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Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Olympic Torch Relay Stawell - Halls Gap
Olympic Torch relay in Stawell AreaPhoto Album red cover with black spine, Photgraph of lighting the cauldron in stawell for the 2000 Olympic torch relay 10 - Colour Photographs of various people carrying Olympic Torch in the Torch relay. 7041 Male Standing on road with Olympic Torch. People in Background 7041-1 Male Running with Olypic Torch, accompanied by a girl in blue, followed by a red car with a light bar and campervan. 7041-2 Two males lighting a torch from another, both dressed in white with blue patten on one side and two blue stripes on shorts. Policeman on motorcycle to leftwith red car and campervan in background. 7041-3 Two People running carryong a torch with a policeman on motorcycle beside them, followed by a car and a campervan. 7041-4 Two men light a torch, with two girls one on each side. With red car and campervan in background ( Different angle to 7041-2) 7041--5 Man holding The Olympic torch dressed in torch bearers uniform, standing on road People and vehicle in backkground 7041-6 Stella Young carrrying the Olympic torch 7041-7 Stella Young carrying the Olympic torch for her streach of the relay. 7041-8 Lighting the cauldron at entral Park Stawell 7041-9 International flags awaiting the torch at Halls Gap 7041-10 Aboriginal dance in front of Olympic torch with watching crowd.On Spine Olympic Torch Relay Stawell Halls Gap 2000 Photo Album 9 on a blue sticker on a white sticker 9A -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Digital image Set of 10, Tony Smith, 5/09/1971 12:00:00 AM
Yields information about Ballarat Tramways and trams prior to the closure of the tramway system.Set of 10 digital images of Ballarat trams prior to closure, scanned from original slides by Tony Smith, 1971 prior to closure of the system. This set of slides, possibly on the last weekend of Mt Pleasant services - closure took place on 5/9/1971. .1 - 13 outbound in Barkly St, Mt Pleasant - with another single trucker and the Ballarat Fire Station in the background. .2 - Bogie tram and single trucker at Grant St Loop. Has the Mobile service station on the right hand side. Note the family sitting on the steps of a house on the left side watching proceedings. .3 - 14 (Mt Pleasant) and 39 ditto. .4 - 27? and 39 crossing at the Morrison St loop. .5 - 14 and another single trucker at Mt Pleasant terminus. Has the corner store in the background with adverts for Robur Tea, Womens Weekly and Coca Cola. .6 - 39 and two single truckers at the Mt Pleasant terminus. .7 - View looking south along Ripon St from Mair St, with power station buildings on the right hand side. Shows the power distribution poles on the street. .8 - Scrubber tram on 0 road with tennis court alongside. .9 - 40 running special in Wendouree Parade, near the Haddon St intersection. .10 - 40 turning from Macarthur St into Drummond St Nth.trams, tramways, mt pleasant, barkly st, grant st, victoria park, sturt st west, ripon st, view st, depot, wendouree parade, drummond st nth, macarthur st, closure, tram 14, tram 39, tram 13, tram 26, tram scrubber, 40 -
Mont De Lancey
Book, Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. Limited, Chatterbox, 1894
A vintage 1894 Chatterbox collection of puzzles, poetry and stories for children with black lined illustrations and coloured plates throughout.A vintage 1894 hardcover children's book with the title Chatterbox printed in white lettering at the top of the front cover which has a green coloured background with an illustration in a large circle showing a boy sitting on a step near a door holding a white dog on his knee. The boy is wearing a green overcoat, brown tartan cap, red cravat and a brown jacket. He has a white blanket across his left shoulder. The publisher details are printed at the bottom, with Price Three Shillings printed in black letters at the very top. Green tape covers the spine, holding the covers together. The covers are damaged and faded. The faded yellow coloured back cover has four advertisements: "Cadbury's", Symington's Pea flour and soup. Symington's Egyptian Food and 'Pears' soap.The manufacturer details are included for all. The frontispiece coloured illustration inside depicts a group of schoolboys near a red letterbox throwing snowballs at each other outside their school. A dog is watching. The title of the picture is 'A hard fought battle'. The title page has the title plus Founded by J. Erskine Clarke, M.A and publisher details with a black lined illustration of children, a woman with children at her knee reading and flowers. There are further coloured plates in the collection. The book contains plenty of puzzles, poetry, and stories for children. Pp. 412. At the back is an added supplement of Wells, Gardner, Darton & Co's Popular Books for prizes and presents. Pp.32.fictionA vintage 1894 Chatterbox collection of puzzles, poetry and stories for children with black lined illustrations and coloured plates throughout. children's books, books, children's stories, adventure stories -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Colour Photograph/s - set of 13, Carolyn Dean and Craig Tooke and John Phillips, 20/09/2001 12:00:00 AM
Set of 13 colour prints or photographs taken on the day of the Ballarat Tramway Museums 30th anniversary dinner, celebrations on 22/9/2001 by Carolyn Dean, or others as noted on the back of the photograph. All on Kodak paper. 1959.1 - Depot scene in the afternoon with signs being transferred from tram 45 to tram 18 by Alastair Reither and Dave Macartney, watched by Gavin Young. (image used in Jan. 2002 Fares Please!) .2 - Bruce Worthington, Peter Winspur, Stephen Butler, Greg Rodgers and Carolyn Dean - Photo John Phillips .3 - Craig Stephenson, Richard Gilbert and Warren Banfield .4 - John Phillips, Allison Tooke and Craig Tooke .5 - Bruce Worthington and Bob Merchant .6 - Stephen Butler - organiser speaking .7 - Stephen Butler and Peter Winspur .8 - Stephen Butler and Carolyn Dean - photo Craig Tooke .9 - Richard Gilbert, Stephen Butler, Gavin Young and Carolyn Dean - photo Craig Tooke .10 - Stephen Butler, Bill Kingsley, Gavin Young, Carolyn Dean, Austin Brehaut and Peter Winspur - photo Craig Tooke .11 - Richard Gilbert .12 - Holding their 30 year plaques - Austin Brehaut, Gavin Young, Richard Gilbert, Carolyn Dean, Bill Kingsley, Peter Winspur and Warren Doubleday - photo John Phillips .13 - ditto On rear of photograph in black ink "22.9.01" "Photo by Carolyn Dean" - except forbtm, dinner, 30th anniversary, lake lodge, tram 18, tram 40, tram 45, tram 33 -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book - Report, Ballarat School of Mines Conservation Management Plan, 2016, 2016
The Ballarat School of Mines was the first school of mines in Australasia, and is a predecessor institution of Federation University Australia.CD-ROM of the SMB Campus Conservation Management plan, and a printout of the 390 page Draft report on the Federation University SMB Campus. Contents include: Establishment of the Wesleyan church Reserve Selection of a Site for the Ballarat Gaol and Court House Building the Court of Mines The Gaol Culvert The Ballarat School of Mines Establishment Ballarat iron Workers' Association Ballarat Technical Art School Ballarat School of Mines Museum Acquisition of Lewin's Land The Ballarat School of Mines site in c1970 Master Planning Flecknoe Biulding The Ballarat School of Mines in 1988 Architectects Caselli, Figgus, Molloy and Smith. Public Work Department Architects Ballarat School of Mines Botanical Garden Former Ballarat Junior Technical School Administration Building - Building A W.J. Gribble Building (Ballarat Technical Art School) - Building B Old Chemistry Building Building C Amenities Building, Governor's Quarters, Gaol Gatehouse and Watch Tower and Gaol Walls - Building D Courthouse Theatre (Former Ballarat Supreme Court) - Building F A.W. Steane Building (Former Ballarat Junior Technical School) - Building J Flecknoe Building and E.J. Barker Building (Building N) Old Plumbing Building - Builidng ) Unistyle Haridressing Building (Formerly Ballarat School of Mines Museum and Wesleyan Church) - Building P david rowe, wendy jacobs, ballarat school of mines conservation management plan, ballarat school of mines, buildings, wesleyan church reserve, former ballarat gaol, court of mines, circuit courthouse, gal culvert, ballarat school of mines museum, ballarat technical art school, x-rays, ballarat junior technical school, motor mechanics, wool classing, former governor's quarters, library, flecknoe building, former supreme court, architects, henry richards caselli, figgis, molloy and smith, public work department architects, ballarat school of mines botanic garden, former ballarat junior technical school commemorative gardem, w.j. gribble building, old chemistry building, amenities building, former warden's quarters, courthouse theatre, a.w. steane building, old plumbing building, unistyle hairdressing building, former ballarat post office, post office gallery, former ballarat government offices, cmp, conservation management plan, ballarat school of mines campus, smb campus -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Photograph - Set of 4 Black & White Photograph/s, Don Schulz, mid 1920's
