In August 1884, Alfred Hirst who had started his trade as a watch repairer and was described as a watchmaker extraordinaire established Hirst Brothers and Company, on Union Street in Oldham Manchester. He took his two stepbrothers into the business and the company was set up to produce timepieces and jewellery as well as importing “Limit company” Swiss watches and precision machine tools for the watch and clock trade. By 1902 Hirst Brothers. had become a limited company and was still growing, adding other businesses in Manchester in 1904 and at Birmingham in 1907. The quality of the clocks and watches was such that Alfred Hirst realised his greatest ambition in 1912 with a range of watches which carried the "Limit" trademark. These watch movements had originally been made in Switzerland and shipped to Hirst Bros. to be put into British made “Dennison” cases. This trade brought even more growth with additional sales offices opening in London and Glasgow. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 found them manufacturing aircraft parts including revolution counters and optical instruments. The firm had been tasked by the Ministry of Munitions to solve the problem of pilots dropping bombs by hand and as a result, they effectively created the first bomb rack. After the war, the company once again began to prosper and with the demand for their products increasing they looked to build a new purpose-built factory to manufacture their products. In 1917 they purchased a seven-acre field site at Tame Side Dobcross, the designing of the new factory was passed onto local architect AJ Howcroft. His brief for the design of the clockworks would have been prompted by Alfred Hirst who having visited modern factories in the United States was inspired by the latest factory designs providing as much daylight as possible during working hours. The factory was eventually completed in 1920, by the mid-1920s there were cheap clock imports from Germany and production turned to radio sets and other components as well as counter and gas meters for the "Parkinson and Cowan" company who was later to take over the business. In 1926 came the cotton crash and the District Bank who had loans with the company foreclosed on the Hirst loan. The company did survive and throughout the second World, War II were involved in munitions work at the factory as well as making instruments for various aircraft. In the 1950’s they were producing meters and high grade measuring equipment but by the 1970's the business had closed and the factory was demolished in the mid-1980 "s The item is a good example of the later use of an early mechanism “Fusee” that was originally invented around 1525 in Prague. This type of clock mechanism was replaced as watchmakers looked for mechanisms that could reduce the size of clocks and watches, it appears England was the only country to continue making clocks with a Fusee device until around 1900,s of which our clock is an example. The use of a Fusee movement eventually became obsolete in 1970,s. The item is significant for the collection as it is a clock with a movement that has long since been made obsolete. Fusee type gallery wall clock made by Tame Side with an 8-day mechanical fusee movement. The white enamel dial is a little crazed and some of the Roman Numeral numbers are fading due to over-cleaning. The movement has a hexagonal iron pendulum bob hooking onto a pendulum rod with a spring-wound anchor escapement.Only mark is stamped on the movement believed to be a production number "13490" and made in Tame Side. (If the clock had been made after 1912 it would have had a trade mark "Limit")flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock, wall clock, fusee, gallery clock, alfred hirst, tame side

The subject item was made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broaden the renown of the Avery brand and transform the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix.An item used by grocers and merchants throughout the then British colonies of England to weigh store-bought goods around the mid to late 19th century. This item gives an insight into the daily lives of early colonial settlers and is a significant part of the era’s social history of the time.Balance scale and weights with removable dish, two round weights glued to tray 4oz and 8oz. Scales 'to weigh up to 28lb. Printed in gold on black labels each side "W & T AVERY LTD", "BIRMINGHAM" warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, scale and weights, food preparation equipment, w t avery ltd, balance scale, grocers scales, james ford, william & thomas avery, birmingham uk

HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Operating from 1955 until 1982, she was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to serve in the RAN. Melbourne was the only British Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy as the lead ship of the Majestic class in April 1943, and was launched as HMS Majestic (R77) in February 1945. At the end of World War II, work on the ship was suspended until she was purchased by the RAN in 1947. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design, making Melbourne the third ship to be constructed with an angled flight deck. Delays in construction and integrating the enhancements meant that the carrier was not commissioned until 1955. Melbourne never fired a shot in anger during her career, having only peripheral, non-combat roles in relation to the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War. However, she was involved in two major collisions with allied vessels. On the evening of 10 February 1964, Melbourne collided with and sank HMAS Voyager when the Daring class destroyer altered course across her bow. Eighty-two of Voyager's crew were killed, and two Royal Commissions were held to investigate the incident. The second collision occurred in the early morning of 3 June 1969, when Melbourne collided with and sank the Allen M. Sumner class destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in similar circumstances. Seventy-four United States Navy (USN) personnel died, and a joint USN–RAN Board of Inquiry was held. These incidents, along with several minor collisions, shipboard accidents, and aircraft losses, led to the reputation that Melbourne was jinxed. Melbourne was paid off from RAN service in 1982. A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed, and a 1984 sale was cancelled, before she was sold in 1985 and towed to China for breaking. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations. HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned on 30 June 1982, having spent 62,036 hours underway and having steamed 868,893 nautical miles. A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed, and a 1984 sale was cancelled, before she was sold for scrap in 1985 and towed to China for breaking. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations.The pictorial history of HMAS Melbourne with rare photos. Now a scarce title and highly desirable title that is now long out of print. Has provenance history of all ships movements from 1955 till decommissioned.HMAS Melbourne 25 YearsOn the front page is a picture of HMAS Melbourne with the words at top "H.M.A.S. Melbourne. At bottom are the words in orange, '25 Years'. In white, are the words 'by Ross Gillett' then 'Forward by Rear Admiral G.G.O. Gatacre C.B.E. DSO. DSC & Bar, RAN'. On the rear page is a list of all the Captains that served on the HMAS Melbourne between 1955-1980.hmas melbourne, aircraft carrier, royal australian navy, australian navy, westland whirlwind, sea venom, fairy gannet, bristol sycamore, westland wessex, douglas skyhawk, grumman tracker, westland sea king, fleet air arm, hmas albatross, nowra

The badge represents the Emergency Services section of the Red Cross Society. The Australian Red Cross was formed on 21st August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. The badge was made by K.G. Luke Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne. Kenneth George Luke, began work as an apprentice in 1910 at Stokes & Sons Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne and stayed with the company for eleven years. He then became a partner in a metalworking business, wholly owning this successful Carlton business in 1925. From 1935-1945 his products included silverware and supplies for military needs. The firm was K.G. Luke Pty. Ltd. by 1936, making buttons, badges, brooches, and heated food trolleys at his office and factory in North Fitzroy, and selling from his showroom in Elizabeth Street Melbourne. His customers included the Australian Red Cross, Victoria Police, TAA Airline, and the military forces of Australia and the United States. Seventeen years later the company was K.G. Luke (A/Asia) Ltd, then twenty-three years on it was Luke Ltd. until in 1983 it was taken over by National Consolidated Ltd. Sir Kenneth George Luke was also a V.F.L. football administrator. This badge is one of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus from the organisations in which he was involved. The set of badges is now part of Flagstaff Hill’s comprehensive W.R. Angus Collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus, surgeon and oculist. The W.R. Angus Collection: - The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) and Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. It includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II He served as a Military Doctor in the Australian Defence Forces. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Both Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill and the layout of the gardens there. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This badge is significant for connecting Doctor Angus with organisations that he supported. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Badge, rectangular metal and enamel badge, with a blue band across the top and bottom, and a white and gold band in the middle similar to a belt with the buckle of a red cross. The badge has a horizontal pin on the back. Inscriptions on top and bottom bands and on the reverse. It is the badge of the Red Cross Emergency Service, made by K.G. Luke of Melbourne.This badge is part of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus. the set represents organisations that he was involved in, and is part of the W.R. Angus Collection.Printed on front; “RED CROSS” above “EMERGENCY / SERVICE”. Embossed on back “8029” “K.G. LUKE / MELB” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, w.r. angus, badge, organisation badge, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, australian red cross, charity, volunteer organisation, red cross, k.g. luke pty. ltd., kenneth george luke, north fitzroy, stokes & sons, w.r. angus collection

This badge is one of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus from the organisations in which he was involved. The set of badges is now part of Flagstaff Hill’s comprehensive W.R. Angus Collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus, surgeon and oculist. The badge represents the Australian Presbyterian Brotherhood. The Presbyterian church has used the burning bush logo from the 1800s. The logo describes the Biblical account of the prophet Moses, who saw the miracle of a bush on fire that did not burn and heard the voice of God giving his instructions. The light blue cross symbolises the origin of the Australian Presbyterian church, the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian. Its flag is blue with a white 'x' and a burning bush symbol in the centre. Dr William Roy Angus was of Scottish heritage. He sailed overseas to further his studies at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928, was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh, Scotland. He was e Presbyterian and treated Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest. He would visit three or four country patients on a Sunday, taking his children along ‘for the ride’ and visiting with him. Sunday evenings he would play the pianola and sing Scottish songs to his family. In 1928, Dr Angus was a Flying Doctor in the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service, which was established by the Presbyterian Church in that year. The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) and Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. It includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II He served as a Military Doctor in the Australian Defence Forces. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Both Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill and the layout of the gardens there. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This badge is significant for connecting Doctor Angus with organisations that he supported. The badge also associates Dr Angus with the history of the Presbyterian Church in Australia, showing the historic logo of the burning bush and the Scottish flag. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Badge; a round badge with a blue enamel outer border in front of a light blue enamel ‘x’. A silver logo is on top of the 'X'. There is a silver inscription around the outer circle. It is the badge of the Presbyterian Brotherhood of Australia.This badge is part of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus. the set represents organisations that he was involved in, and is part of the W.R. Angus Collection.On the dark blue border: “PRESBYTERIAN BROTHERHOOD’ Logo [a bush on fire] a 'burning bush'flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, w.r. angus, badge, organisation badge, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, badges, buttons, lapel badge, religious badge, denominational badge, presbyterian church, presbyterian brotherhood, hat pin, flying doctor, scottish heritage, w.r. angus collection

