This teak wood sample was part of a handrail from the wreck of the ship Otago. The Otago 1869-1931 The iron-hulled 3-masted barque Otago was built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Kelvinhaugh, as a merchant ship and launched in 1869. The vessel changed hands several times in the late 19th century after being sold to an Australian firm in 1871. During one of its voyages, the captain died while the ship was in port at Bangkok. Marine author Joseph Conrad was on board and, being a qualified captain, he took command and continued the journey to Sydney and Mauritius. It was the only ship he ever commanded. In 1903 the Melbourne shipping company Huddart, Parko & Co., purchased the Otago and converted it to serve as a coal hulk for use in Sydney. The Otago was later sent to Hobart, Tasmania, where it continued as a hulk until 1931. It was sold for scrap and eventually abandoned on the banks of the Derwent River at a place now known as Otago Bay, opposite Conrad Drive, Otago. The outline of the hull is still visible and a nearby plaque tells the story. There are other vessels also named Otago, one of them in the same year. Joseph Conrad (1857-1927): - Polish-born Joseph Conrad became a British subject in 1886. He was a renowned marine fiction writer and, for a short time, a mariner and Captain. As a 13-year-old boy, Joseph Conrad desired to be a sailor. At 19, he joined the British merchant marine, working in several roles. He eventually qualified as a captain but only served in this role once: from 1888 to 1889, when he commanded the barque Otago, taking over from the deceased captain and completing the ship’s journey from Sydney to Mauritius. In 1889 he began writing his first novel, Almayer’s Folly. He retired from life as a mariner in 1894, aged 36. Conrad’s affection for Australia and his visits to Australia from 1878 to 1982 were later commemorated by a plaque in Circular Quay, Sydney. Conrad continued as an author; some characters in his books were said to be inspired by his maritime experiences and the people he had met. By the end of his life, he had completed 19 novels, many stories, and essays, plus one incomplete novel, Suspense, which was finished and published posthumously. In 1924, Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald offered Conrad a knighthood for his work but he declined. There is an 1882 sailing ship named the Joseph Conrad, after the author, that is now preserved at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum in the USA as part of the fleet of historic ships, used as an exhibit and a training ship. The Danish square-rigged training ship was originally named Georg Stage but was renamed by marine author Alan Villiers when he bought It in 1934. The wood sample from the Otago is significant for its association with renowned marine author Joseph Conrad, who had once commanded the vessel; it was his only command as Captain and was known as Joseph Conrad's Otago. The maritime connection with Conrad extends to items in the collection, including some of his maritime novels based on his first-hand knowledge, a wooden ship model of a ship named after him, and a navigation chart of Otago Harbour. The sample of teak is significant as an example of materials used in the construction of the 1869 iron-hulled sailing ship, built in Glasgow, Scotland, specifically for use to sail across the world with cargo to trade between the colonies including Australian ports. Wood sample; a rectangular section of a teak wood handrail that has a bead planed along one side. Two cards with the sample have inscriptions, one handwritten and one typed. The sample is from the wreck of the barque Otago, once under the command of Captain Joseph Conrad. Handwritten card: "PART OF TEAK HANDRAIL / from / Joseph CONRAD'S ship / OTAGO / (HULK at RISDON, DERWENT River, TASMANIA) Typed card: "PART OF THE TEAK HANDRAIL / FROM JOSEPH CONRAD'S SHIP / "OTAGO" / (HILK AT RISDON, DERWENT / RIVER, TASMANIA)"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, joseph conrad, joseph conrad's ship, captain joseph conrad, otago, barque otago, merchant ship, cargo ship, hulk, 1869 ship, iron hull, sailing ship, handrail, fitting, souvenir, wood sample, teak, new zealand, sydney, newcastle, tasmania, hobart, derwent river, otago harbour, otago bay, conrad drive, 19th century, mauritius, marine author, marine novel, alex villiers, georg stage

Navigation Chart - Plans in Tasmania - Foster Inlet, River Mersey and Emu Baywarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, river mersey, foster inlet, emu bay, navigation chart

Photo taken by a sailor onboard H.M.S.Ajax 17 Dec.1939 On December 17, 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee, with Langsdorff and a skeleton crew of 40 aboard, steamed out of Montevideo as 20,000 onlookers watched. The crew set the scuttling charges and and everyone was evacuated by an Argentinian tugboat. The explosions ripped through the ship and it sank at 08:55 PM. On December 20, Captain Langsdorff, lying on the ship's flag and wearing his full dress uniform, shot and killed himself.Black and white photo of The Admiral Graf Spee being scuttled in the Pate Rivergraf spee

The tennis court was built in 1924, after a suggestion from seamen. It was used until the 50s when it was too damaged and costly to keep. The Hawthorn branch of the LHLG raised the funds. Aerial photograph of the Yarra river depicting the Siddeley and Flinders buildings with the tennis court.tennis court, sports, charles daniel pratt (1892-1968)

