Leonard John Hudson was born in Prahran and moved to Castlemaine in his early years At the beginning of the war was refused entry to the services due to his "reserved occupation" as a motor mechanic working on farm machinery At night he worked as a machinist for Thompson's Foundry machining breech blocks for 25 pound field guns. (image) Eventually he was granted enlistment into the R.A.A.F. into 7 Airfield Construction Squadron as a Leading Aircraftsman 156990 and was sent to Milne Bay with the unit to build the air strip.As one of few diesel mechanics he was often required to assist the US troops with their maintenance problems at various sites in or near New Guinea. Rare surviving images of 7 ACS newsletter Hand coloured photograph of L. J. Hudson in RAAF tropical uniform 1944 Copies of the "Spruiker" Magazine illustrations from August 1945 published at Milne Bay by 7ACS (7th Airfield Construction Squadron) Photograph of 25lb. Field Gun at Thompsons Foundry Pages from Photo Album showing L. J. Hudson in uniform at Castlemaine (one with his wife R. J. Hudson ) and at Milne Bay7 acs, 7 a.c.s., milne bay, thompsons foundry, field gun, l. hudson, len hudson, castlemaine, 25 pound field gun, hudson, spruiker, 7th airfield construction squadron

Edward Ralph Norman enlisted initially as No 260 in the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force (Tropical unit) B Coy on 11.8.14. He was discharged on 4.3.15. He then re enlisted as No 4535 in the 14th reinforcements 3rd Batt AIF. He was hospitalised with Influenza on 3.5.17. He attended Officer Training School and was appointed 2nd Lieutenant on 1.8.18. He was then Gassed on 16.9.18. He was discharged from the AIF on 31.10.19.Meal set, court mounted, set of three re E.R Norman. 1. 1914-15 Star, replica not engraved. 2. British War Medal 1914-19. 3. Victory medal, replica not engraved. On War Medal "Lieut E.R Norman AIF"numismatics-medals-military, metalcraft

Postcard, WW1, B&W photo of 12 camels harnessed to a 7" gun in a desert landscape. Two soldiers standing in front of gun (one in tropical kit). Another soldier standing in front of lead camel. Two more soldiers standing at right background. Handwritten in ink on the back - 12 camels with 7" gun Zeitoun Feby '16 Zeitoun is the site of a New Zealand training camp near Cairo.postcard, postcard, ww1, zeitoun, egypt, camels, 7' gun

Originated from HollandTorch used by Air Force personal During Second World WarSmall brown torch with activating lever Type A9TROPICALIZED FEBRUARY 1945 DAYTON ACME CO. CINCINNATI , OHIO., U.S.A. PATENT APPLIED FOR LAMP ASSEM., FLASHLIGHT (HAND ENERGIZED) TYPE A9 SPECIFICATION No.32454 MFR'SNo.16 3-B ORDER No 2084-PHILA-45-54 PROPERTY - AIR FORCES .U.S. ARMY

Unlike most Australian armoured formations that served only in Australia, the 4th had been organised for “tropical” service and its regiments were equipped with Matilda tanks. Matilda tanks were ideal for supporting the infantry’s operations in the Pacific. In June the brigade moved to Southport, on the Gold Coast, but two months later was transferred to Madang, New Guinea, where it replaced the 1st Tank Battalion. (https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U54340, accessed 07 September 2018)Gold shaped badge with pin with the Colour Patch of the Second 4th Australian Armoured Regiment.armoured, tank, war, chatham-holmes collection, samuel spittle, world war two, sweetheart brooch, 2/4 armoured regiment, armoured regiment, jewellery

A Henry Murton case (.1); containing: a 'Tropical' wooden tennis racquet (.2); a pair of Slazenger tennis shoes (.3), bearing the initials 'JB'; tennis balls (.4 - .5); pants (.6); a sweater (.7); and a pair of Dunkleman shoe shapers (.8), scrated with the initials 'N J-B'. Materials: Metal, Leather, Plastic, Wood, Cloth, Wool, Canvas/Cotton, String, Gut, Cloth tape, Rubber, Felt, Glue, Lacquer, Paper, Inktennis