The Robex traveller’s pouch may have originally contained men’s grooming set or toiletries such as shaving accessors and soap. The leather strap inside the lid was designed to hold items like a toothbrush, comb or razor. The owner, Dr W.R. Angus, had used the pouch to store his personal memorabilia including epaulettes and various Australian Army-issued items from WWII. It seems likely that he wore the epaulettes on a uniform when he worked his passage to or from the UK as a young Ship’s Surgeon, with the purpose of furthering his studies overseas in 1927-1928. He travelled outward on the SS Banffshire and homeward on the Commonwealth Line’s T.S.S. Largs Bay. The pouch dates from 1946 at the earliest. The Robex leather accessories brand was made by Lyall Robertson Pty. Ltd., Sandringham, Victoria. Robertson established his home business in the 1940s and went on to be a leading firm with over 200 staff. The Robex trademark was registered on July 5th, 1946. The leather pouch is now part of Flagstaff Hill’s comprehensive W.R. Angus Collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus (1901-1970), surgeon and oculist. The W.R. Angus Collection: - The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) and Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. It includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II Dr Angus served as a Military Doctor. He was a Surgeon Captain for the Australian Defence Forces, Army Medical Corps, stationed in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W. He completed his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Both Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill and the layout of the gardens there. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This traveller's pouch is significant for its connection with the firm Lyall Robertson Pty Ltd of Victoria, a home-based enterprise of the 1940s with quickly grew to employ much staff to make its good quality goods. It is also connected with the local doctor, W.R. Angus and Warrnambool's Medical History. Dr W R Angus (1901-1970), surgeon and oculist, collected a range of military objects including those he personally used during his time as Surgeon Captain in the Australian Defence Forces in World War II. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Traveller's pouch; tan water buffalo calf leather with brass zipper closure, cream-coloured fabric lining, and leather straps inside the lid for securing items. A silver embossed logo is on the lining of the base of the pouch. The Robex brand was made by Lyall Robertson Pty. Ltd in Victoria. The pouch belonged to Dr W R Angus and is now part of the W. R. Angus Collection.Stamped inside the base “ROBEX / WATER BUFFALO” and a silver logo [shield] flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, dr w r angus, w.r. angus collection, australian army, world war 2, second world war, ww 2, army issue, wwii, traveller's pouch, personal grooming accessory, robex, buffalo calf leather, lyall robertson pty. ltd, ss banffshire, t.s.s. largs bay, leather goods, travel goods

A weight made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. An item used used by grocers and merchants to weigh store bought goods around the 1950s. This item gives an insight into social history of the time.Weights, metal, silver electroplated, 1 x 2lb, 2 x 4lb, 1 x 7lb. (4) all government stamped, made by Avery Ltd.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, weight, imperial weight, imperial standard weights and measures, imperial standard weight

A weight made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. An item used used by grocers and merchants to weigh store bought goods around the 1950s. This item gives an insight into social history of the time.Weight, brass, Stamped F27, 2lb.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, weight, brass weight

Gladys REYNELL (04/091881 - 16/11/1956) Born Glenelg, South Australia Gladys Reynell was South Australia's first studio potter and the first Australian artist to apply modernist principles to the crafts. For four years she worked from Ballarat. Osrey Pottery Ballarat operated between 1922 and 1926 by Gladys Reynell and George Osborne. The name of the pottery was an acronym formed from their surnames. Gladys Reynell, her sister Emily and brothers Rupert and Carew supported the war effort during World War One. Rupert Reynell was a neurologist who valued handicrafts in the rehabilitation of shell-shocked soldiers. He influenced Gladys and Margaret Rose (Rose) McPherson (later known as Margaret Preston) to learn pottery at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, London, in 1916. Next year a friend sent Gladys some Kangaroo Island clay which excited her: 'I thought then that it could be the most delightful thing on earth to make pots in Australia from virgin clay'. In 1918 Gladys and Rose began teaching pottery to soldiers at Seale Hayne Neurological Hospital, Devon. In September 1919 Gladys Reynell came home in September due to her father's illness. She established the Reynella Pottery and became responsible for all stages of pottery production. Using a seasoned dump of buff-coloured clay from a well at nearby McLaren Vale Gladys Reynell built and fired her own kiln; threw simple, robust forms based on early European folk pottery; and decorated them with designs inspired by both Aboriginal art—one of the earliest to use this as a source. Gladys Reynell decorated her earthenware pottery with the characteristic rich 'Reynella blue' slip. On 14 August 1922 at St Mary's Church, Edwardstown, Gladys married George Samuel Osborne, an ex-serviceman and gardener at Reynella; they had no children. Between 1922 and 1926 they set up Osrey Pottery In Ballarat. Gladys produced pottery for sale at fairs with George as her assistant. She would throw her pots in the street, causing a sensation. In 1926 George contracted lead poisoning from lead in the glazes. They moved to rural Curdievale where Gladys resumed painting and making woodcuts. From 1939 Gladys and George lived in Melbourne. In World War II she worked in the army pay corps, in the Taxation Office, and as a translator of French. Gladys died of cancer on 16 November 1956; her husband scattered her ashes at Reynella. Her ceramics, the work of one of Australia's earliest studio potters, have been avidly collected since the late 1960s and are in most major art galleries. Small blue glazed ceramic bowl incised around the top with a decorative frieze. Incised on the base "(Dam Clay) Ballarat 1923, Osrey"gladys reynell, osrey pottery, blue bowl, incised bowl, australian studio pottery, ceramics, native clay

Dr Henry Nowik played a critical role in the development of industry in Wodonga, through his management and leadership of Uncle Bens Wodonga from 1965 until 1979. Born in Poznan, Poland in 1917, Henry was studying medicine in Paris when World War II broke out and he enlisted in the Royal Air Force, serving with distinction as a Bomber Pilot. He was imprisoned in Russia when his plane ditched, escaped through Kazakhstan and was eventually evacuated to London where he was appointed RAF Aide-de-Camp to General Charles de Gaulle. He was later awarded the French Croix de Guerre. After the war Dr Nowik received a PhD in Political Science and Law from American Beirut University before moving to London to teach at the London School of Economics. He then moved into industry occupying a number of senior positions in marketing and market research. In 1964, Dr Nowik, then Market Research Manager for Pedigree Petfoods, the British arm of Mars Inc., came to Australia to research the prospects for establishing a petfood business. Dr Nowik was a passionate believer in the need for decentralisation of Australian industry. In 1965 Uncle Bens of Australia began building their first Australian factory in Wodonga, Victoria, from humble beginnings in a small house in Hovell Street. It became fully operational in 1967. Dr Nowik became the Marketing and Sales Director and in 1970 the Managing Director. Dr Nowik's work as a member of the Albury-Wodonga Consultative Committee was recognized in 1975 with the Order of the British Empire and in 1977 he was appointed Chairman of the Commonwealth Government's Decentralisation Advisory Board. He participated in a number of trade missions to Malaysia, China and Japan and was a Member of the Executive Committee of the Trade Development Council and the Victorian Promotion Committee. These contributions were recognised in 1982 when he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 1979, Dr Nowik left Wodonga and moved to the United States to become Vice-President, Marketing for Mars, becoming Global Product Group President in 1980. Following his retirement in 1985 he continued to act as Senior Advisor to a number of Mars' businesses. Albury-Wodonga retained a special place in Dr Nowik's heart and he kept a close interest in Charles Sturt University, sharing his time, experience and expertise with staff and students. The University made him an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1993 when the Henry Nowik Lecture Theatre officially opened at the University's Albury campus. Later the City of Wodonga named a park in his honour. Dr Nowik and his wife returned to Australia in 2004, first living in Brisbane then moving to Maleny in Queensland. Henry Nowik died on 12th March 2015 aged 98. These items are significant because they demonstrate the contribution made to the Wodonga community and the Australian economy by Dr Henry Nowik AO OBE.A collection of items briefly documenting the contribution of Dr Henry Nowik to Wodonga, Victoria. Included are photos of Dr Nowik, newspaper items, a photo of the first office of Uncle Bens in Wodonga and a farewell card from Dr Nowik.dr henry nowik, uncle bens wodonga