The tennis court was built in 1924, after a suggestion from seamen. It was used until the 50s when it was too damaged and costly to keep. The Hawthorn branch of the LHLG raised the funds. Aerial photograph of the Yarra river depicting the Siddeley and Flinders buildings with the tennis court.tennis court, sports, charles daniel pratt (1892-1968), fishmarket, spencer street bridge, sailors' home, siddeley street, flinders street, mission to seafarers, seamen's mission, seamen's institute

Photo shows 2 women sedated on wooden footbridge over the Wannon riverstructures, bridges

Black and white photograph of Warrandyte Bridge over Yarra River c.1970warrandyte, yarra river, bridges

Postcard showing old timber trestle Warrandyte Bridge over Yarra Riverbridges, yarra river, warrandyte, kangaroo ground road

Black and white photograph of Murray's Pass, aggerty River, Marysville, 1924-25.photograph, landscape

Receipt No. 194687 from the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission for £6/6/-.person, receipts, j w swatton, j w swatton collection, state rivers and water supply commission

Slide. Dry Lake Eppalock. A Small wooden bridge over the river in the Lake.slide, bendigo, dry lake eppalock., dry lake eppalock.

Slide. Dry Lake Eppalock. Pools of water where the River once flowed.slide, bendigo, dry lake eppalock., dry lake eppalock.

Confectionery king MacPherson Robertson personally funded the £19 000 cost of the steel arch MacRobertson or Grange Road Bridge (1934) as a gift to Victoria for its centenary. (http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00234b.htm)A steel bridge over the Yarra River, Melbourne. The bridge was funded by MacPherson Robertson.macrobertson, bridge

Robin Boyd travelled to the USA and Britain for several weeks. He attended the opening of the new Australian Chancery in Washington DC, where he had designed an innovative exhibition with cylindrical display cases and sound recordings.Colour slide in a mount. River Thames, with St Paul’s in background, London, EnglandMade in Australia / 14 / MAY 69M2slide, robin boyd

Digital Image showing an aerial view of the mouth of the Yarra River from the airaerial, melbourne, mouth, yarra, river, port phillip bay, flemington, docklands, bolte bridge, west gate bridge

Wooden frame with text and a piece of teak from the Bridge over the River Kwai.Collected from the bridge on 10th March 1987.

Local SceneJohn's Knife - West bank of the Maribyrnong River facing south, colour photograph,

Celia ROSSER (1930- ) Born Melbourne, Victoria Celia Elizabeth Rosser is a renowned Australian botanical artist, best known for having published The Banksias, a three-volume series of monographs containing watercolour paintings of every Banksia species. She trained in Art at the Melbourne Institute of Technology In 1970, Celia was appointed Science Faculty Artist at Monash University. Four years later she was appointed University Botanical Artist, and began the project of painting every Banksia species. The project took over 25 years to complete, and resulted in the publication of a three volume monograph entitled The Banksias, with accompanying text by Alex George. Publication of the final volume in 2000 represented the first time that such a large genus has been entirely painted. In 1977 Celia Rosser was awarded the Linnaean Society of London's Jill Smythies Award for botanical illustration, and in 1995 was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. Monash University awarded her an honorary Master of Science degree in 1981, and an honorary PhD in 1999. Banksia Rosserae is the last banksia species discovered and was named after the artist. Since 2002, the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne have awarded the "Celia Rosser Medal for Botanical Art" to outstanding exhibitors at their "The Art of Botanical Illustration" exhibition. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Un-numbered limited edition offset photolithograph of Banksia seminuda (River Banksia).celia rosser, botanical, banksia, gippsland campus, banksia seminuda, flora

The Melton Viaduct, opened in 1886, is one of Australia’s largest early metal bridges. When opened it was the second longest Australian metal truss bridge, after the 1862 Moorabool railway viaduct (396 metres).The Melton Viaduct is a trestle bridge over the Werribee River (now Melton Reservoir)transport

February 1924 date made.Black and white photograph of the railway bridge over the Tambo River at Bruthen, Victoria.bridges, waterways

Sepia toned print of a drawing of Princes Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral and other buildings. Has a number of cable trams and horse drawn vehicles on the bridge. The artist has taken liberties and drawn the spires onto St Paul's cathedral and other buildings such as Princes Bridge railway station. The spires is most likely based on the proposed design at the time. They were built in 1926 to a changed design - see reference.Yields information about the Princes Bridge precinct.Reproduction of a Lithograph drawing - Princes Bridge from the south bank of the Yarra River.melbourne, princes bridge, horse drawn vehicles, st pauls cathedral, cable trams

Sepia photograph showing swing bridge open, on Latrobe River, at Longford, Victoriabridges, waterways