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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Bottle, 1840s to 1910
This handmade ‘gallon’ style of bottle was generally used for storing and transporting wine and ale. Many bottles similar to this one have their bases embossed with “6 TO THE GALLON”. It is one of many artefacts recovered from an unidentified shipwrecks along Victoria’s coast between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is now part of the John Chance Collection. The capacity of this is one-sixth of a gallon (imperial measure), which is equal to 758 ml. (American bottles were often inscribed “5 TO THE GALLON”, which is one-fifth of an American gallon, equal to 757 ml.) Contemporary home brewers can purchase new ‘6 to gallon’ bottles that hold 750 ml. and are sold in cases of 36 bottles, which is equal to 6 gallons of wine. Glass was made thousands of years ago by heating together quartz-sand (Silica), lime and potash. Potash was obtained from burnt wood, but these days potash is mined. The natural sand had imperfections such as different forms of iron, resulting in ‘black’ glass, which was really dark green or dark amber colour. The ‘black’ glass was enhanced by residual carbon in the potash. Black glass is rarely used nowadays but most beer, wine, and liquors are still sold in dark coloured glass. Glass vessels were core-formed from around 1500 BC. An inner core with the vessel’s shape was formed around a rod using a porous material such as clay or dung. Molten glass was then modelled around the core and decorated. When the glass had cooled the vessel was immersed in water and the inner core became liquid and was washed out. Much more recently, bottlers were crafted by a glassblower using molten glass and a blow pipe together with other hand tools. Another method was using simple moulds, called dip moulds, that allowed the glass to be blown into the mould to form the base, then the glassblower would continue blowing free-form to shape the shoulders and neck. The bottle was then finished by applying a lip. These moulded bottles were more uniform in shape compared to the free-form bottles originally produced. English glassblowers in the mid-1800s were making some bottles with 2-piece and 3-piece moulds, some with a push-up style base, sometimes with embossing in the base as well. Improvements allowed the moulds to also have embossed and patterned sides, and straight sided shapes such as hexagons. Bottles made in full moulds usually displayed seam seams or lines. These process took skill and time, making the bottles valuable, so they were often recycled. By the early 20th century bottles were increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time and cost. This bottle is historically significant as an example of a handmade, blown inscribed glass bottle manufactured in the mid-to-late 1800s for specific use as a liquor bottle with a set measurement of one-sixth of gallon. It is also historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s, giving a snapshot into history and social life that occurred during the early days of Victoria’s development, and the sea trade that visited the ports in those days. The bottle is also significant as one of a group of bottles recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection of shipwreck artefacts by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, brown glass, Tall slim gallon style. Applied double collar lip; upper is straight, lower is flared. Lip has bumps around the top. Neck has slight taper towards shoulder, which has a shoulder seam from the mould. Body tapers inwards towards base. Push up base has a pontil mark. Base is embossed.Embossed on base "6 TO THE GALLON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, 6 to the gallon bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, double collar, 19th century bottle, collectable -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Book, Henry Dendy's account book / [introduction and editorial commentary by Leslie A. Schumer], 1983
Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies. Account book relating to Henry Dendy (1800-1881) of Brighton. Dendy was a special survey proprietor with an early association in Eltham where he operated a flour mill in the 1860s. Includes references to Were Brothers and Co. Henry Dendy’s Account book shows the recording of transactions on the frigate vessel York, on which Dendy sailed from England. The work also includes brief records of a brewery business Dendy conducted and the accounts of John Booker, one of Dendy’s emigrants. The records are in sterling currency and contain debit and credit columns while other accounting records included in the work cover transactions for a pastoral lease operated by Dendy. from 1848 until his return to England in 1855.Paperback; 63 p. : facsims., geneal. table, maps ; 25 cm.ISBN 0959710418henry dendy, accounting, were brothers -
Nillumbik Shire Council
Drawing: Tim RYAN, Tim Ryan, Queenscliff 1,2 and 3, 2012
“Queenscliff (three black and white boat/ship themed set), is a depiction of a trio of sailing vessels, and a typical example of Tim Ryan’s process and style / It illustrates three images from separate editions of National Geographic – a much-loved and constantly revisited source of inspiration / Tim has reduced his subject matter to minimal line, managing to capture the form and character of the scene and the people within with delicacy and sensitivity / As is also a common trait, Tim has discarded the idea of a using a title describing the actual scenes in favour of one that holds much greater personal significance / Queenscliff is the site of his family holiday home, hence a place evoking decades of memories connected with water, horizon and water-based activity and interaction.Tim Ryan has worked within the Studio Art Program at Araluen for almost a decade / Araluen is based in the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne (Nillumbik region), that provides accommodation and day services for adults with an intellectual disability / Creating and sharing artwork is one way Araluen participants express their thoughts, personalities and abilities. The art program allows them to develop a sense of achievement and access society as equal and valued participants / Tim puts a great deal of effort into selecting his subject and arranging his page / He immerses himself in the image, studying it thoroughly and sometimes tracing over it with his finger before commencing / He focuses on the different elements and relationships that inspire, bringing out the lines, colours and shapes most fitted for translation into the picture / Favourite references are photo-laden books and magazines covering topics as broad as nature, history, archaeology, exotic foreign lands and all forms of transport.Three black and white drawings of boats/ships in Queenscliff made using watercolor, ink, fine liner, pencil and acrylic on paper. All drawings are black and white in colour with one drawing rendering a boat in warm red/orange and yellow colours. None shown, catalogue label on backdrawings / black & white / ink / boats / ships / queenscliff / araluen / ryan / disability -
Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
Leisure object - Model PS Weeroona
Built in 1910 by A & J Inglis, of Glasgow, Scotland (yard no 290). 1412 t. Her length of 310 ft (95 m) made her the largest paddler on the bay, serving until 1942. It was initially owned by Huddart Parker Ltd, Melbourne. She then embarked on a new adventure having been bought by the US Navy for use as an accommodation ship. She sailed to Sydney and then onwards via Brisbane and new Guinea under tow. She ended up in the Philippines sailing as part of the towed convoy of assorted vessels backing up the US invasion. She came back to Australia owned by the Federal Government and sold for scrap. In 1951, her remains were scuttled off Berry Bay in New South Wales. Scale model of PS Weeroonapaddle steamers, bay steamer, ps weeroona, port phillip -
Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
Painting - Water colour painting of the ketch Falie, Falie, 1934
Arthur V Gregory b.1867, d.1957 worked from studio at 326 Albert Road South Melbourne established by his father G F Gregory in 1852. FALIE operated for many years as a cargo ship, largely around South Australia where it formed a strong regional association. During World War II, FALIE was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy for service, and was on patrol off Sydney Heads during the mini-submarine raid on Sydney Harbour in May 1942. After the war it returned to commercial service and was retired in 1982. It was then the last working ship representing the South Australian ketch fleet, and along with NELCEBEE ( HV000419) one of the last two working sail powered cargo vessels in South Australia.Water colour painting in painted gilt frameFalie off Cape Schank A.V. Gregory 1934falie, a.v. gregory, water colour, painting -
Federation University Art Collection
Ceramic, 'Stoneware Jar' by Victoria Howlett, c1982
Victoria HOWLETT (b. 1945- ) Born London, United Kingdom Arrived Australia 1946 Victoria Howlett studied Ceramics at RMIT. She lectured at Prahran College for several years before travelling to Canada, The United States of America, Mexico, Africa and England. She began working as a potter full time in 1977, establishing a studio in Melbourne. In 1985 Victoria Howlett won the Stuart Devlin Award, Melbourne. She is a practicing artist in Apollo Bay, Victoria. The ceramic work of Victoria Howlett draws on the Oribe tradition of painted surface designs. During the 1980s, she moved from rounded vessels and lidded jars to the platter as the form to be decorated, using a well-charged brush and slips coloured with oxide. Wheel thrown stoneware jar with dipped and painted glaze decoration. The ceramic works of Victoria Howlett are impressed 'TOR' or painted or incised 'Victoria Howlett'. This work is part of the Jan Feder Memorial Ceramics Collection. Jan Feder was an alumna of the Gippsland Campus who studied ceramics on the campus. She passed away in the mid 1980s. Her student peers raised funds to buy ceramic works in her memory. They bought works from visiting lecturers who became leading ceramic artists around the world, as well as from many of the staff who taught there. Victoria Howlett was a visiting lecturer to the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education Gift of the artistvictoria howlett, ceramics, gippsland campus, jan feder memorial ceramics collection -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Spoke, 1840
This wooden spoke handle from the wheel of the “Success” a former immigrant ship, and later a convict hulk at Melbourne. The sailing ship “Success” was a teakwood vessel built in Natmoo (Natmaw), Tenasserim, Burma (now Myanmar) in 1840 for Cockerell & Co., Calcutta. Over its lifetime of 106 years, it was used to trade in the Indian subcontinent, to transport free emigrants to Australia, as a prison hulk in the Port of Melbourne for both hardened criminals, and later for women and boys, as a storage vessel for ammunition, a reformatory, and as a floating museum sent around the world to tell the tale of the convict era. During the time “Success” was used as a museum, pamphlets were distributed to paying customers advertising erroneously, that the “Success” was the oldest ship in the world. The “Success” sank and was re-floated twice: the first in Sydney in 1885, the second in the USA in 1918, before it was finally burned and sank July 4, 1946 in Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio in 1946. Although the “Success” was home to prisoners while berthed in the Port of Melbourne, it was not used as convict transport. There has been speculation that Ned Kelly’s infamous armour was displayed on the “Success”, but this cannot be verified. Another link to Ned Kelly is Henry Johnson, an Irish prisoner on the Success, who was implicated in the murder of the ship’s warder, and later Johnson was supposedly a bushranger with Ned Kelly. It is also rumoured that Ned Kelly’s father John was a passenger on the Success, but this is also unverified. There are over 16 other ships named “Success”, although one in particular causes some confusion when researching “Success” in Australia. This other ship – the “HMS Success” was a 28 gun frigate built in1823, which was broken up in 1849. It also sailed to Australia. This piece of wood from the ship’s wheel of the “Success” is connected to the ship Success, built in Burma in 1840. The “Success” is connected to the history of Australia because she was used as a merchant ship to transport immigrants to Australia, as a prison ship in Melbourne, a storage vessel, and as a floating “convict” museum, which travelled the world. Spoke. Hndle from wheel of sailing ship, the “Success”. The shaped handle is domed at one end, becoming narrower towards the other end, then flattened out into a beveled circle. Marked “Success” in pencilflagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, sailing ship success, ship's wheel spoke, ship's steering wheel, prison ship, prison hulks, convict ship -
National Wool Museum
Model Ship, David Lumsden, SS Edina, 2018-2019
The Edina was one of the longest serving steam vessels anywhere in the world. Built on the Clyde by Barclay, Curle & Co. she was an iron hull single screw steamer of 322 tons with three masts. In 1855 Edina was requisitioned by the Admiralty from her owners the Leith, Hull & Hamburg Steam Packet Co. to carry stores and horses to the Black Sea during the Crimean War. After return to her owners Edina traded around the UK and Mediterranean before being purchased and used as a blockade runner during the American Civil War carrying cotton from the Confederate states in 1861. Edina arrived in Melbourne under sail in March 1863 and was purchased by Stephen Henty for use from ports in western Victoria and later carried gold prospectors across the Tasman to New Zealand. After a refit in 1870 she was used in the coastal trade along the Queensland coast for Howard Smith until returning to Victoria and the Melbourne-Geelong trade as a cargo-passenger vessel. The Edina had two narrow escapes from destruction in 1898 and 1899 when she collided with other steamers, both being sunk. A further refit in 1917 altered her appearance with a new mast, funnel, bridge and promenade deck. By 1924 Edina had made over 12,000 Melbourne-Geelong passages and carried over one million people on the service. A further collision in July 1931 which sank the tug Hovell forced Edina onto a mudbank on Port Phillip Bay. She was taken out of service in 1938 but was later renamed Dinah and used as a lighter until 1958 when she was broken up and her remains used as land-fill.Model of a Coastal Trader & Passenger Ship with hull painted red and black. Red flag and black flag with S attached to flag pole. On forward of ship - Edinageelong, transport, ship model, water transport -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Ship Taffrail Log Flywheel, 1930+
The flywheel possibly belongs to a Walker's Cherub Mark III Ship-log taffrail, how the flywheel operates is a metal loop of the recording log would have been connected to the flywheel, so you could see if it was spinning properly. After the flywheel, is the rotor that was towed behind the ship and the revolutions of the rotor would register on the indicator, thus measuring the distance the vessel had travelled. Thomas Ferdinand Walker (1837–1921) first patented the Cherub log in 1878. It was one of the first logs in which the recorder was placed onboard a ship rather than being incorporated as part of the rotor. The Cherub Mark III series was produced from 1930 it came in two versions a thousand-mile which is quite rare and a five hundred-mile version.This ship log flywheel was invented and made by a significant marine instrument maker and innovator of machinery Thomas Walker. It demonstrates the huge leap taken to improve navigational accuracy at sea with an instrument that was in use for decades to measure the distance travelled at sea updated versions are in use today by mariners.Log Governor (or Fly-wheel) from a Ships Taffrail Log, metal wheel with 6 spokes, hub has rope attached for connecting to ships log. Boss the other side for attachment to the spinner.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, log governor -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Dish
