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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Floor ash Tray, 1900 to 1960s
... Functional object... metal on the outside Functional object Floor ash Tray ...The word ashtray came into use around the 1920 and is a receptacle for ash from cigarettes and cigars and are typically made of fire retardant material such as glass, heat resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or stone. The most common ashtray design is a shallow cylinder with a flat base, designed to rest on a table. Other ashtrays, particularly in public places, are either wall or floor mounted. While simple, utilitarian forms of ashtrays existed long before the 19th century, it was during the start of the 20th century that the design, aesthetics and their popularity took off. As more women began to smoke. in the early 1900s, the ashtray went closer to being an art form as many women avoided the use of the traditional ashtray as it failed to reflect their feminine values, regarded as an item rather basic in design the general societal through of the time was that smoking was an activity exclusive to men. What emerged were detailed, often very fancy ashtrays acceptable to women depicting either pastoral scenes or vibrantly coloured landscapes. As time went on, and the onset of women smoking both cigars and cigarettes became less of a departure from the average person, ashtrays saw a decline in design and aesthetics beginning more of a shift towards practicality. The subject item is a primitive form of ashtray used in public spaces any time from the 1920-1960s and is not associated with an historic person or event. However the item could have come from the Warrnambool Town Hall given the inscription on the base of the item.Ash tray-large rectangular floor model with cement sheet lining. Made from a wooden box covered with textured metal on the outsideThe metal has a relief design embossed at the top back "smokers" and "Town Hall" printed on bottom.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ash tray, town hall, cigarette tray, smoker's ash tray -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Cash Bag, late 1800s to early 1900s
... Functional object... inscription. Functional object Cash Bag ...The leather bag is a Pay Cash Bag. It was used to transfer cash between the the railway stations of Grassdale and Merino.This Pay Cash Bag is an example of the connection between people in the remote areas of Victoria. The railway system was used to transfer people, goods and cash between districts in western Victoria. Pay Cash Bag; a rectangular leather bag with rounded bottom corners, stitched, with brass peg for securing opening. Has stitched leather rectangle nameplate with hand written inscription.Handwritten; “GRASSDALE PAY CASH BAG” “To be returned to MERINO when empty”flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cash bag, merino railway station, rural banking, finances, grassdale railway station -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Cash Bag, late 1800s to early 1900s
... Functional object... with inscription. Functional object Cash Bag ...The leather bag is a Railway Cash Bag. It was used to transfer cash between the the railway stations of Merino and Casterton. The Casterton Railway Station was Merino's banking station. This Cash Bag is an example of the connection between people in the remote areas of Victoria. The railway system was used to transfer people, goods and cash between the districts of western Victoria.Railway Cash Bag; a rectangular leather bag with rounded bottom corners, stitched, with brass peg for securing opening. Has stitched leather rectangle frame and brass nameplate with inscription."MERINO"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cash bag, railway cash bag, merino railway station, casterton railway station, banking station, rural banking, finances -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Courier Bag, Government of Victoria, Late 19th to mid-20th centuries
... Functional object... arrow. Functional object Courier Bag Government of Victoria ...The courier bag was once government property, as indicated by the broad arrow symbol. The flap has the name 'Boronia' - an area near Melbourne - overstamped with the town name 'Merino', and on the other side of the flap is the town 'Casterton'. Merino and Casterton are renowned for large sheep farming properties in Victoria's western district. Perhaps the courier bag was originally used between Melbourne and Boronia. During the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, a government-operated railway service was active in in the western district of Victoria. It served remote properties, including a line between Merino and Casterton. The train delivered mail, cash, supplies documents, business records and people between the sheep farm properties and the township of Casterton.This courier bag is an example of the connections and business between people in the remote areas of western Victoria. It was likely used by Victoria's railway system that transported people, goods, documents and cash between the districts of western Victoria.Courier bag; beige canvas rectangular bag with triangular black canvas flaps and a leather strap and buckle closure. The bag has stencilled stamps of three towns - Casterton, Merino and Boronia. It also has the government property symbol of a broad arrow.White stencilled paint "CASTERTON" Black stencilled paint "BORONIA" [barely visible] White over-stamped stencilled paint "MERINO"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, bag, pouch, document pouch, courier bag, western district, western victoria, 19th century, 20th century, railway, rural business, rural trade, boronia, casterton, merino, sheep farm, sheep property, canvas bag, canvas courier bag, government courier bag, broad arrow -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Courier Bag, Late 19th to mid 20th centuries
... Functional object.... Functional object Courier Bag ...The black imitation leather or leatherette bag or pouch could have been used by a courier to transfer documents, letters or business records between offices or from business to customer. Imitation leather was invented in the late 1800s and improved as time went on. The manufacture of synthetic leather began around the 1930s. The courier bag may have been used for a s similar purpose as the cash bags in our collection. Those cash bags transported money between the railway stations of Grassdale and Merino in Victoria's western district in the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries. Perhaps the bag was used by the coastal trading vessels that operated in southwest Victoria until around the 1940s.This courier bag is an example of the connections made between people in the remote areas of Victoria. It could have been used by the railway system or the coastal trader vessels that shipped people, goods, documents and cash between the districts in western Victoria.Courier bag; black imitation leather pouch, square with wide seams and a flap with sttud closure at the top. Made by British Products Pty Ltd. "British Products Pty Ltd"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, bag, pouch, imitation leather, artificial leather, faux leather, synthetic leather, british products pty ltd, document pouch, courier bag, western district, western victoria, 19th century, 20th century, railway, rural business, rural trade, coastal trader, southwest victoria -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Porthole Frame, Russell & Co, 1888
