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Parks Victoria - Cape Nelson Lightstation
Furniture - Desk
The desk was used by the head keeper and supplied by the Public Works Department, and possibly dates to when the lightstation commenced operations in 1884. Closer inspection of the wood may reveal the Crown motif and PWD monogram on the side or underpart of the furnishing. The PWD operated in Victoria from 1855 to 1987 and was responsible for the design of Victoria’s major public buildings and infrastructure as well as the supply of stores, furniture and equipment. The desk is identical to the large example remaining at Point Hicks. A smaller version, which is at Cape Schanck, has two sides stamped with the crown motif and PWD monogram. Another of the smaller desks formerly at Cape Schanck is now missing. Gabo Island has a small cedar desk or table in the same style, but with one drawer. There are also c.mid‐twentieth century desks remaining in the collections at Wilsons Promontory and Gabo Island. The Cape Nelson desk has first level contributory significance for its provenance and historical value as a government issued furnishing that is original to lightstation’s head keeper’s office.The large, late nineteenth century cedar desk has two drawers, leather inset top and sturdy turned legs. The drawers each have a pair of wooden knob pulls. -
Parks Victoria - Gabo Island Lightstation
Telephone
Telephones x 3 (GILS 0001, 0038, 0070; attached fixtures) There 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 acoiled 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 (GILS 0070). Another much older wallmounted phone remains in the lighthouse (GILS 0041; attached fixture; see above 6.1). 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 and 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" -
Parks Victoria - Gabo Island Lightstation
Flagpole
Found on a wood heap near the tractor shed. Only the top portion remains. The former fixture is the tapered top section of the wooden flagpole that formerly stood at the front of the head keepers quarters. There is a hole with attached metal pulley near the top which allowed for hoisting the flags to signal passing ships. Signal flags were hoisted on the flagpole and were used to communicate with passing shipping. Messages were then relayed by the overland telegraph line to Eden. Remains of black paint provide evidence of the blackout measures implemented during World War 11. The pole is currently fixed to a stand to allow for its display.The pole remnant has second level significance for its historic value and provenance.Top sction of a flagpole. At the top it is tapered and fashioned into a square section. Near the top of the pole is a hole with a metal pulley inside. There is black and white paint flaking off leaving bare wood. -
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"