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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Glass Lens, 1886-1908
This glass lens was recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. Its purpose is unknown but could have been a clock face cover, a lamp or torch lens or even the lens from underwater equipment. The FALLS of HALLADALE 1886 - 1908- The sailing ship Falls of Halladale was an iron-hulled, four-masted barque, used as a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 bound for Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold was general cargo consisting of roof tiles, barbed wire, stoves, oil, benzene, and many other manufactured items. After three months at sea and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked on a reef off the Peterborough headland on the 15th of November, 1908. The captain and 29 crew members survived, but her cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. The Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne ruled that the foundering of the ship was entirely due to Captain David Wood Thomson's navigational error, not too technical failure of the Clyde-built ship. The Falls of Halladale was built in1886 by Russell & Co., at Greenock shipyards on the River Clyde, Scotland for Wright, Breakenridge & Co of Glasgow. The ship had a sturdy construction built to carry maximum cargo and was able to maintain full sail in heavy gales, one of the last of the 'windjammers' that sailed the Trade Route. She and her sister ship, the Falls of Garry, were the first ships in the world to include fore and aft lifting bridges. The new raised catwalk-type decking allowed the crew to move above the deck in stormy conditions. This glass lens is significant for its association with the wreck of the sailing ship the Falls of Halladale. The Falls of Halladale shipwreck is listed on the Victorian Heritage (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes from Europe and the Americas. Also of significance is that the vessel was one of the first ships to have fore and aft lifting bridges as a significant safety feature still in use on modern vessels today. The subject model is an example of an International Cargo Ship used during the 19th and early 20th centuries to transport goods around the world and represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. Glass lens; transparent glass rectangle with bevelled edges. It was recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, falls of halladale, glass lens, rectangular lens, glass cover -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Domestic object - Electric Toaster, Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd, c1940s
Hecla produced a wide range of appliances for domestic use, beginning with heaters and later branching out to a wider range of kitchen appliances Hecla was established by Clarence William Marriott, a young Melbourne metal worker. He began manufacturing Australia's first carbon filament electric radiators in 1899. He originally worked for his father James Marriott who commenced business in Melbourne as an art metal worker in 1872 and was, in 1907, appointed as the official art metal worker to the Victorian Government producing items including the ornate iron gates and gas lamp standards outside Melbourne's Parliament House. With the invention of nickel chromium wire after 1900, C.W. Marriott began making more efficient heating elements using this new material in 1916. After being influenced by the eruption of Mount Hekla in Iceland, on 19 December 1918, Clarence registered the brand name "HECLA" with an erupting volcano as its logo. The company Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd was officially registered in 1922. In 1928 the company adopted the advertising slogan, 'By Hecla, it's Good'. The Hecla range rapidly expanded to include electric heaters and radiators, electric foot warmers, electric kettles, ceramic & metal electric jugs, immersion hot water elements, electric fans, electric coffee percolators, electric toasters, electric grillers and stoves, electric irons and electric frypans, clocks and curling wands. Electric blankets were introduced shortly after WWII.In 1930, a controlling interest in Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd was acquired by General Electric Corporation. Clarence William Marriott died in June 1967 in Melbourne, Victoria.This item is representative of a common domestic appliance used throughout Australia. It was manufactured by a pioneering Australian company.A small chrome steel toaster manufactured by Hecla Australia. It has a door on either side which flips down to insert or remove a slice of bread on each side, Each door has two black Bakelite knobs. The electric element is placed down the centre of the cavity. A detachable electric cord is included.240 Volts, 600 Watts. Cat. No. T4 Submitted to Electrical Approval Board Ref Application A1/AD01 SECV 240 Volt 600 Watt MANFED. IN AUSTRALIA SOLID BRASSelectrical appliances, hecla corporation australia, clarence william marriott, domestic appliances -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Royal Hotel, Sunbury, C.H.R. Christianson, 1890s
This item is part of a larger collection donated to the Kew Historical Society by Anna French. The collection includes personal items from the donor's family, as well as items given to the donor and her mother by a family friend, Lucy Merritt (Jean) Hornby. The item is from that part of the collection inherited or assembled by Jean Hornby. The collection is significant given Jean Hornby's mother's descent from Robert Hornby (1854-1935) and Eva Merritt (1865-1959); her mother the chid of a family who settled in Kew in the 1850s, this providing a chain of provenance for items dating to the mid-nineteenth century, when her maternal forebears arrived in Melbourne. Other items represent Jean Hornby's contribution to her local and wider community.This 19th century photograph includes significant architectural details of an important hotel in Sunbury, Victoria. Additionally, it was taken by a local photographer - CHR Christianson - who operated the Sunbury [photographic] Studio. Silver albumen print, mounted on board, of the original Royal Hotel on the corner of Brook and Evans Streets, Sunbury, Victoria.The single-storey, rendered brick building with a corrugated galvanised iron roof includes a number of pieces of information that may assist in dating the photograph. The licensee's name above the door appears to be M.A. Williams. To the left of the door on the external wall is a painted sign: 'BILLIARDS". Another painted sign on the front of the building reads "ROYAL HOTEL [illegible] BILLIARDS." An attached building at right may be the residence of the licensee. Specific architectural features of the building include a corner doorway with a lamp above, three sash windows and a larger square lead-light window to the right of the doorway. The latter identifies the space behind as the "BAR". On the footpath in front of this building is a grill set into the footpath to enable deliveries to a cellar. At least four figures can be identified in the photograph: a woman in the doorway, a man to her right, leaning against the wall, and two other men at the right hand side of the building. Beyond the boundary of the building is a sloping footpath to a bluestone edged gutter. An elm [sic] within a protective, picketed surround is in front of the building. C.H.R. Christianson is identified on the reverse as the photographer. Reverse in pencil: Royal Hotel Billards Sunbury / CHR Christianson photographerroyal hotel -- sunbury (vic.), chr christianson -- photographer, hotels -- sunbury (vic.), recreation -- billiards -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph, Clare Gervasoni, Ballarat School of Mines Technical Art School, c2008, 29/07/2020