Series of four Black and White Photographs cable trams in Melbourne at the Bridge Road terminus or city during the mid 1920's/ .1 - Bridge road terminus with the car house or depot on the left hand side with the destination of Spencer St. .2 - Gripman possibly checking his watch with a depot worker? stepping off the tram. .3 - family stepping off the tram with cable trailer 368 in the view - Elizabeth St, near Flinders St? See Brian Weedon's notes re the photo and the trailer. .4 - As for .1 - with an X marked above the lady and a very large motor car passing. Printed on Kodak Paper. Adam Chandler advised by email 5/8/2020: " note there's a destination box fitted to the grip - from memory, these started to be used from the mid-1920s with the dummy and trailer repaints into the brown colour? That also looks to be either a 1925 or 26 Buick - the "moustache" shape at the top of the front radiator grille and the distinctly angled lower sash of the windscreen are further hints. Given the Richmond line closed in 1927 for conversion I'd say some time between 1924 and 29 June 1927." Also see image i5.pdf for further notes regarding the photographs and the Bridge Road tram depot building - use the original pdf file to read. Image i6, has had the "X" removed - done by Darren Hutchesson.On rear in ink in each print, "Cable car Melbourne" and "286 Anzac Hy/Marion Rd Adelaide SA, collection of late Don Schultz"trams, tramways, cable trams, bridge road, flinders st, richmond depot, hawthorn bridge, tram 368 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Machine - Fusee Clock Mechanism, early 20th Century
The origin of the fusee is not known. Many sources credit clockmaker Jacob Zech of Prague with inventing it around 1525. The earliest dated fusee clock was made by Zech in 1525, but the fusee appeared earlier, with the first spring-driven clocks in the 15th century. The idea probably did not originate with clockmakers, since the earliest known example is in a crossbow windlass shown in a 1405 military manuscript. Drawings from the 15th century by Filippo Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci also show fusee mechanisms. The earliest existing clock with a fusee, also the earliest spring-powered clock, is the Burgunderuhr (Burgundy clock), a chamber clock whose iconography suggests that it was made for Phillipe the Good, Duke of Burgundy about 1430. Springs were first employed to power clocks in the 15th century, to make them smaller and portable.[1][5] These early spring-driven clocks were much less accurate than weight-driven clocks. Unlike a weight on a cord, which exerts a constant force to turn the clock's wheels, the force a spring exerts diminishes as the spring unwinds. The primitive verge and foliot timekeeping mechanism, used in all early clocks, was sensitive to changes in drive force. So early spring-driven clocks slowed down over their running period as the mainspring unwound. This problem is called lack of isochronism. Two solutions to this problem appeared with the first spring-driven clocks; the stack freed and the fusee. The stack freed, a crude cam compensator, added a lot of friction and was abandoned after less than a century. The fusee was a much more lasting idea. As the movement ran, the tapering shape of the fusee pulley continuously changed the mechanical advantage of the pull from the mainspring, compensating for the diminishing spring force. Clockmakers empirically discovered the correct shape for the fusee, which is not a simple cone but a hyperboloid. The first fusees were long and slender, but later ones have a squatter compact shape. Fusees became the standard method of getting constant force from a mainspring, used in most spring-wound clocks, and watches when they appeared in the 17th century. Around 1726 John Harrison added the maintaining power spring to the fusee to keep marine chronometers running during winding, and this was generally adopted. The fusee was a good mainspring compensator, but it was also expensive, difficult to adjust, and had other disadvantages: It was bulky and tall and made pocket watches unfashionably thick. If the mainspring broke and had to be replaced, a frequent occurrence with early mainsprings, the fusee had to be readjusted to the new spring. If the fusee chain broke, the force of the mainspring sent the end whipping about the inside of the clock, causing damage. The invention of the pendulum and the balance spring in the mid-17th century made clocks and watches much more isochronous, by making the timekeeping element a harmonic oscillator, with a natural "beat" resistant to change. The pendulum clock with an anchor escapement, invented in 1670, was sufficiently independent of drive force so that only a few had fusees. In pocketwatches, the verge escapement, which required a fusee, was gradually replaced by escapements which were less sensitive to changes in mainspring force: the cylinder and later the lever escapement. In 1760, Jean-Antoine Lépine dispensed with the fusee, inventing a going barrel to power the watch gear train directly. This contained a very long mainspring, of which only a few turns were used to power the watch. Accordingly, only a part of the mainspring's 'torque curve' was used, where the torque was approximately constant. In the 1780s, pursuing thinner watches, French watchmakers adopted the going barrel with the cylinder escapement. By 1850, the Swiss and American watchmaking industries employed the going barrel exclusively, aided by new methods of adjusting the balance spring so that it was isochronous. England continued to make the bulkier full plate fusee watches until about 1900. They were inexpensive models sold to the lower classes and were derisively called "turnips". After this, the only remaining use for the fusee was in marine chronometers, where the highest precision was needed, and bulk was less of a disadvantage until they became obsolete in the 1970s. Item is an example of clock mechanisms used until 1910 for many different styles of clocks and went out of fashion in the 1970s due to improvements in clock and watch making.Brass fusse clock movement, It has very heavy brass plates and wheels, high-count machined pinions, and a fusee. The mounting of the pendulum is missing and It has a recoil escapement. A fusee is a conical pulley driven through a chain by the spring barrel. As the spring runs down, the chain acts at a larger and larger radius on the conical pulley, equalising the driving torque. This keeps the rate of the clock more even over the whole run. It has motion work to drive an hour hand as well as a minute hand and the centre arbor is extended behind the back plate to drive some other mechanism.Inscription scratched on back"AM 40" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock mechanism, fusee mechanism, horology -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Decorative object - Swinging Clock, Charles Frederick Falck, 1855
