This tool is part of a large collection of vintage tools and they are believed to have belonged to a Warrnambool businessman, Henry Phillips. English-born carpenter, Henry Phillips (1821-1896), with his wife, Elizabeth, came to Australia in 1849 and lived in Port Fairy for some time. In 1865 he formed a partnership with Christopher Beattie and established the undertaking firm of Beattie and Phillips. The funeral business continued on after the deaths of the two founders and lasted until the year 2000. In Warrnambool Henry Phillips was involved with the management of the Mechanics’ Institute.This tool is of interest as an example of a vintage tool and also as a memento of the 19th century Warrnambool businessman, Henry Phillips.This is a large rectangular-shaped wooden plane tool. It has a curved wooden handle with a flattened top and this is inserted into the top of the body of the tool. The middle section of the top of the tool had been gouged out and a metal blade inserted at an angle and this blade partly protrudes at the base to make a planing tool. The metal blade is held in place by a covering piece of wood and a metal screw holds both the inserted wood and the blade in place.vintage tools, henry phillips,, history of warrnambool

Magneto wall telephones such as this one were commonly in use in Australia around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The wall telephone, powered by dry cells, was an invention of the late 1870s. In the first half of the 20th century many old wall telephones were restored and put back in use by the Australian P.M.G. when there was a shortage of telephones in the 1930s Depression and during World War Two. This item, a reminder of the days of early technology, has no known local provenance but is retained for display and research purposes.This telephone piece is contained within a brown wooden box with a back board that has curved edges and extends over the edges of the box. On the back there are three metal screws for attaching the box to a wall or door. The front section of the box has curved edges with an inset panel around the edges. There is a metal turning handle on one side of the box and on the other side there is a metal clip holding a hearing piece attached to the box by a cord. On the front of the box is a speaking piece attached to the box by a metal piece. Attached to the front of the box are two semi-circular ringing pieces now situated some centimetres out from the box. The box was originally varnished but the edges are now rubbed and there are some splotches of paint. vintage wall telephones, history of warrnambool, magneto wall telephones

This is a typed copy of William Earle’s History of Port Fairy written in 1896. The history is of interest to researchers and the information contained in it has been updated and extended by historians in recent times. William Earle, a printer with a business in Port Fairy came to Australia with his parents, William and Mary, in 1854. He was a Councillor and Mayor and was heavily involved in local community affairs. He died in 1902 at the age of 51. His 1896 history won a prize in a local Industrial Exhibition and was widely acknowledged as an important primary source of early Port Fairy history. This booklet is of minor interest as it is a copy of a 19th century Port Fairy history book and is not a rare item. It is retained as it came from the Baulch collection of documents and belonged to David Baulch of Koonongal Estate, HwakesdaleThis is a booklet of 59 pages of typed material bound into a brown cardboard cover with metal screws. The pages are typed on one side only and have a black border around all sides.David Baulch Koonongal Estate Hawkesdale 3287baulch family, dunmore and rose park, history of warrnambool

These labels come from the business of Giffen Russell and Company, a wine and spirits store in Fairy Street, Warrnambool. Giffen Russell commenced business in 1878 and was joined by Joseph Powell as a partner in 1881. The business of Giffen Russell and Co. was operating in the early 1900s and still went by that name in the 1940s with H.L.Lynch the proprietor at that time. These labels are of considerable interest as they show the extent of the goods sold by Giffen Russell, a prominent wine and spirits dealer in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. .1 A sheet of white paper with a gilt edge and black printing .2 A sheet of white paper with a blue border and blue printing .3 A sheet of paper with blue printing and decoration on a green background .4 A sheet of white paper with a blue border and blue printing .5 A sheet of white paper with a decorative blue border and blue printing .6 A sheet of white paper pasted on to a piece of card. The printing is gold and blue surrounded by decorative patterns, including bunches of grapes .1Australian Gin bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .2 Finest Virgin Olive Oil Product of Italy .3 Pure Australian Wine Frontignac bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .4 Raw Linseed Oil bottled by Giffen Russell & Co, .5 Finest Brown Malt bottled by Giffen Russell & Co. Warrnambool .6 Seppelts Invalid Port bottled by Giffen Russell, Merchants, Warrnambool giffen russell, wine merchant, history of warrnambool

