The context in which the hat was made and worn assists in establishing its potential historic significance. 'Bailliere's Victorian Gazetteer and Road Guide containing the most recent and accurate information as to every place in the Colony' (1870), describes the village of Vaughan as being located on the road from Daylesford to Castlemaine. In 1870 the Vaughan was deemed to be entirely a gold mining area, gold having been discovered in the district in 1853. Intriguingly the entry in the Gazetteer claims that the electoral division of Vaughan began at the junction of the Middleton Creek and the Loddon River, so perhaps the cap might have belonged to a member of a significant local family. In 1870, Vaughan had a population of about 1000 persons and included almost 300 dwellings. Articles from newspapers, published on Trove refer frequently to a Mr Middleton as a litigant in court cases before the Vaughan Court in the 1860s. By the 1870s, the Mt Alexander Mail, in an article on ‘Mining: The Pioneer Wheel’ describes the success of Mr Middleton and his Middleton’s Reef Gold Quartz Mining Company, which had built the largest water wheel in the Colony. The wheel was 20’ in diameter and 2’ wide. Quartz mining as practiced by companies such as Middleton’s had become necessary after the exhaustion of alluvial quartz mining deposits in the 1860s. So we can probably establish a link between the cap and a significant mining identity in the period in which the article was made. The historical significance of the cap is only one part of the story. Caps such as the Middleton example can also be items of aesthetic significance as they were typically, examples of women’s work, using published patterns in magazines such as the Ladies Home Magazine. While women might follow or adapt a published pattern, their choice of materials reflected what was available locally. The fine hand stitching on this example is evidence of high quality domestic needlework. The maker crafted the cap from five triangular pieces of cotton cloth, each piece lined with a faded yellow net. The net provides some stiffening for the cap and has a functional purpose in that it anchors the hand-stitched, looped design of yellow silk ribbon that decorates the surface of the cap. Gentleman’s smoking (lounging) cap believed to have been made in c.1860-69. The conical hat is made of a dark green cotton fabric embroidered with narrow ribbon of a paler green silk. The unlined rimless hat is made of four pieces of fabric. There is no evidence of the hat at one stage featuring a tassle. The original donation record noted that the cap had been made for, and was worn by, a Mr Middleton, of Vaughan in Central Victoria. Nilhats, smokers hats, men's clothing

Salt-glazed terracotta jar with flanged rim. Two-toned brown glaze, with darker tone covering the upper third of the jar to the shoudler.3P imprinted on shoulder of jar.domestic items, food storage & preservations, container, jar, two-toned, storage, terracotta.

Moulded glass drinking vessel with vitreous enamel lid mounted on silver base with lifting mechanism. Lifting lever decorated with fleur de lis. Painting on lid depicts a pastoral scene with a seated male next to standing female with a staff, a dog lying next to the man, and sheep in background. 8 cut planes of glass around 2/3rds of glass circumference, and a rounded, moulded handle.'Schalerin, Schalerin, fri auf der hut!'domestic items, food and drink consumption, drinking, vessel, enamel, picture

4 matching object set. Object 1:Tea cup, object 2: saucer, object 3:plate, object 4: milk jug. Off white china tea set with moulded ribbed pattern. Floral painted design on all items in black and deep red. All items have gold leaf trim on edges.On object 4, milk jug: Rd64638 stamped on bottom and 2339 written in gold paint also on bottom.domestic items, food & drink consumption, tea set, milk jug, cup, saucer, plate, floral design, set, matching.

Wooden mushroom shaped object for fixing holes in socks. Handle is natural wood coloured with top is red with stamp on top. Handle screws off from top and contains storage space for needles.Hose Darning Stock, Registered Franz Kaaden, March 8BP 1893.domestic items, sewing, franz kaaden, sock repairer, wooden object, needle holder, personal effects.

Salt-glazed terracotta jar. Two-toned glazing with flanged rim. Decorative circumferential line around shoulder.S.S.' written on base.domestic items, food storage and preparation, jar, container, glazed

Large white ceramic washing set, jug and basin. Decorated with gold around rims, blue over embossed floral motif for 10cm below rims. Bowl painted with green leaves and pink flower stretching almost from one side to the other. Jug has decorative handle, with small green motif inside rim, large floral image painted on front in same style.Wessel Bonn, Frieda' embossed on base of jug, '6071 (a)' hand painted on base of both items in brown ink. '(I)' embossed on both bases.domestic items, ablutions, washing, basin, jug, ceramics, set

Condiments set including stand made of brass (?) with four ball feet, flat base, wire frame and handle to fit four glass containers. 1st glass container: rectangular glass box (no lid) with moulded geometric pattern. 2nd glass container: square base with round neck, same geometric pattern, broken stopper. 3rd glass container: square with metal hinged lid with knob.E.P.N.S., 1' (Electro-Plated Nickel Silver), embossed on frame and metal lid of 3rd itemdomestic items, food and drink consumption, condiments, glass, rack, e.p.n.s., metalwork

Large white oval platter with light blue trim on lip. Depression in middle of platter and flat base.No visible markingsdomestic items, crockery, kitchen, platter, large plate, .

Round wooden chopping board made up of four individual planks of wood. Wood has possibly been reused for this purpose.Reser (?) (…) printed on wood. Ink has worn away and difficult to decipher.domestic items, food preparation, reser, chopping board, round, wooden

Bottom half of green glass champagne bottle. Neck has been cut off and base of bottle has a deep indentation.No visible markingsdomestic items, food storage & preservations, champagne, wine, bottle, green glass.

