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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Furniture - Chair, Harnisch & Co, 1876-1918
The design of this pair (RN 758 & 759) is based on Thonet’s No. 18 chair, which was originally produced in 1876 by Thonet, and is still one of the best-selling designs for café and restaurant owners. It is elegant, sophisticated and durable. The label notes the design as “AUS MASSIV GEBOGENEM HOLZE vorm” which translates to “solid curved sandals shape”, a good description for the back of the chair. The chairs have marks, paper labels and symbols on them that show that the maker was Harnisch & Co., Neuschler (also called Banská Bystrica) Furniture Factory in Neuschol (Beszterczebanya), Hungary, privileged makers for the Imperial and Royal Austrian-Hungarian Empire 1867 – 1918. Bentwood chairs are made by a process of wetting wood in water, bending it into curved shapes, then allowing it to dry so that the shape becomes permanent. This process originated by Michael Thonet, who had been given the right to bend wood into desired curves by the Austrian Courts in 1842. In 1856 he was granted a 13 year patent to manufacture chairs and table legs of bent wood treated by steam or boiling water. In 1859 his company Gebruder Thonet produced his original design. Thonet’s early designs also featured hand carved or laminated wooden seats. His Model No. 14 produced in the 1850’s, was his most popular design. After Michael’s death in 1871 the family went on designing and producing chairs. The No. 18 chair was produced in 1876, one of a group of chars with back inserts consisting of curves and loops of bentwood. The popularity of the Bentwood chair, even now, is due to its versatility and timeless quality. Its style, whether varnished or painted, suits any room in the house. The lightweight chairs are also popular for café and restaurant seating, as well as for public gatherings. They can be easily moved around and grouped in a variety of ways to suit any occasion.Chair, bentwood, 'French Bistro Chair' with pattern carved in seat. Backrest has inverted U shape inside that extends to the seat. Supports on eitherside of backrest's base join to back of seat. Legs have a wooded bracing ring. Marks; pressed into rim under seat. Paper label, cream with black print, on rim. Right side of label has symbol of Heraldic Shield. Text on label. Made by Harnisch & Co.Marks; pressed into rim under seat is "3" and "4", and "Crown [over] N", Paper label, cream with black print, on rim; Left side has Mark “N inside circle under crown”. Right side has symbol of Heraldic Shield. Text on label “Trade – K.u.K.- Mark / NEUSOHLER FABRIK FUR MOBEL/ AUS MASSIV GEBOGENEM HOLZE, vorm. HARNISCH & Co / NEUSOHL (BESZTERCaZEBANYA) UNGARN ' Hand written under seat "T H" in black paint, "T H " in white chalk. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, bentwood chair, café chair, restaurant chair, meeting hall chair, thonet design chair, harnisch & co, k.u.k., neusohler fabrik fur nobel, approved manufacturer, neusohl (besztercazebanya) ungarn -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Port Navigation Lamp, Genton & Kessler Ltd, 1900 -1920
Alfred Frederick Samuel Genton was born in Switzerland around1869 and arrived in England date unclear. By 1901 the Kelly’s Directory of Birmingham had listed the Genton & Kessler company as manufactures of all kinds of ship & railway lamps, fog horns and general ship fittings with their factory listed as the Bingley Works King Edward Place Birmingham UK that is listed in 1896 as being was owned and run by J E & H Player. Then in February 1905 it appears the partnership of Alfred F S Genton & Julius Rudolf Kessler was dissolved and Alfred F S Genton continued to carry on the business on his own. The company continued on managed by family members until 1961 when it ceased trading.A marine lamp made by a significant maker in Birmingham England in the early part of the 20th century. This item is now regarded as a collectors item. Brass lamp with 'Port' marking with 2 small chain hook locking mechanisms, and hinged lid. Clear glass with red lens filter. Fuel tank and wick burner removed. Stamped Seahorse GB trade mark No 54987flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Chair, 1907-1914
The design of this set of four lightweight chairs is based on Thonet’s bentwood designs, which are still some of the best-selling designs for café and restaurant owners. It is elegant, sophisticated and durable. Some of these chairs still have their original seat, under which the letters “TH” or “RSL” are hand written. Flagstaff Hill has several bentwood chairs with these letters on them, in either chalk, black paint, or both. It is believed that the chairs were used in the original Warrnambool Town Hall, and later the RSL. The Town Hall was completed in 1891, built on the corners of Timor and Liebig Streets. (In 1977 the Town Hall was declared unsafe and was later replaced by the Warrnambool Performing Arts Centre.) Some of the chairs have marks, paper labels and symbols on them that show that the maker was Josef Jaworek, who had a small furniture factory in east Sinensia, which was at that time in Austria, from 1907 - 1914. Bentwood chairs are made by a process of wetting wood in water, bending it into curved shapes, then allowing it to dry so that the shape becomes permanent. This process originated by Michael Thonet, who had been given the right to bend wood into desired curves by the Austrian Courts in 1842. In 1856 he was granted a 13 year patent to manufacture chairs and table legs of bent wood treated by steam or boiling water. In 1859 his company Gebruder Thonet produced his original design. Thonet’s early designs also featured hand carved or laminated wooden seats. His Model No. 14 was produced in the 1850’s and his most popular design. After Michael’s death in 1871 the family went on designing and producing chairs. These bentwood chairs are believed to be associated with the original Warrnambool Town Hall. The Warrnambool Town Hall played a significant role in the both the local government and the social events of local and district areas. It was a place for Council meetings, community events and entertainment, theatrical and musical.Bentwood chair (4 of 4), painted black, inner back is curled loop, seat has leather cover attached with studs, ventilation holes under seat, legs are splayed and have a bracing ring. Marks: under seat, handwritten and stamped into wood.Marked with handwritten "TH", in both black paint & white chalk. Under rim is label printed "65" Stamped into wood on rim under chair "95".flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bentwood chair, café chair, restaurant chair, josef jaworek, austrian chairs, furniture -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Bellows, 1862-1875
This bellows was used at the Warrnambool Racecourse by Master Farrier, Brian Chapman (1931-2017), during the 1970s but its history before then is still being investigated. The bellows have continued to be used from 1978 at Flagstaff Hill's blacksmith's workshop. Even today, in 2021, this same bellows are used by a volunteer blacksmith as he demonstrate the skills and tells of the importance of the blacksmith trade to colonial Australia. This 1860s double-action bellows is a typical form of blacksmith's or shipsmith's bellows. The end is forge-fitted with an iron nozzle or tube, called a tuyere or Tue iron, which concentrates the air to fan the fire or furnace. Tuyeres were traditionally made of cow horn. The double-action design of this bellows efficiently moves air both in and out of the chambers in the one movement of the long handle. The bellows was manufactured by John C. Onions of Birmingham, England, between 1862 and 1875. The stamp with the text, Gold Medal 1862, was also used on the business’ advertising. In 1875 the company was registered and began using the name John C. Onions Limited. JOHN C. ONIONS - John C. (Collingwood) Onions (1841-1904) was the son of a bellows maker of the same name. Onions (born 1841) and his wife Helen married in 1867 and they named one of their children John Collingwood Onions (1868-1913), as was the family tradition. He was well known as a Birmingham manufacturer of patented bellows and other forge-related equipment. He sold to the wholesale and retail markets for both local and overseas customers, including the British colonies. An 1862 advertisement points out that John C. Onions was a “Bellows manufacturer and contractor to Her Majesty’s Honourable Board of Ordinance” and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the French [Napoleon Bonaparte]”. The advertisement includes a sketched portrait of the Emperor Napoleon III, and an Imperial Autograph Letter dated May 23, 1854, from Napoleon, Palace of the Tulleries to Mr J C Onions of Bradford Street, Birmingham. In 1863 the company registered a patent on portable forges. In 1871 there were eight employees. John C. Onions Limited became a registered company in 1875. In 1876 an advertisements included that the company were smiths for hearths and tools in general and showed a row of six medallions including one with “Napoleon III, Emperor” and his portrait, and another “ _ _ _ 1862 MEDAL”. Their advertising motto was “For Excellence of Quality”. In 1885 the company merged with William Allday and Sons to become Allday and Onions. This mid-19th century bellows has local historical significance as it were once used by blacksmiths at the Warrnambool Racecourse in the annual racing event that continues today. This bellows is significant as a working example of equipment used in the 1800 and 1900s in the trace of blacksmiths and other metal working smiths. The bellows is technologically significant as it shows the progress from simple bellows to the double-action bellows, a time saving and efficient improvement. The manufacturer John C. Onions is historically significant as a family business that began in the 1600s