Black and white photograph. Poppet head on LH side, stone building, centre, tall brick chimney, RH side in front of timber building. Inscriptions: on front - 'Victoria Quartz'. On back - typewritten description as follows: 'Situated on the rich Victoria Hill, Ironbark. Steel girders? rams type poppet legs - 60ft high. Vertical winding engines; pair of 24' dia. Winding drums. Made and erected by Roberts & Sons, Bendigo, in 1897. Then one of the best in the state. In 1910 it was the deepest gold mine in the world, having reached a depth of 4,613 ft in the winze. The shaft was then sunk to a depth of 4,588 ft. in an endeavour to reach a depth of 4,870 ft. to effectively work the deepest gold bearing reef in the world. On the night of June 14th, 1910, the mine was flooded out by the rising waters from the deep New Chum mines to the south, all of which had either ceased operations or had returned back to shallow workings. For details of the mine's record, see 'The Historical Guide to Bendigo'. Mine details completed by A Richardson, 29 Harrison Street, Bendigo.place, mining site, victoria quartz

Document. 2 copies plus 4 loose sheets. 14 page typed document on the buildings and mines of Victoria Hill in the Gold Era. (10 pages document and 4 pages pictures). Document mentions 'Quartz Miners Arms' Hotel, Conrad Heinz - Bendigo Mayor 1894 and owned a butcher shop in Victoria Hill, British and American Hotel, Manchester Arms Hotel, Victoria Reef Gold Mining Company, Ironbark Mining Company, Hercules and Energetic Mining Company, William Rae, Gold Mines Hotel, David Chaplin Sterry, North Old Chum Mine, Ballerstedt's First Open-cut (J. C. T. Christopher Ballerstedt and Theodore Ballerstedt), Lansell's Big 180 Shaft (George Lansell), Victoria Quartz Mine, Mr E. J. Dunn (Chief Government Geologist). Pictures are- Victoria Hill from Rae's Open Cut, Looking North from Old Chum Hill to the Victoria Hill, Victoria Quartz on Victoria Hill, W. M. Rae's Crushing Works.cottage, miners, the rich victoria hill and its historical associations

Handwritten copy of reports from the Bendigo Advertiser regarding water in the mine. (1) The bailing of water is occupying attention in other mines (from Shamrock North) to the Victoria Quartz. The water despite the efforts of the companies engaged bailing, continues to rise. Bendigo Advertiser July 18th Page 3. (2) Victoria Quartz Half Yearly Meeting, Lapsed, No quorum. Directors' Report: Sinking of shaft carried on till 14th June, when it was 4,614 ft. deep. Progress very satisfactory. Progress very satisfactory considering increase of water. As water was interfering with work, made arrangements on 3rd May, that 180 Mine should bail, and Minister of Mines agreed to allow, expense to be charged against work subsidised by Government. Arrangements now made for Lazarus, 222 and New Chum Consolidated mines to bail to unwater line of reef. Victoria Consols, Ironbark, 83, and Hercules and Energetic Companies have undertaken to contribute to cost, and Gov't will allow this to be charged on grant. Document from Albert Richardson Collection of mining history.gold, drainage problems, new chum drainage association, victoria quartz, bendigo advertiserjuly 18th page 2 mining intelligence, bendigo advertiser 20/7/1910 page 3, lazarus, 222, new chum consolidated, victoria consols, ironbark, 83, hercules and energetic, albert richardson

Green plastic folder with black plastic binding labelled PHOTOS RE HISTORY, opens with a list of 41 photos with their respective sizes in (inches) and (unrelated) numbers; then an A4 stapled pages re- an up-coming (Feb 27-29 2004) Cornish Families celebration, listing activities such as attending a 'meet the Cornish Concert', Festival Celebration Dinner, the Cornish Floral Dance, research one's own family history, follow the Cornish trail, Picnic in Rosalind park, and Meet the Bards of Cornwall; and buy a CD-ROM; followed by a hand-written time line or diary and business card for Harrison Print; 8 printing drafts with four names and years of birth and death; An image of some of Miss James' Sunday School Young mens' class from 1915 (photo taken at Royal Melbourne Show grounds Military camp); 9 GSUC accounts with letter-head; then an A4 off-white with Compliments card enclosing a black and white image with some names of a Golden Square Methodist Church Augustinian Fair Work-force; x2 smaller 'With Compliments' cards (one of paper) enclosing a black and white image (Circa 1860) of mines along the new Chum Line of Reef with GS Methodist Church in background; A newspaper cutting of line advertisement re- Golden Square Uniting Church celebrating 150 years of Methodism on the Goldfields citing its address and times of services; a collage of 3 black and white images dated Nov 1960 titled Church Activities; another collage of 3 slightly larger images taken around the same time of similar activities and showing numerous people around the church, and one of the pulpit; a sepia image of unidentified members of the church; fading copy of photo of Golden Square Methodist Church Choir behind which is a list of names of those in the picture though the list is dated 1960 the image looks pre-1960; handwritten list of Sunday School Teachers from 1957, no image; an A4 copy of one of the previous collage photos of outside the Church with numerous members, no names given; A4 image of GS Methodist church members, no names but minister appears 2nd row, third from left; a second copy of that image; Image of Band of Hope Conference, Bendigo, William Irving identified but undated; opportunity for naming those in image; A4 image with names and faces of Young Ladies Class of G.S.M.S.S. undated; 1/2 A4 size 'With Compliments' card enclosing as per earlier image of of Mines along New Chum Reef circa 1860; handwritten list of trustees from 1957, no image; collage of 2 images, one of previous shot of outside the church with members gathered, the other of the choir in action; copies of line ads for Bendigo Advertiser beginning with 30 July 1859 and relating to the Begelhole family and a list of Descendants of Henry William Bugelhoal / Begelhole on 3 stapled A4 typed pages, back to 1791; Another almost A4 image of the mines along the New Chum Line of Reef, with GSMC in the background; a smaller image of an unidentified marriage and Minister behind which is a larger image of the same; two versions of 1/2 A4 size 'With Compliments' cards, one of card enclosing images re- Commemorative pavers and associated memorabilia, and two women one of whom looks to be Barbara Mamouney. And one (with Comps) of paper with no image inside; a typed list of names of those in an undisclosed photo.golden square uniting church, the cornish in bendigo, list of photos (images)

This porthole and porthole cover was removed from the stern of the Newfield wreck, on the starboard side. The barque Newfield left Liverpool on 1st June 1892 with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt for Brisbane. About six weeks later the ship ran into very heavy weather approaching the Australian coast. On 28th August at about 9pm her master, Captain George Scott, observed between the heavy squalls the Cape Otway light on the mainland of Victoria, but due apparently to a navigational error (the chronometers were incorrect), he mistook it for Cape Wickham on King Island, some 40 miles south. He altered course to the north expecting to run through the western entrance of Bass Strait, but instead, at about 1:30am, the ship ran aground about about 100 yards from shore, one mile east of Curdies River. The vessel struck heavily three times before grounding on an inner shoal with six feet of water in the holds. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished.Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects. The Newfield collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international cargo ship. The Newfield collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its association with the shipwreckPorthole frame, including porthole and porthole cover, from the wreck of the Newfield. Porthole secured by nine bolts. It was removed from the stern of the wreck on the starboard side. there is some marine growth on the porthole. The cover still opens. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, 1892, 1893, 28 august 1892, 29 august 1892, barque, curdie's river, newfield, nineteenth century, peter ronald, peterborough, port campbell, porthole, porthole cover, shipwrecks, victorian shipwrecks, porthole frame

Articles for RHSV Bendigo Branch Newsletter October 1973. 1. ''Bachelor's Brotherhood'' from Bendigo Advertiser 29th Dec 1855 re club rooms of this order of brethren (next door to Mr Burrow's leather warehouse, Pall Mall; mention of J D Bouran; B Parjeon; 2. ''Bells in and around Bendigo - No 7 the 'Esperanza' Bell at Spring Gully State School'' - re sinking of the Esperanz 1868, Newcastle. ''made its way to Spring Gully State School''; 3. ''The Central Napoleon Mine'' (Sparrowhawk Gully) Mention O Three Toms Mine, Friedman & Co., Friedman's Reef, Mr A Mooney, 4. ''Miners' Phthisis''. Mention of Dr Walter Summons (1906-07) reports of the disease and causes .by, W Abraham, Inspector of Mines; W Abraham (Bendigo Inspector of Mines) re ventilation; improvements at the Suffolk United mine (spray of water and compressed air); 5. One handwritten page relating to an article published in Nov & Dec 1973 issues of the Newsletter - author Philip Herdman re the Diamond Hill Company (late Melbourne Hope). [Refer to these Newsletters for full article].cottage, miners

Handwritten notes from Bendigo Advertiser reports. (1) Mr J. H. Craig reports- Victoria Reef Quartz - Cleaned and tested No 3 boiler. Have bailed 3,905 tanks. Water now 2.953 feet from surface. At Lazarus - Bailed 4,828 tanks. At New Chum Railway - Cleaned and tested boilers and flues, effected repairs to machinery and shaft, and started bailing at 3 pm on Friday 29th inst, and bailed 965 tanks. Bendig Advertiser 3/8/1910 Page 2 Mining Intelligence. (2) New Chum Mines - Better progress is now being made in lowering the water in the deep level workings at the New Chum Mines. At the Victoria Quartz, the water which on Monday stood at 3073feet, has been lowered 70 feet during the past four days. The pumping service at the New Chum Railway was in operation yesterday, and the winding plant is fully occupied. There is a considerable quantity of water toraise, and the companies have a difficult task before them. Bendigo Advertiser 5/8/1910 Page 2. Document from Albert Richardson Collection of mining history.gold, drainage problems, new chum drainage association, new chum mines drainage problems 1910, bendigo advertiser 3/8/1910 page 2, mr j h craig, victoria reef quartz, lazarus, new chum railway, bendigo advertiser 5/8/1910 page 2, albert richardson

Six pages of handwritten notes regarding the New Chum Drainage Proposals. Extracts from the Bendigo Advertiser mentioning the rising of the water in the New Chum Mines. An Advertiser report 27/12/1910 mentions that deep mining will have to be abandoned owing to the absence of some proper scheme to cope with the water. An arrangement had been made by which the companies affected along the line should contribute to a scheme. Suggestions made that the water be lifted by electric pumps. Baling with tanks had been tried for 6 months and then abandoned. Directors Report Victoria Reef Quartz Jan 1911 mentions unwatering had been carried on with assistance of Government. On the 20th Dec, one rope gave out. Decided that replacing it and doing the necessary work could not be met in the present financial conditions. It was also considered that the costof trying to reach the bottom reefcut in the New Chum Railway could not be continued by baling as its cost proved too expensive, while it could probably be done economically & effectively by electric pump which is now subject to negotiations with the Mining Dept.' At the end of the report is a Balance Sheet. Document from Albert Richardson Collection of mining history.document, gold, drainage problems, drainage problems, new chum drainage proposals, bendigo advertiser 11/1/1911 page 7, victoria quartz, victoria consols, bendigo advertiser 5/7/1910 page 3, mr h v whitelaw, mines dept, insp ross, lansell's 180, 222, new chum consolidated, lazarus, bendigo advertiser 6/7/1910 page 7, 9/7/1910 page 9, drainage troubles, bendigo advertiser 8/7/ page 8, new chum railway, south belle vue, eureka ext'd, bgo adv 25/7 1910, 27/12/1910 page 2, rae's machine, bendigo advertiser 2/1/1911, mr mcbride, mines dept, mr stanfield, mines act, bendigo advertiser 16/1/1911 page 3, victoria reef quartz half yearly meeting 1911, directors report and balance sheet, geo paynting

This Non-return valve was recovered from the wreck of the Newfield. Non-return valves can be used to pump water out.of a vessel The barque Newfield left Liverpool on 1st June 1892 with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt for Brisbane. About six weeks later the ship ran into very heavy weather approaching the Australian coast. On 28th August at about 9pm her master, Captain George Scott, observed between the heavy squalls the Cape Otway light on the mainland of Victoria, but due apparently to a navigational error (the chronometers were incorrect), he mistook it for Cape Wickham on King Island, some 40 miles south. He altered course to the north expecting to run through the western entrance of Bass Strait, but instead, at about 1:30am, the ship ran aground about about 100 yards from shore, one mile east of Curdies River. The vessel struck heavily three times before grounding on an inner shoal with six feet of water in the holds. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished.Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is significant for its association with the shipwreck Newfield, which is listed on the Victorian Heritage Registry. The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects. The Newfield collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international cargo ship. The Newfield collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its association with the shipwreck.A non-return valve used to connect to a hose on a bilge pump on a vessel. This valve is from the ship Newfield and was used to pump water out of the vessel. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, 1892, 1893, 28 august 1892, 29 august 1892, barque, curdies river, newfield, nineteenth century, non return valve, peter ronald, peterborough, port campbell, shipwrecks, victorian shipwrecks, valve, bilge pump

This metal bracket is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The bracket was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The bracket is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The bracket is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The bracket also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The bracket is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard.Bracket, brass, U shaped with rectangular flat ends. Both ends have a formed rectangular hole in them; the hole has rounded corners. The metal has corroded in places and has green concretion.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wooden ship, ship fitting, bracket

This metal sphere is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The sphere was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The sphere is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The sphere is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The sphere also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The sphere is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard. Sphere; thin hollow copper, various shades of brown, dimpled or hammered surface with a sheen, no joins. Base has a small hole and is fitted with a hollow, cylindrical brass collar. The collar had a rim on top, inward curving sides and a narrower rim on the bottom. The sphere looks similar to a bed post knob.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wooden ship, ship fitting, sphere, knob, bed knob, post decoration

McColl Rankin & Stanistreet solicitors electronic ledger entries for various Bendigo Gold Mining Companies 6994.1 Wages sheet - Nell Gwynne Reef Mine; manila folder containing one sheet of paper with wages entry for week ending 9th December 1979 6994.2 Ledger of names in alphabetical order, undated !!! 6994.3 Bound ledger, noted as Central Comet G. M. Co (Gold Mining Company), No Liability. handwritten entries by many hands. dated 11 March 1898 to 4 December 1899. reporting on payments not authorised by the Directors. Entries over five double pages majority of the ledger is unused. 6994.4 Deborah Gold Mines, No Liability, electronic ledger sheets dated from 1945 to 1950, for supplies, etc. 6994.5 Forfeited Share Sales. Exercise book with unreadable cover notation, listing sales of forfeited shares in various companies managed by McM R & S. 6994.6 South Deborah Gold Mines, No Liability. Paper pages containing ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.7 East Clarence Gold Mining Company, No Liability. Paper pages of electronic ledger cards. Dated 1940s for wide range of company expenditures. 6994.8 Forbes Carshalton G. M. Co. No Liability paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.9 South Nell Gwynne G. M. Co. No Liability paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.10 Napoleon Reef G. M. Co. No Liability paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.11 Deborah United G. M. Co. No Liability paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.12 Central Napoleon G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.13 Golden Carshalton G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.14 North Virginia G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.15 New Monument G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.16 South Nell Gwynne G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.17 New Don G. M. Co. No Liability; paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. 6994.18 Red White & Blue Extended G. M. Co. No Liability paper pages with ledger entries. Dated 1940s. Company stamp at the top of the electronic ledger pagessocial history, mining company records, mining companies

McColl Rankin & Stanistreet, New Star Gold Mine Harrietville NL. Collection of documents in envelope. a/ Agreement with the unregistered mining syndicate South Blue Consolidated Syndicate and Gold Exploration (Victoria) Co ML application No. 9982 for a Gold Mining Lease of land at Bendigo on Southern Extension of the Sheepshead or Red White & Blue Line of Reef. Dated: 17/6/1932. Signatures: James Phillips, Stanistreet, J M Leed, C J Michelsen, Jardine?? MacKay. 2 pages. b/ Harry Raymond Johnson & Ellis Douglas McDonnel Doyle on behalf of a No Liability Company to be formed, application for Gold Mining Lease NO. 7514 (Beechworth). Vendors are taking steps to a Company to be entitled New Star Gold Mine Harrietville. Signed: ??, E? McDoyle, ??, McColl Rankin & Stanistreet, ?? Dated:1/5/19/33. 2 pages. c/ Indenture between Ellis Douglas McDonnell Doyle, Harry Raymond Johnson and New Star Gold Mine Harrietville NL the company was formed on 27/6/1933 registered and incorporated. Dated 28/6/1933. Signed: Ke? E D M Doyle, Murphy, Mary R Johnson, J Nicolsen, G? Stanistreet. 2 pages. d/ Memo attached to 2-page letter. Re: adjustment of number of shares for Mr. King. Letter acknowledging receipt of paid shares. Dated 25/7/1933. Signed C B King,?? Page 2 lists brokerage etc. for shares. Dated 11/7/1933. e/ Memo & 3-page letter. Memo re surveyor for Dargo. Allotted shares exceeds available shares. Letter: To Wonnangatta Gold Reefs Syndicate regarding purchase of lease hold property in Mining District of Gippsland. Dated 28/6/1934. Signed ?? Page 2, Balance of monies advanced from R A Rankin. Page 3, costs Re Golden Butterfly Mine. f/ Agreement to lease property in Mining District of Gippsland Mining Lease No's 5187 & 5195 Black Snake Creek Dargo, blue print map of Mine included of No.5187. Dated 28/6/1934. Signed: Keohan?, ??, G ?, Geo Kingsley, Stanistreet. 4 pages. g/ An option to purchase certain Applications for Gold Mining Leases. Date: 28/6/34. Signitures: ? M Neill, ??, G ?, J Nichelsen, Stanistreet. 2 Pages.bendigo, gold mining, south blue consolidated, mccoll rankin & stanistreet

This brass handle was found on Sea Elephant Bay beach in King Island, Tasmania, in 1913. The donor identified it as being from the wreck of the Newfield. It would could have been part of the fittings or amongst the cargo on the ship. ABOUT THE "NEWFIELD" The Newfield was a three-masted iron and steel barque, built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1889 by Alexander Stephen and Sons. It was owned by the Newfield Ship Company in 1890 and later that year It was registered in Liverpool to owners Brownells and Co. The Newfield left Sharpness, Scotland, on 28th May 1892 with a crew of 25 under the command of Captain George Scott and on 1st June left Liverpool. She was bound for Brisbane, Australia, with a cargo of 1850 tons of fine rock salt, the main export product of Sharpness. At about 9pm on 28th August 1892, in heavy weather, Captain Scott sighted, between heavy squalls, the Cape Otway light on the mainland of Victoria but, due to a navigational error (the ship’s chronometers were wrong), he assumed it to be the Cape Wickham light on King Island, some 40 miles south. He altered his course to the north, expecting to enter Bass Strait. The ship was now heading straight for the south west Victorian coast and at about 1:30am ran aground on a reef about 100 yards from shore and one mile east of Curdie’s Inlet, Peterborough. The ship struck heavily three times before grounding on an inner shoal with 6 feet of water in the holds. Rough sea made the job of launching lifeboats very difficult. The first two lifeboats launched by the crew were smashed against the side of the ship and some men were crushed or swept away. The third lifeboat brought eight men to shore. It capsized when the crew tried to return it to the ship for further rescue The Port Campbell rocket crew arrived and fired four rocket lines, none of which connected with the ship. A local man, Peter Carmody, volunteered to swim one mile to the ship with a line to guide the fourth and final lifeboat safely to shore. Seventeen men survived the shipwreck but the captain and eight of his crew perished. One of the men, apprentice William McLeod, was rescued by local woman Margaret E. MacKenzie. The Newfield remained upright on the reef with sails set for a considerable time as the wind slowly ripped the canvas to shreds and the sea battered the hull to pieces. The Marine Board inquiry found the wreck was caused by a "one man style of navigation" and that the Captain had not heeded the advice of his crew. According to Jack Loney ‘… when the drama was over . . the Newfield was deserted except for the Captain’s dog and two pigs.’ Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum has several artefacts that have been salvaged from the wreck. A report from SHP documented the following in regards to the Newfield collection: Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Newfield is of historical and archaeological significance at a State level, because of its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register. The collection is significant because of its relationship between the objects. The Newfield collection is archaeologically significant as it is the remains of an international cargo ship. The Newfield collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 (Living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the shipwreck. The Newfield collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criteria A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history Criteria B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criteria C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history Ornate brass handle, round plates each end, each with 4 round fixing holes. Found washed up on Sea Elephant Bay beach, King Island 1913, identified by donor as being from the wreck of the Newfield.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, barque newfield, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ornate handle, sailing ship fitting, sea elephant bay, king island

This photograph is of Tom Pearce, one of only 2 survivors from the shipwreck LOCH ARD. 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. Coleman Jacobs composed the music “The Young Hero Schottische” and dedicated it, by permission, to Mr. Thomas R. (Tom) Pearce. The sheet music was published in 1878 by the Messieurs Roberts, professors of dancing etc. Melbourne. It was on sale for 3/- (3 shillings) and in aid of the “LOCH ARD” fund. [This is Coleman Jacobs’ only surviving musical work Coleman Jacobs, accomplished pianist, musical performer, singer, composer, professor of music and music teacher, was born in 1827 and died on 4 July 1885, aged 58 years. Coleman Jacobs was buried in the Melbourne Cemetery (grave 461, Church of England section).] 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 Mr Tom Pearce dressed in a uniform with a medal pinned on it. Standing with his arm resting on a masonry pillar. Reverse has piece of tape centre top and bottom. Also has printed maker’s information. Printed by the Photographic Society of Victoria, Melbourne.Printed green 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 maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, loch ard shipwreck, tom pearce, thomas r pearce, eva carmichael, mutton bird island, loch ard survivor, loch ard hero, coleman jacobs, the young hero schottische, photograph of tom pearce

This photograph is of Tom Pearce, one of only 2 survivors from the shipwreck LOCH ARD. 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. Coleman Jacobs composed the music “The Young Hero Schottische” and dedicated it, by permission, to Mr. Thomas R. (Tom) Pearce. The sheet music was published in 1878 by the Messieurs Roberts, professors of dancing etc. Melbourne. It was on sale for 3/- (3 shillings) and in aid of the “LOCH ARD” fund. [This is Coleman Jacobs’ only surviving musical work Coleman Jacobs, accomplished pianist, musical performer, singer, composer, professor of music and music teacher, was born in 1827 and died on 4 July 1885, aged 58 years. Coleman Jacobs was buried in the Melbourne Cemetery (grave 461, Church of England section).] 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 Mr Tom Pearce dressed in a uniform with a medal pinned on it. Standing with his arm resting on a masonry pillar.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, loch ard shipwreck, tom pearce, thomas r pearce, eva carmichael, mutton bird island, loch ard survivor, loch ard hero, coleman jacobs, the young hero schottische, photograph of tom pearce

This wooden ship's wheel originally had eight spokes but four are no longer in their sockets. One of the spokes has been shaped. Both sides of the wheel have a brass cap over the centre of the hub, covering the wooden hub. The wood is split and cracked, and parts of it have small holes, a sign of being affected by the sea worm. Thick encrustations are on parts of the wheel, showing that it has been on the sea bed for quite some time. The donor is a Warrnambool resident. Years ago he was cray fishing at King Island, which is in Bass Strait, northwest of Tasmania. His craypot got stuck in a reef so a diver helped him by retrieving the craypot for him. While the diver was underwater he also stumbled across the ship's wheel, which he gave to the donor. The Bass Strait is a very narrow route that was difficult and dangerous to navigate in the early 19th century, before good maps, communications and lighthouses were installed. The area, including King Island, is the graveyard of many ships that almost made it to their destination of Melbourne along Australia's treacherous coastline. Around King Island alone, many ships and lives were lost. There is no information about the history of this ship's wheel. Its condition shows that the item has been under the water for a long time. However, there is no evidence that it came from a shipwreck. It could even have been an old ship that could have been scuttled or destroyed as it was no longer useful. The wheel is significant as a sign of shipping around King Island. It is part of the island's history, and of maritime history. It is an example of an item manufactured by hand.Ship's wheel; segment of a wooden ship's wheel. It once had eight spokes but only portions of four spokes remain. The outer centres of the hub and the reinforcing bands around the hub are brass. The wheel is heavily encrusted in parts. It was recovered from an unknown shipwreck in the waters of King Island.great ocean road, warrnambool, shipwreck artefact, artefact, ship's wheel, ship's wheel segment, portion of a ship's wheel, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, flagstaff hill divers, marine technology, navigation, steering wheel, eight spoke wheel, king island, craypot, diver

This photograph is a copy of an original painting by the Australian marine artist A V Gregory (1867-1957), also known as Arthur Victor Gregory. Gregory lived and worked in South Melbourne. He took over the Gregory Studio owned by his father, George Frederick Gregory, painting actively between 1899 and 1932. He usually signed his works as ‘A V Gregory’. Some of his original works have been sold for thousands of dollars. The barque "La Bella" was built in 1893 in Norway. On 31st October she commenced her maiden voyage. After six voyages, the vessel was offered for sale in Hamburg. After much negotiation, she was sold on December 1900 for £3,600 to Mr D C Turnbull and sailed back to New Zealand. The "La Bella" was primarily used on the Australian-New Zealand run, her cargo being timber, coal and produce. In October 1904, she ran aground at Owhira bay, New Zealand. The vessel was subsequently refloated. In November 1904, the "La Bella" attempted to enter Warrnambool Harbour without a pilot aboard. The vessel struck Annabella reef and many members of the crew perished. The "La Bella" captain was later charged and found guilty of negligence. In 1905 he was charged and tried for manslaughter. He died of a heart attack later that year and is buried in an unmarked grave at Melbourne General Cemetery.The detailed image of the vessel depicted in this photograph shows one of the many sail and steam vessels painted by the renowned Victorian marine artist A V Gregory, whose original works are highly valued today by marine collectors.Photograph of a painting of the three-masted sailing ship "La Bella" sailing through Port Phillip Heads. The original painting is by marine artist A V Gregory. A label is pasted below the photograph. The artist's signature is visible.Signed "GREGORY-01" Painted on the ship's bow "LA BELLA" Typed label "Painted by Gregory completed in 1901, showing the La Bella sailing through Port Phillip Heads'.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, la bella, d c turnbull, warrnambool harbour, lady bay

This ceramic soap dish was recovered from the wreck of the 1882-1883 George Roper between the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. It is one of the shipwreck artefacts in the John Chance Collection. Soap dishes were often part of a wash set that also included a water jug and wash bowl. The holes in the dish allowed water to drain out of the dish, keeping the soap dry for next use. The GEORGE ROPER 1882 - 1883 - The George Roper was a 4-masted iron sailing ship built in Liverpool, England, in 1882 for fast international trade with Australia. The large vessel was launched in February 1883. The ship was on its first trip, departing Liverpool for Melbourne, captained by John Ward and a crew of 31. She had almost reached her destination on July 4 1883, approaching Port Phillip Bay and being towed by the steam tug William. The weather changed to rough with fog and both the George Roper and the William hit the dangerous Lonsdale Reef at Port Phillip Heads. The Captain and crew were eventually rescued and taken to Queenscliff. Salvage syndicates were able to recover a lot of the cargo before the George Roper broke up and sank. Amongst the cargo was soft goods, draperies, household items, spirits of malt and distilled liquors, chemicals, dynamite, and 1,400 tons of steel rails for the Victorian Government. Also in the hold were Russell Stourbridge bricks, as paying ballast. This 1880s soap dish is an example of personal hygiene accessories and may have been part of a set comprising jug, bowl and dish.. The soap dish is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the George Roper in the 1960s-70s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The soap dish is significant for its association with the barque George Roper, which is considered historically and archaeologically significant and as such, is listed on the Victorian Heritage Database, VHR S286. The George Roper is an example of a vessel built specifically for fast travel to and from Australia with a large shipment of cargo. Its cargo of steel rails adds to the historical significance of international trade to the growing colony of Australia and Victoria in particular, with rail transportation soon to become a faster and safer form of transportation between colonial towns. Divers can still access parts of the scattered wreck and other artefacts recovered in the 1970s and 1980s can be viewed in both public and private collections. Soap dish; glazed white porcelain. Round shallow bowl with blue patterned border, resembling butterflies. Two raised, concentric rings are moulded into the base. Six pierced holes are evenly spaced between the rings, five holes are in the centre of the dish.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, john chance, west coast trader, george roper, captain john ward, russell stourbridge bricks, port phillip heads, lonsdale reef, dive wreck, vhr s286, coastal trader, ceramic, vintage, personal hygiene, bathroom accessory, soap dish

This oak wood sample is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The wood sample was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The wood sample is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The sample is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The sample is also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The sample is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard. Wood sample, oak wood fixed between plates and secured by a washer and bolt. There are five layers, each decreasing in size from base to the top. The bottom is a five-sided copper plate, above it is the oak sample that is crumbling and fragile, then a half-disc metal plate, then a square metal washer, then a round metal bolt head. The metal plate has unequal sides, the longest is parallel to the strait side of the half disc. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wood sample, wooden ship, oak timber, ship fitting

Gold was discovered on Victoria Hill in 1854 and by 1861, 1,200,000 ounces of gold had been extracted from the site. The first claim was bought for 80 pounds by Prussian immigrant Christopher Ballerstedt and his son Theodore. Christopher Ballerstedt was nicknamed the "Father of the Hill" and was the first to prove that gold reefs extended below the surface. His 200-foot plus mine shafts yielded quartz rich with gold, inspired other miners, and were instrumental in Bendigo becoming the world's deepest and richest goldfield. The site still features relics of nineteenth century mining including quartz crushing machinery and the foundations of George Lansell’s 180 mine. These features are characteristic of Bendigo’s mining history and represent two prominent nineteenth century miners, Christopher Ballerstedt and George Lansell, who held important roles in the development of Bendigo. Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are registered as a site of significance. The site is of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to Victoria. The mines represent the symbolic heart of Bendigo’s gold mining history and the importance that mining played in wealth creation and the development of Victoria. The diggings reserve is accessed from the rear of Albert Richardson Reserve located at 40-56 Marong Road, Ironbark. The site has steep and unformed paths and is closed to the public at dusk. It is important to stay to the paths to avoid the diggings. Interpretive signs help visitors to appreciate the importance of the site and the remaining relics of Bendigo’s mining history.Victoria Hill Ironbark, Bendigo. Photos of the poppet head, sand heap, tailings, shafts and tunnels. Before development into a tourist attraction.history, bendigo, victoria hill, ironbark, diggings

"Article compiled by Joan McEwan, great-granddaughter, researched by James Tibbett, great, great grandson." Richard Williams was born in St. Blazey, Cornwall in 1831 to James and Ann Williams. Married to Mary Thomas with whom he had 12 children: Eliza Ann "Lou" Thomas, Sarah Mary "Molly" Williams, Margaret "Peg" Williams (born 1858), Ellen Williams (1859-1860), George Williams (b. 1861), Richard Williams (b.1862), John Williams (1863-1866), Ellen Williams (b.1865), Stephen John Williams (b.1867), Albert James Williams (b. 1868), Michael Thomas Williams (b.1871) and Laura Williams (b.1872). Worked in the Cornish mines until he was 21 and sought work in America. Landed in Melbourne on 20 December 1857 in search of gold. Was given supervision of the work conducted in the 1864 Cinderella Claim belonging to Geroge Lansell, among others. Williams was later named manager of all of Lansell's mines. Williams later opposed Lansell in favour of better working conditions for miners. Williams was then in charge of the Johnson Reef Company until his retirement. He worked on the administrative council at the Bendigo School of Mines, was named Justice of the Peace and was a founding member of the California Hill Methodist Church. Williams died in Eaglehawk in 1903. Additional articles further narrate the history of Eaglehawk BoroughA3 colour photocopies of the 18 February 2005 edition of the Eaglehawk Times newspaper. Date of photocopy unknown. Location of original paper unknown. Page 12 contains the biography of Richard Williams, aka Cap'n Dick. The article was compiled by Williams' great-granddaughter, Joan McEwan, and 2 x Great Grandson, James Tibbett. The article shows significant discolouration, rips and tears, folds and cuts. Unknown page number contains articles written about the history of Eaglehawk borough.richard williams, cap'n dick, newspaper, eaglehawk times, lansell mines, biography, johnson reef company, eaglehawk heritage society, allan james, ian glanville, noelene wild, sailors gully mission hall

The context in which the hat was made and worn assists in establishing its potential historic significance. 'Bailliere's Victorian Gazetteer and Road Guide containing the most recent and accurate information as to every place in the Colony' (1870), describes the village of Vaughan as being located on the road from Daylesford to Castlemaine. In 1870 the Vaughan was deemed to be entirely a gold mining area, gold having been discovered in the district in 1853. Intriguingly the entry in the Gazetteer claims that the electoral division of Vaughan began at the junction of the Middleton Creek and the Loddon River, so perhaps the cap might have belonged to a member of a significant local family. In 1870, Vaughan had a population of about 1000 persons and included almost 300 dwellings. Articles from newspapers, published on Trove refer frequently to a Mr Middleton as a litigant in court cases before the Vaughan Court in the 1860s. By the 1870s, the Mt Alexander Mail, in an article on ‘Mining: The Pioneer Wheel’ describes the success of Mr Middleton and his Middleton’s Reef Gold Quartz Mining Company, which had built the largest water wheel in the Colony. The wheel was 20’ in diameter and 2’ wide. Quartz mining as practiced by companies such as Middleton’s had become necessary after the exhaustion of alluvial quartz mining deposits in the 1860s. So we can probably establish a link between the cap and a significant mining identity in the period in which the article was made. The historical significance of the cap is only one part of the story. Caps such as the Middleton example can also be items of aesthetic significance as they were typically, examples of women’s work, using published patterns in magazines such as the Ladies Home Magazine. While women might follow or adapt a published pattern, their choice of materials reflected what was available locally. The fine hand stitching on this example is evidence of high quality domestic needlework. The maker crafted the cap from five triangular pieces of cotton cloth, each piece lined with a faded yellow net. The net provides some stiffening for the cap and has a functional purpose in that it anchors the hand-stitched, looped design of yellow silk ribbon that decorates the surface of the cap. Gentleman’s smoking (lounging) cap believed to have been made in c.1860-69. The conical hat is made of a dark green cotton fabric embroidered with narrow ribbon of a paler green silk. The unlined rimless hat is made of four pieces of fabric. There is no evidence of the hat at one stage featuring a tassle. The original donation record noted that the cap had been made for, and was worn by, a Mr Middleton, of Vaughan in Central Victoria. Nilhats, smokers hats, men's clothing

A4 page with handwritten letter to Mr J Hattam of Bendigo from a son of John Ayre of Morwell. He has enclosed a wages book with the daily rate of pay. He says this is the last entry in the book of his father, John Ayre, as he was killed in the mine the next day. He wants to know if this is of interest to the society. Also typed copy: Inq. 636 Ayre, John 43 years - 28 November, 1914. 'M' + 'B' Echuca, 1871 Johnson's Reef No 2; explosion. Ayre was shift boss working in the intermediate level above the 1730 ft level, 300 ft from the crosscut, in the 'Paddy's Gully Mine', Dr Caulfield attended him. Inquest held at the Rose of Denmark Hotel, it appears that he had bored into a charged hole. Workers Compensation Act' was just coming into force. Also mentioned is Lily Ann Harrison, the mother of 7 children, who lived in Buckley Street. Her Father was John and her Mother Helen Plenty Caldwell. Coats Burial: Bendigo, '11' Headstone, C of E. '22624, no further burials. Ref: Bendigo Advertiser - Monday 30/11/1914. Written at the bottom Fm Bendigo's Lost Miners 1852 - 2001.person, individual, john ayre, mr j hattam, john ayre, wages book, johnson's reef no 2, paddy's gully mine, dr caulfield, rose of denmark hotel, lily ann harrison, helen plenty caldwell, coats burial, bendigo advertiser

McColl Rankin & Stanistreet, New Star Gold Mine Harrietville NL. a/ Department of Mines 20.2.1934 laboratory reports results, 3 receipts attached, list of general expenses, quarter ended 30.4.1934, heading Dargo ''Gold Butterfly'' Gold Butterfly crossed out hand inscription Gold Reefs Syndicate, Wanangatta, Dargo. b/ copy of Purchase agreement of leasehold land for the purpose of mining. Dated 28.6.1934. c/ Payments by R.A. Rankin - Office Account A/C Leases No's. 5187 and 5195 Dargo, Gippsland, prior to exercise of option. Inscription: Paid by New Star Company ?? On ?? 1934 ?? ?? ??. d/ Letter: purchase of Leases No's 5187 & 5195 Black Snake Black Snake Creek, Dargo. Dated: 22.8.1934. e/ letter acknowledging receipt of payment for application of Lease No. 5187, lease will be delayed until precise area is determined. Signed: ?? Rankin. 3 pence stamp for stamp duty attached. Dated: 23.8.1934. f/ Memo, Mr Grelis. Re Leases No's 5187 & 5195 Dated: 4.9.1935. Signed: ?? g/ McColl Rankin & Stanistreet business envelope. Envelope labelled New Star Gold Mine Harrietville. 46.organization, business, gold mine, mccoll rankin & stanistreet, new star gold mine harrietville nl. dargo ''gold butterfly'' gold reefs syndicate, wanangatta, dargo black snake black snake creek 1934 1935

The postcard shows a photograph of William Ferrier, the 25-year-old Warrnambool fisherman from South Warrnambool whose rescue of two sailors from the wrecked La Bella made him an overnight National hero, quoted as “one of the most heroic rescues in Victoria’s shipwreck history”. The La Bella was wrecked on 10th November 1905 and the photograph was taken on the next day. In the photograph, William Ferrier is seated in the centre, with four of the five survivors beside him: (from left to right) Leonard Robertson, R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. The photograph was taken by Foyle Photography Studio in Warrnambool, originally owned by James Charles Foyle. He previously had a photographic studio in Melbourne 1882 1887, then opened “Foyle’s Photo Card Studios” in Liebig St, Warrnambool. James Foyle died on 13th July 1905 and his son and daughter, Charles and Lilian Foyle continued on with the business until 1945. This photograph was most likely taken by either Charles or Lilian Foyle. The story of William Ferrier’s brave act follows on below … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, the company was one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the Pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October 1905, the twelve-year-old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia. She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a northwesterly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with seawater and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on the shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11 pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11 pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2 am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise, the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning, Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25-year-old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days, an unidentified body of a young person had washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues, he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor-General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. As well as this postcard, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and the letter from the Prime Minister and other Members of Parliament that was sent to William Ferrier to commend him for his bravery. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. This postcard is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The photograph of William Ferrier and four of the five survivors demonstrates the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The postcard is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it portrays William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The postcard connects to the congratulatory letter which was sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia and demonstrates the importance they attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The postcard is also an example of the photography of Foyle Photographers who were in the town of Warrnambool from the late 1800’s. Charles and Lillian Foyle took over the business when their father James died in 1905. Lillian Foyle is significant as the first woman photographer in Warrnambool. It is not known whether Charles of Lillian took this photograph. This postcard is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella”. The “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Sepia photograph of William (Bill) Ferrier (seated in the middle), heroic rescuer of two crew members of the La Bella, wrecked at Warrnambool. The photograph is a postcard and shows five men dressed formally in suits and hats. Printed below the photograph are the name and place of the photographer, a royal crest and the details of two patrons of the photographer. Also below the photograph are some handwritten words in black pen. On the back of the postcard is a handwritten message in the same writing as the front.Printed on the front of the card is “Foyle, WARRNAMBOOL” “PATRONS: / HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CORNWALL & YORK. / HIS EXCELLENCY LORD BRAS_ EY, R.O.B.” Handwritten on the front of the card is “Bill Ferrier / rescuer / Oh my hero _ _ _ “ Handwritten on the back of the card is a message. “La Bella” Wrecked off W.Bool Breakwater Nov. 1906 (_ _ _ _ show night) Payne Noake Rosenholme Robertson and Capt Mylius (saved) (moonlight bright) Watson (_ _ _ _ boy) Richwoud [possibly Richmond] drowned” and signed “Desdewoua [possibly Desdemona] Slogos”la bella, foyle, william ferrier, bill ferrier, lady bay, 1905, 10th november 1905, 11th november 1905, parliament of the commonwealth, royal humane society medal, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