Brown ostrich-feather duster, with rubber matt to attach feathers to wooden handle.No visible markingsdomestic items, cleaning, feather, ostrich, duster, domestic

Terracotta drinking vessel with cork stopper, entirely surrounded by wickerwork. One handle.No visible markingsdomestic items, food and drink consumption, vessel, drink, wickerwork, terracotta jar

Small round metal mouli with handle, and winding mechanism with red wooden knob. Perforated base, and paddle. Hole at end of handle for hanging.Mouli Baby' embossed on handle, 'made in France, Brevete.sgdg' on front opposites handle.domestic items, food storage and preparation, mouli, food preparation

Metal ladle approximately 1 cup in size. Cup is round and conical-like shaped with a flat base. End of handle is hooked.No visible markingsdomestic items, food storage and preparation, ladle, milk, measure, kitchen, food, drink.

Wooden spoon with shallow round concave at end. Handle is slightly curved and has hole at end.No visible markingsdomestic items, food preparation, spoon, mixing, stirring, cooking, kitchen, domestic, food, wood.

Wooden and metal corkscrew with pick on end. Wooden handle is dark in colour and has been carved to a tusk-like shape, Corkscrew is attached to bottom while pick blade is on the front of the handle.No visible markingsdomestic items, food preparation, corkscrew, bottle opener, alcohol, wine, pick, screw, wood, bone, beverage, drink, liquid, opener.

Red wooden turned handle with steel hooked shape blade. Blade is hook shaped with serrations on hooked area.No visible markingsdomestic items, food preparation, butter balls, curling tool, butter, kitchen, food, dairy.

Hinged, electro-plated steel nutcracker with two identical arms on short link. Flat, squared sections near hinge with rows of four indentations on each side. Arms rounded with turned grip rings, pointed at end.No visible markingsdomestic items, food preparation, nutcracker, steel, hinged

Wooden mushroom-shaped sock darner with hole in centre of head. Turned and waisted handle with groove around widest section.No visible markingsdomestic items, sewing, sock, darner, wooden, mushroom shaped, domestic.

Wooden framed washing board with clear glass insert. One side of glass is corrugated while the other is flat. Wooden frame has two legs and supports on the bottom and top of the glass insert and wooden panel on top with wooden plank that extends past board.No visible markings.domestic items, laundering, wash board, washing, clothes, cleaning.

Wooden framed wash board with zinc coated corrugated steel board insert. Wooden frame consists of two legs three supporting wooden rods on back side of tin board and top and bottom wooden slates. Tin board has small holes all throughout. On wooden top the "Advantages of the board" are printed.Printed on wood on top of back side of board. "Advantages of this board. 1. No "Protector" is Needed. The water goes through the holes and never wets the apron of the operator. 2. The holes enable you to rapidly force both air and suds through the fabric, and so hasten the cleaning process. 3. The nicely "arched" surface is much easier to wash on than the orsinary flat surface. 4. Is, light, strong, durable, always retains its shape and never sags. 5. Has no board back to retain moisture and corrode the zinc. 6. Is very easy on the clothes. Do not have to rub them all to pieces to get them clean. Soon pays for itself on this count alone. 7. Is not only THE FASTEST WORKER IN USE, but is already coming into more general demand than any other wash board in the world. 8. If the saving of a womens strength is worth anything the labour saving qualities of this board would make it well worth $1.00. Always RUB LIGHTLY and find how easily the board itself will do a part of the work. TAYLOR, SCdomestic items, laundering, advantages of this wash board, wash board, laundry, cleaning, clothes, taylor, scoot and co., toronto, canada, washing.

Salt-glazed terracotta jar with flanged rim on opening. Two toned brown colouring with two handles on lighter coloured area.S.S written in black marker on base.domestic items, food storage and preservation, jar, terracotta, two-toned, domestic.

Salt-glazed terracotta jar with flanged rim on opening. Two toned brown colouring.S.S written in black marker on base. No 1 27 1/2 engraved on base.domestic items, food storage and preservation, jar, terracotta, two-toned, domestic.

Salt-glazed terracotta jar with flanged rim on opening. Two toned brown colouring.QT imprinted on shoulder.domestic items, food storage and preservation, jar, terracotta, two-toned, domestic.

Light brown jar with four circular strips. Three stripes are around the body of the jar and one around the flanged rim of the opening.S.S written in black marker on base.domestic items, food storage and preservation, jar, terracotta, brown stripes, domestic.

Glazed earthernware white cylindrical water filter with brass tap at base and blue writing printed on front above tap. Filter has two pieces- outer cylinder with tap and internal cylinder with two filters inside.Printed on front "Delphin Filter assures absolutely germfree Drinking Water". Circular trademark reads, "Delphin Filter Company, Vienna, Made in Austria."domestic items, food and drink consumption, water, delphin, vienna, austria, germfree, filter, drinking water.

Handmade food safe with white painted wooden frame and perforated zinc screen panels. Galvanised sheet roof. Raised four beveled legs. Two rectangular doors, bottom door large, opens to main area with one shelf. top door small, opens to triangular roof section. Movable latches of wood on both doors.No visible markingsdomestic items, food storage and preservation, food, safe, storage, pantry, carl ziebell

Large wooden barrel used for bread storage. Three iron bands evenly spaced down side of barrel, one missing 3/4 way down. Wooden lid with stiffeners/handles. Barrel constructed of bowed pieces of oak (?) joined lengthways.s' and 'c' stamped into long handle on lid.domestic items, food storage and preservation, barrel, oak, bread, container, pantry

2 litre enamel-coated tea pot grey speckled with blue. Low-set spout with curved handle. Lid with squared handle.No visible markingsdomestic items, food & drink consumption, tea pot, enamel, drink, kitchen