Showing 245 items
matching warrnambool military
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Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Web Belt, Military Uniform
Worn by Army soldiers as part of field and dress uniform during WW2 Donated by Ruby Annett from the Caramut RSL. Probably at the time of wind up of the Caramut RSL Sub Branch. Webbing BELT, with brass ends that fold inwards to clip to the inside of the belt. The fastening is a brass hook fastening and there are two brass keepers that are positioned on the belt just inside the buckle and have both the inner and outer folds that pass through the keepers. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Pewter Tankard (One of Pair), 1942
The pewter tankard is part of a set of two that were presented to Lt. Col. L.G. Stevens of the 4th Light-horse Regiment. The Regiment was part of the Australian Military force in the First World War (WW1). At the end of WW1 the regiment was disbanded and it was re-raised in the 1920's as a part-time unit in the Shire of Corangamite, South Western Victoria. In World War 2 the 4th Light-horse Regiment was mechanised and became the 4th Motor Regiment. Lt.Col. Stevens served in both wars and was discharged in July 1942.. The tankards were probably presented to Lt. Col. Stevens at his retirement from the service. The set of two pewter mugs is of historic significance because of its connection to WW2 and the AIF. It indicates the relationship between Officers and Men of the regiment. It is of local significance as Lt. Col. Stevens was born and lived in Warrnambool, South Western Victoria. Pewter tankard (one of two) height 13mm circumference 3mm, ornate broken C handle height 9 mm, inscription on front, hall mark on base, mild tarnish, Inscription on front "PRESENTED TO LIEUT COL L.G. STEVENS ED. By the Officers of the 4th MOTOR REGIMENT 1.5.42 Hallmark on base "Crown & Rose" CAST PEWTER, CREST CROWN & ROSE3 surrounded by FIDE IN LONDONpewter tankards, world war 1, first world war, ww1, light horse regiment, 4th motor regiment, australian military force, aif, corangamite, 1942, world war 2, ww2 -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Uniform - Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Naval Ratings Bib
The Royal Australian Navy Uniforms are based on the uniform of the Royal Navy. They reflect traditions that can be traced back to the Royal Navy (England) and demonstrate the relationship between the two. This bib is part of a naval ratings uniform. The uniform is representative of the Royal Australian Navy uniform and can be traced to the Royal Navy (England). The complete uniform shows the connection between Australia and England since European settlement.Cream cotton twill with navy blue trim around neck and over shoulders and narrow tie fasteners.navy, ran, royal australian navy, naval bib, naval ratings bib, naval ratings uniform, military uniform, j.m. parsons, parsons, j parsons -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, KHAKI AND GREEN. With the Australian Army at home and overseas, 1943
Hard Cover -Dark Green 3 copies. One with Dust Cover.WITH THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY AT HOME AND OVERSEAS Published for THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES by AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL CANBERRA 1943 australian army. ww2. australia. overseas. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JUNGLE WARFARE. With the Australian Army in the South Pacific
Hard Cover - Grey/Green 2 CopiesPublished for THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES by AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL CANBERRA 1944ww2. pacific region. jungle. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, ACTIVE SERVICE. With Australia in the Middle East
Hard Cover. Image of Soldier on Front coverPublished for THE MILITARY HISTORY AND INFORMATION SECTION, A.I.F. (MIDDLE EAST) By THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, CANBERRA 1941 -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, NORTH AUSTRALIA OBSERVER UNIT. UNIT HISTORY OF AN ARMY SURVEILLANCE REGIMENT
Hard Cover, with images of soldiers on horseback.THEY WATCHED AND WAITED. On front cover above colour patches Author: Dr. Amoury Vane Publisher; Australian Military History Publications. 2000ww2. northern australia -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, Stand Easy
Hard Cover with colourfully Illustrated Dust Cover.Published for the Australian Military Forces By Australian War Memorial Canberra, ACT. 1945ww2. new guinea. war's end. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1956-57
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1958-59
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, No Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1959-60
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1960-61
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1961-62
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with torn Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1962-63
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover plastic covered Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1965-66
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Book, JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1966-67