The former Ballarat Circuit Court Building, later the first building of the Ballarat School of Mines, was demolished to make way for a new custom built Art School building. Sir Alexander Peacock opened the Ballarat Technical Art School in July 1915. It cost 10,000 pounds and was constructed by the Public Works Department from plans drawn by the then Art School Principal, Herbert H. Smith. The building contractors were Messrs Gower and Eddards. According to the SMB Annual Report of 1914 'the internal upholstering and fittings have all been carried out in Australian timbers, with Queensland maple largely used throughout.' Before this building was constructed art and craft classes were held in various buildings around Ballarat. The building could be described as federation-art deco in style. It features sandstone insertion with sandstone string coursing. The base of the building is rusticated sandstone. The relief stone panel on the front with the words "Technical Art School" features stone pilaster brackets and corbels. In the centre front can be seen rectangular sandstone pediment with decorative stonework incorporating the date of construction. The windows in the lower floor feature five supporting keystones whereas the upper windows have sandstone lintels. The building also features decorative cast iron downpipes. The entrance on the northern side has attractive leadlight glazing in an art deco style. Above the door a miner's lamp and pick are featured in the design. The building is functional in design with large metal windows in the south wall to ensure good light into the studios. The northern wall has standard double hung windows. The interior of the building features a carved wooden staircase and cast iron ceiling vents. The rear drawing studios can be made into one large studio by opening panelled timber doors. This opening features classical plaster pilasters with a pediment above.Colour photograph of a sandstone detail on a double storey, red brick building - the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Minesballarat school of mines, ballarat technical art school, architecture, art, gribble building -
Federation University Historical Collection
Ammeter, Henry Sutton (probably), Ammeter attributed to Henry Sutton, 1883 (estimated)
W.B Withers wrote of Sutton: "In the realm of science Ballarat has become of world-wide fame through the inventions by Mr Henry Sutton, a native of the place. His skill and acquirements in electricity, telegraphy, telephony, photography and also in astronomical and microscopal studies have won for him a high position as a practical scientist, and the credit is the greater as he is a self-taught student … Mr Sutton, before he was fourteen years old, had read every book on science to be found in the library of the Ballarat Mechanics' Institute." The Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) was fortunate to have this genius appointed as the lecturer-in-charge of the new Electricity and Magnetism department from 23 April 1883. Although Henry Sutton submitted his resignation to the Council of SMB in October 1884 it was resolved that he be asked to reconsider, and Mr Sutton continued to teach at SMB until the end of 1886. He was a prominent member of the Camera Club, and many of the other SMB clubs. Sutton had an active and fertile brain, and was known for his inventions, especially his work on the telephone, telephane and carbon lamps. Sutton presented a vacuum pump, worked by water jet, for use in SMB Chemistry classes. His report of 1883 states: ‘A telephonic circuit has been laid down between the [SMB] engine-house and workshops, to be used for experimental purposes.’ Henry Sutton spent much thought on artificial flight, and made some interesting experimental studies with flying birds. The storage of electricty also attracted his attention, and, after much work and thought evolved the Sutton Secondary Battery. A paper on this battery was presented to the Royal Society, London, and was afterwards printed in the 'Transactions'. Henry Sutton is listed on the Federation University Honour Roll at https://www.federation.edu.au/curator/honour-roll/honourroll_sutton.shtmlA crude scientific instrument that measures amps, with a timber base and frame. Terminal posts and sliders contacts are positioned on top of the base, with flex attached. Henry Sutton lectured at the Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) in Electricty and Magnestism between 1883 and 1886. In 1883 Sutton reported: ‘…The class has been unfortunately situated, by having to wait for instruments of precision ordered from England, but which have not come to hand. The delay has caused us to start constructing instruments, which it is hoped will bear favourable comparison with those of older date.'ammeter, henry sutton, electrical, inventor, electricity and magnetism, sutton, scientific instruments -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph, Clare Gervasoni, Ballarat School of Mines Technical Art School, c2008, c2008
The former Ballarat Circuit Court Building, later the first building of the Ballarat School of Mines, was demolished to make way for a new custom built Art School building. Sir Alexander Peacock opened the Ballarat Technical Art School in July 1915. It cost 10,000 pounds and was constructed by the Public Works Department from plans drawn by the then Art School Principal, Herbert H. Smith. The building contractors were Messrs Gower and Eddards. According to the SMB Annual Report of 1914 'the internal upholstering and fittings have all been carried out in Australian timbers, with Queensland maple largely used throughout.' Before this building was constructed art and craft classes were held in various buildings around Ballarat. The building could be described as federation-art deco in style. It features sandstone insertion with sandstone string coursing. The base of the building is rusticated sandstone. The relief stone panel on the front with the words "Technical Art School" features stone pilaster brackets and corbels. In the centre front can be seen rectangular sandstone pediment with decorative stonework incorporating the date of construction. The windows in the lower floor feature five supporting keystones whereas the upper windows have sandstone lintels. The building also features decorative cast iron downpipes. The entrance on the northern side has attractive leadlight glazing in an art deco style. Above the door a miner's lamp and pick are featured in the design. The building is functional in design with large metal windows in the south wall to ensure good light into the studios. The northern wall has standard double hung windows. The interior of the building features a carved wooden staircase and cast iron ceiling vents. The rear drawing studios can be made into one large studio by opening panelled timber doors. This opening features classical plaster pilasters with a pediment above.Colour photographs of a double storey, red brick building built - the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Minesballarat school of mines, ballarat technical art school, architecture, art, gribble building -
Federation University Historical Collection
Artwork, other - Artwork, Artwork from the Ballarat School of Mines Students' Magazine, 1934, 1934
