Donated by Bass Valley Historical SocietyBlack & White Portrait of Anne McHaffie as a young child in lace dress.On back: " Anne McHaffie Phillip Island"mchaffie family, phillip island, bass valley historical society, anne mchaffie

Donated by Stan McFee from the Keith McIlwraith Collection.Black & White postcard. View looking across water to Rhyll."Off Rhyll Phillip Island 270"rhyll, phillip island, stan mcfee, keith mcilwraith collection

Donated by H. S. KnoxBlack & White postcard. Summerland Beach looking east. Two cars parked in the foreground. People on the beach"V37" "Summerlands Beach Phillip Island"summerland beach phillip island, penguin rookery, phillip island, h. s. knox

One of 4 photographs donated by Norma Smith. On back of postcard is an order sent to Mrs Smith of Rhyll from Mrs Eva Richardson of Bay View Cowes, for eating apples and pears. Black & White postcard of Bay View Guesthouse."Bay View Cowes, Phillip Island"bay view cowes phillip island, bayview guesthouse cowes, mrs richardson, mrs smith, norma smith

One of 16 photographs and postcards donated by Mary KarneyBlack & White postcard copy of a Chicory Kiln in Cowes."Chicory Kiln Cowes, Phillip Island"chicory kiln, cowes chicory kiln, mary karney

One of a collection of photographs donated by Shirley PetersonSepia postcard of people at Forrest Caves, Phillip Island."The Rose Series P. 671" "Forest Caves, Back Beach, Phillip Island, Victoria"forrest caves, phillip island, phillip island coastline, phillip island, shirley peterson

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PORT PHILLIP MINE TAKEN IN THE 1860'SCLUNES IN THE SIXTIES, SHOWING THE WORKS OF THE OLD PORT PHILLIP AND COLONIAL GOLD MINING COMPANY.local history, photography, photographs, mining

Fold out series of 8 photographs relating to Phillip Island. Donated by Dr Cook.Black & White Folder of photographs: 1: Summerland Surf Beach 2: Koala 3: Breakers At The Nobbies 4: The Jetty at Cowes 5: Seals on Seal Rocks 6: Newhaven - San Remo Bridge 7: Penguins at Summerland Cowes 8: The Nobbies and Seal RocksFront Cover: "Camera Highlights illustrating Cowes Phillip Island, Vic. The Isle of Enchantment" Photos by A. J. Murray - Copyright. Each photo inscription as above in Physical Description. Back Cover: "Postage Rates within the British Empire - Without correspondence, in an unsealed envelope, will be 1.1/2d. If correspondence is added, postage will be 2.1/2d. whether envelope is ealsed or unsealed. Foreign rate, 3.1/2d. To..................................... From..............................."phillip island, penguins, seals, the nobbies, seal rocks, the jetty shed cowes, summerland surf beach, newhaven to san remo bridge, dr cook

Collection of newspaper clippings from Scrap Book 1960 - 1973Article telling about the visit to Phillip Island by Sir Rohan Delacombe & Lady Delacombe and the aides.sir rohan delacombe, lady delacombe, phillip island, cowes phillip island, newspaper clipping, jean jamieson

Collection of Newspaper Clippings from Scrap Book 1960 - 1973Article and photo of the new second Bowling Green for the Phillip Island Bowling Club in Cowes in 1968phillip island bowling club, harry jobe, newspaper clipping, bowling green construction, jean jamieson, cowes phillip island

One of a collection of 15 photographs/postcards donated by Lois MullinsBlack & White photograph of the old Suspension Bridge from San Remo to Newhaven, Phillip Island"The Bridge San Remo Vic"suspension bridge san remo, suspension bridge san remo/phillip island, phillip island bridge, bridges, lois mullins

On 28th March 1801, Lieut. James Grant sailed across from Rhyll, landed and inspected Churchill Island. His men cleared some ground and planted seeds including Victoria's first crop of wheat. Named Churchill Island after John Churchill Esq. of Dawlish in the County of Devon.Coloured photograph of Churchill Island taken from Jetty on Phillip Island. Low tide is evident.local history, photographs, buildings - historical, rural industry, coloured photograph, john cook, churchill island

Bass Memorial Cairn erected in 1923. Shrubbery to left and thickly on right of photo. A glimpse of Westernport Bay to left of Cairn. Two yachts moored alongside end of Jetty in calm water.Bass Memorial Cairn at Rhyll on foreshoreBass Memorial Rhyll, Phillip Island, Vic. Murray Views No. 6. Bass Memorial Rhyll Phillip Island, Vic.local history, photographs, memorials, rhyll, phillip island, black & white photograph, mona condrick