The standard work of reference on the navies of the WorldHard Cover, with Dust Cover Compiled & edited by Raymond V.B. BLACKMAN, A.M.I.N.A., A. E. Mar. The Standard work of reference on the navies of the World Distributed by SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & Co., Ltd., LONDON, W.1. military ships. world navies. -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Work on paper - New Book released in Japan, a Reaction, 'Glorious memories' of death railway
A response to a perceived 'revisionist' history of Japanese military history released in Japan which includes a Japanese version of treatment of POW's in WW2shows attitudes in Australia and Japan 20 years after WW2 in response to a new Japanese bookSingle page from Sun NewspaperHand written on bottom Right: Currant (sic) Affairs. Am DGjapan. ww2 . revisionist history -
Warrnambool RSL Sub Branch
Souvenir - WW2 Brooch, Filigree Brooch WW2
Oval filigree brooch with remnants of Red, White and Blue enamelling. Rising Sun emblem with Australian Commonwealth Military Forces on ‘ribbon’. ‘Jerusalem Stirling Silver 92?’ on obverse in centre. -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Document - Citation Award, British Empire Medal Citation awarded to Mrs Joyce Thora Hagon Hayward, 1981
The Order of the British Empire was formed in 1917 to reward service to the British Empire in the United Kingdom and abroad. Originally having only a civil division, a military division was added in 1918 to acknowledge distinguished military service of a non-combative nature. The Order has five classes of appointment in each division and a medal of the Order. In descending order, the classes are: Grand Cross (GB); Knights and Dames Commander (KCB and DCB); Commanders (CBE); Officers (OBE); Members (MBE), and Medal (BEM). Mrs Joyce Hayward along with her husband Cyril, had a 30 year association with the Warrnambool Theatre Company. They acted, directed and produced a number of works from the 1950’s through to the 1980’s. Mrs Hayward taught drama and speech at Warrnambool High School and St Ann’s College. They both worked towards reviving the Warrnambool Arts Council.. They were involved in Christ Church choir, readings for the blind, Probus and Penguin club. They retired to Bribie Island in 1985. Joyce Hayward died aged 97 in 2007. Joyce Hayward played a significant role in the development of the performing arts in Warrnambool. The British Empire medal is an award of some importance and recognizes the contribution Mrs Hayward made to the Warrnambool Community. Both Mrs Joyce Hayward and her husband Cyril were awarded the British Empire Medal. Cream paper with black typed text. Navy blue seal at top. Framed in black and gold plastic frame. Governor General Commonwealth of Australia printed at top. warrnambool, joyce hayward, cyril hayward, british empire medal, joyce thora hagon hayward -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Document - Bert's Diary Bertie Ernest Albert Henderson, Circa 1916
Bertie Ernest Albert Henderson was born at Naringal in 1891 and was 24 at the time of enlistment. He fought in France and died from injuries in France on June 1, 1918. The entries relate to matters which relate to military procedures and duties, places visited in France and England, time spent at the front and on leave.For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties. From a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner.* Australian War Memorial Website Bertie Henderson was but one of these casualties and this diary gives an insight into the life of the average soldier. He records events from the mundane to conditions common to the war experience. Front page has photograph and typed enlistment details, followed by copy of enlistment paper and numerous pages of typed diary entries dated from July 1916. Other entries give day only with no year. Back cover has basic family tree.warrnambool, naringal, ernest albert henderson, 5th pioneer batallion, world war 1, amiens, crouy-sur somme -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Album, Parliament House opening
This is an album used as a scrapbook to insert memorabilia of the 1927 opening of Parliament House in Canberra. The compiler of the scrapbook is unknown. The scrapbook includes small sepia-coloured photographs, a stamp, copies of photographs of the Duke and Duchess of York and a printed program of the 1927 Dedication of the Houses of Parliament. The photographs include the opening of Parliament House in 1927, the N.S.W. Mounted Police, notable military men of the time, the Melbourne escort for the Duke and Duchess of York procession and some views of Canberra. The states of Australia were created in 1901 with the establishment of Federation and the Australian Parliament met at Melbourne from 1901 to 1927 when the Australian Capital Territory was created and the first Australian Parliament House was built. This album is of minor significance as the material concerns mostly the opening of Canberra’s Parliament House in 1927, a national event. One photograph, that of C.A. Rogers, has local significance. He was a Warrnambool man who was part of the Melbourne mounted escort for the processional car of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927 in MelbourneThis is a 12 page photograph album with a brown cardboard cover with the pages tied with brown cord. Front Cover: ‘Portraiture’canberra establishment, opening of parliament house in canberra 1927, warrnambool -
Orbost & District Historical Society