Sir Alexander Peacock opened the Ballarat Technical Art School in July 1915. It cost 10,000 pounds and was constructed by the Public Works Department from plans drawn by the then Art School Principal, Herbert H. Smith. The building contractors were Messrs Gower and Eddards. According to the SMB Annual Report of 1914 'the internal upholstering and fittings have all been carried out in Australian timbers, with Queensland maple largely used throughout.' Before this building was constructed art and craft classes were held in various buildings around Ballarat. The building could be described as federation-art deco in style. It features sandstone insertion with sandstone string coursing. The base of the building is rusticated sandstone. The relief stone panel on the front with the words "Technical Art School" features stone pilaster brackets and corbels. In the centre front can be seen rectangular sandstone pediment with decorative stonework incorporating the date of construction. The windows in the lower floor feature five supporting keystones whereas the upper windows have sandstone lintels. The building also features decorative cast iron downpipes. The entrance on the northern side has attractive leadlight glazing in an art deco style. Above the door a miner's lamp and pick are featured in the design. The building is functional in design with large metal windows in the south wall to ensure good light into the studios. The northern wall has standard double hung windows. The interior of the building features a carved wooden staircase and cast iron ceiling vents. The rear drawing studios can be made into one large studio by opening panelled timber doors. This opening features classical plaster pilasters with a pediment above. This building is now the Gribble Building on the Federation University Australia SMB Campus.Artwork by students of the Ballarat Technical Art School from the 1934 Ballarat School of Mines Students' Magazine .1) Stairs to the Ballarat Junior Technical School from Grant Street .2) Caricatures by Nornie Gude .3) work by Colin S. Hunt .4) A girl and a rooster by Gilda Gude .5) Self Portrait .6) Main entrance to the Ballarat Technical Art School by Lorna Bailey .7) Artwork from the magazineballarat technical art school, gribble building, gribble, stained glass, white flat, hopwood, bailey, gude, ballarat junior technical school, visual arts -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Photograph, B/W, WW1 Memorial Stonnington( Malvern ) Town Hall by P Montford, August Rietmann 1931, c1931
August Rietmann (1877-1951) of Lustdorf, Switzerland, married Maria Frieda Oesschlager (1878-1942) of Baden Baden, in Germany on 6/8/1910 8/8/1915 August and his wife Frieda migrated to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia sailing on the Steam Ship ‘Osterley’ from Marseilles to Melbourne They leased Box Cottage, Ormond in 1917 and raised two children, Stefanie (1918 -2006) and William (1920- 1997). 1935 August purchased the property and the family used the Cottage during the day and slept in the Front House. August was a monumental mason, potter and sculptor, and was employed at Corbens Ltd Clifton Hill, to carve war memorials in Victoria post WW1 c 1915-1922. During the 1920's August set up his own business in pressed cement making pot plants, columns,paving slabs and lamp-stands. He continued to carve headstones and figures and took contract work for Artists . Around the same time, prestigious sculptor, Paul Raphael Montford (1868–1938), who had won the competition to sculpt the Malvern War Memorial in 1928, asked August to ‘rough carve’ the marble figures destined for the foyer of Stonnington ( former Malvern) Town Hall — unveiled 1931. August built a workshop in the Barn and used the Cottage for plaster moulding. His son William joined the business and and the family continued to use the site after August died in 1951. Rietmann Landscaping Ltd moved to Bay Road Highett in 1953 and later to Carrum. The land, containing the Box Cottage, was sold to Lewis Timber Pty Ltd in 1970 and Mr Lewis proposed that Moorabbin City Council should preserve the heritage Cottage. In 1984 the Cottage was dismantled and reconstructed in the adjacent Joyce Park. The Rietman family is an example of the diverse nationalities that lived and worked productively in Moorabbin Shire 1871–1933 , the City of Moorabbin 1934-1994 and continues today in the Cities of Glen Eira, Kingston, Bayside, and Monash. August, a sculptor and stone mason, was employed by Corben Pty Ltd Clifton Hill to carve WW1 Memorials before establishing his own successful masonry business in the Box Cottage during the latter 1920s. After becoming interested in pressed cement casting, he took on apprentices (1930s Depression) and among his products were garden furniture, pots and also street lamp standards, some of which were installed in St Kilda Road. After August’s death in 1951, his family continued the business ‘Rietman’s Landscaping Ltd.’, at Highett and Carrum.Photograph, Black & White of the WW1 memorial in Stonnington (Malvern) Town Hall carved by August Rietmann c1931rietmann august, rietman august, rietmann frieda, rietman frieda, stonnington city town hall, war memorials, world war 1 1914-1918, rietman stefanie, rennick stefanie, francis stefanie, rietman william, rietman ray, mountford paul, malvern city town hall, box cottage museum ormond, box william, box elizabeth, joyce park ormond, rietman's landscaping pty ltd, bay road highett, macrobertson pty ltd, coleraine soldier memorial 1921, box cottage ormond -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, 1901
This glass slide captures the unveiling of the two cannons at Queen Victoria Park which were secured by Sir Isaac Isaacs and presented to Beechworth in 1901. In the foreground, elegantly dressed ladies and dapper gentlemen can be seen gathering around the park's iconic rock, with excited children looking on from the sides. Atop of the rock stands an intricately designed gas lamp that has since been removed but evidence of its existence still remains. The unveiling of these two cannons would have been a celebratory affair for those in attendance, marking a momentous occasion for Beechworth residents that was captured in this lantern slide. Sir Isaac Isaacs was an influential figure in Beechworth, having grown up and studied there. He began his education at the Common school and eventually graduated as dux of the Beechworth Grammar School. His commitment to public service was evident early on and he was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1892, representing Bogong, a district which included Yackandandah and Beechworth. During his time in office he pushed for better education, healthcare, employment opportunities and housing for the people of Beechworth. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide captures social and historical significance as it represents a moment of celebration for Beechworth residents and symbolises an important milestone in the town's history. This lantern slide stands testament to a special moment in Beechworth’s history and its significance continues to be remembered today. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide. burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, queen victoria park, rock, victoria, cannons, isaac isaacs, governor-general, politicians, judges, indigo shire, north-east victoria, 19th century, nineteenth century, parks -
Uniting Church Archives - Synod of Victoria
Tool - Music baton
