This cup was produced by Ken Sadler as a souvenir of the 150th anniversary of the settlement of Warrnambool. Ken Sadler was a potter in Liebig Street, Warrnambool for many years (end of 20th century and beginning of 21st century). Warrnambool was founded as a planned town in 1847 to provide port facilities for the produce of squatters who had settled in the area. The town centre was surveyed by William Pickering at the request of Superintendent La Trobe of Melbourne and the first land sales were held in Melbourne in July 1847. The celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Warrnambool included concerts, race meetings, church services and the erection of an anniversary tablet on Cannon Hill. Ken Sadler, a well-known Warrnambool potter, made 500 of these cups which are now collectible souvenirs of the city’s 150th anniversary celebrations. This one retained by the Warrnambool and District Historical Society is numbered 189. The 150th anniversary of the founding of Warrnambool was an important event in the city’s history.This is a ceramic cup with a round base and larger rounded body with a round overhanging rim at the top opening. The cup is mottled green with an impressed image of a ship and lettering in white, gold and brown. There is some lettering on the bottom of the cup.‘Warrnambool 150th Anniversary 1847-1997’ ‘Sadler 97 189/500 Warrnambool’ warrnambool’s 150th anniversary, history of warrnambool, ken sadler, warrnambool potter

Plans by the Federal Government to temporarily settle 120 Christian Syrian refugees at the St Vincents facility in Diamond Street (Judge Book Village) brought out national protest by far right groups, many travelling intersate to demonstarte in Eltham against the settlement. Many locals stood up against these protesters, forming Welcome to Eltham, symbolised by the (Eltham Copper) butterfly. The planned demonstartion by the far right was deflated by over 200 locals turning up and peacefully supporting the refugees with butterflies placed throughout parks, paths and roadways. This butterfly was later relocated to the Judge Book Village fay bridge collection, 2016-11-07, diamond street, judge book village, luck street, main road, protests, syrian refugees, welcome to eltham

John Lachlan McIntyre was born at Beeac, Victoria in December 1890. He enlisted in the 1st AIF in July 1915. John fought on the Western Front, taking part in the battles of Fromelles and the 2nd Battle of the Somme. He was severely wounded at Fromelles and spent 12 months in hospital in England before returning to the front. John returned home in 1919 and was granted a soldier settlement block in Lara in 1937. He was a founding member of Lara RSL and is its longest serving member. John died in 1990. This letter was written by John and sent to his mother in 1918 on his journey through Belgium. The McIntyre family were early pioneers in the Lara district, and the brothers were founding members of the Lara RSL. This letter represents a significant link to the history of the town and sub-branch.A brown envelope addressed to Miss J McIntyre. Within the envelope is a pack of 12 illustrated souvenir post cards. Envelope: O.A.S. Tower of London. Miss J McIntyre. Elcho Lara lake, Australia, Victoria. Rear of postcard pack: London December 27th 18 Dear Mother, I arrived here yesterday. Spent Xmas day travelling across France. The trip took the best part of four days. We are up near Belgium. Had to go into Belgium to get a train. Will write when I get settled. Hoping you are all well. With best wishes for a happy new year. Jack. Edition Martinetty Charleroi Front of pack: J. L. McIntyre Xmas 1918 Souvenir de Charleroi-Belgium 12 cartes postales 12 En Photochrommother, letter, postcard, first world war, wwi, world war one, belgium, lara

