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Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Peter Bassett-Smith, Heritage Week at 728 Main Road, Eltham, 1990, 1990
Three colour photographs of Heritage Week featuring the brickwork of the former Police Residence and current home of Eltham District Historical Society at 728 Main Road, Eltham. Highlights the use of 'English Bond' on headers and stretchers alternatively and 'Colonial Bond' on one course of headers and three courses of stretchers.heritage week, eltham, courthouse, brick laying, wall, sign, activities -
RSL Victoria - Anzac House Reference Library and Memorabilia Collection
Autograph Book, Robert Wilby, 1916
Autographs and sketches collected from Colonial patients during Wilby's WW1 service on staff at Grayling Hospital in 1916. Wilby enlisted in September 1914 and returned to Australia on 12th May 1917.WW1 hard-covered, black/brown leather "Autographs" book of Robert George Wilby (189 - 1st Field Ambulance, C Squadron). -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Tom Prior, Police Station and Residence, Maria Street, Eltham, c.1900
Situated near the top of what was known as 'Policeman's Hill' according to Miss Ivy Reynolds, neice of the photographer, Tom Prior. From the left, Eltham Court House, Police Residence and Police station on Main Road and corner of Brougham Street. These buildings formed part of Little Eltham and still stand (without the front fence) today though the Police Station was demolished in 1986 due to termite damage. A replica was built circa 1989. The institutions of law and order in Colonial Victoria included the police, courts and prisons. The 1852 report of the Snodgrass Select Committee appointed to "identify the policing needs of the colony” noted there existed seven independent police forces that did not co-operate or regularly communicate. Following the committee's report all these police entities were merged into the Victoria Police, founded on 8 January 1853, to implement law and order responsibilities throughout the Colony of Victoria. The Eltham Courthouse (1860) and adjacent Police Residence (1859) formed a justice precinct established in the immediate aftermath of the 1852 police inquiry and the effects of the gold rush. The physical presence of these buildings, in the centre of the early Eltham township, defined centralised control over law and order. In the early days the Police Constable in charge would conduct his duties travelling around the district by horse; a stable was located at the rear of the residence. At times the horse would be grazed on the paddocks across the road. Horseshoes were forged by the blacksmith beside the Courthouse on the high side of “Policeman’s Hill”. Along with the stable, there was a two-cell bluestone lockup where prisoners were held awaiting trial in the adjacent Courthouse. Their meals were usually provided by the policeman’s wife or from the hotel just up the road. With the arrival of the railway in 1902 the town centre gradually shifted towards the railway station. The Police Station and operations were moved into the town centre in 1961 to a renovated house in Pryor Street, which was later replaced by the current Police Station. From 1961-1981 the residence was occupied by the Vermin and Noxious Weeds Destruction Section of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey. Prior to August 1967 the former Police Station was dragged to the rear of Police Residence to make way for the construction of a driveway and access from Main Road. The building was placed on the site of a former Scullery and modified for Lands Department use. In 1981 the Shire of Eltham took over management of the former Police Residence in Eltham. It remained unoccupied for a period whilst its future was discussed in Council. It was then used for a community job creation scheme until 1985. In 1985 the Shire of Eltham Parks and Environment occupied the residence. Council improved the driveway but later added a second rear access from Brougham Street due to the dangerous nature of the Main Road entrance. Additionally, a rear toilet facility between the Police Residence and the relocated former Police Station, which was doubling up as a lunchroom. Council also commenced discussions to re-establish a replica Police Station. Around November 1986 the former Police Station was demolished; believed to have been suffering termite damage. About 1989, after some years of discussion, a replica Police Station was built, based on photographs, to act as a lunchroom and meeting room for the Parks and Environment staff and volunteers doing community service. In 1996 Eltham District Historical Society held discussions with Nillumbik Shire Council commissioners throughout the year regarding a home for the Society. A proposal was put forward by the Society in October to occupy the former Police Residence. In March 1997 Eltham District Historical Society gained access to former Police Residence and on July 12, 1998, moved into its Local History Centre. In July 2018, Eltham District Historical Society gained access to the replica Police Station (which had been used as a music library and storage for the Eltham Concert Band) for use as part of regular heritage tours for schools and community-based groups.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years. The Reynolds family were early settlers in Research. The Reynolds/ Prior collection of photographs were taken by Tom Prior, the maternal uncle of Ivy Reynolds, around 1900 and the 60 photos in the album give a fine overview of many of the landmarks of Research and Eltham over 100 years ago. lvy lived in the family home for many years at 106 Thompson Cres Research. Ivy's father, Ernst Richard Reynolds and grandfather, Richard Reynolds, lived at the same address. Ivy's father Richard worked for Mr. Trail on his property in Research. Reynolds Road is named after the family. Mr Tom Prior (wife Eva) worked at the Melbourne zoo. He was very innovative and made his own camera, using the black cloth hood to exclude the light. The photographs are a reminder of the rural nature of Research and Eltham and its rich heritage.Digital imagechildren, court house, courthouse, eltham, eltham district historical society, eltham justice precinct, little eltham, local history centre, main road, police residence, police station, reynolds prior collection, sepp, shadow, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection -
Orbost & District Historical Society
pamphlet, January 1870
Liquor ammonie was an antidote for snake bites in the late 19th century. George Halford, a medical professor at Melbourne University promoted ammonia injections to stimulate the heart and reinvigorate the blood. Inspired by experiments in dogs, his suggestion to intravenously dose snakebitten patients with an acknowledged poison was certainly controversial. The prevailing treatments, for doctors and laity, were ligature, cutting and sucking the wound, rest (or vigorous exercise), and prodigious quantities of alcohol. Support for ‘Halford’s injection’ nevertheless grew: Victorian doctors, chemists and citizens extolled its effectiveness in both human and animal patients. (Info. from Spectacular serpents: Snakebite in colonial Australia)This item is a useful research tool.A one sheet tabular list of cases of snake bite treated by the injection of liquor ammonie. There are pinholes in each corner.on front - Harry Richardsonsnake-bite australian-medical-journal halford-george -
Ringwood and District Historical Society
Book, The Colonial Child, 1979
Booklet documenting some aspects of life of Australian children in the 19th century comprising papers presented at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria in Melbourne, 12-13 October 1979. -
Orbost & District Historical Society
Membership Certificate, 1960's
From Grand United Order of Oddfellows. MU100F - membership and competition. 1966-67 winners in "B" Class - Loyal Orbost Lodge.Friendly Societies were founded in the Australian Colonies in the mid-19th Century by immigrants from England who had been members in Societies which dated back to the 18th Century. Like all working people these immigrants experienced sickness, accidents, unemployment, death and burial. They needed help of like fellows to tide their families over these times. So they formed a branch of one of the Friendly Societies back in the mother country. The idea was to make fixed contributions to a fund and when they were off work they would receive a payment. When they died funeral benefits would be paid and the widow and children would be cared for. It was a form of local insurance for hard times. This was a time of 'look after yourself' as the Colonial Governments did not provide pensions or benefits. This item reflects those times.Membership and competition certificate from Bairnsdale district. Large certificate with large painting of Collins Street Melbourne in wood and glass frame.document oddfellows certificate lodge muioof -
Ringwood and District Historical Society
Book, Helen Tolpliss, The Artists Camps: Plein Air Painting In Melbourne 1885-1898, 1984
Image of a Charles Conder painting on front of soft covered book titled The Artists' Camps: Plein Air Painting In Melbourne 1885-1898. FOREWORD by Margaret Plant - Department of Visual Arts, Monash University. The paintings of the 'Heidelberg school" are the best loved group of works in Australian art. The affection is linked in the national mind with a recognition that the authentic Australian landscape had been discovered and colonial bonds broken. The painting activity of the 1880s and 1890s was by no means confined to Heidelberg. Helen Topliss painstakingly presents the variety of sites around Melbourne, in the bush and on the coast, reconstructing their original character and the history of their accessibility. The major figures are well known — Roberts, McCubbin, Streeton and Conder — but there were a number of 'minor' artists associated with the various painting spots that have been too long neglected. A research programme is here initiated in the hope that some of these figures might be more fully returned to us. The restoration of the sites provokes a more extensive roll-call of artists involved in the plein air phenomenon. Various expressions of nationalism in the late nineteenth century have been accorded attention: the painters contributed in varying degrees. But it is, finally, the quality of the painting, the freshness, the particularity of nuance, the calculated aesthetic angles that have governed response and inspired affection. The elegant relaxation themes of many of the paintings have in fact been overlooked in the intellectualization of the quest for 'national identity'. The orchards and the beaches, the ladies promenading a la mode on the beach at Mentone or in the grasses of Box Hill are as important to our artistic tradition and social history as the shearers of rams. -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Accordion, International Accordion Company, 1930's
