Articles in the annual report include: the building of a new library section at Enfield, transfer of Mitchell Manufacturing to Australian Foundation for Disabled, establishment of Orana regional office in Dubbo, talking local newspaper project launched with Talking Daily Liberal (Dubbo) and Talking Wentworth Courier (Sydney) piloted, four graduates of Rehabilitation Teachers course were funded by the Florence Cecily Singer Trust, one studio equipped with second generation voice indexer in conjunction with Canadian inventor, from 1990 all Braille production will be done in-house, tactile Christmas cards produced for the first time in 1989, financial decision made to consolidate accommodation services (Roselands Nursing Home and Burgess House) on the one site, two new donors clubs established (Cassette Club and Talking Book Club), and formation of Junior Black & White Committee.1 volume of text and imagesroyal blind society of new south wales, corporation records

Karl Duldig

In 1945, after feeling Nazi Germany in 1939, Karl Duldig and his wife, Slawa, were finally granted ‘landing permits’ in Australia, after six years living in refugee camps, both here and Singapore. Duldig was appointed art master at Mentone Grammar in 1945, while also establishing a small ceramics business with his artist-inventor wife, Slawa. His work was prolific across several mediums. Our School Archives holds a large collection of sketches, as well as several bronze busts which he made, depicting life, students, and staff at Mentone Grammar during his time at the School from 1945 to 1967.

Elastoplast is the brand name for a type of bandage with an absorbent centre and sticky edges, also known in Australia as a Band-Aid. The inventor of the Band-Aid was Earle Dickson, a cotton buyer for the American company Johnson & Johnson. Dickson’s wife Josephine often acquired small injuries while doing housework, and Dickson tired of helping her dress wounds. He came up with the idea of sticking pieces of gauze a length of sticky tape so she could self-apply dressings. Johnson & Johnson began producing this type of dressing, branded as ‘Band-Aid’ in 1921. In 1928 Smith & Nephew of the UK began producing similar bandages branded as ‘Elastoplast’. This item is significant for its rarity due to age. It provides potential for interpretation as a part of Wodonga's social history.A red Elastoplast First Aid Dressings tin with hinged lid upon which manufacture information is printed.On lid of tin: "Plastic/Elastoplast/First Aid/Dressings"band-aid, elastoplast, medical history, bandages, medical, medicine

This image of the Ralph Falkiner’s Mueller Petrol-Electric Road Train was taken in Wodonga in February 1914. Imported from Germany by Mr Ralph S Falkiner in late 1913, the train’s inventor, Major W A Mueller with two assistants, came to Melbourne to assemble then commission the train. The train cost Mr Falkiner about £13,000 plus £4,591 import duties. The Falkiner family were sheep breeders in the Western Riverina and he hoped to use the road train primarily to convey wool to the railways for despatch to Sydney. The train was 216 feet long, weighed 43.5 tons with a top speed loaded of 6-8m/h and petrol consumption up to two gallons per mile. Its first Australian journey was to haul 50 tons of cargo to Edmondson & Co at Wagga Wagga, 277 miles away. The journey from Melbourne was plagued with problems including broken cylinders and crank shaft and overheating as it was not designed for Australian climatic conditions. Three months after leaving Melbourne it arrived in Wodonga. A series of problems between Springhurst and Wodonga, including broken cylinders and valves caused an eight day delay. Some of the cargo was off-loaded in Albury, then after repairs the train continued on to Wagga where it arrived in May 1914. After unloading there, the road train was taken to Mr Falkiner's Groongal Station, near Hay and subsequently made several long trips into drought-stricken areas or the Western Riverina. Eventually the dream collapsed when the engines gave out after the train bogged in the sticky black soil of the Hay plain with 251 bales of wool on board. The train was finally railed back to Melbourne and stored but destroyed when the warehouse burnt down. In this photo, the road train is drawn up outside the Wodonga Stores and Bakery owned and operated by George Leighton. Mr Leighton began his business opposite the Terminus Hotel in Sydney Street, Wodonga in 1885. His business included a general store, stocking groceries, ironmongery, drapery, crockeryware, boots and shoes as well as a bakery. He was very actively involved in the community and served on the Wodonga Council for 18 years including three terms as Wodonga Shire President in 1901 – 02, 1910-11 and 1913-14. He was also Chairman of the Wodonga Waterworks Trust for several terms. Mr. Leighton also took a prominent part in the movement to establish a Public Library in Wodonga. His other involvements including being a Founder of the Wodonga Lodge of Freemasons, Honorary Treasurer of the Wodonga Bulldogs Football Club and Secretary of the Wodonga Racing Club. Mr Leighton passed away in Wodonga in 1916.This image is significant because it records a rare event in Wodonga and an experiment in Australian road transport.Black and white images of the Falkiner Road Train in Wodonga and on its first journey from Melbourne to Wagga, NSW It is taken in front of the Wodonga Stores and Bakery operated by George Leighton in Sydney Street, Wodonga.falkiner electric train, early road transport, high street wodonga, george leighton