This book gives information on 1,100 War Memorials in Victoria. It was compiled by Bradley, Christey et al and produced for the Returned and Services League of Victoria. War Memorials were established in most settlements in Australia after World War One and added to after World War Two and succeeding conflicts. The number of War Memorials reflect the historical importance of Australia’s involvement in world wars and because of our distance from the battlefields they have become sacred places in Australia – de facto war cemeteries. The book includes information on the Warrnambool War Memorial and those in our area. This book is of interest as it gives details on War Memorials and includes all those in the Western District of Victoria. It will be useful to researchers of social and military history. This is a hard cover book with a blue cover and gold printing on the spine. The dust cover is dark blue with a colour sketch of the Portland War Memorial and white printing on the front cover and an outline of the map of Australia on the back cover. The book has 240 pages, black and white and colour illustrations, a Foreword, Dedication, Acknowledgements, Introduction, Contents, Bibliography and Index and information in alphabetical order of the War Memorials in Victoria. It also has reproductions of 20 oil paintings of Victorian War Memorials by Dacre Smyth.Spine: ‘War Memorials of Victoria’ R.S.L. Victorian Branch’ Front Cover: ‘War Memorials of Victoria, a Pictorial Record’ war memorials in victoria, warrnambool war memorial, history of warrnambool

The reproduction print is of artwork depicting 'old' Vathi. Vathi is the main town and the largest settlement on the island of Ithaca in Greece, possibly established during the period of Venetian rule. The town resembles an amphitheatre, built around the coastline of one of the most natural ports of Greece. Many of the old buildings were destroyed in the catastrophic earthquakes of 1953. The length of the port is 926 m. with an entrance of 300 m. in width. It was once the main port for ferries transporting goods and people to and from the mainland. Ferries now dock at Piso Aetos. In the summer the harbour of Vathi is filled with sailing boats and yachts. During the periods of Venetian (c1500 - 1797) and English (1809 - 1864) rule, the population of Vathi grew significantly, reaching a total of 5,000 residents. During this period Vathi became an important centre for trade and commerce, political activities and legal proceedings.A black and white drawing of the harbour of Vathi . The drawing has a white surround. Printed in Italian across the top of the drawing: LUDRO LITTORICO Printed in Italian underneath the drawing: VISTA DE VATHI IN ITACAlittoricio, luadro

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. The building in the centre of the photograph is 'Kia-Ora' guest house. Situated on Barber’s Road, ‘Kia-Ora’ was built in 1912 by George Barber. It was later leased by a Mrs Pemberthy. “Kia-Ora’ was one of four places connected when the telephone was brought into the district in 1912. The other places were ‘Mountjoy’, ‘Cherry Farm’ and ‘Callum House’. ‘Kia-Ora’ was burnt down in 1924. Black and White copy of section of a Rose Series postcard. Shows view up the valley at Kalorama with a decorative building centre middle of photograph. Handwritten description by John Lundy-Clarke on reverse.View up valley at Kalorama from near junction of Barbers and Doughty’s Rds. “Kia Ora” guest house in centre. Paynter’s “Iona” top left with “Kalorama” to its right. About 1912. Rose Series copied by JLC 1973.kalorama, kalorama valley, john lundy-clarke, barbers road, george barber, kia-ora, guest house, iona

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. It was in the clearing on the left that John William (Willie) Richardson built a home for his wife Jeanie Green. It was called Mount Calvin. Jeanie was often ill and the family left the area seeking a warmer climate. They eventually settled in Brisbane. Willie sold the home and 60 acres around it to W. Rowse. Jeanie died in 1916. The remainder of the land was sold by solicitors to cover debts. Black and white photograph showing a treed hillside with a cleared area to the left hand side. Handwritten inscription on reverse by John Lundy-ClarkeLooking towards the site of Jeannie's home from near Doughty’s Road Nov 1973. Her house was in the centre of the clearing on the left. Photo Jan 1974 JLC.mount calvin, jeannie richardson, jeanie green, john william richardson, willie richardson, jeanie richardson, rowse

William Buckley was born in 1780 at Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. After time as a bricklayer and soldier he was caught with stolen property, sentenced on 2 August 1802, and transported to Australia. Between October, 1803, and January, 1804, he escaped from Sullivan's Bay in the Port Phillip district and spent the next 32 years in the company of aborigines wandering between Port Phillip and the near western district as far as Lake Corangamite. In about 1835 he was discovered by three white men, members of John Batman's Port Phillip Association investigating the area with a view to future settlement.Wild white man. Kevin Hayden. Marine History Publications; Geelong (Vic); nd. 28 p.; illus.; map. Soft cover.william buckley; aborigines; otway ranges;