and continued up until the 1980s.Bellows; large, oval, mechanical double-action smith’s bellows, manually operated, in working condition. The paddles of wood that form the top, middle sections and base of the bellows have flexible leather pieces attached firmly between them, forming airtight double lungs. Cut-outs in the panels allow the bellows to fill with air then force it out. A long handle is connected to pump the bellows and control the quantity and force of the air. The blasts of air are forced through the metal nozzle or tuyere at the end of the bellows and into the forge’s fire. Inscriptions are impressed into the wood on the upper paddle or board of the bellows. There are three circular stamps containing text. Text impressed in the wooden upper paddle of the bellows has been assumed to read “JOHN C. ONIONS, PATENTEES & MANUFACTURERS, BIRMINGHAM””?” “EXTRA” “AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE OF QUALITY”, made from the following readable text :- “JOHN C ONIONS“ “PATENT - - - & MAN - - - - - - - - -“, “BIR - - - - HAM“, “ _ ERA - - - - “- XTRA-“, “- - - - - - - FOR EXCELL-“ “OF - - - - ITY” Text in the stamp “ - - ECE - - “, “ - - - - - / 1862 / MEDAL”, “- ITY” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, john collingwood onions, john c onions, allday and onions, bellows, smith’s bellows, 19th century bellows, double-action bellows, double-acting bellows, double lung bellows, double chamber bellows, blacksmith tools, blacksmith trade, blacksmith craft, blacksmith equipment, forging equipment, john c onions patented double-action bellows, brian chapman, warrnambool racecourse, blacksmith, shipsmith, iron smith, mechanical bellows -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Coffin, 1920s
Guyetts and Sons is a family business that began providing funeral services in Warrnambool and South West Victoria in 1905. Today in 2019 the business is still in operation as Guyetts Funerals Warrnambool. This wooden coffin was used as a display model in the 1920s at Guyetts. Its simple six-sided design was an economical choice as it used less wood than the box-shaped coffins. This coffin is an example of coffin design in the 1920s in Warrnambool and South West Victoria. It is historically significant, representing a local business that began in the first decade of the 1900s and is still in operation today.Coffin made of polished wood with pressed, silver coloured metal decorations on top and along sides in several designs. Its shape is similar to the human body; wide at the shoulders and narrow at the feet. It has a six-sided base and a completely removable lid. The coffin was used as a display coffin by Guyett and Sons, funeral directors of Warrnambool, from the 1920s.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, coffin, display coffin, guyett funeral directors warrnambool, warrnambool 1920s, warrnambool 1905 business, funeral item, funeral service, funeral director warrnambool, funeral home, funeral arrangements, burial service, cemetery funeral, death, herse, cemetery supplies, funeral director supplies, mortuary equipment -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Scale, Early 20th century
The basic balance scale has been around for thousands of years and its accuracy has improved dramatically over the last several centuries, the principle behind this tool remains unchanged. Its parts include a fulcrum, a beam that balances on it, a pan at the end of the beam to hold the materials to be weighed, and a flat platform at the other for the counter-balancing weights. Balance scales that require equal weights on each side of the fulcrum have been used by everyone from apothecaries and assayers to jewellers and postal workers. Known as an unequal arm balance scale, this variety builds the counterweight into the device. Counter scales used in dry-goods stores and domestic kitchens often featured Japanned or (blackened) cast iron with bronze trims. Made by companies such as Howe and Fairbanks, the footed tin pans of these scales were often oblong, some encircled at one end so bulk items could be easily poured into a bag. Seamless pans were typically stamped from brass and given style names like Snuff (the smallest) and Birmingham (the largest). Some counter scales were designed for measuring spices, others for weighing slices of cake. In the 18th century, spring scales began to appear and would use the resistance of spring to calculate weights, which are read automatically on the scale’s face. The ease of use of spring scales over balance scales. One of the most common types of spring scales was the kitchen scale also known as a family or dial scale. Designed for horizontal surfaces, these vintage kitchen scales used the weight of goods in a pan at the top of the scale to force the spring down rather than the balance system. Such scales were common in early 20th century households and were sold by many companies. Many had flat weighing surfaces but some were topped by shallow pans. Companies such as Salters, Chatillon, and Fairbanks were the most popular brands used. These scales are significant as they identify one of the basic preparation items for the weighing of foodstuff in the family kitchen to prepare everyday meals. This item is significant as it gives a snapshot into domestic life within the average home in Australia around the turn of the twentieth century and is, therefore, an item with social relevance. Black cast iron, medium weighing scales, with a fulcrum which the beam that balances on, there is as scoop at one end for the material to be weighted and a flat circular disc at the other end that holds the weights. Around the cast iron base is an embossed leaf pattern. All the weights have their weight embossed within the casting.There are 5 weights, marked 2 oz, 4 oz,8 oz,1 lb,2 lb, This scale does not have any visual markings on the arms to identify a maker or true balance. It is therefore assumed that these scales were made for domestic use only.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, spring scale, scale -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Wagon, circa 1850s
Bostock & Manifold were all from pioneering families in the Western District of Victoria almost from the time of settlement. Family history: The Bostock family were prominent in Warrnambool from the 1850s to the 1880s. Patriarch Robert Bostock had in 1813 been transported to Sydney from Sierra Leone for having 'felonious traded in slaves' and sentenced to 14 years transportation. He moved to Tasmania in 1821 where he died in 1847. A number of his children came to Port Phillip. Edward Robert Bostock held the Jellabad run from 1849 to 1853. George Bostock (1826-1858) was a Warrnambool Shire Councillor in 1856. Thomas Edward Bostock (1828-1874) was a Shire Councillor in the late 1860s. Augustus Bostock (1833-1920) lived in Warrnambool. Augustus Bostock was the 9th child of Robert and Rachael Bostock of Vaucluse Epping Forest, Van Diemen's Land. He was only 4 years old when his mother died. He was inspired by his father to seek his fortune in the Western District of Victoria. He arrived around 1850. He married Margaret Aitkin in July 1865. Augustus owned several properties in the district and leased others. He sat on the court of Warrnambool, Mortlake or Hexham as required. He resided at Marramook in Hawkesdale and later moved to Vaucluse in Hopetoun Road Warrnambool, where he died in 1920 at the age of 87. The Wagon is significant locally and state wide for its association with Augustus Bostock who was involved in many aspects of life in the Western District of Victoria, racing, cricket, and social activities to name a few. Bostock & Manifold were all from pioneering families in the Western District of Victoria almost from the time of settlement. The wagon is significant for its historical and economic association with the local Warrnambool business of Manifold & Bostock. These men had leased and owned vast tracts of land and operated businesses around the district together at various times often associated with the farming industry. One example is the Manifold & Bostock store and flour mill from which the wagon dray is believed to have been associated with for the delivery of goods. Their flour mill began operation in 1850 in 7-17 Stanley St South Warrnambool and was known as “Jetty Mills” Manifold and Bostock in 1858 purchased the Mill from John and G Elliot (brothers) with half an acre of ground and a cottage for £1600. It appears addresses of the company changed over the years as the town grew. These are listed in “Jones, Lewis & Peggy flour mills of Victoria” showing the company operating from, Fairy Street and later at the Merri River near the cutting, known as Banyan and Merri Streets. The company ceased trading in 1870. The Wagon Dray is also an example of agricultural freight and general transportation during the 1800 and 1900 century.A four-wheeled wooden horse-drawn wagon with flat top described as a Wagon Dray in historical writings. Painted brown and black. The wagon has rear brakes, wooden, operated from a metal handle at the front of the Wagon. Front wheels are attached to a turnstile to allow easy turning of the wagon. This flat-topped, horse driven, four-wheeled Wagon was used for cartage by the business of Manifold & Bostock, Warrnambool. The original sign writing of the wagon is obscured or painted over. There is a feint mark of lettering to the sides and back edges of the cart Manifold & Bostock. "Manifold and Bostock" very feintflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, cartage, manifold and bostock of warrnambool, manifold family of western victoria, bostock family of western victoria, four wheeled wagon, wagon, horse drawn wagon, farm wagon, aitkin, aitkin bostock manifold, dray, aitkin family, cart, aitken, flour mill -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Footwear - Boots, Rossiters Ltd, 1908-1920