Reginald George Worcester (1903-1972) was a highly regarded obstetrics and gynaecology specialist. Between 1930 and 1933, Worcester was the Medical Superintendent at the Royal Women's Hospital. He obtained his MRCOG in England in 1935, and on his return to Australia was appointed as a university tutor in obstetrics and gynaecology. In 1939, he was appointed as the honorary gynaecologist to outpatients at the Royal Women's Hospital. Worcester served with the AIF during World War II as C.O. of the 17th Field Ambulance in Darwin and as A.D.M.S., Northern Territory Force, and the 2nd/9th Australian Army Corps from 1942 to 1943. His major war service, however, was undertaken in Borneo and Moratai, commanding the 2nd/1st Australian C.C.S. and the 2nd/9th Australian General Hospital. Worcester acquitted himself admirably during the war, with company commander Hubert Smith praising his contribution in no uncertain terms: " His [Worcester's] success as C.O. of a Field Ambulance resulted from a complete understanding of what the unit should be able to do in the transportation of casualties in the field, as well as of the usual medial functions. He organized both with efficiency and at all times difficult decisions were made with humility and good humour. The personal qualities which made him such a calm and considerate consultant never left him, even in the most dangerous and trying circumstances of war." Worcester's time in the army greatly affected his health, but despite this he was able to build a strong and reputable practice upon his return to Australia. As outlined by Arthur Hill, Worcester " was appointed in turn to the following important posts: Honorary Outpatient Obstetrician and Inpatient Gynaecologist to the Women’s Hospital (1946-1948); Honorary Gynaecologist to Prince Henry’s Hospital (1946-1963); Guest Examiner in London for the R.C.O.G. (1953); Examiner in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (1957-1964); Visiting Gynaecologist to the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg 1963- 1967); and first Victorian Members’ representative (1947-1950) and later Fellows’ Representative (1953-1960) on the Australian (Regional) Council of the R.C.O.G. To these posts he brought the benefits of clear thinking and critical awareness. In 1949 he was elected F.R.C.O.G." In early 1967, Worcester suffered a hemiplegia which left him with an impaired gait and paralysed his right hand. Although unable to do major surgery, he returned to part-time practice by September 1967. His ill-health persisted though, and he was retired from practice in 1970. (Source: (1973), REGINALD GEORGE WORCESTER. Medical Journal of Australia, 1: 770-771.)Brown leather medical case. The case has a solid frame and is rectangular, with a leather handle at top. There are two locks on the top of the case, and a metal clasp on either side to fasten the bag closed. The case is embossed with the text 'R.G. WORCESTER' on top, in a position between the two locks and below the handle at bottom centre. The inside of the case is lined with a canvas bag that is buttoned to the case with press studs. The inside of the case also contains a loose canvas bag on which is handwritten 'BAG No/THREE/ R.G. WORCESTER'. The loose canvas bag has a metal zipper at opening.'R.G.WORCESTER'obstetrics, surgery

In 1952 the subject surf boat crewed by Geoff Scott, Ron Blackney, Wes McLaren, Jim Tibb, and Stan Stephens, won the Victorian Surf Boat Championships. When the club had finished with the boat Mr. Harold Stephenson paid one shilling and it eventually found its way into a garage where it remained for over 20 years before being donated to Flagstaff Hill. This boat is regarded as a unique example of craftsmanship, closely resembling Bay whaleboats used around the Warrnambool area in the 1800s. This timber caravel surf boat was named “Aeroplane Jelly” and was built by N & E Towns a Newcastle boat builder in 1949 Aeroplane Jellies and David Jones as sponsors of the Sydney Surf Carnival of 1950/1951 donated jointly the vessel. George Towns started his boat-building business in 1869 on Dempsey Island on the Hunter River, NSW. George's sons took over the business as N & E Towns (Norman and Eldrid) and continued until the early 1950s. The business made a variety of small craft including fishing boats, launches, and flood boats. In 1928 they built their first surf boat it took about six weeks to build with cedar planks and hardwood frames. After World War II surf boats became their main focus and they became well known for the lighter and faster designs. Many “Towns built” craft have won events at state and national surf championships. They were renowned Boat Builders producing a much lighter and faster running boat than anything previously made, with a buoyant type bow design giving it the lift necessary to get out and through heavy surf. while its sleek lines from amidships aft provided very fast running qualities. Either side of its bows, it bore the bright silver aircraft transfer of the Aeroplane Jellies Company. After a surf competition at Narrabeen NSW, the competing Warrnambool surf lifesaving team returned home to Warrnambool their club committee decided to purchase the "Aeroplane Jellies" Surf boat if and when it became available as the team had been so impressed with the boat. On 30 October 1951 a cheque for £207-2/6' was raised, £180 for the boat, balance for oars. Transport was arranged and the boat was delivered in November 1951. When the "Aeroplane Jellies" competition days were over in the early 1960's due largely to changing surf boat design, Warrnambool Club's Secretary, Mr. Harold Stephenson, sought permission from the Committee to purchase the boat for the nominal sum of one shilling thus preserving the vessel for posterity. The boat had been stored for many years at the Nullawarre Bakery where it remained until Mr. Stephenson died in 1985. After Mr. Stephenson's passing his family donated the vessel to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in 1986.A very rare example of a surf lifesaving boat that for its time was a unique creation that revolutionised small vessel design in Australia. It was made by a renowned maker that today unfortunately many of his examples of boats he made, especially surf life-saving boats no longer exist making the Flagstaff Hill boat very significant to not only surf lifesaving history but to the part it played in our social life for all those who went to the beaches in 1960s Australia.Surf boat named "Aeroplane Jellies". Timber, double ender carvel, built in 1949 by N & E Towns, Newcastle, NSW. Only a few are in existence. She was a trophy prize at Sydney Surf Carnival 1950/1951, donated by Aeroplane Jellies and David Jones Dept. Store, Sydney. The boat was won by South Narrabeen Surf Club. Warrnambool Surf Club purchased her on 30/10/1951 for £207-2/6, and she was sold to Harold Stephenson in early 1960's for 1 shilling. Donated to Flagstaff Hill by the family of Harold Stephenson around 1985-1986. The name Aeroplane Jellies was lettered in gold across the boat's coaming and there is a remnant of some of the gold lettering still there.warrnambool, flagstaff hillflagstaff hill maritime museum, great ocean road, ememgency, historic boat, surf boat, n & e towns, carvel, vintage boat, double ender boat, lifesaving boat, geoff scott, south narrabeen surf club, warrnambool surf life saving club, lifeboat

This Emergency Edition of the map of Panmure, Victoria, is part of the W.R. Angus Collection. It was printed in 1942 during World War II. It is one of two maps donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, who served as Surgeon Captain in the Australian Defence Department. The map was compiled for the Dept. of Army by the Dept. of Lands and Survey in Melbourne, prepared by the Australian Section of the Imperial General Staff, which was a British Government body created in 1907 to co-ordinate the defence of Britain and its Empire. It was printed by A.H.Q. Cartographic Company, Survey Corps, which was formed in 1941. The Corp changed its name to L.H.Q. Cartographic Company of Bendigo. In 1947 the name reverted back to the A.H.Q. Cartographic Company until 1955 when it became the A.H.Q. Survey Regiment. The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus who began practice in 1924. Dr. Angus served with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during the Second World Was from 1942 to 1945. He served in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W. until he suffering from a heart attack just before the war ended. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” - Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928, was generally known as Dr Roy Angus. His working life included a position as a doctor with the Flying Doctor Service in Australia’s rural and remote areas. After many varied experiences Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939 where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson. He was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer. Dr Angus was a surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942. After further studies he commenced practice as an ophthalmologist in Warrnambool, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years and made monthly visits to Portland to perform eye surgery. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s community with a strong interest in civic affairs. They were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, including the layout of the gardens. After his death on 28th March 1970 his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. This Emergency Edition of the Map of Panmure is significant as an example of the documents prepared for the defence of Australia in World War 2. The Map is also significant for its connection between the Australian Army and the involvement of Dr WR Angus as a Surgeon in the Medical Services during World War II. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The collection of medical instruments and other equipment is culturally significant, being an historical example of medicine, administration, household equipment and clothing from late 19th to mid-20th century. Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan, a pioneer in the use of X-rays and in ocular surgery. The collection includes Dr Angus’s Army objects and is significant as an example of items issued to Doctors and Surgeons in the Medical Services of the Australian Army in World War IIMilitary map of Panmure, Victoria, Australia; part of the W.R. Angus Collection. Rectangular coloured map on cream paper for the Australian Army. Details include sea, waterways and land, contour lines, grid lines, names of districts, towns and roads, bridges, swamps, rail lines, cuttings, tracks, buildings (including blacksmiths), pumps, lighthouses, telegraph, telephones and electric transmission lines, and fire stations. The map has margin notes that include distances in miles to nearby towns. The map was compiled for the Dept. of Army by the Dept. of Lands and Survey in Melbourne, prepared by the Australian Section, Imperial General Staff and printed by A.H.Q. Cartographic Company, Melbourne in 1942. Crown Copyright Reserved. Inscriptions in red print state that it is and Emergency Edition and an Official document. An oval purple stamp includes the price.Printed in black; 'Victoria / Panmure", "No. 930 / Zone 6" Printed in red; “EMERGENCY EDITION”, “THIS MAP IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. IF FOUND, IT MUST BE HANDED / IN TO THE NEAREST MILITARY HEADQUARTERS OR POLICE STATION” Stamped: within concentric ovals (“- - - FOR SALE / PRICE 2/- / - - - - - OF THE ARMY”)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, dr w r angus, dr ryan, warrnambool base hospital, flying doctor, surgeon captain, australian department of defence, royal australian army, world war 2, map panmure 1942, roy angus, port medical officer, nhill base hospital, military map, emergency map, military service australian army, department of army, department of lands and survey, a.h.q. cartographic company melbourne, panmure 1942, australian section, imperial general staff