This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Medium-sized pendulum clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with wings outstretch (épandre - expanded with wing-tips directed upwards) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silver dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. F. FALCK / EXHIBITION 1856 / MELBOURNEburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Decorative object - Swinging Clock, Charles Frederick Falck, 1870
This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation and the Friends of the Burke. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Large swinging clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with its wings outstretched (abaisé - expanded with wing-tips lowered) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silvered dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. (Similar to #2019.056.01) The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. FALCK / WATCHMAKERburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Musical, Piano, Aucher Freres, circa 1880-1920
This piano was made by Aucher Freres of Paris, said to be famous for its pianos in the mid-late 1800s. Aucher Freres (Aucher Brothers) produced a model of piano that was built specifically for use on sailing vessels, the upright yacht-style piano. Pianos were amongst the domestic goods brought to Australia by many colonial immigrants. They were also imported by Australian distributors by the shipload and sought after by settlers. A piano was often found in a Missions to Seamen club room, where visiting seafarers would entertain or be entertained by music and song as part of their relaxation in port. A sarcastically written news article of January 2nd 1869 reported that the Secretary of the Loyal Liberals of Ballarat, Mr Henry Bell, was presented both with a “illuminated address” and a piano. The piano was made by Aucher Freres of Paris and was purchased for sixty guineas (which converts to around $7,500 Au in 2019). The gift was criticised for encouraging foreign industry rather than native Australian products, thus going against what the Loyal Liberals own protectionist policy. The writer goes on to state that several pianos made in the Colony compared very favourably at the International Exhibition with those manufactured by the English or French. He then says that “… the secretary … might learn a lesson from his piano ... the name Aucher Freres, Paris emblazoned on its front should be … a perpetual reminder of the hollowness of that protectionist imposture …” [Refer to Intercolonial News, Victoria, originally published in The Argus, was repeated in the Wallaroo Times and Mining Journal of South Australia 2-1-1869.] Aucher Freres pianos were still around in 1930. A second-hand model was advertised for sale as a good practice piano. The advertisement was placed by the Mount Gambier, SA, agents for Saver’s Pianos Ltd of Adelaide. The piano was described as “a sound little instrument of good tone and appearance”. The asking price in November 1930 was 32 pounds and ten shillings (which converts to about $2,500 Au in 2019). [Refer to Savery’s advertisement, Mt Gambier Border Watch 11-11-1930]This piano is significant for its connection with the time period of chapel and club room at Flagstaff Hill's St Nicholas Seamen's Church. It represents the form of entertainment enjoyed by seafarer's world wide, which is appropriate for a maritime village. The maker of the piano is famous for its quality pianos of the 19th and early 20th century.Piano, upright, polished wood. The wooden hinged keyboard cover lifts up to allow access to the keyboard. The piano also has two brass candlesticks. The top of the piano is hinged and lifts up to allow access to the piano mechanic's inside for tuning and maintenance. The inside flap has a music stand incorporated into it. It also has the usual two hard-soft pedals at the base. There are two brass decorated hooks at each end to allow for ease of movement when the position of the piano is changed. Maker's name inscribed inside keyboard lid in gold lettering. Made in Paris by Aucher Freres (Aucher Brothers)."AUCHER FRERES / Paris" (NOTE: the "C" is sometimes mistaken for a "G")flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, piano, music, upright piano, paris, france, aucher freres -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Organ and stool, 1897-1901
This chapel organ, or pump organ, was made by the Packard Company of Fort Wayne, USA. It was purchased locally from John Broadwood Shepherd & Son of Liebig St, Warrnambool. The donor advised that it was played for many years in the Winslow Presbyterian Church, southwestern Victoria (on Caramut Road, now a private residence). The serial number of the organ dates to be no older than 1887 and no younger than 1901, according to The Pump Organ Society. The goals of The Packard Company, as quoted from the Fort Wayne Gazette, 6th August 1873 are summarised as such; “In the first place, it was determined to make an organ which should be excelled by none. …. It is interesting to the uninitiated to watch the different processes which literally convert the trees of the forest into the marvellous instruments which sound the praises of God in thousands of churches and Sabbath Schools, or make sweet music in multitudes of homes.” The music store of John Broadwood Shepherd and Son had an “impressive” stand at The Great Warrnambool Exhibition of 1896 – 1897 and received a medal for its exhibit. It was also involved in the community, sponsoring prizes for the Musical and Recital Competition, which was part of the entertainment for the Exhibition. The “Warrnambool Standard” newspaper has reference to John Broadwood Shepherd and Son in a newspaper of 1887 and another dated April 13, 1901. A brief history of the Packard Company: 1850, Isaac T. Packard joined with Nelson J. Foss and Calvin Hatch to form Packard, Foss, & Co., manufacturing reed organs, seraphines, and melodeons 1871 the Fort Wayne Organ Company was formed, and Isaac Packard has 40 shares. 1872 the first organ was completed 5th Sept 1899, “Fort Wayne Organ Company” was officially changed to “The Packard Company” 1908 – 1914 (different dates given) the Packard Company ceased producing organs and specialised in pianos. 1930 company went into receivership 1935 the city of Fort Wayne acquired the former Packard Company property, tore the buildings down and turned it into a park, now known as Packard Park. The organ is significant to local history for being sold by a Warrnambool business and played at a local chape or church. It represents community and religious life in late Victorian times.Chapel organ or pump organ (with stool), dated not before 1897 and not after 1901. Medium brown timber with fretwork and turned spindles, Manufactured by Packard, Fort Wayne U.S.A. Organ was purchased from John Broadwood Shepherd & Son, Liebig St, Warrnambool. Serial number is stamped into the wood, rear of organ. lower right panel. Pedals are covered in carpet and each has the maker's name on the lower part of the pedal frame. The keyboard has five octaves and twelve stoppers.Words on front panel “Packard Organ / Fort Wayne Ind. U.S.A. / JOHN BORADWOOD SHEPHERD & SON, / LIEBIG STREET, WARRNAMBOOL.” Serial Number "48870"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, great ocean road, pump organ, packard organ, fort wayne usa, john broadwood shepherd & son, john broadwood, winslow victoria, church music, musical instrument, john broadwood shepherd and son, presbyterian church, winslow presbyterian church, the great warrnambool exhibition 1896-1897 -
National Wool Museum
Tool - Grinder, 1960-69
