This pair of kneeling rails was part of the original furnishings of the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen's Church at 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria. A kneeling rail is part of the furniture of a church and is used during religious prayer, assisting the person to be in the position of kneeling. A padded kneeling mat or cushion would also be provided for comfort. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews) The Missions to Seamen, an Anglican charity, has served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. It symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centr4es in over 200 ports world-wide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria the orgainsation began in Williamstown in 1857. It was as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’. Its location was an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981 and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. This pair of kneeling rails is significant through its association with the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen Church in Williamstown, Melbourne, established in 1857. The items in our collection from the Missions to Seamen in Williamstown, Victoria, have historical and social significance. They show that people of the 1800s and 1900s cared about the seafarers’ religious, moral, and social welfare, no matter what the religion, social status or nationality. It had its origins in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. The first Australian branch was started in 1856 by the Rev. Kerr Johnston, a Church of England clergyman, and operated from a hulk moored in Hobson’s Bay; later the Mission occupied buildings in Williamstown and Port Melbourne. Rail and base; one of a pair of two. Three varnished wood pillars and cap rail, mounted on a rectangular box-shaped base. A kneeling rail used in religious worship. This is a pair of original items in our St Nicholas Seamen's Church Williamstown Collection.-flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, rail for kneeling, rail, kneeling rail, religion, religious service, sailors rest, bethel sailors’ church, bethel floating church, ladies harbour light guild, missions to seamen victoria, mission to seafarers, st nicholas seaman’s church williamstown, st nicholas mission to seamen church williamstown, mission to seamen williamstown, st nicholas seamen’s church flagstaff hill, 139 nelson place williamstown, church furniture, religious furniture, religious worship, flying angel club, altar rail, kneeler, prayer, ceremonial furniture

An advertising poster for the 1955 All Nations Festival which was presented by the Australia Red Cross Society, Victorian Branch. Nina and Olga Black participated in the festival and were featured on the poster (seated at front first and second from left) wearing Greek traditional costumes. Other recognisable national costumes are Scottish Piper and Dutch.The event held in 1955 by the Australian Red Cross promoted multicultural Australia and members of the Ithacan Philanthropic Club participated. It was the period of post WW2 mass migration which saw many nationalities making Australia their home.Photocopy of a poster for the 1955 All Nations Festival. Consisting of a group 3 men and 6 women dressed in different national traditional dress. There is a Red Cross symbol either side of the group.THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY / VICTORIAN DIVISION/PRESENTS THE / 1955 ALL NATIONS FESTIVAL / ST. KILDA CRICKET GROUND - SUNDAY, 27TH FEBRUARY 1955folk dancing, national costimes

Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.543.non-fictionExamines the experiences of the soldiers of all nationalities who fought at the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey, in 1915, during World War I, as well as the men who led them. Recounts the details of the Gallipoli campaign, from the grand military and political strategies to the squalid realities of the front line.world war 1914-1918 - gallipoli campaign - history, anzac

Index, ill, p.486.non-fictionFollowing the publication of the remarkable 'Forgotten Voices of the Great War', Max Arthur has once again gone deep into the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive to create this landmark oral history of the most devastating conflict the world has ever seen, the Second World War. The Imperial War Museum holds a vast archive of interviews with soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians of most nationalities who saw action during WW2. world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - britain, oral history

Bib, ill, maps, p.243.non-fictionAustralia's Submariners are a group with an extremely strong sense of identity that goes well beyond occupational comradeship or the esprit de corps of military life in peace or war. Since 1914, the unique skills, attitudes, values and demands of the work they do and the environment in which they do it have forged unparalleled camaraderie. A camaraderie that extends beyond nationality, embracing submariners past and present of every other nation. No one but submariners understand the experience of diving deep beneath the waves in technology filled tubes of steel, each submariner totally dependent on the other for a safe return to the surface. The ethos of Australia's submariners is based upon these factors and remains strong even when they leave the sea and take up other occupations. Australia's future submarines will certainly present challenges in terms of sophistication, technology and capability however the characteristics of our submariners evolved over previous generations will remain much the same; trained and equipped to meet the challenges; just as they have been met and surmounted so many times, in silence, over a century of service.royal australian navy - submarine forces, submarine warfare

Australian National Flag Montage depicting 15 Australian flags, including Naval, Military and Aboriginal flags - with history and details of each flag, also featuring the words of our National AnthemAustralia entered the first world war with three flags representing its dual nationality: the Union Jack as national flag and its two Australian ensigns. All three featured in recruiting drives for the Australian Imperial Force (the AIF). At that time the Union Jack was clearly regarded as the most importantBlack and gold painted frame containing montage of Australian flag and 14 smaller flags with boxed narratives.The Australian National Flag Gold Plaque - Proudly endorsed by the Returned & Services League of Australia 1992 Signed by Brigadier A B Garland AM and B C Ruxton OBEflags, australian, australian states and territories