Rossi Boots started in 1910 when Arthur Edward Rossiter resigned from his position as a supervisor at the Adelaide Boot Company and started Rossiters Ltd in a small tin shed in his backyard. A larger factory was needed so the first of three stages of a factory was built. During the Second World War Rossi Boots was a major supplier to the military making hundreds of thousands of boots that saw service in various theatres including New Guinea. The war years saw the number of employees peak at around five hundred. As methods of manufacturing footwear changed as petroleum-based products such as glues, rubbers and plastics have replaced the traditional ones of leather, nails, and threads. More modern machinery was introduced to directly mould soles to the bottom of the boot. At the end of 1987, the company moved from Unley to Hilton this move allowed production to be carried out in a more modern, fit-for-purpose factory. Since then the company has continued to change; introducing computer-controlled machines for cutting, sewing, and attaching soles. These changes occurred whilst many of Rossi's competitors moved offshore. Whilst the introduction of these machines reduced the number of local staff, it has enabled Rossi Boots to continue to manufacture in Australia. In March 2019 Rossi Boots relocated the factory, warehouse, and headquarters from Hilton to Kilburn, South Australia. This move to a new, expansive location allows Rossi Boots to continue manufacturing in South Australia housing all operations under one roof. The items are significant as they show the beginnings of an important manufacturer and innovator that is still in the original founding family's ownership and is producing boots today with exports to many countries. Boots leather lace up brownNonewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Furniture - Wardrobe, Late 19th to early 20th Century
The original owner of the beautiful wardrobe was William Swinton Jr. (1860-1929) and was later given to a friend of the Giles family. It is part of the Giles Collection. William Swinton Jnr. was a Warrnambool Councilor 1903-20 and Mayor 1917-19, during which time Warrnambool declared a City (1918). William's father, William Swinton Snr. (c.1831-1901) arrived in Warrnambool in 1854 from Edinburgh, Scotland. He established the Swinton store in Timor Street in 1865 where it is still located. William Snr's grand-daughter, Doris Swinton (1904-1986) was one of Australia's most highly decorated nurses of World War 2 and for 16 years matron of the Warrnambool and District Base Hospital. There is a street in Warrnambool named after the Swinton family. The Giles Collection: There are many 19th century items of furniture, linen, and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with the Giles Family and are known as the "Giles Collection". These items mostly came from the simple home of Vera's parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton), whose photos are in the parlour. They married in 1880. Henry Giles was born at Tower Hill in 1858. He was a labourer on the construction of the Breakwater before leaving in 1895 to build bridges in N.S.W. for about seven years. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook. She attended Mailor's Flat State School where she was also a student teacher before, as a family legend has it, she became a governess at "Injemiara" where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family of six, some of whom were born at Mailor’s Flat and later children at Wangoom, lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. The wardrobe is also significant for its association with early Warrnambool history, being owned by William Swinton Jnr. who was a Warrnambool Councilor and Warrnambools first Mayor (1917-19) the son of an early colonial family, arriving in Warrnambool in 1854. The Giles family collection also has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Maritime Museum was established.Wardrobe, colonial, made of cedar wood. The doors of the wardrobe have a mirrored door between them and there are two large drawers below the doors, each drawer has two round wooden handles. The wardrobe was once owned by a William Swinton Jnr. It is now part of the Giles Collection.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, wardrobe, bedroom furniture, domestic furniture, william swinton jnr., warrnambool's first mayor, warrnambool mayor, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century furniture, doris swinton, swinton street warrnambool -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Sewing Machine, Singer Sewing Machine Company, 1922
In 1867 the Singer Company decided that the demand for their sewing machines in the UK was sufficiently high to open a local factory. Glasgow was selected for its iron-making industries, cheap labour, and possibly because at the time the General Manager of the US Singer Sewing Machine Company was George McKenzie, who was of Scottish descent. The company obtained a lease on land near Queen Street Station and machinery and machine parts were shipped over from the US. Demand for sewing machines outstripped production at the new plant and by 1873 a new larger factory was completed near Bridgeton Cross. By now Singer employed over 2,000 people in Scotland but still, they could not produce enough machines. In 1882 George McKenzie, the soon to become President of the Singer Sewing Machine Company undertook the ground breaking ceremony on 46 acres of farmland at Kilbowie, Clydebank and the largest Singer factory in the world started to be built. Originally two main buildings were constructed. Built above the middle wing of the factory was a huge clock tower with the 'Singer' name displayed for all to see from miles around. Many miles of railway lines were laid throughout the factory to connect the different departments and to aid in the shipping of their goods. Railway lines from the factory connected Glasgow, Dumbarton, and Helensburgh stations. The factory was regarded as the most modern facility in Europe at that time. As different departments in the factory were completed, the workers moved from the old sites to the new one at Kilbowie and the factory was finally finished in 1885. With nearly a million square feet of space and almost 7,000 employees producing on average 13,000 machines a week, making it the largest sewing machine factory in the world. The Clydebank factory was so productive that in 1905 the US Singer Company set up the Singer Manufacturing Company Ltd. as a UK registered company. The invention of the sewing machine had several very significant impacts on the lives of many people. It changed the domestic life of many women as more households began to own sewing machines, women as the ones who traditionally stayed home to do chores including making and repairing clothing, found themselves with more free time. Previously several days a week would be dedicated to sewing clothing for herself and her family, a housewife could now complete her sewing in merely several hours, allowing for more free time to pursue hobbies and attain new skills. Sewing and clothing production, in general, became more industrialized activities, taking place less in the home and more in large factories. Industrial sewing machines, in combination with the cotton gin, the spinning jenny, and the steam engine, made clothing production much easier and much cheaper. Sewing machine, treadle operated, "Branded Premier" 5-7-9-2-0-0-" Serial Number Y6243048 (denotes 1922 year of manufacture) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, sewing machine, hand operated, dressmaking, textile machinery, portable, premier sewing machine, premier, singer treadle sewing machine -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Sewing Machine, Singer Sewing Machine Company, 1907 -1920 (see note section this document for further information regards model identification)
In 1867 the Singer Company decided that the demand for their sewing machines in the UK was sufficiently high to open a local factory. Glasgow was selected for its iron-making industries, cheap labour, and possibly because at the time the General Manager of the US Singer Sewing Machine Company was George McKenzie, who was of Scottish descent. The company obtained a lease on land near Queen Street Station and machinery and machine parts were shipped over from the US. Demand for sewing machines outstripped production at the new plant and by 1873 a new larger factory was completed near Bridgeton Cross. By now Singer employed over 2,000 people in Scotland but still, they could not produce enough machines. In 1882 George McKenzie, the soon to become President of the Singer Sewing Machine Company undertook the ground breaking ceremony on 46 acres of farmland at Kilbowie, Clydebank and the largest Singer factory in the world started to be built. Originally two main buildings were constructed. Built above the middle wing of the factory was a huge clock tower with the 'Singer' name displayed for all to see from miles around. Many miles of railway lines were laid throughout the factory to connect the different departments and to aid in the shipping of their goods. Railway lines from the factory connected Glasgow, Dumbarton, and Helensburgh stations. The factory was regarded as the most modern facility in Europe at that time. As different departments in the factory were completed, the workers moved from the old sites to the new one at Kilbowie and the factory was finally finished in 1885. With nearly a million square feet of space and almost 7,000 employees producing on average 13,000 machines a week, making it the largest sewing machine factory in the world. The Clydebank factory was so productive that in 1905 the US Singer Company set up the Singer Manufacturing Company Ltd. as a UK registered company. The invention of the sewing machine had several very significant impacts on the lives of many people. It changed the domestic life of many women as more households began to own sewing machines, women as the ones who traditionally stayed home to do chores including making and repairing clothing, found themselves with more free time. Previously several days a week would be dedicated to sewing clothing for herself and her family, a housewife could now complete her sewing in merely several hours, allowing for more free time to pursue hobbies and attain new skills. Sewing and clothing production, in general, became more industrialized activities, taking place less in the home and more in large factories. Industrial sewing machines, in combination with the cotton gin, the spinning jenny, and the steam engine, made clothing production much easier and much cheaper. Singer sewing machine treadle type wooden stand with six drawers plus instruction manual Lotus decoration to machinewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, sewing-machine, clothes repair, singer sewing machine -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, early 1900's