Cooper S.E. Ball Bearing Grinder made and guaranteed by Sunbeam Corporation Limited. Grinders like this example have been made the same since the early 1900s, with this grinder thought to have been produced in the 1960s. It is belt driven, with the other end of the belt being attached to an engine; the same engine that would have powered the overhead shearing equipment in shearing sheds. It was common for shearing teams to bring their own equipment, especially pre-1960 as most shearing sheds were not connected to power, and shearers preferred to work with their own equipment. The engines that powered the shears and grinder were typically fuelled with kerosene or petrol. The large circular disks are attached to the bolt that protrudes from the grinder and fastened tightly with a nut. An example of seeing a similar grinder in action can be found on the following link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7eimI_Gm9o. Inventor Frederick Wolseley made the world's first commercially successful power-shearing system in Australia in 1888. US company Cooper, which had been founded in 1843 as a maker of sheep dip, began selling Wolseley equipment in the USA in 1895. The Chicago Flexible Shaft Company successfully entered the power-shearing market a few years later and entered a joint venture with Cooper. It set up a branch in Sydney and sold shearing sets, and engines to power them, into the Australian market. In 1921 the US parent company, realising it needed to make products whose sales were not as seasonal as those of shearing equipment, made its first household appliances and branded them Sunbeam. In 1933, changes in exchange rates and taxes led the company to manufacture engines and shearing equipment in Australia via subsidiary Cooper Engineering, which changed its name to Sunbeam in 1946. Although most Australians know of this company as a major manufacturer of household appliances, its rural division flourished and retained the Sunbeam name for shearing equipment even after it was taken over by New Zealand company Tru-Test in 2001. The grinder is formed from a central arch shaped block of green painted metal. Much of this paint has been lost to age, leaving the grinder in a ‘farm used’ condition with much surface oxidation present. On the front of the arch is a specification plate, reading “Cooper S.E. ball bearing grinder. Made and guaranteed by Sunbeam”. At the foot of the arch, three bolt holes are found for securing the grinder to the base of a solid wooden surface. Two of the bolt holes are found on the front of the grinder, with another found on the rear. From the central arch, a bolt protrudes to the right of the grinder. This large bolt is for securing a grinding plate to the grinder. Above the central arch is a pendulum which holds the comb / cutter that is being sharpened. From the pendulum, a large arm extends down (not pictured) to meet and strike the plate spinning at a rapid speed. On the left-hand side of the central arch of the grinder, a wheel is found which a belt is attached to for power. This belt is then attached to a separate engine, spinning the wheel and hence powering the grinder. The wheel is partially covered with a section of protective bent tube, designed to provide protection from the rapidly spinning wheel. Below this wheel is the belt shifter. It is designed to move the protective bent tube from one side of the grinder to the other, to accommodate the grinder in the setup of different shearing sheds. The two separate grinding plates are identical. They have a slight slope for sharpening the comb and cutters in the correct method, with a slight bias towards the base, or “tooth”, of the equipment. The disks have a large central bolt for attaching to the grinder. They have tags on the horizontal axis of the grinding plates, for securing the plates in transportation, and to help with initial alignment when setting up the grinder. The reverse of these grinding plates has the same green painted metal finish found on the grinder. This paint is also in a ‘farm used’ condition, with surface oxidation present. The grinder would be provided from the factory with a comb holder, shifter for securing the grinding plates, emery cloth and emery glue. The emery cloth is what does the actual grinding and is applied to the grinding disks, replacing once well worn. These items can be seen in the final images in the multimedia section, showcasing advertising for this grinder. Plate. Inscribed. “Cooper / S.E. BALL BEARING GRINDER / MADE AND GUARANTEED BY / Sunbeam / CORPORATION LIMITED / SYDNEY MELBOURNE / ADELAIDE BRISBANE ”sheep shearing, shearing equipment, sunbeam, grinder -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Stand, pump & tank
Was the stand for a Chance Brothers air & oil containers fitted with pump handle & pressure gauges.This type of installation was once common and relied on the lightkeeper having to pressurise the cylinders manually at regular intervals throughout the hours of darkness. The oil was fed under pressure to the burner mantle. It is all that remains of an air and kerosene oil tank installation, with each rounded side formerly supporting a heavy iron tank. The containers would have been fitted with a pump handle and pressure gauges. An intact assemblage is displayed in the AMSA offices, Canberra with a text that explains ‘This type of installation was once common and relied on the lightkeeper having to pressurise the cylinders manually at regular intervals throughout the hours of darkness’.The system involved vaporising kerosene under pressure and mixing it with air and then burning the vapour to heat an incandescent mantle. The use of kerosene as a fuel to light the lantern became the most common system of illumination from the 1860s after the oil industry in the United States began to develop. The kerosene vapour burner was created in 1901 by British inventor Arthur Kitson (1859-1937) and perfected by Chance Bros for burning a more intense light in their renowned lenses. The lamp had to be watched throughout the night in case a mantle broke, and the tanks needed to be maintained by hand-pumping each hour or so. The Point Hicks lantern was initially lit by a six-wick Trinity house kerosene burner. This was replaced by the more efficient and brighter 55mm vaporised kerosene mantle burner in 1905, and the tank stand is probably original to this apparatus. Electricity eventually replaced kerosene at Point Hicks in 1964 making the tank installation obsolete, and the last kerosene system in an Australian lighthouse was replaced in 1985. Gabo Island Lightstation has a pair of tanks that are not attached to the optical system and are no longer in the lighthouse. They are also missing the pressure gauges that were formerly attached to the top of each cylinder. An intact tank assemblage is displayed at the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Museum it is detached and not original to the lighthouse. Although corroded, the remnant Point Hicks tank stand has first level contributory importance to the lightstation. It is significant for its provenance and historical value as part of the Chance Bros vaporised kerosene burner introduced in 1905 to intensify the light and improve the efficiency of the system. The rusted iron stand rests on four short legs and is shaped like a pair of spectacles. -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Film - Video (VHS), Jenni Mitchell, Demolition of the Shire of Eltham Offices, 1996
Poor video quality (noise and interference), edited raw footage with music and some commentary by Merv Hanna. A video documenting the demolition of the Shire of Eltham offices at 895 Main Road Eltham under the direction of the Commissioners appointed for the new Shire of Nillumbik and some of the communities activities surrounding the event. The building was demolished exactly 25 years after the southern wing housing Engineering and Planning on the upper level and the Eltham Library on the ground level was opened in celebration of the Shire of Eltham's centenary. Video has lots of distortion and noise, and sections of clips dubbed over. Immediate initial footage of Jenni Mitchell talking about asbestos claims in the Shire Offices (Sigmund Jorgensen standing behind her) advising Council did a review of the building several years previously and had been cleared of health problems. Cuts to group of people standing outside front door of offices but possibly voice dub over not related ? Then the date 27 Jul 1996 on a scene flashes on screen immediately followed by an edited clip intro of title and credits with classical music track. It then opens with Jenni Mitchell driving to the Shire Offices on Saturday 27 July 1996 at 11.00am. Footage of Main Road past Pitt Street, Alistair Knox Park then entering