This label comes from the pharmacy of D.W.Gleeson. He had a chemist shop in Timor Street, Warrnambool in the late 19th century. This label is of interest as a memento of a late 19th century chemist in Warrnambool – D.W. GleesonThis is a piece of cream-coloured paper with blue edging, an Australian logo and blue printing. The paper has been pasted on to a piece of pink card. This bottle contains…. doses Gold Medallist by Competitive Examination Purity of Drugs Guaranteed Dispensing Chemist D.W.Gleeson Timor Street Warrnambool d.w.gleeson, chemist, history of warrnambool

This is a supplement issued by the Weekly Times newspaper in 1896 to commemorate the opening of the Warrnambool Industrial ad Art Exhibition in November 1896. The exhibition ran for three months in the Warrnambool Town Hall/Mechanics Institute area with some temporary buildings. The attendance was recorded as 70,000, making it one of the biggest events ever held in Warrnambool. There were displays, competitions, concerts and operas and sporting and cultural events. The exhibition was historically important as being the time and place when the earliest surviving sound recordings made in Australia were produced by Tommy Rome on an Edison phonograph. The supplement came from the estate of Bruce Morris, the editor of the Warrnambool Standard from 1946 to 1968 and an important Warrnambool historian.This paper, although tattered is a most important souvenir of the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896-7, a significant event in Warrnambool’s history. The supplement is also a valuable record of businesses and people of the late 19th century in Warrnambool.This is a supplement to an 1896 newspaper. It has 20 pages but is incomplete. It has printed material and black and white and sepia photographs. Most of the pages are loose and are tattered. warrnambool industrial and art exhibition 1896-7, bruce morris, warrnambool, thomas rome, warrnambool

This stool appears to have been home-made. It was used in the days (first half of the 20th century) when cows were mostly milked by hand. It was most likely to have been used to milk a house cow, perhaps in Warrnambool or a nearby town. The cow would have been kept during the day time on the town common and brought back to the home for milking and returned to the common the next day. The production of milk, cheese and butter has been an important industry in the Warrnambool district since the second half of the 19th century, with the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory at Allansford being established in 1888. It is the oldest surviving dairy company in Australia. This stool is of considerable interest as an example of the stools used when cows were hand milked and when many households in the towns and outer areas had a house cow to supply milk for the household. This is a hand-made wooden milking stool with a rectangular piece of wood for the seat and four rounded legs that taper slightly outwards. The legs have been inserted into four holes on the top seating part. The seat has a small circular hole in the middle. The stool is well-worn. dairying in western victoria

These books contain reports of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1960 and 1961. They came from the Ardlie family, members of which have been associated with Warrnambool and legal affairs since the early 1850s. John Ardlie came to Warrnambool in 1852 as the Clerk of Courts and his son William Ardlie was a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool for over 60 years. If it is this William Ardlie’s stamp in these volumes then it was used after his death. The signature is of John Ardlie, also a lawyer in Warrnambool and Port Fairy in the later decades of the 20th century.These volumes are of interest as they are connected to members of the Ardlie family, prominent lawyers and community members in Warrnambool in the 19th and 20th centuries.These are two volumes of law reports of the Supreme Court of Victoria– hard cover books with dark green covers and spines with red and gold bands and gold print. Inside the front covers are the stamp of a Warrnambool lawyer and a signature in black handwriting.‘William Ardlie Solicitor Warrnambool’ ‘J.M.Ardlie’ ardlie family, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This hat has the brand name or model, ‘The Solent’ which is the name of the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. Boater hats such as these were mostly worn for informal occasions and were usually associated with sporting events such as boating and sailing, particularly in Britain. Hats of this type were also part of the school uniform of some Australian schools, usually prominent private schools with a British tradition, in the first half of the 20th century and there may be some schools still using the style today. This boater is of interest as an example of the informal head gear worn by men in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful for display.This is a cream straw boater hat with a flat circular crown and round brim. The straw is stiffened and plaited. There is a black material band ending with a black bow around the base of the crown. The hat has brown leather internal lining with a cream cord insert for altering the inside size of the hat. Inside the hat is a printed shield with the maker’s details and some gold ornamentation with printed material. The Criterion Brand Reg. No. 15094 The Solent Extra Quality Copyright. vintage headware, history of warrnambool