The development of bronze and iron metalworking skills allowed for cookware made from metal to be manufactured, although adoption of the new cookware was slow due to the much higher cost. After the development of metal cookware there was little new development in cookware, with the standard medieval kitchen utilising a cauldron and a shallow earthenware pan for most cooking tasks, with a spit employed for roasting. By the 17th century, it was common for a Western kitchen to contain a number of skillets, baking pans, a kettle and several pots, along with a variety of pot hooks and trivets. Brass or copper vessels were common in Asia and Europe, whilst iron pots were common in the American colonies. Improvements in metallurgy during the 19th and 20th centuries allowed for pots and pans from metals such as steel, stainless steel and aluminium to be economically produced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakewareThis item is significant as an example of an item in common use in the kitchen in the second half of the 19th Century, and thereafter.Metal oval cake/pie dish. Significant rust all over..None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, cookware, bakeware, kitchenware -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Pot
Modern iron cooking ‘ranges’ were being introduced from the late 18th century, however a vast number of people cooked in open fireplaces, well into the 1800s. Generally they were fitted with iron rods suspended above the fire or ‘cranes’ that could be swung in and out for easier and safer access to the pots that hung from them. These cooking systems may seem rudimentary, but a skilled cook knew how to manage pots, pans, cauldrons and pokers and expose them to the right type of heat by positioning them in various parts of the fireplace. They were also very versatile, enabling multiple cooking techniques – boiling, stewing, frying, roasting, toasting – all at the same time, using different types of vessels and utensils. https://blogs.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/cook/hearth-fire-cookery/This type of item was used extensively over the centuries over open fires. It is still used in camping.Metal cooking pot with handle designed to hang the pot over an open fire.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, kitchenware, cooking, open hearth cookery -
Nillumbik Shire Council
Ceramic, Vipoo Srivilasa, We Come In Peace III, 2017
Vipoo Srivilasa works predominantly in ceramics, creating unique contemporary porcelain sculptures, vessels and figures to transmit a universal message of cross-cultural experience. His works explore similarities between the cultures of homeland, Thailand and his adoptive home, Australia. His work is both a playful, and at times a political, blend of historical figurative and decorative art practices with contemporary culture. For more than 20 years, Vipoo has exhibited both internationally and throughout Australia, including Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Saatchi Gallery, London; Ayala Museum, Philippines; Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan; Nanjing Arts Institute, China and the National Gallery of Thailand. His work is held in national and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, GOMA, and the Craft Council, UK. -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Ceramic, Platters by Bern Emmerichs
Bern EMMERICHS (1961 - ) Bern Emmerichs is a trained painter who has adopted clay surface as her canvas. She completed a Diploma of Fine Art at Phillip Institute of Technology, Melbourne in 1982. She became interested in clay as a medium while renovating her house and now paints on tiles, vessels and platters, as well as working in mosaic. A founding member of 'Whitehall Enterprises', a group of about six artists who together rented an old factory in Whitehall Street, Footscray from 1987 to 1990. In 2000-2002, Bern spent two-years travelling, working and exhibiting in Europe, based for most of the time in Kamp-Lintfort, Germany. Recently she has been exploring imagery related to Australian colonial history. Her works are signed with a painted 'Bern Emmerichs'. Two platters decorated by Bern Emmerichsbern emmerichs -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Water Canteen and Ladle, mid-to-late 19th century
The horizontal water canteen has been carefully designed to fit snugly on the hip when worn with the straps diagonally across the body. The ladle allows quick and easy scooping of the contents to refresh the lifeboat and rocket launching crew, and the survivors of the disaster Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to a rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy apparatus was in use. The apparatus was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a lightweight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part of the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. Beach apparatus equipment - In the mid-1800s the equipment could include a line throwing set, coiled line in wooden carrying case, rockets, cartridges, breeches buoy, hawser and traveller block, line-throwing pistol, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, crotch pole, and tools such as spade, pick, mallet and hawser cutter. Around the 1860s Warrnambool had a Rocket House installed beside the Harbour. This water canteen is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Water canteen and ladle; blue painted oval metal cylinder with a removable round threaded lid. Two adjustable leather shoulder straps are attached to the canteen through metal rings on the sides of the lid. A blue-painted copper ladle with a fixed, 45-degree angled handle is attached to the canteen with a length of string. The water canteen is designed to be carried horizontally.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, lady bay, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, lifeboat men, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, survival canteen, rescue canteen, dipper, cup, canteen and dipper, canteen and ladle, water canteen -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Sand anchor, Mid-19th to mid-20th Century
The rocket rescue crews used a sand anchor at a beach rescue site to weigh down the rescue apparatus. The crew would connect the steel cables to the connecting cable and then join heavy ropes or chains to the connecting cable. They would then bury the anchor in a trench about three-quarters of a metre deep, keeping the connecting cable’s end free. The length of heavy rope or chain was attached to a pulley block onto the heavy hawser line. The block and a crotch pole were used to keep the hawser line high and taught, keeping the survivors above the sea as they were hauled to shore on a line or in a breeches buoy. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s, the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to a rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy apparatus was in use. The apparatus was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a lightweight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part of the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This sand anchor is part of the rocket rescue equipment and is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.The sand anchor comprises a plank with steel cables and a connecting cable. The rectangular wooden bevelled-edged plank with two pairs of square metal plates bolted through it. Each metal plate has an eyelet and the two steel cable lengths are permanently attached by their eyelets to the plates. The eyelets at each end of the cable lengths are reinforced with rope work and one length also has a ‘U’ bolt shackle connection. The steel connecting cable also has reinforced eyelets at both ends. The plank has a black stencilled inscription on the upper surface. Stencilled in black paint "ANCHOR" "BACKER"flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket equipment, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faked line, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, whip line, endless whip, harbour board, sand anchor, rocket set, anchor backer, rescue anchor, beach anchor, backer, anchor, steel cable, wire cable, connecting cable -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Deadeye, circa 1873