Thomas H Fagan of Walbundrie NSW served in 105 General Transport Company during WWII. Following service in Syria and Egypt the unit sailed for home but was diverted to Java, Dutch East Indies where they became part of Blackforce. The Japanese following up their success in Singapore overran Jave and Blackforce went into captivity. Fagan spent a short time at Changi then nearly three years on the Burma Railway. He lost a leg to tropical ulcers but survived the war return to Australia at the end of hostilities.A document worthy of preservation and public access.World War diary typed by the diarist from notes kept at great risk throughout his imprisonment by the Japanese 1942-1945. Transcribed 2018 by Albury historian Jan Hunter and published by Albury & District Historical Society as Booklet No 31 in limited hard copy for district Libraries and Schools.diary, prisoner of war, burma, railway, changi

Cloth sample book: "City & Guilds Exams 1914-1915 Patterns" has 35 grey and black cloth samples (1 space is blank). Pages entitled: "Range 1 & 2 Tropical Suitings" (5 samples); "Ranges 3 & 4 Suitings" (6 samples); "Range 5 Suitings" (3 samples)/ "Range 6 Vestings" (3 samples); "Range 7 & 8 Vestings" (7 samples); "Ranges 9 & 10 Trouserings" (5 samples); "Ranges 11 & 12 Trouserings" (6 samples);City & Guilds Exams 1914-1915 Patterns (ink)weaving textile industry textile design textile industry - education, weaving, textile industry, textile design, textile industry - education

Six assorted postcards depicting various themes, (a) very faded photograph of a hotel/guest house in a tropical setting (postmarked Singapore)., (b) group of seven women and two men posing on the deck of a ship., (c) Miss Doris Stocker., (d) Japanese girl in traditional dress., (e) Types of Australasian beauty - Classics., (f) photograph of an infant on her mothers knee, written to the side is ' after using hair restorer ' (see 2402.207 a )., (g) toddler with tight curly hair and wearing a white dress and shoespostcard, various themes

The fieldguide edition of Wild Food Plants of Australia. It is presented in a concise, convenient form to facilitate quick and ready reference in the field. Tim Low has provided a truly reliable guide to our edible flora, making identification easy. Thus it is a perfect companion for bushwalkers, naturalists, scientists and, with emphasis on wild food cuisine, gourmets. Low describes more than 180 plants - from the most tasty and significant plant foods of southern and eastern Australia to the more important and spectacular inland and tropical foods.Maps, colour photographs, b&w illustrationsedible wild plants, cooking, flora, cuisine, bush tucker

The subject item is a vintage Nautical Shipwrights Ship Boat Caulking Hammer Mallet, Unusual Small Size. These mallets were routinely used in the 1800s when ships were made of wood. This mallet was used with caulking irons to drive the oakum (caulk) between the ship's bottom planking to seal them up. The mallet has slots to dampen the vibration of the mallet blows on the user's elbows. The head is made of a very hard wood, possibly Lignum Vitae or another dark tropical wood. The item seems to be of a very early design with the two preened-over metal rods for reinforcing the head. Item appears to be of early manufacture by an unknown maker from the mid to late 19th century and is significant as tools of this era are quite rare. This tool is also significant as it gives an insight into how ships made of wooden planks were made sea-worthy by inserting caulking material between the boards thereby making the vessel watertight. Caulking Mallet Wooden with iron ferrules on each end. Wooden head with two large bolts passing through body. Stamped W Milne. James S Steele tool box.Stamped W Milne & James S Steele tool box.mallet, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, caulking mallet, caulking, james steele, shipwrights tools