... Functional object.... Functional object Porthole Frame Russell & Co. ...This portion of the porthole frame was part of the fittings of the Antares. The Italian barque “Antares” was an iron three-masted sailing ship built in 1888 by Russell & Co of Port Glasgow. The ship was originally named the “Sutlej” but was renamed the “Antares” in 1907 when sold to the Semider Bros of Genoa, Italy, where it was registered. The vessel left Marseilles on the 18th of December 1913 with its master Captain Gazedo destined for Mullaly & Byrne of Melbourne with a cargo of roofing tiles but failed to arrive. The wreckage was found near the Bay of Islands, twenty-two miles east of Warrnambool, after a body had washed ashore. Some of the timbers washed up were charred by fire, and a small boat's stern board with the name "Sutlej" led to the identification of the wreck as Antares, which had been reported missing. According to later reports, the Antares wrecking was overshadowed by war news at the time. A young local boy had remarked that the Germans had arrived off the coast as he had seen them firing off shells and rockets, but his story was passed off as a joke. These rockets were most likely the distress signals from the stricken ship. The Italian barque, clipper, Antares was sometime later reported as overdue. The wreck of the ship was later found at the base of a cliff at the Bay of Islands near Warrnambool in November 1914; there were no survivors.The Antares is significant as it was a sail trader carrying international inbound cargo during the early part of the 20th century. It is part of the Great Ocean Road Historic Shipwreck Trail and as such is registered as a protected wreck in the Victorian Heritage Database VHS S34 .Porthole frame section, brass, large part corroded away. Hing is still visible on the end. The underside is shaped to allow the fitting of the glass. Recovered from the wreck of the Antares. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, antares, tall ship, sailing ship, peterborough, phillip le couteur, peter mathieson, constable stainsbury, sutlej, antares rock., bay of islands, porthole, ship fitting, 1914 shipwreck, porthole frame -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Deadeye, Barclay Curle & Co shipbuilders, 1873
... Functional object... through in a triangular configuration. Functional object Deadeye ...This example of a sailing ship’s ‘dead-eye’ is from the wreck of the Loch Ard, which sank near Port Campbell in 1878. The Loch Ard got its name from ”Loch Ard” a loch which lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curle and Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Lochard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Lochard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Lochard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Lochard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition in. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register.The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collections objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.A weathered ship’s rigging deadeye, showing signs of submersion and erosion in sea water. The flat sides of this thick wooden disc have three holes drilled through in a triangular configuration.Noneflagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, deadeye, rigging -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Crucible, The Patent Plumbago Crucible Company, circa 1878
... Functional object... at the Battersea Works in London. Functional object Crucible The Patent ...This crucible was raised from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. It is one of six similar relics, in a range of sizes, now in the Flagstaff Hill collection. All bear markings to indicate their manufacture by the Morgan brothers of Battersea, trading as the Patent Plumbago Crucible Co. A crucible is a container used for purifying and melting metals so that they can be cast in a mould to a predetermined shape and use. They must withstand extremely high temperatures, and abrupt cooling, and shed their contents with minimal adherence. The addition of graphite to the traditional firing clays greatly enhanced the durability of industrial crucibles in mid-Victorian Britain, a significant technological advance at a time of great activity in foundries and expansion of demand for refined metals. The Morgans first noticed the advantages of graphite crucibles at the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851. Initially, they contracted to be sole selling agents for the American-made products of Joseph Dixon and Co. from New Jersey, but in 1856 they obtained that firm’s manufacturing rights and began producing their own graphite crucibles from the South London site. The Morgans imported crystalline graphite in 4-5 cwt casks from the British colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and mixed it with conventional English (Stourbridge) clays to be fired in kilns. Their products were purchased by the Royal Mints in London and India, and exported to official mints in France and Germany. They were successful exhibitors of their crucibles and furnaces at the London Exhibition held in 1861 (Class 1, Mining, quarrying, metallurgy and mineral products, Exhibit 265, Patent Plumbago Crucible Co). The range of sizes represented by the six crucibles retrieved from the LOCH ARD, suggests they may have been part of a sample shipment intended for similar promotion in the Australian colonies ― at Melbourne’s International Exhibition to be held in 1880. The summary of the LOCH ARD cargo manifest, by Don Charlwood in ‘Wrecks and Reputations’, does not mention any crucibles, implying that they were not a large consignment of uniform items. A newspaper account of an 1864 tour of the Morgan brothers’ ‘Black Potteries’ at Battersea indicates: “All the pots were numbered according to their contents, each number standing for one kilogram, or a little over two pounds; a No. 2 crucible contains two kilogrammes; a No. 3, three kilogrammes, and so on.” These numbers are obscured by marine sediment on three of the crucibles in the Flagstaff Hill collection, but those legible on the remaining three are 5, 6, and 8. None of the six is of the same size from a visual appraisal. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line of ships that sailed the long voyage from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. The shipwreck of the LOCH ARD is of State significance ― Victorian Heritage Register S417. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best-known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.A Morgan’s Patent graphite crucible No.8 (i.e. 8kgs capacity), one of a set. It was recovered from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. It is in its original grey colouring with minimal sediment accretion on the top rim. It rises in a slight curve from a flat circular base to a wider rim with a pouring lip. Maker’s marks on the side of the container clearly identify the manufacturer. The maker's details are stamped into the base around and within a circle. A white sticker is attached. Made by the Patent Plumbago Crucible Company at the Battersea Works in London. Number “8”. Letters “MORGAN’S PATENT”. Details on the base "MORGAN'S PATENT" "THE PATENT PLUMBAGO CRUCIBLE COMPANY" Symbol [8] above "BATTERSEA WORKS LONDON" Handwritten on a white sticker in black pen "LA/89"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, graphite crucible, plumbago crucible, morgans crucible company, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, fluxing pots, crucible, morgan’s patent, morgan brothers, patent plumbago crucible co, battersea works, london, port campbell -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Crucible, The Patent Plumbago Crucible Company, circa 1878