This Emergency Edition of the map of Port Campbell, Victoria, is part of the W.R. Angus Collection. It was printed in 1942 during World War II. It is one of two maps donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, who served as Surgeon Captain in the Australian Defence Department. The map was compiled for the Dept. of Army by the Dept. of Lands and Survey in Melbourne, prepared by the Australian Section of the Imperial General Staff, which was a British Government body created in 1907 to co-ordinate the defence of Britain and its Empire. It was printed by A.H.Q. Cartographic Company, Survey Corps, which was formed in 1941. The Corp changed its name to L.H.Q. Cartographic Company of Bendigo. In 1947 the name reverted back to the A.H.Q. Cartographic Company until 1955 when it became the A.H.Q. Survey Regiment. The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus who began practice in 1924. Dr Angus served with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during the Second World Was from 1942 to 1945. He served in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W. until he suffering from a heart attack just before the war ended. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” - Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928, was generally known as Dr Roy Angus. His working life included a position as a doctor with the Flying Doctor Service in Australia’s rural and remote areas. After many varied experiences Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939 where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson. He was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer. Dr Angus was a surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942. After further studies he commenced practice as an ophthalmologist in Warrnambool, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years and made monthly visits to Portland to perform eye surgery. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s community with a strong interest in civic affairs. They were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, including the layout of the gardens. After his death on 28th March 1970 his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. This Emergency Edition of the Map of Port Campbell is significant as an example of the documents prepared for the defence of Australia in World War 2. The Map is also significant for its connection between the Australian Army and the involvement of Dr WR Angus as a Surgeon in the Medical Services during World War II. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The collection of medical instruments and other equipment is culturally significant, being an historical example of medicine, administration, household equipment and clothing from late 19th to mid-20th century. Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan, a pioneer in the use of X-rays and in ocular surgery. The collection includes Dr Angus’s Army objects and is significant as an example of items issued to Doctors and Surgeons in the Medical Services of the Australian Army in World War IIMilitary map of Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia; part of the W.R. Angus Collection. Rectangular coloured map on cream paper for the Australian Army. Details include sea, waterways and land, contour lines, grid lines, names of districts, towns and roads, bridges, swamps, rail lines, cuttings, tracks, buildings (including blacksmiths), pumps, lighthouses, telegraph, telephones and electric transmission lines, and fire stations. The map has margin notes that include distances in miles to nearby towns. The map was compiled for the Dept. of Army by the Dept. of Lands and Survey in Melbourne, prepared by the Australian Section, Imperial General Staff and printed by A.H.Q. Cartographic Company, Melbourne in 1942. Crown Copyright Reserved. Inscriptions in red print state that it is and Emergency Edition and an Official document. An oval purple stamp includes the price.Printed in black; 'Victoria / Port Campbell", "No. 932 / Zone 6" Printed in red; “EMERGENCY EDITION”, “THIS MAP IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. IF FOUND, IT MUST BE HANDED / IN TO THE NEAREST MILITARY HEADQUARTERS OR POLICE STATION” Stamped: within concentric ovals (“- - - FOR SALE / PRICE 2/- / - - - - - OF THE ARMY”)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, dr w r angus, dr ryan, warrnambool base hospital, nhill base hospital, flying doctor, surgeon captain, map port campbell 1942, roy angus, port medical officer, military map, emergency map, australian department of defence, royal australian army, military service australian army, department of army, department of lands and survey, world war 2, a.h.q. cartographic company melbourne, australian section, imperial general staff, port campbell 1942

A Large Rare mid 19th Century Balance Scale (also called a Beam Scale) Made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into a specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs.Then from 1931 to 1973 the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail scales and industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. Item made and used possibly around the 1850s by Victorian colonial government to check weights of goods being sold by early shop keepers on the gold fields item is very rare.James McEwan & Co were the retailers of W & T Avery scales in Victoria from 1852. A very rare item used probably to check weights used by merchants during colonial times by government inspectors in Victoria. A similar example exist in a NSW museum, the item is believed to have been made before W & T Avery expansion to the Soho foundry in Birmingham in 1885 and after 1818.Beam balance scale suspended from a wooden tripod, with metal trays suspended by three chain lengths. embossed on the balance beam W T Avery, Birmingham,flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, scale, avery

The pair of epaulettes once belonged to W.R. Angus, who possibly wore them when he worked his passage to and from the UK in the 1920s. The button on each has an unidentified emblem. They are part of Flagstaff Hill’s comprehensive W.R. Angus Collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus (1901-1970), surgeon and oculist. The ties, which look like shoe laces, would secure the epaulettes to the uniform's shoulders. The epaulettes were made by Harvey's Naval Outfitters of 15-16-17 London Street, London, E.C.3, in the East Central area of London. Another of the firm's addresses is Leadenhall Street, London, named the 'centre of commerce'. East India Company and Pacific & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) once had their headquarters there. The postcode 'EC3' dates back to 1917 when the postcode system was established in the United Kingdom. William Roy Angus (1901-1970) qualified as a doctor in 1923. He decided he further his studies overseas in the UK in 1927, sailing on the ship SS Banffshire (built in 1912, destroyed in 1937). He studied at London University College Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928 he was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh, Scotland. He worked his passage back to Australia as a Ship’s Surgeon on the Australian Commonwealth Line T.S.S. Largs Bay, purchased by the White Star Line in 1928. Dr W R Angus was a Surgeon Captain for the Australian Defence Forces, Army Medical Corps, stationed in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W. He completed his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. The W.R. Angus Collection: - The W.R. Angus Collection includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) and Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. It includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II He served as a Military Doctor in the Australian Defence Forces. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the new Flagstaff Hill's planning stages and the gardens' layout. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This pair of epaulettes is connected to the badges in the W.R. Angus Collection. Dr W R Angus (1901-1970), surgeon and oculist, collected a range of badges and military objects including those he personally used during his time as Surgeon Captain in the Australian Defence Forces in World War II. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Epaulette (pair of two), dark blue with red and gold horizontal stripes, with a gold-coloured button and woven white web ties. A tall rectangular shape with a point at the top. Made from a card base, covered by dark blue fabric and a hand-stitched lining of cream-coloured leather, stamped with the maker's details. The button has an inscripton and image. Made by Harvey's Outfitters in London. The button has images and text. The epaulettes belonged to Dr W R Angus and are now part of the W. R. Angus Collection.“HARVEYS’ / NAVAL OUTFITTERS / 15-16-17, London St / LONDON E.C.3. / TELEPHONE / ROYAL 3248” Button; Inscription and image [indecipherable] Button is embossed with images (anchor, serpent, flag) and text "B. 'G. "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, dr w r angus, w.r. angus collection, badge, insignia, badge collection, epaulettes, naval epaulettes, naval insignia, shoulder boards, ss banffshire, t.s.s. largs bay, uniform, harvey's naval outfitters, london street london

Norma Bull in a window of 'Medlow', 1920s Her brother (Ronald) Richard was a keen photographer and is believed to have taken the photographs of the family and in the grounds of 'Medlow'. Norma Catherine Bull (7 September 1906 – September 1980) was an Australian painter, printmaker and etcher best known for the paintings and sketches she made in Britain during World War II. Norma was the daughter of Richard Joseph Bull (1874-1927) and Catherine Grace Perrier (1884-1972). Her father was the Director of Bacteriology at Melbourne University. Richard and Catherine had 2 children. Norma was born in Hawthorn in 1906 and her brother Ronald Richard was born in Surrey Hills in 1912, where in 1911 Richard bought a property at 42 Warrigal Road, Surrey Hills developed by Colonel William Cairncross, known as ‘Willcyrus’ and renamed ‘Medlow’ by the Bulls. As a child, Norma was a high achiever both intellectually and artistically. She was educated at Fintona, where she matriculated as Dux of the School and winner of an exhibition in French. She won a scholarship to attend the University of Melbourne where she studied French, Zoology, Philosophy, English and History, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in 1929. Following this she studied painting and drawing at the National Gallery Art School for seven years. Whilst most of the students of the 1930s were inspired by Modernism, Norma followed more traditional styles and became known for her etchings and realistic depiction of urban scenes. Her work was strongly influenced by the conservative nature of the National Gallery Art School under Bernard Hall, and she remained a traditionalist all her life. In 1938, she was awarded the Sir John Longstaff Scholarship in Fine Art. This enabled her to travel to England to study at the Royal Academy in London. She arrived in April 1939 and after the outbreak of war, she worked as a volunteer at a First Aid Clearing Station and applied to become a war artist. In 1941, she was given a sketching permit by the War Artists Advisory Committee to record bomb damage in the Bristol area. In 1947, an exhibition of her 205 wartime works entitled “Two Hemispheres”, opened at Australia House in London. Many were acquired for major collections in England including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Collection. The “Two Hemispheres” exhibition toured Australia in 1948 and for over twelve months she followed Wirth’s Circus around the country, painting aspects of circus life. From then on she lived at Medlow’, From 1960 she was secretary of the Fellowship of Australian Artists. She was a finalist in the Archibald Prize on 2 occasions and is remembered through a biennial Art Prize, ‘The Norma Bull Portraiture Scholarship’ which is administered by The Victorian Artist’s Society. She continued to paint landscapes and seascapes in her traditionalist style. She had holiday homes at Anglesea and Bright. After she died in September 1980, 31 of her works were bequeathed to Bright Art Gallery. A black and white photograph of a lady holding a sun umbrella and sitting in a window frame.miss norma bull, medlow, house names, warrigal road, surrey hills, mr ronald richard bull

An original Kerr-Grant Microbalance, modified by E.J.Hartung This balance was invented in the chemistry department by Bertram Dillon Steele, later first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Queensland 1910-1930, in collaboration with Professor Kerr Grant, Physics. The design was widely used by other chemists, including Masson's mentor, Professor Ramsay, working in London on newly discovered rare gases (especially Radon), and Professor Hartung in Melbourne, investigating the chemistry of the decomposition of silver salts in photographic processes. The principle of the microbalance was to measure the change in density of a gas by the shift in the balancing beam due to a change in pressure of the gas in the balance case. The quartz balancing beam was made by Bertram Steele who was particularly skilled in glassblowing. A quartz beam is the beam of the Aston microbalance based on the Steele/Grant instrument, and described by F.W. Aston, the inventor of the mass spectrometer. The bulb at one end of the beam contained a fixed amount of air, so that a change in the pressure of gas in the balance case changed the buoyancy of the beam, yielding a displacement in the beam which could be measured. By this means, differences in weight of about 10 nanogram could be measured, in amounts of up to 0.1 gram. Such differences are significant the increase in weight of a metal sample due to surface oxidation (Steele's interest) in the weight loss due to radioactive decay of Radium (Ramsay's work), and in the estimates of density change due to the isotopic distribution of Neon (Aston). Ernst Johannes Hartung was a chemist and astronomer. Educated at the University of Melbourne (BSc 1913, DSc 1919), he became lecturer in 1919, associate professor in 1924, and succeeded Rivett as chair of chemistry in 1928, remaining in this position until 1953. Hartung?s lecturing style surged with enthusiasm and he employed the use of screen projections to demonstrate chemical phenomena to large undergraduate classes. In 1935 he recorded Brownian movement in colloidal solutions on 35 mm cinefilm, which was later copied onto 16 mm film for the Eastman Kodak Co. World Science Library. This can be viewed in the Chemistry laboratory. He researched the photo decomposition of silver halides, and was awarded the David Syme Prize in 1926. He devoted time to the design and construction of a large, new chemistry building for the School of Chemistry (built 1938?1939). During World War II he was approached by Professor Thomas Laby, chairman of the Optical Munitions Panel, to chair the advisory committee on optical materials, to produce high quality optical glass in Australia. This was successful, with large-scale production achieved within ten months at a reasonable cost. Hartung served three terms as general President of the (Royal) Australian Chemical Institute, was an ex-officio councillor of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and a Trustee of the Museum of Applied Science (now part of Museum Victoria).An original Kerr-Grant Microbalance, modified by E.J. Hartung.