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is commonly located in northern and eastern mainland Australia. It is also found in Papua New Guinea. This species prefer to reside in tropical locations or those which are sub-tropical and wetter temperate or semi-arid zones. It can be located in open forests and woodlands close to water. Due to these locations along with it's propensity for feeding on the fruit and flowers of the banana in northern Queensland, this species is colloquially known as the "Bananabird". These birds commonly reside in pairs, family groups or small flocks. They can often be found socialising with other species including the yellow-throated miner and the Little Friarbird. The Blue-faced Honeyeater feed on insects and invertebrates, but also may eat nectar and fruit from native and exotic plants. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.The blue-faced Honeyeater is large in size with bright white and black colouring. The bird also has golden olive-green colouring on it's rear, tail and wings. Around the eyes is strikingly blue coloured skin which has faded significantly on this particular specimen. It also has a pair of glass eyes to replace the original which do not survive the taxidermy process. There is a patch of dark colouring on the plumage of the stomach and neck of the bird. This dark batch is surrounded by white plumage which also forms a white band across the back of the neck. This specimen is stylized placed on a wooden mount. The bird's feet are attached to a thin stick and the stick attached to the mount.taxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, honeyeater, blue-faced honeyeater

A field ration, combat ration or ration pack is a canned or pre-packaged meal, easily prepared and eaten, transported by military troops on the battlefield. They are distinguished from regular military rations by virtue of being designed for minimal preparation in the field, using canned, pre-cooked or freeze-dried foods, powdered beverage mixes and concentrated food bars, as well as for long shelf life.Australian Defence Force Combat Ration pack for one man. Contains 30 items: tomato soup, processed cheddar cheese, blackberry fruits spread, sweetened condensed milk, cream cracker buscuits, scotch finger biscuits, instant coffee x2, chocolate drinking powder, sugar x8, mixed berry beverage powder, Cottee's cordial powder, tropical fruit grains, salt, pepper, sweet chilli sauce, tabasco sauce, arrowmint chewing gum, tangerine lemon lollies, toothpicks, scourer, napkins, bottle opener.Australian Defence Force Combat Ration (One Man) contents list.ration pack, australian army ration pack

This work is a serigraph (screenprint) on cartridge paper using blue oil based inks of the 'Brolga' (Australian Crane); a common, gregarious wetland bird species of tropical and south-eastern Australia and New Guinea / It is a tall, upright bird with a small head, long beak, slender neck and long legs / The pose of the bird represents their stance when calling out to their mate, which sounds like a loud trumpet / The decorative markings on the bird's plumage is from the traditional carved/etched Gunnai shields from Gippsland Eastern Victoria, which is where Thomas' people are from. Underneath 'Brolga', on slant, lower right in greylead pencil (?) handwritten artist signature and language group "Ray Thomas - GUNNAI"

The gardens' most notable feature is the Palm House conservatory. The foundation stone was laid by the Marquess of Donegall in 1839 and work was completed in 1840.[4] It is one of the earliest examples of a curvilinear cast iron glasshouses in the world. Designed by Charles Lanyon and built by Richard Turner, Belfast's Palm House predates the glasshouses at Kew and the Irish National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, both of which Turner went on to build. The Palm House consists of two wings, the cool wing and the tropical wing. Lanyon altered his original plans to increase the height of the latter wing's dome, allowing for much taller plants. The Palm House also features a 400-year-old Xanthorrhoea. (Wikipedia)A coloured postcard showing a large glasshouse standing in the middle of Belfast Botanic Garden.chatham family archive, belfast, garden, ireland, glasshouse, belfast botanic garden, palm house

This sawfish rostrum (saw) was once the nose piece of a sawfish, which is a type of ray. Sawfish are also referred to as carpenter sharks although they are not from the shark family. Sawfish use their rostrum to access their food or pray by moving their heads from sided to side. They also use their rostrum as a defensive weapon. Some sawfish can grow as long as seven metres. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the ocean, rivers and estuaries. They can live from 25 up to even 30 years. The pair of sawfish rostrum was originally in the Collection of the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery of the 1880s to 1960s. It was transferred to Flagstaff Hill in the 1970s. The museum had a collection of animal specimens from all over the world.The pair of sawfish rostrum is significant for its association with the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery. The museum called on the public to donate a huge variety of items. People in the 19th century were excited about travel and the world opened up opportunities to discover and learn about 'curiosities' from other cultures.Sawfish nose piece or rostrum, one of a pair. Shape is long, flat and tapering to a rounded end, with pointy thorn-like teeth around the perimeter. sawfish, saw fish, sawfish saw, carpenter shark, rostrum, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, warrnambool museum and art gallery