W E Herring and his wife arrived in Brighton in 1887 to live in Roslyn Street. They had both been active members of the Fitzroy Street, St Kilda church choir. In 1937 Mr Herring recalled church life in the 1880s and 1890s. Houses were scarce and to reach the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Were Street, Brighton Beach a creek which had no bridge had “to be crossed – in winter, with the help of a hurricane lamp – and it was no uncommon thing for the preacher, if he were a stranger, to arrive late and breathless, or not at all.” In 1907 permission was given to form a tennis club at Were Street and Mr Herring was its first president. He was also the Were street Methodist Sunday School Superintendent, the Were street Methodist church organist and a member of the church’s Trust. “The Sunday School had a fine set of teachers. The rows of well-drilled and disciplined young life that filled the platform on Sunday School anniversaries, and sang their songs under the baton of Mr Herring, constituted a promise that was amply fulfilled as the years rolled on.”* *”Fifty years ago : a little history of Were Street Methodist Church” : Issued in commemoration of its Jubilee by Members of the Trust 1887 – 1937. To celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Mr Herring composed an anthem. The Brighton Southern Cross, Saturday 26 June 1897, page 2 reported: "The diamond jubilee has been instrumental in evoking some local musical talent. Mr W. E. Herring, organist of the Were-street Wesleyan Church, not being able to find any anthem specially suitable to the jubilee services, set his musical genius to work and composed an original piece. The words are selected from the 72nd Psalm. The music is a very tuneful and well harmonised theme, which does credit to the composer's skill and taste. The anthem was rendered twice on Jubilee Sunday at the Were street Church." Stained wood turned music baton.w e herring, were street methodist sunday school superintendent, music baton, were street wesleyan methodist church -
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Poem
SIGNALWOMEN An appreciation by an instructor (Sgt J.F. Larkins). Presented to Signalwoman Ruth Franklin after training in Melbourne 1942. After training, Ruth served on Rottnest Island as a communicator in the Plotting Room, Oliver Hill “Join the Corps of Signals”, the clarion call went forth, “Volunteer for the A.W.A.S. and let another man go north.” So you came into the Signals, in Australia’s hour of need, And let a thousand men go up the line, to meet the yellow breed. Where the lazy Yarra flows, through the green Victorian glade, They formed a school of Signals, to teach you in our trade, And the Old Ones, they were cynical, their tones were full of Jeers, “Women in the Signals! What rot!” But their moans have turned to cheers. You were tossed into the melting pot, that is an Australian Army camp. There weren’t many comforts, there were no electric lamps, There weren’t many blankets, it was cold in those tin huts, But the A.W.A.S. came up smiling; you had good Australian GUTS. The hours were long and wearisome, you were given lots of work, But we didn’t find a loafer, we knew not one to shirk. We made the pace a hard one, sometimes there were tears, But you lasses learned as much in months, as we men absorbed in years. You’re in the ARMY now; you all wear the Rising Sun, Sometimes you’ll be unhappy, but stick till the job is done. Time there will be, when the nerves are frayed, and all you do is bungle, Just feel the badge on your tunic, and remember your mates in the jungle. We wish you luck, and God-speed you on your way, And wherever war may scatter us, we’ll look forward to the day, When the final battle’s over and you’ve sent your last G.B., And the DIGGERS and the A.W.A.S. march in the parade of VICTORY. GB (Golf Bravo) is the sign off God Bless [G] DAH DAH DIT [B] DAH DI DI DIT Transcription of poem by Signals instructor Sgt JF Larkins presented to Signal Woman Ruth Franklin during Training in 1943. Read during 75th anniversary commemoration of proofing of Oliver Hill Battery, Rottnest Island. Computer printed on A4 bond paper. -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Stand, pump & tank
Was the stand for a Chance Brothers air & oil containers fitted with pump handle & pressure gauges.This type of installation was once common and relied on the lightkeeper having to pressurise the cylinders manually at regular intervals throughout the hours of darkness. The oil was fed under pressure to the burner mantle. It is all that remains of an air and kerosene oil tank installation, with each rounded side formerly supporting a heavy iron tank. The containers would have been fitted with a pump handle and pressure gauges. An intact assemblage is displayed in the AMSA offices, Canberra with a text that explains ‘This type of installation was once common and relied on the lightkeeper having to pressurise the cylinders manually at regular intervals throughout the hours of darkness’.The system involved vaporising kerosene under pressure and mixing it with air and then burning the vapour to heat an incandescent mantle. The use of kerosene as a fuel to light the lantern became the most common system of illumination from the 1860s after the oil industry in the United States began to develop. The kerosene vapour burner was created in 1901 by British inventor Arthur Kitson (1859-1937) and perfected by Chance Bros for burning a more intense light in their renowned lenses. The lamp had to be watched throughout the night in case a mantle broke, and the tanks needed to be maintained by hand-pumping each hour or so. The Point Hicks lantern was initially lit by a six-wick Trinity house kerosene burner. This was replaced by the more efficient and brighter 55mm vaporised kerosene mantle burner in 1905, and the tank stand is probably original to this apparatus. Electricity eventually replaced kerosene at Point Hicks in 1964 making the tank installation obsolete, and the last kerosene system in an Australian lighthouse was replaced in 1985. Gabo Island Lightstation has a pair of tanks that are not attached to the optical system and are no longer in the lighthouse. They are also missing the pressure gauges that were formerly attached to the top of each cylinder. An intact tank assemblage is displayed at the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Museum it is detached and not original to the lighthouse. Although corroded, the remnant Point Hicks tank stand has first level contributory importance to the lightstation. It is significant for its provenance and historical value as part of the Chance Bros vaporised kerosene burner introduced in 1905 to intensify the light and improve the efficiency of the system. The rusted iron stand rests on four short legs and is shaped like a pair of spectacles. -
Royal District Nursing Service (now known as Bolton Clarke)
Photograph - Photograph, black and white, c.1956