One of 5 postcards donated by G. Hayward.Sepia postcard of Broadwater Guest House, situated in Lovers' Walk, Cowes, Phillip Island."The Rose Series P. 3399" "Broadwater", Cowes, Phillip Is., Vic.broadwater guesthouse cowes phillip island, guesthouses phillip island, phillip island, g hayward

Captain Charles Ferguson was born in Scotland in 1813. He was the Master of the "Rajah" from 1838 to 1850 on voyages from England to Australia and vice versa. He became the First Chief Harbour Master for the port of Melbourne in 1852 after being the first Harbour Master and Water Police Officer in Geelong for 12 months. On the 5th of April 1841, the Rajah sailed with James Donovan M.D. as Surgeon Superintendent, and the Rajah sailed from Woolwich with 180 female convicts. The Rajah arrived on the 19th of July in Hobart, with 179 females (one died during the voyage) and 10 children. Miss Kezia Elizabeth Hayter was the matron on board. On page 28 of the "Sailing directions for Port Phillip, in the colony of Victoria including the ports of Melbourne and Geelong", a mention is made of the Mariner's Hospital and Floating Church soon to be established. There were discussions to built the hospital in Williamstown but instead the Government decided to build it in Melbourne. The Harbour Master and a commiittee decided to use the water police hulk, Emily, left unsold in 1856, to create a floating church: the Bethel was open in July 1857 with Reverend Kerr Johnston as Chaplain. Latrobe wrote a letter to Captain Cole in 1869, a few months after learning his death : "To Captain George Ward Cole † [from a draft in another’s hand] Clapham House, Lewes, Sussex, January 28th, 1869. My dear Captain Cole, Last mail will have taken out the sad intelligence of the death of our excellent old friend, Captain Ferguson. This will have been a terrible blow to his children and to his friends in the colony, who may have held reason to expect his early return to his home, with a not unreasonable prospect of ultimate restoration to health and activity. In the course of last October I went up to town with one of my children, mainly with the purpose of finding my way to Pinner, where he and Mrs. Ferguson were staying with an intimate friend. I found him in excellent health and spirits, and enjoying the prospect of a speeding resumption of the service to which he had devoted his best days, and upon the furtherance of which his entire energy was still directed. A week or two later Captain and Mrs. Ferguson went to Dover for change of air, and being still under the impression received from the advisers by whom they had been guided during their residence at a hydropathic establishment at Matlock, felt encouraged to plan almost immediate return to the colony by the Jerusalem early in December. However, certain misgivings in the mind of a medical gentleman, then in England, under whose care Captain Ferguson had at one time placed himself in Williamtown, led them to consider it judicious before departure to take the advice of some surgeon of eminence in London. Accordingly they came up to town at the close of November. The first London practitioners they consulted shook their heads, and advised consultation with Sir Wm. Ferguson. The result was that amputation, without loss of time, was pronounced necessary. The rest is soon told. He received the painful intelligence with calmness and full resignation to God's will, and underwent the operation at King's College Hospital with exemplary firmness and Courage on the 28th of November. Perfect success seemingly attended it, and there seemed, humanly speaking, to be every prospect of a prompt cure and early convalescence; everything seemed in his favour. A few days later, however, all was clouded by symptoms of hospital fever (pyoe æm ia). This resisted all control, and finally carried him off on the 27th of December, just one month after the operation. He had lived a Christian life, and his death was the peaceful and resigned death of a Christian. It was a melancholy satisfaction to me to be able to join a few friends in following his remains to their resting place in one of the outlying London cemeteries on the last day of the year. You know Mrs Ferguson well, and will be prepared to hear me say that her whole conduct and demeanour throughout this period of suspense and bitter trial has been worthy of her high character and steadfast principle. Come what will, and happen what may, I have the fullest conviction that neither the widow nor the children will be forsaken, however doubtful and clouded the future may appear, in consequence of the irreparable loss which, they have sustained. And now, dear Captain Cole, it is possible that you may already have heard all this from other sources, but I have dictated it to you under strong impulse, for I feel assured that there is no member of the community in which you live who will more sincerely deplore the loss of Captain Ferguson on private grounds; at the same time that there is no one who, from long acquaintance with his official character and services, will be in a better position to estimate their real value or the loss which the colony has sustained. The circumstances in which Captain Ferguson's family are left not only demands the utmost display of sympathy and interest on the part of friends, but may call for decided and prompt action; therefore I cannot rest satisfied without discharging what I consider my duty, and seeking to strengthen your hands as far as I may in bringing the character of his long services before the existing colonial authorities. Of his private career previous to his entering the service of the Colonial Government in 1851 nothing need be said. Captain Ferguson was appointed as the Harbour Master at Geelong in April, 1851 – a few months before the separation of the colony from New South Wales. He there did excellent service in a variety of ways calculated to advance the interests of the port, and to introduce www.latrobesociety.org.au 27 order, where, from circumstances, but little order had hitherto prevailed. His was the first appointment of this class in that locality. The separation of the colony from New South Wales took place in the month of July following. Shortly after, the late Captain Bunbury resigned the Harbour Mastership of Port Phillip. Captain Ferguson was at once (February, 1852) appointed to succeed him, and from that time performed all duties of Chief Harbour Master of the colony. The previous year (May 1851) the first gold discoveries in New South Wales had taken place, and in the month of August those of our colony followed. At the time of Captain Ferguson’s taking charge of the Port of Melbourne their influence had begun to be fully felt, and in no department more seriously than in that of the Harbour Master. This is no place for statistical details, but they must bear me out in reminding you of a few facts connected with our late