... Functional object... at the Battersea Works in London. Functional object Crucible The Patent ...This crucible was raised from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. It is one of six similar relics, in a range of sizes, now in the Flagstaff Hill collection. All bear markings to indicate their manufacture by the Morgan brothers of Battersea, trading as the Patent Plumbago Crucible Co. A crucible is a container used for purifying and melting metals so that they can be cast in a mould to a predetermined shape and use. They must withstand extremely high temperatures, and abrupt cooling, and shed their contents with minimal adherence. The addition of graphite to the traditional firing clays greatly enhanced the durability of industrial crucibles in mid-Victorian Britain, a significant technological advance at a time of great activity in foundries and expansion of demand for refined metals. The Morgans first noticed the advantages of graphite crucibles at the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851. Initially, they contracted to be sole selling agents for the American-made products of Joseph Dixon and Co. from New Jersey, but in 1856 they obtained that firm’s manufacturing rights and began producing their own graphite crucibles from the South London site. The Morgans imported crystalline graphite in 4-5 cwt casks from the British colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and mixed it with conventional English (Stourbridge) clays to be fired in kilns. Their products were purchased by the Royal Mints in London and India, and exported to official mints in France and Germany. They were successful exhibitors of their crucibles and furnaces at the London Exhibition held in 1861 (Class 1, Mining, quarrying, metallurgy and mineral products, Exhibit 265, Patent Plumbago Crucible Co). The range of sizes represented by the six crucibles retrieved from the LOCH ARD, suggests they may have been part of a sample shipment intended for similar promotion in the Australian colonies ― at Melbourne’s International Exhibition to be held in 1880. The summary of the LOCH ARD cargo manifest, by Don Charlwood in ‘Wrecks and Reputations’, does not mention any crucibles, implying that they were not a large consignment of uniform items. A newspaper account of an 1864 tour of the Morgan brothers’ ‘Black Potteries’ at Battersea indicates: “All the pots were numbered according to their contents, each number standing for one kilogram, or a little over two pounds; a No. 2 crucible contains two kilogrammes; a No. 3, three kilogrammes, and so on.” These numbers are obscured by marine sediment on three of the crucibles in the Flagstaff Hill collection, but those legible on the remaining three are 5, 6, and 8. None of the six is of the same size from a visual appraisal. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line of ships that sailed the long voyage from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. The shipwreck of the LOCH ARD is of State significance ― Victorian Heritage Register S417 Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best-known ahipwrecks in Victoria’s history.A Morgan’s Patent graphite crucible No.4 (i.e. 4kgs capacity), one of a set of three. It was recovered from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. It is in its original grey colouring with minimal sediment accretion on the top rim. It rises in a slight curve from a flat circular base to a wider rim with a pouring lip. Maker’s marks on the side of the container clearly identify the manufacturer. The maker's details are stamped into the base around and within a circle. A white sticker is attached. Made by the Patent Plumbago Crucible Company at the Battersea Works in London.Number or. Letters “MORGAN’S PATENT”. Details on the base "MORGAN'S PATENT" "THE PATENT PLUMBAGO CRUCIBLE COMPANY" Symbol [4] above "BATTERSEA WORKS LONDON" Handwritten on a white sticker in black pen "L89"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, graphite crucible, plumbago crucible, morgan's crucible company, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, fluxing pots, crucible, morgan’s patent, morgan brothers, patent plumbago crucible co, battersea works, london, port campbell -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Steamer Trunk, 1880-1925
... Functional object... leather handles at ends. Functional object Steamer Trunk ...Steamer trunks (named after their location of storage in the cabin of a steamship, or "steamer") which are sometimes referred to as flat-tops, first appeared in the late 1870s, although the greater bulk of them date from the 1880–1920 period. They are distinguished by either their flat or slightly curved tops and were usually covered in canvas, leather or patterned paper and about (36 cm) tall to accommodate steamship luggage regulations. Steamer trunks were originally called a cabin trunk. An orthodox name for this type of trunk would be a "packer" trunk, but since it has been widely called a steamer for so long, it is now a hallmark of the style. A trunk, also known as a travel trunk, is a large cuboid container designed to hold clothes and other personal belongings. They are most commonly used for extended periods away from home. Trunks are differentiated from chests by their more rugged construction due to their intended use as luggage, instead of storage. Among the many styles of trunks, there are Jenny Lind, Saratoga, monitor, steamer or Cabin, barrel-staves, octagon or bevel-top, wardrobe, dome-top, barrel-top, wall trunks, and even full dresser trunks. These differing styles often only lasted for a decade or two and along with the hardware can be extremely helpful in dating an unmarked trunk. Although trunks have been around for thousands of years in China and elsewhere, the most common styles seen and referred to today date from the late 18th century to the early 20th century when they were supplanted in the market by the cost-effective and lighter suitcase. There were hundreds of trunk manufacturers in the United States and a few of the larger and well-known companies were Rhino Trunk & Case, C.A. Taylor, Haskell Brothers, Martin Maier, Romadka Bros, Goldsmith & Son, Crouch & Fitzgerald, M. M. Secor, Winship, Hartmann, Belber, Oshkosh, Seward, and Leatheroid. One of the largest American manufacturers of trunks at one point the Seward Trunk Co. of Petersburg, Virginia still makes them for school and camp, and another company Shwayder Trunk Company of Denver, Colorado would eventually become Samsonite. Another is the English luxury goods manufacturer H.J. Cave trading since 1839. Their Osilite trunk was used by such famous customers as T.E. Lawrence and Ruth Vincent Some of the better known French trunk makers were Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Moynat, and Au Départ. Only a few remain with the most prominent US company being Rhino Trunk and Case, Inc who probably manufacture more trunks than any company in the world.A snapshot into our social history regards how travel was undertaken over a hundred years ago and how people travelled so differently than today as they often packed for extended travel on ships. Travel then was so different with people having to pack a very large wardrobe of clothes to last for some times months overseas.Trunk rectangular with wood ribs and metal strips for reinforcing. Covered with canvas and has 3 locking devices. Also has leather handles at ends.On lock inscription Eagle lock Co.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Portmanteau