This fire helmet may have been one used in England or one used in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Australia. It was made by Firmin & Sons of England, a firm which was founded in 1655. It supplies military ceremonial buttons, badges and uniforms and brass and pith helmets of various kinds. It is regarded as the oldest manufacturing business operating in England today. The Warrnambool Fire Brigade was established in the early 1860s and today has both paid and volunteer firefighters.This helmet has no known local provenance but is retained for display purposes.This is a brass helmet with an oval crown with an ornate scrolled curved piece coming over the crown. There is a decoration of a winged dragon breathing fire and on the front side a torch, an axe and a hose with decorative surrounds. There is a breathing hole at the top of the crown in a petal shape. On the sides are metal medallions holding a chin strap which is adjustable. The edge of the crown has a scrolled band. The front peak is angled with a folded metal edge and the rear peak is a concave shape with a brass screw in the middle. Inside the helmet are 8 screws holding the upper decorative arching piece and a black leather band with eyelets tied together to fir the individual head. There is an oval plaque with wording contained within a decorative belt.Firmin & Sons Ltd 108 & 109 St Martins Lane W.C. Late of 153 & 154 Strandwarrnambool fire brigade, history of warrnambool

This is a bowler hat, commonly worn by men in the second half of the 19th century for semi-formal and informal wear. The bowler hat was first made by the hatters, Thomas and William Bowler, in 1849 and was said to have been commissioned by the owners of Holkham Hall, England, for use by gamekeepers on horseback to protect their heads from low-hanging branches. In the 19th and early 20th centuries bowler hats were worn mainly by businessmen in Britain, U.S.A and Australia but were also popularized for general use by notable personalities and actors such as Charlie Chaplin. This hat has no known local provenance but is retained for display purposesThis is a black felt hat with a rounded crown and a ribbon around the crown. The rim is slightly turned up. There are breathing holes in the crown.men’s headgear from the past, history of warrnambool

Tourism has been an important industry in Warrnambool for over 100 years. In the late 19th century Warrnambool was promoted as a spa resort offering a mild climate, seaside swimming and hot and cold seawater baths. Today tourists come in winter to see the Southern Right whales at Logans Beach and in summer they come for a beach holiday. The Hopkins River is a popular recreation destination with boating, fishing and water skiing. The Proudfoots Boathouse was established in 1885 by Thomas Proudfoot. This cup is an interesting example of a Warrnambool tourist souvenir from the mid to late 20th century.This is a small white china cup. There is gold edging around the rim and on the handle. On the side of the cup is a coloured image of Proudfoots Boatsheds at the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool. Hopkins River Boatsheds Warrnambool Fine China Westminster China Australia tourism in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This tool, along with many other vintage tools in the collection of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society, is believed to have belonged to Henry Phillips, a19th century Warrnambool identity. English-born Henry Phillips (1821-1896) came with his wife Elizabeth to Australia in 1849 and lived in Port Fairy for some years. In 1865 Phillips formed a partnership with Christopher Beattie in the Warrnambool undertaking business of Beattie and Phillips. This was a major business in Warrnambool, continuing after the deaths of Phillips and Beattie until the year 2000. Henry Phillips was involved in the management of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and the Art Gallery. This tool is of interest as an example of a 19th century tool and as a memento of a prominent Warrnambool businessman of the 19th century, Henry Phillips. This is a planing tool with a rectangular-shaped wooden body and two round polished wooden handles at either end. The wooden piece is curved on the base. A metal plate with a curved end is inserted in an opening on the top of the wooden piece and extends down to a small slit at the base. Metal screws keep the handles and the metal blade in place. vintage carpentry tools, henry phillips, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This Bible belonged to Minnie Maud Middleton (d.1958). She came from Framlingham, near Warrnambool. Miss Middleton’s parents, Hannah and Thomas, brought the Bible to Australia from England in the 1870s. The Bible, printed in 1816, contains a pencil drawing of the Roydon Church of England where the Middletons worshipped in England. This Bible is of interest as an example of a Bible that many families owned, treasured and read in times gone by and especially in the 19th century. It has local provenance.This is a Bible with a hard leather cover and the spine covering replaced at some stage. The front and back of the book are much rubbed and scored. The pages are numbered according to the sections and the font varies with two columns to each page. There are over 40 black and white illustrations (from engravings) and several pressed ferns. Some pages are damaged. There are four loose sheets. Brown’s Holy Bible printed 1816 Presented to G. Phillpot 80 Kelp St Warrnambool in 1953 by Miss M. Middleton of Bendigo, late of Framlingham. Was brought to Australia by Miss Middleton’s parents approx 80 years ago. The pencil drawing is of Roydon Church of England where Miss Middleton’s parents worshipped. Copy of ‘Willing Work’ dated Nov 3 1877 was found in the Bible. minnie maud middleton, framlingham, history of warrnambool, bible, roydon church of england

