Wilhelm and Marie Wischer were the founding couple of the successful Wischer phosphate and chemical works at Yarraville, Melbourne. They had emigrated from Magdeburg in Germany in the late 19th century and had undertaken the journey to Australia over three months. During this voyage, several passengers had died and a number of babies had been born. The travellers had endured storms, injuries, broken equipment, and numerous other privations. The couple had lived in the suburb of Hawthorn and their family history is documented in a book by John Wischer. The link is in references this document from "Kainos Books" and makes for fascinating reading as it reveals an account of life in Melbourne during the late 19th and early 20th century. The book also gives an account of the Wischer phosphate mining activities on Ocean Island in 1904, Wischer & Co. eventually merged with Mt. Lyell Chemical works.An item giving a snapshot of early industrial life in Melbourne during the late 19th century with also an interesting story of early migration to Australia. The item also makes us aware of the privations early migrants had in trying to establish a life in a new country and how the Wischer family overcame these challenges to establish a very successful business.Jug, clay large with handle glazed screw on stopper. Sulphur Acid Wischer Chemical Company Yarraville printed on side, also a number 5 on the screw lidflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

This lifebuoy bears the name of the ship, its origin, the shipping company and the red ensign. These details mean that the lifebuoy was part of the lifesaving equipment on the sailing ship the Loch Ness, part of the Glasgow Shipping Company’s Loch Line (G.S.C. on the red pennant) and a British-registered ship (the red flag with the Union Jack on it). Lifebuoys were part of the emergency lifesaving equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The ring was made of strips of cork wood joined together to make the ring shape then covered in canvas and sealed usually with white paint. Four evenly spaced canvas reinforcing bands would be added for strength and for a place to thread a rope or line. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device often thrown to an endangered or distressed person in the water to keep them afloat while they receive help. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. Lifebuoys is a made from a buoyant materials such as cork or foam and ae usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. Cork lifebuoys were used from the late 19th to early 20th century. Kapok fibre was then used as a filling for buoys but wasn’t entirely successful. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The ship LOCH NESS 1869-1922 … The ship Loch Ness, of Glasgow, was the same ship what William Carmichael sailed on to Australia when he laid the commemoration stone on behalf of his sister Eva and himself, dedicated to their parents, brothers and sisters. The family members lost their lives on June 1, 1878, when their ship, the Loch Ard, was wrecked at Mutton Bird Island in south west Victoria. Eva Carmichael was one of the two survivors from that shipwreck, the other 52 tragically lost their lives. The ship Loch Ness was a three-masted sailing ship built in 1869 for the Loch Line owned by the Glasgow Shipping Company. The line transported cargo and passengers from Glasgow, Scotland, to Australian ports. The Loch Ness was sold in 1908 to Stevedore & Shipping Co, Sydney for use as a coal hulk. In 1914 the Australian Government took over the ship for naval defence purposeless. In 1926 the ship was sunk during gunfire practice by HMAS Melbourne, near Fremantle, Western Australia. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria. The lifebuoy is significant for its connection to the ship Loch Ness on which William Carmichael, brother of Eva Carmichael, travelled to lay a memorial to their parents and all of their other siblings who lost their lives in the Loch Ard disaster of 1878 near Peterborough, Victoria. Lifebuoy, round, cork filling inside canvas cover, painted white, with rope attached. Lifebuoy has printed name of vessel Loch Ness, Glasgow. Symbols of red flag with white initials G S Co. There is also a red ensign."LOCH NESS", "GLASGOW" "G S Co"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch ness, loch ard, william carmichael, eva carmichael, lifebuoy, glasgow sailing ship, loch ness of glasgow, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment, g s c, glasgow shipping company