This photograph is taken in the bedroom of the man's home in the suburbs of Melbourne. It depicts one of the types of nursing care given by Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS) Sisters in the community. The Sister is visiting the man's home and is administering an injection which has been ordered by a doctor. Glass syringes were used by the Society until the mid 1960s and were re sterilized for future use. After this time plastic disposable syringes were used.The Trained nurses of the Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS), later known as Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), visited patients in their home and gave best practice care in many fields of nursing and to people of many cultures throughout its 130 years of expansion. Initial visits not only assessed the specific nursing situation but the situation as a whole. Their patients ranged in age from babes, children, adults to the elderly and referrals were taken from Hospitals, General Practitioners and allied Health facilities. Some of the care provided was: – Post-Natal care given to mother and babe, Wound Care following various types of surgery, accidents, burns, cancer, leg ulcers etc. Supervising and teaching Diabetic Care, including teaching and supervising people with Diabetes to administer their own Insulin, and administering Insulin to those unable to give their own injections. Administering other injections and setting up weekly medication boxes. The Sisters performed Catheterizations on adults suffering from conditions such as Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Guillan-Barre Syndrome, and when required at school on children for e.g. those with Spina Bifida. The Sisters visited those requiring Cystic Fibrosis support and care; those requiring Haemo-Oncology care, including visiting children at school; those requiring Home Enteral Feeding care, and those requiring IV therapy at home and home Dialysis. Palliative Care was given including pain relief with the use of syringe drivers, personal care as needed, and advice and support to both patient and family. RDNS provided Stoma management to those needing Urostomy, Ileostomy and Colostomy care and those requiring Continence care. HIV/AIDS nursing care was provided; visits to Homeless Persons were made. Personal care was given to patients ranging in age and with varying mobility problems, such as those with MS, MND, Guillan-Barre Syndrome, Quadriplegia, Paraplegia, Acquired Brain Injury, following a Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke), those with severe Arthritis and those with a form of Dementia. When necessary the elderly were assisted with personal care and advice given on safety factors with the use of hand rails, bath or shower seats, and hand showers. Rehabilitation with an aim towards independence remained at the forefront of the Sister’s minds and when possible using aids and instruction on safe techniques enabled the person to become fully independent. All care included giving advice and support to the patient and their Carers. The Sisters liaised with the persons Doctor, Hospital and allied Health personal when necessary.On the left of this black and white photograph, is a Melbourne District Nursing Society Sister who is standing side-on and leaning slightly forward as she administers an injection into the right upper arm of a gentleman to her right who is sitting up in bed resting against two white covered pillows. The male patient has short dark hair; is wearing glasses, and is looking up at the Sister. He is wearing a thick grey cardigan over a pale colour pyjama top which has dark piping; the lower part of his body is covered by a dark and light coloured check bed cover. The bed has a solid wooden headrest with a bed lamp attached to its upper right. The Sister who is wearing her uniform grey brimmed hat over her dark short hair, is wearing a white gown over her grey uniform, the collar of which is seen. Three fingers of her left hand are holding back the pushed up sleeve of the man's cardigan and she is holding a white swab between her thumb and first finger. She has a glass syringe resting in her right hand with her thumb and forefinger resting against the lower glass and metal section of the syringe; part of the metal needle is seen, the rest is inserted in the mans upper arm. On the far left of the photograph part of a dressing table mirror can be seen.' Rough Proof' Latrobe Studios Ref No. 59134-8melbourne district nursing service, mdns, royal district nursing service, rdns, rdns - injection -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Document - Photocopies, Alan Bradley, "The Electric Supply Company of Victoria Limited - Annual Reports", c1995
Set of A4 photocopies of 15 years of annual reports of The Electric Supply Company of Victoria Limited from 1920 to 1934. Most of the reports comprise three sheets - Directors Report, left hand side of the Balance Sheet, Trading Account and Profit and Loss Account on the right hand side. Some reports have a statutory declaration by the Manager and Secretary that the reports submitted are a true copy of the report. Items .1 to .12 detail the number of lamps connected, passengers carried and trading account for the last three years. This practice stopped when ESCo sold the company to the SEC but continued to manage it for a further four years. The Directors report from 9/1900 note the forthcoming sale of the company to the British Insulated Wire Company Limited and the problems of finalising the sale. Photocopies from the Public Records Office of Victoria, Company Reports, obtained by Alan Bradley c1995. All three sheets, unless noted otherwise. .1 - 1919 - 1920 .2 - 1920 - 1921 .3 - 1921 - 1922 .4 - 1922 - 1923 .5 - 1923 - 1924 .6 - 1924 - 1925 .7 - 1925 - 1926 - four sheets .8 - 1926 - 1927 .9 - 1927 - 1928 - four sheets .10 - 1928 - 1929 .11 - 1929 - 1930 .12 - 1930 - 1931 - four sheets .13 - 1931 - 1932 - four sheets .14 - 1932 - 1933 .15 - 1933 - 1934 Items separated by yellow coloured A4 sheets.trams, tramways, esco, british insulated wire company, annual reports, directors reports -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Book, British Engineering Standards Association, "Electrical Machinery excluding motors for traction purposes", 1927-1939
.1 - Book - 56 pages + grey covers, side stapled, issued by the British Engineering Standards Committee "Electrical Machinery excluding motors for traction purposes", No. 72-1917, September 1917. Has "Commonwealth Engineer" label along the bottom edge. .2 - Book 28 pages - light grey covers, side stapled, issued by the British Engineering Standards Association, "Insulating oils for use in Transformers, oil switches and circuit breakers" No. 148-1923, April 1923. Has a Tait Book Co. stamp along the bottom edge and ESCo date stamp 1 Oct. 1925. Printed by Gaylard & Sons London. .3 - Book 72 pages - light grey covers, side stapled, issued by the British Engineering Standards Association, "Tungsten Filament Electric Lamps" No. 161-1925, August 1927. Has a Tait Book Co. stamp along the bottom edge and ESCo date stamp 15 Feb. 1928. Printed by Waterlow & Sons London. .4 - Book 48 pages - light grey covers, side stapled, issued by the British Standards Institution, "Metal Sheathed paper insulated plain annealed copper conductors for electricity supply including voltage tests" No.1 48-1933, March 1933. Has a Tait Book Co. stamp along the bottom edge and ESCo date stamp 15 Feb. 1928. Printed by Waterlow & Sons London. trams, tramways, power station, standards, materials, electrical systems -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Vehicle - Wagon, Circa 1930s - 1940s
