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Wangaratta Urban Fire Brigade
Photograph
A burnout ute in the front of 3 member (Bob Oslow (deceased)in the middle of the photo reaching towards the steering wheel, Jon Briese with the fire hose and John Jones (deceased) beside him. It looks like there may be a fourth member looking under the hood (but unidentified). In the photo there are also several onlookers in the background. LE DAWN STUDIOS black and white photoL to R Bob Oslow (deceased) Jon Briese John Jones (deceased) (STAMPED) LE DAWN STUDIOS specialised photography WANGARATTA 59a Murphy St. 'PHONE 3675 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, The Bird of Dawning
Pattison Collections This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually, the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower areas of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave from 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However, he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853, a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first reading room in November 1884 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fundraising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year Joseph Archibald established a Museum; however, it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established, and in 1885 a new building was built at the back of the Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former courthouse in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished)). In 1911 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much - loved Institution in Warrnambool until the contents of the Museum and Art Gallery were removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historical books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historical Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library, ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed artworks and some photographs. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Bird of Dawning Author: John Masefield Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd Date: 1933The label on the spine with typed text PAT FIC MAS Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Service warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, john masefield, the bird of dawning, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, pattison collection, warrnambool library, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library -
8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles Regimental Collection
Photograph - Sentry Albury Monument
8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles provided sentries & district services since 1948Black and white photograph of sentry at Albury War Memorial at dawn Anzac Day 1993anzac day, albury, monument -
Wangaratta RSL Sub Branch
Framed Graphite Print, 13/05/2005
To commemorating 40 years since The Dawn Of a New Era for the Royal Australian Navy - 1965-2005 - A limited release of a graphite print of Guided Missile Destroyers HMA Ships PERTH (38), HOBART (39) and BRISBANE (41) served the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1965 and 2001.These ships were the first for the RAN to have been designed for the 'Missile Era' and were also the first to be not of a British design instead they were purchased from the United States of America. All 3 served with distinction on the 'Gun Line' during the Vietnam War and the BRISBANE also saw operations of the First Gulf War.Framed print drawn in graphite depicting three Guided Missile Destroyers at sea RAN - Commemorating 40 years since The Dawn Of a New Era for the Royal Australian Navy - 1965-2005 Limited Edition 3/50ran, hmas perth, hobart and brisbane, guided missile destroyers -
Moorabbin Air Museum
Book - Detailed listing of business jet types and their identities up to and including 1992 BUSINESS JETS INTERNATIONAL 92, BUSINESS JETS INTERNATIONAL 92, 1992
Detailed listing of business jet types and their identities up to and including 1992 BUSINESS JETS INTERNATIONAL 92Front cover showing in flight close up photo of small jet in dawn or twilight skynon-fictionDetailed listing of business jet types and their identities up to and including 1992 BUSINESS JETS INTERNATIONAL 92 -
Beechworth Honey Archive
Photograph
Beryl Robinson was the winner of Australian Honey Queen, 1965. The dress she is wearing is home-made.Black and white photograph of Beryl Robinson. Photograph by Dawn Studios, 59a Murphy St, Wangaratta.photograph, robinson, queen, bee, beechworth honey -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photographic print of a rephotographed photograph - Steamer Ship 'S.S. Dawn' docked on the Railway Pier Portland, c. 1970
Photographic print of a rephotographed photograph. Image of steamer Ship 'S.S. Dawn', tied up to Railway Pier. -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Photograph, 1/08/2012 12:00:00 AM
Also a colour photograph of the Hancock Trophy which is a silver Edwardian fruit comport originally in the dining room of the Club Hotel Lakes Entrance 04392.2 size 17.5 x 13 cmColour photograph of Shirley Hancock with Bridge players Dawn Wallace and Lyn Smark Lakes Entrance Victoriagenealogy, celebrations, clubs -
Conservation Volunteers