This sawfish rostrum (saw) was once the nose piece of a sawfish, which is a type of ray. Sawfish are also referred to as carpenter sharks although they are not from the shark family. Sawfish use their rostrum to access their food or pray by moving their heads from sided to side. They also use their rostrum as a defensive weapon. Some sawfish can grow as long as seven metres. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the ocean, rivers and estuaries. They can live from 25 up to even 30 years. The pair of sawfish rostrum was originally in the Collection of the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery of the 1880s to 1960s. It was transferred to Flagstaff Hill in the 1970s. The museum had a collection of animal specimens from all over the world.The pair of sawfish rostrum is significant for its association with the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery. The museum called on the public to donate a huge variety of items. People in the 19th century were excited about travel and the world opened up opportunities to discover and learn about 'curiosities' from other cultures.Sawfish nose piece or rostrum, one of a pair. Shape is long, flat and tapering to a rounded end, with pointy thorn-like teeth around the perimeter. sawfish, saw fish, sawfish saw, carpenter shark, rostrum, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, warrnambool museum and art gallery

This top hat, with the initials J.H.H., belonged to John Hunter Henderson, a doctor who practised in Warrnambool from 1904 to 1939. For many years he was a member of the Warrnambool Hospital Board of Management. On his retirement in 1939 he went to live in Melbourne where he died aged 81. The John Hunter Henderson fund was established at the Warrnambool Hospital to develop the training facilities for medical and nursing staff. The bowler hat belonged to his driver (name unknown) and it is presumed that he drove a horse and buggy in the early years of the 20th century. These items are of considerable significance as they are associated with Dr Henderson, a long-serving doctor in Warrnambool and they show the status and comparative affluence of doctors in the first half of the 20th century. .1 This is a black top hat with the crown covered in beaver fur or felt of some kind. The upturned brim is slightly worn on one edge. The crown has a black corded band with a bow on one side. There is a stud with an air hole on the crown. Inside there is a brown leather lining with information on the maker on the inside base and a crown image. .2 This is a bowler hat made of black felt with lining on the edges of black cotton material. The brim is slightly turned up on the sides. The crown has a black corded band with a bow at one side. There is a circle of air holes on the side of the hat. Inside there is leather lining with some information on the maker on the inside base. .3 This is a hat box lid with a leather covering over cardboard. It is a spherical shape with some side damage where the leather is peeling. There is a leather strap handle with a metal buckle. There are remnants of travel labels pasted on to the lid. .4 This is a hat box made of leather with a metal lock on one side. It has remnants of paper travel labels on the sides. Inside the box is an insert made of maroon-coloured cardboard for storing the top hat. This insert has a leather strap to stabilize the hat. There is a name on the base of the box written on a piece of adhesive plaster. .1 J.H.H. Woodrow & Sons Hat Manufacturers to H.M. the King 13 Market St Manchester, 8 Castle St Liverpool, 45 Piccadilly London, 42 Cornhill, London, 11 Gordon St Glasgow, 40 Westmoreland St Dublin, Made in England Lincoln, Stuart & Coy Proprietary Limited Flinders St Melbourne .2 The Tropical Hat .3 Midland Railway .4 Dunedin, F.H.Moreton doctor john henderson, warrnambool, history of warrnambool, top hat

