This is reflected in two separate and distinctive areas in the town - the administrative/commercial area and the church precinct. The administrative and commercial area (focussing on the Boundary-Commercial Road/High Street intersection and the Koroit Hotel) consists of a number of significant public buildings and leads to a street of relatively intact humble shopfronts and kerbline verandahs, visually punctuated by opposing bank facades. The church precinct is dominated by a group of Catholic buildings larger in scale and more complete in range than those in any comparably sized Victorian town." http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/69338#sthash.ELLuSMvg.dpuf, accessed 21 December 2016."koroit, post office, phone box, payphone, bluestone, henry handel richardson, koroit post office

Photograph shows what appears to be a rural farmhouse and paddock, this is part of the site of the old railway line to Whittlesea. In centre of photo is the old station platform.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.whittlesea, whittlesea rail line

Photograph shows what appears to be a rural farmhouse and paddock, this is part of the site of the old railway line to Whittlesea. In centre of photo is the old station platform.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.whittlesea, whittlesea rail line

Photograph shows what appears to be a rural farmhouse and paddock, this is part of the site of the old railway line to Whittlesea. In centre of photo is the old station platform.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.whittlesea, whittlesea rail line

Photograph shows what appears to be a rural farmhouse and paddock, this is part of the site of the old railway line to Whittlesea. In centre of photo is the old station platform.Part of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. No caption on slide.whittlesea, whittlesea rail line

This riding crop is a short type of whip without a lash, used in horse riding, It would have been used by a rural family in early Orbost.Horses played a vital role in the agricultural history of Orbost. This item is connected to that role.Two whips. .1 is a small leather riding whip with metal casings and small metal horse head at one end. This is a lady's riding crop. .2 is a very long buggy whip with metal casings. Both are hand-made.equestrian whip leather-work

While the exact history of this item is not recorded, handworked items were an important feature of home and social life in rural districts in the 19th and 20th centuries. Of some local social significance.White cotton hand crocheted teardrop shape evening bag, mesh pattern with scallops radiating from rose motif in centre (front and back), scalloped edge, 3 small decorative baubles, lined with fine cotton,with drawcord. Condition and colour good. Age not determined but probably 20th century.Nonehome made, handcraft, handbag, evening bag, bridal wear, crotchet work, hand work, decorative work

non-fictionA photocopy of an article from a National Trust magazine pertaining to the landscape classification for Blackburn Lake and Bell Bird Streets.boongarry avenue blackburn, blackburn lake, national trust of australia victoria

The period when kerosene was extensively used for indoor lighting was before electrical reticulation was installed in rural areas. In remote areas this was up to the mid 1900's. The kerosene lantern however was still in use, for camping and outdoor activities, well beyond this period and was eventually replaced by LPG and battery powered lighting. The transition phase to "modern" outdoor and domestic lighting lingered on the rural areas where the electrical reticulation suffered from reliable constant supply.In the Kiewa Valley, being a rural region, had reliable electrical domestic and farm supply only after the Kiewa Hydro Electricity Scheme had been fully operational. The supply was relative to how close the homestead was to the major electricity substation. This kerosene lamp was in use during the period when it was the only reliable source of domestic night time lighting. The strength of refractive light produced by this lantern/lamp hinged upon the size of the lamp(wick and glass bowl). The small size of this lamp suggests that it was for use in a small room(children's bedroom) or as providing a light for a safe walk to the outside ablutions (toilet) area. This small kerosene lamp has an enclosed "cup" body which would have contained the kerosene fuel. The top wick holder, made from brass, has an extended enclosed spout which raises the wick approximately 20mm from the bottom of the holder. The wick holder screws into the the top of the kerosene reservoir bowl and has a wick adjustment screw (light control) at one side. The small white glass light reflector bulb nestles securely onto the wick holder and is kept snug by snap designed extending "fingers". The section between the bottom of the refractive glass "light" bowl and the top of the kerosene bowl has perforations to allow air passage to feed directly to the wick.The light refracting bulb is open at the top to allow heat and smoke from the burning wick to escape upwards.On the wick control screw "CWB BRITISH MADE"kerosene reading lamp, domestic lighting, bedside light