This example of a sailing ship’s ‘dead-eye’ is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, which sank near Port Campbell in 1878. The vessel was an iron hulled clipper ship constructed for the Loch Line in 1873. It was part of a fleet of similar merchant ships owned by that company, which specialised in bringing passengers and goods from London via the Great Circle route to Melbourne, and returning to Britain via Cape Horn with the colony’s wool clip. Deadeyes were a common feature of sailing ship technology in the nineteenth century. They were a simple, cheap, and hard-wearing device that, in conjunction with another deadeye, provided an effective means of levering, or tightening, attached ropes and stays. Lower deadeyes were fixed to the sides of the ship by an encircling metal collar (inset in a flattish groove chiselled around the outer circumference of the disc), which was bolted to iron bars attached to the hull (called chain-plates). Upper deadeyes were looped by a strong hemp or wire rope (inset in a rounded groove carved around the outer circumference of the disc), which was joined to the bottom ends of the rigging which reached up to secure the masts into position (called shrouds or stays). Connecting a Lower deadeye to its corresponding Upper deadeye was a rope (called a lanyard) which looped up and down through the three “eyes” of each disc, to form a pulley system. The hitching of the two deadeyes with a looped lanyard provided the means of tightening, or loosening, the tension on the mast rigging ― essentially by pulling against the chain-plates bolted to the outside of the hull. It was a procedure that could be performed by sailors at sea and in emergencies. For example, after a gale the stays may have stretched and the masts worked loose, requiring retightening. Or, in the extreme circumstance of shipwreck, the lanyards might need to be released on the weather side, so that the masts fall away from the stricken vessel. The shipwreck of the LOCH ARD is of State significance. Victorian Heritage Register S417.A well-preserved ship’s deadeye with wire loop rope still attached. The original tar coating for water-proofing still remains, colouring the entire artefact black. It is wrapped in hessian cloth and hemp cord and is currently in storage under secure and stable conditions. This deadeye was recovered from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The artefact is a typical deadeye, comprising a thick round wooden disc, pierced by 3 similarly sized and shaped holes from one flat side through to the other, in a triangle formation. The survival of the wire cable loop-rope suggests it was an Upper Deadeye, connected to the shrouds (mast rigging). Previous number PWO 2388.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, deadeye, loch ard, rigging -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Plan, Pilots Quarters Warrnambool
Warrnambool was officially made a Port of Entry in 1855 and by the 1870s had became the dominant port in the Western District. Sadly, due to an increasing problem with silting in the harbour, by the 1890s only small vessels could navigate the harbour. Men with the position of Pilot and Harbourmaster in Warrnambool were employed by the government to enforce government regulations and to help guide vessels safely into the port of Lady Bay, which was difficult to navigate. Some of the Pilots and Harbour Masters of Warrnambool were – - Captain Christopher Gwatkin, the first Harbourmaster for Warrnambool (1857 - his death in 1859). - Captain Helpman was Warrnambool’s second Harbourmaster 1859-1869 - James Nicol was Harbourmaster in Warrnambool for a time, including 1906 (b. 1840 – d. 1926) - Thomas Smith Drewett (1853 - 15-3-1905) past Captain of the Helen Nicoll, Pilot and Harbourmaster of Warrnambool. Warrnambool’s Tourist Guide of 1888 advises that “At the Port of Warrnambool there are two Leading Lighthouses. A licensed sea pilot, Captain Drewett, is stationed at the Port.” In 1915 plans for the Pilot’s Quarters were drawn up for the Department of Public Work. It was at that time, when personnel was short due to the First World War, that apparently the Pilot and Harbourmaster was also responsible for maintaining the light (lighthouse). The new Pilot and Harbourmaster’s house would be built on the site at 88 Merri Street, overlooking Lady Bay and right beside the Flagstaff and the Lady Bay Upper Lighthouse. Other Pilot and Harbourmasters were - - James Menzies was the Pilot and Harbourmaster at Warrnambool in 1929 . In 1932, he was appointed to the position of Acting Secretary to the Warrnambool Harbour Board. A hundred or so years later Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has fully renovated the former Harbourmaster’s quarters, changed the name to Lighthouse Lodge, and is now allowing guests to stay in the home, which is still neighbour to the operational Lady Bay Lighthouses, now over 150 years old. The association of the old Pilot and Harbourmaster’s Quarters (currently renamed as Lighthouse Lodge) with the Port of Warrnambool, and its maritime activities, is historically significant. The Pilot’s quarters are connected to a time when access to Warrnambool’s Port was important to the colonial settlers for income and supplies. Plan of Pilots Quarters, Warrnambool. Printed and handwritten plan shows house, garage, out buildings and maid's room. The plan's lower left corner has an official stamp and text beside the stamp. Department of Public Works, Melbourne, Victoria, March 11th, 1915. "PILOTS QUARTERS WARRNAMBOOL" "Department of Public works, Melbourne, Victoria I.P.K. , 11.3.15"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, plan, pilot's quarters warrnambool, pilot and harbourmaster's quarters warrnambool, pilot and harbour master's quarters warrnambool, port of warrnambool, department of public works victoria, lady bay lighthouses, warrnambool ports and harbours -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Craft - Ship Model, S.S. Rowitta, after 1975
This remote-controlled ship model was made by the blacksmith at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in the likeness of the Village's display passenger ferry, the S.S. Rowitta. SS ROWITTA: - The 1909 steam ferry, SS Rowitta, was installed as an exhibit at Flagstaff Hill in 1975 and was enjoyed by many visitors for 40 years. Rowitta was a timber steam ferry built in Hobart in 1909 using planks of Huon and Karri wood. She was a favourite of sightseeing passengers along Tasmania’s Tamar and Derwent rivers for 30 years. Rowitta was also known as Tarkarri and Sorrento and had worked as a coastal trading vessel between Devonport and Melbourne, and Melbourne Queenscliff and Sorrento. In 1974 Rowitta was purchased by Flagstaff Hilt to convert into a representation of the Speculant, a historic and locally significant sailing ship listed on the Victorian Heritage Database. (The Speculant was built in Scotland in 1895 and traded timber between the United Kingdom and Russia. Warrnambool’s P J McGennan & Co. then bought the vessel to trade pine timber from New Zealand to Victorian ports and cargo to Melbourne. She was the largest ship registered with Warrnambool as her home port, playing a key role in the early 1900s in the Port of Warrnambool. In 1911, on her way to Melbourne, she