Shire Office driveway which is fenced off and contractor signs hanging up. Scenes at rear of building showing some internal demolition has commenced. View of the Administration wing. More clips of road driving, Alistair Knox Park, Eltham Library and visitor car park for Shire Offices. Cuts to a group of people standing in access to visitor carpark with new Eltham Library in background, one being immediate former Shire of Eltham President, John Graves. Scenes of people looking through chain link fence and security guard checking front door. John Graves being filmed that someone informed him the Shire was offering the building to the Community Health Centre for $2.3 million and that if they had been offered a price of $1.1 for what it apparently was sold for they would have snapped it up. View of truck loaded with brick rubble literally struggling to ascend the hill of Library Place to exit into Main Road. Cuts to a scene looking at Eltham War memorial Hall through the Memorial Gate, then the Shillinglaw trees and large banner sign ‘Delta Demolitions’ hanging on office façade. Views of front door, old library and bluestone wall. Scene (31 Jul 1996) filmed at night of several white crosses with “RIP Community” and “RIP Democracy”. Scene (1 August 1996) again driving along Main Road towards the Shire Offices then scenes of the offices showing substantially more demolition to exterior, groups of people standing on footpath outside watching, Delta heavy demolition machines, woman holding sign “Democracy where have you gone …”, the odd person in full protection gear and breathing apparatus hand carrying materials out to place on rubbish pile in front of people standing on footpath watching (with no protection) and then stamping on it to break it creating dust, security person in hard hat (no other protection) wandering around, many groups standing around watching, news film crew, person standing on roadside edge holding signs facing traffic stating “Pirate Planning” and “ Grant us your ears” also sign on back of parked car “Elthams High Jacks”, another sign “Community Democracy”, views of crosses in Main Road median strip “RIP Community”, groups of people on footpaths and reporters conducting interviews, footage of unknown person standing with Jenni Mitchell and Sigmund Jorgensen advising people have the right to protest, Jenni Mitchell urging people to ask questions of local MP and Council and Sigmund Jorgensen referring to the three historic Shillinglaw trees with demolition machinery operating in background, Jenni Mitchell and others installing more crosses in median strip; demolition machines operating inside and outside the building, more views of onlookers including Sigmund Jorgensen then Police approaching on footpath, workers and machinery continuing to operate, views of the old library being demolished, the former Community Services department, security personnel. Scene (2 August 1996) more heavy demolition machinery in operation smashing building up, people standing around southern wing watching, view overlooking Eltham Library of train pulling in to Eltham station. Scene (7 August 1996) more heavy demolition and people wandering around with only hard hat protection, no dust protection, comments from one operator dumping a bin of material stating “wait till there’s a Hungry Jack’s here, you’ll be laughing, fuel, videos, hamburgers. You’ll be up with the rest of the world soon, you’ll have electricity and everything here, ha ha ha ha”, more heavy machinery demolition and breaking up of materials, view of Hitachi train going by and Administration wing, view inside the front door opening of the staircase leading to upper level, person walking around operating heavy machinery with a hose spraying rubble (no protective gear other than hard hat interspersed with edit cuts of meeting of Commissioners and independent observers on panel as well as members of the community in public gallery. Nillumbik Shire CEO Barry Rochford addressing the meeting., Chief Commissioner Don Cordell directly addressing Jenni Mitchell with respect to permission to take photographs, Barry Rochford continues to address the question asked of Council about the valuation of the former Shire of Eltham Office building/site, public gallery calling out asking why was building demolished, what was the urgency. Scene (14 August 1996) views of southern wing, previous single demolition operator again mocking people filming, operators working in and around building, Shillinglaw trees and largely demolished front, heavy demolition equipment at work, piles of building rubble, hose spraying water over rubble, large trucks arriving for rubble removal and loading of truck. Scene (21 August) more of the same, building virtually down, Shillinglaw trees standing tall and alone, water spraying on rubble and wattle in bloom. Cuts to Council meeting with public onlookers. Barry Rochford walks out, Wayne Phillips addresses meeting explaining one or two people shouting, members of the community challenging Council (Commissioners) about why due process appear to have been subverted. Former Shire President Robert Marshall in public audience, cuts back to Shire office carpark entrance site and sign hung on fence in front of library “Think Again!” and people standing around observing awaiting a protest demonstration erecting a large sign on stilts stating “Shell No!”, people singing a revised version of God Save the Queen (God Save Us All), Sigmund Jorgensen in attendance, Jenni Mitchell, Sigmund Jorgenson and others address the protest crowd, followed by people mingling, music being played then people standing around the cleared site circumference all with arms linked (video very broken up with noise) then chants “Save the Gateway” and “No Shell for Eltham” and more music and singing “Put up a parking lot”. The crowd then proceeds to walk along the footpath of Main Road. Scene (15 Sep 1996) meeting at Montsalvat in Great Hall addressed by Sigmund Jorgensen discussing a recently published list of the Commissioner’s to senior Council Officers of banned Nillumbik people, others encouraging people to view proposed plans for the site and lodge objections. Specific issues regarding asbestos claims are also addressed. Harry Gilham addresses the meeting on the subject of the Eltham War Memorial and Memorial Gardens and how Council believe a roundabout in the vicinity is of greater importance. Views of various artworks on display (for auction) and music performance in the Barn Gallery. Meeting addressed by Sigmund Jorgensen discussing an appeal against Council granting a permit to Dallas Howgate to develop the site and that the Minister has called the matter in to be decided by the governing council. This is followed by an auction of paintings.Hi-Tech Ultra High Grade Video Cassette E-180 VHS dubbing of (poor quality) edited raw footage with some music from Star Wars and commentary by Merv Hannan Converted to MP4 file format 0:30:26, 2.6GBOn label " Merv's Demolition tape No. 2 Copy"video recording, 895 main road, alistair knox park, artworks, auction, barn gallery, barry rochford, community health centre, dallas howgate, delta demolitions, demolition, don cordell, eltham, eltham library, eltham shire office, eltham war memorial, eltham war memorial gate, eltham war memorial hall, great hall, harry gilham, jenni mitchell, john graves, library place, main road, memorial gardens, mervyn hannan, montsalvat, pitt street, protest, robert marshall, roundabout, shell oil, shillinglaw trees, sigmund jorgensen, sign, wayne phillips -
Waverley RSL Sub Branch
News paper Cutting Chaplain-Captain F. H. King, ? 1917