This meat safe has no known local provenance but it would be typical of the safes used in a domestic situation to house fresh meat. Usually the safe was hung in a house corridor or verandah or outside in a cool place where there was a breeze that passed through the mesh and kept the contents cool. The mesh also prevented flies and other insects from getting into the safe. Meat safes were widely used in Australian homes in the 19th century and early to mid 20th century, sometimes in conjunction with ice chests, until they were replaced by refrigerators. This item is retained for display purposes as an example of domestic food preservation in Australia 80 to 100 years ago.This is a metal box with a rectangular-shape base and a semi-circular top. All sides except the top and the bottom are made of fine metal mesh. The front is reinforced with metal strips and has a metal clip. The curved top is ridged and has a metal clip.The safe is somewhat rusted and damaged. Registered under Commonwealth Act Nos. 101-102-103 G.W.Rowleyfood preservation – australia, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These two works of art are by Dr Don Edgar, a sociologist, educator and author. He taught sociology at Stanford University, the University of Chicago, Monash University and La Trobe University and was the founding Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In the 1950s Dr Edgar was a student at Warrnambool High School and these works of art were produced at that time. For a school project he researched the early history of the Warrnambool Art Gallery and some of its collection, dating from the 19th century. In 2019 he published a book, ‘Art For the Country’, the story of Victoria’s regional art galleries and the book includes information on the founding and the later history of the Warrnambool Art Gallery.These works of art are of interest as they were painted by Dr Don Edgar, a noted academic and author today and a former resident of Warrnambool. The two works of art also have historical interest as they depict Warrnambool scenes painted over 60 years ago. .1 An art work (oil on artboard) – the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens with bridge and reflections, a gum tree and a poplar tree, all in green and orange tonings. The wooden frame has a light varnish with gold and white trim .2 An art work (oil on artboard) – multi-coloured view of the mouth of Hopkins River with the Hopkins River bridge, Lyndoch bungalow and boathouse. The frame is wooden with a mottled varnish and a white insert edging. .1 Don Edgar 1953 Don Edgar 1953 (High School Student) .2 D.E. 53 Don Edgar 1953 (High School Student) dr don edgar, sociologist, author and educator, warrnambool art gallery, history of warrnambool

This book by Jack Gorman contains articles on horse racing in Australia, and in particular, Victoria and the Western District in the 19th and 20th centuries. It includes articles on the 1891 Melbourne Cup, the Casterton Centenary Cup of 1961, the champion horse ‘Waranton’, hunting in the Casterton district, the 1922 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool and many people associated with horse racing in the past. This book is retained as it contains articles on various horse races and people associated with horse racing of the past in the Western District of Victoria, including accounts of Warrnambool races. It will be a useful addition to our local history library. This is a soft cover book of 52 pages. The cover has brown and white colouring and has an image of the finish of a horse race and black printing. The pages contain printed material, black and white photographs and sketches. The book has been stapled but the staples have been removed.western district horse racing, grand annual steeplechase, history of warrnambool, casterton centenary cup, jack gorman

These two volumes are seminal historical writings published in 1888. The author of Volume One is Alexander Sutherland (1852-1902), described as ‘a forgotten Australian intellectual’. Born in Scotland, Sutherland was a teacher, poet, biographer, novelist, scientist, philosopher and journalist. In 1902 he was the Registrar of Melbourne University and he was the Secretary of the Royal Society of Victoria. With his brother, George, he wrote a history of Australia and New Zealand which sold 100,000 copies, the first best-selling Australian history. His book, ‘The Origin and Growth of the Moral Instinct’ influenced Russian philosophical thought. This is a most significant book as it contains short biographical notes on a great number of early (19th century) residents of the Warrnambool district. As well as listing information on Warrnambool identities it includes information on residents of Purnim, Wangoom, Dennington, Panmure, Garvoc, Framlingham, Winslow, Yangery, Woodford, Mailors Flat, Grasmere, Bushfield and Allansford. It is a great resource for researchers today. The two volumes also contain illustrations pertaining to the areas around Warrnambool and are of great historical as well as artistic interest. These are two volumes of ‘Victoria and Its Metropolis’. They are leather bound with a black cover, heavily ornamented in gold around the edges of the cover and with the printed material also in gold lettering in an ornamental pattern. The spine of the covers are brown with gold ornamental patterns and printing. Volume One has 594 pages with 258 illustrations , all black and white and this volume contains writings on the early days of the colony up to 1888 and chapters on the arts, churches, education, industries, science etc. in Victoria. Volume Two has 822 pages with many black and white illustrations and chapters on the regions in Victoria and biographical notes on the pioneer settlers of these districts. Both volumes are in a very tattered condition with many loose pages and the leather binding much torn and with some parts missing. Volume One cover: ‘Victoria and its Metropolis, Past and Present’ Volume One spine: ‘Victoria and its Metropolis, Vol. 1’ Volume Two Cover: ‘Victoria and its Metropolis, Past and Present’’ Volume Two Spine: ‘Victoria and its Metropolis, Vol. 2’ 19th century victorian history, victorian pioneer settlers, alexander sutherland