Certificate reads "Awarded to Association for the Blind Bicentennial River Run 1988. By the Australian Bicentennial Authority which was established to plan and coordinate a nationwide program of celebrations in 1988 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of permanent European settlement in Australia" Signed by the Chairman: Victoria Council (illegible) and Executive Director (illegible), dated 30th July 1987. All text on this certificate is located on the bottom half of the document. The top half is populated by a repeated stylised graphic of a map of Australia, in various shades of green and gold. There is also a gold version of the same logo, labelled with "Endorsed Bicentennial Activity" , situated above the official signatures. 1 certificate with Australia imageryassociation for the blind, awards

This exercise book has been used by Winnifred (Winnie) Goodall in 1916 when she was a pupil at the Warrnambool Technical School. The material in the book mostly consists of letter-writing practice for business purposes. The Goodalls were pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district with William and Ellen Goodall arriving in the area in the late 1840s. Eventually they had a property named Wanstead on the Allansford Road in East Warrnambool. One son, William, was an early manager of the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement. Another son, Thomas, was a Warrnambool law clerk and Winnie, (born 1901 to mother Leah), was his granddaughter. The Warrnambool Technical School was established in 1913.This exercise book is of interest as an example of school work completed by a Warrnambool Technical School student in 1916. It is also of interest because it belonged to Winnie Goodall, a member of an important pioneering family in the Warrnambool district. This is a school exercise book with a cardboard cover and 17 double pages. The cover has a mottled pattern of brown and mauve and the pages have been attached by metal staples but the staples have been removed. The pages have blue ruled lines with handwritten material in blue and black ink. Some of the pages have red hand-drawn lines. The cover is slightly torn. On the first page two cartoon sketches from a newspaper have been pasted in. The front cover has a printed label in blue and white colouring pasted on, with handwritten information on the label. ‘Exercise Book Written by Winnie Goodall, Commenced 9th February 1916’. winnifred goodall goodall families, warrnambool warrnambool technical school.

This fire extinguisher was used for commercial purposes in the Nullawarre Post office. The item was made in England by the Pyrene Co Ltd (1914-1971), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fire fighting equipment in the early to mid 20th century. The extinguisher had a pump action and probably contained carbon tetrachloride. Nullawarre is a small agricultural settlement 25 kilometres south east of Warrnambool. The Nullawarre area was settled in the late 1860s and 1870s and today has a store and Post Office and a school. Charles Williams was the Post Master at Nullawarre in the early to mid 20th century and also delivered the mail. His wife, Vida was the Post Mistress. This fire extinguisher is of interest firstly as an example of a common item used commercially in the past and secondly as an item that came from the Nullawarre Post Office, used in this commercial building in the early to mid 20th century. This is a metal fire extinguisher which has been painted but the paint is mostly worn away. It is cylindrical in shape with ridged areas at the base and top. It has a clip handle. The cylinder is empty.‘Pyrene’vintage fire extinguishers, nullawarre post office, warrnambool

This book traces the one hundered years of the development of the Shire of Whittlesea, from the discovery by Hume and Hovell in 1824 to the time of the centenary in 1975. The intervening years saw the settlement of Vandemonians, Sydney-siders, English, Scots, Irish and Germans, Black Thursday, the building of the Yan Yean Reservoir, the Plenty River flour millls, the timber industry, fruit-growing and export and vineyards. Personalities and pubs, subdivisions, stories of the Findon Hunt Club and various Shires including Epping. History of education and transiton from rural to urban in the south of the Shire. The work is illustrated with maps and photographs. The Shire is now the City of Whittlesea and is an immediate neighbour to the north of the Shire of Nillumbik. shire of whittlesea