This MEZON brand button accordion was made specifically for Lyons, Musical Instrument Importer, 207 Bourke Street Melbourne, as can be seen on the embossed lettering on the top of the accordion. The hand inscribed nameplate indicates that the owner was T H Betts. On August 19th, 1903, Michael Edward Lyons applied to the Trade Mark’s Office of Sydney for registration of “The Invented word “MEZON” to be applied to musical instruments. In 1908 he was advertising himself as sole agents for MEZON accordions. He had been at that address for 15 years (since 1893) and was moving to larger premises at 256 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Still at this address in 1925, Lyons advertises MEZON accordions as “The ideal Xmas present, Maker your friends happy, This Xmas let the Present be a MEZON”. There was a choice of three styles: The Organ, The Wonder and The Grand Organ. They came with a Fibre Case with Lock and Key and a Leather Handle. The promise was “They Give Satisfaction”. They were obtainable at all stores or from Sole Distributors in Australia. In 1927 the MEZON was sold by Albert & Sons in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland as well as by Lyons in Melbourne. The favoured German accordion brands were Monarch and Sterling, which were made by the International Accordion Company in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. The company was founded in 1871 by Ernest Deines and made a variety of musical instruments. The company closed business in 1834. The International Accordion Company’s accordion range made the International brand and others such as MEZON, Globe, and Dienst. Australia imported the MEZON brand. American companies imported a range of the popular German branded accordions until World War II, when they were no longer available. In general, accordions produced after the war were not as high a quality and not loud enough to be heard over the electronic guitars and the drum kit of the bands. This accordion represents the type of musical instruments used in the late 19h and early 20th century, locally and Australia wide. In colonial Australia musical instruments like this one were imported from Germany as well as other countries. At that time, German made instruments represented good quality. This accordion is significant for being especially imported into Australia by a Melbourne retailer. Music was a part of family and social life, associated with dances, song and general fun.Button accordion with case. Accordion with steel reeds, three bass valves and ten treble valves. It is coloured black with very dark green trim, decorative silver metal reinforcing on main corners, gold reinforcing on corners of the bellows and delicate printed, gold printed patterned trims. Hand support for buttons is made of fabric. Folds of the bellows are light coloured with fine dark pattern. It has a nameplate on the front. Black wooden case has red lining, two brass hinges, two brass hook and eye catches and a swivel brass lock. The base of the case has a loose brass fitting. The top has a thin metal handle. Inscription on hand inscribed name on front, label inside case lid, silver reinforcing, leather on bellows top, and frame of accordion. Manufactured with the brand MEZON in Saxony, Germany, for Lyons of Melbourne. Once the property of T H Betts.Printed on label “MEZON ACCORDEONS.” Impressed in metal corners and reinforcing “MEZON” with logo [circle enclosing entwined capital D and E] “MADE IN SAXONY” Embossed in gold on frame “Made in Saxony”, “MEZON Accordion/ manufactured for LYONS / MELBOURNE, Bourke Street” Name inscribed by hand “T H Betts”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, mezon accordion, lyons, made in saxony, t h betts, betts, mezon, squeeze box, musical instrument, button accordion, germany, michael lyons, international accordion company, ernest deines, circle enclosing d e, d e, e d, german accordion -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Hat box, 1890-1910
The item was purchased from Robinson & Moffatt department store at Post Office Place Melbourne between 1884 when the store opened. Between 1911 and 1934 Robinson & Moffatt appeared to have sold out along with other businesses to became part of the Myer Emporium. Robinson & Moffatt were an early upmarket department store for the wealthy with a branch in Perth that was opened in 1899. During their time in business Robinson & Moffatt appear to have imported goods from England and Europe. The hatbox appears to be a British pattern made for a beaver type top hat around late 19th or early 20th century. A personal item made for Robinson and Moffatt department store, imported from England and sold to a wealthy colonial gentleman sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The item was purchased from one of the earliest department stores in Melbourne, that later was incorporated into what has become an iconic Australian department store operating out of one of Melbourne's iconic building locations,the Myer emporium.Gents leather oval hat Box, with concave lid reinforcing strap and leather handle. Has metal locking device and key hole. Handle held to top with 2 studs. Velvet inside lid. Catch inside box."Made for Robertson & Moffatt Melbourne"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, hat box, gentleman's hat, gent's hat box, hatbox -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Boiler, T & F Johnson, boilermakers, late 19th century
A steam boiler like this one, made in the late 18th century, is often called a colonial boiler. Steam boilers were used in factories throughout Australia, mounted over similar designs of brick furnaces. This boiler is a fire tube type, in which the heat from the fire travels through the tubes and water circulates around them. Another kind of boiler is a water tube boiler, in which the water is inside the tubes and the heat of the combustion surrounds the tubes. The boiler in our collection burned wood as fuel but others of this design could also burn coal, coke, gas and liquid fuels. The boiler was made by T & F Johnson, boilermakers. In 1922 their factory was located at Coventry Street, South Melbourne. They were still advertising their 'Colonial, multi, vertical boilers, all sizes' at the same address in 1934. The connected pressure gauge, made in London by Dewrance, measures 0 to 400 pounds per square inch. John Dewrance is renowned as a pioneer of the steam locomotive in the early 19th century. He founded John Dewrance & Co. in South London in 1844. His son Sir John Dewrance took over in 1879. In 1939 the company became a subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox, and was eventually owned by Emerson. How the boiler works: - A boiler is about two-thirds filled with water and heat is applied, in this case in the form of burning wood. The heat is transferred through the metal of the boiler to the water. When the water boils the steam rises to the top, and as it escapes from the boiler the steam pressure builds up in the steam space to later be released to do work; drive machinery such as ship and train engines, turbines, presses, wheels, and driving belts to operate looms and saws. The heat associated with the boiler can be used for preserving food, sterilising, factory manufacturing processes, and steaming wood for shipbuildin. Every boiler has several components fitted for safe operation: - - Safety valves - Gauge glass - Pressure gauge - Main steam stop valve - Water check valve - Blowdown valve - Manhole doorThe boiler is a significant item that gives us a snapshot of early Melbourne's industrial history. It is an example of the technological advancement during the Industrial Revolution where steam-driven machinery and motors could perform tasks more efficiently than manual labour. The makers were one of many boilermaker businesses in Melbourne during the early late-19th andearly 20th centuries. The maritime trade and skills of boilermaking are still learned and applied today. The Dewrance steam pressure gauge connected to the boiler was made by the London firms foundered by John Dewrance. He was renowned for developing the steam locomotive in the early 19th century.Boiler; a horizontal cylindrical underfired steam boiler. It is a multi-tubular design and is timber plank-clad, with brass fittings and pressure gauges. The boiler has an iron door at one end with a metal chimney above it. It is installed over a brick-enclosed solid fuel furnace. Two large, wood-mounted pressure gauges are connected to the boiler and have inscriptions. An inscription is on a red, cast iron plaque above the boiler door. The boiler's maker is T & F Johnson, South Melbourne. One of the pressure gauges was made by Dewrance, London..Maker's plate: "T & F JOHNSON / BOILERMAKERS / SOUTH MELBOURNE" Pressure gauge: "POUNDS PRESSURE / PER [square] INCH / DEWRANCE LONDON"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, boiler, multi tube boiler, steam boiler, steam technology, underfired boiler, horizontal boiler, timber clad boiler, steam power, industrialisation, boilermakers, south melbourne, dewrance, john dewrance, pressure gauge, dewrance pressure gauge, t & f johnson, london, steam engine, steam locomotive, pounds per square inch, 19th century, steam machine -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Clock, c. 1860s
The clock was either made or sold by T. Gaunt & Co. of Melbourne, a manufacturer, importer and retailer of a wide variety of goods including jewellery, clocks and watches, navigational and measuring instruments, dinnerware, glassware and ornaments. Thomas Gaunt photograph was included in an album of security identity portraits of members of the Victorian Court, Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888. Thomas Gaunt History: Thomas Gaunt established Melbourne's leading watchmaking, optical and jewellery business during the second half of the 19th century. Gaunt arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and by 1858 had established his own business at 14 Little Bourke Street. Around 1869 he moved to new premises in Bourke Street on the corner of Royal Arcade, Gaunt's shop quickly became a Melbourne institution. Gaunt proudly advertised that he was 'The only watch manufacturer in the Australian colonies'. While many watches and clocks may have had Gaunt's name on the dial, few would have been made locally. Gaunt did make some watches for exhibitions, and perhaps a few expensive watches for wealthy individuals. Gaunt's received a telegraph signal from Melbourne Observatory each day to correct his main clock and used this signal to rate and repair ship's chronometers and good quality watches. His main horological manufacturing was directed at turret clocks for town halls, churches and post offices. These tended to be specific commissions requiring individualised design and construction. He made the clock for the Melbourne Post Office lobby, to a design by Government Astronomer Robert Ellery, and won an award at the 1880-81 Melbourne International Exhibition for his turret clock for the Emerald Hill Town Hall. He became well known for his installation of a chronograph at Flemington Racecourse in 1876, which showed the time for the race, accurate to a quarter of a second. The firm also installed the clockwork and figures for Gog and Magog in the Royal Arcade. Thomas Gaunt also developed a department that focused on scientific instrumentation, making thermometers and barometers (from imported glass tubes), telescopes, surveying instruments and microscopes. Another department specialised in electroplating for trophies, awards and silverware, and the firm manufactured large amounts of ecclesiastical gold ware and silverware, for the church including St Patrick's Cathedral. There are no records that disclose the number of employees in the firm, but it was large enough for Gaunt to hold an annual picnic for the watchmakers and apprentices at Mordialloc from 1876; two years previously they had successfully lobbied Gaunt to win the eight hour day. Gaunt's workforce was reportedly very stable, with many workers remaining in the business for 15 to 30 years. Gaunt's wife Jane died on September 1894, aged 64. They had one son and six daughters, but only three daughters survived to adulthood. Two became nuns at the Abbotsford Convent and one daughter, Cecelia Mary Gaunt (died 28 July 1941), married William Stanislaus Spillane on 22 September 1886 and had a large family. Gaunt died at his home in Coburg, Victoria, leaving an estate valued at ₤41,453. The business continued as T. Gaunt & Co. after his death. Post Office and Clock History: Warrnambool’s Post Office has been in existence since 1857, when it was originally situated on the corner of Timor and Gilles Street. In March 1864 the Warrnambool Borough Council purchased this clock from Henry Walsh Jnr. for the sum of £25, “to be put up in front of the Post Office”. Henry Walsh Jnr was the eldest son of Melbourne’s Henry Walsh, maker and retailer of clocks, watches, thermometers and jewellery. In 1854 Henry Walsh Jnr. began business in Warrnambool as a watchmaker and jeweller later becoming a Councillor with now a local street named after him. The Post Office was extensively remodelled in 1875-76. Early photographs of this building show that the clock was installed on the northern outside wall, Timor Street, under the arches and between the 2 centre windows, where it could be seen by passers-by. Although spring loaded clocks date back to the 15th century, and fob and pocket watches