This small label badge carries the symbol of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which was established in 1948. The WCC states on its website "The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity. " The 'V' on the back of the badge possibly stands for Victoria. The word on the logo of this badge has the spelling "OIKUMENE" but in many other WCC logos, the Greek word "Oikoumene" is used. The term is translated as "inhabited earth" and is used fifteen times in the original Greek New Testament, including in Matthew 24:14, which says "And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come." The WCC explains that the logo uses early Christian symbols to portray its message, with the church portrayed as a boat afloat on the sea of the world with the mast in the form of a cross. This badge is part of a set of eleven badges collected from the 1920s to the 1940s by Dr W. R. Angus. The set represents various organisations that he had interests in. It was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor Angus, Surgeon and Oculist. The set of badges is part of the “W.R. Angus Collection” which includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928 (also known as Dr Roy Angus) was born in Murrumbeena, Victoria in 1901 and lived until 1970. He qualified as a doctor in 1923 at the University of Adelaide, was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1924 and for a period was a house surgeon to Sir (then Mr.) Henry Simpson Newland. Dr Angus was briefly an Assistant to Dr Riddell of Kapunda, then commenced private practice at Curramulka, Yorke Peninsula, SA, where he was a physician, surgeon and chemist. In 1926, he was appointed as the new Medical Assistant to Dr Thomas Francis Ryan (T.F. Ryan, or Tom), in Nhill, Victoria, where his experiences included radiology and pharmacy. In 1927 he was Acting House Surgeon in Dr Tom Ryan’s absence. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. During World War II He served as a Military Doctor in the Australian Defence Forces. Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Both Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill and the layout of the gardens there. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This religious lapel badge of the World Council of Churches represents one of the organisations in which Dr Angus had an interest. The set of badges is significant for connecting Doctor Angus with Australian organisations of the early-to-mid 20th century, including those relating to military service support. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The Collection includes historical medical objects that date back to the late 1800s.Lapel badge; a small round blue enamel badge with gold image and text. The image contains the symbol of a cross above a small boat on waves. The image is the logo of the World Council of Churches.This badge is part of a set of badges collected by Dr W R Angus. the set represents organisations that he was involved in, and is part of the W.R. Angus Collection.Test above Logo: “OIKUMENE” Logo; [cross] above [small boat] above [waves] Text under clip; “V” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, oikumene, w.r. angus, metal badge, enamel badge, organisation badges, religious badge, lapel badge, oikoumene, world council of churches, wcc, christian unity

The subject item is a saw blade sharpening clamp that attaches to a bench allowing the operator to sharpen the teeth on a saw with a file while keeping the saw blade in an upright position. Henry Disston (1819–1878) began his career as an American saw maker in Philadelphia. He emigrated from England in 1833 and started making saws and squares in 1840. In 1850, he founded the company that would become the largest saw maker in the world the ”Keystone Saw Works” on the Delaware River. Some five years later, Disston built a furnace possibly the first melting plant for steel in America and began producing the first crucible saw steel ever made in the United States. While his competitors were buying good steel from Britain, he was making his own, to his specification, for his own needs. Disston subsequently constructed a special rolling mill exclusively for saw blades. Over the following decade, the Disston company continued to grow, even while dedicating itself to the Union Army's war effort. In 1865, when his son Hamilton Disston rejoined the business after serving in the Civil War, Disston changed the company's name to Henry Disston & Son. Henry Disston and his sons set the standards for American saw makers, both in terms of producing high-quality saws and developing innovative manufacturing techniques. Disston also started making files in 1865. In September 1872, Henry Disston and two other men dug a part of the foundation for what was to become the largest saw manufacturing facility in the world: Disston Saw Works. This was in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Having previously moved his expanding business from near Second and Market Streets to Front and Laurel Streets, Disston sought to establish his business away from this cramped area. It took over 25 years to move the entire facility to Tacony. This Philadelphia neighborhood seems to have been the only company town in the United States established within an existing city. At its peak of operations, Disston Saw Works employed 8,000 people and the factory covered 300 acres. The company, known as Henry Disston and Sons, Inc by the early 20th century, cast the first crucible steel in the nation from an electric furnace in 1906. The firm's Armour plate building near Princeton Avenue and Milnor Street contributed tremendously to the World War II effort. But the company's innovation and industriousness would not last forever. In 1955, with mounting cash-flow problems and waning interest on the family's part to run the firm, Henry Disston and Sons were sold to the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh. Porter's Disston Division was sold in 1978 and became the Henry Disston Division of Sandvik Saw of Sweden. This division was then sold in 1984 to R.A.F. Industries of Philadelphia and became known as Disston Precision Incorporated, a maker of specialized flat steel products. In 2013, R.A.F. Industries sold Disston Precision Inc. in a private sale. Although the company has ceased making Disston handsaws, the Disston brand name still exists in this firm. A significant American company that pioneered the making of high-quality steel and saws along with other tools and accessories. The subject item is significant as it was made at a time when the company was in its hay day. Adjustable Ball & Socket Saw Sharpening vice, cast iron, with clamp to attach to a workbench. Made by Henry Disston & Co. No 1 painted greyflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, saw clamp, henry disston & sons, saw sharpening, tool accessories, wood saws

Joseph Fowler (1888-1972), businessman and municipal councillor, was born on 28 February 1888 at Bagworth, Leicestershire, England, one of thirteen children of John Fowler, groom, and his wife Mary, née Ash. With his brother Sydney, in the early 1900s Joseph worked in a fruit-preserving business run by an uncle at Maidstone, Kent, and continued with the firm after 1908 when it was relocated at Reading. At St Andrew's parish church, Leicester, on 7 September 1910 he married a nurse, Elizabeth Harris (d.1965); they emigrated in 1913 and settled at Camberwell, Melbourne. Encouraged by his commercial experience, and by the variety and quality of fruit in Australia, Fowler set up a fruit-bottling business in the rear of his small house in Burke Road. Trading as J. Fowler & Co., by 1915 the company had begun producing home-bottling kits which contained a sterilizer, bottles, lids, rings and a thermometer. To acquire the capital to establish a factory, Fowler travelled the district, selling his kits door-to-door from the back of a cart. In 1920 he bought a shop at the corner of Power Street and Burwood Road, Hawthorn, and registered his business as a private company. During the Depression his kits became a household name. In 1934 Fowlers Vacola Manufacturing Co. Ltd was registered as a public company. Housewives, nationwide, were urged to bottle their own fruits and jams by 'Mrs B Thrifty', the dainty cartoon character who graced the firm's advertisements. Numerous recipes and instruction books, such as From Orchard to Bottle the Fowlers Way, advertised the necessary preserving equipment, extending to jelly bags and juice extractors. Australian-made glass and imported steel and rubber were used in the production of Fowlers Vacola Bottling Outfits. Determined to put something back into the community which had supported him so well, in 1933-60 Fowler represented Yarra Ward on the Hawthorn City Council (mayor 1938-39 and 1945-46). He served as vice-president of Swinburne Technical College (1942) and of the Hawthorn branch of the Australian Defence League (1943); he was also a Rotarian, and a warden and vestryman of St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell. Changed demands in World War II encouraged Fowlers Vacola to diversify their product. Canned goods were manufactured for allied troops in the South Pacific. In 1953 new buildings and plant, including a giant pressure-cooker, were installed to increase productivity: from that time Fowlers Vacola sold canned and bottled food throughout Australia and abroad. By 1960 the factory occupied more than 122,000 sq. ft (11,330 m²) and further expansion was to occur when the firm moved to Nunawading. Fowler retired in 1961, but remained chairman of directors; his son Ronald succeeded him as managing director. Variously described as a generous, jovial man with a sense of humour, and as a strict and astute manager whose company was his life, Fowler was renowned for his straight business dealings and his 'no-nonsense' attitude. Survived by his son and daughter, he died on 24 April 1972 at Camberwell and was cremated. His estate was sworn for probate at $204,424. On Ronald Fowler's death in 1978, the company was bought out by the Sydney firm, Hooper Baillie Industries Ltd; it in turn sold to Sabco Ltd of South Australia; in 1994, when Sabco went into receivership, Australian Resource Recovery Technologies re-established Fowlers Vacola Australia Pty Ltd's headquarters in Melbourne. Copper boiling pot for home preserves, handles, lid and removable thermometer, also acc ompany instruction booklet. "Fowlers Method of Bottling Fruits and Vegetables"Fowler's "Vacola" Reg. No. 68081 Sterilizer