1939 - 1945 Australian Army Sewing Kit. This kit is just one of many different brands of sewing kit - issued to Australian troops during the Second World War. Containing the standard requirements for uniform/clothing repair in the field. Items include:- assorted sewing needles,spare metal (quad hole) buttons and spare cotton/wool thread. Originally the "hold-all" (or pouch) was manufactured using leather, which was in plentiful supply in Australia and is quite durable. The major problem with leather however, especially in tropical or damp conditions - is it's susceptibility to moisture. This will then have an adverse affect upon the metal items contained within the kit, obviously resulting in corrosion to the metal sewing needles and buttons. This sewing kit hold-alls was manufactured from a khaki cotton or similar material. The metal thimble is missing.Standard issue sewing kit for Australian Soldiers serving in WW2 1939-45 in New Guinea and tropical areasA rectangular khaki cotton pouch containing wool and cotton threads, needles, metal buttons, folding stainless steel scissors that rolls up and is tied by two cotton bands.world war 11 1939-1945, cotton, khaki, soldier field kit, sewing kit, new guinea, army supply department, australian army, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham,

The Type 62 is a re-badged British Pattern 1907 bayonet. Siam purchased 10,000 SMLE rifles and Pattern 1907 bayonets from Britain in 1919 to equip the "Wild Tiger Corps," royal bodyguard of Vajiravudh, King Rama VI (reigned 1910–1925). The tiger figural on the ricasso is representative of the Wild Tiger Corps. Year 2462 on the Buddhist Calendar corresponds to 1919. SMLE rifles and Pattern 1907 bayonets were taken from British stocks, refurbished by Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), and remarked with Siamese markings. The bayonets were shipped with standard steel-mounted leather scabbards. However, the leather rapidly deteriorated in the tropical climate, so the Siamese made a replacement steel scabbard body to which the original steel mounts were brazed. Sword bayonet for use with the .303 caliber Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield No. I Mk. III (SMLE) rifle.A tiger head on the left side with some symbolsww2, world war 2, bayonet

The Type 62 is a re-badged British Pattern 1907 bayonet. Siam purchased 10,000 SMLE rifles and Pattern 1907 bayonets from Britain in 1919 to equip the "Wild Tiger Corps," royal bodyguard of Vajiravudh, King Rama VI (reigned 1910–1925). The tiger figural on the ricasso is representative of the Wild Tiger Corps. Year 2462 on the Buddhist Calendar corresponds to 1919. SMLE rifles and Pattern 1907 bayonets were taken from British stocks, refurbished by Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), and remarked with Siamese markings. The bayonets were shipped with standard steel-mounted leather scabbards. However, the leather rapidly deteriorated in the tropical climate, so the Siamese made a replacement steel scabbard body to which the original steel mounts were brazed. Scabbard bayonet metallic slightly tapered rectangular with rounded edges; oval belt nob on blazed steel top of the bayonet and a blazed steel bottom; the body is steel with dents and a wear holes on one side.ww2, world war 2, bayonet

The Australian Women's Weekly from July 19, 1961. On the cover a picture of the P&O liner Canberra berthing at the new terminal at Circular Quay after her maiden voyage from Southampton. Content: Woollen handbag to make - The Jacky Kennedy story - Tropical fish - Home dressmaking - You have a right to be unhappy - At home - Cookery - Cookery course - Bedjacket to knit - Collectors corner - Prize recipes - Home plans - Gardening - Television - Films - Learning about husbands - That fickle feeling - Edge of the sea - The case of the duplicate daughters - Dress sense - Fashion frocks - Fashion patterns - it seems to me - Worth reporting - Your bookshelf - Letter box - Australian nature - Crosswords - Stars.books, magazines, women's magazine

Paul Caffyn undertook perhaps the ultimate kayak circumnavigation, a 9,420mile journey around Australia in 1981/2 which took 360 days to complete. ‘The Dreamtime Voyage’ is his account of this odyssey which is acknowledged as one of the most remarkable journeys ever undertaken by kayak. Paul had to contend with a tropical cyclone which nearly swept him off a small offshore islet in the Coral Sea, raging surf, tiger sharks which frequently bumped into the kayak in the Gulf of Carpentaria, crocodiles, sea snakes and three sections of sheer limestone cliffs. To overcome the three 100 mile plus long sections of cliffs, Paul used Nodoz tablets to stay awake and Lomotil to keep his bowels dormant during these overnight paddles. The longest stint along the awesome Zuytdorp Cliffs in Western Australia, took 34 hours of continuous paddling.Sea kayak used by Paul Caffyn to circumnavigate Australia in 1981-82. First sea kayak to voyage around Australia.Yellow fibreglass kayak"Lalaguli" various other markingssea kayak, paul caffyn, lalagule