The collection of artefacts formely belonged to the writers father, J.M. Marshall of Sturt Street. He was born and lived in Ballarat most of his life, and was interested in the Ballarat School of Mines Museum during the era of Professor Alfred Mica Smith. The response to this letter foreshadows the closure of the Ballarat School of Mines Museum. Alan Sonsee of the Ballarat Teachers' College was a Field Naturalist and collector of Aboriginal artefacts, and may have been associated with the decision. Handwritten letter from Jessie Marshall of Adelaide offering a collection of Australian "Native Weapons and Curios" to the Ballarat School of Mines Museum. The writer describes the collection as "not a large collection but a very good one - there are also some lovely shells." Ballarat School of Mines Registrar, F.E. Ferguson, declined the offer on behalf of the School Council, suggesting the Ballarat Teachers' College (Dana Street) would like to have the weapons, etc.C/- Collison & Co 32 Waymouth St Adelaide 11/2/54 Sear Sir A am writing this to offer a collection of Native Weapons and Curious - Australian - the Islands and S. Africa - the the Museum as a gift - they originally belonged to my father J.M. Marshall - formerly of Sturt Stree - who was born and lived in Ballarat most of his life and who was always interested i nthe Museum and School of Mines back in Prof. Mica Smith's time. This is not a large collection but a very good one - there are also some lovely shells. They have beenin stroage since his death and I feel he would have liked them to be of some use + give pleasure to someone + I can think of no better plance than your museum. Would you be goodenough to put this offer to your Committee + let me know if that are interested. I am yours Jessie Marshall PS I've made enquiries + there is plenty of motor transport available J.M.ballarat school of mines, aboriginal artefacts, ballarat school of mines museum, jessie marshall, i.m. marshall, ballarat teachers' college, f.e. ferguson, museum closure, alan sonsee, ballarat teachers college, museum, shells, j.m. marshall

Letter written from (unknown) POW imprisioned by the Japanese on Morotai Island from 1942 - 1945 to (unknown) friend. Descriptive of life and treatment in POW camp. The island was captured by the Japanese in early 1942. Morotai's southern plain was taken by American forces in September 1944 during the Battle of Morotai, and used as a staging point for the Allied invasion of the Philippines in early 1945, and of Borneo in May and June of that year. Japanese soldier Teruo Nakamura was discovered in the Morotai jungle in 1974, as one of the WWII Japanese soldiers who held out subsequent to the Japanese military's surrender.Photocopy of letter, 4 pages, originally written in ink on (unofficial) Australian Red Cross form.Added to head of letter at a later date is inscription ' First letter written home for 3 1/2 years'.Top left hand- FOR SAFETY/ IN YOUR LETTERS DO NOT REFER TO:-/ The name of your ship or other ships in the convoy, or its escorts./The date of sailing, ports of call, or probable destination./ The description of troops, their loca-/tion or any other information/ which, if intercepted, would be of/ value to the enemy. In your Top right hand- Australian Red Cross Society/ (UNOFFICIAL)/ 25-8-45/ (added at later date 'Morotri Island')/ Alex, Have witten this especially/ as i don't wish our women folk to know the tougher side of life./Well Alex for the first/ 2 1/2 years as POWs we lived reasonably/ well, but the last 15 months was like /hell. Heres the worst lot of b-s/ you could find on earth, they worked /us from 7AM till 6 PM, & fed/ us on muck you wouldn't feed to/ Pigs. I'm nothing at all they would 2, pow, morotri island, morotai island, world war, prisoner of war, australian red cross society

Hand made can opener with brass base, black metal star (?) upright and lever with hinge and two piercing spikes. Empty steel beer can "Miller High Life" punctured on top by opener.D Company, 7RAR 67/68can opener, 7 rar, d company, nui dat

Handwritten Poem (some colour ) in brown timber frame. Nui - Dat A lighthearted look at life in Nui Dat.poetry - nui dat, 5 rar

Black t-shirt with red graphic of a skull with the words, "Agent Orange for Life Dioxin Vietnam".vietnam protest t-shirt, agent orange - toxicology, t-shirt

E H "Ted" Jenkins was the paraplegic son of Harry Jenkins who bought Churchill Island in 1936 as an interest for Ted. Ted lived on Churchill Island at various times with his nurse Sr Margaret "Jimmy" Campbell, e.g. second world war when they ran a shorthorn dairy farm, and at other times lived in their home in Melbourne. He moved freely around the island in a cart pulled by a Shetland pony and had strong arms for shooting and fishing. The reel suggests he went shark fishing or deer water fishing. Ted was also keen on 'ham' radio, and had many friends from his school who became life-long friends and frequent visitors to him on Churchill Island.Wood and brass (shark?) fishing reel. Probably hand-made. Wound with original cord fishing line. Has separate brass winder handle (see 0296.2)"E H Jenkins 1943" etched on one side. "Click on" etched on one side.ted jenkins, fishing, reel, churchill island, western port, jenkins, margaret campbell, sister campbell, jimmy, campbell