This piece of music is the varsoviana dance piece from the Giacomo Meyerbeer opera, ‘L’Etoile Du Nord’ arranged by Camille Michel. The varsoviana was a slow graceful dance originating in Poland in 1850 and appearing in Australia in 1856. ‘L’Etoile Du Nord’ was a comic opera in three acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer in 1854. Meyerbeer was the most successful stage composer of the 19th century but his works are rarely performed today. Camille Michel was an editor, composer, author and arranger working from the 1840s to the 1880s. The varsoviana music arrangement probably dates from the late 1850s or 1860s. It is not clear who ‘Minnie Henty’ was but it is most likely that she was Minnie Adair who married George Henty, the son of Stephen and Jane Henty, pioneer settlers in Western VictoriaThis sheet music is most important mainly because of the ‘Minnie Henty’ signature. The Henty family members, founders of the first permanent Victorian settlement at Portland, were influential in the history of the Warrnambool area because of their connections with surrounding properties and with coastal shipping. The music also has social significance as an example of music popular in 19th century drawing rooms.This is a two-page piece of sheet music (cover and two pages of music notation) with the material printed in black on cream paper. The back cover is blank and the front cover has the title and names of the composer and the arranger with ornate scrolls around the printing. The edges and fold of the pages are much tattered and torn in some places. There is also a Warrnambool and District Historical Society stamp on the front cover and the signature of Minnie Henty. Front Cover: ‘Minnie Henty’ ‘Varsoviana sur L’Etoile Du Nord de G. Meyerbeer pour le piano par Camille Michel, Ent.Sta.Hall., Price 1s/-, London, Cramer, Beale & Co., 201,Regent Street & 67, Conduit Street and at 167, North Street, Brighton.’ henty family, giacomo meyerbeer, camille michel

This book belonged to the Warrnambool solicitor, Con O’Mahony (1863-1920). In 1883, he won the University of Melbourne Bowen Prize for his essay on the Federation of the Australian colonies. His prize, ten volumes of the ‘Lives of the Chancellors’, is today in the possession of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. O’Mahony had a legal practice in Warrnambool in the Royal Chambers in Kepler Street at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was initially in a partnership with Messrs E.W. Klingender and Murray, then ,when this partnership was dissolved, he continued the business under the name of O’Mahony and later O’Mahony and Murray. He was actively involved in the management of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and was a member of the Warrnambool Hospital committee. The item here described shows O’Mahony’s interest in bridge-playing, a popular pastime at that time. This book is of some significance as it belonged to Con O’Mahony, a well-known lawyer in Warrnambool in the early 1900s. It also shows the interest in bridge-playing as a pastime during that period. This is a small hard cover book of 112 pages. It was published in 1901(eighth edition) and contains seven chapters on how to play bridge, a scoring table and an index. The last three pages are advertisements for other books on bridge. The cover is yellow with the title of the book, the author’s name and the publisher on the front cover contained within a scroll pattern with four coloured images of the four kings from a pack of cards. The back cover has a list of the British Chess Handbooks published by George Routledge & Sons Ltd. The pages have been annotated (presumably by Con O’Mahony, the Warrnambool solicitor) and some sentences and headings have been underlined.Four stamps – one of ‘May 24 1902’ and three of ‘C.O’Mahony, Solicitor, Warrnambool’.bridge-playing, con o’mahony, warrnambool