Gallipoli Visitor Welcome Pack 2011, Manufactured and collated for the Australian and New Zealand Governments
Annually since 2006 the Australian Department of Veterans Affairs has invited CVA to arrange a group of volunteers from Australia and New Zealand to travel to Gallipoli as part of the management of the Anzac Day Remembrance event. Announcing the 2011 visit the Commonwealth Minister, Warren Snowdon, said the contribution of volunteers on the ground at Gallipoli is highly valued. “Volunteers are very dedicated. They fund their way there and assist with a range of activities, including site preparation, crowd liaison and the distribution of visitor information packs,” he said. Volunteers appreciate this opportunity to both attend a place significant to many Australians and also to make a contribution to the safe and harmonious running of it. “I would like to thank CVA for the privileged of being involved in the Gallipoli program and would highly recommend it.” Volunteer Jennie, Newcastle NSW Since 2006 CVA group assisted at the ANZAC Day dawn service and at other remembrance The original idea was Garry Snowden's. Garry has a personal interest in WW1. On his second private trip to Gallipoli he noted there was too much litter around the commemorative sites and he had the idea of involving volunteers to play a role in providing a clean environment for visitors. The idea was raised with the Federal Govt (how was this done?). In 2005 there was bad publicity regarding behaviour of visitors and the amount of litter left and the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) reviewed its management strategy for the event. As an integral part of the strategy CVA was engaged to recruit a group of volunteers who would attend at their own cost, assist the clean up the environs of the main sites prior to Anzac Day while doing orientation and personal sightseeing, and welcome visitors and give them an information pack including a litter bag (see photographs attached. The volunteers do NOT clean up afterwards: that is rightly the work of Turkish contractors. Gallipoli is an iconic site for many Australians and New Zealanders and CVA provides this magnificent opportunity for volunteers to contribute effectively.This is a visitor welcome pack distributed by CVA volunteers to visitors prior to the Anzac Dawn service and other commemorations. It contains three publications, a poncho in the evcent of rain, a rubbish bag and a pin.Gallipoli, Gelibolu 2007anzac, gallipoli, garry, snowden -
Running Rabbits Military Museum operated by the Upwey Belgrave RSL Sub Branch
Medals - G.D. ABLETT
War Medal 1939-1945 Australian Service Service Medal 1939-1945 Gloria. Dawn. ABLETT No.104492medals, ww2, raaf -
Dandenong/Cranbourne RSL Sub Branch
Framed Print, Between 1920 and 1922
Anzac The Landing 1915 is an oil on canvas painted by George Washington Lambert. Painting depicts Australian soldiers of the covering force ( 3rd Infantry Brigade) climbing the seaward slope of Plugge's Plateau which overlooks the north end of the Anzac Cove. The view is to the north toward the main range. The yellow pinnacle is "The Sphinx " and beyond is Walker's Ridge which leads to Russell's Top. The white bags each soldier is shown carrying has two days rations which were issued especially for the landing. George Washington Thomas Lambert ARA. Born 13th September 1873 - died 29th May 1930. Australian artist known principally for portrait painting and as a war artist during the 1st World war.Framed print of an oil on canvas " The Making Of A Legend ". Depicting the Landing at Anzac Cove at dawn on the 25th April 1915.The print has inscribed below the painting the story of Anzac Cove with descriptions of numbers of casualties inflicted. -
Ringwood RSL Sub-Branch
Photographs
Photos taken on a personal trip by Elwynne Kift in 2003.Photo album containing approx. 200 photos of histrorical sites in Gallipoli (Dawn service 2003), Turkey and Scotland -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Badge - Melbourne Olympic Souvenir 1956 Badges x 15, 1956
The Melbourne Olympic games were mainly conducted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and were one of the most successful in terms of medals for Australia. Among the medal winners were Shirley Strickland, Betty Cuthbert in Athletics and Dawn Fraser and Murray rose in swimming. The games commenced in November 1956. The games were noted for the 19 Hungarian athletes who applied for asylum with their home country undergoing upheaval at the time. The Melbourne games also enjoyed the advent of television with the technology having recently been introduced to the country. These badges note ten of the many athletes who competed for Australia in 1956. These items are of social significance and interest. Among the names listed, Dawn Fraser and Shirley Strickland were two of Australia’s best known athletes.001042.1 Dawn Fraser Swimming 001042.2 Dawn Fraser Swimming 001042.3Gary Chapman Swimming 001042.4Gary Chapman Swimming 001042.5Gary Chapman Swimming 001042.6Jim Bailey Athletics 001042.7 Winsome Cripps Athletics 001042.8 Lionel Cox cycling 001042.9 Hector Hogan Athletics 001042.10 Kevin O’Halloran Swimming 001042.11 Shirley Strickland Athletics 001042.12 Merv Wood Sculling 001042.13 Jon Henricks Swimming Items 001042.1-001042.13 are white background with green wreath , black text on yellow background and have B & W photo of Olympian in centre. 001042.14 Melbourne Olympics Souvenir dark blue text, pale green with wattle 001042.15 Melbourne Olympic Games 1956 with red text Straight pin at the back. Patrick Pty Ltd on edge.1956 olympics, melbourne olympics, souvenir badges, dawn fraser, gary chapman, jim bailey, winsome cripps, lionel cox, kevin o'halloran, hector hogan, shirley strickland, jon hendricks, merv woods, melbourne olympic games -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