Photograph - two black and white photographs, 13th Light Horse Brigade 2 Troop C Squad
These 2 photos are of Orbost men who were part of the 13th Light Horse volunteer regiment. This military training activity continued on after W W I. These photos were taken at the training camp at Seymour, Victoria. The Orbost troop would journey to other areas for training, sometimes to Bombala, and also practice on the Orbost Rifle Range. Although not identified in these photos, George William Wraight was a leader of the Light Horse Troop in Orbost and it is his daughter Dorothy Hepburn who has donated these photos. George W Wraight was the railway-station master at Orbost from 1935. The Troop often met at the Wraight house in Tarra Street, Orbost for training. George had been in W W I in the Middle East with the Light Horse. While at the railway station at Orbost, George had an accident and suffered 2 broken legs which meant that he could no longer work there. During W W II, he worked as a recruiting officer at Sale and Warrnambool. The Troop was disbanded in the c. late 1930s.Shows evidence of military training activities, Orbost district Two sepia photographs onto grey card. Both photos show a line-up of 20 soldiers standing at attention. Size is H-22cm W-34cmIn Line Picket 2 Troop C Squad 13 LH - written on to both photos13th light horse brigade, c squad 2 troop, military training, george w wraight -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Leisure object - Toy Soldier, circa 1878
The toy soldier is a relic from the shipwreck of the LOCH ARD in 1878. It has a companion piece in the Flagstaff Hill collection. The toy soldier is unpainted, but the style of uniform, and the weapons carried (a musket and a basket-handled cutlass), indicate it is a representation of the Napoleonic Wars period from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Mass-produced toy soldiers made of cast metal (lead or tin) became popular during the 1800s. Heyde of Germany manufactured silhouette-shaped flat toy soldiers early in the century. Mignot of France released three-dimensional solid figures and later around 1893 W. Britain, a toy company became known for its die-cast lead toy soldiers. These innovations were designed to make sets of toy soldiers more affordable for middle and lower-class children, extending the market beyond the intricately made and hand-crafted replicas that were the preserve of the rich in the eighteenth century. Wooden military figures, specially carved and unpainted ones, were therefore not particularly common at the time when the Loch Ard foundered on Victoria’s southwest coast. Mignot was the first to sell unpainted soldiers, leaving their customers to fill in the colours according to their own patriotic preferences. It is, therefore, possible the two figures in the Flagstaff Hill collection were part of a new set intended for sale, rather than part of a passenger’s existing collection. Loch Ard History: The Loch Ard got its name from ”Loch Ard” a loch that lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curle & Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold their position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Lochard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Lochard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Lochard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Lochard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck, it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register.The toy soldier represents a 19th-century child's interest in military history. The item is one of two toy soldiers recovered from the Loch Ard in Flagstaff Hill's collection. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulations of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collections of objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history, allowing us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.An unpainted, cream-coloured toy soldier, recovered from the Loch Ard. The figure wears a Napoleonic Wars-era uniform, a plumed helmet, a short jacket with tails, bib-front trousers with button closure, straps crossed at the front and back, and epaulettes. The figure is in marching posture with one foot extended forward, and is bearing a musket at the slope-arms position, with a sabre or cutlass slung behind. It is unable to stand on its own. There are reddish-brown and orange-brown stains on the head and body. The body has seams along both sides that are uneven at the lower leg. There is a hole in the back and the inside is hollow. The material has a rough texture.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch ard, toy soldier, napoleonic uniforms, military toy, moulded soldier -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Rocket set, John Dennett, ca. 1860s