This photograph of the 10 crew of the SPECULANT would have been taken prior to Feb 10th 1911, when the ship was wrecked on the south coast of Victoria at a place called Cape Patton. The barquentine SPECULANT was a steel, three-masted sailing ship built in 1895 in Inverkeithing, Scotland, registered in Warrnambool, Victoria and wrecked at Cape Paton, Victoria, 10th February 1911. The SPECULANT had been involved in the timber trade between the United Kingdom and Russia, until sold to its Warrnambool owners and timber merchants Messrs. P.J. McGennan & Co. (Peter John McGennan) in 1902 for 3000 pounds and had her sailed to Warrnambool as her new port. Peter John McGennan was born in 1844 and worked as a builder and cooper in Holyhead, Anglesea, Wales. He immigrated to Australia in 1869 as a free settler and arrived in Warrnambool in 1871 and undertook management of a property in Grassmere for Mr. Palmer. Peter met his wife Emily in South Melbourne and they married in 1873. They had ten children including Harry who lived to 1965, and Andrew who lived until 1958. (The other children were their four brothers - John who was killed in the Dardenalles aged 35, Frederick who died aged 8, Peter who died aged 28, Frank who died aged 5 weeks - and four sisters - Beatrice who died age 89, Edith who died aged 49, Blanche who died aged 89 and Eveline who died aged 48.) In 1874 Peter starting a boating establishment on the Hopkins River. In 1875 he opened up a Coopers business in Kepler Street next to what was Bateman, Smith and Co., moving to Liebig Street, next to the Victoria Hotel, in 1877. In 1882 he then moved to Lava Street (which in later years was the site of Chandlers Hardware Store). He was associated with the establishment of the Butter Factory at Allansford. He started making Butter Boxes to his own design and cheese batts for the Butter Factory. In 1896 established a Box Factory in Davis Street Merrivale, employing 24 people at its peak, (it was burnt down in 1923); and in Pertobe Road from 1912 (now the Army Barracks building). Peter was a Borough Councillor for Albert Ward from 1885 to 1891, he commenced the Foreshore Trust (including the camping grounds along Pertobe Road), and he was an inaugural Director of the Woollen Mill in Harris Street, buying an extensive share-holding in 1908 from the share trader Edward Vidler. They lobbied the Town Hall to have a formal ‘Cutting’ for the waters of the Merri River to be redirected from its natural opening south of Dennington, to its existing opening near Viaduct Road, in order to have the scourings from the wool at the Woollen Mill discharged into the sea. He sold Butter Boxes around the state, and had to ship them to Melbourne by rail. Peter’s purchase of the SPECULANT in 1902 enabled him to back-load white pine from Kaipara, New Zealand to Warrnambool to make his butter boxes then, to gain profitability, buy and ship potatoes and other primary produce bound to Melbourne. (McGennan & Co. had also owned the LA BELLA, which had traded in timber as well, until she was tragically wrecked with the loss of seven lives, after missing the entrance channel to Warrnambool harbour in 1905. It appears that the SPECULANT was bought to replace the LA BELLA.) In 1911 the SPECULANT had been attempting to depart Warrnambool for almost the entire month of January to undergo docking and overhaul in Melbourne. A month of east and south-easterly winds had forced her to remain sheltered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool apart from one morning of northerlies, when an attempt was made to round Cape Otway; she had to return to shelter in Portland after failing to make any headway. With only 140 tons of sand ballast aboard, the ship would not have been easy to handle. Captain Jacobsen and his crew of nine, mainly Swedes, decided to make for Melbourne, leaving Portland Harbour on 5th February 1911. By the 9th they had reached Cape Otway, where they encountered a moonless night, constant heavy rain, and a heavy sea with a south-easterly wind blowing. After safely rounding Cape Otway the course was changed to east, then north-east to take the vessel to a point six miles off Cape Patton, following the orders of Captain Jacobsen, who told the crew to be very careful with the steering, as the wind and sea was running to leeward. The patent log (used to measure speed) had been out of order for the last four months as no-one in Warrnambool was able to fix it: it was intended to have it repaired in Melbourne. In the meantime the crew measured the vessel's speed by looking over the side and estimating wind strength. This compounded the difficulties of imprecise positioning, as the strong cross wind and sea were acting on the lightly laden vessel to steadily drive it towards the shore. At 3.30am on Friday 10 February 1911 Captain Jacobsen and the first mate were looking over the side of the vessel when they heard the sound of breakers and suddenly struck the rocks. The crew immediately knew they had no chance of getting the SPECULANT off, and attempted to rescue themselves by launching the lifeboat, which was instantly smashed to pieces. One of the crew then volunteered to take a line ashore, and the rest of the crew were all able to drag themselves to shore, some suffering hand lacerations from the rocks. Once ashore they began to walk along the coast towards Lorne, believing it was the nearest settlement. Realising their mistake as dawn broke they returned westwards to Cape Patton, and found a farm belonging to Mr C. Ramsden, who took them in and gave them a change of clothes and food. After resting for a day and returning to the wreck to salvage some of their personal possessions, at 10am on Saturday they set out for Apollo Bay, a voyage that took six hours, sometimes wading through flooded creeks up to their necks. The Age described the wreck as "listed to starboard. All the cabin is gutted and the ballast gone. There is a big rock right through the bottom of her, and there is not the slightest hope of getting her off". A Board of Marine inquiry found that Captain Jacobson was guilty of careless navigation by not taking steps to accurately verify the position of the vessel with respect to Cape Otway when the light was visible and by not setting a safe and proper course with respect to the wind and sea. It suspended his certificate for 6 months and ordered him to pay costs. The location of the wreck site was marked for a long time by two anchors on the shoreline, until in 1970 the larger of the two anchors was recovered by the Underwater Explorers' Club and mounted on the foreshore at Apollo Bay. The bell from the wreck was also donated to the Apollo Bay Surf Lifesaving Club but is recorded to have been stolen. Rusting remains of the wreck can still be found on the shoreline on the southern side of, and directly below Cape Patton. Parts of the SPECULANT site have been buried by rubble from construction and maintenance works to the Great Ocean Road, as well as by naturally occurring landslides. Peter J McGennan passed away in 1920. The Gates in the western wall of the Anglican Church in Henna Street/Koroit St are dedicated to him for his time of community work, which is matched with other prominent Warrnambool citizens; Fletcher Jones, John Younger, J.D.E (Tag) Walter, and Edward Vidler. After Peter J McGennan's death Harry, Andrew and Edith continued to operate the family business until July 11th 1923 when the company was wound up. (Andrew lived in Ryot Street Warrnambool, near Lava Street.) Harry McGennan (Peter and Emily’s son) owned the Criterion Hotel in Kepler Street Warrnambool (now demolished). His son Sid and wife Dot lived in 28 Howard Street (corner of Nelson Street) and Sid managed the Criterion until it was decided by the family to sell, and for he remained Manager for the new owners until he retired. Harry commenced the Foreshore Trust in Warrnambool around 1950. The McGennan Carpark in Pertobe Road is named after Harry and there are Memorial-Stone Gates in his memory. (The Gates were once the original entrance to the carpark but are now the exit.). Peter’s great-grandson, also called Andrew, is a Security Officer in Warrnambool. The Patent Log (also called a Taffrail log) from the SPECULANT, mentioned above, and a number of photographs, are now part of the Collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The SPECULANT is historically significant as the largest ship to have been registered in Warrnambool, and is believed to have been the largest barquentine to visit Melbourne. It is evidence of the final days of large commercial sailing vessels involved in the Victorian and New Zealand timber trade. The SPECULANT is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S626Photograph, black and white. of the 10 crew of the SPECULANT on board the ship holding two 'Speculant Warrnambool' lifebuoys. Taken early 1900's flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, warrnambool historical photograph, la bella, speculant, cumming and ellis, international timber trade, p. j. mcgennan and co. warrnambool, peter mcgennan, capt. james jacobsen, warrnambool maritime history, h. pengilley apollo bay -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, circa 1878
Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph, portrait of Miss Eva Carmichael. Reverse has gold maker’s print and a white adhesive label with hand writing on it.Reverse of photograph shows 3 signatures in script on bottom right corner., Printed text “PHOTOGRAPHIC / SOCIETY OF VICTORIA / MELBOURNE / REGISTERED COPYRIGHT / JULY 24th 878” and “NONE ARE GENUINE UNLESS WITH / SIGNATURES THUS” and “PRESIDENT / VICE PRESIDENT / - - - - - TARY” plus white label, hand written “F- Ph 56/2 – 74” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, photograph miss eva carmichael, loch ard shipwreck, loch ard survivor -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, March 1895
Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph of Miss Eva Carmichaels Cave at Loch Ard Gorge where the survivors found shelter. Reverse has four areas of torn surface, perhaps were photo had been mounted. Hand written text in pencil and in ink.Reverse of photograph Hand written in pencil “ … refuge … which he … offer words … Miss Carmichael. He then … on the …“ Hand written in ink “Loch Ard Gorge / Miss Carmichael’s cave” and “ Mr J Swinton / Warrnambool / March 1895” 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, loch ard shipwreck, 1878 shipwreck, loch ard gorge, miss eva carmichael -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, late 1800's
Miss Eva Carmichael is one of two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck.. Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph of Miss Eva Carmichael sitting on a chair holding a curtain. Text below photograph is partly unreadable but gives the name of the photographic studio. A printed on the back "County of Gloucester Studio Cheltenham" with the address and other informaion.Reverse has crest that includes “PRIZE MEDALIST PARIS EXHIBIT’N 1867” Printed text “No. …………” “COUNTY OF GLOUCESTER STUDIO / 20a / PROMENADE VILLAS / CHELTENHAM” and “Autotype Prints or Permanent Porcelain enlargements can be made from this plate” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, photograph of miss eva carmichael, eva carmichael, loch ard shipwreck, county of gloucester studio -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, March, 1895
Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph of Loch Ard Gorge graves on hillside, including the Carmichael family, Reginald Jones and Arthur Mitchell Reverse has hand writing in pen and ink, part of details are lost due to photo being trimmed. Also has four areas of torn surface, perhaps were photo had been mounted. Reverse has hand writing “ … Loch Ard Gorge / Graves of / the Carmichael family / Mr. Reginald Jones / Mr Arthur Mitchell “ and “Mr J Swinton / March 1895”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, loch ard shipwreck, carmichael family, arthur mitchell, reginald jones, loch ard gorge graves -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, circa 1895
Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph of rocks of Loch Ard Gorge in background, a man is sitting on small rock in the foreground. Reverse has hand writing in pen and inkReverse hand writing “The Loch Ard Gorge / showing the rock / on which Miss Carmichael / was clinging when Pearce / first saw her” and “Mr J Swinton / Warrnambool / March 1895”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, photograph -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, late 19th century
Loch Ard was bound for Melbourne in 1878 loaded with passengers and cargo when it ran into a rocky reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: an apprentice, Tom Pearce and a young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island and much of the cargo has been salvaged. Some was washed up into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge following the shipwreck. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. The photograph is significant for its association with the wreck of the Loch Ard. This wreck has been protected as a Historic Shipwreck since 11 March 1982, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) 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. 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. The Loch Ard collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Photograph of Miss Eva Carmichael holding a book seated at a desk. Oval gilt framed portrait in a green container edged with gilt. Reverse has piece of tape centre left and right. Also has printed maker’s information. Printed by the Photographic Society of Victoria, Melbourne.Printed brown text “PHOTOGRAPHIC / SOCIETY OF VICTORIA / MELBOURNE / REGISTERED COPYRIGHT / JULY 24th 878” and “NONE ARE GENUINE UNLESS WITH / SIGNATURES THUS” and “PRESIDENT / VICE PRESIDENT / SECRETARY” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch ard shipwreck, miss eva carmichael, loch ard survivor -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Financial record - Record Book, Warrnambool Lighthouse Book, ca. 1870s
Referencing works and removal of fittings and furnishings. Further on the book appears to have been used as a note book on further pages. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSE COMPLEX; – The original Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex was built on Middle Island in 1858-1859 and comprised the Upper Light, Store (Chartroom), Cottage and Privy. The Lower Light was on a wooden tower on the beach of Lady Bay. In 1871 the Complex was transferred stone-by-stone to Flagstaff Hill, where the flagstaff had been installed since 1853. The Lower Light was erected on top of a bluestone obelisk that was built in 1854 as a navigational marker. The bluestone Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters was a cottage divided into two compartments, one for the Senior Keeper and his family, the other for the Assistant Keeper and his family. The bluestone Store was divided into three; a store, a workshop, and an oil store (or office). The Privy was a small building divided into two separate, back-to-back toilet rooms, one for the Senior Keeper and his family and one for the Assistant Keeper and family. The record book from the Warrnambool Lighthouse is significant because of its connection with the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. The Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex is significant for its important role in the safe navigation of sailing and steam ships into and out of Lady Bay and the Port of Warrnambool. during the colonisation of Victoria and the settlement of southwest Victoria. The lighthouse also helped the passing ships to check the accuracy of their navigation along the southwest coast of Victoria and facilitated the call for help when vessels were in trouble.Warrnambool Lighthouse Book. Green hard covered book with red spine and reinforced corners. Inside are pages with printed horizontal linesBook detailing the cost of removal of the Lighthouse Station from Middle Island to its present location. Also other details. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, warrnambool lighthouse book, record of lighthouse relocation warrnambool, warrnambool historic record book, financial record, middle island -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, early 1900's
This photograph of the SPECULANT was taken while she was in dock at the Warrnambool, Victoria, Breakwater in the early 1900's. Crew seem busy on her decks and others are watching from the breakwater. There are also 2 steamships in the photograph. The barquentine SPECULANT was a steel, three-masted sailing ship built in 1895 in Inverkeithing, Scotland, registered in Warrnambool, Victoria and wrecked at Cape Paton, Victoria, 10th February 1911. The SPECULANT had been involved in the timber trade between the United Kingdom and Russia, until sold to its Warrnambool owners and timber merchants Messrs. P.J. McGennan & Co. (Peter John McGennan) in 1902 for 3000 pounds and had her sailed to Warrnambool as her new port. Peter John McGennan was born in 1844 and worked as a builder and cooper in Holyhead, Anglesea, Wales. He immigrated to Australia in 1869 as a free settler and arrived in Warrnambool in 1871 and undertook management of a property in Grassmere for Mr. Palmer. Peter met his wife Emily in South Melbourne and they married in 1873. They had ten children including Harry who lived to 1965, and Andrew who lived until 1958. (The other children were their four brothers - John who was killed in the Dardenalles aged 35, Frederick who died aged 8, Peter who died aged 28, Frank who died aged 5 weeks - and four sisters - Beatrice who died age 89, Edith who died aged 49, Blanche who died aged 89 and Eveline who died aged 48.) In 1874 Peter starting a boating establishment on the Hopkins River. In 1875 he opened up a Coopers business in Kepler Street next to what was Bateman, Smith and Co., moving to Liebig Street, next to the Victoria Hotel, in 1877. In 1882 he then moved to Lava Street (which in later years was the site of Chandlers Hardware Store). He was associated with the establishment of the Butter Factory at Allansford. He started making Butter Boxes to his own design and cheese batts for the Butter Factory. In 1896 established a Box Factory in Davis Street Merrivale, employing 24 people at its peak, (it was burnt down in 1923); and in Pertobe Road from 1912 (now the Army Barracks building). Peter was a Borough Councillor for Albert Ward from 1885 to 1891, he commenced the Foreshore Trust (including the camping grounds along Pertobe Road), and he was an inaugural Director of the Woollen Mill in Harris Street, buying an extensive share-holding in 1908 from the share trader Edward Vidler. They lobbied the Town Hall to have a formal ‘Cutting’ for the waters of the Merri River to be redirected from its natural opening south of Dennington, to its existing opening near