E H "Ted" Jenkins was the paraplegic son of Harry Jenkins who bought Churchill Island in 1936 as an interest for Ted. Ted lived on Churchill Island at various times with his nurse Sr Margaret "Jimmy" Campbell, e.g. second world war when they ran a shorthorn dairy farm, and at other times lived in their home in Melbourne. He moved freely around the island in a cart pulled by a Shetland pony and had strong arms for shooting and fishing. The reel suggests he went shark fishing or deer water fishing. Ted was also keen on 'ham' radio, and had many friends from his school who became life-long friends and frequent visitors to him on Churchill Island.brass handle with turned wooden handles either end, brass flat and slightly tapered each end, hole in centre for attaching to reel.ted jenkins, fishing, reel, churchill island, western port, handle, jenkins, campbell, margaret, jimmy

The Rogers Family lived in Truro (Cornwall), and John Rogers followed his brother to Australia in 1838, at the age of 17. He boarded the Florentia, bringing with him only this sea chest, and after arriving in Sydney John travelled to Victoria where he went to the goldfields. He married Sarah in 1862 when he was 46, and she was 28, and from 1866 to 1872 they lived on Churchill Island, building two cottages which stand to this day. This object is intrinsic to the history of Churchill Island Heritage Farm, as it was the only object that John Rogers - one of the first inhabitants of the Island - brought with him from the United Kingdom. The sea chest is demonstrative of his personal journey as well as a broader pattern of immigration and settlement that occurred throughout Australia in the early nineteenth century. John's travels from Sydney to Victoria, onto the goldfields, and then settling onto Churchill Island - claiming possession of it through 'squatter's rights' - is one that is fundamental to the understanding of the formation of the Island and the development of its modern identity. The chest is now part of the collection of the Churchill Island Heritage Farm and sits on the island’s first building; a cottage Rogers has built himself. It has been part of all Rogers life story and has stayed with the family, passed on to generations until Rogers’s great granddaughter, Helen Sykes, donated it to the museum in 2012. Wooden sea chest with hinged lid, possibly wood Baltic pine (Picea abies). Green paint stain on lidJOHN ROGERS/WANTED ON THE VOYAGEjohn rogers, sea chest, churchill island, immigration, furniture, cornwall, florentia, victoria

The Lady Nelson was the first decked ship to enter Western Port in 1801 under the command of Lt James Grant. She returned later in the year under the command of Murray. She carried a gig and a smaller tender, of which this is a model.The model ship and tender are as exact replications of the actual ship and boats as is possible to obtain through research, basic hull plans available and interpretation by the model builder.Model Lady Nelson ship modeltender - smaller life boat. Wood, cardboard. Three bench seats and stern seating. Clinker built. 3 sets rowlocks, no oars.lady nelson, model boat, david lumsden, churchill island, western port, port phillip bay

Vincent Gercovich married Winifred Rebecca Bennett (English emigrant) on 13 February 1867 in St. Alipius church in Ballarat. They had a total of 12 children. Little is known about his life, but what is known that he was well disposed to several languages and due to his ability to communicate with immigrants worked at the entry gate to the city of Ballarat. He died at the age of 61. Vincent was one of these early Croatian immigrants who came to Victoria around 1850s. His surname Gercovich (probably Gerković or Jerković) came from the island of Hvar on Dalmatian coast. On his Australian citizenship documents, the place of birth was stated as Dalmatia, Austria. From research of collected documents it can be concluded that the first Croats arrived to this country some 150 years ago mainly because of gold discovery. Victoria had a few rich deposits of gold and for obvious reasons many came to join the great ‘Gold Rush’.A black and white family photograph features Gercovich family with 12 children photographed in a studio around 1889. Children ages on the photograph range from unborn to young adults.vincent and winifred gercovich, gercovich, early croatian immigrants, immigration, croatia, dalmatia, ballarat, gold rush

The local 'philharmonic orchestra/band' playing at a civic/national day function in the 1950s in Vathi, Ithaca. Music plays an important role in many aspects of life, both civic and social, on the island. During the summer months locals and tourists enjoy a variety of musical and cultural events.Founded in 1904, the Ithaki Philharmonic Orchestra is the oldest musical group on the island. The band is a private, non-profit entity and its goal is to offer free musical training to the young of the region and provide them with a broader musical education. The philharmonic orchestra performs concerts and participates in a range of educational, municipal, religious and national day events. A black & white photograph of a brass band of men dressed in dark uniforms and flat hats and women wearing dark skirts and white blouses. In the second row are males in civilian suits. The conductor is standing in the front on the extreme right hand side holding a baton.