This baker’s wagon (or cart) was used to transport and deliver bread and other baked goods in the Warrnambool area. It is currently decorated with signwriting advertising H.H. Smith, Baker who owned and operated his Warrnambool bakery in the late 19th and early 20th century. The design of this baker’s wagon is similar to others dating around the 1930’s and 1940’s and was likely to have been built around that time for Stephenson’s Bakery in Warrnambool. The wagon’s original internal shelves were removed due to it being used in the early days at Flagstaff Hill to give children rides around the Village. BAKERS’ HISTORY There were many bakeries in Warrnambool in the 19th to mid-20th century. Each bread bakery made bread deliveries by horse and wagon in their appointed delivery zone. This wagon has sign writing representing Smith’s bakery although it is most likely the delivery wagon of Stephenson’s bakery. SMITH’S BAKERY – as shown on the wagon’s signage Henry Huntington Smith (1857-1941) was born and educated in Warrnambool. He worked at Davis’ steam biscuit factory in Timor Street before he started his own bakery business in 1885 at a premises near the corner of Fairy and Koroit Streets. A few years later Smith built his new bakery on the corner of Fairy and Lava Street where it still stands today as Monaghan’s Pharmacy. The building was designed by James McLeod in 1892 as a bakehouse, shop and residence for Smith The address was known locally as Smith’s corner. Next door to the bakery, at 136 Fairy Street, were Stables built by Jobbins and McLeod in 1886 for William Cust. A photograph in the archives of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society shows the 1892 building with four fancy horse-drawn wagons on the street with white clad drivers and a promotional stand erected with 5 bakers in uniform and the signage “H H Smith & Co, Pastry Cooks and Confectioners”. One of the wagons appears to have “H H Smith” painted on the side. H.H. Smith & Co. placed an Advertisement in the Weekly Times in December 1896 promoting its business as bakers, confectioners and pastry cooks, praising their shop as an ‘ornament to the town’ with ‘neat appointments’ and ‘dainty decorations’. It also boasted that the business supplied a large number of customers within a twelve mile radius of Warrnambool. In November 1919 The Warrnambool Standard announced the marriage of Henry H Smith, Mayor of Warrnambool, to Jeannie Samson-Goodman in East Adelaide. In the same newspaper was a notice that Frank Crossley was to open as baker and pastry cook in H.H. Smith’s premises. As well as being the proprietor of the H.H. Smith Bakery, Henry Huntington Smith was a Councillor for the Warrnambool Municipality from 1913 – 1937 and Mayer for two terms. In December 1919 during his first term as Mayor he was honoured for the work he had done with returning soldiers after World War I, receiving a document in recognition of this work, presented by the Mothers, Wives and Sisters of returned soldiers. Smith was very interested and involved in the community in many roles, including being the Vice President of the first Warrnambool and District Historical Society. STEPHENSON’S BAKERY – believed to be the past owner of the wagon The last owner of the bakery was Harold Stephenson. Stephenson was enlisted in the A.I.F. and was invalided home in 1943 before the end of the Second World War. He also served as a Councillor 1958-1976, during which time he served six terms as Mayor for the City of Warrnambool (1966-1973) while he had the bakery. He was very involved in many local organisations including the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club and the Road Race Committee. He died in 1985, lauded as being one of Warrnambool’s “most distinguished civic leaders”. It has been said that the baker injured in World War II invented a special contraption to enable him to get up into the wagon and that he alerted his customers that he was in their vicinity by blowing a whistle. The customers would come out and choose their own bread from the back of his wagon then pay him for it. However another account is given by a man who once earned pocket money by helping the baker on his rounds. He says that it was Stephenson, the owner and manager of the bakery, and not the delivery baker who received a significant injury during the war, making him unable to climb the stairs of his upstairs accommodation at the bakery, therefore causing him to sleep downstairs. At this time in the early to late 1940’s Stephenson’s bakery had three wagons, one for each of the delivery rounds. The wagons were painted black and yellow. Two of the drivers were Stan Lake and Ali (Alec) Dean who both had wagons with the covered cabin design. The third driver was Bill Lake who had a flat wagon. Stan Lake delivered in the area around Lava and Koroit Streets, Ali Dean had another round and Bill Lake had the Dennington area. Bread continued to be delivered into the 1960’s but by this time the delivery vehicles were motorised. The goods produced at Stephenson’s bakery included breads baked in different shaped tins such as High Tin, Sandwich and Vienna. Some shapes were easily divided into half by breaking them apart, therefore the baker could make two quarter loaves from a half loaf, satisfying different needs. There was the option of white or brown bread, sweet buns, fruit buns and Boston buns. The baker’s assistant was known to take great delight in ‘trimming’ the broken halves of excess bread and crust, enjoying his treat. THE BAKERY PREMISES – South east corner of Fairy and Lava Streets, Warrnambool The building retains the original cast iron veranda. Above the veranda a motif of a wheat sheaf in ornamental plaster can be seen. Inside the building there are still has some of the original fittings. The building was classified by the National Trust in August 1979. After the Second World War an official system of zoning was introduced as a fair way for the baking industry to operate. In 1949 different pricing was introduced by the Government for either delivered or retail purchased bread. Many of the small local bakeries went out of business after the Government banned zoning. The way was made open for the larger bread manufacturers to enter the local market with cheaper prices. Some of those companies were Mc Queens, Tip Top, Twisties, Sunicrust, (Mc Queens ‘new’ bakery building was where the current Toyworld shop now stands, is, in the Ozone carpark.) O’Grady’s Bakery, later changing hands and known as Burkes Bakery, was in Fairy Street near Timor Street intersection, on the North West side. There was also a bakery named Almay. The baker’s wagon is significant because of its association with H.H. Smith’s Bakery in Warrnambool.. The H.H. Smith’s Bakery building on the corner of Fairy and Lava Streets, built in 1892, is classified by the National Trust, August 1979. Smith Street Warrnambool was named after Henry Huntington Smith, who was a Warrnambool Councillor 1913 – 1937 and Mayor 1919 – 1921. Baker’s wagon, often referred to as a baker’s cart. Four wheeled horse-drawn delivery wagon, front wheels smaller than rear wheels. Wagon is clad with metal sheets and lined with varnished timber panels. Wheels have metal rims, wooden spokes and rear wheels have wooden brake pads. Horse shaft is timber with metal fittings. Front has a metal lamp holder, brake lever, metal hand grips and decorative metal foot plates. The wagon has suspension leaves on back and sides and double suspension leaves on the front. Driver’s area at front has a roof, glass side windows and wooden box seat with hinged compartment accessing wagon storage area. Door above back of seat has buckled leather handgrip strap attached, door slides open for access to wagon area. Back of wagon has a wooden step and a split door; top door has ventilation louvers, both doors have metal latches. Wagon is painted cream with brown trim and signage and green step. Remnants of red and green paint are visible; underside of seat panel is painted grey. Wagon advertises H.H. Smith & Co. Baker, a Warrnambool business established in 1885, but is of a more modern design seen around 1930’s and 1940’s and most likely belonging to Stephenson's bakery. Brown signwriting on sides of wagon “H.R. SMITH & CO. / BAKER” Brown signwriting across front of wagon “BAKER” warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, great ocean road, baker’s wagon, h.h. smith baker, warrnambool, henry h smith, jeannie samson-goodman, frank crossley, mayor of city of warrnambool, vice president of warrnambool and district historical society, stephenson’s bakery warrnambool, harold stephenson, warrnambool surf life saving club, road race committee, national trust building, stan lake, bill lake, ali dean, 19th and 20th century bakers, davies steam biscuit factory warrnambool, james mcleod building designer, jobbins and mcleod, william cust, h h smith & co, pastry cooks and confectioners, bakery trade, bread delivery wagon -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Iron