was wrecked near Cape Otway. None of the nine crew lost their lives.) The promised funds for converting Rowitta into the Speculant were no longer available, so she was restored back to her original configuration. She represented the importance of coastal traders to transport, trade and communication in Australian times before rail and motor vehicles. Sadly, in 2015 the time had come to demolish the Rowitta due to her excessive deterioration and the high cost of ongoing repairs. She had given over 100 years of service and pleasure to those who knew her. The remote-controlled model of the S.S. Rowitta is significant for its association with the Tasmanian early to mid-1900s passenger ferry, the wooden screw steamer Rowitta. It is is connected to the history of the Rowitta, that was a large exhibit on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village from the museum’s early beginnings until the vessel’s end of life 40 years later. The display was used as an aid to maritime education. The Rowitta represents the importance of coastal traders to transport, trade and communication along the coast of Victoria, between states, and in Australia before rail and motor vehicles. The vessel was an example of a ferry built in the early 20th century that served many different roles over its lifetime of over 100 years. Model of the wooden steam ferry "S.S. Rowitta". This is a radio-controlled model built by the Flagstaff Hill blacksmith.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ship model, remote controlled steam ship model, s.s. rowitta, tarkarri, speculant, purdon & featherstone of hobart, passenger ferry 1909, tasmanian passenger ferry, vessel, charles street wharf launceston, sorrento, remote control boat, rowitta model, remote-controlled model -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Caulking iron, Mid-to-late 20th century
Caulking is the use of cork or other substances to seal the seams and joints of the vessel to make them watertight. Caulking lasts for quite some time but eventually dries out and needs to be replaced. A hammer is often used with a caulking iron to drive it along the seams. The caulking iron’s blade is tapered to be narrower at the tip to make it easier to remove it from the joint. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.Caulking iron, or broad chisel, wooden handle with reinforcing on the ends, metal shaft that tapers down from the handle to the end of the blade. It has an inscription. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.Stamped into metal " - - WARD /(image of crossed swords) WEFT / WARRANTED"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, ship maintenance, cooper, tool, marine technology, caulking iron, jerry iron, broad chisel, caulking, sealing, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Caulking mallet, mid-to-late 20th century
Caulking is the use of cork or other substances to seal the seams and joints of the vessel to make them watertight. Caulking lasts for quite some time but eventually dries out and needs to be replaced. A mallet or hammer is often used with a caulking iron to drive it along the seams. The caulking iron’s blade is tapered to be narrower at the tip to make it easier to remove it from the joint. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.Caulking mallet; a thick wooden handle with a round ‘T’ cross-bar near the end. Metal reinforcing is added around the ends of the head. Both sides of the wooden head are flared outwards towards the end. The head is reinforced where it intersects with the handle and around the ends of the head just above the tips. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, caulking, ship maintenance, cooper, shipwright’s tools, shipwrights’ tools, tools, maritime trade, caulking mallet, caulking iron, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Caulking iron, mid-to-late 20th century
Caulking is the use of cork or other substances to seal the seams and joints of the vessel to make them watertight. Caulking lasts for quite some time but eventually dries out and needs to be replaced. A mallet or hammer is often used with a caulking iron to drive it along the seams. The caulking iron’s blade is tapered to be narrower at the tip to make it easier to remove it from the joint. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.Calking iron, a metal tool with a round flat top and head that flares outwards to a wide wedge shape. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, caulking, ship maintenance, cooper, shipwright’s tools, shipwrights’ tools, tools, maritime trade, caulking iron, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Caulking iron, mid-to-late 20th century
Caulking is the use of cork or other substances to seal the seams and joints of the vessel to make them watertight. Caulking lasts for quite some time but eventually dries out and needs to be replaced. A mallet or hammer is often used with a caulking iron to drive it along the seams. The caulking iron’s blade is tapered to be narrower at the tip to make it easier to remove it from the joint. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.Caulking iron; an iron tool with round flat surface on top, above a narrow, long round handle that flares outwards to form a thick, narrow wedge shape. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, caulking, ship maintenance, cooper, shipwright’s tools, shipwrights’ tools, tools, maritime trade, caulking iron, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne -
Buninyong Visitor Information Centre
Container - Ceramic bottle, K. Evans Potteries of Nottingham, Brown glazed stoneware bottle
Made in Nottingham, England by K. Evans. K. Evans Potteries in Nottingham has an intriguing history. During the construction of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Company’s new London line (now known as the Great Central) through Nottingham, several objects of antiquarian interest were discovered. Among these treasures was an ancient pottery kiln, buried for centuries beneath the soft yellow Bunter sandstone rock that forms a significant part of the city’s foundation. The excavation took place near the point where Parliament Street intersects the railway, at a depth of ten to twelve feet below the original surface. The credit for rescuing many of these pottery fragments from destruction goes to Mr. C. B. Wright, of the late firm I. & I. C. Wright & Co., Bankers. His dedication and ingenuity allowed him to piece together broken parts, sometimes assembling as many as thirty or forty fragments to form a single complete specimen. These pottery pieces provide a fascinating glimpse into the past. Here are some details about the pottery found at K. Evans Potteries: Material: The pottery is made of coarse, reddish-brown clay. Construction: Evidence suggests that the potter’s wheel was used in their creation. Ornamentation: The vessels lack decorative patterns, except for indented or grooved handles. These handles exhibit a crude attempt at foliation, with the potter’s thumb leaving its mark. Function: The pottery likely served practical purposes, such as carrying water, ale, mead, or wine. Stew jars and drinking vessels were also part of this collection. This discovery remains almost unique, and its age continues to intrigue local antiquaries. While theories about its origin are scarce, the K. Evans Potteries offer a fascinating glimpse into Nottingham’s ancient craftsmanship. Cylindrical brown pottery jar (Bottle) with broken neck section. Uneven and work appearance of glazed surface.'... Stone bottles. K. Evans. ...Potteries of Nottingham'ceramics, pottery, bottles -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Vehicle - Vessel - Surf Boat, 1949