Audio - PMHPS Meeting, Wilbraham Liardet, Dawn Harris, Frankston Historical Society, Glen Stuart, 26 Jul 1999
Recording of PMHPS Meeting on 26.07.1999. Recording done by Glen Stuart at Port Town Hall. Speaker was Dawn Harris of the Frankston Historical Society regarding Wilbraham Liardet, who was a distant relative of Dawn who has been working on a book about the family or a decade. Recording duration 59:11.liardet family, dawn harris -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Document - Flyer - Advertising travel fares and dates for the 'SS DAWN', n.d
Flyer, advertising departure dates and fares Melbourne to Warrnambool return, on the SS 'DAWN', butchers paper / newsprint, black print. -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Book - Navy Golden Jubilee, Royal Australian Navy 1911-1961 Golden Jubilee Souvenir
a brief hiostory of the navy for jubilee purposesPaperback front cover in colour Naval vessel at Sea Rear b/w Gun Turret on vessel "stand to, the dawn"Issud by authority of the Departmentof the navy, Canberranavy, history jubilee -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Certificate - Certificate - 50th anniversary of the end of the second World War, c. 1995
Certificate awarded to Dawn Turner on the 50th anniversary of the end of the second World War. Parchment style card, yellow rising sun border. 'Australia Remembers' logo, Commonwealth of Australia coat of arms, black script, hand written 'Dawn Turner' signed by PM, Minister for Veteran Affairs and Federal Member. -
Moorabbin Air Museum
Book - The development of PISTON AERO ENGINES From the Wrights to microlights: a century of evolution and still a power to be reckoned with, 1999
The development of PISTON AERO ENGINES From the Wrights to microlights: a century of evolution and still a power to be reckoned withJacket showing photo of three prop radial engine and wing portion on ground in dawn or twilight , four prop plane in backgroundnon-fictionThe development of PISTON AERO ENGINES From the Wrights to microlights: a century of evolution and still a power to be reckoned with -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Photograph, Lakes Post Newspaper, 1/12/1994 12:00:00 AM
Black and white photograph of Dawn and Neil Talbot of Lakes Entrance Carpet Cleaning standing beside their van at Lakes Entrance Victoriabusinesses, people -
Friends of Kurth Kiln
Winch
Steel Rope Winch with Ratchet wheel. Cable Drum contains ~6m of 10mm dia wire rope.Lettering on Gear Wheel - DAWN MFG CO - 2 TON AUSTRALIA -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Document, Dedication Of The Australian Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, 3/10/1992 12:00:00 AM
Four page document. Dawn Service speech delivered by Brigadier Colin Kahn DSO on 3rd October 1992 dedicating the AVVN Memorialdocument, avvn memorial, brig colin kahn -
Clunes Museum
Photograph
LADY GOLFERS - BARBARA LEISHMAN, ? , ? , ALISON COUTTS, JEAN McDONALD, BETTY DUNCAN (NEE ROSS), JEAN LUFF, WIN LAZARUS, DAWN DONALDSONlocal history, photography, photographs, sport, golf -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Photograph, Lakes Post Newspaper, 1990c
Black and white photograph taken at the Rotary Art Show wildlife artist Dawn Stubbs nearest camera Mechanics Hall Lakes Entrance Victoriaarts, exhibition -
Moorabbin Air Museum
Book - A selection of fine paintings depicting the history of The Australian Flying Corps and the Royal Australian Air Force CANVAS TO CARBON FIBRE, Australian Government Publishing Service, CANVAS TO CARBON FIBRE, 1995
A selection of fine paintings depicting the history of The Australian Flying Corps and the Royal Australian Air Force CANVAS TO CARBON FIBREJacket cover showing close up inflight painting of two WW1 or pre WW1 era bi-planes against a twilight or dawn skynon-fictionA selection of fine paintings depicting the history of The Australian Flying Corps and the Royal Australian Air Force CANVAS TO CARBON FIBRE -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Drill
Pedestal drill hand operated Red in colour, Dawn embossed on body and drill plate. Black wooden handle on cranke-wheel.62.5cmH X 27cmWflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Photograph, Lakes Post Newspaper, 1995
Black and white photograph of members of the Art Workshop during a meeting showing tutor Dawn Edie with Elvie Ellman and Elaine Butler Lakes Entrance Victoriaarts, craft group -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph - Image - Black and white, Foundation Pupils of the Ballarat Girls Junior Technical School, 1951, 1951 (original)