Before the introduction of electricity, irons were heated by combustion, either in a fire or with some internal arrangement. An "electric flatiron" was invented by American Henry Seely White and patented on June 6, 1882. It weighed almost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and took a long time to heat. The UK Electricity Association is reported to have said that an electric iron with a carbon arc appeared in France in 1880, but this is considered doubtful. Two of the oldest sorts of iron were either containers filled with a burning substance, or solid lumps of metal which could be heated directly. Metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in China in the 1st century BC. A later design consisted of an iron box which could be filled with hot coals, which had to be periodically aerated by attaching a bellows. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were many irons in use that were heated by fuels such as kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas (acetylene, as with carbide lamps), or even gasoline. Some houses were equipped with a system of pipes for distributing natural gas or carbide gas to different rooms in order to operate appliances such as irons, in addition to lights. Despite the risk of fire, liquid-fuel irons were sold in U.S. rural areas up through World War II. In Kerala in India, burning coconut shells were used instead of charcoal, as they have a similar heating capacity. This method is still in use as a backup device, since power outages are frequent. Other box irons had heated metal inserts instead of hot coals. From the 17th century, sadirons or sad irons (from Middle English "sad", meaning "solid", used in English through the 1800s[4]) began to be used. They were thick slabs of cast iron, triangular and with a handle, heated in a fire or on a stove. These were also called flat irons. A laundry worker would employ a cluster of solid irons that were heated from a single source: As the iron currently in use cooled down, it could be quickly replaced by a hot one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothes_ironThis iron is typical of the clothes iron used before electric irons superseded it.Salter iron no. 6, painted black but with rust showing through. Salter iron no. 6.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, iron, clothes, laundry -
Melton City Libraries
Newspaper, Melbourne A.A. Club, 1903
"Captain Simon Thomas Staughton was the son of Simon Thomas Staughton MLA who had built the mansion Eynesbury on his share of the Exford property inherited from his father Simon Staughton, the original 1840s Werribee River squatter. When the land was sold, Simon’s Exford station extended from Mt Cotterell to the Brisbane Ranges. ST Staughton (senior) was a reputedly the public spirited member of the family in his generation, being a member of the first Roads Board (and Melton Shire President in 1867), a JP, Magistrate and MLA for Bourke from 1883 until his death in 1901, whereupon his son became the MLA for Bourke. Captain ST Staughton had earlier been chosen as a member of a contingent of Victorian Mounted Riflemen sent to England for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee (1897), and was later a member of King Edward’s coronation escort. In October 1899 he had sailed for South Africa with other Mounted Riflemen from Victorian and NSW to take part in the Boer War. There he was awarded the DSO. He died of peritonitis in 1903, aged 27. He was buried in Boroondara Cemetery after a full military funeral, in which the coffin was borne on a gun carriage drawn by four black horses. All local newspapers reported eloquently on the funeral, and the late Captain’s virtues. The Staughton Memorial Lamp was given to the town by his young widow in 1903. In addition a window in the (former) Christ Church bore the inscription ‘This window is erected by his brother soldiers in loving memory of Captain S Tom Staughton, DSO, ADC, MLA’. The Staughton family had been prominent benefactors of the Church, whose altar rails were also inscribed to the much respected Captain, along with a memorial stone in the new chancel. In the 1970s the memorial was within one of four fenced tree plantations, probably erected and planted in the 1920s or 30s. When High Street and its service roads were redesigned in the 1970s the plantations were completely removed, and the Melton and District Historical Society was successful in having the memorial moved about 50 metres east to its present location". The Weekly Times article about a gift from Tom Staughtonlocal identities -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Three draw Telescope, 20th century
This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. Many companies were making scientific instruments in Liverpool. Between 1730 up too today, they manufactured spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmoscopes, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. Liverpool was a major centre for the production of scientific items rivaling Glasgow and London from 1850 to 1920. This telescope appears to be of quality manufacture but the origins can only be surmised at based on the gold embossing to the leather surrounding the main brass tube as being associated with Liverpool England. There is no maker or owners mark, so again there is no sure way to determine the year of manufacture or maker. There were many opticians and scientific instrument makers working in and around Liverpool from 1730 through too today. Also the possibility the telescope could have been made outside Liverpool overseas should not be overlooked and may have been made as a souvenir item from Liverpool from the mid to late 20th century. The size and type of telescope is a traditional type that was used for many sporting activities in the mid to late 19th century for deer stalking, bird watching, or used generally. I believe the item dates from sometime around the early to late part of the 20th century as the use of the liver bird mark became popular in 1911. It began appearing on many manufactured items of the period up too today, denoting that these items were made by companies operating in or around Liverpool England. If the item had been made by a notable firm it would have been engraved with the makers name city of origin, or owner as was the accepted practice for these items. The writer has been unable to determine if any specific company had had exclusive use of the liver bird logo as it was widely used and was not copyrighted until the Liverpool football club successfully won a court case giving them the sole rights to the trademark in 2012.The item is also an example of the shipwreck artefacts gathered along the southwest coast of Victoria. It is also a sample of scientific instruments used up to the mid 20th century.Victorian style gentleman's three draw brass telescope with machine milling surrounding the end of each tube and around the objective end. The three tube draw has no split and all three cartridges are held within the main brass tube wrapped in leather with rope bindings at both ends 5 cm in length and beginning 7 cm from the objective end. The last 2.8 cm makes up the remainder of the brass tube which has a sliding brass sunshade. The eyepiece is flat and has a protective slide over the lens aperture. Two relay lenses are missing on the ends of the second and third tube. Gold embossed into the leather an inscription “Trade the Liver Mark” also embossed in gold a depiction of the mythical liver bird, associated with the city seal of Liverpool England. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, liver bird, scientific instrument, telescope, three drawer telescope, liverpool, liver bird trade mark, trade mark -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Weights