Churchill Island Heritage Farm has a large photograph collection dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the last decade. This series of photographs show images from daily life while the Island was owned by the Jenkins family from 1936 - 63. Black and white photograph of Valda Treadwall - woman in bathing suit, with hair secured in a towel. Posing in front of closed gate.Catalogue number in pencil on reverse. In pencil on reverse: “VALDA TREADWELL Has been in the (*’the’ is crossed out) by dam swimming” In pencil on reverse from later date: “C. 1940” Stamp on reverse: “KODAK PRINT” Faded numerical stamp on reverse. “1 78” still visible. “.VELOX.” stamps over reverse. photograph, jenkins, valda treadwell, churchill island

Black and white monochromatic photograph mounted on a piece of card showing a working horse pulling a piece of rotary farm equipment. Sun overexposing the top left part of the photo and dust fills the frame. Opens to find'Paramoor Farm, Macedon Ranges' on the front of the photograph Catalogue number written in pencil on reverse. Stamp on the rear: 'Janet Hawkins Photography (c)/Glen Osmond RSD 3050/Woodend 3442 Ph:03 5247 2523/Email:[email protected]' Letter on the inside: 'Dear Sally, What a lovely surprise, thank you very much. Who is the artist? Life goes along happily up here, the March wedding was enjoyed by all (except us!) John is holding his fourth introductory seminar on heavy horse farming in a month or so. Hope all goes well for you, look forward to catching up too! PS Channel 9's program (5.30pm Sundays) have filmed a story about us, should go to air in a month or so. PPS - Have you heard from "Postcards" - story goes to an in new timeslot at Saturday 23 June at 7.30 pm, show is now an hour instead of half hour. Jill + John'churchill island, farm machinery, working horses, photograph

Churchill Island Heritage Farm has a large photograph collection dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the last decade. This series of photographs show candid pictures taken by previous residents of the Island. Dr Harry Jenkins purchased Churchill Island primarily for his son, Ted, as a quiet place for him after he was paralysed in a diving accident. Dr Jenkins lived a varied life with a variety of pursuits and activities, including crocodile hunting in the Northern Territory.Black and white photograph showing Dr Harry Jenkins and friends with a large dead saltwater crocodile suspended from a crane attached to a truck.Catalogue number written in pencil on the reversephotograph, churchill island, harry jenkins, crocodile

Churchill Island has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows snippets of life on the Island after its acquisition by the Victorian Government in the late 1970s.Photograph of four people sitting inside and eating tea, and scones with jam and creamcatalogue number written on reverse in pencilchurchill island, photograph

Churchill Island has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows snippets of life on the Island after its acquisition by the Victorian Government in the late 1970s.Photograph of three children wearing a yellow and blue school uniform being driven on a buggy by an employee of Churchill Island.catalogue number written on reverse in pencilchurchill island, photograph

Churchill Island has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows snippets of life on the Island after its acquisition by the Victorian Government in the late 1970s.Photograph of a man getting into a sports car. Taken from the eastern side of Amess House, and is slightly out of focuscatalogue number written on reverse in pencilchurchill island, photograph

Churchill Island has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows snippets of life on the Island after its acquisition by the Victorian Government in the late 1970s. This photograph shows Sally O'Neill, Edith Jeffery, and Pat Jeffery posing with a man.Photograph of three women and a man taken outside in the garden on Churchill Islandcatalogue number written on reverse in pencilchurchill island, photograph, sally o'neill, edith jeffery, pat jeffery

Churchill Island has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows snippets of life on the Island after its acquisition by the Victorian Government in the late 1970s. This photograph shows Edith Jeffery with her son, Gerald.Photograph of two people posing for a photo in the garden at Churchill IslandEDITH JEFFERY (WIFE OF BOB JEFFERY)(DURING/BUCKLEY ERA.) WITH SON GERALD, NAMED AFTER/GERALD BUCKLEY [written on reverse top in pen] catalogue number written on reverse in pencilchurchill island, photograph, edith jeffery, gerald jeffery