This rescue line-throwing rocket set was made for the Dennett rocket system, which was used by the Rocket Rescue crews in South West Victoria from around the 1860s to the 1890s. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria has had 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. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it, followed in 1864 by a rocket house to safely store the Rocket Rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost one hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain and improve their skills, summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The first use of a lifesaving rocket rescue system is often credited to Captain Manby and his invention of a life mortar, first used in 1808 to fire a line onto a ship to rescue lives. Henry Trengrouse’s invention of 1820 was the first to use a sky rocket’s power to throw a line, and his invention included a chair for carrying the shipwrecked victims to shore. In 1832 John Dennett invented a rocket specifically for shore to ship rescue. It had an iron case and an 8 foot pole attached and could shoot the line as far as 250 yards (about 230 metres). From the 1860s the rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It comprised a breeches buoy and traveller block that was suspended on a line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. Colonel Boxer, who had invented an early line-thrower, designed a rocket in 1865 with a range from 300 to 470 yards. It was the first two-stage rocket, with two rockets placed one in front of the other in a tube that carried the rescue line. The hemp line was faked, or coiled, in a particular way in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired, and the angle of firing the rocket was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol around 1920, which used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. Victoria’s Government adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain, which used Colonel Boxer’s rocket apparatus rescue method. The British Board of Trade published instructions in 1850 for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line attached, then firing it across the stranded vessel. A tally board was then sent out with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the continuous whip line and attach the whip block to a mast or sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a heavier hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser is then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rocket system could also be used from one ship to another.The Dennett rocket set is quite rare - there are not many examples in existence and little information is available. This Dennett's rocket set 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.A Dennett rocket set in six parts; the rocket head, three shafts (poles) and two rocket-head toting boxes. The rocket head, mounted on one of the shafts, is a long, red painted, iron tube with rounded ends and a protruding fitting around each end. The wooden rocket shafts are octagonal, with a metal sheath at the ends, carved elongated slots towards each end, and a scribed channel above the black foot. The rocket head toting boxes are thick timber, covered in fabric and painted black. They have a hinged wooden lid that slants downwards from back to front, and a metal closure. Small deliberate holes, in groups of four, on the box’s sides, indicate missing attachments, likely to have been handles. Impressed one a shaft "8"flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, irish hand barrow, rocket head toting box, explosives, rocket shaft, rocket pole -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Equipment - Rocket Launcher, John Dennett, 1860s
This rocket launching machine is used in conjunction with the Dennett Rocket Set. Both are part of the rocket rescue equipment that launches the line-throwing rescue rockets. A light line is threaded through the carved holes in the 8 foot long shaft and attached to the scribed channel at the base of the shaft. The rocket head is fitted to the shaft and inserted into the machine. The machine is set at an angle determined by the person in charge of the rescue crew, and the legs and base of the machine are adjusted accordingly with the use of the quadrant, or protractor, and plumb-bob on the side of the machine. The rocket is then ignited and fired across the vessel in distress. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. 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. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This rocket launcher machine 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.Rocket launcher, named a Rocket Machine, and storage box. Launcher has a long open metal channel with a spike at the base, and narrow, rectangular device, which is the line-firing rocket machine, at the top, all painted blue. Two hinged wooden legs are attached where the channel and machine meet. The side of the machine has an oval cut-out window and an attached quadrant, or protractor, with a plumb-bob on it. The quadrant has angles marked in degrees. The long protective box has white stencilled letters along the side. Its lid has three hinges and is fastened with two metal latches.On box “ROCKET MACHINE” On quadrant “10” “20” “30” “40”flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, protractor, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, welsh hand barrow, rocket set -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Plaque - Insignia, Bank of Australasia, 19th Century