The abacus has been used by many civilisations, and is still in use today. Its origin is masked in the depths of time, but it is believed to have originated in crude form around the years c.2500 BCE. It is interesting to note that this abacus, although in use in Australian schools, contains ten rows, each containing ten beads, suggesting that it was heavily influenced by the decimal system. The number 12 was quite prominent in Australia, no doubt introduced by the British during the first settlements. It's use, as in dozens, twelve shillings in the pound and twelve inches in a foot, was widespread until decimalisation in 1966. Even today, many items are sold in dozens or sixes.Before more sophisticated adding machines and then calculators were developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, the abacus would have been in worldwide use.Abacus or counting frame with ten rows, each containing ten wooden beads.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, wood, abacus

Buninyong Bivium (2016) by Cliff Burtt engages with the geography and history of the Buninyong region in both pre and post settlement. The town of Buninyong is dominated by the profiles of Mt Helen and the extinct volcano Mt. Buninyong. Traditional land of the Wadawurrung people, today the area remains a significant site for the culture of indigenous people and their connection to the land. The profile of this sculpture is based on topographical mapping of the area, depicting sections of the landscape. The gaps between the elements of the work can be viewed as representations of the shafts sunk into the earth by the early gold miners and compound curves on the upper surfaces are mirroring the topography of the area, while cut-aways in the sides are suggestive of rock strata.The artwork is of aesthetic and social significance to the people of BallaratCorten steel sculpture made of five unique sculptural pieces secured to at concreate base at pavement levelbuninyong, cliff burtt, sculpture, public art, mining, ballarat

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. William Lucas , who came from England to visit Matthew Child in the late 1870s. He purchased land from Matthew and married his daughter Catherine. They developed their property as the sporting lodge 'Glenrivers'. Their daughter Dorothea was born in 1888. She was an accomplished horsewoman who married her cousin Charles Percival (Percy) Child in 1917. Percy worked a sawmill on the creek .Black and white copy of studio portrait of Doris (Dorothea) Child (nee Lucas).Handwritten by John Lundy-Clarke on reverse: Doris Lucas “Dorothea?” Daughter of W Lucas and Catherine nee Child. Wife of Percy Child. Mother of Lois. Born 1889 died 1936 (?)dorothea lucas, dorothea child, percy child, matthew child, william lucas, catherine child

Mt Dandenong Road (CRB Road, New Road, Main Road) was begun in the early 1920s and completed c1926. This would be a very early photograph in the history of the road and shows a Jeeves coach travelling along the new road at the base of Farringdon Road in Kalorama. Ellis Jeeves established the coach sevice between Kalorama and Croydon in 1904. It originally travelled down the Old Coach Road. John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas.Black and white photograph looking down an unmade road showing a coach travelling along another unmade road at the bottom. Roads are tree lined. handwritten inscription on reverse by John Lundy-Clarke.1920 Farringdon Road, looking at Jeeves Coach on Mt Dandenong Road.mt dandenong road, crb road, farringdon road, jeeves, ellis jeeves, coach, mt dandenong tourist road, kalorama

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. This photograph shows approximately the same area as photograph number KAL0193 but is taken 60 years later. The trees have grown much taller and the buildings changed. On the site of the Paynter house 'Iona' there is now the 'Yosemite' (Villa Toscana) accommodation. The pavilion in the centre of the photo is the site of 'Kalorama', home of early pioneer Isaac Jeeves. The photograph is taken looking up towards The Gap (FiveWays).Black and white photograph showing a forested area with clear sites. Roofs of buildings can be clearly seen. Handwritten inscription on reverse by John Lundy-ClarkeView from near Doughty’s Rd looking north up valley to Kalorama Gap in Jan 1973. Tiny roof in centre is pavilion on site of “Kalorama”. Long roof to its left is Yosemite Motel on site of “Iona”.paynter, kalorama, iona, yosemite, villa toscana, five ways, the gap

The year 1934 witnessed the greatest flooding of the Yarra River since settlement. This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.Photograph of floodwaters encroaching on farm land in North Kew in the flood of 1934.Nth. Kew. 1934 Floodsfloods (melbourne) 1934, dorothy rogers