... Functional object.... Functional object Portmanteau ...The etymology of the word portmanteau: A portmanteau was a travelling bag used as a mailbag. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, both newspapers and letters were transported in these leather mailbags that opened into two sections. A portmanteau is a word created by the blending of two other words in terms of the sounds and meaning. Portmanteau itself is a portmanteau; made up of the French ‘porter’ meaning ‘to carry’ and ‘manteau’ meaning ‘cloak’. The other meaning of this word is ‘a travelling case or bag' but was coined by Lewis Carroll with its new meaning in 1882. History: English merchant Thomas Witherings established mail routes throughout Europe in the 1620 s. He drew up a proposal in 1635 for an English mail system based in London in which portmanteau (containing 2 leather bags lined with cotton) could travel to European towns with sealed bags of mail for protection against spies. The system was put into motion and some 26,000 letters were mailed safely and unopened between London and European towns each week. In the nineteenth century, the official portmanteau was used to carry the mail, letters and newspapers on Americas New England stagecoaches that travelled the postal routes. Before 1789 newspapers were mostly excluded from the mail and the official portmanteau. After the first United States Congress (1789–1791) the postmaster general allowed printers free postage to communicate reports and articles of Congressional informational newspapers with other publishers in other towns and cities for distribution. Example of a mid-20th-century leather bag not connected to a person of significance from history or a historic event. The significance lies in the historic social aspect of this type of bag and how it got its name. This type of bag was popular from the mid 19th century for personal use and fell out of Portmanteau soft leather bag with lock, leather handles (one broken) and with metal plate on front.No inscription flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Steamer luggage Trunk, First quarter of the 20th century
... Functional object.... Functional object Steamer luggage Trunk ...Item used around the first quarter of the 20th century The suitcase didn't catch on until the end of the 19th century, it was quite literally as a case for suits. A typical suitcase came equipped with an inner sleeve for storing shirts, and sometimes a little hat box on the side. But even in the early 20th century, the "dress-suit case" was only one of countless styles of container travellers could buy, from steamer trunks to club bags. By the late 19th century a significant point was reached in the history of transportation, it was the beginning of mass tourism, rather than travel for travels sake made use of by the wealthy in society. Travel wasn't just for the wealthy any more but everyone. Suitcases began as an afterthought in the luggage and leather goods business, but they soon became the very symbol of travel. An 1897 wholesale price list included the words "suitcase" only twice in a 20-page list of luggage types. In America a 1907 T. Eaton & Co. Catalogue, trunks took up a full page while suitcases share a page with club bags and valises. In a 1911 a United Company catalogue, now displayed around 40 per cent of the advertisements were for suitcases. Early suitcases were lighter and more portable than trunks, but they were still bulky by today's standards. Leather, canvas, wicker or thick rubbery cloth was stretched over a rigid wood or steel frame. Corners were rounded out using brass or leather caps and some had wooden rails running around the case. Until steamship travel declined during the mid-20th century, many of these types of the case were advertised as waterproof with some lightweight models marketed specifically to women. The item gives us a snap-shot as to how people undertook travelling during a time when undertaking a journey for pleasure at the end of the 19th and early 20th century was mainly only for the wealthy. This time saw the beginnings of change from the wealthy in society being able to travel, to the onset of mass tourism. Along with this change in societal norms saw many innervation's to the design of luggage as it became a fashionable item.Suitcase/trunk leather reinforced at corners with wooden slats to strengthen the lid. Leather straps to close lid with metal lock in the middle of the lid. Closing strap missing.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Basket
... Functional object... to iron ring at top and flat round cork base. Functional object ...Item used in offices earlier part of the 20th century, waste baskets were sold in great numbers with many differing designs from the 1830s most from this time were made of willow or bamboo. Later wire mesh and pressed steel were used.An early example of a wire mesh industrial type of waste basket used in office situations.Basket metal waste paper with wire mesh joined to iron ring at top and flat round cork base.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Water Pump, Goulds Manufacturing Co, 1915-1925
... Functional object... surface. Painted black. Functional object Water Pump USA Great ...Gould manufacturing company was founded in 1848 at Seneca Falls, New York when Seabury S. Gould purchased an interest in Downs, Mynderse & Co. and the firm became Downs & Co. Wooden pumps were produced at the time in an old cotton factory building. In 1869, the name of the company was changed from Downs & Company to Goulds Manufacturing Company. Seabury S. Gould was regarded as a man of unusual vision, and as the founder of Goulds Manufacturing Company he was keen to start producing cast iron pumps. An iron pump, he believed, would overcome all the disadvantages of a wooden pump. It would be strong and efficient and provide fresh flowing water for the pioneers. He ran the company until after the American Civil War and because Goulds Manufacturing had a foundry, they also produced all kinds of cast iron products such as corn shellers, bells, sad irons, sinks, tools, and a line of fire engines. From 1848 to 1964 a Gould family member had always been President of the company. However, the company ownership in 1964 was transferred from family-owned stock to public offerings and employee ownership of stock. The subject item called the "N e w Deluge" was an improved bilge pump for vessels having not more than 25 feet depth of hold. It was also used by contractors for pumping out excavations and was well adapted for irrigation use. This hand pump was designed to be used where a hand pump of large capacity was desired. Goulds made many different types of pumps to suit differing pumping situations such as. Well Pumps, Hydraulic Rams, Diaphragm Pumps, Tank Pumps, Sprayers and Small Capacity Power rumps. Goulds Triplex, Centrifugal, Rotary and Deep Well Power Pumps The subject item was first introduced to the market in the Goulds catalogue of 1915 and became a very popular pump used in Australia and the USA. It is manufactured by a company still trading today with offices in Australia and many other countries.Hand Pump cast iron with long reversable pumping lever and cylindrical casing there are 4 metal holes for fastening to floor surface. Painted black. Embossed "NEW DELUGE" "- - -" and "No 16" or "No 18".warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, pump, hand pump, goulds manufacturing -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Kerosene Lamp Burner, Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company, Late 19th to early 20th century
