The binnacle was originally from a lifeboat of the tug 'Melbourne' previously 'Howard Smith'. When the vessel sank at Gellibrand [Williamstown], the binnacle was under water for about one month. The lifeboat was later cut loose from the wreck by a salvage crew [as told by the donor].A good example of a small binnacle and compass as used on a lifeboat from the 1950s.Binnacle, brass with wick light mounted on timberbinnacle, compass, tug boat, 'melbourne', 'howard smith'

Acquired by the donor while sailing in Melbourne on the 'New Endeavour'Standard belaying pin made from jarrah woodbelaying pin, sailing ships

These shark fishing hooks were collected by Geoff Beasley from QueenscliffFishing artefactsFour shark hooks mounted on a timber board with an embossed labelShark Hooks collected by Geoff Beazleyfishing, shark fishing, hooks, fishing equipment

Large gudgeons from an unknow wreck near Pope's EyeTwo cast iron gudgeon fittings suitable for a rudder from an unknown wreck salvaged close to Pope's Eye in Port Phillipship wrecks, salvage, gudgeons

HMS Nelson was a 126-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched on 4 July 1814 at Woolwich Dockyard she was later converted into a screw ship in 1860, and was cut down to a two-decker and fitted with an engine of 2,102 indicated horsepower. In 1865, HMVS Nelson was given to the colony of Victoria as a training ship. She was outfitted and rigged for £42,000 and sailed for Australia in October 1867. Travelling via the Cape of Good Hope, she arrived in February 1868. She was the first ship to dock in the newly constructed Alfred Graving Dock in Williamstown, Victoria.Possibly the first training ship of the Victorian Navy which had a base in Swan Island in Queenscliffe.A black and white photograph of the sailing ship HMS later HMVS Nelson docked at the Alfred Graving Dock, Williamstown, 1872"Nelson" in Alfred Graving Dock Williamstown, Victoria 1872hms nelson, hmvs nelson, alfred graving dock, williamstown

Common home made example of a dip net used by fishermenRound shaped dip net used to hold caught fish.fishing, leisure activity

Built in 1914 by Fleming and Ferguson in Paisley Scotland as Sir William Matthews for the Ceylon Government, she was a twin screwed steam bucket dredge. She was purchased from the Western Australian Government by the Melbourne Harbour Trust on 10 October 1941. After an extensive overhaul, the vessel was renamed the George Kermode and commenced operation in Victorian waters on 22 June 1942. The George Kermode was scuttled by the Department of Conservation, Forests and Land off Phillip Island on the 1 April 1976 as part of an artificial reef program. This vessel was used to dredge the Port Phillip channels from 1942 and is of cultural significance to Queenscliffe.Binnacle compass from the 'George Kermode'Compass No. 3127N Sestrel Type 89098bucket dredge, port phillip, melbourne harbour trust

Brought to Australia by English Captain William Parsons during the 1830s.Donated by Robert Nissen in memory of Gaye Marie Nissen, daughter of Robert Nissen and Mary Wentworth, a descendant of William Charles Wentworth.Mahogany lap writing desk with roll top, ink wells, writing slope, drawer and other compartments.Copper plate on top panel is inscribed with "M.A."writing desks, william charles wentworth

Black portable writing desk with writing pad, ink wells and other compartmentsportable writing desk, domestic item

Example of aquatic safety at sea equipmentHand held aquatic emergency lightemergency light, safety at sea

Pains Wessex Mini Resqsat RB3 Personal 121.5 / 243 MHz EPIRBKinetic Technology Int Pty Ltdepirb, safety at sea

A battery operated emergency life buoy light4.88emergency light, safety at sea

Photograph of young Harry Greenberg in silver framephotographs, harry greebberg

Harpoon belonged to Cappy Felman, one of several fishermen from Barwon Heads post WWIIMetal Harpoon tip missing handlefishing, harpoon

