A Ditty Bag (or box) was originally called “ditto bag” because it contained at least two of everything, two needles, two spools of thread, two buttons, etc. With the passing of years, the “ditto” was dropped in favour of "ditty" and remains so today. Before World War I, the Navy issued ditty boxes made of wood and styled after footlockers. These carried the personal gear and some clothes of the sailor. Today, the ditty bag is still issued to recruits and contains a sewing kit, toiletry articles and personal items such as writing paper and pens. Another source says a Ditty Box or Ditty Bag is possibly from the Saxon word “dite”, meaning tidy or from the English word “dittis”, a type of canvas material. A small box or bag in which a sailor kept his valuables such as letters, small souvenirs and sewing supplies.An item that is socially significant as it gives insight into a sailors life aboard ship and is another part of marine history. Items such as these although they were regarded at the time as everyday objects help us now to map various aspects of marine archaeology thorough the ages.Sailors Ditty Bag, canvas bag for holding all the sail making and roping tools, with tie and brass clasp. Holed.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

A tea strainer is a type of strainer that is placed over or in a teacup to catch tea leaves. When tea is brewed in the traditional manner in a teapot, the tea leaves are not contained in teabags, but rather are freely suspended in the water. As the leaves themselves may be distasteful, it is usual to filter them out with a tea strainer. Strainers usually fit into the top of the cup to catch the leaves as the tea is poured. Some deeper tea strainers can also be used to brew single cups of tea, much as teabags or brewing baskets are used - the strainer full of leaves is set in a cup to brew the tea, and then removed, along with the spent tea leaves, when the tea is ready to drink. By using a tea strainer in this way, the same leaves can be used to brew multiple cups. Tea strainer use declined in the 20th century with mass production of the tea bag, but is still preferred among connoisseurs who claim that keeping the leaves packed in a bag, rather than freely circulating, inhibits diffusion. Many assert that inferior ingredients, namely dust quality tea, are often used in tea bags. Tea strainers are usually either sterling silver, stainless steel, or china. Strainers often come in a set, with the strainer part and a small saucer for it to sit in between cups. Tea strainers in themselves have often been turned into artistic masterpieces of the silver- and goldsmith's craft, as well as rarer specimens of fine porcelain. Brewing baskets (or infusing baskets) resemble tea strainers, but are more typically put in the top of a teapot to contain the tea leaves during brewing. There is no definitive boundary between a brewing basket and a tea strainer, and the same tool might be used for both purposes. Tea strainers are also used by patients trying to pass a kidney stone. The patient urinates through the strainer, thereby ensuring that, if a stone is passed, it will be caught for evaluation and diagnosis. Source: www.wikipedia.net This item has historical significance in the evolution of Tea drinking.The Strainer being needed if a cup of tea was to be poured without tea leaves being present in the tea liquid.As Tea bags have been introduced into everyday life tea strainers are an item of the past. This particular tea strainer was an item for everyday useage.White enamel tea strainer, round in shape with flange edges, 7 small circle areas of perforations in the concave area of the utensil, a small perforated handle (same material) at one outer area of the item.domestic, kitchen, food, preparation, white, enamel, tea, strainer, beverage, perforated, utensil, round, flanges, leaves

This child's dress is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. A photograph of their youngest child, Alice, taken in circa 1903 depicts her wearing the dress. The dress would have been only worn on special occasions (such as a formal family photographic portrait) as most young girls in that era would have smocks or pinafores for everyday wear. The age of the dress is in question as it may have been made by Eliza for her eldest daughter, Dorcus, who was born in 1884. This dress has some machine sewing at the neck, waistband and pintucks but much of the dress is handsewn and richly embroidered with Broderie anglaise. Broderie anglaise (also known as eyelet lace) is a form of cutwork embroidery. The foundation fabric is cut to make decorative holes which are sewn with overcast or buttonhole stitches to create a lace like effect. Designs often involve floral motives that are enhanced with simple embroidery stitches such as stem stitch and satin stitch and scalloped edges finished with buttonhole stitches. It was commonly used to trim baby clothes, dresses, nightclothes, underclothes and household linens - particularly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a child's special dress.Child's white dress made of cotton and lawn, with a skirt of hand embroidered circular cutwork (broderie anglaise), a scalloped hem edged in buttonhole stitch and a gathered waist. The lined bodice has three panels of hand embroidered broderie anglaise (eyelet lace) inserted in a V shape with pintucks and bordered with a broderie anglaise lace frill. The short sleeves also have an inserted broderie anglaise lace strip, three pintucks and a broderie anglaise lace frill. The skirt is semi lined with fine lawn. The dress has a back opening with one button and two ties. The neckline is decorated with two rows of hand embroidered broderie anglaise lace.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, dorcus towns, child's dress, machine sewing, hand sewing, broderie anglaise, cutwork, embroidery, eyelet lace, clothing, handmade, charles towns, alice towns