Viaduct Road, in order to have the scourings from the wool at the Woollen Mill discharged into the sea. He sold Butter Boxes around the state, and had to ship them to Melbourne by rail. Peter’s purchase of the SPECULANT in 1902 enabled him to back-load white pine from Kaipara, New Zealand to Warrnambool to make his butter boxes then, to gain profitability, buy and ship potatoes and other primary produce bound to Melbourne. (McGennan & Co. had also owned the LA BELLA, which had traded in timber as well, until she was tragically wrecked with the loss of seven lives, after missing the entrance channel to Warrnambool harbour in 1905. It appears that the SPECULANT was bought to replace the LA BELLA.) In 1911 the SPECULANT had been attempting to depart Warrnambool for almost the entire month of January to undergo docking and overhaul in Melbourne. A month of east and south-easterly winds had forced her to remain sheltered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool apart from one morning of northerlies, when an attempt was made to round Cape Otway; she had to return to shelter in Portland after failing to make any headway. With only 140 tons of sand ballast aboard, the ship would not have been easy to handle. Captain Jacobsen and his crew of nine, mainly Swedes, decided to make for Melbourne, leaving Portland Harbour on 5th February 1911. By the 9th they had reached Cape Otway, where they encountered a moonless night, constant heavy rain, and a heavy sea with a south-easterly wind blowing. After safely rounding Cape Otway the course was changed to east, then north-east to take the vessel to a point six miles off Cape Patton, following the orders of Captain Jacobsen, who told the crew to be very careful with the steering, as the wind and sea was running to leeward. The patent log (used to measure speed) had been out of order for the last four months as no-one in Warrnambool was able to fix it: it was intended to have it repaired in Melbourne. In the meantime the crew measured the vessel's speed by looking over the side and estimating wind strength. This compounded the difficulties of imprecise positioning, as the strong cross wind and sea were acting on the lightly laden vessel to steadily drive it towards the shore. At 3.30am on Friday 10 February 1911 Captain Jacobsen and the first mate were looking over the side of the vessel when they heard the sound of breakers and suddenly struck the rocks. The crew immediately knew they had no chance of getting the SPECULANT off, and attempted to rescue themselves by launching the lifeboat, which was instantly smashed to pieces. One of the crew then volunteered to take a line ashore, and the rest of the crew were all able to drag themselves to shore, some suffering hand lacerations from the rocks. Once ashore they began to walk along the coast towards Lorne, believing it was the nearest settlement. Realising their mistake as dawn broke they returned westwards to Cape Patton, and found a farm belonging to Mr C. Ramsden, who took them in and gave them a change of clothes and food. After resting for a day and returning to the wreck to salvage some of their personal possessions, at 10am on Saturday they set out for Apollo Bay, a voyage that took six hours, sometimes wading through flooded creeks up to their necks. The Age described the wreck as "listed to starboard. All the cabin is gutted and the ballast gone. There is a big rock right through the bottom of her, and there is not the slightest hope of getting her off". A Board of Marine inquiry found that Captain Jacobson was guilty of careless navigation by not taking steps to accurately verify the position of the vessel with respect to Cape Otway when the light was visible and by not setting a safe and proper course with respect to the wind and sea. It suspended his certificate for 6 months and ordered him to pay costs. The location of the wreck site was marked for a long time by two anchors on the shoreline, until in 1970 the larger of the two anchors was recovered by the Underwater Explorers' Club and mounted on the foreshore at Apollo Bay. The bell from the wreck was also donated to the Apollo Bay Surf Lifesaving Club but is recorded to have been stolen. Rusting remains of the wreck can still be found on the shoreline on the southern side of, and directly below Cape Patton. Parts of the SPECULANT site have been buried by rubble from construction and maintenance works to the Great Ocean Road, as well as by naturally occurring landslides. Peter J McGennan passed away in 1920. The Gates in the western wall of the Anglican Church in Henna Street/Koroit St are dedicated to him for his time of community work, which is matched with other prominent Warrnambool citizens; Fletcher Jones, John Younger, J.D.E (Tag) Walter, and Edward Vidler. After Peter J McGennan's death Harry, Andrew and Edith continued to operate the family business until July 11th 1923 when the company was wound up. (Andrew lived in Ryot Street Warrnambool, near Lava Street.) Harry McGennan (Peter and Emily’s son) owned the Criterion Hotel in Kepler Street Warrnambool (now demolished). His son Sid and wife Dot lived in 28 Howard Street (corner of Nelson Street) and Sid managed the Criterion until it was decided by the family to sell, and for he remained Manager for the new owners until he retired. Harry commenced the Foreshore Trust in Warrnambool around 1950. The McGennan Carpark in Pertobe Road is named after Harry and there are Memorial-Stone Gates in his memory. (The Gates were once the original entrance to the carpark but are now the exit.). Peter’s great-grandson, also called Andrew, is a Security Officer in Warrnambool. The Patent Log (also called a Taffrail log) from the SPECULANT, mentioned above, and a number of photographs, are now part of the Collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The SPECULANT is historically significant as the largest ship to have been registered in Warrnambool, and is believed to have been the largest barquentine to visit Melbourne. It is evidence of the final days of large commercial sailing vessels involved in the Victorian and New Zealand timber trade. The SPECULANT is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S626Photograph. black and white, of the three-masted barque SPECULANT in dock at the Warrnambool Breakwater in the early 1900's. A steam ship is docked behind her and another steamship is in Lady Bay on her left. There are people on the SPECULANT and others walking nearby. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, la bella, speculant, cumming and ellis, international timber trade, p. j. mcgennan and co. warrnambool, peter mcgennan, capt. james jacobsen, warrnambool maritime history, h. pengilley apollo bay -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Coffin Straps, 1920's
Guyetts and Sons is a family business that began providing funeral services in Warrnambool and South West Victoria in 1905. Today in 2019 the business is still in operation as Guyetts Funerals Warrnambool. At the graveside, coffin rods are laid across the width of the open grave to support the coffin. The coffin is balanced evenly on the coffin rods. Coffin straps (also called lifting straps) are slipped underneath the coffin from side to side and at the appropriate time the straps are used to lift the coffin, the rods are removed and, using the straps the coffin is gently lowered into the grave.These coffin rods are significant for their association with Guaetts Funerals Warrnambool, an early 1900s local family business that is still in operation. The rods are an example of equipment used in conducting funerals and burials for many years.Coffin straps; two woven canvas straps, ends re-inforced with leather (sometimes called funeral straps). Straps once elonged to Guyetts and Sons, Warrnambool.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, coffin straps, funeral straps, guyatt's funerals warrnambool, burial service, cemetery, graveside, coffin, canvas ropes, guyett funeral directors warrnambool, warrnambool 1920s, warrnambool 1905 business, funeral item, funeral service, funeral director warrnambool, funeral home, funeral arrangements, burial service, cemetery funeral, death, herse, cemetery supplies, funeral director supplies, mortuary equipment -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, 1907-1914
This photograph is of the sailing ship ANTARES at full sail, taken between 1907, when she was named ANTARES, and 1914, when she was wrecked.. THE ANTARES In mid-November 1914, after the beginning of the First World War, a young local man went one evening to fish near the Bay of Islands, west of Peterborough. He later arrived home hurriedly and in an agitated state declaring: "The Germans are coming!" His family laughed and disbelieved him, as this young fellow was prone to telling fictional tales. About a month later, on December 13th 1914, local farmers Phillip Le Couteur and Peter Mathieson were riding in the vicinity, checking on cattle. Phillip Le Couteur saw what he “thought was the hull of a ship below the cliffs.” He rode to Allansford and contacted police. The next day, two Constables and Phillip Le Couteur returned to the site, where they dug a trench near the top of the cliff and sank a log in it. To this they attached a rope, which they threw down the cliff face. Constable Stainsbury and Phillip Le Couteur then made the dangerous descent down the rope on the sheer cliff face. They found wreckage strewn around a small cove and a portion of a man's body under the cliffs. The hull of the ship could be seen about 300 metres out to sea. Some of the wreckage revealed the name Antares and the remains of the ship's dinghy bore the name Sutlej. During the next two weeks and with the help of the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew, two more bodies were found. Later investigations proved that the tragic wreck was indeed that of the Antares, reported overdue on the 207th day of her voyage from Marseilles, France, to