Associated text: "Cyclone Productions presents : His own special friend : a two man show by Darwin author Dino Hodge, based on the first chapter of his book : Did you meet any malagas? A homosexual history of Australia's tropical capital. 3 nights only Dec 9, 10, 11, Brown's Mart. In conjunction with the show will be an exhibition of Male nudes and Territory landscapes, by Ian Hanse. Exhibition opens 7:30pm. Performance at 8:30pm. Drinks and copies of the book available.darwin, gay, aboriginal and torres strait islander

Before the invention of woven baskets, people used tree bark to make simple containers. These containers could be used to transport gathered food and other items but crumbled after only a few uses. Weaving strips of bark or other plant material to support the bark containers would be the next step, followed by entirely woven baskets. The last innovation appears to be baskets so tightly woven that they could hold water. Depending on soil conditions, baskets may or may not be preserved in the archaeological record. Sites in the Middle East show that weaving techniques were used to make mats and possibly also baskets, circa 8000 BCE. Twined baskets date back to 7000 in Oasisamerica. Baskets made with interwoven techniques were common at 3000 BCE. Baskets were originally designed as multi-purpose vessels to carry and store materials and to keep stray items about the home. The plant life available in a region affects the choice of material, which in turn influences the weaving technique. Rattan and other members of the Arecaceae or palm tree family, the thin grasses of temperate regions, and broad-leaved tropical bromeliads each require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket. The practice of basket making has evolved into an art. Artistic freedom allows basket makers with a wide choice of colours, materials, sizes, patterns, and details.Before the advent of plastics (1907), the is now used for many different types and styles of storage container rattan, wicker or cane was used to make containers with a lid for the storage of linens etc. The subject item was probability used at the end of the Victorian era and into the Edwardian period around the 1900s as a household storage facility. These types of wicker or cane containers started to go out of fashion due to their fragility around the 1920s into the 1940s due as well to the introduction of synthetic materials. Wicker cane rectangular shaped domestic storage container with reinforced leather pads on 4 corner sides. lid fits inside the other. Black cane piece around top edge.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

The Olive-Backed Oriole are very common birds for northern and eastern Australia, as well as New Guinea. Similar to the Yellow Oriole, this species is more versatile yet less distinctive in colouring. The streaked underparts and red bill and eyes are easy identification features of this bird. Both sexes look very similar, with female colouring being slightly duller than males. This species frequents open forests and woodlands, and can tolerate dry climates. Most of this species breeds from September to January during the tropical wet season in northern Australia, but some are known to migrate south to breed in the summer. This species eats mainly native fruit, berries, and insects. This specimen is a good example of this species, but the colouring is very dull compared to living birds. This specimen has one red eye, which is a good example of a distinctive feature of this species. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.This Olive-Backed Oriole has a faint olive-green head and back, and a faint red-tinged beak. Its body is cream coloured with brown streaks. It has one red eye. This specimen appears to be immature and/or female, as it has a pale pill and a duller-olive green back, with streaks quite high up on it's chin, which is indicative of an immature female of this species. This specimen stands upon a wooden platform and has an identification tag tied around its leg.Swing-tag: 52a / Australian Oriole / See catalogue page 17. taxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, oriole, olive-backed oriole, yellow oriole, australian birds