This petticoat was one of several items donated from the estate of Susan Henry OAM nee Vedmore (1944 - 2021). It is in very good condition and appears to be from the Edwardian era - early 20th century. A petticoat is a lady's undergarment - worn under a skirt or dress. They provided warmth, modesty and shape to the dress. In the middle of the 19th century, petticoats were worn over hoops, bustles or in layers. Petticoats varied according to the style of the outside skirt or dress. Plain petticoats tended to be worn with everyday wear whilst better dresses (party dresses or silk gowns) were worn with petticoats that often had more trim and embellishments. Edwardian petticoats had less volume than Victorian era petticoats and they had a "dust ruffle" or lining under a lace flounce. The "dust ruffle" protected the lace flounce and gave the petticoat more flare at the bottom, greater freedom when walking as well as saving the flounce (which was often made of finer material) from everyday wear and tear. Tucks are another feature of Edwardian petticoats - when the lace at the bottom became worn, it could be cut off and the tucks released. This extended the life of the petticoat. This petticoat features an intricate trim of broderie anglaise. Although broderie anglaise was a lace that could be made by hand, it was very time consuming to make. St Gallen was a city in Switzerland that had become known for producing quality textiles. At the beginning of the 19th century, the first embroidery machines were developed in St Gallen. Factories used embroidery machines but people also had them in their homes. They were able to produce broderie anglaise for export. By the early 20th century, machine made lace, fabric, ribbons etc. were being sold in drapers shops all over England and Wales to women who were making clothes and furnishings for their families. It is highly likely that the lady who made this petticoat brought the lengths of broderie anglaise already made to embellish and personalise her petticoat. Susan's family (Harold and Gladys Vedmore) immigrated to Australia from Wales in 1955 and settled in Warrnambool. Susan was well known in the Warrnambool community for her work supporting children and families across the district - particular those with disabilities, or those who were homeless, unemployed or isolated. Susan was the founding trustee of the "Vedmore Foundation" - a Warrnambool philanthropic trust set up in 2010 to support a range of charitable and not-for-profit causes by providing grant assistance. In 2021, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - creating pintucks and adding lace to personalise and embellish a practical item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties that women of this era faced with regard to the washing of clothes and household linens.A white lawn petticoat with a 22.5 cm opening that fastens with 2 small buttons and a drawstring tie. It is decorated with two wide pintucks followed by two gathered frills (or flounces) - one decorated with three rows of narrow pintucks and a single row of broderie anglaise and the bottom frilled hem finished with 3 rows of broderie anglaise in a flower design. The two bottom frills are lined with plain white cotton fabric.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, petticoat, lady's petticoat, undergarment, lady's undergarment, lingerie, edwardian petticoat, broderie anglaise, lace, machine made lace, hand sewn, machine sewn, draper's shop, susan henry oam, vedmore foundation

The basic balance scale has been around for thousands of years and its accuracy has improved dramatically over the last several centuries, the principle behind this tool remains unchanged. Its parts include a fulcrum, a beam that balances on it, a pan at the end of the beam to hold the materials to be weighed, and a flat platform at the other for the counter-balancing weights. Balance scales that require equal weights on each side of the fulcrum have been used by everyone from apothecaries and assayers to jewellers and postal workers. Known as an unequal arm balance scale, this variety builds the counterweight into the device. Counter scales used in dry-goods stores and domestic kitchens often featured Japanned or (blackened) cast iron with bronze trims. Made by companies such as Howe and Fairbanks, the footed tin pans of these scales were often oblong, some encircled at one end so bulk items could be easily poured into a bag. Seamless pans were typically stamped from brass and given style names like Snuff (the smallest) and Birmingham (the largest). Some counter scales were designed for measuring spices, others for weighing slices of cake. In the 18th century, spring scales began to appear and would use the resistance of spring to calculate weights, which are read automatically on the scale’s face. The ease of use of spring scales over balance scales. These scales are significant as they identify one of the basic preparation items for the weighing of foodstuff in the family kitchen to prepare everyday meals. This item is significant as it gives a snapshot into domestic life within the average home in Australia around the turn of the twentieth century and is, therefore, an item with social relevance. Black cast iron, medium weighing scales, with a fulcrum which the beam that balances on, there is a scoop or large bowl at one end for the material to be weighted and a flat platform at the other end that holds the weights. Around the cast iron base is an embossed strip weight and bowl missing.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