This early 1880s Mason & Hamlin reed organ was part of the original furnishings of the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen's Church at 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria. It was donated to the Williamstown St Nicholas Seamen's Church by the Joy Club for Fighters around the time of the opening of the church. The front panel displays the front and back of six medallions, showing the year and location of exhibitions that Mason & Hamlin participated in, adding perceived notability and prestige to the value of this organ. These medallions date from 1867 - 1881: Paris 1867, Vienna 1873, Philadelphia 1876, Paris 1878, Sweden 1878 and Milan 1881. MASON & HAMLIN Mason & Hamlin organ manufacturer was founded by Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1850s, making about 450 organs per year. By 1905 the annual turnover was around 10,000 instruments. The Cable Co. purchased the company in 1911, which in turn was taken over by the American Piano Co. in 1924. By 1927 the production reed organs had ceased. Mason & Hamlin, like many other manufacturers, publicised its instruments at county fairs and exhibitions. They were quick to advertise any awards they won, or even recognition for displaying at these events, by adding matching medallion decals to their products. JOY CLUB FOR FIGHTERS The Joy Club for Fighters was formed in Williamstown in 1940 to raise funds to support Australians fighting in Australia and overseas in World War II. Activities such as dances were organised in venues such as Mechanics' Institutes, and enthusiastically supported. Donations were given to several hospitals and other care facilities, and local fighters, for distribution to the servicemen. Items such as food hampers and cigarettes were amongst the tributes given. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews) The Missions to Seamen, an Anglican charity, has served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. It symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centr4es in over 200 ports world-wide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria the orgainsation began in Williamstown in 1857. It was as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’. Its location was an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981 and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. The organ is historically significant for its creation, being circa 1880 and still in use in the 1960s. This organ is significant historically for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of seafarers. It originated in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. The item is historically significant for its connection to the Joy Club for Fighters, a support charity for Australian servicemen and women of World War II. The connection of this item to the Mission to Seamen and to the Joy Club for Fighters highlights the strong community awareness of the life of people in the armed forces, their dangers and hardships, and their need for physical, financial, spiritual and moral support.Organ; reed organ, mahogany wood with decorative carving and colourful inlaid floral design. Has two pedals that are decoratively covered in floral patterned tapestry. Inscriptions are on the panel above the keyboard. Organ has five octaves and eleven stoppers. Made by Mason & Hamlin, America, circa 1881. This organ is part of our St Nicholas Seamen's Church collection."Mason & Hamlin" and below the music rest "No 113032" and other indiscernible print Medallions, left - right "PARIS, 1878." "SWEDEN, 1878." "PHILA., 1876." "MILAN, 1881." "VIENNA, 1873." "PARIS, 1867."flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, religion, religious service, st nicholas seamen’s church, williamstown, missions to seamen victoria, joy club for fighters, musical instrument, reed organ, mason & hamlin, worship service, worship music

Chauncey Jerome (1793–1868) was an American clock maker in the early to mid 19th century. He made a fortune selling his clocks, and his business grew quickly. Jerome was born in Canaan USA in 1793 son of a blacksmith and nail-maker. He began his career in Plymouth, making dials for long-case clocks where he learned all he could about clocks, particularly clock cases, and then went to New Jersey to make seven-foot cases for clocks mechanisms. In 1816 he went to work for Eli Terry making "Patent Shelf Clocks," learning how to make previously handmade cases using machinery. Deciding to go into business for himself, Jerome began to make cases, trading them to Terry for wooden movements. In 1822 Jerome moved his business to Bristol New Haven, opening a small shop with his brother Noble and began to produce a 30-hour and eight-day wooden clocks. By 1837 Jerome's company was selling more clocks than any of his competitors. A one-day wood-cased clock, which sold for six dollars had helped put the company on the map. A year later his company was selling that same clock for four dollars. The company also sold one line of clocks at a wholesale price of 75 cents and by 1841 the company was showing an annual profit of a whopping $35,000, primarily from the sale of its brass movements. In 1842 Jerome moved his clock-case manufacturing operation to St. John Street in New Haven. Three years later, following a fire that destroyed the Bristol plant, Jerome relocated the entire operation to Elm City factory. Enlarging the plant, the company soon became the largest industrial employer in the city, producing 150,000 clocks annually. In 1850 Jerome formed the Jerome Manufacturing Co. as a joint-stock company with Benedict & Burnham, brass manufacturers of Waterbury. In 1853 the company then became known as the New Haven Clock Co, producing 444,000 clocks and timepieces annually, then the largest clock maker in the world. Jerome's future should have been secure but in 1855 he bought out a failed Bridgeport clock company controlled by P.T. Barnum, which wiped him out financially, leaving the Jerome Manufacturing Co. bankrupt. Jerome never recovered from the loss. By his admission, he was a better inventor than a businessman. When Jerome went bankrupt in 1856 the New Haven Clock Company purchased the company. One of the primary benefits of Jerome purchasing New Haven in the first place was the good reputation of the Jerome brand and the network of companies that remained interested in selling its clocks. In England, Jerome & Co. Ltd. sold Jerome clocks for the New Haven company until 1904, when New Haven purchased the English firm outright. After his involvement with the New Haven Company in 1856, Jerome traveled from town to town, taking jobs where he could, often working for clock companies that had learned the business of clock making using Jerome's inventions. On returning to New Haven near the end of his life, he died, penniless, in 1868 at the age of 74. The company struggled on after Jerome's bankruptcy until after World War II, when the company endeavored to continue through disruptions caused by a takeover along with poor sales, finally having to fold its operations in 1960 a little more than 100 years after it had been founded. The item is significant as it is associated with Chauncey Jerome who had made a historic contribution to the clock making industry during the 19th century when he began to substitute brass mechanisms for wooden mechanisms in his clocks. This was said to be the greatest and most far-reaching contribution to the clock industry. Because of his discovery of stamping out clockwork gears rather than using castings, Jerome was producing the lowest-priced clocks in the world. That can only add to his significance as the major clock manufacture of the 19th century. Jerome may have made and lost, a fortune selling his clocks but was perhaps the most influential and creative person associated with the American clock business during the mid-19th century. Also, he had served his community as a legislator in 1834, a Presidential elector in 1852 and mayor of New Haven, Connecticut from 1854 to 1855.Eight day movement wall clock with Roman numerals, octagonal shaped rosewood veneered casing, hinged face with locking clip. Wound from front. Face has adjustment for Fast-to-Slow.Part paper label on back of case can just make out "Jerome" and "ight and One" probable meaning is "Eight and One Day" describing the movements operational time between winding the mechanism.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock maker, jerome & co, new haven, chauncey jerome, canaan

Chauncey Jerome (1793–1868) was an American clock maker in the early to mid 19th century. He made a fortune selling his clocks, and his business grew quickly. Jerome was born in Canaan USA in 1793 son of a blacksmith and nail-maker. He began his career in Plymouth, making dials for long-case clocks where he learned all he could about clocks, particularly clock cases, and then went to New Jersey to make seven-foot cases for clocks mechanisms. In 1816 he went to work for Eli Terry making "Patent Shelf Clocks," learning how to make previously handmade cases using machinery. Deciding to go into business for himself, Jerome began to make cases, trading them to Terry for wooden movements. In 1822 Jerome moved his business to Bristol New Haven, opening a small shop with his brother Noble and began to produce a 30-hour and eight-day wooden clocks. By 1837 Jerome's company was selling more clocks than any of his competitors. A one-day wood-cased clock, which sold for six dollars had helped put the company on the map. A year later his company was selling that same clock for four dollars. The company also sold one line of clocks at a wholesale price of 75 cents and by 1841 the company was showing an annual profit of a whopping $35,000, primarily from the sale of its brass movements. In 1842 Jerome moved his clock-case manufacturing operation to St. John Street in New Haven. Three years later, following a fire that destroyed the Bristol plant, Jerome relocated the entire operation to Elm City factory. Enlarging the plant, the company soon became the largest industrial employer in the city, producing 150,000 clocks annually. In 1850 Jerome formed the Jerome Manufacturing Co. as a joint-stock company with Benedict & Burnham, brass manufacturers of Waterbury. In 1853 the company then became known as the New Haven Clock Co, producing 444,000 clocks and timepieces annually, then the largest clock maker in the world. Jerome's future should have been secure but in 1855 he bought out a failed Bridgeport clock company controlled by P.T. Barnum, which wiped him out financially, leaving the Jerome Manufacturing Co. bankrupt. Jerome never recovered from the loss. By his admission, he was a better inventor than a businessman. When Jerome went bankrupt in 1856 the New Haven Clock Company purchased the company. One of the primary benefits of Jerome purchasing New Haven in the first place was the good reputation of the Jerome brand and the network of companies that remained interested in selling its clocks. In England, Jerome & Co. Ltd. sold Jerome clocks for the New Haven company until 1904, when New Haven purchased the English firm outright. After his involvement with the New Haven Company in 1856, Jerome traveled from town to town, taking jobs where he could, often working for clock companies that had learned the business of clock making using Jerome's inventions. On returning to New Haven near the end of his life, he died, penniless, in 1868 at the age of 74. The company struggled on after Jerome's bankruptcy until after World War II, when the company endeavored to continue through disruptions caused by a takeover along with poor sales, finally having to fold its operations in 1960 a little more than 100 years after it had been founded. The item is significant as it is associated with Chauncey Jerome who had made a historic contribution to the clock making industry during the 19th century when he began to substitute brass mechanisms for wooden mechanisms in his clocks. This was said to be the greatest and most far-reaching contribution to the clock industry. Because of his discovery of stamping out clockwork gears rather than using castings, Jerome was producing the lowest-priced clocks in the world. That can only add to his significance as the major clock manufacture of the 19th century. Jerome may have made and lost, a fortune selling his clocks but was perhaps the most influential and creative person associated with the American clock business during the mid-19th century. Also, he had served his community as a legislator in 1834, a Presidential elector in 1852 and mayor of New Haven, Connecticut from 1854 to 1855.Clock, marine, in octagonal rosewood veneer case. Roman numerals to dial, has a seconds dial. 2 key-winding holes slow-to-Fast adjustment pin through dial. Small lever in lower edge of case activates a chime. "8 day, 8 inch, Lever Striking escarpment " Paper label on the back of the clock "Jerome & Co, New Haven, Conn" "Manufacturers of every variety of Office and Home Clocks and Time Pieces".flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock, jerome & co, new haven, clock maker, chauncey jerome