Rain cape, also used as a groundsheet, issued Australian servicemen. Purchased for the donor from an "Army Surplus" store and re-purposed for camps as a Scout in the late 1960s. The MK VII Groundsheet (Rain Cape / Poncho) was introduced in October 1917 during WW1. They were made from dyed cotton, proofed with a rubber compound, "well vulcanized" on one side. Weight 3lb. 8oz;. 78 inches long by 36 inches wide and made by the Victoria Rubber Co. Edinburgh. They were used again during WWII 1939-45 Today the Army uses the hootchie - a sheet of 70D nylon or PU-coated cotton with various press snaps and webbing tape loops attached around the outside which allow it to be used in a variety of configuration. During WWII Australian forces fighting the Japanese in the Islands had an urgent requirement for a decent individual shelter. The rubberized canvas groundsheets and rain capes continued to be used, but these were less than effective in the tropics. Towards the end of the war in the Pacific Australia began issuing its troops a lighter weight version of the groundsheet manufactured from polyurethane-coated cotton – During the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s, Australian troops were issued with hooded ponchos. Unlike the WWII US pattern ponchos which always had a hole in the dead centre of the poncho sheet, the Australian-issue hooded ponchos made an effective shelter – especially when two where clipped together. The problem of course is that the rubberized canvas ponchos were far too heavy for jungle use. 1960s Australian units in Borneo were issued with the first pattern lightweight hootchies. 1 Kg. 1970 the Vietnam War, a second pattern lightweight hootchie was issued made from nylon, but retaining the hardware and loops. This lightweight hootchie weighed a mere 680 grams, still heavy, but suitable for tropical use. Currently the hootchie is made from AUSCAM nylon material . Historic significance; representative of the type believed to have been issued to Australian servicemen in World War II, possibly in World War I.Waterproofed Canvas rain cape, also used as a groundsheet in the Australian Army, press studs to close as a cape, collar to cover neck.NILuniforms, australian army, world war ii, army surplus, scouts australia, bentleigh, moorabbin, world war 1, hooded ponchos, borneo, auscam nylon material, hootchies, malayan emergency, vietnam war, groundsheets

George Milford, a long term staff member of Thompsons Foundry Castlemaine, remembers discussing Alexander Sinclair with this son, Alex Sinclair Jnr. "When Alex Jnr was a boy, his father, a senior design engineer, was sent to Malaya to oversee the erection on site of a suction cutter dredge for Thompsons. This was an adaptation of the idea of a bucket-dredge, where gold is won from alluvial gravels. In the 1915-1920 era, the Thompsons Engineering Department designed a suction-cutter dredge, by which hydraulic suction with a revolving cutter at the end of a long proboscis would collect the alluvial soil and deliver it into the dredge for recovery of the precious metals. Export marketing was then ‘all the go’, and the tin dredges were ordered from Thompsons, using the new cutter design. The dredges were, of course, shipped to Malaya in pieces, ready to be assembled on site. A number of Thompsons employees were selected to travel to Malaya to assemble the dredges. There were fourteen men in the gang. These men sailed on 1st July 1925, their number including Delmenico, McKay and Charles Albert Hauser, an engine driver. C A Hauser died of malaria in Malaya shortly after arrival. Components for a further three of these dredges were in transit or on site when the first suction-cutter dredge was assembled and tested. The designers had failed to take into account the fact that, in the jungle floor in Malaya, many trees grow up, and fall down, in tropical conditions, and become submerged still waterlogged in the floor of the jungle, and in the tin-bearing gravels. The suction-cutter dredge was found to be inefficient in these circumstances, the price of tin had fallen and the Malayan client reneged on the contract. Faced with an outlay of over £4,000 on which no money would be received, the company went bankrupt on 25th August 1925. Alex Sinclair Snr was at that stage in Malaya, and received the news of the bankruptcy by telegram. Upon telegraphing his employers for funds to return home, he received the reply that there were no such funds available. Alex Sinclair Jnr told the story of how his father worked as a labourer in Malaya for two years, while his mother took in washing and ironing during the same period, until together they had assembled enough money to pay for his father’s return Anyone who talks about “the good old days” is talking nonsense!"Large blue printed paper plan outlining the conditions of contract for the making of a steel boiler. The Blueprint includes design drawings and written contract specifying materials, time frame and costs. Signed on front 'Alec Sinclair Consulting Engineer, 31 Queen Street, Melbourne'. Stamped on verso 'Printed by Paterson & Co, Colonial Mutual Chambers, Collins St, Melbourne'. blueprint, designs and plans, yarrawee suction dredge, conditions of contract, thompsons foundry castlemaine, george milford