evolving from these date to the 17th century, personal pocket watches were only affordable to the very fortunate. Public clocks such as this Post Office clock provided opportunity for all to know the time, and for those in possession of a personal watch to check and set their own timepieces to the correct time. During post office reservations during the 1970s the clock was removed and was eventually donated to the Flagstaff Collection. The Clock’s maker Thomas Gaunt, is historically significant and was an established and well renowned scientific instrument and clock maker in Melbourne during the 1860s. He was at that time the only watchmaker in the Australian colonies. In the 1870’s and 1880’s he won many awards for his clocks and was responsible for sending time signals to other clocks in the city and rural areas, enabling many businesses and organisations to accurate set their clocks each day. Warrnambool Borough Council purchased this clock from Henry Walsh Jnr. for the sum of £25 and the clock used to stand in front of the Warrnambool post office to allow ordinary citizens to set their time pieces as they walked by. The item is not only important because it was made by a significant early colonial clock maker and retailed by a locally known clock maker and jeweler but also that it was installed in the Warrnambool Post Office a significantly historical building in it's own right. Built in 1857 and regarded as one of the oldest postal facilities in Australia, with a listing on the National Heritage Database, (ID 15656). This 1864 hall clock originates from the Warrnambool Post Office. The clock glass is hinged to the top of the clock face and has a catch at the bottom. The metal rim of the glass is painted black. The clock face is metal, painted white, with black Roman numerals and markings for minutes and five minutes. The tip of the small hour hand is shaped like a leaf. "T. GAUNT / MELBOURNE" is printed in black on the clock face. The winding key hole is just below the centre of the clock face. The key winds a fusee chain mechanism, attached to the brass mainspring barrel that powers the pendulum with an 8-day movement. The speed of the clock can be adjusted by changing the position of the weight on the pendulum, lengthening or shortening the swing; raising the pendulum shortens its swing and speeds up the clock. The metal fusee mechanism has an inscription on it. The rectangular wooden casing is with a convex curve at the bottom that has a hinged door with a swivel latch. The original stained surface has been painted over with a matte black. There are two other doors that also allow access to the clock’s workings. The case fits over the pendulum and workings at the rear and attaches to the clock by inserting four wooden pegs into holes in the sides of the case then into the back of the clock. A flat metal plate has been secured by five screws onto the top of the case and a hole has been cut into it for the purpose of hanging up the clock. There is a nail inside the case, possibly used for a place to the key."T. GAUNT MELBOURNE" is printed on the clock face. “6 1 3” embossed on the back of the fusee mechanism behind the clock. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, clock, warrnambool post office, fusee, henry walsh jnr, thomas gaunt, t gaunt & co, post office clock -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Ceramic - Tile, circa 1878
This Minton floor tile is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD along with other examples of this manufacture recovered from the wreck site and form part of the collection at Flagstaff Hill. The iron-hulled clipper ship from the Loch Line was heading for Port Phillip from London when it ran into the cliffs of Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell and was wrecked on June 1st, 1878. The LOCH ARD was laden with high-value cargo including luxury goods intended for display at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. One notable survivor from the ship’s freight manifest was the well-packed Minton porcelain peacock, a two-metre-high ceramic masterpiece of vivid glazed colours. The almost total loss of life and property from the LOCH ARD registered as a shocking tragedy for the Colony of Victoria, at a time when social confidence and economic optimism were otherwise high. The wealth generated from Gold and Wool was increasingly being spent on grandiose private residences and imposing public buildings. The demand for quality furnishings and fittings was therefore strong. Among the products consigned to burgeoning colonial markets by the Milton Pottery at Stoke upon Trent, were their new range of colourfully patterned but very durable floor tiles – ideal for the high-traffic spaces in the large civic buildings then being constructed in Australia and America. These new floor tiles were “encaustic”, meaning that their designs and colours were encased “within” the depth of the tile. Rather than their decorative patterns being glazed onto the surface of the tile, their inlaid designs were created during the manufacturing process, as “coloured slips” (or liquid clay) were poured into a deep pre-moulded casting. When fired, the resulting tile was colour-fast and design-fast. A brief history of the Loch Ard (1873-1878): - The sailing ship Loch Ard was one of the famous Loch Line ships that sailed from England to Australia. Barclay, Curdle and Co. built the three-masted iron vessel in Glasgow in 1873. It had sailed three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of recently married, 29-year-old Captain Gibbs. It was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, and a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. Other cargo included items intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The Loch Ard had been sailing for three months and was close to its destination on June 1, 1878. Captain Gibbs had expected to see land at about 3 am but the Loch Ard ran into a fog that greatly reduced visibility and there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. The fog lifted at 4 am and the sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast were much closer to them than Captain Gibbs expected. He tried to manage the vessel but failed and the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. The top deck loosened from the hull, and the masts and rigging crashed down, knocking passengers and crew overboard. The lifeboat was launched by Tom Pearce but crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. He clung onto its overturned hull and sheltered under it. He drifted out to sea and the tide brought him back to what is now called Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore and found a cave for shelter. A passenger, Eva Carmichael, had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening and was confronted by towering cliffs above the ship. She was soon swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He swam out and dragged her to the shelter of the cave. He revived her with a bottle of brandy from a case that had washed up on the beach. Tom scaled a cliff in search of help and followed some horse hoof prints. He came from two men from Glenample Station, three and a half miles away. He told the men of the tragedy and then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. They reached Loch Ard Gorge and took the two shipwreck survivors to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome and was presented with a medal and some money. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton porcelain peacock - one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today, the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck, it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artefact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. The Minton floor tile is significant for its hard-wearing yet attractive design. The shipwreck of the LOCH ARD is of State significance. Victorian Heritage Register S417. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best-known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. A square Minton floor tile with a black and apricot pattern against a chocolate brown background. There is a large chip missing. This decorative floor tile was recovered from the shipwreck of the LOCH ARD. On the back, or base, of the tile is inscribed the number “46” and the letters “Minton & Co Patent Stoke upon Trent”.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, encaustic tile, melbourne international exhibition, floor tile, minton floor tile -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Ceramic - Tile, circa 1878
This Minton floor tile is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. Other examples of this manufacture have been recovered from the wreck site and form part of the collection at Flagstaff Hill. The iron-hulled clipper ship from the Loch Line was heading for Port Phillip from London when it ran into the cliffs of Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell and was wrecked on the early morning of June 1, 1878. The LOCH ARD was laden with high-value cargo including luxury goods intended for display at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. One notable survivor from the ship’s freight manifest was the well-packed Minton porcelain peacock, a two-metre-high ceramic masterpiece of vivid glazed colours. The almost total loss of life and property from the LOCH ARD registered as a shocking tragedy for the Colony of Victoria, at a time when social confidence and economic optimism were otherwise high. The wealth generated from gold and wool was increasingly being spent on magnificent private residences and imposing public buildings. The demand for quality furnishings and fittings was therefore strong. Among the products consigned to burgeoning colonial markets by the Milton Pottery at Stoke upon Trent were their new range of colourfully patterned but very durable floor tiles – ideal for the high-traffic spaces in the large civic buildings then being constructed in Australia and America. These new floor tiles were “encaustic”, meaning that their designs and colours were encased within the depth of the tile. Rather than their decorative patterns being glazed onto the surface of the tile, their inlaid designs were created during the manufacturing process, as “coloured slips” (or liquid clay) that were poured into a deep pre-moulded casting. When fired, the resulting tile was colour-fast and design-fast.The Minton encaustic floor tile is significant for its method of manufacture which makes it durable as well as decorative. The shipwreck of the LOCH ARD is of State significance. Victorian Heritage Register S417. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best-known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.A square Minton floor tile with a black and beige pattern against a white base. This encaustic floor tile was recovered from the shipwreck of the LOCH ARD. On the back, or base, of the tile is inscribed the number “46” and the letters “Minton & Co Patent Stoke upon Trent”.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, minton floor tile, encaustic tile, melbourne international exhibition, floor tile -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Newspaper - The Age, Francis Cooke, printer and publisher, 17-10-1854
The newspaper is the very first edition of The Age. The central shield has the words "COLONY OF VICTORIA" printed below it. the handwritten script has the name John Pascoe, and the location of Fawner, a suburb of Melbourne. There are eight pages comprising of two large sheets, folded one inside the other and all sides printed on. This edition was printed and published by Francis Cooke, for the publishers Francis Cooke & Co. at The Age Newspaper and General Printing Office, 21 Elizabeth Street, South Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, which came into being on July 1st, 1851.This edition of The Age newspaper is very significant as it is the first edition, printed 17th October 1854, and contains shipping news amongst may other topics in its eight pages. Newspapers were very significant in Colonial times for a meas of communication throughout the colony. Newspaper, The Age newspaper, Vol. 1, No. 1, first edition, Tuesday October 17th 1854. eight pages. Large format. Inscription in script on top of first and last page. Handwritten in script "John Pascoe" "Fawkner" "COLONY OF VICTORIA" "PRINTED DAILY" "PRICE SIXPENCEflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, the age, newspaper, melbourne, colony of victoria, first edition, 1854, john pascoe, fawkner -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Instrument - Scale, George Salter & Co, ca. 1886