Melbourne. She was a three masted, 1749 ton iron clipper, built in Glasgow in 1888 and originally named and launched as the Sutlej. Bought in 1907 by Semider Bros. from Genoa, Italy, she was refitted and renamed Antares. It was later realised that the local lad who a month earlier had declared he had seen German guns being fired, had probably seen distress flares fired from the deck of the Antares the night she was wrecked. She was last sailed under Captain Gazedo and wrecked at what is now known as Antares Rock, near the Bay of Islands. She had been carrying a large cargo of roofing tiles from France to Melbourne, consigned to Mullaly & Byrne. Many of them are now to be seen amongst the battered and scattered remains of the wreck. Some of the timbers were found to be blackened by fire. An Information Board has been erected on the cliff top near to the site of the Antares wreck, at the end of Radfords Rd, west of Peterborough. (Ref: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s “Antares” fact sheet, Victorian Heritage Database, Information Board at Peterborough, Flagstaff Hill Significance Assessment 2010) The Antares was one of the last of the 'tall ships' to be lost along the south west coast of Victoria, and is the only wreck that took the lives of all people on board. She is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register VHS S34. The Antares is significant as a sail trader carrying an international inbound cargo. It is part of the Great Ocean Road Historic Shipwreck Trail. Photograph of the three masted fully rigged Antares at anchor. (ref: Ships A-B SH016.)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, antares, tall ship, peterborough, 1914 shipwreck, phillip le couteur, peter mathieson, constable stainsbury, sutlej, antares rock., bay of islands -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Screw Driver, A Ridge and Son, 1950s Item is in company catalogue in 1951
Footprint Tools is a hand tool manufacturer based in Sheffield, England. In 2014 most of their hand tools are still made in Sheffield at the Footprint factory. Footprint Tools can trace its manufacturing history as far back as the 1760s when Alfrid Ridge & Sons was established as a manufacturer of wood working tools. Ridge was bought by the current owning family in 1932. The Footprint brand originates from 1875 when Thomas R Ellin, a member of a cutlery manufacturing family, started a tool manufacturing business under the brand “Footprint”. This subsequently became known as Thomas R Ellin (Footprint Works). This company was bought by the current owning family in 1948 and began to manufacture a range of tools under the Footprint, Domino, Climax, John Bull and Clinker brands. During World War 2 the divisions of the business were engaged in manufacturing hand tools for British and Commonwealth forces. After the war Footprint continued to grow, manufacture and expand its range hand tools for the professional tradesman. In 2004, Footprint cooperated with the University of Sheffield in a study of modern manufacturing techniques. In 2008 Footprint moved to a larger factory and invested in new forging equipment, but this process was interrupted by a global recession, and Footprint was unable to generate enough business to cover the cost of the upgrades. In early 2009 the company was forced to liquidate and lay off its staff in order to pay creditors. The Jewitt family retained the brand and intellectual property, and later that year revived the company under the name Footprint Sheffield, and began producing a smaller range of products at first. With the same family of owner managers, now run by the fourth generation, in 2015 Footprint continues to manufacture most products in Sheffield, England and exports worldwide.A tool that was made by a UK company in the 1950s that has a long history of tool manufacture and after many changes in company ownership is still producing tools today in Sheffield England.Screw driver wooden handle turned and steel blade. Made in Sheffield by Alfrid Ridge and Son. London patternNoneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, screw driver, alfrid ridge & son, footprint tools, tools -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Vehicle - Wagon, Early 20th Century
This wagon is linked to Mr Stanley James Bell via his father Mr John Bell, who owned "Warrumyea" at Wangoom. It is believed that Stanley grew up and worked for his father at this property, eventuality inheriting his father's death in 1920. This wagon was likely used at Mr Stanley Bell's property “Warrumyea” at Wangoom around 1920-1940. The wagon was donated in 1984, at which time it was noted as having a brass plate inscribed "Jas", which name Stanley was known by. Also, a painted on the wage was “S J Bell Wangoom”. Remnants of the original paint colours of blue and yellow show on the photograph, which was taken at the time of cataloguing. Mr John Bell Snr from Plymouth, England, arrived in Portland, Victoria, around 1860. He had served in the British navy as a lad for a number of years. On arriving in Australia he travelled to the Wangoom district where he lived for many years. Mr J Bell worked for 20 years as herd manager at “Wangoom Park”., for Mr F Tozer (1843-1954), one of the original pioneers of the western district. He went on to pursue dairying and general farming at his property “Warrumyea” Wangoom. Bell’s son Stanley James Bell went to the Wangoom School. His first reader from this school, published in 1909, has his name inscribed in the flyleaf “Stanley J. Bell, Warrumyea, Wangoom” and is now in the collection of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society. Stanley went on working the property “Warrumyea” and eventually purchased “Wangoom Park” in 1956, where his father had been employed years before. Mr S J Bell died in 1968.The wagon is significant for its association with the farming history of Wangoom and the Warrnambool area in general. Also, the wage is significant for its association with one of the early families that settled in the Warrnambool area and their contribution to the dairying and general farming industries that sprang from their efforts. The wagon has a good provenance linking it to Mr Stanley James Bell and is also a good example of how goods were transported using horse-drawn vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century.Four-wheeled wagon or cart,12 spokes in each wheel, wooden axle with rear hub brake. Hinged and chained tailboard. Wheels have metal rims. Metal frame and wooden superstructure. Wagon has two pairs of staves. Wooden shelves, one missing with turntable. Small toolbox in front. Made by Kelly and Preston of Ballarat. Metal nameplate of the owner attached, "Jas" (S J Bell of Wangoom).. Original inscription, now obscured, was painted “Kelly and Preston Builders Ballarat”. Metal plate inscribed "Jas", and "S J Bell Wangoom". flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, wagon, sj bell, stanley james bell, wangoom park, warrumyea, first reader, john bell 1830-1920, stanley james bell 1904-1968, warrnambool pioneers, f tozer, western district, kelly and preston of ballarat -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Moulding Plane, Charles Nurse, 1860-1900
The original Nurse family business began in 1841 in Maidstone Kent until 1861 where they were plane makers, moving to London in 1887 the company became C Nurse & Co. And continued until 1937 under that name at the (Invicta works). The majority of their plane making was done in London but there are Sheffield and Brighton marks on their tools as well. The company was not only wood plane makers but tool makers in general with the Charles Nurse & Co catalogue having 350 pages of tools for sale of varying types for different building trades and over 138 pages dedicated to woodworking tools. Records show that the company was at 182 Walworth Road London from 1887-1949. However, they had several retail outlets before this time and records indicate before 1887 Charles Nurse was at 32 Mill St Maidstone Kent, from 1844 -1860 but were in business before then. Also in Brighton at 135 Queens Road from 1865 -1871 and at 3 Mill Street Maidstone, again from 1872 - 1889 listed on records of the time as “plane and tool makers.”A vintage item made by a significant tool maker and retailer from the middle of the nineteenth century and into the first half of the twentieth century. These items were made commercially for firms and individuals that worked in wood and needed a tool that could produce an ornamental finish to timber. The tool was used before electric or mechanical routers or spindle moulders came into use. They were used by craftsmen to produce decorative mouldings by hand. These profiled planes came in various shapes and sizes. A significant tool that today is quite rare and sought after by collectors. It gives us a snapshot of how furniture and other decorative finishes were created on timber by the use of hand tools only. Moulding plane Side Bead - Single Box Size 5/16 Maker Charles and Co 1863 Stamped W. Burden (previous owner)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
Tool - Wood moulding plane, John Partridge, 1815-1851
Not much is known of John Partridge other than he operated his business of making wood planes and other edged woodworking tools in Birmingham. The Birmingham General Directory of the borough of Birmingham businesses of 1849 has him listed as a "Plane/iron maker" however he was probably making planes from around 1815. Birth and death records indicate he was born in 1797 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire England and that he died in 1851. His wife Sarah Nee Ashton he married at Harborne Staffordshire in 1822 and she also died in 1851, it appears they were survived by three children, John born 1826, Sarah 1835, and William 1838. John Partridge tools are now collector's items and represent a time in history when tools of all kinds were predominately still being made by hand in small family workshops. This was during a time known as the first industrial revolution, a time that was regarded as a transition period in history to new manufacturing processes that were occurring in Europe and the United States. A period of industrial change that began about 1760 and lasted until sometime between 1820 to 1840.Moulding plane Side Bead - Single Box type. Partridge maker stamped on end.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
