Part of Ron Laing's collection of photographs recording Port Melbourne over a thirteen year period. Donated to the PMH&PS by the photographer.A set of colour photographs of Port Melbourne domestic and business structures, c1999, including new house at 31 Ross, former Masonic Hall at 18 Stokes St (1858), New houses on old J&R Garage site, Graham and Clarke St, new housing project on Walsh Transport Depot in Albert Street, building cnr Stokes and Graham, house cnr Graham and Albert, west side; only surviving milk bar within a radius of 100m from cnr Graham and Albert; ex-butcher shop/ex-chicken shop, 400 Graham Streetbuilt environment - domestic, built environment - commercial, business and traders, ron laing

In 2005 Michele Matthews interviewed current and former residents of Bendigo for her thesis on the 1930s Depression as part of her PhD Research, with the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts, History Department. Michele interviewed fifteen members of prominent Bendigonian families. The thesis was titled: "How Depressing?: The impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925-1935". The Michele Matthews Collection contains fourteen audio cassette tape recordings and one written transcript. The tapes are each approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes duration. The questions presented to the interviewees explore everyday experiences they would have lived through at the time of the Depression. The questions covered sixteen relevant subjects: • Introduction and housing • Social activities, swimming, cinemas, school and games played with friends • Organizations such as the RSL, Relief Committees etc. and any effect they had on family life • The life of the single woman • Unemployment and Employment • Government Assistance • Charities Aid • Self-help • People Power, e.g. boycotts or protests • Politics • Trouble or crime • Family Health, Medical and Diet • Education • General memories of, and hardships encountered, during the DepressionNOTE: The interview tape except for the introduction is blank and, as their are no interview notes, it is assumed that the interview was abandoned for some reason. Audio tape interview with Jean Coulter (Nee May). Jean was born in 1915. In 1936 she married Raymond Coulter. Her father, David May was a fencer in Northern Victoria, and her mother worked as general duties in a hotel. She attended school at Quarry Hill State School (1921-1926) and Domestic Arts (1926-1927). The tape has been converted to a sound file. The 90 minute interview can be listened to, and the notes viewed, at the Bendigo Historical Society. By appointment only.history, bendigo, michele matthews collection, the 1930s depression tapes, jean coulter

This appliance was a time saving method of cleaning floors. It appeared at a time (after World War II) when the domestic pressures faced by mothers and domestic staff was on the increase. The necessary "working parents" was through necessity becoming part of the "typical" family environment. It was the start of the ever increasing demand, from an economical reason, for both parents to work outside their property. Historically the period of the 1950s was one of extreme changes. It was an era where established role models were under pressure from an ever increasing demand for new and advancing consumerism. Communication levels via radio, newspapers and television was expanding at an ever increasing rate. Relatively isolated rural areas were opening up (post war) to foreign ideologies of consumerism. The basic restraints of "this will be alright mate, she'll do" was under a slow but effective take over. "I can get this done faster by this new whiz bang gadget that I saw on the TV last night!" was the new way to live by.This item is very significant in that it demonstrates the new consumerism at its infant stage of the social changes occurring due to greater communication levels between the rural Australian communities and other advancing communities world wide. The Kiewa Valley residents (mainly from the intermingling of rural and post World War II refugees working at the construction of the Victorian Hydro electricity installations, resulted in this rural area becoming integrated to new ways of living (both socially and economically). Once the attitude of "we have always done it this way mate!" was challenged and overcome, the acceptance of new time saving "gadgets" which started to pour in from foreign markets, the relative isolation of the Kiewa Valley (being mainly psychological entrenched), was over.This hoover electric floor scrubber and polisher has a main base containing two brushes (can be replaced with polishing pads). The two brushes/pads are fastened or removed from the base unit by pulling/pushing the heads from the small hexagonal shaft on the bottom of the machine motor. A pressure sensitive wire is inlaid at the brush/pad end to hold the brush/pad unit onto the shaft. The discs body and main body covering the electric motor are made from sturdy plastic. The rest of the appliance materials i.e. upright handle and the u framed attaching arm are made from lightweight powder coated steel. A small (350mm) red coloured foot switch protrudes from the back of the motor to release the the upright handle from the storage position to the action position.There are two fork shaped brackets on the rear of the handle, for securing the 6.5 metre long electrical cord and plug. There is no on/off switch on the appliance. A small stainless steel "u" framed clip (for hanging the appliance in the vertical position) for cupboard storage. Within the circle of the cleaning brush is stamped "1 above S.A.B.351" and on the opposite side P/No: 5023792". On the main plastic head of the brush discs are "TO CLEAN" and under this "USE ONLY WARM(underlined) WATER AND SOAP" on the opposite side, and within a circle is the Hoover Trademark. On the front of the blue coloured plastic dome covering the electric motor is (on a raised domed shaped plaque (on a red background) Hoover in slanted print from left to right(in a diagonal level)domestic appliances, floor cleaning, electric floor scrubbers and polishers

Generally used for serving fruit at the table.Oval shaped serving bowl decorated with bluw 'willow' pattern.Japandomestic, bowl, china, oval, willow pattern, crockery, cermaic, porcelain

Cookery book used to preserve fruit and vegetablesCream coloured paper recipe book. Soft paper cover, decorated with fruit and vegetables. Dept. of Agriculture coat of arms at top of cover page.Department of Agriculture Victoria. Bulletin No.43. Price 2/6dbook, domestic, kitchen, cookery, recipes, fruit, vegetables, preserving

Used by internees for washing and bathing babies at Camp 3Galvanised iron bath tub with fixed handles either endbath tub, bissinger g, weid, camp 3, tatura, ww2, domestic, ablutions

Used by internees at Camp 3Pointed two pronged metal and wood garden weeder. Tin tube around the lower end of wooden handleweeder, bissinger g, wied k and n, camp 3, tatura, ww2, domestic, gardening

Used by internees at Camp 3Top wooden frames shaped into handles. Slots at bottom of handles allow material bag to be threaded hrough and hand sewn back on to bag.sewing basket, bissinger g, wied k & n, camp 3, tatura, ww2, domestic, sewing