There were at least three 1880s vessels named Lady Loch, all built in Victoria; a river launch (ca 1884-ca 1916, originally named Lady of the Lake), a steamer ferry (1884-1920s) and a government lighthouse tender steamer HMV Lady Loch (1886-1962.) The spring balance scale was part of the equipment on the HMV Lady Loch. The scale was made by the renowned company Salter Weighing Machines in the United Kingdom. It was made to Silvester's patent design. Salter Weighing Machines, Britain, began making spring scales in the 1820s. In 1908 Salter opened up an Australian branch named Salter Scales Pty. Ltd. The scale, marked HMV SS Lady Loch, would be suspended by its top ring, a basket or other container is hung from the hook, and the items inside the basket then pull downwards on the hook, which stretches the springs inside the works. The pulling action moves a rack and gears a calculated distance and the gears turn the pointer on the dial to indicate the weight of the goods. This scale measures up to 200 pounds capacity. The HMV SS Lady Loch was an iron steamship built in Footscray, Melbourne, by Campbell, Sloss and McCain in 1886 for the colonial Victorian government’s Department of Trade and Customs. It was armed with a 6-inch gun and two 1-inch Nordenfelt guns. The Sydney Morning Herald of 27th January 1888 describes the vessel in detail. It even comments on the interior of the Saloon “The wood work … is on a very elaborate scale and is exceedingly neat …”. The HMV Lady Loch performed Customs duties, and serviced the lighthouses along the coast. The scale could have measured goods for the Customs Tax, or for measuring out supplies for the lighthouse keepers. The vessel was named after Lady Elizabeth Loch, wife of Sir Henry Loch, Governor of Victoria from 1884 to 1889. In 1932 Lady Loch was converted to a hulk and used in Brisbane, and finally scuttled in 1962 at Moreton Bay, Queensland.The scale has importance due to its connection to the 1886 HMV Lady Loch, a vessel of great significance to Melbourne’s shipbuilding industry. It was the largest auxiliary vessel in the Victorian Colonial Government’s fleet and the first prominent vessel launched by Melbourne’s shipbuilding industry. The scale is also important for its connection with the colonial navy's Custom's work, as the scale was available to weigh goods that could attract taxes and deal out goods for distribution to lighthouse keepers. The HMV Lady Loch was also important part of Victoria's maritime history for its communication and support of the lighthouse keeper's along the coast of Victoria.Scale; Salter's spring balance mechanical hanging scale, brass and iron. Equally spaced marks around the circular dial have values from 0 to 200 in increments of 10, each increment is also divided into 10. An iron ring is attached to a fitted loop on the top of the scale, and an iron hook is attached to the fitted loop onthe bottom of the scale. A moving pointer attached to the centre of the dial has a calibration screw joined to its base. Four screws fix the brass face to the works at the back. There are stamped and embossed inscriptions. Made by Salter in Britain, to Silvester's Patent design. The scale was once equipment carried abourd the steamship HMV SS Lady Loch. Stamped: "SALTER'S / SPRING BALANCE" "SILVESTOR'S / PATENT" Embossed in script: "HMV SS / Lady Loch"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, scale, salter, spring balance, silvester's patent, lady loch, steamship, hmv, colonial navy, victoria, lady elizabeth loch, custom's vessel, lighthouse tender, 1886, government vessel, victorian government, measuring instrument, weight, weighing instrument, mechanical scale, hanging scale -
Marysville & District Historical Society
Painting (Item) - Oil painting, Isaac Whitehead, A spring morning near Fernshaw 1880, 1880
... exhibition london colonial and indian exhibition melbourne centennial ...A copy of an early oil painting of Fernshaw in Victoria.A copy of an early oil painting of Fernshaw in Victoria by Isaac Whitehead. Isaac Whitehead (1819–1881) was an Irish-Australian artist who worked in watercolour and pastel. He was also a picture framer and art promoter. It is believed that Isaaz Whitehead emigrated to Australia with his family in either 1853 or 1858. Isaac Whitehead died at his home 50 Punt Road, Prahran, Melbourne, on 21 April 1881. Isaac Whitehead had established himself as the foremost picture framer in Melbourne by 1860, known for his highly ornate frames with floral decorations. Among the clients of his framing business were Louis Buvelot, Nicholas Chevalier, and Eugene von Guérard. In his own paintings, he painted a number of scenes of the forests of Gippsland, Victoria. His work focused on the rich landscapes with trees and ferns, with a high degree of botanical detail. His work won him two medals and his work was posthumously exhibited at 1884 Victorian Jubilee Exhibition, the 1886 London Colonial and Indian Exhibition, and the 1888 Melbourne Centennial Intercolonial Exhibition. Fernshaw was a rural township 63 km northeast of Melbourne and 10 km northeast of Healesville. Situated on the Watts River, near where a log had fallen making a convenient crossing, Fernshaw was settled in the 1860s. It provided good country for orchards and berry growing. The location was at the foot of Blacks Spur, with Mounts Juliet and Mondah rising on either side, providing spectacular scenery. There were nearby fern gullies giving rise to the name – ‘shaw’ is old English for thicket or wood. By 1875 Fernshaw had a post office (1865), two hotels, a school (1871), and stores. It was famed for its beauty, attracting tourists. In 1886 the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works began work on the Watts River water catchment scheme – later to become Maroondah – and the Board obtained approval for the catchment country to be reserved and kept free of settlement. This required the removal of the Fernshaw township, which was completed by about 1890.isaac whitehead, fernshaw, victoria, louis buvelot, nicholas chevalier, eugene von guerard, gippsland, victorian jubilee exhibition, london colonial and indian exhibition, melbourne centennial intercolonial exhibition, watts river, healesville, blacks spur, mount juliet, mount mondah -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Document - Beauville Avenue, 22, Murrumbeena
This file contains 1 item: 1/Typed article with handwritten working notes by the Brighton Historical Society dated November 3, 1988, about the history of 22 Beauville Avenue, Murrumbeena. It includes some background on the Beauville Estate and its development in the 1930s by AV Jennings Construction Co. Written by H. Bullock and R. Landells.loh felix ma, curran norman d., curran m. mrs., jennings albert v. sir, bullock hilary, landells rosalind, residential development, brighton historical society, beauville avenue, murrumbeena, beauville estate, av jennings construction co., colonial gas association -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Document - Organs
This file contains eight items about the history and construction of church organs in the Glen Eira area: 1/A photocopy of notes on the history of the church organ in the Bambra Road Church of Christ (1 page). 2/A photocopy of an extract from the book ‘The Christ Church Chronicles 1901-2001’ p20-24, by Vi Manson, giving a detailed description of the life of the organ in Christ Church Anglican Church, Ormond. It describes the building, relocation, restoration, rededication and role of the organ in church activities. 3/Extracts from ‘Colonial Organs and Organbuilders’, p121-122, 126, 131, 140, 182-183, by E. N. Matthews, 1969, about organ installations, repairs and sales. It contains entries about organs previously and currently located in Murrumbeena, Caulfield, Elsternwick, Balaclava and Bentleigh. 4/A photocopied extract from a letter from Mrs. M. Ring to the Caulfield Historical Society, dated 14/03/1986, describing the organ at ‘Crotonhurst’ (1 page). 5/A photocopy of notes (1 page), written by Trevor Hart, dated unknown, on the history and building of Elsternwick Congregational Church (Caulfield Union Church) containing a note about an organ built by George Fincham that was sold in 1962. 6/A photocopy of a small paragraph about the organ in St. Mary’s Anglican Church, paraphrased from E. N. Matthews ‘Colonial Organs and Organbuilders’, author and date unknown (1 page). 7/A photocopy of a page of a research project by Kate William, date unknown, giving a brief history of the organ and choirs at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Caulfield. 8/A photocopy of a draft resolution to gift the Merklin-Shutze pipe organ located in the Uniting Church, Orrong Road, Ormond to the Australian Catholic University. Author and date unknown (1 page).bambra road church of christ, bambra road, organs, choirs, religious groups, fincham george, organists, fullard leonard, depression 1929-1939, world war 1939-1945, durance ronald rev., dunlop julie, larner john, muston ged. bishop, musical events and activities, christ church anglican church ormond, concerts, balaclava, holy trinity church balaclava, torrance g. w., parsons c. r., ure james, bryant mr., brentnall t., meedham s. p., inge h. j., stevens j. n., balaclava methodist church, fentum g. b., eggleston j., bentleigh, st. george’s church bentleigh, caulfield, st. mary’s church caulfield, perry bishop, reed joseph, lee kaye, taylor hugh ms., stephen miss, hart mr., kaye s., dixon miss, hardeman j. j., dumergue charles, wright j. d., dixon f. miss, courcelle john, elsternwick, elsternwick baptist church, warner l., andrewartha c. w., elsternwick methodist church, rippon lea, ripponlea, sargood frederick t. hon. sir., croton hurst, crotonhurst, webb g. h. f., mclaughlin j., murrumbeena, murrumbeena methodist church, hill william, hart trevor, caulfield historical society, caulfield union church, elsternwick congregational church, st. mary’s anglican church caulfield, music, dixon h. mr., smithers mr., merklin-schutze, orrong road, elsternwick/caulfield south church council, ormond -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Black and White, Meeting for the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, Hobart, 1892, 1892