This book of poetry, written in simple language, gives a glimpse of everyday life in the Vietnam War and the life of Vietnam Veterans.vietnam war, 1961-1975 - poetry

This book of poetry, written in simple language, gives a glimpse of everyday life in the Vietnam War and the life of Vietnam Veterans.vietnam war, 1961-1975 - poetry

Healing from the War empowers each of us to be a peacemaker - to recover from Vietnam and the battles of everyday life. 1961-1975 - united states, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - psychological aspects

- Migrant ships arriving into Port Melbourne in 1956. Migrants boarding the train to Bonegilla camp and resettling in Victoria. - Section on Olympic Games in Melbourne was filmed by Father Basil Valentin OFM who was the Chaplain of the American Olympic team. -Also showed extracts of Moomba festival in 1957. - Slovenian settling on Australian farms and weddings of members of the Slovenian community This video shows the magnitude of migrants who arrived in Australia in 1956 by ships mainly from Italian ports from Genoa, Trieste and Naples. It shows the settling of migrants into camps and depicts their everyday life including education and recreation and assimilation into Australia. 120 minute video cassette in colour depicting migrant ships arriving to Port Melbourne in 1956 and short clips of the Melbourne Olympic Games. Also includes footage of train journey to Bonegilla camp and camp housing facility.0002migration, resettlement, bonegilla, slovenians, ships, olympics 1956

"Victoria the Golden" documents life in Victoria between 1850 and 1862 as viewed by artist William Strutt. Momentous events in the Colony’s history such as Separation Day (1 July 1851), the sitting of the first Legislative Council (13 November 1851), the death of Burke (June 1861) and the Black Thursday bushfires (6 February 1851) are depicted. In 1907 the Premier of Victoria Thomas Bent purchased "Victoria the Golden" from Strutt for £120 and presented it to the Library. The album depicts events in chronological order with what Strutt considered “fidelity to nature and accuracy”, so that present day Victorians may view the sketches “as records of what we may now look upon as the dim past in the rapidly progressive history of Victoria”. Victoria the Golden is celebrated as one of the Parliament’s great treasures. It is a testament to William Strutt’s skill as a draughtsman and contains over 100 assorted images which were executed between the years of 1850-1862. Strutt’s particular talent was to be able to step back and record each event with particular care to detail. Many of the pieces contained within this album are littered with notes, such as the correct resting position of a corporal’s sword or details about the cloth and cut of a subject’s jacket. Strutt also notes in one of his many sketches of the new Legislative Council chamber at Spring Street that the President, Sir James Palmer, is seated ‘a little too high’ (page 30). Throughout the album, Strutt’s illustrations bring to life the diverse nature and peoples of the new colony. His range of subjects is comprehensive and includes parliamentarians, lawyers, wives and daughters, merchants, labourers, police and military officers, indigenous communities, farmers, miners, prisoners and explorers. The everyday and the extraordinary are depicted with each turn of the page. 44 leaves heavy card, approximately 1mm thick. Sketches, watercolours and prints of varying sizes and papers are glued onto the pages. Full leather binding in blue leather with title and decorative border in gold. There are four raised bands on the spine, with gold decoration on the bands and at the head and tail of the spine. Marbled end papers and flyleaves. Gold on the edges of the book block. Card pages have a sheet of mottled blue paper on recto. Album leaf connection is a guarded system with stiff stubs and cloth hinges. Each page has a sheet of glassine paper attached at the binding edge to protect the images. Many pages stamped with "Parliament of Victoria" verso. Printed in gold, recto: "VICTORIA THE GOLDEN/ SCENES,/ SKETCHES,/ AND JOTTINGS FROM NATURE./ BY/ Wm. STRUTT/ MELBOURNE, VICTORIA./ 1850-1862" First pages include handwritten 'introductory remarks' and index of plates.parliament of victoria, colony of victoria, separation day, victorian legislative council, burke and wills expedition, wills, william john, 1834-1861, burke, robert o'hara, 1821-1861, strutt, william, 1825-1915, bent, thomas sir, 1838-1909, native police corps, fawkner, john pascoe, 1792-1869, black thursday bushfires, gold rush, princes bridge, melbourne