The party of the British surveyor Charles Grimes were the first Europeans to view the River Yarra, as it was later to be named. Members of the party reached the area now known as Studley Park in 1803. This local re-enactment commemorated 175 years since that event. Charles Grimes Re-Enactment, Yarra River, Kew, 1978. The photograph is of a student of Trinity Grammar School and the Mayor of Kew, Cr. Whiting. Inscription on reverse: "KH-161. Society's contribution to the 1978 Festival of Kew. Re-enactment of first white man's journey and discovery of the Yarra River and the area now know (sic) as Kew. 1978. This was in the year 1903 when Grimes and party came upon the Yarra to seek a possible site for a new convict settlement. Cr. Whiting, Mayor of Kew, receiving the report from Grimes, 'Andrew Allen'. Cr. Hutchinson in top hat 'town cryer'. Bush band in backround." Ripped stamp on reverse: "Standard N[ewspapers]."charles grimes re-enactment, trinity grammar school, cr whiting -- mayors -- kew (vic.), yarra river, andrew allen, kew historical society

The making of cordials and aerated waters was an important industry in Warrnambool from the time of the first settlement up to the 1980s. John Rowley was a prominent producer of aerated waters and cordials from 1868 to his death in 1893 (the Warrnambool Steam Aerated Works). He was known for his originality in the production of soft drinks and produced 20 varieties of drinks, including his own Henneberry Wine and Lime Fruit Champagne, both non-alcoholic. In the 1870s he was producing 600 dozen bottles a day and in the 1880s his cordial factory occupied half an acre of land and employed 13 people. He won many awards for his products at local Agricultural Shows. Warrnambool cordial bottles are of considerable significance as examples of an important industry now gone. Rowley is a significant person in the history of 19th century Warrnambool industries and Rowley bottles are of considerable importance, especially this one, made for efferverscent drinks. This is a heavy glass bottle (no stopper) possibly used for hop bitters or ginger wine or some contents that had high efferverscent qualities. The bottle has a heavy indented base. Oval etching ‘J.S.,Rowley Warrnambool’ with ‘Trade Mark’ and monogram. ‘J.R.’ in the centre of the oval. ‘Made in France’ is at the bottom edge of the oval inscriptions.warrnambool, john rowley warrnambool, rowley softdrinks, warrnambool steam aerated works, rowley bottle

The making of cordials and aerated waters was an important industry in Warrnambool from the time of the first settlement up to the 1980s. John Fletcher succeeded John Davis in Koroit Street in 1885 and manufactured aerated waters, soda, lithia, tonic waters, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsparilla and cordials. He installed many improvements around the late 1880's including an improved soda water machine which was also used for bottling lemonade, ginger ale and syphons. He sold to Ralph Reeves in 1930 and the business continued until the 1980's under the name of Reeves. The premises in Koroit St were auctioned in 1989.Warrnambool cordial bottles are of considerable significance as examples of an important local industry now gone. The Fletcher business was a well-known business in Warrnambool for 45 years.Round bottle with raised lettering in glass and indented sections on top section of bottle with marble enclosed. Clear greenish glass.J Fletcher’s Aerated waters Koroit Street Warrnambool vertically on bottle with lemonade horizontally on the other side. M on bottom of bottle.warrnambool,fletcher's aerated waters, fletcher's cordial , cordial bottle,