Newspaper reports relating to the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Hobart, 1892. "Australasian Association for the advancement OF SCIENCE. Several members of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science arrived in the city yesterday by the inter colonial steamers, some of whom went direct to Hobart, while others remained in the city, but leave for the capital this afternoon. Amongst those who arrived were Baron Von Mueller, the dis tinguished scientist, who has taken some interest in this colony's re sources, Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A., professor of biology at the Melbourne University, who was general secretary at the Melbourne meeting; the Rev. Lorimer Fison, an able worker in the South Sea mission fields; Dr. Robert Giffen, L.L.D., C.ll.; Captain Pascoe, R.N.; Mr Napier Bell, C.E.; Professors Hutton, Nerich, Smith, and Morris, and Mr Richard Teece, F.T.A., the well-known actuary of the A.M.P. Society. A large number of other distinguished members also arrived. Judge Dorkerwho also arrived, was con ducted over the Exhibition in the after noon, and expressed pleasure with what he saw. His Honor leaves by express train to-day for Hobart. The hon. Dr. Campbell was met by Mr Arthur Day, the official agent for Great Britain to the Exhibition, an old friend, who conducted him over the Exhibition. The doctor confined his attention principally to the dry ore concentrator, in which he takes a great interest. He will, however, visit the Exhibition again after the meetings in Hobart has been brought to a termination. What he has seen of the Exhibition has impressed him favourably. (Launceston Advertiser, 6 January 1892.) "TASMANIA. AUSTALASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. The fourth congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science was commenced in Hobart at 11. o'olock on Thursday by the general Council assembling at the Royal Society's rooms, at the Museum. There was a good attendance, including the Governor, Sir B. G. Hamilton. In the absence of the president, Sir James Hector, the chair was occupied by Baron Von Muellor. In the afternoon Lady Hamilton gave a garden party at Government House to 600 guests, including the members of the association, the Judges, the members of the Ministry, and leading citizens." (Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate, 9 January 1892.)Two sepia photographs mounted onto charcoal mount. A group of men in hats and coats, and women in hats and long dresses assemble in front of a double story building, thought to be Henry Dobson's of Ferntree near Hobart. In the background stumps of large trees are evident. The event was a garden party held in for members of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science who met in Hobart in 1892. .1 F.J. Martell of the Ballarat School of Mines is seated between two women in the right hand foreground. James Oddie, with white beard and top hat, is standing in the centre foreground between two women. .2) James Oddie is standing with cane in hand on the right of the bench in the foreground of the photo. australasian association for the advancement of science, hobart, oddie, james oddie, martell, von mueller, baldwin spencer, lorimer fison, robert giffen, napier bell, arthur day, dobson, henry dobson -
Federation University Historical Collection
Booklet - Magazine, Ballarat School of Mines Students' Magazine, 1927
Every year the Ballarat School of Mines (S.M.B) produced a magazine, between 1898-1967. The 1927 magazine Editorial Staff- A.T Morrison, E. Van Beek, G. Dimsey, G. Inglis, L. Hillman, J. Muir, J. Johnson, N. Nicholls, B. Saunders, Dr. J. R. Pound, Mr. H. Jolly, A. Proctor, and J. Walters. Contains list of course students for 1927. Listing of School Council and staff for 1927 (inside front cover). Listing of departments, courses and fees (approximate) available at S.M.B . (inside back cover) *Articles -Mr. John Rowell regarding his receiving the Crouch Memorial Prize -S.M.B. Procession, 1927 -S.M.B. Ball July 20th at the City Hall -Letter to Editor 'The Chemists' Trip to Melbourne mentioning a tour of the Footscray Technical School; an exploration of the Mount Lyell Chemical Works; visits to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, The Melbourne Mint, the Deer Park Explosive Works (met with former S.M.B. students, A. Perry and H. R. Kofoed), Nobel (Australasia) Ltd. -Mentions of Literary Society activities -Geelong trip by school football team July 18th to play Gordon Tech. -Extract from the 'People's Paper', July 14 regarding the S.M.B Gala Night and the election of Miss S.M.B. -Mentions of the Mica Smith Scholarship -4th Annual reunion for Past Students Association, 23rd October -Descriptive article on Port Arthur -Tour of the Mount Lyell District, with mentions of the North Lyell Mine, Port Kembla, Lake Margaret Hydro Electric Works -Paper making -A brief description of the rubber industry -Decorating for the Gala Ball -Sporting activities, 1926 and 1927 -The Junior Techs class and sporting activities. Mentions of their participation in the Procession *Prints -S.M.B. Botanical Gardens by Graham Hopwood, awarded first prize -Caricatures unknown subjects, though to be staff and students at the school *Photographs -Editorial Staff -S.M.B. Athletic Team, 1926- Winners of the Herald Shield -S.M.B. Football Team, 1927 -School of Mines Girls' Basket Ball team, 1927 -Girls' Hockey Team, Ballarat School of Mines, 1927 -Winners of the Thompson Shield, 1926. Premiers N.C.D.- J.T.S.A. (Junior Technical School Association) *Advertisements -A.N.A. Hall, Camp St. 'The Rollicking English Company- "The Rivals", presented by the School of Mines Dramatic Company. Wednesday, 14th September, 1927.Green soft covered book relating to the Ballarat School of Mines student activities for the year 1927. smb, ballarat school of mines, hockey, ballarat school of mines botanical gardens, graham hopwood, basketball, netball, a.t morrison, e. van beek, g. dimsey, g. inglis, l. hillman, j. muir, j. johnson, n. nicholls, b. saunders, dr. j. r. pound, mr. h. jolly, a. proctor, j. walters -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Plaque - Nameplate, James & Alexander Brown, 1849 – 1931
This is one of two cast brass nameplates of James & Alexander Brown in our collection. The Newcastle, NSW, firm was renowned for its coal mining and exporting business established in colonial Australia in 1843. The firm had an office in Melbourne and sold coal for commercial use and from the Wharf for the domestic market. The coal was then distributed along the southwest coast of Victoria in steamships or steam packets and into the regional areas of Victoria by cart and wagon. In 1890 there was a strike of coal workers but the Geelong Advertiser, September 1, 1890, announced that “a firm of coal merchants only recently received some large cargoes from Newcastle”. This supply of coal could have originated at the colliery of James & Alexander Brown. About James & Alexander Brown: - James (1816-1894), John (1823-1846) and Alexander Brown (1827-1877) migrated with their parents from Scotland to Sydney, Australia, in 1842. The next year James leased land and was assisted by his brothers Alexander and John in mining coal in the area near Maitland. The market was very competitive, with the government controlling prices. James was instrumental in a legal battle that resulted in the introduction of open competition for coal mining. James and Alexander had become business partners by 1852 and moved south of Newcastle where they established and worked a profitable mining enterprise. Their assets by 1857 included a ships’ chandlery, a fleet of steamships and an overseas trading business. They were the first firm to import rum, sugar and coffee into Newcastle. By 1892 they were exporting coal to New Zealand, China, North America, and various colonial ports. They had elaborate workshops to service their own steam engines and steamships. They were the first to use a steam collier vessel in Australian waters and they set up the second tug boat in Newcastle, the beginning of being owners of many more tug boats and performing a towing business. By 1868 James & Alexander Brown was the largest coal producer in the colony. James focused on managing the colliery and Alexander on overseas trade. It was estimated that the firm had produced over eight per cent of coal in New South Wales by 1914. James & Alexander Brown advertised in the Melbourne Herald in the early 1900s and kept an office at Queen Street, Melbourne as well as at the Wharf, stating their telephone numbers for both places. The coal was available for ‘Immediate Delivery’ for household and industrial purposes. The advertising claimed that their Pelaw Main coal was the famous household coal that met the highest test in Australia and burned bright and clean. Domestic customers could purchase the coal at the wharf or pay for delivery. Commercial customers could load their purchases into their steamships or wagons for further distribution into regional Victoria. After James’s death in 1894 his son John managed the firm, which was also known as J & A Brown. John passed away in 1930 and his sons took over. In 1931 the firm amalgamated with Abermain Seaham and the new name was J & A Brown & Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd. commonly abbreviated to JABAS, which merged with Caledonian Collieries Ltd in 1960 and Coal & Allied Industries Ltd. was formed. The pair of nameplates is significant for its connection with the firm James & Alexander Brown. The firm was established in 1845 and became one of the largest collieries in colonial Australia. It was involved in trading within Australia and overseas. James was involved in the introduction of open competition for coal mining prices. They were the first to use a steam colliery in Australian waters and the first to import goods such as rum, sugar and coffee into New South Wales. The firm had a Melbourne office in the early 1900s, selling and distributing coal throughout Victoria, which likely included the Port of Warrnambool, which opened in 1890. The nameplates are likely to have originated from the Melbourne location.Brass Entrance Name Plate, one of a pair. Eight holes are formed through the plate; one in each corner, and four more holes are within the inscription area. The cast plate has three rows of text with the company’s name and type of business. The plate was owned by James & Alex. Brown. "JAMES & ALEXR. BROWN / COLLIERY PROPRIETORS / & STEAMSHIP OWNERS"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nameplate, james & alexander brown, j & a brown, james & alexr brown, colliery proprietors, steamship owners, ship chandlers, coal mine, coal export, australian import, australian export, newcastle, colliers, coastal trade, steamships -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Plaque - Nameplate, James & Alexander Brown, 1849 – 1931
This is one of two cast brass nameplates of James & Alexander Brown in our collection. The Newcastle, NSW, firm was renowned for its coal mining and exporting business established in colonial Australia in 1843. The firm had an office in Melbourne and sold coal for commercial use and from the Wharf for the domestic market. The coal was then distributed along the southwest coast of Victoria in steamships or steam packets and into the regional areas of Victoria by cart and wagon. In 1890 there was a strike of coal workers but the Geelong Advertiser, September 1, 1890, announced that “a firm of coal merchants only recently received some large cargoes from Newcastle”. This supply of coal could have originated at the colliery of James & Alexander Brown. About James & Alexander Brown: - James (1816-1894), John (1823-1846) and Alexander Brown (1827-1877) migrated with their parents from Scotland to Sydney, Australia, in 1842. The next year James leased land and was assisted by his brothers Alexander and John in mining coal in the area near Maitland. The market was very competitive, with the government controlling prices. James was instrumental in a legal battle that resulted in the introduction of open competition for coal mining. James and Alexander had become business partners by 1852 and moved south of Newcastle where they established and worked a profitable mining enterprise. Their assets by 1857 included a ships’ chandlery, a fleet of steamships and an overseas trading business. They were the first firm to import rum, sugar and coffee into Newcastle. By 1892 they were exporting coal to New Zealand, China, North America, and various colonial ports. They had elaborate workshops to service their own steam engines and steamships. They were the first to use a steam collier vessel in Australian waters and they set up the second tug boat in Newcastle, the beginning of being owners of many more tug boats and performing a towing business. By 1868 James & Alexander Brown was the largest coal producer in the colony. James focused on managing the colliery and Alexander on overseas trade. It was estimated that the firm had produced over eight per cent of coal in New South Wales by 1914. James & Alexander Brown advertised in the Melbourne Herald in the early 1900s and kept an office at Queen Street, Melbourne as well as at the Wharf, stating their telephone numbers for both places. The coal was available for ‘Immediate Delivery’ for household and industrial purposes. The advertising claimed that their Pelaw Main coal was the famous household coal that met the highest test in Australia and burned bright and clean. Domestic customers could purchase the coal at the wharf or pay for delivery. Commercial customers could load their purchases into their steamships or wagons for further distribution into regional Victoria. After James’s death in 1894 his son John managed the firm, which was also known as J & A Brown. John passed away in 1930 and his sons took over. In 1931 the firm amalgamated with Abermain Seaham and the new name was J & A Brown & Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd. commonly abbreviated to JABAS, which merged with Caledonian Collieries Ltd in 1960 and Coal & Allied Industries Ltd. was formed. The pair of nameplates is significant for its connection with the firm James & Alexander Brown. The firm was established in 1845 and became one of the largest collieries in colonial Australia. It was involved in trading within Australia and overseas. James was involved in the introduction of open competition for coal mining prices. They were the first to use a steam colliery in Australian waters and the first to import goods such as rum, sugar and coffee into New South Wales. The firm had a Melbourne office in the early 1900s, selling and distributing coal throughout Victoria, which likely included the Port of Warrnambool, which opened in 1890. The nameplates are likely to have originated from the Melbourne location.Brass Entrance Name Plate, one of a pair. Eight holes are formed through the plate; one in each corner, and four more holes are within the inscription area. The cast plate has three rows of text with the company’s name and type of business. The plate was owned by James & Alex. Brown. "JAMES & ALEXR. BROWN / COLLIERY PROPRIETORS / & STEAMSHIP OWNERS"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nameplate, james & alexander brown, j & a brown, james & alexr brown, colliery proprietors, steamship owners, ship chandlers, coal mine, coal export, australian import, australian export, newcastle, colliers, coastal trade, steamships -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Timer, 1940s