This decorative plaque displays the insignia of the Bank of Australasia, which was incorporated by the Royal Charter of England in March 1834. The bank began in Australia on 14th December 1835, opening in Sydney. The Acting Superintendent of the bank at that time was David Charters McArthur. He was Superintendent from 1867-to 1876. The Melbourne branch opened on 28th August 1838 in a two-roomed brick cottage on the north side of Little Collins Street, where two huge mastiff dogs were used at night to guard the bank. The government also provided an armed military sentinel. Due to the bank's rapid growth, a new building for the Melbourne branch was opened in 1840 at 75 Collins Street West. By 1879 the bank had been upgraded to a magnificent two-storey building on the corners of Collins and Queens Streets, with the entry on Collins Street. In 1951 the Bank of Australasia amalgamated with the Union Bank to form the Australia and New Zealand Bank, now known as the ANZ. Then in 1970, the ANZ merged with both the ES&A and the London Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Banking Group Limited. The ANZ Banking Group Ltd kindly donated a variety of historic items from the Bank of Australasia. BANK of AUSTRALASIA, WARRNAMBOOL – In 1854 Warrnambool had two banks, the Union Bank and the Bank of Australasia. Later, completely different bank businesses opened; in 1867 the National Bank of Australasia, then in 1875 the Colonial Bank of Australasia. The original Warrnambool branch of the Bank of Australasia was established in July 1854, and operated from a leased cottage on Merri Street, close to Liebig Street. The bank later bought a stone building previously erected by drapers Cramond & Dickson on the corner of Timor and Gibson Streets. Samuel Hannaford was a teller and then Manager at the Warrnambool branch from 1855 to 1856 and the Warrnambool Council chose that bank for its dealings during 1856-57. In 1859 Roberts & Co. was awarded the contract to build the new Bank of Australasia branch for the sum of £3,000. The land was on a sand hill on the northeast corner of Timor and Kepler Streets and had been bought in 1855 from investor James Cust. The new building opened on May 21, 1860. The bank continued to operate there until 1951 when it merged with the Union Bank to form the ANZ Bank, which continued operating from its Liebig Street building. Warrnambool City Council purchased the former Bank of Australasia building in 1971 and renovated it, then on 3rd December 1973 it was officially opened as the Art Gallery by Cr. Harold Stephenson and Gallery Director John Welsh. The Gallery transferred to the purpose-built building in Liebig Street in 1986 and the old bank building is now the Gallery club. Staff at the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool included the following men but others were also involved: Samuel Hannaford, Teller then Manager from 1855-1856; W H Palmer, Manager from January 1857 until November 1869 when the Teller Basil Spence was promoted to Manager; H B Chomley, Manager from April 1873 and still there in 1886; A Butt, Manager in 1895-1904; J R McCleary Accountant and Acting Manager for 12 months, until 1900; A Kirk, Manager 1904; J Moore, staff until his transfer to Bendigo in December 1908; J S Bath was Manager until 1915; C C Cox, Manager until April 1923; Richard C Stanley, Manager 1923 to April 1928. The plaque has historical significance as it belonged to the Bank of Australasia which was established in Australia in 1835 by Royal Charter. The plaque is significant for its association with the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool, the first bank in Warrnambool, established in 1854. The bank continued to operate until its merger in 1951 when it became the ANZ Bank, which is still in operation today. The Bank was an integral part of the establishment and growth of commerce in Colonial Warrnambool and throughout Australia.Plaque with insignia on glass in a rectangular varnished wooden frame. Insignia of the Bank of Australasia has been painted onto the glass in a mirror-like fashion. Insignia depicts a heraldic shield with sheep hung up by their waists and ships in full sail. Inscription on insignia. Stamp and handwritten inscription on the rectangular label with a blue border on the reverse.Insignia: "BANK OF AUSTRALASIA INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER 1835" Label's red oval stamp with "AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANK UNITED ARCHIVES" Label's handwritten black letters "AM1" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, commerce, banking, plaque, insignia, bank of australasia, insignia on glass, union bank, australia & new zealand bank, anz bank, david charters mcarthur, d c mcarthur, sydney, new south wales, currency, banknote, legal tender -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Financial record - Passbook, Bank of Australasia, 1880
This bank passbook originated from the Warrnambool branch of the Bank of Australasia with handwritten entries dating from 1880. Names written in the passbook are likely to be people local to Warrnambool. The book belonged to Thomas Smith and was handed over to his Executors. Thomas Smith operated his Gas Printers Works from Koroit Street, Warrnambool, and was a member of the Odd Fellows. In 1878 his son, aged about 12 years old, was carried across a tightrope forward and backwards, on the shoulders of the "Australian Blondon" Mr. L' Estrange, at a performance in Warrnambool. Royal Charter of England incorporated the Bank of Australasia in March 1834. It had its Australian beginning on 14th December 1835, opening in Sydney. The Acting Superintendent of the bank at that time was David Charters McArthur. He was Superintendent from 1867 to 1876. The Melbourne branch opened on 28th August 1838 in a two-roomed brick cottage on the north side of Little Collins