Manila folder, Wotan flat file, with built in fold back metal clips (see images 19 and 20) holding 9 plastic sheets that have been made to hold railway (Edmondson pasteboard) or tramway paper tickets. Sheet 1 - 25 No. MMTB tickets, ranging from 3d to 2/6 and two decimal conversion tickets, including 5 tickets which have been overstamped "City Section". On the rear are adverts for Blind Babies (Royal Victorian Institute for the blind), John Randle hair salon, Leighton home builders and the Promote Thomastown Committee. Sheet 2 - 25 No. MMTB tickets - decimal currency - two conversion tickets and other decimal currency tickets ranging from 6c to 25c. Included are 6 overstamped City Section tickets. Sheet 3 - 25 No. MMTB decimal currency tickets - ranging from 25c to $1 with one ticket overstamped "City Section". Includes one ticket with a red P overstamp. Sheet 4 - 22 No. MMTB tickets - 13 tickets overstamp P, for Pensioner, one bus transfer ticket, 3 non-cash tickets, one city concession tickets and four machine issued bus tickets. Sheet 5 - small sheet with four pockets with three tickets, - MMTB 1981 single journal ticket, MMTB day tripper $2 and MMTB bus ticket. Sheet 6 - 13 No. MMTB Section tickets, hospital travel, Australia post, incapacitated soldier and special police department concession. Sheet 7 - 8 MTA paper tram tickets and 9 The Met paper tram tickets. Sheet 8 - 23 Ballarat or Bendigo tickets, both pence and decimal currency including 6 BTM or BTPS tickets. Sheet 9 - 10 VR motor coach tickets, both pence and decimal and one single ticket - East Kew to East Camberwell. See Reg Item 5424 for a further folder of tickets from the same donor.trams, tramways, tickets, mmtb, vr, the met, btps, btm, ptc

Framed portrait of Thomas Marks who was President of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind 1900, 1935-1937. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the VAF Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Mr Marks sits at a table, wearing black tails and pants, a white pleated dinner shirt and black evening dress bow-tie. One hand rests next to a cup and saucer, the other rests on his lap. Tom Marks was educated at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind. He was a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (now Vision Australia) at its establishment in 1895. He went on to serve as President of organisation in 1900 and was later appointed as a part time paid secretary – an office he occupied from 1904 to 1927. He again served as President from 1935 to 1937 during which time he celebrated his 80th birthday. As the living conditions of many blind people were deplorable at this time – they were often confined to a room or shed without any social contacts – it was realized that support for blind persons was needed to serve as a refuge for the oppressed, a home for the indigent, a rest home for the sick and a convalescent home to provide both respite care and permanent accommodation. Mr Marks had a reputiation of having good contacts and being able to use people with more knowledge than himself. An able musician, Tom Marks was often employed in the homes of wealthy families. As a result he met Mr and Mrs Grimwade who were already supporters of Vision Australia. They organized a gymkhana to raise money for the nucleus of a building fund. From this time Tom Marks was involved in the finances of the centres at Brighton, Ballarat and Bendigo, which were the ultimate result of the fund. He was also part of a team that negotiated the financial agreement between the RVIB and Vision Australia over fund raising and the allocation of money, which lasted from 1930 to 1939. 1 art original in gold frameThe plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Mr Thomas Marks / President 1900, 1935-1937/ Association for Advancement of the Blind'. association for the advancement of the blind, thomas marks

Framed portrait of Tilly Aston who began the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, a forerunner to the Association for the Blind. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Tilly sits with one hand resting against a table, and the other in her lap. She is wearing a black collared dress with a white lace neck ruff held with an opal pin. Two medals (the Jubilee medal and Coronation medal) are pinned to the chest, each consisting of a red and white bowtie with a brass medallion. Tilly Aston was born in Carisbrook, Victoria, in 1873. When she was very young her parents noticed she was having problems with her vision. They took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with no sight in her right eye and the prognosis of loss of vision in the left eye. As a result of this she was totally blind by the age of 7. Despite this her parents endeavoured to give Tilly as many of life’s advantages that their limited means could supply. From an early age she was taught singing, music, poetry, arithmetic, encouraged to read and observe the natural world around her and be independent. At the age of 8 she was sent to the Asylum and School for the Blind (later called the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind). She excelled in a wide range of subjects and matriculated in 1889. With the help of a public fund was able to attend Melbourne University, being the first blind Australian to do so. Unfortunately the lack of Braille text books made it impossible for Tilly to continue her studies and she left in second year. Tilly was determined that other blind people would not have the same negative experience she had had. In 1894 she organised a meeting to form the Victorian Association of Braille Writers with the aim of producing and supplying Braille to blind Victorians. Braille was produced by trained volunteers with ? recruited in the first six month. Other rights and services for blind people remained very limited. In 1895 Tilly organised a meeting, which formed the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (now Vision Australia). The Association was instrumental in obtaining many benefits for blind people including a blind pension, voting rights and transport concessions. It also established the first nursing homes for blind people, at a time when many blind people were homeless and destitute. Tilly went on to be Australia’s first blind teacher. She was also a very talented musician, author of seven books and was very gifted at arts and crafts. She knew Esperanto and corresponded with people all around the world including Helen Keller. Tilly passed away on November 1st 1947. Her legacy continues through the work Vision Australia which provides services for thousands of blind Australians. A memorial bell dedicated to her is also situated in the King Domain Gardens. 1 art original in gold frameThe plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Miss Matilda (Tilly) A. Aston / President 1904, 1910, 1943 to 1947/ Association for Advancement of the Blind'. association for the advancement of the blind, association for the blind, tilly aston

The Optacon OPtical-to-TActile-CONverter is a compact, portable reading aid for the blind. It is about the size of a textbook, and weighs less than 2kg. It works by converting a printed image into a tactile image that a blind person can feel with one finger. After a period of training and practice, a blind person can use the Optacon to read ordinary books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed materials. The Optacon was developed after intensive research at Standford University, California, USA and was trialed by clients of the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (now part of Vision Australia) in 1973. It has three main sections: 1 a miniature camera, 2 an electronics section, and 3 a tactile stimulator array. The miniature camera, about the size of a pocket knife, is mounted in a housing that has rollers for easy movement along a line of print. The camera is connected to the electronics section by a lightweight cable. The electronics section and the tactile stimulator array are in the main chassis. The array consists of 144 tiny metal rods arranged in six vertical columns and 24 horizontal rows. Each of the rods can vibrate independently. The tips of these rods protrude through holes in a concave finger plate where the index finger is placed flat in order to read. These three components act together to convert the image of a printed letter or other shape into a pattern of vibrating rods, a tactile image of the letter or shape. The letter shape is tactually perceived as an image that moves from right to left on the finger, showing the left or leading edge of the letter first. Letters are felt sequentially rather than all at once, and the image should be kept moving. The Optacon converts a printed O into a tactile form that resembles a crater with a vibrating rim -- a completed circle. C would have a gap or opening on the right side of the curve. The letter F would be felt, sequentially, as a vertical line with two trailing horizontal lines. Because it can convert any ordinary printed image into a corresponding tactile image, the Optacon is not restricted to any special typestyle or language. The camera has a zoom lens that compensates for differences in the size of type. The standard Optacon lens can accommodate type sizes from 6 point to 20 point. With the optional F4A magnifier lens, type sizes as small as 4 point can be read. Powered by a rechargeable battery, and comes with its own battery charger. The battery is contained within the main chassis, and is not removable by the user. There are four basic controls on the Optacon: the Magnification Adjustment zoom button located on the camera section on the side opposite the rollers; and the On-Off switch, the Stimulator Intensity Adjustment knob, and the Threshold Adjustment knob located on the right side of the front panel. The Circuit Breaker protrudes from the right-hand wall inside the chassis compartment. From left to right when the back panel is facing you, are located: the jack for connecting the battery charger; the Battery Check button; the Normal-Invert switch; and the Input/Output I/O connector for use with the Visual Display, when using the Repeater Cable to connect two Optacons to one another or with other accessories. Designed not be removed from the leather case during normal operation, the On-Off switch is a slide switch located on the right side of the front panel. It slides up and snaps into place in the on position. 1 black with orange front, rectangular device in leather case assistive devices, audio equipment