Australia's first telephone exchange was opened in Melbourne in August 1880. It was operated by the Melbourne Telephone Exchange Company. Owned by W. H. Masters and T. T. Draper, the Manager of the Company was H. Byron Moore. This was only two years after the world's first exchange in the United States, and just four years after Bell first spoke on a telephone. The exchange was located in the old Stock Exchange building at 367 Collins Street, a site now occupied by the Commonwealth Bank. In 1884, the operations of the Company, by then known as the Victorian Telephone Exchange Company, had grown considerably and were transferred to Wills Street, Melbourne. Private ownership of this company continued until 1887 when it was bought out by the Victorian Colonial Government. Other colonial governments followed this example. By 1910, the growth in telephone services made additional accommodation necessary. This could not be provided in the existing building in Wills Street and arrangements were made for a new exchange in Lonsdale Street. Alexander Graham Bell visited Australia in 1910 to advise the Federal Government's Postal Commission. Telephone exchanges were established in Adelaide with (48 subscribers), Hobart (10 subscribers) and Launceston (35 subscribers). The first exchange in Western Australia was established in 1887 and located in a small three-room cottage in Wellington Street, Perth with 17 subscribers. The year 1888 marked the opening of the Fremantle exchange in a small room at the rear of the Town Hall. There were nine subscribers. Australia's first automatic exchange was installed in the GPO in Sydney, in 1911, for internal use. But the first automatic exchange for public use was opened at Geelong in Victoria in the next year July 1912 with 800 subscribers. Melbourne's first automatic exchange was opened in the suburb of Brighton in 1914; the first public automatic exchange in NSW began operating at Newtown, Sydney in 1915; and Queensland's first was installed at South Brisbane in 1925. 1929 saw the opening of Tasmania's first automatic exchange in Hobart. an automatic telephone service. In June 1977, the manual telephone exchange at Swansea was replaced with an automatic service and made Tasmania the first State in Australia to have a fully automatic network. The half-century following Federation saw the growth of the automatic operation; a great extension of trunk line services; The automatic telephone contributed greatly to the early popularity of telephones in Australia. It was a quicker and more convenient way of communicating with another person on the same exchange — instead of having to go through tedious processes with the operator. From its introduction, the number of automatic telephones in operation grew to a remarkable extent. In 1886, the first trunk link of 16 km was connected to the exchanges of Adelaide and Port Adelaide in South Australia. Then, in 1907, the first inter-capital telephone trunk line was opened between Sydney and Melbourne. It was followed by a line between Melbourne and Adelaide in 1914. Sydney and Brisbane were linked in 1923, and Perth and Adelaide in 1930. In 1930, the first overseas calls from Australia came possible with the introduction of a radiotelephone service to England, and through there to Europe and America. A similar service opened to New Zealand in the same year. Initially, trunk channels linked different manual trunk exchanges. It was necessary for a succession of trunk operators to connect the appropriate channels, one after the other until the connection was made. As trunk traffic grew. the system became increasingly unsuitable. More trunk operators had to be employed and so labour costs increased. It was a tedious and slow way of making a long-distance call, and it was sometimes hard to hear, particularly when several exchanges were linked With technical advances, trunk switching moved from manual operation through a partly automatic phase. Automatic transit switching equipment was used and only a single operator was required to connect a trunk call to a wanted automatic subscriber. Until well beyond the middle of this century, the majority of trunk traffic went through this single telephonist control. In 1953, the number of telephones in use in Australia passed the one million mark. By then, the need for improvement in the automatic exchanges was becoming well recognised. The need was for a telephone switching system which would do a better job more economically than the conventional step-by-step ex-change. This led to the adoption of the Crossbar system as the standard in automatic telephone exchanges in 1960. The introduction of Crossbar switching was a big step forward in the automation of trunk calls. It substituted automatic switching and charging equipment for the originating trunk operator, and improved the quality of the system radically. Before the introduction of the Crossbar system there were often very long delays in obtaining a booked trunk call, and the quality of sound was often very poor. With Crossbar, Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) became a reality. A trunk call by STD was as easy to make and almost as fast to connect as a local call.The item was made around the 1940s and used up until the 1970s in manual cord telephone exchanges as a way to time and charge users for trunk calls made over the telecom system of the time. Post Master General dept. - Trunk Call Timer.Inscribed PMG, C. of A, 37. Bell chimes at 3 min increments.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, timer, trunk call, telephone, cord exchange -
Federation University Historical Collection
Plan, Plan for Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited, 316 Collins Street Melbourne
Three plans for the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited, 316 Collins Street Melbourne. It appears to have been used for refurbishment purposes and includes annotations. architecture, plans, peters, gilpin, colonial mutual life assurance society limited -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book, Ballarat School of Mines Visitors' Book, 1879-1890, 1879-1890
James Redmond Gilbert (sr) was born in 1837 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He married Ellen Spouse. He , James Gilbert died on 26 July 1900 at Melbourne, and is buried at Boroondara Cemetery (Kew). J.R Gilbert lived at Running Creek (later Havilah) for some time, and during that time was employed in one of the bigger mines in the district. (Research by Ren at Havilah Research, 2019) Leatherbound ledger with hand written names, professions, residence and remarks relating to visitors to the Ballarat School of Mines. Sample Names: 1881 May 2 David Kerr Diamond Miner South Africa May 2 S. R. Dodds Diamond Miner South Africa May 3 Albert E. King Accountant Adelaide, South Australia "see signature 6 leaves back" May 6 William Morley Wesleyan Minister Auckland, New Zealand May 6 Rainsford Ravin Wellington, New Zealand May 7 Frank E. Lawrence, Lake River, Tasmania May 9 M. Richter Engineer Germany May 9 Dr Wilhelm Landall naturalist Berlin, Germany May 10 William Ralph Heaton Mercantile Birmingham May 11 Arthur I. Traill Grazier Llanpollen, New South Wales May 10 Marian Traill 1882 July 10 Arthur W.W. Brown London July 10 Benjamin Spargo Mining Mananger and owner Snowy Creek July 10 Thomas Cooke Miner Ballarat July 14 Robert H. Kenny July 14 Mr and Mrs Buston, [Indigo Planter?] Bengal, Indonesia July 14 Samuel H. Halker Ballarat July 14 Charles Phelan Talbot July 14 E. Walker Ballarat 1884 June 30 M.N. Cooper Dunedin, new Zealand June 30 Richard Hosking gardiner Gong Gong Well pleased with School June 30 Humphrey John Ballarat July 1 Cecily Gilbert Melbourne July 1 Florence Shrivall Melbourne July 1 [W.N. Marsh?] Colonial Secretary Hong Kong July 1 Louis Fause Engine Driver Dunolly July 1 John L. Bertram Blacksmith Melbourne July 1 Thomas Eardley Coachmaker London "Exceedingly obliged to Mr Oddie for a very pleasant instruction time spent in inspection of the various scientific appliances in the Ballarat School of Mines." (Donation 2/6) July 4 E. Goodwin [David?] Artist Spellbound July 4 W. Glumley Station Master Murtoa July July 4 James Thomas Miner Corrinondie, New Zealand "Very pleased with the School in all its branches. I hope to contribute to the specimen department. J.T." July 8 Robert Wall Engine Driver 1885 September 16 J.W. Springthorpe, M.D., Melbourne (very much pleased in every way) September 26 M. Oddie, Ballarat 1886 January 12 William Piekard, Leicester, England January 12 Robert Linford, Norwich, England January 12 H. Tipping, Draughtsman, Adelaide (Very instructive and should be taken advantage of by all who can) January 12 Fred H.K. Dreslecher, London (ditto) January 23 Walter Redgate, Manchester (ditto) April 7 Annie Bellingham, Richmond April 9 Fred Kruger, Landscape Photo, Geelong April 14 Mary Barry, Murtoa April 19 N.J. Tabuteau Accountant Napier, New Zealand April 19 George N. [Baroft?] Gentleman Cheshire, England April 21 Hon. George D'Almaine, Peer of England, London April 21 Lord Augustus Honour April 21 William Holt, South Melbourne April 21 H. Bartell, Gentleman, Smythes April 21 Fred Musgrove, Gentleman April 21 A. Chirnside, Squatter April 23 Alice Cravino, student, Buninyong April 24 East Melbourne Bicycle Club April 28 J. Kinnear, Kyneton April 28 J.P. Kinnear, Kyneton May 19 Bob Selby, Doctor, Ballarat May 19 J.W.M.. Quiggin, globe trotter, Picton (NS Wales) May 25 Arthur Night, Sutton Hotel, Ballarat (very fair) May 28 D. Kelly, attendant, China May 28 J. Kelly, schoolboy, China June 1 Joseph Jelbart, Blacksmith, Harrow September 9 David Ham, M.L.C. Ballarat ( A right to be pleased) September 9 J.J. Green, Merchant, Adelaide (Very much pleased with my visit to this intitiution it has my hearty sympathy and appreciation, Much pleased at what I have seen its value to the community) 9 December James H. Tappin, Agent, Ballarat (very pleased with instruction 1887 March 20 Thomas Bath Learmonth March 20 James R. Gilbert= Miner Running Creek March 20 C. Holtermann Out of business Adelaide 1890 21 May Mr and Mrs Fairchild, gentleman. Yarra house, Dalgety St, St Kildaballarat school of mines, visitors, j.w. springthorpe, chinese visitors, visitors' book, running creek, james redmond gilbert sr, havilah -
Federation University Historical Collection
Image, John Helder Wedge, Melbourne in 1838, 1938