A small number of heavy cast iron weights and two rods remain at the Point Hicks Lightstation. These weights comprise one rod with a forked top and four circular weights attached to the bottom of the shaft. The weights and rods were part of the original clockwork mechanism that was fitted beneath the lens to keep the kerosene‐fuelled light turning. They were attached to a cable or chains and moved vertically in similar fashion to the way weights move on grandfather clocks. As the weight fell, the optic clock was driven and the lens was turned. To keep the clock turning, the weight needed to be wound back up to the top of its travel. The cables and weights in this lighthouse were visible as they moved through the length of the tower up to the lantern room. It was usual for systems to move inside a tube extending up to the top, but in this case the tower’s cast iron spiral staircase, which is supported on cantilever cast iron brackets set into the concrete wall, spiralled around the space in which they moved. Lighthouse keepers had the arduous job of having to constantly wind the clock to keep the light active, and at least two keepers needed to observe a strict roster of hours. When electric motors were invented, all of this became redundant and the motors were able to turn the optic for as long as there was power to drive them. In December 1964, the original 1890 Chance Bros kerosene‐fuelled light and clockwork mechanism were replaced by small electric motor, and the number of keepers reduced to two. The six circular weights and rods originate from the obsolete system and may have been part of a larger set. Wilsons Promontory retains seven of its original set of ten weights, all of which are detached from the tower’s weight tube. Cape Schanck has a set of fourteen weights remaining in situ as well as another four detached weights, which have inscriptions. One weight is displayed in the lantern room at Cape Otway. The image shows four of the clockwork weights attached to a rod with a forked top. They were part of the original clockwork mechanism that was fitted beneath the lens to keep the kerosene‐fuelled light turning. The Aldis lamp in its case sits on the floor next to the weights. Source: Parks Victoria.The Point Hicks weights have first level contributory significance for the insights they provide into the superseded technology and operations of a late nineteenth century lighthouse. They are well provenanced and are significant for their historic value as part of the lightstation’s Chance Brothers optical system installed in 1890. Four circular metal weights are stored on a metal rod with a forked section at the top. The weights have a cut out section which allows the weights to be removed easily. -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Audio Compact Cassette Tape, Audio Recording; Jock Read with Diana Bassett-Smith, 1990s
Oral history interview with Jock Read (1915- 2010) conducted by Diana Bassett-Smith of Eltham District Historical Society. Peter Bassett-Smith and possibly Gwen Orford also in attendance. The interview includes discussion of Jock's family history and connection to Eltham, including his attendance at Eltham State School starting 1921, childhood memories including games he played, memories of Eltham High School, recreational activities, milking, money earned, local transport, neighbours, effect of the Depression, local shops, involvement with the Church of England and more. Recording contains significant amount of noise. 0:00 Introduction including the clarification of Jock's name as Frances and backstory of his parents being from England 3:15- 5:00 Commences talking about home life and childhood 3:38 Talking about family immigrating to Australia His father immigrated to Australia when he was 6 4:05 Jock was born in and lived with his parents in Brunswick before moving to Eltham during the 1920s 4:55-7:44 Permanently moved to Eltham and started at Eltham Primary School in 1921 Talking about books used at school, and games played at school such as marbles, cricket and football 8:45 Moved into Eltham High School after finishing at Eltham Primary 9:50 Week and weekend activities including: Milking cows and doing milk runs on horseback before school 13:15 Most common mode of transport was using horse drawn vehicles and walking 14:50 Discusses impact of depression on family: Father had previously started a business but the depression had a large impact on that 16:10-18:00 Facilities that Jock had • Used hurricane lamps and candles- no electricity • Woodfire • Milk and bread were delivered • Greengrocer- George Bird? 25:22 Left Eltham high school in 1930 26:00 Begins discussing involvement with the church of England 31:46 Electricity did not come to Eltham until 1926 Jock described it as an exciting event 33:00-34:00 Describing the rented house, he was living in- small wooden cottage 35:00 Discussion around starting a mail run round areas of Eltham 38:40-42:35 Enlisted in the navy during WW2 • Navel cadets in 1934 • HMAS Vampire • Served as a seaman gunner Audio Compact Cassette Tape ACME C90 XHG Converted to MP3 file; 55.1MB, 0:42:35audio cassette, audio recording, diana bassett-smith, eltham, jock read, oral history, read family, elham primary school, eltham high school, eltham primary school, 1920s, brunswick, depression, church, st margaret's church, housing, ww2, second world war -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone in two pieces. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070. Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone vertebrae. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone vertebrae. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Vertebrae, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Whalebone The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The bone of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as whalebone. Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale bone Vertebrae with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Jaw Bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale jaw bone one side, long & curved with advanced stage of calcification off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Animal specimen - Whale Rib Bone, Undetermined
Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale rib bone with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by brittleness. None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone