Cast iron mercury bucket, used to hold mercury, potentially in the process of recovering minute pieces of gold mixed in soil and sediments. See research page for description of one process of using mercury to extract gold.gold mines, mining equipment, mercury bucket, miners used mercury in a number of ways to amalgamate gold, with each mill or battery operator having their preferred method depending on the nature of the ore. by the late 1850s the most common way of crushing goldbearing quartz ores or consolidated alluvial cements was in a stamp battery. the battery featured heavy iron stamp heads held in a frame, with each head often weighing up to 500 pounds (226 kg) or more (see msv 1880, page 45) (birrell 2005). stamp heads were lifted and dropped by a rotating overhead cam shaft driven by a steam engine or water wheel. ore was fed into a large cast-iron battery box, mixed with a steady stream of water, and pulverised by the stamp heads. in some batteries, mercury was placed in the base of the boxes to amalgamate with freed gold. the violent agitation of the mercury in the mortar box, however, could cause the mercury to break into myriad tiny globules that were carried away by the water with the tailings, thus losing a certain amount of gold in the process (thompson 1867; ritchie & hooker 1997). the water and sand slurry was splashed by the falling stamps from the box through fine mesh screens and onto inclined wooden tables below the mortar box (figure 2). the tables were covered with copper sheets or plates coated with mercury, which caught and amalgamated with a portion of the gold. the grey putty-like amalgam was periodically scraped off the sheets and retorted in a furnace to collect the gold and recover the mercury for reuse. mercury was inevitably lost from the plates, while poor maintenance resulted in further losses of gold and mercury in the tailings. mercury use and loss from gold mining in 19th century victoria. peter davies1, susan lawrence, and jodi turnbull, department of archaeology and history, la trobe university.

Ill, p.151non-fictionPeter Firkins has produced a heroic figure comparable in courage and selflessness to that of the legendary 'Weary' Dunlop, and whose story should be known by all Australians in the same way. What a wonderful epitaph to a man born into a humble Yass family at the end of the nineteenth century who, by his own determination and intellect, won a scholarship for his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Goulburn and an Exhibition to study medicine at Sydney University. Almost by pure chance he pursued his medical career in an outpost of the British Empire then known as British North Borneo to become Principal Medical Officer at the time of the Japanese occupation during World War II. The Japanese allowed the civilian medical staff to remain at their posts with the status of 'simple confinement' while at the same time the bewildered local people looked to someone for leadership in their new and unaccustomed circumstances.Aided by his wonderful wife Celia he was imperceptibly drawn into the key role of organising the underground movement among loyal native and giving support to the Australian Prisoners of War transferred to Borneo from Singapore. In 1943 he was exposed to the Japanese, arrested and terribly tortured. Donated by Major General M.P.J. O'Brien, July 2018. Signed by authorworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia

This surgical instrument kit, c1870s, originally belonged to Lord Joseph Lister. On his retirement in 1892, Lord Lister presented the instrument kit to his friend Dr Alexander Matthew. The donor of the surgical kit, Professor Ian Stewart Fraser, is the great grandson of Dr Alexander Matthew. The donor, Ian Fraser, checked with his mother about the inscription "Ethel Livie". There was no one of that name in his mother's family tree and the instruments were passed down from his mother's family.This surgical kit, made by Young of Edinburgh Scotland in the 1870s is significant because it belonged to and was most likely used by an internationally important figure in modern medicine, Lord Joseph Lister. Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, Bt., OM, FRS, PC (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912), known as Sir Joseph Lister, Bt., between 1883 and 1897, was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. By applying Louis Pasteur's advances in microbiology, he promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister successfully introduced carbolic acid (now known as phenol) to sterilise surgical instruments and to clean wounds, which led to a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for patients. Surgical instruments in original timber case, containing two steel sharp hooks with the manufacturer's stamp,"YOUNG EDINBURGH" on the handles, five steel scalpels with ebony handles in assorted sizes. Also included separately are autopsy hooks, one metal blowpipe [commonly used with urine testing apparatus] and two dissector forceps. "YOUNG EDINBURGH"; "ETHEL LIVIE"surgery

This print of Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) was given to the College by Robyn Adams, the daughter of the late obstetrician Gordan Findlay. The portrait was gifted to Dr Findlay when he stated his obstetrical practice in Wellington in 1945. The portrait was then passed to Robyn’s late husband, dermatologist Dr John Adams FRACP FACD, and hung on the wall of his dermatology practice in Wellington until 2014. Sir James Young Simpson was a significant figure in the field of obstetrics. Admitted to the University of Edinburgh at the age of fourteen, he was responsible for introducing the use of chloroform for safe analgesia in childbirth, as well as for the development of an ‘air extractor’ (the forerunner to the modern vacuum extractor) and the creation of obstetric forceps with both long and short handles. Significantly, Simpson’s long handled forceps also became the prototype for many subsequent British designs.Charcoal print in an oval shaped wooden frame. Print features a head and shoulders portrait image of a man, pictured slightly side on with his eyes looking to the left of the viewer. The main is wearing a coat, waistcoat, and a shirt buttoned up to the collar, and has dark coloured hair reaching to his shoulders.anaesthesia

Porcelain figurine of a woman holding a baby. The woman is wearing a blue dress, with a blue floral pattern, underneath a white medical coat. She has blonde hair which is tied loosely behind her, and white slip on shoes. She is holding the baby in front of her chest, with the baby's back leaning against her left forearm and the baby's head cradled in her left hand. Her right hand is supporting the baby from beneath. The baby is loosely wrapped in a white blanket, with its torso visible. The woman is standing next to a small table which supports a set of baby weighing scales and a bottle of talc next to the scales. A cloth trails down from the table to the floor. There is a manufacturing mark on the back of the base of the statue. The top row of text is obscured, but the remaining test on the mark reads 'porcellane/PRINCIPE/MADE IN ITALY'. A small Certificate of Origin tag is attached to the weighing scales by a small, thin cord. Sticker underneath the base of the statue reads 'BELLINI/PONTE VECCHIO/FIRENZE'.

The Bruck Inhaler is a modification of the Clover Inhaler, designed by Lambert Bruck. Bruck added a glass dome which enabled the level of ether to be monitored during administration. This was a revolutionary change as it removed guess work from the process.The Bruck Inhaler is a historically, aesthetically and scientifically significant piece. The basic design is based on the Clover Inhaler, but with a rounded bottom. The idea of a glass viewing window was possibly inspired by Wilson-Smith Inhaler. The Bruck Inhaler is historically significant as it is the first inhaler to be made with a completely clear lower glass section. This improved the usability for the ether administrator, and eliminated much of the guesswork associated with dosage and ether levels, which in turn improved the patient experience. This piece provides a strong local link to both anaesthetic and general medical practice at the turn of the century. The design is credited to Ludwig Bruck of Sydney, and was presumably manufactured in the same area. Bruck, as the attributed designer, holds much relevance to the significance of the object, as connected with him is much historical information about the social context of medical practice. Ludwig Bruck was a prominent figure in the medical industry. He started his medical career in Sydney as a Medical Transfer Agent, and later owned a shop at 16 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. This business is listed in the 1903 Register of Firms as a Medical Agent and Importer of Medical Instruments and Books. Bruck was vocal as a journalist and published analyses of medical statistics, as well as the well known Australasian Medical Dictionary and Handbook, which included the “List of Unregistered Medical Practitioners”. Ludwig Bruck was an immigrant. He was of German descent, which placed him in a precarious position within Sydney society during the turn of century. Bruck conducted several public conversations with prominent members of the Australian Natives Association through the Sunday News in regards to his disagreement of the employment of medical practitioners by the ANA specifically to corroborate their health insurance policies. He was also a stalwart supporter of the Australian arm of the British Medical Association, being the publisher of the first and subsequent editions of The Australian Medical Gazette. Bruck chose to end his life with a combination of poison and chloroform on 14 August 1915, after being accused of trading with the enemy during World War One. His suicide note stated his horror at leaving his business partner to deal with the tarring of his reputation as the reason for his decision. The Bruck Inhaler has aesthetic significance as it is a beautiful example of turn of the century surgical design and craftsmanship. Aseptic methods of surgery were well known by 1909, and the aesthetic design of the Bruck Inhaler conformed to these principles. The ability for the surgeon to unscrew, clean and sterilize each part of the Inhaler contributes to the streamlined design of the piece. The Buck Inhaler holds scientific significance. There is the capacity for further research to be undertaken on the object. Geoffrey Kaye often collected multiple examples of equipment, usually one for reverse engineering and another for teaching. There are currently two examples of the Bruck Inhaler in the collection, presenting an opportunity for further technical research on the object. The inhaler is oval shaped with one half made of glass to allow observation of the ether level. A vertical cross tube, 22mm in diameter passes between the face-piece and the bag [missing]. There is a stopcock for admission of oxygen or nitrous oxide opposite the bag attachment. There is a central tube, 28mm in diameter, with controllable ports on either side. There is also a tear-drop shaped fask mask.Hand engraved on side of base: L. Bruck / Sydneyclover, joseph, bruck, lambert, inhaler, rebreather, nitrous oxide, oxygen, williams, probyn

Admiral Stockdale's account of the Tonkin Bay occurrence is exciting and revelatory history; and he has justly become a national figure for his heroic and canny leadership of the American prisoners of war in Hanoi.air pilots, military - united states - biography, united states. navy - aviation - biography, prisoners of war - vietnam - biography, vietnamese conflict, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, american

Born: Florence, Tuscany, Italy 1844; Arrived Australia 1885; Died: St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1893ColonialLedger Gift, 1990Figures, haystacks and tree in rural landscape with dramatic clouds and blue sky. Gold gesso on decorative wood moulding frame.Recto: Signed "C Rolando" in red paint l.r.c of composition; Not dated; Not titledlandscape, animals, figure, trees, colonial art, rural, australian art

Born: Devon, Devonshire, England 1839; Arrived: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1868; Died: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1901VictorianLedger Gift, 1978Australian bush scene with two figures, a horse and a dog on a track with trees, hills, clouds and sky. Unframed.Recto: Signed and dated "J W CURTIS / 82" in black oil in l.l.c of composition; Not titledpainting, landscape, figure, horse, animal, trees, colonial, path, track

Born: Bradford, Yorkshire, England 1850; Arrived: Victoria, Australia c.1874; Died: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1908VictorianGift of Mr S.T.Staughton, 1978Rural landscape with animals at waters edge, trees, packed wagon and figures around a fire. Gold plated gesso on timber frame.Recto: Not signed, not dated, not titledpainting, landscape, figure, animals, wagon, horses, water, reflection, wheels, colonial

Born: London, Middlesex, England 1813; Arrived: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1832; Died: Sydney, New South Wales 1895VictorianBennett Bequest, 1999 Oil on canvas depicting portrait of seated Henry Johnson in black suit and bowtie. Polished timber frame with gold gesso inlayRecto: Not signed, not dated, not titled painting, portrait, colonial, man, face, hands, figure

Born: London, Middlesex, England 1813; Arrived: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1832; Died: Sydney, New South Wales 1895VictorianBennett Bequest, 1999 Oil on canvas depicting portrait of seated Caroline Johnson in grey dress. Polished timber frame with gold gesso inlayRecto: Not signed, not dated, not titled painting, portrait, colonial, woman, face, dress, flower, figure

sculpture, australian artist, figure, female figure, hoodie, jeans, sitting, seated

sculpture, australian artist, figure, plywood, contemporary art

sculpture, australian artist, figure, plywood, contemporary art

This sculpture is a bronze cast of Karl Duldig’s 1956 terracotta sculpture titled 'Moses'. The terracotta sculpture won the 1956 Victorian Sculptor of the Year award, an honor given by the Victorian Society of Sculptors. The National Gallery of Victoria purchased the original terracotta sculpture for the Gallery’s collection in 1956. In 1979 the NGV allowed Karl to cast the original terracotta sculpture in bronze (to a limited edition of 5). The National Gallery of Victoria holds one of these casts and one is in Duldig Studio collection. The original terracotta sculpture was exhibited in 1956 at the Olympic Arts Exhibition in Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne. Two other works by Karl were also exhibited, a sandstone titled 'Adam and Eve' and a work titled 'Fountain'. The catalogue for the Olympic exhibition, which promoted modernism across a variety of disciplines, noted that Australia’s post war immigration program had given ‘further momentum to the modernist cause’. The identification of émigré artists, such as Karl Duldig, with the acceptance of modernism in Australia became a major theme in any discussion of art and design in the post war period. Ann Carew 2016The subject Moses and the tablets of law is an important theme in the history of art. For example the National Gallery of Victoria collection includes paintings on this topic by the Australian Aboriginal artist, Queenie McKenzie (1991), prints by the Russian-French modernist artist, Marc Chagall (1956), and a painting by 19th century British academic painter, John Rogers Herbert (1870s). Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses is perhaps the most famous sculptural interpretation of the subject. In Karl’s hands we have a modern interpretation of the theme. His simplification and abstraction of form and attention to surface modeling is masterly. The figure has an emotional intensity and despite its relatively small scale, a ‘forceful monumentality’. The sculpture is aesthetically significant for its craftsmanship, expressive qualities and modernity. It is historically significant because of its associations with the 1956 Olympic Arts Festival. The Duldig Studio’s bronze cast of the sculpture was exhibited in the exhibition '1956: Melbourne, modernity and the XVI Olympiad, Museum of Modern Art at Heide.' Apart from the formal qualities of a work like Moses, its relevance as a motif in Judaism and Christian faiths ensures its place as a work of spiritual significance. Ann Carew 2016Bronze cast from terracotta sculpture. Depicts Moses as in Exodus 32 when he returns from Sinai with the tablets of the law to find his people worshipping the golden calf, in his fury he holds the tablets aloft above his head before crashing them down on the ground.

Local resident Deborah Halpern is a highly recognised and respected contemporary artist with an acclaimed national and international reputation in the arts community. She has a strong artistic connection to the area as her parents were founding members of Potters Cottage - a group of local ceramicists who were influential in the development of ceramics in Australia. Deborah Halpern donated Wayfarer through the Australian Government Cultural Gift Program. A cubist inspired kinetic work in three parts, the artwork depicts a semi abstract figure, a ‘traveller’ made out of reflective mirror and colourful ceramic tiles. Wayfarer is an excellent example of Halpern’s tile construction technique and playful style that she is renowned for. Wayfarer is one of Halpern’s first works exploring kinetics as well as combining mirror with painted ceramic tiles. Sculpture - Kinetic Ceramic, Glass, Fibreglass, Aluminium deborah halpern, wayfarer, nillumbik shire council

Eltham was a creative hub during the twentieth century, attracting innovative visual artists, architects, writers and film makers to collaborate, forging lifelong friendships and artistic legacies. Skipper produced this bronze sculpture of friend, Composer George Dreyfus for the then Shire of Eltham Art Award. Matcham Skipper (b.1921 NZ - d. 2011 Melb.) was a renowned local sculptor, jeweller and builder and an accomplished teacher, designer, ironworker, and photographer. His work is held by many museums and public collections in Australia and overseas. He was a long term resident of Montsalvat in Eltham with his family deeply involved in the building and evolution of this artists colony, which was the vision of architect and painter Justus Jorgensen. George Dreyfus (b.1928 Germany - arrived 1939 Aus) is an Australian contemporary classical, film and television composer. He has composed numerous film and television scores, including Tim Burstall's 'The Adventures of Sebastian the Fox' (1963), 'A Steam Train Passes' (1974), 'Rush' (1974), 'Dimboola' (1979) and 'The Fringe Dwellers' (1986). It was the score for 'Rush' which brought him wider recognition. He has written four operas, two symphonies, chamber music and film scores spanning five decades. Dreyfus is well known for having worked with the late director, writer and producer Tim Burstall, a key figure in Australian postwar cinema and local who lived in Eltham. Burstall was instrumental in rebuilding the Australian film industry in the 60s, creating groundbreaking Australian films including 'Stork' and 'Alvin Purple'. Figurative bronze bust of well known Australian composer George Dreyfus. He is wearing a shirt underneath a sweater. His left arm/hand is placed over his chest. His eyes are half closed as if immersed in the music. A green patina can be seen in areas on the sculpture. Signature and date cast (incised with tool) onto the back shoulder blade: 'MATCHAM SKIPPER 1987'ek prac 2015, montsalvat, eltham, george dreyfus, matcham skipper, bronze, bust, tim burstall, sculpture, rush

Acrylic on canvasSigned and dated l.l. pencil "Joseph Brown 1998"hill

Oil on canvasSigned and dated l.r. oil 'F Mesaric 07"figure

Cibachrome photographfigure, fence, radio dish

Cibachrome photographfigure, signal box

Linocut print on paper. Printer's Proof.'P/P' under bottom left section of printed area, 'HANDLINE NGURUPAI WHARF' centred under printed section, signed along bottom right edge of print area.linocut, cultural reference, pattern, figure, fishing

Ink on paperSigned 'George Bell' in lower right cornerfigure drawing, life drawing

Ink on paperSigned 'George Bell' in lower right corner.life drawing, figure drawing, figurative study

Ink on paperSigned 'George Bell' in lower right corner.life drawing, figure drawing, study

Ink on pape.Signed 'George Bell' lower right corner. life drawing, figure drawing, study, pose, human form, body

Charcoal on paper-life drawing, figure drawing, study, human form, pose, body

Ink on paper-life drawing, figure drawing, human form, study, body, pose

Charcoal on paperSigned 'George Bell' in lower left corner.body, human form, figure drawing, life drawing, pose