Sixteen page booklet published and distributed by the Thomson Motor Car Co. Ltd of Melbourne in 1900, to record the first overland journey by a motor vehicle in Australia. The steam car driven by its inventor and builder Herbert Thomson and his cousin Edward Holmes travelled from Bathurst NSW to Melbourne between 30 April and 9 May 1900 (790 km) in 56 hours of actual driving. Holmes' notes on the trip are recorded in this booklet which was intended to publicise the firm and its new 'Light Model' steam car. The booklet includes photographs and illustrations.pioneer motor vehicle, herbert thomson, overland travel australia, bathurst to melbourne, steam cars, thomson motor car co. ltd

Booklet. 40 page unbound booklet on the life of Dr. John Hutchinson, the inventor of the spirometer. Reprinted from 'Medical History' October 1977. Written by E. A. Spriggs, Bryan Gandevia and P. J. Bishop. Hutchinson migrated to Australia in 1852 and in 1855 to 1861 he was in Sandhurst (see page nos. 368 to 374) Printed in Gr.Britain by Clunbury Cottrell Press.E. A. Spriggs, Bryan Gandevia, P.J. Bishopmedical, john hutchinson, doctor, spirometer, biography

Handwritten letter (copy) to Mr D. E. Hutchinson of Perth dated 10/7/1972 following on from a letter to The Age, 8/7/1972 about Mr Alfred Upton Alcock, billiard table manufacturer of Melbourne and his involvement with the Foundation Company of London in the cable tram conversion in Melbourne. Includes the cutting from The Age. D. E. Hutchinson was the Curator of History West Australian Museum Perth. Accessed 29-12-2016: http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1547273trams, tramways, mmtb, cable trams, conversion

John and Emma Propert emigrated from England in 1877 and settled in New South Wales . Several of their 11 children became talented inventors, designing items ranging from kitchen utensils to coaches and later pop-up caravans. One of the most successful was Charles, who designed and built kitchenware over many decades. His earliest invention was irrigation equipment including patenting the common backyard rose sprinkler. Propert became a household name when he began making a wide range of kitchen implements for decades including flour sifters and chip cutters. By the 1970s Propert was Australia’s leading brand of kitchen and bathroom scales. By far the most successful product was a ball-driven egg beater, trademarked as the Ezy Whisk or Swift Whisk. In the days before electric beaters, the Ezy Whisk and Swift Whisk were market leaders and were exported world-wide. Charles Propert and his son Bertram manufactured more than a quarter of a million egg beaters a year in the early 1950s which explains why so many are still in use today.These items are significant because they were widely used throughout Australia in the 1950s by a major Australian manufacturer.Two Propert's kitchen appliances - a stainless steel Whistling Egg Timer and a Swift Whisk BeaterOn Egg Beater : A PROPERT PRODUCT MADE IN AUSTRALIA PATENT BALL DRIVE SWIFT WHIP STAINLESS STEELkitchen utensils, propert kitchen appliances