McIlwraith McEacharn Line Pty.Ltd., reg. Melbourne. 1918: Commandeered as a troopship. 1919: Returned to owners. 1920: Resumed Australian coastal service. 1941: Commandeered as a troopship. 1942 Aug 4: Fired upon in the Great Australian Bight (WA) by a Japanese submarine. 1946: Returned to owners & sold to Compania Maritima del Este, reg. Panama. Refitted at Genoa and sailed under Greek Line flag. 1947: Chartered to French Line for Caribbean service. 1949: Refitted at Genoa & placed on Europe-Canada run. 1954: Neptunia Shipping Co. 1957: Laid up at Bremerhaven. 1958: Laid up at Piraeus. 1959 Sept.29: Arrived at Nagasaki, Japan having been sold to shipbreakers.Served with SS Duntroon leaving Melbourne on 12 February 1942, to join convoy MS5 to Colombo escorted by aircraft carrier HMS Enterprise. She then embarked 640 Second AIF troops to be redeployed to the South West Pacific after serving in the middle east.Brass name plate 'SS Katoomba'SS KATOOMBAwwi, wwii, passenger steamships, ss katoomba

A hand held tool used for vigorously shaping timber with a blade horizontal to users grip2 Gill Pin....gis? Mill Warranted FAI 27tools, adze, boat building

Two brass fire hose nozzles and a fire hydrant lever.fire fighting, fire hose fittings

A telescope in its own timber box.Turn this to change powertelescope, navigation

Flashlights where a vital tool for night time map reading, signaling with coloured lenses and many other uses. The blackout during the war also meant for a extended popularity of flashlights. Many carried them onto the streets to see as the streetlights where very rare and to top that of mostly blacked out. Most flashlights where fitted with blinds or coloured lenses to hide the bright light they produced. These coloured lenses where also used to signal between individual soldiers. Mostly used in the 1940s by the military and civilians alike. A small metal light signal box or flashlight.Petrix No. 678signal box, flashlight, petrix 678

This sextant was used by Captain J Menzies, Harbour Master in Warrnambool who testified in the Victorian Royal Commission of 1925 on the development of Warrnambool Harbour.A maritime instrument with links to Victorian Harbour Development history of the early twentieth century.A brass sextant in wooden box'J Menzies' hand written on box lid.sextant, capt. j. menzies

As the White Ensign was reserved entirely for the use of the Royal Navy, the Admiral decided to approve of a new ensign for the Victorian Navy and this was flown for the first time from Nelson on 9th March 1870. The new ensign was very similar to the present day national flag and incorporated the Union flag with five white stars on a blue field.Following upon a series of ‘Russian scares’ in the 1870s, Nelson presumably by permission of the Admiralty, was converted into a fighting ship for the Victorian Navy; she was cut down to a single- decker, the fore and mizzen masts were removed, and the armament modified by the landing of several of the old muzzle-loaders and the addition of a number of new breech-loading guns. This conversion was carried out in the new drydock in 1881.A framed copy of an engraving entitled: 'Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstown'.Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstownhmvs nelson, alfred graving dock, williamstown

Started way back in the mid sixties, Malcolm Barlow first started to build BARLOW winches in a small garage in Sydney. Even though, or maybe because of the uncanny resemblance of those early winches to the American manufactured BARIENT winches, they have stood the test of time.Australian made yachting winch equipment made in the 1960sA wooden box containing 3 winchesBarlow, Australia yachting, barlow winches, winches

The donor's husband served in the navy and used this mattress on a hammock during war years.A single mattress stuffed with waddingEssanjay Mfg. Co. Sydney 1941 palliasse, hammock

This smock was hand sewn by Florence Kelly for her husband Reuben Kelly to be used as protective clothing when catching couta in Port Fairy 1948.Fishing industry from Queenscliffe to Port Fairy up to the 1950s /60s. A hand sewn fishermen's smock used by the maker's husband as protective clothing when fishing for couta.couta fishing, protective clothing, fishing industry, port fairy, fishermen's smock