... Functional object... for wick and mesh walls. Is made in 2 parts. Functional object ...Bradley and Hubbard established their company in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut when Nathaniel and William Bradley, Orson and Chitten Hatch, and Walter Hubbard, formed Bradley, Hatch & Company. This incarnation of the company only manufactured clocks. The Hatch brothers sold their interest in the company in 1854 and it was renamed, Bradley & Hubbard. Clocks remained the firm's primary product into the 1860s. In addition to their line of clocks, Bradley & Hubbard also produced a wide range of household items including match safes, call bells, andirons, urns, bookends, frames, desk accessories and vases. Technological advances in drilling and refining crude oil in the late 1850s and early 1860s paved the way for the demise of whale oil as lamp fuel. Soon after Colonel Edwin Drake struck oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1859, Nathaniel Bradley saw an opportunity to capitalize on the future of this new fuel. Nathaniel decided to produce an extensive line of kerosene burning lamps this proved to be a wise business decision. Kerosene was soon to become a widely used, safe and relatively inexpensive lamp fuel. Between April 7, 1868, and December 23, 1913, the company was listed as the assignee for at least 89 lighting patents. Many of these patents were for lamp and chandelier designs and various improvements in lamp burners. In 1875 the company reorganized to form the Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company. Walter Hubbard served as President and Nathaniel Bradley as Treasurer. The firm enjoyed rapid growth throughout the 1880s. By 1888, the company employed over one thousand workers and had showrooms in major cities including New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. One of the most prolific of the B&H products was the Rayo lamp it produced under contract for Standard Oil. In keeping with the changing times, Bradley & Hubbard produced a variety of electric lamps as well. Walter Hubbard passed away in 1911 and Nathaniel Bradley in 1915. The company continued through the 1930s and was purchased by the Charles Parker Company, also of Meriden, Connecticut, in 1940. The Parker Company was quite diversified in its product line, also producing an extensive line of lamps and high-end chandeliers. Parker operated its acquisition as the "Bradley & Hubbard Division." Parker ceased production of the Rayo lamp in the early 1950s. In 1973, the Bradley and Hubbard buildings were demolished, effectively ending that chapter in American lighting manufacture.Early innovation in kerosene lamp burner design by Bradley and Hubbard lamp manufacturers who at the turn of the 20th century were the biggest lamp producers in the world. The item is significant due to its historic connection with a major innovator of lamp design.Lamp Burner, metal container with turning screw for wick and mesh walls. Is made in 2 parts. Raised embossing on wick adjustment screw " PAT APPLIED FOR" on top of burner "B & H Patented.July.1.90.Nov.20.94"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bradley & hubbard manufacturing company, kerosene lamp burner, early lighting -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Step Tread Protector, Russell & Co, 1886
... Functional object... of Halladale. Functional object Step Tread Protector Russell & Co ...The ornate brass step protector was used to protect stair treads and was fitted to the front edge of a tread to minimise wearing of the wooden tread. This item was recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. The 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 roofing tiles, barbed wire, stoves, oil, and benzene as well as 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. She was one of several designs of Falls Line of ships named after waterfalls in Scotland. The company had been founded between 1870- 1873 as a partnership between Joseph Russell, Anderson Rodger, and William Todd Lithgow. During the period 1882-92 Russell & Co. standardised designs, which sped up their building process so much that they were able to build 271 ships during that time. The Falls of Halladale 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. Previous to this, heavily loaded vessels could have heavy seas break along the full length of the deck, causing serious injury or even death to those on deck. The new, raised catwalk-type decking allowed the crew to move above the deck in stormy conditions. 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 representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. Step tread protector; brass with fancy cutouts. Lower section has screw holes drilled through. Recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, step tread protector, ship fitting, falls of halladale -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Anchor, Henry P Parkes & Co, 1885 - 1904
... Functional object...-snag rope. Long shank painted black. Functional object Anchor ...In about 1820 Henry Pershouse Parkes, from Dudley, established the Tipton Green Chain and Anchor Works (Staffordshire). The firm’s products included cables, chains, anchors and all kinds of forgings. In 1851 some tests were carried out on the company’s chains to demonstrate the tensile strength and fibrous toughness of the iron used in their production. The iron used on this occasion was supplied by Summer Hill Iron Works. Some of the chains were exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and also at the 1855 French Exhibition in Paris, where they won a prize medal. Henry Pershouse Parkes died in 1867 and appears to have been succeeded by his son, who had the same name. In 1867 the firm produced the largest anchor in the world, at that time. It was built for Brunel’s S. S. Great Eastern to the patented design of Joseph Beterley, of Liverpool. The anchor, which weighed eight tons was twenty six and a half feet long and cast from iron supplied by Bloomfield Iron Works. It was tested at Tipton Proving House and found to be able to stand a strain of 100 tons. Henry Pershouse Parkes junior went into partnership with Alexander Stewart Ross to form Henry P. Parkes and Ross. The partnership came to an end in 1885 and the company became Henry P. Parkes & Company. In 1904 the business was sold and became H. P. Parkes and Company, under the control of N. Hingley & Sons Limited, of Netherton. In 1944 the company’s name was changed to Richard Sykes and Son Limited, then in 1947 it became H. P. Parkes & Company Limited. The business went into liquidation in 1966.The item is significant as an early example of a well known prize winning British anchor and chain maker from the mid 19th century. The company name on the anchor indicate the period of manufacture making it a significant item prized today by collectors.Anchor 5 pronged metal with loop at bottom to attach anti-snag rope. Long shank painted black. Label attached "Henry P Parker and Co"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, five pronged anchor, henry p parkes & co, tipton green chain and anchor works -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Anchor, Early to mid 20th century
... Functional object... with pin. Anchor painted black. Functional object Anchor ...Anchors are used to stop boats from moving and today are usually made of metal, and they are made to catch the ocean floor (the seabed). There are two main types of anchors: temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is called a mooring block and is not easily moved. A temporary anchor can be moved and is carried on the boat. When people talk about anchors, they are usually thinking about temporary anchors. An anchor works by either weight (mass) or shape. Shape is more important to temporary anchors, and design is very important. Anchors must resist wind and tide, and also the up-and-down movement of waves. The subject item is a foundry produced item made specifically for marine use, at present there is no history or manufacturing provenance currently available as the item is unmarked.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, item is believed to have been produced in the first half of the 20th century by an unknown manufacture and its design is known as the "Kedge Admirality" pattern.Kedge Admirality design anchor metal with double bent hook & Halibut. Stock, eye, loop and shackle at top of anchor. Stock held in position with pin. Anchor painted black.Nonewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ships anchor, marine eqipment -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Barrel Spigot, H Gage, Early 20th century