In 1952 the subject surf boat crewed by Geoff Scott, Ron Blackney, Wes McLaren, Jim Tibb, and Stan Stephens, won the Victorian Surf Boat Championships. When the club had finished with the boat Mr. Harold Stephenson paid one shilling and it eventually found its way into a garage where it remained for over 20 years before being donated to Flagstaff Hill. This boat is regarded as a unique example of craftsmanship, closely resembling Bay whaleboats used around the Warrnambool area in the 1800s. This timber caravel surf boat was named “Aeroplane Jelly” and was built by N & E Towns a Newcastle boat builder in 1949 Aeroplane Jellies and David Jones as sponsors of the Sydney Surf Carnival of 1950/1951 donated jointly the vessel. George Towns started his boat-building business in 1869 on Dempsey Island on the Hunter River, NSW. George's sons took over the business as N & E Towns (Norman and Eldrid) and continued until the early 1950s. The business made a variety of small craft including fishing boats, launches, and flood boats. In 1928 they built their first surf boat it took about six weeks to build with cedar planks and hardwood frames. After World War II surf boats became their main focus and they became well known for the lighter and faster designs. Many “Towns built” craft have won events at state and national surf championships. They were renowned Boat Builders producing a much lighter and faster running boat than anything previously made, with a buoyant type bow design giving it the lift necessary to get out and through heavy surf. while its sleek lines from amidships aft provided very fast running qualities. Either side of its bows, it bore the bright silver aircraft transfer of the Aeroplane Jellies Company. After a surf competition at Narrabeen NSW, the competing Warrnambool surf lifesaving team returned home to Warrnambool their club committee decided to purchase the "Aeroplane Jellies" Surf boat if and when it became available as the team had been so impressed with the boat. On 30 October 1951 a cheque for £207-2/6' was raised, £180 for the boat, balance for oars. Transport was arranged and the boat was delivered in November 1951. When the "Aeroplane Jellies" competition days were over in the early 1960's due largely to changing surf boat design, Warrnambool Club's Secretary, Mr. Harold Stephenson, sought permission from the Committee to purchase the boat for the nominal sum of one shilling thus preserving the vessel for posterity. The boat had been stored for many years at the Nullawarre Bakery where it remained until Mr. Stephenson died in 1985. After Mr. Stephenson's passing his family donated the vessel to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in 1986.A very rare example of a surf lifesaving boat that for its time was a unique creation that revolutionised small vessel design in Australia. It was made by a renowned maker that today unfortunately many of his examples of boats he made, especially surf life-saving boats no longer exist making the Flagstaff Hill boat very significant to not only surf lifesaving history but to the part it played in our social life for all those who went to the beaches in 1960s Australia.Surf boat named "Aeroplane Jellies". Timber, double ender carvel, built in 1949 by N & E Towns, Newcastle, NSW. Only a few are in existence. She was a trophy prize at Sydney Surf Carnival 1950/1951, donated by Aeroplane Jellies and David Jones Dept. Store, Sydney. The boat was won by South Narrabeen Surf Club. Warrnambool Surf Club purchased her on 30/10/1951 for £207-2/6, and she was sold to Harold Stephenson in early 1960's for 1 shilling. Donated to Flagstaff Hill by the family of Harold Stephenson around 1985-1986. The name Aeroplane Jellies was lettered in gold across the boat's coaming and there is a remnant of some of the gold lettering still there.warrnambool, flagstaff hillflagstaff hill maritime museum, great ocean road, ememgency, historic boat, surf boat, n & e towns, carvel, vintage boat, double ender boat, lifesaving boat, geoff scott, south narrabeen surf club, warrnambool surf life saving club, lifeboat -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Block, Alexander Stephen and Sons, 1869
These remains of a block, shackle and wire are from the sailing ship Newfield. This would have been one of the hundreds of blocks and shackles used in the rigging of the vessel. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1869 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. On the night of 28 August 1892, the Captain mistook the Cape Otway light for that of Cape Wickham (King Island) and altered tack to the north and east putting the vessel on a collision course with the Victorian coast. At around 3:40 am the Newfield struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and 5 feet of water filled the holds immediately. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The starboard lifeboat was cleared for lowering with two seamen and two apprentices in her, but almost as soon as she touched the water she was smashed to bits against the side of the vessel, and only one of the four reached safety ashore, able seaman McLeod. The rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile offshore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. For his heroic efforts, Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at sea on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody's granddaughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is additionally significant because of the medal awarded to a local man Peter Carmody. The Newfield collection historically also represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.This is what remains of a block, shackle and wire from the wreck of the sailing ship “Newfield”. The object is heavily encrusted. The exterior (cheeks) of the block is missing. The disc of the block has a channel part way around its face, about 2 cm from the edge. Two long, narrow plates are joined onto the centre of the disc’s face with a bolt through the centre. The other ends of the two plates join onto the elbow of the shackle. The elbow of the shackle is also joined onto a rod. At the other end of the rod can be seen the ends of thick wire strands.block, 1893, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, peter carmody, newfield, 1892, port campbell, shipwreck, ship, victorian shipwrecks, barque, ship wreck, peterborough, sailing ship, 29 august 1892, block and shackle, curdies river, bramley-moore medal -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Porthole, Alexander Stephen and Sons, 1869
This large brass porthole is from the sailing ship Newfield this would have been one of the many port holes in the vessel used for light and ventilation. The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1869 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt. On the night of 28 August 1892, the Captain mistook the Cape Otway light for that of Cape Wickham (King Island) and altered tack to the north and east putting the vessel on a collision course with the Victorian coast. At around 3:40 am the Newfield struck rocks about 100 yards from shore, and 5 feet of water filled the holds immediately. The captain gave orders to lower the boats which caused a disorganised scramble for safety among the crew. The starboard lifeboat was cleared for lowering with two seamen and two apprentices in her, but almost as soon as she touched the water she was smashed to bits against the side of the vessel, and only one of the four reached safety ashore, able seaman McLeod. The rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The rescue was a difficult operation. The Port Campbell Rocket Crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. Peter Carmody, a local man, volunteered to swim about one mile offshore to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. He was assisted by James McKenzie and Gerard Irvine. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one-man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. For his heroic efforts, Peter Carmody was awarded the Bramley-Moore medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for Saving Life at sea on January 21st 1893. The medal and a letter of congratulations were donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum by Peter Carmody's granddaughter Norma Bracken and her son Stuart Bracken on 25th May 2006. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is additionally significant because of the medal awarded to a local man Peter Carmody. The Newfield collection historically also represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.Heavily encrusted large brass porthole, complete with glass intact object is a circular, thick glass window surrounded by a round brass frame and attached to a round brass porthole frame with 9 bolt holes. This porthole was recovered from the wreck of the NEWFIELD.Nonewarrnambool, peter carmody, newfield, port campbell, shipwreck, nineteenth century, ship, victorian shipwrecks, peterborough, peter ronald, dog screw, newfield porthole, bramley-moore medal, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck artefact, ship fitting, ship window -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Nail, circa 1825