In 1951 the first intake of students at the Ballarat Girls Junior Technical School occurred. The school was a part of the Ballarat School of MinesBlack and white image scanned from the 1951 Ballarat School of Mines Student Magazine. The image shows 28 girls in school uniform standing in front of a building. They are the foundation students of the Ballarat Girls' Junior technical School, also known as Central Girls' Technical School. Back Row: Lynette Robson, Lois Snibson, Janice Rogers, Joy Mills, Lynn Gilbert, Dawn Searle, Valerie Mills, Bonnie Cody (Simpson), Judith Bryan, Dawn Peacock. Middle Row: Margaret Paine, Carole Seddon, Valma Vincent, Raylee Bennets, Valerie Hughes, Kay Buchanan, Dorothy Robertson, Loris Gilbert, Dawn Lang. Front Row: Elizabeth Kinnane, Margaret Thompson, Lorraine Horwood, Brenda Beaumont, Yvonne Rowlands, Janette Sandwith, Dawn Parkes, Doreen New, Marion Marshall. ballarat school of mines, junior technical school, girls education, education, central technical school, ballarat girls junior technical school -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - ELAINE SWANSON COLLECTION: ANZAC DAWN SERVICE 2015 RSL BENDIGO
RSL Memorial Hall, Bendigo, poppy banners hanging from top of building. Image taken following dawn service 2015, commemorating 100 years of Anzac.bendigo, institutions, rsl memorial hall 2015 -
Wangaratta Urban Fire Brigade
photograph
black and white photograph of station officer Max Reevesblack and white photograph of Max Reevesstationofficer Max Reeves LE DAWN STUDIOS the proffesional photographers, Wangaratta and Myrtleford (stamp)max reeves -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Award - Medal, Nelson Johnson, November 1880
This medal for bravery, for rescue of the crew from the shipwreck “Eric the Red” on 4th September 1880, was awarded to one of the crew of the steamer S.S. Dawn by the President of the United States in July 1881. The medal is engraved with the name “Nelson Johnson” (the anglicised version of his Swedish name Neils Frederick Yohnson). It was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in 2013 by Nelson’s granddaughter. Nelson had migrated from Sweden to Sydney in 1879. The next year in 1880, aged 24, he was a seaman on the steamship Dawn and involved in the rescue of the survivors of the Eric the Red. Nelson Johnson was a crew member of the S.S. Dawn and was one of the rescue team in the dinghy in the early morning of September 4th 1880. Medals were awarded to the Captain and crew of the S.S. Dawn by the President of the United States, through the Consul-general (Mr Oliver M. Spencer), in July 1881 “ … in recognition of their humane efforts in rescuing the 23 survivors of the American built wooden sailing ship, the Eric the Red, on 4th September 1880.” The men were also presented with substantial monetary rewards and gifts. The city of Warrnambool’s care of the survivors was also mentioned by the President at the presentation, saying that “the city hosted and supported the crew ‘most graciously’. Previously, a week after the shipwreck, the Australian Government had also conveyed its thanks to the Captain and crew of the S.S. Dawn “Captain Griffith Jones, S.S. Dawn, The Hon. Mr Clark desires that the thanks of the Government should be conveyed to you for the prompt, persevering and seamanlike qualities displayed by you, your officers and crew in saving the number of lives you did on the occasion referred to. The hon. The Commissioner has also been pleased to award you a souvenir in commemoration of the occasion, and a sum of 65 pounds to be awarded to your officers and crew according to annexed scale. I am, &c, W Collins Rees, for and in the absence of the Chief Harbour Master.” The Awards are as follows: - Crew of DAWN'S lifeboat-Chief Officer, Mr G. Peat, 15 pounds; boat's crew-G. Sterge, A.B., 5 pounds; T. Hammond, A.B., 5 pounds; J. Black, A.B., 5 pounds; H. Edwards, A.B., 5 pounds. Dinghy's Crew-Second Officer, Mr Christie, 10 pounds; boat's crew -F. Lafer, A.B., 5 pounds; W. Johnstone, A.B., 5 pounds; Mr Lear, provedore, 5 pounds; Mr Dove, purser, 5 pounds. Captain Jones receives a piece of plate. (from “Wreck of the ship Eric the Red” by Jack Loney) The medal’s history, according to the Editor of ‘E-Sylum’ (the newsletter of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society “… appears to be an example of an 1880 State Department medal, catalogued as LS-3 (page 322 of R. W. Julian's book, Medals of the United States Mint: The First Century 1792-1892). The reverse is mostly blank for engraving, surrounded by a thin wreath. It was designed by George Morgan, chief engraver for the Philadelphia Mint, and struck in gold, silver and bronze. The one pictured here (in The Standard newspaper, 2nd July 2013) appears to be silver.” The following is an account of the events which led to the awarding of this medal. The American ship Eric the Red was a wooden, three-masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric ‘the Red-haired’ Thorvaldsson, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first-class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) – about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Zaccheus Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were also 2 saloon passengers on board. The ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. As Eric the Red approached Cape Otway there was a moderate north-west wind and a hazy and overcast atmosphere. On 4th September 1880 at about 1:30 