This horse trough is the only survivor of the two troughs originally installed in Raglan Parade, Warrnambool, in 1932. It was later moved to the Pony Club at Albert Part, near the north corner of Coulstock and Craig Streets. Over the time there its purpose was changed from a horse watering trough to a colourful garden bed of agapanthus plants. By February 2013 the horse trough had been transferred to Flagstaff Hill for display in the Maritime Village’s grounds. This trough is one of hundreds provided by the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust since 1927 for the welfare of working horses and dogs. The original concrete cap over the small compartment is still retained. There are also markings on the right side of the trough where it probably had a birdbath, tap or a dish for the horseman’s dog, similar to other troughs donated elsewhere by the Trust. Less than half of the troughs produced for the Annis and George Bills Trust still survive. In 2017 Felicity Watson, National Trust Victoria’s advocacy manager, said that the troughs were treasures and becoming rare, with more than a dozen across Victoria now being heritage protected. ABOUT ANNIS AND GEORGE BILLS The 1927 Will of George Bills included setting up the Annis and George Bills Estate Trust, which provided for hundreds of horse troughs to be supplied and installed throughout Australia, Britain, USA and other parts of the world for the welfare of horses. Town and city councils could apply to the Trustees for a horse trough for their communities. George “Joe” Bills was born in Brighton, England, in 1859. The family migrated first to New Zealand then to Australia in 1873, settling in the Echuca-Moama district. George moved to Brisbane in 1882 where he met Annis Swann, formerly from Sheffield. Both were animal lovers. George and Annis married 1885 and moved to Sydney to join George’s brother Henry in his mattress wire weaving business, later known as the Bills Brothers. They patented their own machine in 1893 and the business became very profitable. George was able to donate to charities that supported his passion to improve animal welfare. He and Annis joined the Victorian Society for the Protection of Animals and in 1924 George received a Life Membership with the RSPCA. George retired in 1908. The couple moved to Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1910, where they donated troughs for the work horses of Melbourne. During a visit to England Annis passed away. In 1927 George moved from Hawthorn to Camberwell, where he passed away at the end of that year. George had requested in his Will that a trust fund be set up from his estate "…construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained." The troughs were to bear a plaque inscribed “Donated by Annis and George Bills, Australia”. In 1927 the cost to make a trough was about £13 (which converts to about $1079 in 2020 ), plus transport and installation costs. Most of the troughs were installed between 1930 and 1939 in Victoria and New South Wales. It is estimated that over that time around 500-700 Bills Horse Troughs were installed in Australia and another 50 overseas. Most of the troughs made in Victoria had three moulded front panels like this trough, and no panels moulded on the rear, whereas troughs made in NSW had four panels on the front and five on the back. Victorian troughs were made by a Bills’ relative, J H Phillips. Later, other manufactures for the Trust’s troughs included Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd, in Auburn Road, Hawthorn, Victoria, who produced to the same original design. No further troughs produced after the end of World War II. A memorial to Annis and George Bills was first erected in Hawthorn in 1929. It included a drinking fountain and a dog dish. Its current location is unknown. In 1964 the George Bills RSPCA Resource Centre opened in Burwood East. This Bills horse trough is nationally significant as one of the surviving examples of the standard Bills memorial horse troughs that still has its compartment cap and evidence of it once having had attached fittings, possibly for a birdbath or dog dish. This trough has State historical significance for being produced in the early 1930s by a business in Hawthorn, Victoria. This example of a Bills horse trough is significant for being in comparatively good condition. The trough is locally significant for being the sole survivor of the two Bills horse troughs installed in the City of Warrnambool in 1932, originally installed on Raglan Parade and continued to be used in the community at the Pony Club, then finally transferred to its current location at Flagstaff Hill by early 2013. It is culturally significant as it represents the community’s dependence on horses for travel and transportation previous to motorised vehicles. It is morally significant as a generous gift from a couple concerned with the welfare of animals.Horse trough; a long narrow rectangular container used for storing water. Trough is made from pre-cast concrete with one large open compartment and a small covered compartment. The base of the small compartment is raised slightly above the base of the trough and is covered by a removable concrete cap. The design of the front of the trough includes three panels moulded into it that align with the shape of the back pediment (panel). The pediment is shaped with side arcs that step up to a wide centre arc. A rectangular concrete plaque is cast into the centre of the pediment and is engraved with the names of the original donors, Annis and George Bills. The trough was made in Hawthorn, Victoria, by J H Phillips circa 1932. “DONATED BY / ANNIS & GEORGE BILLS / AUSTRALIA”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, annis and george bills, bills trust, j h phillips, rocla concrete pipes ltd, hawthorn, water trough, watering trough, horse trough, animal welfare, bills horse trough

The history of the No. 2 Independent Commando Company and 2/2 Commando Squadron during World War II – scarce as a 1st edition dated 1986. Having completed its training at Foster, on Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, the 2nd Independent Company was raised and travelled north to Katherine, in the Northern Territory. However, following Japan’s entry into the war, as with the other independent companies that were sent to the islands off Australia, the 2nd was sent to Timor, where it joined the 2/40th Battalion and the rest of Sparrow Force. Sparrow Force divided itself between west Timor, part of the Netherlands East Indies, and east Timor, which belonged to Portugal. The 2/40th Battalion defended the capital of west Timor, Koepang, and the airfield at Penfui. Most of the independent company moved to the airfield at Dili, in east Timor, and the nearby mountains. Portugal was opposed to the stationing of a Dutch or Australian garrison in case this provoked the Japanese, but despite this opposition, on 17 December 1941, elements of the 2nd Independent Company and Dutch troops landed near Dili. On 20 February 1942 the Japanese invaded the island, attacking east and west Timor simultaneously. The 2/40th Battalion held out for three days, but were overrun and were killed or captured. Similarly, the 2nd could not hold the airfield and were also driven back. But they were not captured and instead retreated to the mountains where they conducted a very successful and pursued a guerrilla war against the Japanese which lasted for over a year. Following the capture of Timor, the 2nd occupation the company was listed as “missing”, the company’s signallers were able to build a wireless transmitter, nicknamed ‘Winnie the War Winner’, and on 18/19 April were able to contact Darwin. At the end of May RAN vessels began landing supplies for the Australians on the south coast of east Timor. These supply runs were very dangerous but they allowed the Australians on Timor to continue fighting. In September the guerillas were reinforced with the 2/4th Independent Company. However, this could not go on indefinitely. In August the Japanese lunched a major offensive against the guerrillas and Japanese reprisals against the civilian population of east Timor reduced their support for the Australians. The 2nd (now named the 2/2nd Independent Company) and 2/4th were withdrawn in December and January 1943 respectively. Although the 2/2nd Independent Company is best known for its time on Timor, it also saw extensive service in New Guinea and New Britain. The independent company reformed at the army’s training centre at Canungra, Queensland, where it was reinforced and reequipped. The company then moved to the Atherton Tableland, where it briefly became part of the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment. Due to this reorganisation, in October, the 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2nd Cavalry (Commando) Squadron. This name was later simplified to just commando squadron. When this happened though, the 2/2nd was back in action. In June 1943 the 2/2nd sailed from Townsville for Port Moresby and was subsequently flown to Bena Bena, in the Bismark Range in New Guinea’s highlands. Here they supported the 2/7th Independent Company in patrolling the Ramu River area. In the second week of July the 2/2nd moved into position, with its headquarters at Bena Bena and with its platoons’ occupying neighbouring positions. By the end of the month their patrols were skirmishing with the Japanese. The 2/2nd remained in New Guinea until October 1944. After 90 days leave, the squadron reformed at Strathpine in Queensland before sailing to New Britain in April 1945. The 2/2nd landed at Jacquinot Bay on 17 April. The squadron then moved to Wide Bay, in order to support the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division, and was based at Lamarien. Following Japan’s surrender and the end of the war, the ranks of the squadron thinned quickly as men were discharged or transferred to other units. For those who were left, they returned to Australia and in early 1946 the 2/2nd Commando Squadron was disbanded. Includes Nominal Roll Soft Cover without Dust Jacket – 270 pages