... Functional object... barrel spigot Functional object Barrel Spigot H Gage ...Ancient Greek and Roman first used spigots in their bathhouses for obtaining water from aqueducts, routing it into pipes and buildings, and finally into their tubs or baths. The subject spigot or tap in Flagstaff collection was used in wine, beer, or spirits barrels to dispense the liquid contained within. A spigot definition is a device that controls the flow of liquid from a container. As mentioned earlier the Greeks and Romans created theirs for use in plumbing water later spigots were adapted to use in barrels or casks. An item still in use today in wine and beer barrels to dispense liquid and although spigots today are made from differing materials other than wood their function has not changed over the centuries.Wooden barrel spigotMarked "H Gage Maker Melbourne" on the side & 2B marked in black flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, barrel spigot, cask tap, h gage melbourne, coopering accessories -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Rudder, Adelaide Ship Construction International, ca 1961
... Functional object... inscription is located just below the rope. Functional object Rudder ...Rudder from the tug boat YORK SYME, built in 1961 by ADELAIDE SHIP CONSTRUCTION INTERNATIONAL - PORT ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. It is sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands. Its gross tonnage is 149 tons. The rudder is believed to come from a lifeboat previously attached to the Tug. The tug York Syme operated in various ports in New Zealand until around 2011. It is believed this is when it went to the Cook Islands. The registered owner is unknown at this time.The rudder is from the 1961 Tug York Syme. Its size suggests it was from the tug's lifeboat or ancillary boat. It is an example of marine technology from the mid-20th century. Although small, it works on similar principles to 19th-century rudders from the large sailing ships. A comparison of size and construction can be made between the various rudders from different eras in our collection.Rudder; small blonde wooden rudder from a small boat. It has two brass fittings. A thin spliced rope has been passed through a hole near the rudder's neck. A stamped inscription is located just below the rope.Stamped in black; "YORK SYME"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, marine equipment, steering, navigation, rudder, adelaide ship construction international, tug boat, york syme, cook islands, marine technology, ship fitting -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Binnacle and Magnetic Compass
... Functional object... base. Functional object Binnacle and Magnetic Compass ...In 1947, the scientific instrument manufacturing firms of Henry Hughes & Son Ltd, London, England, and Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland, came together to form Kelvin & Hughes Ltd. Hughes Company History: Henry Hughes & Sons were founded in 1838 in London as a maker of chronographic and scientific instruments. The firm was incorporated as “Henry Hughes & Sons Ltd” in 1903. In 1923, the company produced its first recording echo sounder and in 1935 a controlling interest in the company was acquired by S Smith & Son Ltd resulting in the development and production of marine and aircraft instruments. Following the London office's destruction in the Blitz of 1941, a collaboration was entered into with Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird Ltd resulting in the establishing “Marine Instruments Ltd”. Following the formal amalgamation of Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird Ltd and Henry Hughes & Sons Ltd in 1947 to form Kelvin & Hughes Ltd. Marine Instruments Ltd then acted as regional agents in the UK for Kelvin & Hughes Ltd who were essentially now a part of Smith's Industries Ltd founded in 1944 and the successors of S. Smith & Son Ltd. Kelvin & Hughes Ltd went on to develop various marine radar and echo sounders supplying the Ministry of Transport, and later the Ministry of Defence. The firm was liquidated in 1966 but the name was continued as Kelvin Hughes, a division of the Smiths Group. In 2002, Kelvin Hughes continues to produce and develop marine instruments for commercial and military use. (See Note section this document for further information on the company's origins) This model binnacle and compass is a good example of the commercial diversity of navigational instruments made by Kelvin & Hughes after world war 2. It was made in numbers for use by shipping after the second world war and is not particularly rare or significant for its type. Also, it was made no earlier than 1947 as the firms of Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird Ltd and Henry Hughes & Sons Ltd who took over from Smith & Sons were not amalgamated until 1947. It can there for be assumed that this item was made during the company's transitional period to Kelvin & Hughes from Smith Industries Ltd.Mid 20th century ship's binnacle with Kelvin Hughes/ F. Fuselli Genova 8 inch diameter (glass) compass on gimballed ring. Round, teak wood pedestal with mounted brass compensating sphere brackets and painted iron balls one green the other red. Heavy brass helmet style compass cover with hinged front door and removable top for compass viewing and natural lighting. A single handle is located on the side and single burner on the opposite side. Retains an old finish and some wear to the pedestal base. Binnacle marked Serial No 163 "Veritas" Made by Kelvin Hughes Compass marked "Kelvin Hughes & Made in Great Britain Serial No 760 C J"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Lead Ingots, circa 1878
... Functional object... condition. . Functional object Lead Ingots Pontifex & Wood ...History of the Loch Ard: The Loch Ard got its name from ”Loch Ard” a loch which lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Loch Ard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Loch Ard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition in. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. (See note section this document for Flagstaff Hills acquisition of the ingots.)The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Lead ingots (sometimes referred to as ‘lead ballast’ or ‘lead pigs), retrieved from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. Grey metal bars with flat base, rising in a curved moulded shape to form a smooth rounded upper face. The imprint of the maker runs along the upper surface in clearly legible capital lettering (height 3cm). The artefacts are stacked on wooden pallets and found in a number of locations at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. They are durable and heavy, with some dents and marine staining from their century of submersion, but generally in good condition. .Impressed into the top face “PONTIFEX & WOOD. LONDON”. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, lead pigs, lead ingots, lead ballast, pontifex and wood, london lead smelters, ingots -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Spectacles
... Functional object... holder one side and ridged holder the other. Functional object ...Spectacles metal frame and bent nose band. Nose-pads broken off, Chain holder one side and ridged holder the other.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Spectacles
... Functional object... a lanyard. Functional object Spectacles ...Spectacles, Golden Rimless with offset guardSSmall hole in one lens to attach a lanyard.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Spectacles
... Functional object.... Functional object Spectacles ...Spectacles, Stright Temple Spectacles, Gold frame, octagonal oblong has hinge for curving around ear and as a means to attach a retaining neck strap.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Bell, Probably second half of 19th Century or first half of the 20th Century for this particular item