Captain Frank Herbert King was born in the Parish of St. Saviors in the borough of Brougham London March 5th 1875. He was educated in theology at St. Augustine's College Durban University. He went on to serve for 2 1/2 years in South Africa during the Boer Wars and then re-enlisted in the A.I.F.16th November 1916 when he listed his address as "The Vicarage Sunshine Victoria" and listed his wife as "Kathleen King" “Revd McCoy announced his intention of moving to the parish of Deniliquin in October 1915. He was replaced by F.H. King. Though the parish could not house him, he came in November. King was a typical “new broom”. In January 1916, at his instigation, the parish agreed to change its hymn book to Ancient and Modern. This decision could be viewed as a “churchmanship” matter, one of many that happened in these years. He pushed through the building of the vicarage, from tender in January to blessed and occupied by June. At the Annual General Meeting, King described 1915 as a trying time in the church and looked forward to a happier and more prosperous time during 1916. At a special vestry meeting, 3 November 1916, King announced that he had accepted an appointment by the Archbishop for service at the front, and that he had been instructed to prepare to go abroad. It was decided in his absence the parish use lay-readers, with periodic visits by clergy for Holy Communion. On 12 November, King thanked the parish for their loyalty and their devotion to him and the church. In return the parish presented him with a wrist watch. The parish was not formally vacant; just without a vicar. In September 1917, the Archbishop wrote advising that King had resigned. He appointed the Rev. W. Green to the parish, but Green declined.”(1) He was sent to Egypt where he administered to the Australian Stationary Hospital Australian 3rd and 5th light horse brigades. His Army record states he was Invalided and Completion of Duty 12 July 1918. He was later awarded th Order of the British Empire (OBE) 1 “The Junction” a history of St Mark’s Sunshine The picture of Chaplain-Captain F.H. King was carried in the Bible of Sig. H. C. Roussac ( a Gallipoli veteran) during his service with the A.I.F. in France. It can only be assumed that F.H.King had a profound effect on Sig. Roussac.Cutting of a lithographic picture showing Chaplain-Captain F. H. King giving away "The Age" (News paper) to Australian troops in Egypt 1917 Chaplain-Captain F. H. King giving away "The Age" to Australian troops in Egypta.i.f. egypt, chaplain, f.h.king, light horse egypt, roussac, o.b.e., boer war -
National Wool Museum
Picker
Wool picking machine designed to separate locks of wool before it is carded and spun. The picker opens the wool’s locks which makes it easier to send the fleece through a carding machine. It does this by teasing the fibres (which can also be done by hand just by pulling the lock structure apart), but a picker does this in bulk and much quicker than what can be done by hand. It is possible to spin fibres directly after the picking stage; however, it is usually more desirable to card and blend them with other fibres. Typically, at a textile mill, a picking machine can separate enough lengths of fibre for a full day’s work after just a single hour. It will also help to remove any vegetation matter or other any unwanted elements that may be present in the wool. The quality of the casting on this machine suggest that it was made locally, either in Australia or New Zealand. Mike Leggett, the donor of the machine, acquired it from New Zealand where the seller said it had been used by his father to pick wool to make hand stuffed horse saddles. Mike attempted to used it a couple of times to pick alpaca hair, but the speed of the attached motor caused damage to the fibres. The motor is thought to be an added attachment, sometime around the 1960s judging by its age, while the machine itself is thought to be dated around the 1920s. The machine works by inserting wool through the rollers. Initially there was a conveyor belt feeder system which was powered by the handle on the side. This conveyor belt has been removed however, most likely due to age and deterioration. Wool is now fed through the initial teeth and is met by a spiked rotating drum which works to separate the fibres. The separated fibres would then complete a loop of the drum before being dispatched somewhere below, around where the motor presently sits, at a rapid rate of speed. Typically this wool will be collected in a closet or large catchment area, as can be seen from the 8:47 minute marker in the linked video (link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMjx-t3tH3A). It is not apparent how the wool is collected with this machine. Red and green machine with four green legs currently attached to a wooden pallet with wheels for easy movement. The green legs lead up to a red central circular barrel from which many attachments are present. Also present on the wooden pallet is a small black motor which is attached by a rubber belt to the central drum inside the red barrel. The belt spins the wooden drum via a dark red circular plate attached to the side of the drum. On the other side of the red barrel, a green handle extends for turning the picker’s conveyor belt feeder system. Two green walls extend forward from the central red barrel, guarding either side of where the conveyor belt would have been. At the start of these walls is a wooden cylinder, which the conveyor belt would have wrapped around, followed by two interlocking gears which rotate and accept the fed wool. The red roof extends over the central cylinder from here, securing the wool inside and protecting hands from the heavily spiked internal wooden cylinder which rotates and separates (picks) the wool. Extending over the top of this red roof is a green handle which reaches to the back of the machine (not pictured). Here it accepts a weight to ensure pressure is always present for the initial feeder interlocked gear teeth. There are two large gear cogs on the rubber belt side of the machine and 3 small gear cogs on the handle side of the machine, all coloured green. A green handle is also present at the rear of the machine, below the location from which the weight is hanging. A power cable extends from the motor and there are two adjustable metal rods on the top of the machine, the purpose of these rods is presently unknown. Black texter. On top of drum. Wording: HG3707 Wording. Imprint: BRACEWIND BLYN On motor. Wording AEIwool picking, textile manufacturing, wool processing -
Melbourne Legacy
Document, History of Legacy 1953 (H18), 1954
A document summarising events significant to Legacy in the year 1953. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was a highlight, with Legatee Stan Savige travelling to London to attend as a representative of Legacy (his account of the event is at 01164). 1,200 children attended a rally at the South Melbourne Town Hall to watch films of the life of the Queen, her visit to Canada and the Coronation. (A copy of the programme of this event is at 01163). It was decided that the Intermediate Legacy Club had degenerated into a club without a distinct purpose. They were encouraged to help the Legatees in the senior Club. For instance in the repairs to widow's houses. There is mention of the country clubs with a new club formed in Benalla. Education of Legatees was seen as something that needed to be addressed and a formal induction process with proper training would be necessary. A two page report was included as attachment 'C', which is stored as 01492. Welfare committee had prepared reports with were attached as 'D' but the whereabouts is not known. Camps and holidays. Country clubs would take city children and work had started at Blamey house to clear land for tent sites and country children could have a holiday in the city. The annual conference was held in Brisbane, a general report was attached as 'J' but the whereabouts is not known. Widows - childless and aged widows were identified in the Brisbane conference as needing more attention and a committee was formed to look into it. A report marked 'G' was mentioned but the whereabouts is not known. Dureau House. It was recognised the premises purchased some years before was not suitable as too much renovation was required and should be sold. The original donor, Mr Goldsmith of the B&G Corporation in New York was approached and he agreed the money could be used directly for the widows and children if provision of a headquarters was not important, but the decision was to be up to Legacy to make. The building was sold to Mr Bernard Evans for £57,000. Contact committee reported that the need for contact outstripped the present membership and new members were needed. The dental committee there were issues with payments by the Repatriation Department. The medical committee had decided that children in all classes would be given a Mantoux test for TB. The notation H18 in red pen shows that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy. A report covering the main work of Legacy in 1953.White foolscap paper with black type x 4 pages of the history of Legacy in 1953.Handwritten H18 in red pen.history, annual summary -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Geological specimen - Slate, c. 1886