Nails such as this solid copper nail were forged by blacksmiths. A nail of this length could have been used for the ship's decking. It was recovered from the shipwreck of the barque Children. The Children wrecking: The barque Children was one of the first vessels to be lost in the Western District the vessel was wrecked to the east of Warrnambool on 14th January 1838. When it ran ashore in hurricane-force winds, 22 passengers and crew were fortunate to escape being battered to death on the rocks. The Children broke up within 20 minutes, sweeping sixteen of those on board to their deaths. After eleven days, the survivors, all of whom were injured, were rescued and taken to Portland. According to Lloyd's Shipping Register 1837-1839, the Children was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London. Registration number 123/1837, James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered in 1837” at Launceston registered number 6/1837. In 1838 the Children, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year carrying a general cargo including house bricks used for ballast. On the 11th of January 1839, the Children sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the Children were “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane-force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th. However, it was too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The Children collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost including 8 children. The Henty brothers contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for James Henty and his brothers, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Henty’s summarised their work over the previous six years of establishing the Portland settlement stating. “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’ They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”.This nail is significant as part of the vessels original fixtures. The Children was delivering cargo intended for the Portland Bay settlement of her owners the James Henty brothers The wreck is also significant as one of the first vessels to have been lost in the Western District of Warrnambool. As a result the shipwreck of the Children is registered with the Victorian Heritage Register S116. Ship's nail, copper, with a washer attached. The nail has a round head, solid round shank and a flat end. It is bent, twisted and has indentations in the centre section. The nail was recovered from the wreck of the CHILDREN.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, shipwreck artefact, the children, nail, copper nail, ship's nail, children shipwreck -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Ship Log, Early 20th Century
In times past the only way to measure a ship’s speed was to throw a wood log into the water and observe how fast it moved away from the ship. In the 16th century, the log was fastened to a rope knotted at set intervals. The log was thrown over the stern (back) of the vessel and a crew member counted the number of knots that were paid out in a set time. From this, they could estimate the vessel's speed through the water. This was known as streaming the log and is also the derivation of the knot as a measurement of nautical speed. Various manufacturers of nautical equipment had sought over the years to perfect the operation of determining a ship's speed and it wasn't until Thomas Walker and his son Ferdinand developed a mechanical system that eventually made this task became easy for marine navigators. Thomas Walker & Son were internationally renowned in the manufacturing of ship logs the founding father, Thomas Walker (1805–1871), an engineer in Birmingham, patented his mechanical log in 1878 which was a recording instrument that attached to a rail at the stern of a vessel connected by a long cord with a rotor which was towed behind the ship. The instrument dial then recorded the distance travelled. Thomas Walker first went into business to manufacture stoves at 58 Oxford Street Birmingham. Walker’s self-feeding stove was widely lauded at the Paris Exhibition of 1855, winning a prize medal and kickstarting the first of many notable innovations for the Walker family's manufacturing business. However, it wasn’t until working on an earlier ship’s log model invented by his Uncle that Thomas Walker became interested in the further development of this device, used to ascertain a ship’s speed. Walker continued to improve on the common log for the company of Massey & Sons and these improvements were deemed revolutionary. This log became a firm favourite of the West India Association (a British-based organisation promoting ties and trade with the British Caribbean), being the most common log in use for two generations. It took until 1861 for Thomas Walker and his son, Thomas Ferdinand Walker (1831-1921) to patent the first Walker log of many. Together, with the introduction of the A1 Harpoon Log two years later, they established the Walker Log Business as a force to be reckoned with. By his passing in 1871, Thomas Walker Snr had not only founded a family business with considerable staying power but also instilled a tradition of public service. Having sat as a representative on the Birmingham Town Council for 15 years and played an active role in public works, he was soon given the nickname of ‘Blue Brick Walker’. Much like his father, Thomas Ferdinand Walker changed the face of the maritime industry. His patent of 1897, the ‘Cherub’ log, was a notable departure from the past providing a far more accurate reading and replacing the majority of logs of the age. They were the first to produce an electric log (Trident) and the Walker factory was one of the first to introduce the 48-hour work week for employees.The ship log was invented and made by a significant marine instrument maker and innovator of machinery. It demonstrates the huge leap taken to improve navigational accuracy at sea with an instrument that was in use for decades.Ships Log, Walker Trident electric motor, in wooden box with instructions inside box. The motor dial with electric cord is still inside box.Inscription "Admiralty patent number 3332" and "Walker Trident Electric Ship Log (Mark III), 15-25 volt". On top of lid, hand written, is "G TAYLOR"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ships log, thomas walker & son, electric ships log, marine navigation, thomas ferdinand walker, ship log -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Bottle, 1840s to 1910