Street, where two huge mastiff dogs were used at night to guard the bank. The government also provided an armed military sentinel. Due to the bank's rapid growth, a new building for the Melbourne branch was opened in 1840 at 75 Collins Street West. By 1879 the bank had been upgraded to a magnificent two-storey building on the corners of Collins and Queens Streets, with the entry on Collins Street. In 1951 the Bank of Australasia amalgamated with the Union Bank to form the Australia and New Zealand Bank, now known as the ANZ. Then in 1970, the ANZ merged with both the ES&A and the London Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Banking Group Limited. The ANZ Banking Group Ltd kindly donated a variety of historic items from the Bank of Australasia. BANK of AUSTRALASIA, WARRNAMBOOL – In 1854 Warrnambool had two banks, the Union Bank and the Bank of Australasia. Later, completely different bank businesses opened; in 1867 the National Bank of Australasia, then in 1875 the Colonial Bank of Australasia. The original Warrnambool branch of the Bank of Australasia was established in July 1854, and operated from a leased cottage on Merri Street, close to Liebig Street. The bank next bought a stone building previously erected by drapers Cramond & Dickson on the corner of Timor and Gibson Streets. Samuel Hannaford was a teller and then Manager at the Warrnambool branch from 1855 to 1856 and the Warrnambool Council chose that bank for its dealings during 1856-57. In 1859 Roberts & Co. was awarded the contract to build the new Bank of Australasia branch for the sum of £3,000; the firm built the Warrnambool Post Office in 1856 and purchased land in Timor Street in 1858. The land was on a sand hill on the northeast corner of Timor and Kepler Streets and had been bought in 1855 from investor James Cust. The new building opened on May 21, 1860. The bank continued to operate there until 1951 when it merged with the Union Bank to form the ANZ Bank, which continued operating from its Liebig Street building. Warrnambool City Council purchased the former Bank of Australasia building in 1971 and renovated it, then on 3rd December 1973 it was officially opened as the Art Gallery by Cr. Harold Stephenson and Gallery Director John Welsh. The Gallery transferred to the purpose-built building in Liebig Street in 1986 and the old bank building is now the Gallery club. Staff at the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool included the following men but others were also involved: Samuel Hannaford, Teller then Manager from 1855-1856; Hawkins, Manager in 1856, W H Palmer, Manager from January 1857 until November 1869 when the Teller Basil Spence was promoted to Manager; H B Chomley, Manager from April 1873 and still there in 1886; A Butt, Manager in 1895-1904; J R McCleary Accountant and Acting Manager for 12 months, until 1900; A Kirk, Manager 1904; J Moore, staff until his transfer to Bendigo in December 1908; J S Bath was Manager until 1915; C C Cox, Manager until April 1923; Richard C Stanley, Manager 1923 to April 1928. The bank passbook has significance through its association with the Bank of Australasia. The early Australian bank was established in 1834 by Royal Charter and opened in Sydney, Australia, in Sydney in 1835. The bank had many Australian offices in November 1877, particularly on the east and south coasts. Victoria had 45 per cent of all Offices. The passbook is locally significant for its association with the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, which was established in 1854. It was Warrnambool Council’s first bank. The bank continued to operate until the organisation's merger in 1951 when it became the ANZ Bank Group today. The Bank was an integral part of the growth of local commerce and the community. It has local significance for its association with commercial Warrnambool in 1880, belonging to Thomas Smith, a prominent businessman with a printing works whose son of about 12 years age crossed a tightrope with the 'Australian Blondin', L' Estrange. Bank passbook, Bank of Australasia, Warrnambool branch. Bound with waxed, cream-coloured cardboard cover and tab closure. Pages have blue horizontal lines and red vertical lines. Black ink handwritten entries, with Date, Name and amount. Inscription was written inside and on a sticker inside the front cover. Passbook is dated 1880 and belonged to Thomas Smith.Marked "The Executors of the late Thomas Smith" "Stamped inside "Bank of Australasia, Warrnambool" Handwritten on sticker " R. 273 A" Sample of handwritten entries include "1880" Callaghan" "Rates" A Linch" "Davies" Bottom of page, balance "529 10 21" [529 pounds 10 shillings 21 pence]flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, bank of australasia, boa, union bank, australia & new zealand bank, anz bank, david charters mcarthur, d c mcarthur, bank book, pass book, financial record, commerce, thomas smith, thos. smith, gas printing works, australian blondin, thomas smith's son, tightrope walker, odd fellows, l' estrange, passbook, bank passbook -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Sheet Music, Enoch & Sons Ld., music publisher, The Parade of the Tin Soldiers, ca 1911
