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Parks Victoria - Gabo Island LightstationThere are three, black Bakelite, wall mounted, crank handle telephones across the lightstation; one in the former assistant keeper’s quarters, and two in the former head keeper’s quarters. The phone has instructions for its use on the crank dial. Two have a coiled handset cord, which dates the phone to just after 1949 when these came into use. The third has a smooth cord and must pre date 1949. Another much older wall mounted phone remains in the lighthouse. The four telephones at Gabo Island formed an intercom system that facilitated communication between the lighthouse and lightstation buildings. They demonstrate the necessity for employing various methods of communication in a remotely located lighthouse as well as communication between the lightstation buildings. Telephones of the same wall mounted, crank dial type remain at Cape Otway, Point Hicks. As fixtures, the telephones belong to the building fabric and are included in the existing listing of the Gabo Island Lightstation in the Victorian Heritage Register (H1773). These intact items of equipment have first level contributory significance for their historic value and provenance.Black bakelite telephone, wall mounted with reciever/ handset on spiral cord attached to the body of the phone. There is a crank handle attached to the front of the telephone.On dial under crank handle. Outer perimeter of circular LABEL,"TO CALL:-TURN HANDLE & LIFT HANDSET / WHEN FINISHED PEPLACE HANDSET & TURN HANDLE"
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Parks Victoria - Gabo Island Lightstation
Anchor
The iron anchor is from the iron steamship, Easby built in England in 1873. It struck Skerries Reef at Gabo Island and sank in the harbour in April 1907 while carrying a cargo of potatoes. The iron anchor was recovered from the wreck at an unknown date and put on display between the two sets of keepers’ quarters. Parts of the ship, including the collapsed hull plating, engine and boilers as well as another anchor lie at a shallow depth at the wreck site 15m west of the jetty. This wreck became a shipping hazard and was eventually blown up. (1928) Another anchor of identical design lies underwater on the shoreline 15 metres west of the jetty.The wreck site and relics, including the anchor on display, are protected by the Victorian Heritage Register (VHDS S204).Large rusted metal anchor. -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Cabinet
The two-door nineteenth century cabinet was purpose built with a curved back to fit the proportions of the lantern room interior and is likely to date from 1888-89 when the new lighthouse was fitted out and provided with furnishings and fixtures. The Public Works Department provided a range of lightstation furnishings including office desks and cabinets, and domestic settings for keepers’ quarters, with nineteenth century items often stamped with a crown motif and the PWD monogram. The curved cabinets installed in lantern rooms however do not appear to display this small feature. The cabinet needed to be custom made to fit the proportions of the room, and for this reason it was possibly made on site or perhaps even supplied by Chance Bros as part of the entire lantern room installation. The company usually provided timber panelling for their lantern room interiors (since removed from Point Hicks), and a cabinet may have been included in the assemblage. It may not have originally been painted; today doors area grey/silver colour and the rest of the cabinet is emerald green. It is not known whether it is freestanding or fixed to the wall. A similar cabinet with panelled doors remains in the Gabo Island lighthouse and evidence of green paint on the wood indicates that the cabinet frame was also formerly painted green but later stripped to reveal the wood finish. The Cape Nelson lantern room has a curved cabinet with the same door type but has a drawer above each door. It too was formerly painted emerald green before it was stripped back to its present wood finish. Cape Schanck’s lantern room cabinet is unique for its curved front as well as curved back, and it stands on a skirting. The two doors are in the same style, although they open with a brass knob. Further research into these distinctive cabinets may resolve the interesting question of their construction. The Point Hicks cabinet is a unique, original feature of the lighthouse lantern room and has first level contributory significance for its historic values and provenance. The Point Hicks cabinet has two doors, each framed and beaded around a central panel, and there is a simple door knob. The back is curved and the front is straight and the doors are painted a grey/silver colour and the rest of the cabinet is emerald green. -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Telephones
The lightstation was connected by telephone to Cann River in 1928. The lighthouse retains ablack Bakelite telephone attached to the lantern room wall on timber box mount. It has a crank handle with instructions for its use on the crank dial, and a coiled handset cord, which probably dates the phone to just after 1949 when coiled examples like these began to replace fabric covered smooth cords. An image in 1991 shows the phone in the lower level of the lantern room It is one of four telephones at the lightstsation; with two others attached to walls in the assistant keepers’ quarters, and one in the head keeper’s quarters. The four phones formed an intercom system that facilitated communication between the lightstation buildings. Three telephones of the same wall-mounted, crank dial type remain at Gabo Island Lightstation; four remain at Cape Otway and five older examples remain at Cape Nelson Lightstation As fixtures attached to the wall, the four telephones are considered to be part of the building fabric and therefore included in the existing Victorian Heritage Register listing for the lightstation (VHR 1983).As fixtures attached to the wall, the four telephones are considered to be part of the building fabric and therefore included in the existing VHR listing for the lightstation (VHR 1983).Four telephones with a crank handle mounted on a wooden base, one is fixed to the wall of the lantern room and is black bakelite. Yes -