William Withers and Edward Ryan drowned near Point Lonsdale on 19 October 1954 when they tried to enter the Rip at Port Phillip Heads against an ebb tide with a strong south-west wind blowing. They were sailing a large crayfishing boat, the 'Robert John', returning with a load of crayfish from King Island.Photograph shows William (Bill) Withers and Edward Ryan who worked in the local Queenscliff and Victorian fishing industry. The commercial fishing industry developed in Queenscliff from the 1860s, with early fishing developing around the couta boat and barracouta fishing. Crayfishing and shark fishing also became important, especially as the supplies and popularity of barracouta as a commercial species waned. Local Queenscliff fishermen often fished outside Port Phillip into Bass Strait and had to navigate the dangerous entry to Port Phillip, known as 'The Rip', with its turbulent and variable water and weather conditions. This added to the everyday dangers of sailing faced by fishermen in their industry. The local fishermen often had the local knowledge of these waters, but the fishing community in Queenscliff also lived with the threat or fear that the Rip could rob them of one of their own. The entrance to Port Phillip with this Rip is the scene of many shipwrecks,often resulting in tragic loss of life or injuries, including passenger and cargo ships travelling to/from Melbourne and Geelong as well as accidents to local Queenscliff and Port Phillip sailors such as the fishermen or sea pilots. A B/W photograph of two Queenscliff fishermen, William (Bill) Withers and Edward Ryaninformation about photo and donation handwrittten on backfishermen, queenscliff fishermen, withers, william withers, ryan, edward ryan, robert john crayfish boat, shipwreck, port phillip

In 2005 Michele Matthews interviewed current and former residents of Bendigo for her thesis on the 1930s Depression as part of her PhD Research, with the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts, History Department. Michele interviewed fifteen members of prominent Bendigonian families. The thesis was titled: "How Depressing?: The impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925-1935". The Michele Matthews Collection contains fourteen audio cassette tape recordings and one written transcript. The tapes are each approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes duration. The questions presented to the interviewees explore everyday experiences they would have lived through at the time of the Depression. The questions covered sixteen relevant subjects: • Introduction and housing • Social activities, swimming, cinemas, school and games played with friends • Organizations such as the RSL, Relief Committees etc. and any effect they had on family life • The life of the single woman • Unemployment and Employment • Government Assistance • Charities Aid • Self-help • People Power, e.g. boycotts or protests • Politics • Trouble or crime • Family Health, Medical and Diet • Education • General memories of, and hardships encountered, during the DepressionAudio tape interview with Amy Brown (Nee Osterfield). Amy was born in 1922. In 1942 she married Allan Stanley Brown. Her father, Charles Osterfield was a wood cutter before becoming unemployed. She never attended school. The tape has been converted to a sound file. The 150 minute interview can be listened to, and the notes viewed, at the Bendigo Historical Society. By appointment only. Also included is Amy's memories of her childhood - Amy's Story. This is a 26 page document available here to read.history, bendigo, michele matthews collection, the 1930s depression tapes, amy brown