... Functional object... Functional object Bell ...The school bell has been used in various forms for several centuries. In Australia and the UK it was often a hand bell, located on the teacher's desk in a small school. In larger schools it was positioned in a central area, and one bell was used to signal to all classrooms. In North America it was more usual to find a large bell on a stand located in a central area of the school where it could be heard by everyone throughout the premises. More recently, the school bell has become wall located, and electrically activated, using a mechanical timing apparatus. Now the same bell is computer programmed and activated, although there are many older bells still in operation. The school bell was rung at the beginning at the school day, often to summon students to the morning assembly in larger schools. It was then rung throughout the day to signal the start and end of specific lesson periods, the beginning and end of school morning and afternoon breaks, the lunch period, and the end of the school day, no doubt eagerly awaited by many students! The school bell was used as a timing device in schools to signal the start and end of specific activities.Bell brass with heavy metal square shaped base and wooden handle-hand held, Kel(?)her Melbourne on the topInscribed on the metal at the top of the bell are the letters "Kel(?)her Melbourne" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bell, school, lessons -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Glass Measuring Tube
... Functional object... oz. Functional object Glass Measuring Tube ...A graduated cylinder, also known as a measuring cylinder or mixing cylinder, is a common piece of laboratory equipment used to measure the volume of a liquid. It has a narrow cylindrical shape. Each marked line on the graduated cylinder represents the amount of liquid that has been measured. A traditional graduated cylinder is usually narrow and tall so as to increase the accuracy and precision of volume measurement. It has a plastic or glass base (stand, foot, support) and a "spout" for easy pouring of the measured liquid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduated_cylinder The glass measuring tube was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, Surgeon and Oculist. It is part of the “W.R. Angus Collection” includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928 (also known as Dr Roy Angus) was born in Murrumbeena, Victoria in 1901 and lived until 1970. He qualified as a doctor in 1923 at University of Adelaide, was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1924 and for a period was house surgeon to Sir (then Mr.) Henry Simpson Newland. Dr Angus was briefly an Assistant to Dr Riddell of Kapunda, then commenced private practice at Curramulka, Yorke Peninsula, SA, where he was physician, surgeon and chemist. In 1926, he was appointed as new Medical Assistant to Dr Thomas Francis Ryan (T.F. Ryan, or Tom), in Nhill, Victoria, where his experiences included radiology and pharmacy. In 1927 he was Acting House Surgeon in Dr Tom Ryan’s absence. Dr Angus had become engaged to Gladys Forsyth and they decided he further his studies overseas in the UK in 1927. He studied at London University College Hospital and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928, was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh. He worked his passage back to Australia as a Ship’s Surgeon on the on the Australian Commonwealth Line’s T.S.S. Largs Bay. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1929, in Ballarat. (They went on to have one son (Graham 1932, born in SA) and two daughters (Helen (died 12/07/1996) and Berenice (Berry), both born at Mira, Nhill ) According to Berry, her mother Gladys made a lot of their clothes. She was very talented and did some lovely embroidery including lingerie for her trousseau and beautifully handmade baby clothes. Dr Angus was a ‘flying doctor’ for the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service in 1928 . Its first station was in the remote town of Oodnadatta, where Dr Angus was stationed. He was locum tenens there on North-South Railway at 21 Mile Camp. He took up this ‘flying doctor’ position in response to a call from Dr John Flynn; the organisation was later known as the Flying Doctor Service, then the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A lot of his work during this time involved dental surgery also. Between 1928-1932 he was surgeon at the Curramulka Hospital, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. In 1933 Dr Angus returned to Nhill and purchased a share of the Nelson Street practice and Mira hospital (a 2 bed ward at the Nelson Street Practice) from Dr Les Middleton one of the Middleton Brothers, the current owners of what previously once Dr Tom Ryan’s practice. Dr Tom and his brother had worked as surgeons included eye surgery. Dr Tom Ryan performed many of his operations in the Mira private hospital on his premises. He had been House Surgeon at the Nhill Hospital 1902-1926. Dr Tom Ryan had one of the only two pieces of radiology equipment in Victoria during his practicing years – The Royal Melbourne Hospital had the other one. Over the years Dr Tom Ryan had gradually set up what was effectively a training school for country general-practitioner-surgeons. Each patient was carefully examined, including using the X-ray machine, and any surgery was discussed and planned with Dr Ryan’s assistants several days in advance. Dr Angus gained experience in using the X-ray machine there during his time as assistant to Dr Ryan. When Dr Angus bought into the Nelson Street premises in Nhill he was also appointed as the Nhill Hospital’s Honorary House Surgeon 1933-1938. His practitioner’s plate from his Nhill surgery is now mounted on the doorway to the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. When Dr Angus took up practice in the Dr Edward and Dr Tom Ryan’s old premises he obtained their extensive collection of historical medical equipment and materials spanning 1884-1926. A large part of this collection is now on display at the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. In 1939 Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson, at 214 Koroit Street. (This property was sold in1965 to the State Government and is now the site of the Warrnambool Police Station. and an ALDI sore is on the land that was once their tennis court). The Angus family was able to afford gardeners, cooks and maids; their home was a popular place for visiting dignitaries to stay whilst visiting Warrnambool. Dr Angus had his own silk worm farm at home in a Mulberry tree. His young daughter used his centrifuge for spinning the silk. Dr Angus was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer (Health Officer) in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool; he was thus Warrnambool’s last serving Port Medical Officer. (Masters of immigrant ships arriving in port reported incidents of diseases, illness and death and the Port Medical Officer made a decision on whether the ship required Quarantine and for how long, in this way preventing contagious illness from spreading from new immigrants to the residents already in the colony.) Dr Angus was a member of the Australian Medical Association, for 35 years and surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942, He served with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during WWII 1942-45, in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W., completing his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. During his convalescence he carved an intricate and ‘most artistic’ chess set from the material that