Parks Victoria - Point Hicks Lightstation
Desk
The large cedar desk was formerly used by the head light keeper at Point Hicks. It was made in the nineteenth century, probably by the Victorian Public Works Department (PWD) as an item of standard issue for use in government offices. The PWD operated in Victoria from 1855 to 1987 and was responsible for the design of Victoria’s major public buildings and other infrastructure including the supply of stores, furniture and equipment.The desk has turned legs, leather top and two drawers each with a pair of wooden knob hand pulls and is identical to the large desk remaining at Cape Nelson. A smaller version is at Cape Schanck, and another desk formerly at Cape Schanck is not able to be located. Gabo Island has a small cedar desk or table in the same style. Two sides of the Cape Schanck desk are stamped with the crown motif and monogram of the PWD but it is not known if the Point Hicks desk and the other nineteenth century examples are stamped with these details. There are also c.mid-twentieth century desks remaining in the collections at Wilsons Promontory and Gabo Island. officeThe Point Hicks desk has first level contributory significance for its historic values as government issued furnishing that is original to lightstation’s head keeper’s. Early, large two drawer cedar desk. Each drawer has two wooden handles. Leather insert on top of desk is worn. Commonwealth of Australia, Dept of Transport stamp with stock number on side of desk.On label on side, "C. of A. / D. O. T. / 143581" -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Butter Knife, Barker Brothers, Ca. 1885-1895
... vessel, police, lighthouse keepers, harbour masters. The knife ...This butter or cheese knife is a decorative example of electroplated cutlery that had become an affordable alternative to more expensive silver cutlery in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The knife has stamp marks in the back of its handle that are a combination of letters and symbols used by British silversmiths to identify their workmanship. The design and type of this knife was not normally used by everyday people but rather those of a higher social class with time and money to have a particular decorative knife to serve butter or cheese. The marks on the handle tell that it was made of nickel silver, and electroplated with superior quality Stirling silver. The Barker Brothers of Birmingham made the knife between 1885 and 1907, but most likely before 1895. It was made for the British, or British colonial, people, connected with a government department such as the navy or defence. This story may be slightly inaccurate, as some silversmiths added extra ‘pseudo marks’ to their wares to disguise the quality. THE MARKS and their meaning – - ‘A1’ The silver used in electroplating this knife was the highest level, ‘superior quality’, measured in grams of silver per table spoon or table fork, with ‘A1’ being 2 2/3 grams, and ‘D’ being 0 1/2 grams of silver. - ‘BB’ The Baker Brothers used these initials from 1885 to 1907. - ‘[crown symbol]’ – This symbol is used for Sterling silver but this knife is a metal alloy. The crown is also the town mark of Sheffield (appointed by the Sheffield Assay Office) but this knife was made in Birmingham, which has the town mark of an anchor. The Barker Brothers may have added the crown mark to this electroplated silverware as a ‘pseudo hallmark’, leading the buyer to think that it was actual Sterling silver. The use of pseudo hallmarks by electroplaters of the Victorian era was common practice but it was illegal. In 1895 the unlawful practice was seen as imitating the Sheffield Silver Mark and the law was firmly applied to eradicate the deception, so items with this mark probably date before 1895. - [EPNS] Electro Plated Nickel Silver, called nickel silver or German silver, is a metal alloy that usually combines copper, nickel and zinc (60 percent copper, 20 percent nickel, 20 percent zinc). It has a silver-white appearance and is sometimes referred to as ‘white ware’. It does not contain any silver but is often used as a base for electroplating, when the item is covered with a thin layer of silver to give it the polished appearance of pure silver. It became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century as an affordable substitute for sterling silver. - Broad Arrow - an official stamp that indicates it was once the property of Britain government, either in Britain or one of its colonies, and used in the defence force. In Great Britain, from an 1875 government act, it was, and still, is a crime to forge or wrongfully use, the broad arrow symbol. The BARKER BROTHERS of Birmingham - Barker Brothers were one of the earlies firms of Birmingham silversmiths, established in 1801 by Mary Barker. They became Barker & Creed, then William and Matthias Barker, then from 1885 they were the Barker Brothers. They were operating in Paradise Street in 1871 until in 1903 they moved to Unity Works, Constitution Hill, in Birmingham. The firm also had a showroom at 292 High Holborn, London, from the early 1900s to the 1980s. In 1907 the firm became Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd, then in the 1960s they merged with Ellis & Co, becoming Barker Ellis Silver Co. Ltd. In 1979 they were registered in USA as Ellis & Co., Barker Ellis, and Ellis Barker. The business went into administration in 1992, after almost 200 years of production. The firm advertised as specialists in electroplating, and used the trademarks BRITANOID, UNITY PLATE and THE HYGENIA.This knife is historically significant, dated from 1885 to 1907 but most likely pre-1895, and made by the longstanding Birmingham silversmiths, the Barker Brothers, established in 