This sheet music is "The Parade of the Tin Soldiers', the original German title, composed by Leon Jessel as a solo piece for the piano in 1905. The work is also known as "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers". In 1907 the orchestra version was published, Opus 123. (Op. 123, as written on the cover). The sheet music was published by Sole Publishers for the British Empire, Enoch & Sons Ld (1890-1927) of 58 Great Marlborough Street, London, W. Versions for all other countries were published by Neinrichshofen's, Verlag, Magdeburg. Orchestral and Military arrangements of the music were published by Hawkes & Son, Denman St, Piccadilly Circus, London, Leon Jessel (Jan. 22, 1821 to Jan. 4, 1942) was a German composer who was born a Jew and converted to Christianity in 1894. His works included a wide variety of music including 'The Parade of Tin Soldiers' (Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten). Jessel was also a music conductor and bandmaster. The instrumental piece 'Die Marokkanische Patrouille' (The Moroccan Patrol) was published in 1911, Opus 227. He was also known for his operettas 'Schwarzwaldmädel'(Black Forest Girl), presented in 1917, and 'Die Postmeisterin' (The Postmistress), presented in 1921. In December 1941 he was arrested and then tortured by the German Gestapo; he died in January 1942. In the early 1920s, The Parade of the Tin Soldiers became very popular; it was presented as part of a show and was re-titled The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. It was also made into a film and its recording was a hit single record. The music continues to be played and presented and is a Christmas-time favourite.This music is significant for its connection with the German composer Leon Jessel, a victim of the Germans for being born a Jew, even though he converted to Christianity in his youth. It is also significant as a popular work of music composed in the early 1900s and later used for a variety show and a film. The music an example of entertainment in the early 20th century that has endured to current times and often played at Christmas celebrations.Book of sheet music for four tunes. The thin softcovered book has eight pages, with the front cover featuring colourful graphics of soldiers marching and others on horseback. The four tunes are: - The Parade of the Tin Soldiers, (piano solo), Composer: Leon Jessel. Ballade de la Lune, Enjolement, Lentement, document, tendrament, Publisher: for the British Empire, Hawkes & Son, Denman St, Piccadilly Circus, London, Sole Publishers for the British Empire, Printer: Enoch & Sons Ld. 58 Great Marlborough Street, London, W. Printer: Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd. London N.W. 10 Publisher, for all other countries: Heinrichshofen's, Verlag, Magdeburg. Printed: in England by Heinrichshofen's Verlag Copyright: 1911 by Heinrichshofen's VerlagOther print on the cover includes: ALSO KNOWN AS "THE PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS" "Op. 123" "Characteristic Piede" "SOLE PROPRIETORS FOR THE BRITISH EMPIRE" "NEW SUCCESS BY THE SAME COMPOSER 'MOROCCAN PAT(ROL) (CH)ARASTIC PIECE" "PIANO SOLO" "SIMPLIFIED" "DUET" "VIOLIN & PIANO" "Orchestral & Military Arrangements" On the bottom of pages: "E & S 4370" "Copyright 1911 by Heinrichshofen's Verlag" flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, leon jessel, composer, operetta composer, the parade of the tin soldiers, the parade of the wooden soldiers, musical march, music conductor, music director, bandmaster, 19th-century classical composers, 19th-century german composers, 20th-century classical composers, 20th-century german composers, sheet music, music book, piano music, jewish composer, world war ii victim, composer: leon jessel., ballade de la lune, enjolement, lentement, hawkes & son, for all other countries: heinrichshofen's, verlag, magdeburg., book of sheet music, enoch & sons ltd london, lowe & brydone london, heinrichschofens verlag, marching music, 1911, early 20th century -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Knife
From the early days of our race, the knife represented one of the first and most important tools that enabled rise of our technology, military, culture, science and all other things that brought us to this point of modern civilisation. As a vital tool for survival, combat, construction and food preparation, the knife quickly became the most basic tool from which all others were born. In those ancient times, 500,000 years ago, sharpened stones started slowly evolving, becoming more and more like their modern counterpart. Before the time when fire enabled the melting of the various metals, and forging them into modern knives, their stone counterparts received several visual upgrades. Double bladed knives were most popular, and their wooden or stone hilts were decorated with animal skins and feathers. Those knives represented a great deal of pride for the warriors and elders who owned them, and that tradition continued to be practised with the arrival of the Bronze Age. The appearance of metallurgy brought the ability to create knives from softer types of metal. Even though knives from bronze did not provide durability over longer periods of time [easily dulled, and susceptible to corrosion), their sharpness and slim designed proved to be superior to any stone knife tool. As the centuries went on, iron and then steel became commonplace across the entire world. Knives created from those materials were much more durable and easier to maintain their sharpness after prolonged use. During medieval times in Europe, steel metallurgy managed to evolve knives from small single or