Edward John Price was a son of early settler Edward Joseph Price. Edward Joseph was the first settler in the Village Settlement when he took out Lot 1, Section 1. He built a small home of slabs and brought his family up in 1896. From the outset the Price family ran a store from their home.This picture, taken 1914, shows Edward John Price on his pony delivering papers from his parent's newsagency that was opposite 'Mountjoy' guesthouse on Ridge Road. He was taking them to Lily Badenhop's post office in Blythe's Road. The section of road he is on was called Main Road and is now Falls Road.Black and white photograph showing a man on horseback in the centre of an unmade road that is running into the distance.Trees, a fence and houses can be seen with hills in the background. Reverse of photograph has handwritten description by John Lundy-Clarke.On Front MAIN ROAD On Reverse Looking down Falls Road then the main road in 1914. Before Frank Craig built The Fron (1918). Dunbar’s house Halcyon on left of road. The hall on its right with Keogh’s sheds showing further in the trees. The horseman is Edward John Price who delivered the daily papers to Lil Badenhop’s shop. The bag he carried them in can be seen hanging from the saddle pommel. The first road formation can be seen on the bank to the right. The road seen was constructed 1905 by Bill McGivern.edward john price, edward joseph price, lily badenhop, post office, falls road, main road, mountjoy, frank craig, bill mcgivern, dunbar, halcyon, keogh, farndons hall

Purchased from the author when he spoke at a meeting of the Surrey Hills Historical Society. This meticulously researched book lists all towns and villages with entries in the Victorian censuses between 1841 and 1901. There are over 1400 entries. It includes the latitude and longitude for each town. It indicates how many males and females lived in the town, and the number of occupied dwellings (where available). For many of these settlements the only visible trace of them today is in the census results collected by the fledgling governments of Colonial Victoria. It is a comprehensive reference and a fascinating insight into the movements of early populations of new Australians and the forces that shaped them and is useful to historians, researchers and all readers with a fascination for colonial history.This book lists all the towns and villages with entries in Victorian censuses between 1841 and 1901. There are over 1400 entries. 518pp, with place name index. cities and towns, ghost towns, victoria, 1841, 1901, angus b watson

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the district working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. The Lundy-Clarke family were related to the Price family through the marriage of two Ross sisters - Annie Ross to Edward Joseph Price and Helen Ross to Robert Lundy-Clarke. Edward Joseph Price took up Lot 1 in the Village Settlement and Robert Lundy-Clarke was persuaded to take up Lot 2. He felt it would be unproductive. He signed it over to Edward Joseph Price and took his family to New Zealand. After his death in 1911 the family returned to the district. The Lundy-Clarke family were related to the Dunbar family as Caroline Dunbar was a sister to Annie and Helen Ross. Agnes Annie Clarke aged 18 daughter of Robert Lundy-Clarke and Helen nee Ross. Born 1893 died 1974. James Ross Clarke aged 12 son of Robert Lundy-Clarke and Helen nee Ross. Born 1898 died 1972. John Lundy-Clarke aged 10 son of Robert Lundy-Clarke and Helen nee Ross. Born 1901 died 1993. John Stewart Dunbar aged 13 son of Andrew Dunbar and Caroline nee Ross. Born 1898. This photograph was taken in 1911 in the grounds of Dunbar's Hazeldene Dairy in Falls Road. Black and white photograph showing four young people outdoors in a group. A girl and boy standing with two boys seated on chairs, one holding a dog. Reverse of photograph has handwritten description by John Lundy-Clarke.1911 Right to left - Agnes Annie Clarke aged 18 daughter of R. Lundy-Clarke and Helen nee Ross. Born 1893 died 1974. James Ross Clarke aged 12 brother of Agnes. Born 1898 died 1972. John Stewart Dunbar son of Andrew Dunbar and Caroline nee Ross. Born 1898. John Lundy-Clarke. Brother of Agnes with "Possum" (Apart from Agnes, not sure of the accuracy of the other name placements)lundy-clarke, john lundy-clarke, robert lundy clarke, agnes clarke, james clarke, john dunbar, andrew dunbar, caroline dunbar, caroline ross, helen lundy-clarke, helen ross, annie ross, annie price, dairy, hazeldene, hazeldene dairy, dunbar's dairy, falls road