am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However, he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, southwest of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. The sea knocked the helmsman away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The lifeboats were swamped, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its riggings, then the mainmast also fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually, the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30 am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time, they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer SS Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, and its sailing time was different to its usual schedule. She was built in 1876 and bought by the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co. in 1877. At the time of this journey, she was commanded by Captain Jones and was sailing between Melbourne and Portland via Warrnambool. The provedore the Dawn, Benjamin Lear, heard cries of distress coming through the portholes of the saloon. He gave the alarm and the engines were stopped. Cries could be heard clearly, coming from the land. Captain Jones sent out crew in two boats and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight, the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much-needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital for care and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Zaccheus Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. Neither the ship nor its cargo was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steamship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay, the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally, those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation, Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated onto Point Franklin. Some of the vessels' yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of f locating wreckage about 10 miles off land, southeast of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and flycatchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with a chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and this medal awarded for the rescue of the crew. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and teapots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. A Mr G.W. Black has in his possession a medal and a purse that was awarded to his father, another Dawn crew member who was part of the rescue team. The medal is similarly inscribed and named “To John Black ….” (from “Shipwrecks” by Margaret E. Mackenzie, 3rd edition, published 1964). The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high-quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and shed around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7-foot-long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at shipbuilding in Apollo Bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. Nelson Johnson married Elizabeth Howard in 1881 and they had 10 children, the father of the medal’s donor being the youngest. They lived in 13 Tichbourne Place, South Melbourne, Victoria. Nelson died in 1922 in Fitzroy Victoria, age 66. In 1895 the owners of the S.S. Dawn, the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co., wound up and sold out to the Belfast Company who took over the Dawn for one year before selling her to Howard Smith. She was condemned and sunk in Suva in 1928. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". The medal for bravery is associated with the ship the “The Eric the Red which is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) This medal was awarded to Nelson Johnson by the U.S. President for bravery in the rescue of the Eric the Red crew. The obverse of the round, solid silver medal has an inscription around the rim. In the centre of the medal is the head of Liberty to the left, hair in a bun, with a sprig of leaves in the top left of a band around her head. There is a 6-pointed star below the portrait, between the start and end of the inscription. There are two raised areas on the rim, horizontally opposite each other, from the edge to just below the lettering and coinciding with the holes drilled in the edge. Slightly right of the top is a round indentation in the rim. The reverse has a wreath of leaves as a border, joined at the bottom by a ribbon bow. In the centre of the medal is an inscription, decorated with 3-pronged design and dots. The edge is plain with 2 small, rough and uneven holes horizontally opposite to each other, as though they had been used for mounting the medal at some stage. The medal has a matte finish on both sides and is slightly pitted and scratched.“PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES” around the perimeter of the obverse of the medal. “TO / Nelson Johnson, / seaman of the British, / str “Dawn”, for bravery, / at risk of life, / in / rescuing the crew of / the American Ship / “Eric the Red.” “M” on obverse, truncation of the portraitwarrnambool, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, eric the red, zaccheus allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne exhibition, cape otway, otway reef, victorian shipwreck, medal, nelson johnson, neils frederick yohnson, s.s. dawn, george morgan, hero