dentures were made from. He then studied ophthalmology at the Royal Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital and created cosmetically superior artificial eyes by pioneering using the intrascleral cartilage. Angus received accolades from the Ophthalmological Society of Australasia for this work. He returned to Warrnambool to commence practice as an ophthalmologist, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years. He made monthly visits to Portland as a visiting surgeon, to perform eye surgery. He represented the Victorian South-West subdivision of the Australian Medical Association as its secretary between 1949 and 1956 and as chairman from 1956 to 1958. In 1968 Dr Angus was elected member of Spain’s Barraquer Institute of Barcelona after his research work in Intrasclearal cartilage grafting, becoming one of the few Australian ophthalmologists to receive this honour, and in the following year presented his final paper on Living Intrasclearal Cartilage Implants at the Inaugural Meeting of the Australian College of Ophthalmologists in Melbourne In his personal life Dr Angus was a Presbyterian and treated Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest. He would visit 3 or 4 country patients on a Sunday, taking his children along ‘for the ride’ and to visit with him. Sunday evenings he would play the pianola and sing Scottish songs to his family. One of Dr Angus’ patients was Margaret MacKenzie, author of a book on local shipwrecks that she’d seen as an eye witness from the late 1880’s in Peterborough, Victoria. In the early 1950’s Dr Angus, painted a picture of a shipwreck for the cover jacket of Margaret’s book, Shipwrecks and More Shipwrecks. She was blind in later life and her daughter wrote the actual book for her. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s society with a strong interest in civic affairs. He had an interest in people and the community They were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill, including the layout of the gardens. After his death (28th March 1970) his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The collection of medical instruments and other equipment is culturally significant, being an historical example of medicine from late 19th to mid-20th century. Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan, a pioneer in the use of X-rays and in ocular surgery.Glass tube or cylinder with wide base and pouring lip. Measurements in ml and fl oz.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, measuring device, measuring cylinder, glass -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Hand Trolley, Mid-20th century
... Functional object.... There is an inscription on the metal at one side. Functional object Hand Trolley ...A hand trolly can be loaded with heavy objects such as luggage, produce, and equipment and the objects can then be easily wheeled from one place to another. They are used by farmers, railway workers, shipping companies, porters, factory labourers and other industries when heavy loads need to be moved. Hand trolleys were first used in the 18th century by young workers at the docks. The new equipment used leverage and wheels, enabling them to move the same heavy loads that the men were moving. This hand trolley is an example of the hand trolleys used since the 18th century to move heavy loads at the docks and shipyards. It is associated with the maritime industries of shipping, transportation, travel and trade as with the primary production sectors of farming, markets and produce. Hand trolley; an L-shaped handcart with handles at one end, wheels at the other, and a ledge to hold the load. This hand trolley has orange wooden slats and handles, two metal wheels and a black metal frame. It has supporting legs at one end, two metal flanges near the wheels and a support foot at the bottom. There is an inscription on the metal at one side.Stamped into metal: "MSSC"warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, hand trolley, sack truck, trolley, luggage trolley, hand truck, trundler, sack barrow, bag barrow, leverage, marine technology, cargo handling, docks, wharft, shipping, trade -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Ships Lamp, Telford, Grier and Mackay, 1914-1915
... Functional object... with modern electric fitting Functional object Ships Lamp Telford ...The subject item was produced in 1914/15 by the Telford Grier and Mackay Company in Glasgow, Scotland, this lantern was not used to provide visibility for Sailors on a ship, rather, it is meant to help other vessels identify the ship’s presence and heading in low visibility conditions hence it is marked Port and has a red filter. The lantern would have been placed along the port side of larger vessels to provided an unbroken light and would be visible in an arc from as well as at an angle from the port side of the vessel. The company was established in 1904 at 11 Fairley Street Glasgow and in 1922 moved to 10 Carrick Street. The company manufactured patented lamps for marine use, later moving into the manufacture of electrical and mechanical items. A significant marine kerosene lantern made by a company that patented this type of lantern for use by the British Navy and for merchant ships the world over. This item today is rare and sought by collectors.Ship's port side sidelight lamp with clear glass frenal lens with red filter behind, burner missing, replacement with modern electric fittingTwo makers lozenges one marked PORT the other has the maker Telford, Grier and Mackay, Glasgow, 1915 marked on main body chimney has 1914 marked . Also serial No C976 stamped on backplate.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lamp ship's sidelight, ship's sidelight lamp, port lamp, marine light, navigation light, kerosene ship lamp -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Megaphone, Merriman Brothers, First quarter of the 20th century
... Functional object..., nickel plated reinforcing ring, mouthguard Functional object ...A megaphone or loudhailer is usually portable or hand-held, the cone-shaped acoustic horn used to amplify a person's voice or other sounds and direct it in a given direction. Used to communicate with others over distances. In Greek mythology, "Stentor" was a Greek herald during the Trojan War. His name has given rise to the adjective "stentorian", meaning loud-voiced, for which he was famous. The large funnel-shaped device is made of recoated cardboard that is riveted together. It has a metal mouthpiece at the narrow end and a metal edge at the wide end, and a metal handle. The design indicates that it is a ‘Stentor Megaphone’ patented on 4 April 1899 by a company in Boston. Stentor brand megaphones were manufactured by Merriman Brothers, in Boston. In 1898 the brothers specialised in hardware for yachts their workshop was at 139 Border St. East Boston, Mass. They also made other equipment, which included pulley blocks, winches and fittings, and were well-known worldwide before the company closed in 1995. Merriman megaphones, including the familiar cheerleader megaphones, came in different sizes, Their patent for the device, dated April 4, 1899, specified details such as the 'rivets, metal mouthpiece, and adjacent parts, and an undated pamphlet promoting the Stentor Megaphone emphasizes its 'highly finished' appearance 'with nickel mouthpiece, rim and other fittings'. The Stentor Megaphone has significance for its provenance and historic value, and also as a relatively rare item of equipment once used worldwide in marine situations, such as light stations and many other similar applications where a person voice needed to be amplified.Megaphone conical shape cardboard with riveted seam, nickel plated reinforcing ring, mouthguard Made in the USAflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, megaphone, loud hailer