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr. R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 percent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 percent reference and 40 percent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items has become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850’s to the late 1950’s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr. R. Pattison. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, and to reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. As with many Mechanics' Institutes in Australia, the one which operated in Warrnambool was established and overseen for many years by key individuals associated with the development of the city itself. The WMI publication collection is historically significant because of its association with local people, places and the key historical themes in the development of Warrnambool of rural development, industry, farming, education, and community. The collection documents and illustrates the changing interests, focus and tastes of Victorians, especially those in regional cities. Generally the individual items in the collection are not particularly rare, as examples of all probably exist in other public collections in Victoria. It is primarily because there are so very few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections in Victoria, which lends this overall collection its significance. Many items in the WMI Collection have the potential to support further research, both as individual objects and through the collection in its entirety. This material is significant for its ability to assist in the interpretation of the history of the area and adds to the general understanding of the development of the township. Many components of the WMI publication collection complement and reinforce the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum Collection, the Warrnambool Art Gallery Collection, and that in the Warrnambool Historical Society, and also contribute to a clearer understanding of the original Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute collections. This will greatly enhance the appreciation of the few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections across Victoria, and also in New South Wales. The similarities and differences between the small number of collections that have survived can provide further insights into how the people of Victoria in general, and Warrnambool in particular, constructed a civic culture of adult learning to foster an informed citizenry. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute publication collection is of both local and state significance. George Eliot Author: Mathilde Blind Publisher: W H Allen & Co Date; 1884Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 920 ELI Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, great ocean road, george eliot, mathilde blind

Hard cover book of 145 pages; Apps A-F, Acknowledgements, Bibliography and Index, by Jane Sandilands. The mainly black cover features a photograph of Helen Macpherson Smith as a young woman. The title is printed in pink. non-fictionHelen Macpherson Schutt (née Smith) was a remarkable woman for her time. Born in 1874 to a prosperous Scottish-Australian family, Helen lived comfortably in the financial and social legacy of her family in Melbourne, Victoria. She was also an active supporter of, and donor to, organisations including the Victorian Missions to Seamen (now Mission to Seafarers), the RSPCA, the Royal District Nursing Service, the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind.helen macpherson smith (1874-1951), philanthropy, jane sandilands, benefactor, hmst, helen mcpherson smith trust

This mat making needle was used by visually impaired workers in the mat making workshop at the Royal Victorian for the Blind Institute during the binding of mats in conjunction with a leather sewing palm to protect their palms. 1 long, curved, thick metal needle'Made in England'assistive devices, employment

The sewing palm was used by visually impaired workers in the mat making workshop at the Royal Victorian for the Blind Institute during the binding of mats to protect their palms from the 17cm-long curved mat making needle.1 leather folded band with indented metal square attached and leather lacing fastening at back assistive devices, employment

Founded by T.R Armitage MD in 1868, the British and Foreign Blind Association was the forerunner of the Royal National Institute for the Blind and provided transcription courses to those wishing to become proficient in Braille. Under the patronage of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, this certificate was awarded to "Miss Minnie H Crabb having satisfied the Examiner of the British & Foreign Blind Association in Braille Writing Examination in Grade II is hereby awarded the Certificate of the Association." Signed by A.H. Henry, Examiner and Edwin Easton, Secretary and awarded on 25th September 1908. Cream page with red seal in bottom left hand cornerRed seal reads: The British & Foreign Blind Association. Founded 1858. Incorporated 1902. A picture is located within the seal but this is not discerniblevictorian association of braille writers, minnie crabb