This rectangular slate of 'beautiful, unusual, expensive, green' American roof tile was amongst tiles recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. Salvaging began in 1974 by volunteer divers, using local cray-fishing boats. An efficient system was devised that enabled the recovery of up to 4,000 of the still neatly packed slates a day. Many of 22,000 salvaged slates can be seen on roofs of eight buildings in the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The sought-after slate doesn't need any special treatment before use. Some of the slates have slight red staining that comes from over 70 years in the wrecked vessel's rusting hull. The four-mast iron barque 'Falls of Halladale' left New York in August 1908 and, due to a navigational error, floundered off the rocks at Peterborough, Victoria, in the following November. None of the 29 lives on board were lost. Crowds gathered for months to watch the tall ship slowly break up. The green American slates were carried on board as ballast. As well as over 56,000 of the American slates, the large cargo on the Falls of Halladale included benzine, costly timber, rolls of printing paper, coils of barbed wire, thousands of metal bolts, hardware items, tableware, American walnut desks and medicine. Some of the cargo was later recovered. The iron-hulled, four-masted barque, the Falls of Halladale, was a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 on her way to Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold, along with 56,763 tiles of unusual beautiful green American slates (roof tiles), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6500 gallons of oil, 14400 gallons of benzene, and many other manufactured items, were 117 cases of crockery and glassware. Three months later and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked on a reef off the Peterborough headland at 3 am on the morning of the 15th of November, 1908. The captain and 29 crew members all survived, but her valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. ABOUT THE ‘FALLS OF HALLADALE’ (1886 - 1908) Built: in1886 by Russell & Co., Greenock shipyards, River Clyde, Scotland, UK. The company was founded in 1870 (or 1873) as a partnership between Joseph Russell (1834-1917), Anderson Rodger and William Todd Lithgow. During the period 1882-92 Russell & Co., standardised designs, which sped up their building process so much that they were able to build 271 ships over that time. In 1886 they introduced a 3000 ton class of sailing vessel with auxiliary engines and brace halyard winches. In 1890 they broke the world output record. Owner: Falls Line, Wright, Breakenridge & Co, 111 Union Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Configuration: Four masted sailing ship; iron-hulled barque; iron masts, wire rigging, fore & aft lifting bridges. Size: Length 83.87m x Breadth 12.6m x Depth 7.23m, Gross tonnage 2085 ton Wrecked: the night of 14th November 1908, Curdies Inlet, Peterborough south west Victoria Crew: 29 The Falls of Halladale was a four-masted sailing ship built-in 1886 in Glasgow, Scotland, for the long-distance cargo trade and was mostly used for Pacific grain trade. She was owned by Wright, Breakenridge & Co of Glasgow and was one of several Falls Line ships, all of which were named after waterfalls in Scotland. The lines flag was of red, blue and white vertical stripes. The Falls of Halladale had a sturdy construction built to carry maximum cargo and able to maintain full sail in heavy gales, one of the last of the ‘windjammers’ that sailed the Trade Route. She and her sister ship, the Falls of Garry, were the first ships in the world to include fore and aft lifting bridges. Previous to this, heavily loaded vessels could have heavy seas break along the full length of the deck, causing serious injury or even death to those on deck. The new, raised catwalk-type decking allowed the crew to move above the deck stormy conditions. This idea is still used today on the most modern tankers and cargo vessels and has proved to be an important step forward in the safety of men at sea. On 4th August 1908, with new sails, 29 crew, and 2800 tons of cargo, the Falls of Halladale left New York, bound for Melbourne and Sydney via the Cape of Good Hope. The cargo on board was valued at £35,000 and included 56,763 tiles of American slate roof tiles (roof slates), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6,500 gallons of oil, 14,400 gallons of benzene, plumbing iron, 117 cases of crockery and glassware and many other manufactured items. The Falls of Halladale had been at sail for 102 days when, at 3 am on the night of 14th November 1908, under full sail in calm seas with a six knots breeze behind and misleading fog along the coast, the great vessel rose upon an ocean swell and settled on top of a submerged reef near Peterborough on the south-west Victoria’s coast. The ship was jammed on the rocks and began filling with water. The crew launched the two lifeboats and all 29 crew landed safely on the beach over 4 miles away at the Bay of Islands. The postmistress at Peterborough, who kept a watch for vessels in distress, saw the stranding and sent out an alert to the local people. A rescue party went to the aid of the sailors and the Port Campbell rocket crew was dispatched, but the crew had all managed to reach shore safely by the time help arrived. The ship stayed in full sail on the rocky shelf for nearly two months, attracting hundreds of sightseers who watched her slowly disintegrate until the pounding seas and dynamiting by salvagers finally broke her back, and her remains disappeared back into deeper water. The valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. Further salvage operations were made from 1974-1986, during which time 22,000 slate tiles were recovered with the help of 14 oil drums to float them, plus personal artefacts, ship fittings, reams of paper and other items. The Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne ruled that the foundering of the ship was entirely due to Captain David Wood Thomson’s navigational error, not too technical failure of the Clyde-built ship. The shipwreck is a popular site for divers, about 300m offshore and in 3 – 15m of water. Some of the original cargo can be seen at the site, including pieces of roof slate and coils of barbed wire. This slate tile is significant for its connection with the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. The Falls of Halladale shipwreck is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976).Unusual beautiful green American slate, rectangular shape, recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, falls of halladale, green american roofing slate tile, roof tiles, slate, slate roof tiles, falls of halladale shipwreck, shipwreck cargo, russell & co. -
Coal Creek Community Park & Museum
Jewellery Holder Case
11009.1 - multi-coloured hair comb with mustache shape on top 11009.2 - dark brown crown clip with black beads 11009.3 - black and silver beaded necklace with silver clasp 11009.4 - amber comb - bends in half 11009.5 - black band, silver watch middle, rusted clasp, rose gold clock hands. 11009.6 - nail file kit, blue with cream ribbon 11009.7 - brown/bronze locket with flower design and crest, inside is gold. 11009.8 - tiny photo 1.5 cm man on one side and woman on other, bronze gold colour 11009.10 - locket, bronze flower design 11009.11 - blue beads, pin, missing some of the blue beads 11009.12 - green bead centre with flowers and ropes - pin does not come out 11009.13 - pin fan with swirls and pink beads - missing one bead 11009.14 - broad clip blue beads silver coloured outside 11009.15 - hair brooch amber and brown with flowers 11009.16 - rusted hair bun pin - 6.4 cm 11009.17 - rusted hair bun pin - 7.6 cm 11009.18 - bent rusted hair pin 11009.19 - bent rusted hair pin 11009.20 - bent rusted hair pin 11009.21 - purple beaded necklace with loop clasp 11009.22 - pink beaded necklace with no clasp 11009.23 - black beads long and heart shaped - BROKEN 11009.24 - white clear beads necklace - diamond shaped clasp - 2 pieces rusted 11009.25 - cream yellow holder11009.5 - Olymp on back, numbers on front -