This is a SPRA, or Schermuly’s Pistol Rocket Apparatus. The large firearm type pistol would have been used to throw a line between ships, usually in the event of saving lives. The line throwing pistol consists of a long barrel with handle attached, a pistol grip and trigger, which fires a short blank cartridge. Accessories for the pistol included: flares, 12 gauge adaptor (to shoot 12 gauge flares), a wood plunger, and boxes of faked line. The stamp on the handle, Crown over "NP" is a Birmingham Proof House mark that dates the pistol between 1904 and 1954. However Schermuly's line throwing pistol was invented in the 192s and used on British Naval Ships from 1929. The serial number '22507' is only 806 numbers later than one on sale as a British Military WWII issue SRPA '21701'. This pistol appears to be made 125-1945. The apparatus was used as a life saving device for crew and passengers on vessels in distress that were only a few hundred metres from shore, often eliminating the need to launch a boat and risk lives to go out to the vessel in dangerous conditions. It could also be used from ship to ship rescue. The pistol would launch a line from shore to the vessel. The line would be attached to the vessel, then shore crew would send out equipment, including a breeches buoy, in which the stranded people could be pulled to shore. It has saved many lives at sea. The cartridge is loaded into the breech of the pistol and the rocket is inserted into the muzzle. On pulling the trigger, the gases generated by the fired cartridge eject the rocket on its correct line of flight, and at the same time, burst through the waterproof disc and ignite the propellant mixture, which carries the rocket and line on the remainder of the flight. The rocket consists of a weldless steel case filled with propellant mixture sealed in by a waterproof disc. Fixed to the rocket case is a direction bridle, to the end of which a short length of flexible steel wire is attached, this in turn being connected to the end of the line to be thrown. A complete rocket set, or line throwing kit. would include a wood carrying case, two coils of faked line in separate compartments, three rockets and a can of six cartridges. William Schermuly (1857 – 1929) - Founder of the Schermuly business. In 1897 he invented a trough-fired, line throwing apparatus. In 1920 he and his third son, Alfred James Schermuly, invented the pistol rocket apparatus and promoted this overseas during the 1920s. The system was approved by the British Navy in 1929 through an Act of Parliament, which made it compulsory for ships over 500 tons to carry this equipment. The company, Schermuly Pistol Rocket Apparatus Ltd., grew quickly during and after World War II but business eased off during the 1970s before it eventually closed in the 1990s. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. This line-throwing pistol is part of he Rocket Launching Equipment used to perform life-saving rescue at sea from the 1920s. It is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Pistol, line-throwing, SPRA (Schermuly's Pistol Rocket Apparatus). This line throwing pistol has a wooden pistol grip, brass trigger mechanism, and a long, wide, steel barrel with Bakelite handle attached to the top. Inscriptions are stamped onto the pistol.Stamped on handle: "5" and "[symbol of a Crown] above NP" , "22507", "[within oval] SPRA" Stamped on barrel: "L22507".gun, pistol, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, line throwing, line throwing pistol, spra, schermuly's pistol rocket apparatus, sea rescue, pyrotechnicks, marine technology, schermuly pistol rocket apparatus ltd., william schermuly, alfred schermuly, pistol line thrower, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime village, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket equipment, rescue boat, lifeboat, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, rocket rescue method, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, line throwing mortar, rocket rescue apparatus, line thrower, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, beach rescue set, rocket set, schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, pistol rocket apparatus, line throwing cartridge, line-throwing rocket, firearm, life saving, lsrc

Disston Saw Works of Philadelphia was one of the better known and highly regarded manufacturers of handsaws in the United States. During the Machine Age, the company was known as Henry Disston & Sons, Inc. a supplier of industrial saw blades. History: The story of handsaws in the United States mirrors the technical and development of steel in Sheffield, England, which was the center of handsaw production during the 18th century and through most of the 19th century. England's political and economic lock-on steel making in the colonies held American saw makers at bay until well after the Revolutionary War. American steel producers were unable to compete until the US government introduced import tariffs to level the playing field in 1861. Henry Disston: Henry Disston (1819–1878) began his career as an American saw maker in Philadelphia. He had emigrated from England in 1833 and started making saws and squares in 1840. In 1850, he founded the company that would become the largest saw maker in the world, the Keystone Saw Works. Some five years later, Disston built a furnace—perhaps the first melting plant for steel in America and began producing the first crucible saw steel ever made in the United States. While his competitors were buying good steel from Britain, he was making his own, to his specification, for his own needs. Disston subsequently constructed a special rolling mill exclusively for saw blades. Over the following decade, the Disston company continued to grow, even while dedicating itself to the Union Army's war effort. In 1865, when his son Hamilton Disston rejoined the business after serving in the Civil War, Disston changed the company's name to Henry Disston & Son. Henry Disston and his sons began to set the standards for American saw makers, both in terms of producing high-quality saws and files in 1865 through his development of innovative manufacturing techniques. In September 1872, Henry Disston and two other men dug a part of the foundation for what was to become the largest saw manufacturing facility in the world: Disston Saw Works. This was in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Having previously moved his expanding business from near Second and Market Streets to Front and Laurel Streets. It took over 25 years to move the entire facility to Tacony. Henry Disston was renowned for having one of the first industries that exhibited environmental responsibility, as well as a paternalistic view towards his employees. For example, he had thousands of homes built in Tacony for his workmen. Funds to purchase these homes were made available through a building and loan association set up by the Disston firm. His caring influence on the community was evident in everyday life. To meet employees' cultural needs, a hall and a library were built with Henry Disston agreeing to pay a fixed sum towards its maintenance. The Tacony Music Hall was erected in 1885, also with the assistance of Disston money. Henry Disston had fallen ill by 1877 and never truly recovered; he suffered a stroke and died the next year. This came only one and a half years after seeing his products receive the highest honors at the great Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. His vision of a working-class community and the completion of the transfer of his enormous saw plant was carried out by his wife and his sons. The company, by the early 20th century, cast the first crucible steel in the nation from an electric furnace in 1906. The firm's armor-plate building near Princeton Avenue and Milnor Street contributed tremendously to the World War II effort. But the company's innovation and industriousness would not last forever. In 1955, with mounting cash-flow problems and waning interest on the family's part to run the firm, Henry Disston and Sons were sold to the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh. Porter's Disston Division was sold in 1978 and became the Henry Disston Division of Sandvik Saw of Sweden. This division was then sold in 1984 to R.A.F. Industries of Philadelphia and became known as Disston Precision Incorporated, a maker of specialized flat steel products. In 2013, R.A.F. Industries sold Disston Precision Inc. in a private sale. Although the company has ceased making Disston handsaws, the Disston brand name still exists in this firm. A tool used to set and sharpen cross cut saws used to fell trees for building construction made by a well known American maker whos firm pioneered the making of saws and their related items including files.combination cross cut saw raker and gauge/jointerDisston USA in the castingflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

Vega Trophy (Mounted Wooden Life Ring) Donor: Graham Noel During World War II when the Germans occupied the Channel Islands the local people went through very severe food rationing and were on the verge of starvation. Near the end of the war, the Swedish ship Vega was allowed by the Germans to deliver several shipments of food to the civilian population, easing the critical shortages of food on the islands. Further background detail can be found below. Graham Noel was born on the Islands and lived there during this harsh period. The trophy is awarded to the winner of the Combined Division AMS Aggregate Series. First Winner: Under Capricorn, P. Bedlington 2005/06 Vega – Further historical background Early in the Second World War Jersey was declared “unarmed” and the German military took over, taking quite a few lives in the process, through strafing the main harbour and a few other places which they needlessly considered threatening. A considerable number of locals evacuated to England before the Germans arrived, but more than 60% of the population remained and endured 5 years of very strict and difficult conditions. Not only was the population unable to contact relatives in the UK or elsewhere, but very quickly they found themselves subject to harsh curfews, strictly rationed foodstuffs, no fuel for vehicles, radios confiscated, and homes and hotels commandeered by the military. The military demanded first pick of all foodstuffs and kept meticulous records of all livestock forcing farmers even to show newborn calves and piglets to them, then claiming the new arrivals for their dinner tables. However there are many stories of farmers outwitting their masters when twin calves or suchlike arrived! Lawbreakers were quickly dealt with, mostly with lengthy prison terms in Jersey, but the more serious crimes were punished by being sent to some horrible French prisons, or even some of the notorious German concentration camps. All local Jews were dispatched to concentration camps, and even English born families were similarly shipped through France and on to Germany. Sadly, a considerable number of those deported did not make it back safely to Jersey. In June 1944 the locals were delighted to hear that the Allies had invaded Normandy and very soon they could hear the battles as the Allies worked their way along the French coast. Little did they know they would still have to wait another 11 months for freedom, having to put up with a very demanding German occupation force which was still determined to obey Hitler’s order to “Defend the Channel Islands to the death”. Now that France was in Allied Hands the local military commanders were unable to supplement their food supplies from France and even harsher demands were made on the local population to ensure that all branches of their still very substantial military force were reasonably well fed. As well as the military, Jersey farmers had to provide food for the Allied POWs and the many “forced labourers”, mainly of Russian, Polish and Italian backgrounds who had been directed to the island to build all the concrete bunkers. This included an underground hospital, all this complying with Hitler’s orders to ensure that the Channel Islands would never again be part of Britain. Many requests by the Jersey authorities for Red Cross assistance were rejected, but finally in December 1944 they agreed and on 30th December the Red Cross vessel “Vega” (Swedish Registry) arrived and delivered parcels to the civilian population. These parcels contained a variety of foodstuffs supplied mainly by Canadian authorities, desperately needed medical supplies, flour, oils and soaps, as well as tobacco from New Zealand. Vega made a further 3 or 4 trips and most certainly eased the desperate situation being faced by the locals. In fact, it resulted in the locals having slightly better food supplies than the military and many local farmers tell stories of having to protect their stock from marauding soldiers. Understandably Churchill was reluctant to send in an invading force to retake the Channel Islands, but by May 1945 it was clear that the Third Reich was finished and on May 9th the German Military surrendered, without a fight, to a large British landing force. On a slightly lighter note … in January 1945 Jersey stonemasons were seen in the main town square repairing flagstones … the Germans had never noticed that the name “Vega” had been formed in those flagstones! As a side note Vega is the name of the brightest star in the universe. Furthermore, throughout the occupation, despite German law that demanded confiscation of all radio sets, punishable by long prison terms or deportation to Germany, there were still many sets being listened to. The locals had a well refined news system for the dissemination of news of what was happening in the outside world. vega, graham noel, ams, combined division, aggregate