The letter to William Ferrier of South Warrnambool from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth recognised the significance of William’s brave and courageous lifesaving act to the people of Australia; “They all feel that your conduct was worthy of the best deeds done by British sailors in the past and they are proud to know that Australia can produce such as you.” The story of that brave rescue follows on below … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, The company was one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the Pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October 1905, the twelve-year-old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia. She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with seawater and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on the shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11 pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11 pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2 am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise, the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning, Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25-year-old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days, an unidentified body of a young person has washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues, he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor-General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with the manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. As well as this letter, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and a postcard of William Ferrier with four of the survivors. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. This original congratulatory letter sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia demonstrates the importance attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The letter is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The letter to William Ferrier from the Australian Government acknowledges the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The letter is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it honours William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The letter connects to the postcard of William Ferrier with four of the five rescued crew, the photograph of the wreck of the La Bella and the artefact from the wreck, the rail holder. This letter is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella”. The “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Letter to William Ferrier of South Warrnambool from the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament commending him on his bravery. The printed letterhead includes a coat of arms in the top centre and the official address. The letter is very neatly hand written in black pen and includes 4 signatures of Members of Parliament. The rectangular paper is cream coloured with some yellow/brown discolouring. It has the letterhead on the right hand side of it and the written letter begins below the letterhead. The paper has been folded so that the right side becomes the cover page of the letter. The writing is continued onto the inside right hand page of the folded paper and the writing ends here. There is more recent writing on the bottom right hand corner of the back page. The paper has been officially folded in half a total 3 times and there is heavy discolouration on the sections that form the front and back of the folded letter. There is a 4th fold line that is less pronounced that the other folds and would make the paper the size to fit into a pocket. At several fold creases the paper has worn through. The edges of the paper have minor tears. The printed coat of arms is that of the House of Representatives. Underneath is printed “The Parliament of the Commonwealth, / Parliament House / Melbourne”. The hand written, letter is dated “14th November, 1905” and addressed to “Mr. William Ferrier / South Warrnambool” The letter begins “The Speaker, the Prime Minister and Members of the Ministry and its supporters, the Leader and Members of the Opposition, the Leader and Members of the Labour Party, being all the Members of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Australia” … It continues “desire to express to you their appreciation of your bravery in skulling out to the wreck of the “La Bella” at Warrnambool on Saturday, 11th November, 1905, and recovering therefrom two of the crew who were in imminent danger of their lives. They all feel that your conduct was worthy of the best deeds done by British sailors in the past and they are proud to know that Australia can produce such as you.” The letter is “Signed on behalf of the Members – Speaker (Frederick Holder ), Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Joseph Cook ), Prime Minister (Alfred Deakin), Leader of the Labour Party ( J.C. Watson)” On the back of the letter is blue ink handwriting “OWNER / G. FERRIER / TO. BE. PHOTOGRAPHED / 27-4-76”la bella, william ferrier, bill ferrier, lady bay, 1905, 10th november 1905, 11th november 1905, parliament of the commonwealth, prime minister, australian government, new zealand, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

This brass rail holder fixture would have been used to hold the end of a rail in place. There is no information as to where the fitting or rail would have been placed on the ship; sailing ships had many brass fittings. It was recovered from the wreck of the La Bella, which lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, the company being one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October, 1905, the twelve year old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia . She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. . Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25 year old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days an unidentified body of a young person was washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later, when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan, after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked, but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. As well as this letter, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and a postcard of William Ferrier with four of the survivors. This original congratulatory letter sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia demonstrates the importance attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The letter is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The letter to William Ferrier from the Australian Government acknowledges the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The letter is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it honours William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The letter connects to the postcard of William Ferrier with four of the five rescued crew, the photograph of the wreck of the La Bella and the artefact from the wreck, the rail holder. This item is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella” . the “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Brass rail holder from the wreck "La Bella". This rail holder would have been used as a fitting for the end of a rail. It is made up of two parts and looks a little like a goblet in shape. The top is a hollow spherical shape with a circular hole cut out on one side, into which the end of a round rail would fit. There are two gouge marks close to each other on one side of the hole, about one centimetre apart, at 1 and 2 o’clock position. The sphere has a hollow pipe-like stem with a screw thread turned into the outside of the lower section and the bottom of the stem has been flared out after having the base fitted. The base is round and has a mound in the centre. The edge has four evenly spaced fixture holes around its edge. The metal shows signs of pitting and has mild encrustation. The fitting of the base is loose, allowing it to swivel in a complete circle. The top of the sphere is rough and has a dent in it. Underneath the base there is verdigris; some has flaked off and reveals a bright golden colour underneath. rail holder, brass rail holder, la bella, lady bay, norway, 1893, new zealand, captain mylius, william ferrier, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

Two hand written pages with year dates and what took place at that time. Dates range from 1852 to 1950's. 1950's - mining stopped in Long /G. 1926 - First Teachers training College established. Taylor Horsefields Engineering works - Horsefield a genius. Pioneered local production of compressed air driven roak-drills, specialized in rock bores and drills exported them throughout the world. Harvester - for f/ter in Harvest equipment. 1856 - Anglican School opened held church as well as school. Manchester Arms, Admiral Arms both has pretentious music halls attracted large crowds. 1862 - Ironbark, Long Gully sought annexation by the Municipality of Sandhurst. 1872 - Long Gully Fire Brigade was formed. Keen rivals. 1850 - recognised Chinese camp. ? Long Gully - due to the sinking deeper and the rewards generally richer, became the heart of 'Little Cornwall' - Cornish people. * Tent Church services held in 1862. Long Gully Mine opened April 1852. On the back of the first page is written - Mines - Reefs. mines mentioned are New Chum Hill, the New Chum and Victoria, The Victoria HIll Ironbark, The North Old Chum, Lansell's Big 180, Ballerstadt's Open-Cut, and the Victoria Quartz Mine.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - 1852 to 1950's, first teachers training college, taylor horsefields engineering works, anglican school, manchester arms, admiral arms, municipality of sandhurst, long gully fire brigade, chinese camp, little cornwell, long gully mine