Road construction and planning was a primary function of the early local government authorities in rural and regional Victoria. This plan is indicative of the sort of documentation which generated considerable public interest and comment in rural communities. The date of this plan is not clear. Newspaper articles in the Bacchus Marsh Express around 1869 contain numerous references to the proposed new road between Gisborne and Blackwood which suggests this plan may date from the late 1860s or early 1870s.A single page paper map showing the proposed route of a main road to be constructed between Gisborne and Blackwood. The map is pasted into a bound volume containing 76 maps or plans in total. High resolution digital image stored on BMDHS computer network. roads, road plans, bacchus marsh victoria maps, gisborne to blackwood main road

Set of two Agfacolor cardboard mounted slides - have handwritten captions and two numbers - no date, pre dash canopy stripes and additional lights, late 1950's? Scanned on the Canon scanner at the depot 15/12/1971 at the time of the installation of the scanner. .1 - Bendigo 13, outbound in Pall Mall with the Shamrock Hotel in the background. .2 - Bendigo 2, in bound from Eaglehawk in a very rural situation, unsealed road sides, with the Destination of Quarry Hill..1 - "Tram No. 13 in Pall Mall Bendigo / 24)" in red ink. .2 - "Tram No. 2 approaching Bendigo / 25)" in red ink.tramways, trams, bendigo, eaglehawk, pall mall, tram 13, tram 2

Photographs taken at the time of the purchase by Western Mining Corporation of the property owned by G.P. Daly of Raywood Road, Woodvale, in 1986. The intent of the purchase was to provide land for the Woodvale ponds. Land size was 16 acres, known as Allotment 13, Section 3, Parish of Nerring. Paper with two colour photographs attached, each of three photos joined to show landscape view, of the property purchased from G.P Daly by Western Mining Corporation. Photographs show rural land, grassy paddocks with tree line in background. Barb wire fence visible in foreground of bottom photo. Top photograph is titled 23. Daly property looking south-east. Bottom photograph is titled 24. Daly property looking north east. woodvale, g.p. daly, western mining corporation, purchase

This type of butter mould was used by rural families in the Kiewa Valley to fashion/shape home/farm made butter either for domestic use or to sell locally.Kiewa Valley was a dairying district with many farms in remote locations especially before the State Electricity Commission of Victoria built the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme from the 1940's. This pair of butter pats have been crafted from wood. One has one side with grooves running from the handle to the tip of the rectangle. the other side is smooth. These grooves would stop the wet butter from clinging to the pat. The top side of the pat has been bevelled. The second pat is longer and wider without grooves along the handle. This one also has 3 arrows on the handle pointing down towards the handle end and isn't bevelled. 3 arrows.kiewa valley. butter pat. farm produce. domestic produce. dairy. farms

This is a removable bicycle lantern probably dating from the first half of the 20th Century. It is a carbide lamp which was a popular form of lighting, particularly in rural areas. This item has no known local provenance but is retained as it is a good example of an early bicycle lamp.This is a brass and steel bicycle lamp. It has a circular glass front, a mechanism for attaching the lamp to the bicycle, a lighting adjustable wick and two glass panels on the side, one green and one red. There is a label with the manufacturer's name on the side. POWELL & HANMER "KINGFISHER" MAKERS, BIRMINGHAMvintage lighting, powell and hanmer

Domestic water filters would have been used in Orbost before water was reticulated to all town houses and on rural properties using tank water.This is an example of a domestic ceramic container used to hold and filter water in the early 20th century."The Abbot Filter" used to cool water. Tall, stoneware, cylindrical, cream coloured with handles and tap. Tap is stainless steel."The Abbot Filter" - Australianwater-supply abbot-filter container water-cooler