In 2005 Michele Matthews interviewed current and former residents of Bendigo for her thesis on the 1930s Depression as part of her PhD Research, with the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts, History Department. Michele interviewed fifteen members of prominent Bendigonian families. The thesis was titled: "How Depressing?: The impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925-1935". The Michele Matthews Collection contains fourteen audio cassette tape recordings and one written transcript. The tapes are each approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes duration. The questions presented to the interviewees explore everyday experiences they would have lived through at the time of the Depression. The questions covered sixteen relevant subjects: • Introduction and housing • Social activities, swimming, cinemas, school and games played with friends • Organizations such as the RSL, Relief Committees etc. and any effect they had on family life • The life of the single woman • Unemployment and Employment • Government Assistance • Charities Aid • Self-help • People Power, e.g. boycotts or protests • Politics • Trouble or crime • Family Health, Medical and Diet • Education • General memories of, and hardships encountered, during the DepressionAudio tape interview with sisters Doreen Domenica Favalora, and Josephine Monica Faveloro; cake and food shop owners. Daughters of Salvatore and Gina Favaloro. Doreen was born in 1915, and Josephine in 1920. Both attended school at St Mary's College, Doreen, c1920-1933, and Josephine, 1925-1938. The tape has been converted to a sound file. The 120 minute interview can be listened to, and the notes viewed, at the Bendigo Historical Society. By appointment only. The sisters lived at 137 Forest Street (not the one in the photo) Generations of the Favaloro family have attended Catherine McAuley College and its predecessor colleges St Mary's and Marist Brothers'. A book has been released documenting the progressive family migration from Salina, Italy to Bendigo. The family went on to run many much-loved businesses in Bendigo including cafes, fruit shops, theatre kiosks and caterers. A book has been written called 'The Favaloro Family of Bendigo: The Early Year 1895-1942' by Robert McWilliam. The photo and article are from the Bendigo Weekly Newspaper Friday April 7th 2006history, bendigo, michele matthews collection, the 1930s depression tapes, doreen and josephine favaloro

This pair of milk bottles, produced for the Model Dairy in Cotham Road, Kew, were donated by Vik Sabaliauskas. They belonged to his father who worked at Model Dairy in the 1950s and 1960s. Vik wrote about his father: "As for my father, his whole life story is interesting. He was part of the big immigration program after WW2. He was a displaced person in Germany like lots of others who came out looking for a new life. Our family name is actually SABALIAUSKAS which is of Lithuanian descent. My Dad was also named Vik (Viktoras). He was known as Big Vik and I was little Vik. He arrived in Australia in 1947 and then did his 2 years of work organised by the Government and then he came to Melbourne. We lived in Tyler St Preston and he rode his pushbike to and from Kew every working day for years. In my estimation that was about 13 kms for about 6 or 7 years. Imagine that happening today. Freezing Winter mornings and hot Summer afternoons. His English was poor but he had a great work ethic like all European immigrants. His duties related to maintaining and operating all the machines. One story that he told me about was that after I was born (in 1959) he made friends with one of the drivers who delivered milk to the dairy. He asked him to get a container of milk from the farmer everyday which was just for me. I remember going to the Model Dairy Family Christmas parties which were always well patronised. I also remember visiting him in the PANCH Hospital (Bell Street Preston) where he was treated for kidney stones caused by drinking very creamy milk. He wasn't happy when he was told by the doctor to cut back on milk. My Dad was one month short of his 95th birthday when he died and he lived a pretty healthy life." (2019)Kew was a major milk producing district in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, with three major dairy farms lining the Yarra between Studley Park in the west and Burke Road in the east. In addition to these dairy producers, there were also a number of accredited dairy retailers in the suburb. The largest and most enduring of these was the Model Dairy founded by the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan. Milk bottles that include the name of the producer or retailer are historically significant as they represent a period in Kew's history before the mass production of milk in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A number of these named bottles have the additional attribute of rarity.Pair of plastic milk bottles, designated on the front as to be used in the refigerator on on picnics. One bottle has a red screw on lid and the other a green lid. The bottles are semi-transparent. [The record also includes a photograph of Vic Sabaliauskas, provided by his son. The photograph dates from the period when he was employed at the Model Dairy].Impressed on the front of both bottles: "Unbreakable picnic and refrigerator bottle made expressly for Model Dairy Pty Ltd Cotham Rd Kew"dairies - kew, model dairy - cotham road - kew (vic)

464 p. : col. ill. ; 30 cm. Published London : Thames and Hudson, 2002.non-fictionNewly available in paperback, this volume remains unsurpassed as the biggest and most lavish survey of printed textiles ever published. Textile Designs presents a comprehensive selection of the colourful patterned fabrics used for clothing and interior decoration over the last 200 years. Here are the bright and hugely enjoyable materials of everyday life - the printed calicos and cottons, the flowered cretonnes and chintzes, the polka-dot silks and foulards. These are presented by motif and pattern under flye separate headings: Floral, Geometric, Conversational, Ethnic, and Art Movements and Period Styles, and illustrated in nearly 2,000 colour reproductions. Textile Designs is not only indispensable to professionals in the fashion and decoration fields everywhere, but will also be an inspiration to designers in the graphic and visual arts, a reference book for collectors and a delight for aesthetes everywhere.textiles - history, textile design -- themes