The story of 90 years of wool classing between father & son begins in 1936, when a young boy by the name of Stanley James Hucker walked through the doors of the Gordon Technical School in Geelong. Born in 1921, Stanley was 15 years of age when he began his 3-year course in Wool Classing. 30 years later, Stanley’s second son Denis completed the same 3-year wool classing course. Beginning in 1966, Denis attended the same Gordon Technical School and walked the same halls as his father before him. Stanley finished his course in 1938. He went back to the family farm in Lake Bolac for a brief period before enrolling in the Second World War. At the completion of the war, Stanley returned home and married before gaining a soldier settler allotment, north of Willaura. This enabled Stan to use his wool classing knowledge. He ran between 1,500 and 2,000 sheep for many years, while his wool classer stencil also allowed him to go out and class at various sheds around the area. He held his stencil from 1938 until he retired at the age of 60 in 1981. On retirement, his second son Denis was working in the district, managing a local property while also leasing land himself. Upon his father’s retirement, Denis had the opportunity to lease his father’s farm, an opportunity he could not refuse. Denis had finished his wool classing course at the Gordon Technical School in 1968, graduating dux of his class. He began working with a local contractor and started classing wool in his team. Denis gained a great deal of experience working as part of this team in big sheds of up to 8 stands servicing between 10 & 20,000 sheep. It was not all smooth sailing for Denis however, and he soon learnt an important lesson. Class wool the way you’re taught, don’t listen to the owner standing over your shoulder. At a clip of Corriedales near Casterton, Denis was pushing too many fleeces into the line of fine wool. This resulted in a notice from the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) “mixing counts too much, submit three clips for inspection”. Denis was able to submit 3 clips with no further complaints, however, this proved a valuable lesson he would never forget over his long career classing wool. In the early 1980s, when Denis was leasing two properties including his father’s, things were going well until drought struck. February 1983 was the date of the Ash Wednesday bushfires, and saw Melbourne have three days over 40 °C for only the second time on record. This period saw Denis give away farming, turning towards contracting work instead. After the difficult times of the early 1980s, the next two decades were a good time for the sheep industry. 15 micron wool was selling for prices between 4 to 5,000 cents per kilo, double what you’d expect for the same wool in 2022. In 1995 a single bale of wool sold for a million dollars. This was a good time for Denis too. His contracting work saw him employing local shearers and shed staff. His team was involved with the shearing and classing of more than 130,000 sheep. After 20 years of contracting, it was time for Denis to transition into the next phase of his life. He gave up independent contracting, preferring instead to return to being a member of someone else’s team. In 2018, having completed 50 years of wool classing, it was time to call it a day and retire completely. At the annual Gordon Wool School Old Students Association dinner held in 2018, Denis was presented with his 50 years as a registered wool classer stencil awarded by the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX). This is a rare honour achieved by few. As of February 2020, a total of 430 wool classers had achieved this 50-year milestone. For Denis however, his proudest achievement is achieving 90 years of wool classing with his father. The National Wool Museum is proud to share the collection of objects gained from 90 years in the wool classing industry by Stanley and Denis. This ranges from Stanley’s first stencil and Wool Sample book, started when he first attended the Gordon in 1936. The collection concludes 90 years later with Denis’ 50 years of wool classing Stencil. The collection contains many more objects, all telling the story of these 90 years, and the hard work invested by this dedicated father and son duo. Thin sheet of metal with letters cut to produce a consistent pattern for the surface below through the application of ink. This wool classing stencil belonged to Stanley Hucker. It was his first Wool Classing Stencil. It was used on Stanley’s property named “Yohhatnbu” in Willaura. Stanley gained the property as part of the Returned Soldiers Settlement Scheme for his service in World War 2. The role of a Wool Classer is to sort, classify, and grade wool into various ‘lines’ so that it can be sold for best market price. Wool Classers are typically also tasked with the managing and supervising of wool-handling teams. The stencil is used in the final step of preparing a bale of wool for sale. It is branded across the front of a wool bale to indicate the quality of the wool, with the classers number used as a seal of guarantee.Cut letters. “SJH / BOLAC ”wool classing, stencil, 90 years wool classing between father & son