friend’s career. At the time of separation that department comprised only 30 individuals of all ranks, and when he took charge the number was much reduced. There were at that time, according to the returns, no fewer than 54 vessels, registering 26,785 tons, in Hobson’s Bay alone. The crews on arrival numbered 1,235 men. Of this number only 463 remained on board, 500 having deserted, and the rest having been discharged by arrangement or pure necessity. For the first six months after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office as Harbour Master the duties of Police Magistrate and Chief of the Water Police were superadded, and how much labour they involved may be surmised from the fact that from 1st of April to the 31st July, 1852, four months only, no less than 236 marine cases were brought before the bench at Williamstown - sometimes as many as 30 in a day. A year later (March 1853) the returns show that the number of vessels in the harbour in Hobson’s Bay alone were 91, tonnage 43,754; and passing on to the still later returns of May, 1853, two years after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office, we find from the records that the number of ships in port had increased to 129; tonnage, 63,292; crew on board on arrival, 2872, and at the date of report, 1628; the amount of desertions at that time having, however, proportionally diminished, in consequence of the abatement of the gold fever, caused by the non-success attendant upon the labours of thousands at the goldfields. The above numbers take no account of the large number of vessels and amount of tonnage lying at the wharves at Melbourne or elsewhere. From these figures alone it may be judged what must have been a struggle in which the Chief Harbour Master was engaged from the very outset to secure order, and answer the innumerable calls on every branch of his department, at the same time that there was for many months an almost complete impossibility of securing subordinate agency, such as boatmen, pilots, and police, at any price. But I may bear witness to the untiring diligence, energy, and self-devotion with which Captain Ferguson grappled with the difficulties of his position, and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles which stood in his way. Ashore and afloat he was always ready, showing the same directness of purpose, intelligence, and forgetfulness of self. He shunned no responsibility, and turned his hand from no work, whether within or beyond the ordinary scope of his duty, which the hard necessity of the times forced the Government to bring under his notice. Already in 1852, when the overflowing of our gaol and stockade rendered the adoption of other methods of restraint absolutely necessary, and addition to the existing buildings could not be thought of, it was Captain Ferguson who first suggested the employment of hulks; and it was with his personal assistance and supervision, and under his unflagging energy, that the three first of these – the Success, the President, and the Sacramento – were purchased, fitted up, and made available for the purpose in view, and the rules and regulations for the employment and safety of the men afloat and ashore prescribed and carried out. He carried the same energy into every branch of his department, and his influence was soon apparent. His subordinates of every class became actuated by his spirit. As time moved on, the range of his duties, both ordinary and extraordinary, increased. In the formation of the quarantine station at the heads, in the management if not the erection of lighthouses, sailing directions, port and wharf regulations, buoys, signal stations, www.latrobesociety.org.au 28 steam dredging &c., he was the main and most active agent. The whole pilot establishment and regulations, men, and vessels, were under his charge; and when I left the colony in May, 1854, the entire range of ports outside Port Phillip Heads from Point Lonsdale to Portland, as well as that of Geelong had felt the influence of his intelligent supervision and care. The entire department of Chief Harbour Master, which I have numbered at the period of separation about thirty individuals, then numbered 230. The character of Captain Ferguson’s unbroken service during the fourteen years which have elapsed since I left the colony must be well known to the Government and the people he has served so long and so faithfully. I confine myself to recalling to mind those earlier, and what must have been the hardest and most difficult, period – none can know how difficult but those who were in that fierce struggle for the maintenance of order under so many disadvantages; and on this subject I have spoken advisedly and with reason, for I may truly say he worked under my own eye. I had sincere regard for the man, and just pride in the qualities of his heart, head, and hand. Whatever mistakes may have been made by the Government of the colony in those hard and difficult times (and I am quite ready to admit that there were many, especially if the past is to be judged by the light of the present), I never have hesitated in believing that, in appointing Captain Ferguson to the office he has so long filled, it was the right man in the right place. I shall be heartily rejoiced to find that the Government and inhabitants of the colony admit that this has been the case, and to learn that they have not forgotten the strong claims of one who has served them so long and so faithfully, and who, removed by God’s providence, so to say, in the maturity of his powers, has left a widow and young family behind him. I have done, I leave you to make use of this communication, or any portion of it, which you may think judicious and called for. There may be among Ferguson’s friends those who may not be sorry to be reminded of facts. By-the-bye, I may mention as a proof how completely Captain Ferguson’s mind was engrossed by devotion to his public duty, that while in Dover, only ten days before the operation, he took an opportunity to drag himself up into the lantern of the S. Foreland Lighthouse, and made a most careful scrutiny of the whole apparatus and arrangement, with a view of the adoption of any hint for the perfection of those under his charge in the colony. And now, goodbye. I trust this will find you in good health, and in comparative vigour. Believe me ever, dear Captain Cole, Yours very truly, C. J. La Trobe"The attempt for a floating church was made as early as 1853 following similar examples in London like the Seamen's Hospital. Captain Ferguson was instrumental in the foundation of the Bethel Church.Digital copies of the 37 pages ; 22 cm.1854, hobsons bay, geelong, melbourne, williamstown, sandridge, mariner's hospital, floating church, seamen's hospital, captain charles ferguson (1813-1868), kezia elizabeth hayter (1818-1885), rajah quilt, prison hulks, water police, harbour master, harbor master, gaols

These handsaws belonged to a Warrnambool furniture maker and dealer, Ernest Brighton Phillips (1875-1924). He learned cabinet making at the Warrnambool Box Works and established a furniture warehouse at the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in the late 1890s. By the early 20th century he had the largest furniture warehouse and factory in Victoria outside Melbourne and his furniture was sold all over Australia. He and his family lived at ‘Heatherlie’ in Koroit Street and today the site of this family home houses the retirement village complex known as ‘Heatherlie’. The makers of these saws was Robert Sorby of the Kangaroo Works in Sheffield, England. This business was established in 1928 and is one of the world’s premier manufacturers of specialist woodworking tools. These two tools are of some significance as they belonged to Ernest Phillips, a prominent businessman in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. These are also a good example of the type of tools used in the woodworking trade 100 years ago. These are two handsaws which belonged to Ernest Phillips. They have wooden handles attached to the blade by metal screws. One screw is missing on the larger saw. The blades are made of steel with serrated edges and they are inserted into a fold of steel along the top edge. The handles are well-worn and the blades are a little rusty. ‘Robt. Sorby Sheffield Cast Steel’ ‘E. Phillips’ ernest phillips, robert sorby, history of warrnambool

One of a collection of 6 postcards donated by T. H. HillSepia Postcard of The Watch Tower, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island"The Rose Series, P. 679" "The Watch Tower, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island, Victoria"the watch tower, the watch tower cliffs, coastline cape woolamai, cape woolamai cliffs, phillip island coastline, rock formations, t h hill

One of a collection of photographs purchased from Photo First, Thompson Avenue, Cowes, when it closed in June, 2014.Large Black & White photograph of 2 men on a Sunbeam motorbike and sidecar at Phillip Island in the 1930's.motorbike racing on phillip island, sunbeam motorbike & sidecar, photo first

Collection of newspaper clippers in scrap book dated 1960 - 1973Newspaper article concerning a financial grant being sought by the Phillip Island Historical Society for land and a showcase."P.I. Historical Society seeks $5,000"local history, newspapers, phillip island historical society seeking grant of $5000, jean jamieson

Photograph taken by Jessie "Girlie" Smith of San Remo who owned the Penguin Cafe in Thompson Avenue, Cowes.Photograph of scene after fire at Isle of Wight Hotel. 4 chimneys standing, building debris, smoke haze.Ruins of Isle of Wight Hotel, Phillip Islandphillip island, isle of wight hotel fire, jessie smith

One of two Photographs donated by Jean Archibald Osbourne Park was in Beach Street Cowes. It was replaced by Bayside Caravan Park, later Sails on Beach apartments. 2015Black & White photograph of "Osbourne Park", old Victorian weatherboard home in garden setting. Entrance drive in foreground leading to house and outbuilding at rear."Osbourne Park" Cowe, Phillip Island. V10old homesteads in cowes phillip island, osbourne park cowes, jean archibald, beach street cowes

One of 23 photographs from the Jessie Smith Collection. Donated by Stan McFee.Black & White photograph of Lady Stradbroke with small group of people.On Back: "Lady Stradbroke Phillip Is" "Mrs McFee"lady stradbroke, phillip island, jessie smith collection, stan mcfee

Donated by A. WilkieColoured Postcard of boat pulled in at Jetty. Figures with two drays and shed with second jetty behind. Tree in left foreground."Phillip Island from San Remo Harbour".san remo jetty, phillip island, a. wilkie