The following information is from http://melbourneday.com.au/about.html, accessed 30 August 2016 Melbourne was founded on 30 August 1835 by settlers who sailed from Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) aboard the schooner Enterprize. They landed on the north bank of the Yarra River and established the first permanent settlement, close to where the Immigration Museum at the Old Customs House — on the corner of William and Flinders Streets — stands and the place today known as Enterprize Park. Melbourne Day Committee was established to help correct the record about the founding of Melbourne and celebrate its anniversaries. The settlers came from Launceston in search of sheep-grazing land. Land had become expensive and there had long been stories told by whalers and sealers working in Bass Strait of fertile land to the north. This was the southern part of the colony of New South Wales, which the Colonial Government did not want settled at that time. After the Henty family crossed Bass Strait and settled at Portland in 1834 others quickly followed. The north bank was chosen because a small waterfall, or rapids, stopped further progress up the river. The waterfall also separated the tidal movement, providing a vital supply of fresh water. The site had previously been noted by the colony of New South Wales' surveyor, Charles Grimes, in 1803. The north bank also offered more stable, suitable ground. The people of the Kulin nation are the traditional owners of the land that became Melbourne — including the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, Taungurung and Djadjawurrung people, who gathered in this place for ceremonies and cultural activities. The topsail schooner Enterprize you see today is a full-size replica of the one that brought the settlers and has become a symbol of Melbourne Day. Her keel was laid at Polly Woodside Maritime Museum in 1991, and the $2.5 million, 27m vessel was launched by Felicity Kennett on 30 August, 1997, at Hobsons Bay. The original ship was bought by John Pascoe Fawkner in April 1835 specifically to search for a suitable place for a settlement in the Port Phillip District. After helping establish Melbourne, the original Enterprize continued operating as a coastal trading vessel for a number of years. She eventually disappeared off the shipping register in 1847, having been wrecked on a sand bar in the Richmond River in northern NSW, with the loss of two lives. The replica is managed by the Enterprize Ship Trust, a not-for-profit organisation. The first settlers were those on board the Enterprize — her crew and passengers. They were John Lancey , master mariner and Fawkner’s representative; Enterprize's captain, Peter Hunter; George Evans, plasterer/builder; carpenters William Jackson and Robert Hay Marr; Evan Evans, George Evans’ servant; and Fawkner’s servants ploughman Charles Wise, general servant Thomas Morgan, blacksmith James Gilbert and his pregnant wife, Mary. And Mary's cat! Enterprize set sail on her historic voyage from Launceston on July 21, 1835, stopping at George Town in northern Tasmania where creditors detained Fawkner. He was therefore not part of the first trip to Melbourne. Enterprize then left on August 1 under the command of captain Hunter. The expedition was led by Lancey, Fawkner's delegate. The party first considered Western Port and the eastern side of Port Phillip for a place to settle, before deciding on the Yarra’s north bank — known today as Enterprize Park. On Sunday, August 30, they disembarked and began to erect shelter, build a store and clear land to grow food, thus starting the permanent European settlement of Melbourne.Image of the fledgling town of Melbourne on the banks of the Yarra River. melbourne, yarra river, john helder wedge -
Federation University Historical Collection
Plan, Mild Steel Boiler for Yarrawee Suction Dredge, 16 January 1907
George Milford, a long term staff member of Thompsons Foundry Castlemaine, remembers discussing Alexander Sinclair with this son, Alex Sinclair Jnr. "When Alex Jnr was a boy, his father, a senior design engineer, was sent to Malaya to oversee the erection on site of a suction cutter dredge for Thompsons. This was an adaptation of the idea of a bucket-dredge, where gold is won from alluvial gravels. In the 1915-1920 era, the Thompsons Engineering Department designed a suction-cutter dredge, by which hydraulic suction with a revolving cutter at the end of a long proboscis would collect the alluvial soil and deliver it into the dredge for recovery of the precious metals. Export marketing was then ‘all the go’, and the tin dredges were ordered from Thompsons, using the new cutter design. The dredges were, of course, shipped to Malaya in pieces, ready to be assembled on site. A number of Thompsons employees were selected to travel to Malaya to assemble the dredges. There were fourteen men in the gang. These men sailed on 1st July 1925, their number including Delmenico, McKay and Charles Albert Hauser, an engine driver. C A Hauser died of malaria in Malaya shortly after arrival. Components for a further three of these dredges were in transit or on site when the first suction-cutter dredge was assembled and tested. The designers had failed to take into account the fact that, in the jungle floor in Malaya, many trees grow up, and fall down, in tropical conditions, and become submerged still waterlogged in the floor of the jungle, and in the tin-bearing gravels. The suction-cutter dredge was found to be inefficient in these circumstances, the price of tin had fallen and the Malayan client reneged on the contract. Faced with an outlay of over £4,000 on which no money would be received, the company went bankrupt on 25th August 1925. Alex Sinclair Snr was at that stage in Malaya, and received the news of the bankruptcy by telegram. Upon telegraphing his employers for funds to return home, he received the reply that there were no such funds available. Alex Sinclair Jnr told the story of how his father worked as a labourer in Malaya for two years, while his mother took in washing and ironing during the same period, until together they had assembled enough money to pay for his father’s return Anyone who talks about “the good old days” is talking nonsense!"Large blue printed paper plan outlining the conditions of contract for the making of a steel boiler. The Blueprint includes design drawings and written contract specifying materials, time frame and costs. Signed on front 'Alec Sinclair Consulting Engineer, 31 Queen Street, Melbourne'. Stamped on verso 'Printed by Paterson & Co, Colonial Mutual Chambers, Collins St, Melbourne'. blueprint, designs and plans, yarrawee suction dredge, conditions of contract, thompsons foundry castlemaine, george milford -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Plan, Pilots Quarters Warrnambool
Warrnambool was officially made a Port of Entry in 1855 and by the 1870s had became the dominant port in the Western District. Sadly, due to an increasing problem with silting in the harbour, by the 1890s only small vessels could navigate the harbour. Men with the position of Pilot and Harbourmaster in Warrnambool were employed by the government to enforce government regulations and to help guide vessels safely into the port of Lady Bay, which was difficult to navigate. Some of the Pilots and Harbour Masters of Warrnambool were – - Captain Christopher Gwatkin, the first Harbourmaster for Warrnambool (1857 - his death in 1859). - Captain Helpman was Warrnambool’s second Harbourmaster 1859-1869 - James Nicol was Harbourmaster in Warrnambool for a time, including 1906 (b. 1840 – d. 1926) - Thomas Smith Drewett (1853 - 15-3-1905) past Captain of the Helen Nicoll, Pilot and Harbourmaster of Warrnambool. Warrnambool’s Tourist Guide of 1888 advises that “At the Port of Warrnambool there are two Leading Lighthouses. A licensed sea pilot, Captain Drewett, is stationed at the Port.” In 1915 plans for the Pilot’s Quarters were drawn up for the Department of Public Work. It was at that time, when personnel was short due to the First World War, that apparently the Pilot and Harbourmaster was also responsible for maintaining the light (lighthouse). The new Pilot and Harbourmaster’s house would be built on the site at 88 Merri Street, overlooking Lady Bay and right beside the Flagstaff and the Lady Bay Upper Lighthouse. Other Pilot and Harbourmasters were - - James Menzies was the Pilot and Harbourmaster at Warrnambool in 1929 . In 1932, he was appointed to the position of Acting Secretary to the Warrnambool Harbour Board. A hundred or so years later Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has fully renovated the former Harbourmaster’s quarters, changed the name to Lighthouse Lodge, and is now allowing guests to stay in the home, which is still neighbour to the operational Lady Bay Lighthouses, now over 150 years old. The association of the old Pilot and Harbourmaster’s Quarters (currently renamed as Lighthouse Lodge) with the Port of Warrnambool, and its maritime activities, is historically significant. The Pilot’s quarters are connected to a time when access to Warrnambool’s Port was important to the colonial settlers for income and supplies. Plan of Pilots Quarters, Warrnambool. Printed and handwritten plan shows house, garage, out buildings and maid's room. The plan's lower left corner has an official stamp and text beside the stamp. Department of Public Works, Melbourne, Victoria, March 11th, 1915. "PILOTS QUARTERS WARRNAMBOOL" "Department of Public works, Melbourne, Victoria I.P.K. , 11.3.15"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, plan, pilot's quarters warrnambool, pilot and harbourmaster's quarters warrnambool, pilot and harbour master's quarters warrnambool, port of warrnambool, department of public works victoria, lady bay lighthouses, warrnambool ports and harbours -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Plans, Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters Warrnambool, 1858-1909
The set of seven 1858 plans shows proposed plans for the original Lighthouse Complex that was built on Middle Island in 1858-1859. The whole complex was then transferred to Flagstaff Hill in 1871. The plan, dated 1909, is for proposed additions and repairs to the Quarters at Flagstaff Hill. The plan 'Alterations and Additions' shows alternate plans for changes to the quarters at the Flagstaff Hill location. This plan has no date. The Complex comprised the Lighthouse, the Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, the Store (now called the Chart Room) and a Privy, which was not included in these plans. The Keeper’s bluestone Quarters was a cottage divided into two compartments, one for each keeper and his family. The bluestone Store was divided into three; a store, a workshop an oil store (or office). The Privy comprised of a small building also divided into two separate, back-to-back toilets, one for each Keeper and his family. The Flagstaff Hill Keeper's Quarters have had extensions and additions at various times, and these have also been removed at various other times. THE PLANS - *Dec. 1858 (12/58) ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool’ (2375.01)* Public Works Office Melbourne – Front and Back elevations, sections, and floor plan. The drawing shows timber walls. [The floor plan is the closest plan to the current building, however, the walls are timber in this plan.] *Nov. 1858 – No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool’ (2375.02)* Office of Public Works, Melbourne – Back and End elevations and section through. The drawing shows stone walls. One side; Senior Keeper’s bedroom, living room and kitchen with storeroom. Another side; is the Assistant’s bedroom, living room and storeroom. *Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool’ (2375.03)* Office of Public Works – Front, Side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows stone walls. *Nov. 1858 – No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.04)* Office of Public Works – Front, side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows timber walls. *Nov. 1858 – ‘Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.05)* Public Works Office Melbourne. The plan shows the foundations, joists and eaves. The drawing shows timber walls. (Nov. 1858 – ‘No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool’ (2375.06)* Public Works Melbourne (Part of the paper is missing). This plan shows an octagonal tower, internal stairs, a balcony landing, and a weather vane on top. *November 1858 – No. 1, ‘Lighthouse – Warrnambool’ (2375.07)* Office of Public Works Melbourne. This plan shows a round tower, including the stairs, windows on the tower and the weather vane on the top. *4/3/9 [1909] – ‘Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan’ (2375.8)* Department of Public Works Melbourne’s official stamp is signed by Croft. It shows the floor plans of the Store, Upper Lighthouse and the Quarters. The Store building has three sections; a Store, Work-Shop and Office, with an internal wall between them and separate entries. The Quarters are divided into two dwellings. The Senior Keeper’s side on the left has fireplaces in two of the three bedrooms and there is a pantry and wash house. The Assistant’s side has no fireplaces in the bedrooms and there’s no pantry or washhouse. These plans include proposed changes to the buildings. The Senior Keeper’s Quarters would have a partition on bedroom 2, a bath with plumbing and drainage, a wall moved and a built-in side porch. The Store would also have a built-in porch. The undated plan 'Additions and Alterations' (2375.9) shows alternative arrangements for water tanks, plumbing and such. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSES- In the 1800s ships sailing from England to Australia began to use Bass Strait as a faster route to Melbourne. Small navigation errors led to many tragic shipwrecks. From 1848 lighthouses were operating along Victoria’s southern coast as a guide for sailors. Coastal towns such as Warrnambool grew and the exchange of trade and passengers were of great benefit. However, the uncertain weather changes, relatively shallow waters and treacherous, hidden rocky reefs were not suitable for a Harbour and in the 1840s and 1850s there were many shipwrecks in the area, with some even stranded in its Lady Bay harbour. A jetty was built in 1850 and a flagstaff to guide seafarers was placed up high on what became known now as Flagstaff Hill. In November 1857 the Victorian Government recommended that Warrnambool Harbour had beacons and two lighthouses to guide vessels into and out of the Harbour safely. The white light of the Middle Island lighthouse was to be used for the first time on September 1, 1859. The red light of the Beach Lighthouse, a wooden obelisk structure, was first operated on March 25, 1860, but in 1868 this light was ‘discontinued’ due to it being too low. Melbourne’s Department of Public Works decided to relocate the Middle Island Lighthouse Complex - Lighthouse, Keeper’s Quarters, Privy, Store Room and even water tanks - to Flagstaff Hill. The lower obelisk was shortened, and a protruding gallery, railing, and external ladder were added, as well as the light from the Beach Lighthouse. A green guiding light was erected on the end of the jetty. The transfer of the Complex began in March 1871. Each shaped stone of the lighthouse was carefully numbered, removed then reassembled on Flagstaff Hill. In 1872 the well was sunk behind the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage. The Keepers and families had left Middle Island in April and moved to Flagstaff Hill in October 1871. Vessels entering Lady Bay align the Upper and Lower Lighthouse towers during the day and the lights at night. The Upper Lighthouse is a round tower, the Lower Light is square. The Lighthouses were categorised as harbour lights rather than coastal lights, so they remain under the control of the Victorian Government’s Ports and Harbours section. The lights were originally powered by oil, then acetylene gas, later by electricity, and then converted to solar power in 1988. In 1993 the solar panel was replaced by a battery charger. A decision was made in 1936 to replace the lighthouses’ lights with unattended lights that no longer required Keepers and Assistants. At least 29 Keepers had attended to the lighthouse from its opening in 1859 to when the last official Lightkeepers left In April 1916. The Warrnambool Harbour Board rented out the Quarters from 1916 to 1936. The Board closed down but the rentals continued with other unknown landlords. In the 1970s the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board was set up under the chairmanship of John Lindsay. The Board was to make recommendations to the Warrnambool City Council regarding the use of the buildings and the rest of the Crown Land on the site. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage in stages, during which time evidence of a 1920s fire was found in the eastern section of the cottage. Additions of a porch on the west and a washroom on the east were made in the 1980s. The western part of the building is now a Shipwreck Museum and the east has returned to a late 19th-century Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage and includes the screen made by Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Hope during one of his two periods of service there. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS Lighthouse Keepers were responsible for keeping their Lighthouse’s lights shining at night. They kept a lookout for passing vessels and changes in weather. They were expected to clean, polish and maintain the equipment and buildings. They kept regular and detailed records of who was on watch, and the time the light was lit, trimmed and extinguished. They kept a journal about other events that occurred. They keep regular, accurate Meteorological Logs. It was expected that they were competent in Morse code signalling. They would be called to help in times of disasters and shipwrecks, and to give official statements about these events. Many Lighthouse Keepers also volunteered as members of the lifeboat crew. The Lady Bay lighthouses were officially classified as small, so the Keepers had the official titles of Senior Assistant Lighthouse Keeper and Assistant Lighthouse Keeper. They were employed by the Public Service and paid rent to live in the Lighthouse Quarters. They were compulsorily retired at the age of 60, with most receiving a superannuation payment. Despite their time-consuming duties, there was time to follow hobbies and crafts such as growing vegetables, playing musical instruments, making models of buildings including lighthouses, and crafting furniture pieces. An example of a keeper’s skills is the carved fire screen made by /assistant Keeper Thomas Hope in the early 20th century and displayed in the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage at Flagstaff Hill. The last occupants of the Middle Island Complex were Senior Keeper Robert Deverell, his Assistant Keeper, Andrew Farncombe, and their families. They all became the first occupants at the Lady Bay Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters on Merri Street. The Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex plans are the origin of what is now the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. They are a record of the people, process and departments involved in bringing the complex into fruition. The plans are significant to the Complex, which is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, H1520, for being of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. The Complex is significant as an example of early colonial development. The plan are significant for their connection with the important navigational function of the Lighthouses, a function still being performed to this day. The plans are also significant as an example of a product from the Public Works Department in Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. The structures built to these plans still stand strong. Plans for the Lighthouse Complex in Warrnambool, including Lighthouses, Keeper's Quarters and Stores. Seven of the plans are on thin fragile paper, one is on thicker, stronger paper. The drawings have been made in pens coloured red and black. They originate from Public Works in Melbourne. Seven were drawn in 1858, one in 1904, the other is not dated.Dec. 1858 - Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool. Public Works Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No. 1, Lighthouse - Warrnambool. Office of Public Works Melbourne. 4/3/9 [1909] - Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan. Department of Public Works Melbourne. SIGNED "Croft" "15A" on reverse [no date] - Lighthouse Quarters Warrnambool, Additions and Alterations. "9A" on reverseflagstaff hill, warrnambool, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse residence, lighthouse, plans, public works, melbourne, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, chart room, quarters, privy, middle island, beach lighthouse, obelisk, lighthouse keeper, assistant keeper, lighthouse complex, lady bay, lady bay complex, keepers, upper lighthouse, lower lighthouse, ports and harbours, cottage, harbour board, flagstaff hill planning board, meteorological record, robert deverell, andrew farncombe, warrnambool port, warrnambool harbour, residence, alterations, repairs, department of works -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Lifebuoy, Loch Ness, 1869-1909
This lifebuoy bears the name of the ship, its origin, the shipping company and the red ensign. These details mean that the lifebuoy was part of the lifesaving equipment on the sailing ship the Loch Ness, part of the Glasgow Shipping Company’s Loch Line (G.S.C. on the red pennant) and a British-registered ship (the red flag with the Union Jack on it). Lifebuoys were part of the emergency lifesaving equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The ring was made of strips of cork wood joined together to make the ring shape then covered in canvas and sealed usually with white paint. Four evenly spaced canvas reinforcing bands would be added for strength and for a place to thread a rope or line. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device often thrown to an endangered or distressed person in the water to keep them afloat while they receive help. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. Lifebuoys is a made from a buoyant materials such as cork or foam and ae usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. Cork lifebuoys were used from the late 19th to early 20th century. Kapok fibre was then used as a filling for buoys but wasn’t entirely successful. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The ship LOCH NESS 1869-1922 … The ship Loch Ness, of Glasgow, was the same ship what William Carmichael sailed on to Australia when he laid the commemoration stone on behalf of his sister Eva and himself, dedicated to their parents, brothers and sisters. The family members lost their lives on June 1, 1878, when their ship, the Loch Ard, was wrecked at Mutton Bird Island in south west Victoria. Eva Carmichael was one of the two survivors from that shipwreck, the other 52 tragically lost their lives. The ship Loch Ness was a three-masted sailing ship built in 1869 for the Loch Line owned by the Glasgow Shipping Company. The line transported cargo and passengers from Glasgow, Scotland, to Australian ports. The Loch Ness was sold in 1908 to Stevedore & Shipping Co, Sydney for use as a coal hulk. In 1914 the Australian Government took over the ship for naval defence purposeless. In 1926 the ship was sunk during gunfire practice by HMAS Melbourne, near Fremantle, Western Australia. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria. The lifebuoy is significant for its connection to the ship Loch Ness on which William Carmichael, brother of Eva Carmichael, travelled to lay a memorial to their parents and all of their other siblings who lost their lives in the Loch Ard disaster of 1878 near Peterborough, Victoria. Lifebuoy, round, cork filling inside canvas cover, painted white, with rope attached. Lifebuoy has printed name of vessel Loch Ness, Glasgow. Symbols of red flag with white initials G S Co. There is also a red ensign."LOCH NESS", "GLASGOW" "G S Co"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch ness, loch ard, william carmichael, eva carmichael, lifebuoy, glasgow sailing ship, loch ness of glasgow, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment, g s c, glasgow shipping company