1801. The knife is an example of decorative flatware used by people of ’class’. It also has the broad arrow stamp, connecting it to the British government, in particular the ordinance department. The stamp also connects it to other items in our collection with that stamp. It may have been connected to pre-Federation government organisations and officials such as the army Garrison, government naval vessel, police, lighthouse keepers, harbour masters. The knife is the only example of its kind in our collection, being a decorative silver butter or cheese knife, made by the Barker Brothers of Birmingham. Butter knife, or cheese knife, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS). Upper blade edge has decorative shape and engraved motifs, lower blade edge is bevelled to a cutting edge, and narrow plain handle flares out to a wide, rounded end. Maker’s marks are stamped on the reverse. Made by Barker Brothers of Birmingham in the late-19th century. Stamps: “ -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book - Manual, Standing Orders, Department of Shipping and Transport, Standing Orders to Masters and Crews of Lighthouse Tenders, 1968
... to by the 19th century and early 20th century lighthouse keepers ...This book is a mid-20th century updated version of a manual with regulations and instructions for lighthouse staff and the supply of equipment and other goods that are necessary. It includes lists such as protective clothing required, fuel, when to raise a flag at half-mast, how communication must be carried out, the testing of equipment, and other similar information. It also contains templates for the Certificates of Service of various ranks such as Master and Mate. Australia no longer has manned lighthouses although some still have caretakers that report on the weather. The last manned lighthouse was in Tasmania and was de-manned in December 1995.The ultimate purpose of the book was to set down instructions that would be used to carry out life saving procedures, and to avoid shipwrecks. It confirms some earlier methods and updates others. The information within the book is similar to the information referred to by the 19th century and early 20th century lighthouse keepers and staff, and others involved in the preservation of life, such as those published by the Department of Ports and Harbours. The book is a valuable resource to those researching the evolving of maritime history from Colonial Australia to the modern day.Book, orange vinyl surface sealed cover on hard covered ring-binder. Gold embossed title on spine and front cover. Contains cream loose-leaf pages with rounded corners. Pages are printed with text, tables and diagrams, and are numbered with serial page and paragraph numbers. There is a Table of Contents and an Index. The cover displays the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia. Published by the Commonwealth of Australia in 1968 for the Department of Shipping and Transport, the book contains the Standing Orders to Masters and Crews of Lighthouse Tenders. It has examples for Certificates of Service for various ranks, a list of books and forms, protective clothing, rates for passengers, and a Scheme of Colour Painting for Lighthouse Tenders.Coat of Arms [Commonwealth of Australia] "COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA" "DEPARTMENT OF SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT" "STANDING ORDERS / TO / MASTERS AND CREWS OF LIGHTHOUSE TENDERS" "No 1/1968" "No.2/1968"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwrecks, life saving, lifesaving, shiipping and transport, commonwealth of australia, standing orders, lighthouse crew, lighthouse tenders, masters and crews, 1968 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Lamp, Valor Co. Ltd, 1920-1936
... as Lighthouse Keepers and Assistant Keepers' equipment. They were ...This trade mark (V inside a clover) was German. It was used by the lamp makers Veritas Efsca Works in Birmingham, and for a time by Valor Co. Ltd. which took over Veritas. Valor Co. Ltd. was established in Birmingham in 1890 and produced oil containers for the Anglo-American Oil Com. In 1901 the firm advertised themselves as Stampers And Pieces. Later it was named 'The Valor Co. and was associated with the Aston Brass Co., and advertised as makers of oil lamps and stoves. Valor became a maker of oil heaters cookers and many other products that were fueled by oil. Later it sold gas heaters and ovens. In 1936 Valor Co. Ltd. was made a Public Company and operated under the name The Velor Company Ltd. The company changed names over the years and it was still operating under Velor Fires in January 2002.Oil or kerosene lamps were the means of lighting for homes, farms and industry in the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries. Lamps like these were important as Lighthouse Keepers and Assistant Keepers' equipment. They were in common use in until the lighting was powered by gas and electricity. The reflector at the back of the lamp makes it of greater significance as most lamps don't have this feature. The logo is also interesting as it originated in Germany and was used with permission by a British company and the company that brought it out for a short time. Similar lamps are still available today, usually with gas for fuel. Kerosene lamp; blue painted metal fuel can and metal rear reflector support. and a round corrugated reflector at the rear. The mid-section wick is made of brass. The glass cover or chimney is bulbous in shape. Inscriptions include a trademark "V" inside a clover. It is British-made in Birmingham by either Veritas Efsca Works or Veritas Valor.Trademark; "[clover symbol] surrounding a "V" Stamp: "BRITISH MADE" Marked on adjusting device: "English Made 1 in w" Marked on support of deflector shield - "British Made" and symbolwarrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, oil lamp, table lamp, kerosene lamp, valor co. ltd, v inside a clover, veritas, british made, lamp reflector, lighting, lamp, the valor company ltd