This handmade ‘gallon’ style of bottle was generally used for storing and transporting wine and ale. Many bottles similar to this one have their bases embossed with “6 TO THE GALLON”. However, this bottle is rare, in that the base has been embossed then over-embossed with the same text, letters overlapping. It is one of many artefacts recovered from unidentified shipwrecks along Victoria’s coast between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is now part of the John Chance Collection. The capacity of this is one-sixth of a gallon (imperial measure), which is equal to 758 ml. (American bottles were often inscribed “5 TO THE GALLON”, which is one-fifth of an American gallon, equal to 757 ml.) Contemporary home brewers can purchase new ‘6 to gallon’ bottles that hold 750 ml. and are sold in cases of 36 bottles, which is equal to 6 gallons of wine. Glass was made thousands of years ago by heating together quartz-sand (Silica), lime and potash. Potash was obtained from burnt wood, but these days potash is mined. The natural sand had imperfections such as different forms of iron, resulting in ‘black’ glass, which was really dark green or dark amber colour. The ‘black’ glass was enhanced by residual carbon in the potash. Black glass is rarely used nowadays but most beer, wine, and liquors are still sold in dark coloured glass. Glass vessels were core-formed from around 1500 BC. An inner core with the vessel’s shape was formed around a rod using a porous material such as clay or dung. Molten glass was then modelled around the core and decorated. When the glass had cooled the vessel was immersed in water and the inner core became liquid and was washed out. Much more recently, bottlers were crafted by a glassblower using molten glass and a blow pipe together with other hand tools. Another method was using simple moulds, called dip moulds, that allowed the glass to be blown into the mould to form the base, then the glassblower would continue blowing free-form to shape the shoulders and neck. The bottle was then finished by applying a lip. These moulded bottles were more uniform in shape compared to the free-form bottles originally produced. English glassblowers in the mid-1800s were making some bottles with 2-piece and 3-piece moulds, some with a push-up style base, sometimes with embossing in the base as well. Improvements allowed the moulds to also have embossed and patterned sides, and straight sided shapes such as hexagons. Bottles made in full moulds usually displayed seam seams or lines. These process took skill and time, making the bottles valuable, so they were often recycled. By the early 20th century bottles were increasingly machine made, which greatly reduced the production time and cost. This bottle is a rare find, in that the base has been over-embossed with the same lettering, letters overlapping one another. This bottle is historically significant as an example of a handmade, blown inscribed glass bottle manufactured in the mid-to-late 1800s for specific use as a liquor bottle with a set measurement of one-sixth of gallon. It is also historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s, giving a snapshot into history and social life that occurred during the early days of Victoria’s development, and the sea trade that visited the ports in those days. The bottle is also significant as one of a group of bottles recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection of shipwreck artefacts by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, over embossed, brown glass, handmade, rare. Tall slim Gallon style liquor bottle. Applied double collar lip; square upper and flared lower. Mouth has sealing tape remnants around top. Mould seam around shoulder. Body tapers inwards to push-up base. Top edge of lip has application faults. There is also a rectangular indent in the upper edge of lip. Base is embossed and over embossed, with the letters overlapping each other. Embossed on base "6 TO THE GALLON", then over-embossed with the same "6 TO THE GALLON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, 6 to the gallon bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, double collar, 19th century bottle, collectable, over embossed, rare -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Rudder Pintles and Gudgeons, Alexander Hall and Son, ca. 1855
This set of pairs of pintles and gudgeons was recovered from the wreck of the sailing ship Schomberg and was part of its rudder steering system. A reconstruction that includes four pairs is currently on display at Flagstaff Hill. The rudder installation of the Schomberg was almost seven metres tall. A pintle and gudgeon pair is a mechanical fitting that works like a pair of door hinges. One of the uses for this type of fitting is for ships’ rudders. On a ship, one or several gudgeons would be attached to the vertical rudder stempost on the rear of the ship’s hull. On the ship's rudder, an equal number of pintles would be fitted onto it. The rudder assembly would then fit down into the gudgeons on the ship and would be connected to its steering mechanism, allowing it to be moved from side to side and steer the vessel. The SCHOMBERG- The three-masted clipper ship Schomberg was built in 1855 by Alexander Hall and Co in Aberdeen, Scotland, for James Baines' famous Black Ball line. It measured 288 feet (88 meters) in length, with a beam of 45 feet (14 meters), a depth of 29.5 feet (8.99 meters) and 2,284 tons. The mainmast was 210 feet (64 meters) high and the ship carried 3.3 acres of sail. The wooden vessel was constructed with three skins; one planked fore and aft, and two diagonally planked. All skins were fastened together with screw-threaded trunnels (wooden rails). The Schomberg was one of only three clippers wrecked in Victorian waters that operated the England-to-Australia run. It was built to outrun Donald MacKay’s two American-built ships, the Empress of the Sea and the Lightning. It was hoped that Schomberg would make Liverpool to Melbourne voyage in sixty days, setting a record for the voyage. The Schomberg sailed from Liverpool on 6 October 1855 on her maiden voyage, under the command of Captain James Forbes. Her general cargo for Australia included jewellery, spirits, machinery, and 2,000 tons of iron rails and equipment for building the Melbourne to Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn, and17,000 letters and 31,800 newspapers. She also carried a cow for fresh milk, pens for fowls and pigs, plus 90,000 gallons of water for washing and drinking on board. There were approximately 473 passengers, including migrants for Australia, and a crew of 105. Light winds encountered at the equator dashed the expectations of a record-breaking voyage. On Christmas day the ship sighted Moonlight Head in southwest Victoria and even though there was a deadly combination of wind, currents and unmarked sand spits, the vessel continued on. Then the next day, December 26th 1855, the huge ship gently ran aground on a spit that juts into Newfield Bay, east of Curdies Inlet and the present town of Peterborough. Fortunately, the coastal trader, SS Queen, was nearby and managed to save all passengers and crew. In 1975 Flagstaff Hill’s former Director Peter Ronald and the team of divers recovered many objects and artefacts from the wreck of the Schomberg such as the ship’s fittings, equipment and personal effects including a diamond hidden for years in a communion set. This set of pintles and gudgeons is an example of steering equipment used on ships over 150 years ago, equipment that is still in use in today's shipping industry as well as many other everyday hardware applications.. The equipment is significant for its association with the ill-fated vessel Schomberg, which was wrecked in the local water in 1855 on its maiden voyage. The ship was built for speed and luxury, to sail on journeys with passengers, including migrants, travelling from Liverpool to Melbourne.Pintles and gudgeons, six pairs, plus one single pintle, from the wreck of the SCHOMBERG. Cast iron horse-shoe-shaped fittings with tapered ends. each with metal bars between the long sides. One piece of each pair has a round hollow cylinder and the other has a round solid shank. The single pintle has a tall shank with a pintle hook through it. Some pieces have remnants of grey paint.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, schomberg, shipwreck, pintles, gudgeons, ship's rudder, ship's steering, clipper ship, james bain, black ball line, alexander hall and co., capt. james bully forbes, rudder pintles and gudgeons, rudder steering, pintles and braces, immigrant ship, maiden voyage, peterborough, 1855, marine technology