Falls Creek Historical Society
Journal - Schuss Vol. 21. No. 7 September - October 1955
Schuss was advertised as Victoria’s Official Ski Journal It was issued monthly from 1935 to 1961 except during the war when summer issues covered two months. This continued after the war, but it averaged 10 issues annually over its 25 year life. Schuss was published by the Ski Club of Victoria which had a membership of 38 Ski Clubs and demanded to be recognised as the prime authority on skiing in the state. The other 30 ski clubs with 85% of the members disagreed and the politics of skiing became heated. These clubs formed the Federation of Victorian Ski Clubs with their own journal, Ski Horizon. With the establishment of the Victorian Ski Association, Ski-Horizon published its last issue in Nov - Dec. 1955 and the role of the official journal was fully taken over by “Schuss”. This item is significant because it contains stories, images and information documenting the development of the ski industry in Victoria.The journal features stories and events chronicling developments in Victoria and internationally. Page 234 - 235 featured an extensive report on developments at Falls Creek, Victoria. FALLS CREEK SKI CENTRE CONTINUES ITS STEADY ADVANCE Falls Creek skiing has continued to show markedly improved standards over this past season. Better facilities in and around the ski village itself have been accompanied by better skiing on the abundant snow covering all adjacent slopes. Just to mention a few of those facilities in the village: There have been extensions and big improvements at the Hymans Ski School, a number of excellent new club lodges have come into being, Nissen Lodge is in operation at the foot of the tow and adjacent slopes all setting new standards of ski-living that must make other resorts watch their step. While the advent of Cecil Dobson's General Store and Ski Centre, added to the service already available at the Nissen tow house, has removed all the old problems of food supply. Nissen ski-tow, the enticing face of the Frying Pan has given good service for a number of seasons now. To it has been added this year Bob Hyman's small portable tow which has worked for most of the season on the slope just in front of Skyline Lodge. The racing programme carried out at Falls Creek through this season has maintained the high standard shown in all other affairs. The main events started with the N.E.D.S.A. Championships early in August, then followed the Victorian and S.C.V. Nordic titles, and the Intermediate events.schuss journal, the ski club of victoria, developments in falls creek -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Photograph, C. 1891
Photograph shows the ship FIJI where she met her demise, in Wreck Bay, on the shipwreck coast of South West Victoria. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents 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 Fiji 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. Black and White Photograph of the ship "Fiji" taken from Wreck Creek. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, pocket watch, fob watch fiji, william vickers, william robe, bill robe, gebauhr, stansmore, carmody, wreck bay, moonlight head, fiji shipwreck 1891, port campbell rocket crew, wreck bay victoria -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Dog, 19th century
This toy dog was part of the cargo from the Fiji and amongst the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife.Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents 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 Fiji 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.China toy dog salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. This moulded toy is made of bisque (sometimes described as bisque or porcelain) and is tan in colour. The dog is solid with a pitted surface1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Candlestick holder, Made on or before 1891
This candlestick holder is one of the artefacts salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the last man being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a glass bottle and a sample of rope from the distress rocket. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife.This candlestick holder is Artefact Reg No Fiji/2, part of the Fiji collection. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents 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 Fiji 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. Candlestick holder or Chamber Candle. Made of china, off white in colour with crazed glazing. The round concave dish has the base of a round candle holder in centre (remainder of holder has been broken off). The base of a circular china finger ring is attached to both the rim and the dish, about ¾ of the way towards the centre - the top 2/3rds of the finger ring is broken off. A conical thimble-like spike, placed about a quarter of the way around from the finger ring, is intact. This spike was probably used to hold a candle snuffer of similar but larger size and shape. The candlestick holder was recovered from the wreck of the Fiji.1891, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, fiji, pocket watch, moonlight head, candlestick holder, candle holder, chamber candle -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Doll's leg, Bisque dolls were being made from the 1860’s
This doll’s leg was part of the cargo from the Fiji and was part of the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife.Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents 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 Fiji 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. Doll’s leg salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. This moulded leg, made of bisque (sometimes described as china or porcelain) is for a small doll. The leg is solid rather than jointed, and goes from the lower thigh down to the foot, which has a shoe-shaped heel. The white coloured leg is finished with glazed paint and the shoe of the foot is painted black. The leg is discoloured in places with a tan colour. There is a groove around the top of the leg, which would enable the leg to be attached to the cloth body of a doll.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, doll, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, dolls limb, dolls leg, toys, doll's leg, doll's limb -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Doll's arm, Bisque dolls were being made from the 1860’s
This doll’s arm was part of the cargo from the Fiji and was part of the articles salvaged from the wreck. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are bisque (or china) toys, (including miniature animals, limbs from small bisque dolls), rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents 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 Fiji 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. Doll’s arm salvaged from the wreck of the Fiji. This moulded arm, made of bisque (sometimes described as china or porcelain) is for a small doll. Its hand has the fingers touching each other with the thumb tucked into the palm. The white coloured arm is finished with glazed paint. The arm is discoloured in places with a tan colour. The arm is solid rather than jointed and goes from hand to upper arm. There is a groove around the top of the arm, which would enable the arm to be attached to the cloth body of a doll.1891, china, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwrecked artefact, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, porcelain, doll, moonlight head, wreck bay, cargo, bisque, toys, doll's arm, doll's limb