In the evening of 20 November 1940, while en route from Queenscliff to Portsea in Port Phillip Bay where she intended to anchor for the evening, she collided with the 10,364 ton, outward bound passenger liner, MV Duntroon, which struck her amidships on the port side. Duntroon’s captain had believed that she was on a parallel course to Goorangai and overtaking her. By the time he realised Goorangai’s true course, with Duntroon travelling at more than 17 knots, it was too late to avoid the collision. Goorangai was cut in two and sank in less than a minute with the loss of her entire crew of 24. Just six bodies were recovered in subsequent salvage operations. She was the first ship lost by the RAN in World War II.This event is still remembered by the community at an annual ceremony in Queenscliffe. The hat band holds Victorian Heritage Register number S294 / 151982A hat band of Signalman Jack Herbert RAN mounted on a display board containing a copy of a signed photograph of the HMAS Goorangai ships company and an extract of his service record.hmas goorangai, mv duntroon, wwii, royal australian navy, port phillip

Part of a collection of maritime artefacts donated by Wilfred [Bill] Libby These items were used on sailing ships.Two metal spectacle rings or ironsspectacle rings, shackels, spectacle irons, sail fittings, sailing

William Buckley was born in 1780 at Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. After time as a bricklayer and soldier he was caught with stolen property, sentenced on 2 August 1802, and transported to Australia. Between October, 1803, and January, 1804, he escaped from Sullivan's Bay in the Port Phillip district and spent the next 32 years in the company of aborigines wandering between Port Phillip and the near western district as far as Lake Corangamite. In about 1835 he was discovered by three white men, members of John Batman's Port Phillip Association investigating the area with a view to future settlement.Wild white man. Kevin Hayden. Marine History Publications; Geelong (Vic); nd. 28 p.; illus.; map. Soft cover.william buckley; aborigines; otway ranges;

Geelong was surveyed and declared a Township on October 26 1838 and this is the date adopted for the starting point for this photographic survey. Geelong & District. A photographic album of historic photographs in sepia, 1838-1988. John Reid (text); Ian Hawthorne (photo.) Geelong (Vic); Joval Commercial Productions; 1988. ii, 160, ii p.; illus. Hard cover. ISBN 0 7316 3060 2To Alf With love on your 80th birthday, August 27th 1989 XXX Ivygeelong; history; photography; john reid; ian hawthorne;

Colac was the centre of a spidery rail network over which were carted anything and everything by Victorian Railways, the common carrier throughout the area. The main line through the region was the 35 km rail route from Birregurra (and thence to Geelong) though Colac to Pirron Yallock (and thence to Warrnambool and Port Fairy) from March, 1877, to July, 1883. The first branch line ran from Irrewarra to Beeac in 1889, which then extended in stages to Cressy and on the Ballarat. The second branch line was the 31 km long Birregurra to Forrest in 1891. The cost of building railways into mountainous terrain meant the third branch line was a narrow-gauge 2 foot 6 inch line, first of all to Beech Forest in 1902, and then to Crowes in 1911, for a total of 71 km. The final rail connection was the 16 km branch from Colac to Alvie to facilitate the transport of onions, opening in 1923. Each line had its own character and peculiarities derived from its foundation, geography and economic base. As a general rule, the loadings on the branch lines had greater output tonnage than inwards, the reverse of the main line. The lines traversed agricultural and timber areas where inputs like seed, grass, fertiliser and labour were minor, compared with the output, timber, wool, cream, butter, cheese fruit, potatoes, onion, grain and livestock.Rail Centre Colac. Rail stations in the Colac Otway Shire, 1877 to 2014. Norman Houghton. 1st ed. Norman Houghton; Geelong (Vic); 2014. vi, 262 p.; illus., maps, index. Soft cover.colac; cressy; forrest; beech forest; crowes