Tool - Auger Bit, William A Ives, 1860-1950
William A Ives worked in New Haven, Connecticut, and surrounding towns of Wallingford and Hamden from 1868 to 1917 and was a prolific inventor of braces and other wood boring tools between 1868 and 1884, when he received a dozen patents for these devices. William A. Ives lived in the New Haven CT area, and his first auger-making activity took place in the town of Hamden. At first in association with the Churchill family who had been manufacturing tools in the area at least as early as 1863. That firm's works had created "Augerville" in Hamden, starting earlier, possibly as early as 1830. Ives became active as part of the Hamden Manufacturing Co. until 1875 (it is thought he may also have started his own business in the interim), and the William A. Ives & amp; Co. was established by 1877. This continued, until William's death in 1888, when The Hamden Mfg. Company became its successor. Ives also registered the name "Mephisto" trademark name with the US patent office that was to be used in connection with augers, auger bits, machine bits as of June 1st, 1909, appearing on items up until at least 1922. It also appears that the trademark was licensed by the Mephisto Tool Co of Hudson New York who continued to manufacture tools under this trademark. Item is significant because its maker was the inventor of the wood auger boring bit and his patent has been used ever since on many different types of bits with little change to the original design.Auger wood screw bit W A Ives Patent 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
Parallel Rule, Early 20th Century
John Bliss (1795-1857) was born in Norwich Connecticut, trained as a silversmith and clockmaker in Vermont, and began in business as a jeweller in New York around 1830. In 1834, now trading as Bliss & Creighton, he made and marketed a range of nautical instruments. The business subsequently became John Bliss & Son in 1855 and John Bliss & Co. in 1857. It remained in business until 1957 when it was acquired by West Marine. The Bliss company used to make a range of instruments supplied to a variety of customers including the US Navy. An object made as an aid for marine navigation, to plot a course on a nautical map for a vessel to follow. The item was made by a well known American maker of nautical instruments and is significant in regards to it's provenience and history of the maker and his family who over the years had been innovators and makers of various types of nautical instruments since 1795. Parallel map ruler. Bliss of New York & Nautical instruments engraved on face of ruler, ruler divided into degrees for use on nautical mapsflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, parallel rule, map reading, nautical object, navigation instrument -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Weapon - Cannon, circa 1825
HISTORICAL INFORMATION In an article dated 26 March 1963, the Warrnambool Standard reported: “A cannon which has lain on the ocean floor since the barque, Children, was wrecked at Childer’s Cove on January 15, 1839, was raised by three Warrnambool skindivers at the week-end…The cannon, weighing about 750 lb. and 4-ft. 6-in. in length…is in excellent order considering the length of time it has remained under-water”. No conservation measures were taken at that time, other than chipping off the marine growth with hammers and cold chisels. The minutes for the 4 February 1974 meeting of the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board recorded that “a cannon recovered some time ago was lying in the garden of [one of the three original divers] and that it could be picked up at any time”. Peter Ronald, past Manager and Diver for Flagstaff Hill, notes that the CHILDREN cannon would have been recovered by the other divers around 1964. When the cannon came into care of Flagstaff Hill it was given basic conservation relevant to the time. (At the same meeting the Board was advised of the recovery of an anchor from the wreck of the CHILDREN by Flagstaff Hill divers (Peter Ronald, Colin Goodall and Gary Hayden, and Hank Howey and Andrew Coffee), and its interim relocation in the sea at the end of the Warrnambool Breakwater while awaiting conservation). The CHILDREN was owned by the pioneering Henty family of Portland. She was en route from Launceston to Adelaide, when she foundered in rough conditions at Childers Cove on 14 January 1839. The CHILDREN was a small three-masted barque, only 29 metres long and 254 tons weight, with 14 crew members and 24 passengers (including 9 children) on board. The ship was also carrying an awkwardly ballasted cargo of 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, 5000 London house bricks, 6 whaling boats, and general trade goods. When the CHILDREN was driven into the limestone stack at the entrance to the cove, the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour, and 16 lives were lost. The CHILDREN was an all-wooden ship, built in 1825 at Liverpool, and her shipwreck in 1839 is one of colonial Victoria’s earliest and most significant maritime disasters. There is little left to mark the tragedy on the seabed now, apart from some of the house bricks intended for the Henty’s Portland Bay settlement. Despite its poor condition, the CHILDREN’s signal cannon remains an important and interpretable record of her demise, (along with her anchor, the bottom half of her ship’s bell, and portions of a brass porthole - artefacts that are also in the Flagstaff Hill collection). In 2015 the CHILDREN cannon will undergo further conservation. (Conservation Management Plan for Victorian Guns and Cannon, South Western Victoria, May 2008, ref W/F/06) The shipwreck of the CHILDREN is of state significance — Victorian Heritage Register No. S116.A 1.3 metre iron 6pdr cannon recovered from the wreck of the CHILDREN. The shape of the cannon tapers from a thick round breech to a flared muzzle, with an 8 centimetre bore, and two side trunnions for pivoting on a wooden gun carriage. It was recovered from the shipwreck site of the CHILDREN by local divers in 1963. This small muzzle-loading signal cannon is in poor and unrestored condition. The cannon’s upper profile of smooth grey metal casing has corroded off, leaving an extensively oxidised rough red surface of crumbling iron. The bottom half of the cannon remains intact although the outer smooth casing also appears to be separating from the iron core of the barrel. Original grey casting is also missing from the breech and muzzle ends of the cannon. Corrosion and spalling of the upper surface layer of the cannon has removed the maker’s marks and specificationsflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the children, ship’s cannon, signal cannon, childers cove, 1839 shipwreck, conservation of marine artefactsm, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, cannon, 6pdr small bore cannon, children cannon, defence, children, shipwreck, 1839 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Print - Lithograph, Cruiser Melbourne Rescuing crew from the "Helen B Stirling" off Three Kings Islands New Zealand in January 1922, 1924
Lithography is a method of printing, originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German author and actor Alois Senefelder and was initially used for musical scores and maps. There were two sailing ships with the name Helen B Sterling a six masted vessel and an earlier four masted Helen B Stirling that is the subject of the lithograph depicting the rescue of the crew and passengers by the Australian light Cruiser Melbourne in a gale off three Kings islands 55 kilometres Northwest of Cape Reinga New Zealand. This Helen B Sterling was built as a four mast wooden auxiliary screw Schooner, known as a wind jammer of 1608 tons. The vessel was formally known as the “Tacoma” and owned by the Washington Shipping Corporation based in Seattle USA in 1917. This original Helen B Sterling was caught in this storm and eventually sunk after being abandoned by the crew. The second generation relatives of those who were passengers at the time of the foundering advise that the storm was more like a cyclone. The Zeehan and Dundas Herald reported on January 26th 1922 that the abandoned vessel was still afloat and drifting towards the New Zealand coast. The Kalgoorie Miner newspaper also had an article reporting that on the 7th Feb 1922 the crew, captain, first mate and their families after being heroically rescued by the crew of the Australian light Cruiser Melbourne were arriving in Sydney today aboard the steamer the “Maheno” from New Zealand.Lithograph appears to be by an unknown artist A M Duffield produced in 1924. It is significant in that it depicts the rescuing of the passengers and crew of the schooner “Helen B Stirling”. At the time this was a significant event that made most Australian and New Zealand papers because of the involvement of the Australian cruiser “Melbourne”.Lithograph framed of cruiser Melbourne rescuing crew from Helen B Stirling off New Zealand coast. By A.M. Duffield."Australian Cruiser Melbourne Rescuing crew of (undetermined text _ _) Schooner Helen B Sterling of (Halifax Nth Canada Tons 1343 in a gale in the Pacific Ocean" (this last potion of text is incorrect see note sec this document) Lithograph signed bottom right hand corner in black "A M Duffield Nov 19th 1924"warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lithograph, a.m.duffield., helen b stirling, schooner, cape reinga new zealand, alois senefelder, cruiser melbourne, three kings islands