This label accompanied a bottle of Dr Bright’s Phosphodyne. It was a form of medicine also known as ozonic oxygen which was developed and patented in 1869 by Dr Charles Bright, a 19th century Resident Surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital London, The medicine claimed to ease ‘indigestion, liver complaints, nervous debility, female complaints, premature decline, local weakness and spermatorrhea’. It was widely sold by chemists throughout Australia in the 19th century and in this case was supplied by the Warrnambool chemist, James Astley Bromfield. He was a significant person in Warrnambool’s history as he produced the 1856 map of the Warrnambool district showing all the original landholders, a seminal resource for historians today. Bromfield had a chemist shop in Warrnambool from 1854 to the late 1880s, initially in Timor Street and then in Liebig Street (number 80 and later number 78). Bromfield was very active in local community affairs. This label is of considerable interest as it shows the use in the 19th century of medicine that today would be labelled ‘quack’. It is of particular interest as it was supplied by James Astley Bromfield’s chemist shop and he is an important early identity in Warrnambool, involved in many activities in the town. He was a Justice of the Peace, a Trustee of the Savings Bank, Chairman of the Western Steam Navigation Company, a Director of the Gasworks and on the committees of the Harbour Committee, the Fire Brigade and the Anglers Protection Society. He was a Warrnambool Councillor (1858-60; 1865-1870) and a Shire Councillor (1875-1883). This is a sheet of paper that accompanied a bottle of Dr Brights’ Phosphodyne medicine. It is buff-coloured with black printed material. It is in two pieces and dog-eared at the edges.warrnambool, dr bright's phosphodyne, james bromfield chemist, warrnambool chemists

This passport belonged to Alexander Swinton, a member of a prominent family in Warrnambool. The passport shows that he travelled extensively in Europe, U.S.A. and Central and South America. Alex Swinton’s forebears, William and Ann Swinton came to Warrnambool in 1854 and William Swinton opened a shop selling hardware, china and glassware in Timor Street Warrnambool in 1865. The Swinton businesses expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries and a Swinton furnishing store still exists today, making this store one of the oldest family businesses in Australia. Alexander Swinton (1907-1986) was the son of George and Florence Swinton of Merri Crescent Warrnambool. He attended Warrnambool Technical School in the early 1920s.This box is of interest as a memento of Alexander Swinton, a member of a prominent Warrnambool family. It also shows the type of passport issued to Australian citizens in the 1950s and 60s. These are two passport booklets joined together with white tape. Each has 32 pages and the booklet contains two black and white photographs, personal information (both printed and written), stamps and printed information from various countries and two inserted certificates. The front cover is black with printing and the image of the Australian Government crest.British Passport Commonwealth of Australiaalexander swinton, warrnambool, history of warrnambool, swinton, passport

This thank you card is from Thomas Rome (1873-1974) when he was celebrating his 100th birthday in 1973. Thomas Rome came to Warrnambool from Beechworth to work with John Younger in his Warrnambool store in 1888. He worked there for 17 years before opening his boot and shoe shop at 115 Liebig Street in 1907, retiring in 1962. Thomas Rome is remembered today not only for his long life and prominent Liebig Street business but also because of the sound recordings he made in 1896-7 at the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition. With an Edison phonograph machine he made sound recordings of local artists and these are regarded as one of the oldest, if not the oldest, surviving sound recordings made in Australia. This card with its envelope is of interest as it reminds us of the long life of a prominent Warrnambool identity of the late 19th century and the first 70 years of the 20th century. The card has T. J. Rome’s signature. Mrs Vera Giles was the recipient of the card a long-serving member of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society and, like Tommy Rome, a person who reached her 100th year and beyond. This is a small piece of white lightweight card folded into two to make a card. Inside is a handwritten and printed message from Tommy Rome on the occasion of his 100th birthday The envelope bears the post mark 18th September 1973 and is addressed to Mrs Giles. Envelope: ‘Mrs Giles, 3 Cyma Street, Warrnambool, Vic. 3280, a seven cent stamp and a handwritten note – ‘Tom Rome, ‘thank you’ 100th b’day’. Card: ‘Murweh’, 203 Liebig Street, Warrnambool 3280 Dear Mrs Giles I would like to express my appreciation of your kind message which I received on my 100th birthday. The good wishes of so many have given me happiness and I ask you to accept my warm thanks, With kind regards, Yours sincerely, T.J.Rome thomas rome, murweh, warrnambool history, vera giles warrnambool

This is a novel written by Ethel Patricia Stonehouse under the name of Lindsay Russell. She was born in Nhill in 1883 and was educated at Charlton State School. From 1894 on she wrote verse and short stories and worked as a journalist in Melbourne. She published her first novel in Melbourne in 1912 and lived for a time in London where she met Dr John Scott whom she married in 1914. After the First World War she came to live at Mortlake and her novel writing ceased. Most of her novels are about women rebelling –against Catholicism, Calvinism, the English class system and the restraints of marriage. Her railings against the Catholic Church and the oppression of women caused her to be a controversial figure, especially in Mortlake, but she was a popular novelist with one of her books, ‘Smouldering Fires’, selling over 100,000 copies in Australia alone. She died in 1964. No details on the inscription or the recipient of the book, ‘Isie’ have been found. The name, ‘Glasgow’ suggests that the book at some stage was connected with the Glasgow family of Wangoom. They were important local dairy farmers and cheese makers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.This book is of great interest because it was written by an Australian woman and one who lived for many years in Mortlake, a town close to Warrnambool. The connection with the Glasgow family is also of interest. This is a hard cover book of 320 pages. The book has a dark blue cover with gold lettering on the front cover and spine and some gold scroll work on the front cover. The book has a Prologue and 22 chapters and contains advertisements at the front and the back of the book for other books published by Ward, Lock & Co. There is a black and white illustration at the front of the book with a piece of tissue paper covering it. The page at the front of the book that contains an inscription is detached. The inscription and another annotation are written in black ink. The cover is partly detached from the pages and the cover is marked and worn. ‘To Isie Wishing her many happy returns of the day From Father, 15-9-14’ ‘Glasgow’ lindsay russell, ethel stonehouse, history of mortlake, australian literature, warrnambool history, glasgow family

This book has been used by children of the Giles family at the Wangoom State School. William and Allan Giles were members of the Giles family that lived on the Allansford Road. Wangoom School, no. 645 was opened in 1865 on the Warrnambool/Wangoom Road as Wangoom Common School. It became Wangoom State School after 1872 and is now closed. This book is of interest as an example of the reading books used by children in Victoria late in the 19th century. The book contains stories about England and the British Empire but has no Australian content. The book is also of interest as it was used by children of the Giles family, early settlers in the Warrnambool district. This is a hard cover book of 190 pages. The cover, once blue but now very faded, had embossed lettering and ornamentation on the front cover but these are now almost indecipherable. The book has come apart from the spine and has been re-stitched with white thread. There is much scribble on the first and last pages with the decipherable inscriptions being handwritten in black ink and pencil. There is a blue stamp of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society on the first page. The text has many black and white illustrations with some coloured in by the users. Many of the text pages are torn, stained and scribbled on. ‘William E. Giles, State (ed. word missing) Wangoom’ ‘Allan Giles’giles family, wangoom state school, history of warrnambool

This school text book has been used at the Wangoom State School in the late 19th century by Henrietta Giles. The Wangoom school was established in 1865 as the Wangoom Common School No. 645 and later became the Wangoom State School. It is now closed. Henrietta Giles was a member of the Giles family that lived on the Allansford Road.This book is of interest as an example of the school texts used by children in Victoria late in the 19th century. It contains the history of Britain in Tudor and Stewart times and has no Australian content. The book is also of interest as it was used by Henrietta Giles, a member of the family that settled early in the Warrnambool district. This is a hard cover book of 331 pages plus some supplementary material at the end. The cover (once blue?) is much stained and torn and the embossed black lettering and British Coat of Arms on the front cover and the spine are now almost indecipherable. Part of the back cover and the bottom edges of some pages have been eaten away. The inscription is handwritten in red ink. The text contains many illustrations, some of which have been hand-coloured. The first two or three pages are missing.‘Henrietta Giles, Wangoom S.S. No. 645, 22/7/91’henrietta giles, wangoom state school

This is a school text book used at the Wangoom State School late in the 19th century by members of the Giles family. The Wangoom school was established in1865 as the Wangoom Common School No. 645 and later it became Wangoom State School. It is now closed. Allan and Christina Giles used this book and their home was on the Allansford Road. Christina Giles, the seventh child of Henry and Mary Jane Giles, was born at The Maam, Wangoom. She died in 1899 at the age of seven from heart failure and kidney disease after a three months’ illness.This book is of interest as it is an example of the reading books used in Victorian schools at the end of the 19th century. Royal Readers were introduced into Victorian school in the 1870s to replace the Irish Readers and continued to be used until the 1920s. They have no Australian content. The book is also of interest as it was used by Christina and Allan Giles, members of a family of early settlers in the Warrnambool district.This is a hard cover book of 188 pages. Some pages at the front and back of the book are missing. The cover (once blue?) has embossed lettering and ornamentation but mostly this is now indecipherable. The pages are partly detached from the cover. The inscription is handwritten in black ink. The text contains many illustrations and some of these have been hand-coloured and defaced. The first page has a mauve stamp of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. ‘Allan Giles, Wangoom State School No. 645’ (partly obliterated) ‘Christina G.’ christina giles, allan giles, wangoom state school

This is a reader produced for schools in Victoria in 1909. It contains many simple fables and stories and some phonetic instruction at the beginning of the short articles. It has no specific Australian content. The inscription includes the name ‘Stanley Bell’. There were several Bell families in the Wangoom area early in the 20th century, including one teacher associated with the Wangoom State School. Stanley Bell may have belonged to one of these families. Walter Davies had a book shop in Timor Street, Warrnambool from the late 19th century and three generations of the Davies family were proprietors of this shop over the years. This book is of educational and social interest as an example of the readers used by primary school children in the early 20th century. This is a soft cover book of 80 pages. The cover is brown with black printing. The pages are partly torn and very tattered. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink and pencil and there is some scribble on the first pages. The text has many black and white illustrations. There is a blue stamp of Walter Davies, the Warrnambool bookseller, on the first page. ‘Stanley J. Bell, Warrumyea, Wangoom’ ‘Walter Davies, Bookseller, Warrnambool’walter davies, stanley bell

This is a school reader used in the 1890s by Maggie Glasgow at Wangoom State School. This school opened in 1865 on the Warrnambool/ Wangoom Road as a Common School but it is now closed. Maggie Glasgow is probably Margaret Glasgow (1880-1954), the daughter of John and Esther Glasgow who were dairy farmers and cheese makers at Blackwood Hill, Wangoom. Jean Glasgow was the daughter of William and Isabella Glasgow who lived in the same area. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society has in its collection examples of the Glasgow butter moulds. This book is of interest as an early school reader for Victorian children. Used in the 1890s this book has some Australian content. The Glasgow children that used this book are members of the Glasgow families important at the turn of the 19th century as cheese makers in the Warrnambool district. This is a hard cover book of 400 pages. Several pages are missing. The cover is dark blue with ornamental patterning on the front and embossed lettering. The text contains many black and white illustrations, some of which have been coloured in by hand. The inscriptions and other written material have been handwritten in black ink and pencil. The pages are partly detached from the binding. ‘Maggie Glasgow, State School No. 645 Wangoom, 31/5/95’ (written twice) ‘Jean Glasgow’ ‘Dear old Mag’ ‘Isie wants a half holiday because L.W. got 20 for English’ maggie glasgow, jean glasgow, history of warrnambool

This book is one of the series of Royal Readers (Scotland) introduced into schools in Victoria in 1877 to replace the Irish Readers. They were in use until the 1920s and at first contained mostly British material (as does this copy which has no Australian content and features many articles on animals). By the late 19th century the Royal Readers used in Victoria contained some Australian material and it is presumed that this copy is an early edition. The Bonnett families were associated with farming in the Mepunga area and Jessie Edith Bonnett, the daughter of Frederick Bonnett and Charity Bonnett (nee Phillips) was born in Allansford in 1897. Jessie Bonnett spent her life on the family farm at Mepunga and was the last of the Bonnett families in that area. Mepunga East State School was established in 1886 with Ruth Broadway as the first Head Teacher. It has now closed. This book, though tattered, is of interest as an example of the Royal Readers used by pupils in Victorian schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also important as a book belonging to Jessie Bonnett, a member of the Bonnett family of farmers in the Mepunga area. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society holds in its collection some other items that belonged to Jessie Bonnett, including an important World War One scrapbookThis is a hard cover book of 186 pages. The cover was originally a dark blue-green colour but it is much faded and is now almost detached from the binding. The spine and several pages at the beginning and the end are missing. The text contains many black and white illustrations and some have been coloured in. Some of the pages are torn and stained. There is much scribble on the front and back covers. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink.‘Jessie Edith Bonnett, Mepunga East State School No. 2762’ jessie bonnett, mepunga east state school