double-bladed edges to larger sizes - swords, spears and axes. Even with all those advancements, the use of knives as an eating utensil continued to be used in some small circles. Even as early as the 15th century, wealthy circles of people started carrying personal knives, intended for double use - both eating and defending against threats. During those times the host were not obliged to provide their guest with any kind of eating utensil in addition to plates, so wealthy males used their eating knives for cutting their own meals, and the meals of nearby female guests. Slim double-bladed knives were good for cutting and piercing foods. As the use of forks became widespread in the whole of Europe by the late 17th century, most people used this kind of small knife on a regular basis (a combination of two knives, one for stabilising and other for cutting the meal). http://www.eatingutensils.net/history-of-cutlery/knife-history/The knife is one of the most important items that has enabled the development of civilisation over thousands of years.Carving knife with wooden handle and rusted slender metal blade.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, knife, kitchen equipment, dining -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Can Opener, Bottle Opener & Corkscrew
It took 15 years to invent the can. It took 100 more to invent a standard way to open it. In the 19th century, decades after the invention of canning, there were virtually no can openers. Canned food, such as sardines, came with its own "key" to peel back the tin lid. Birth of the can One of the oddest things about the can opener is that the can predates it by almost 150 years. Though common today, cans were once military-grade technology. In 1795, Napoleon, to whom the phrase "an army marches on its stomach" is attributed, offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could find a way to preserve food. Without any knowledge of bacteria or their role in food spoilage, scientists didn't even know where to begin. It took 15 years before a chef named Nicholas Appert claimed the prize after successfully jarring food. Soon after that, his countryman Philippe de Girard came up with a variant on Appert's method—metal tins—and sold the idea to the British. Spoiled food, and the sickness it caused, was a widespread problem. The public would have benefited from canned food, but for decades cans were almost exclusively for the army and the navy. The canning process, with its hours of boiling and steaming, its scrupulous cleanliness, its heated metal, and its need for a great deal of disposable material, made canned food far too expensive for anyone but the military. No can openers were needed or even possible. The metal of early cans was too thick to make openers practical. Soldiers and sailors had plenty of sharp objects on hand and made ample use of them when they wanted to eat. During the 19th century, the process of canning was refined and mechanised, and the metal wall of the average can slimmed down enough that a civilian could get it open—if that civilian had the right tool. No one had that tool yet, so early cans had to open themselves. In other words, they came with built-in openers. The result was a confusing but pleasing free-for-all, in terms of product engineering. Each type of food came with its own kind of can, and each kind of can came with its own kind of opener. Tinned fish and meat were often sold in rectangular cans. These cans were fitted with a "key" that would roll down the top of the can. Coffee, beans, and other types of meat were packaged in cylinders with metal strips that could be peeled back with their own kinds of built-in keys. Cans of milk, which didn't need to be completely opened, came with puncture devices. As tinned food became more common, its containers became more regular. A nice cylindrical can became the norm, and, as these cans filled kitchens, more engineers put their minds to finding a convenient way to open all of them. The first standalone can opener worked on a simple principle: point, stab, and pull. From the mid-19th century to the end of World War I, the typical can opener looked roughly like a wrench, if the lower 'jaw' of the wrench were replaced with a blade. People used the blade to puncture the top of the can near its edge, push the upper jaw against the side of the can, and drag the blade through the metal along the rim. Because meat was the first and most popular canned substance, these can openers were often shaped to look like cows and given the nickname 'bully beef can openers'. The bully beef can opener, popular in the mid-19th century, resulted in many lost fingers. Later, a corkscrew was added that was seated in the handle, and could be pulled out for use. Bully beef can openers were so common, effective, and sturdy that they are still frequently available on collectors' sites. Some are advertised as “still working,” and every last one of them is, without a doubt, soaked in the blood of our ancestors. Dragging a sharp blade along the edge of a can is certain to cause injury sooner or later. So once people got a reliable can shape and a reliable way to get the can open, the search was on for a reliable way to get a can open without the possibility of losing a finger. The answer came in 1925, from the Star Can Opener Company of San Francisco. This is probably the first can opener that resembles the one people have in their kitchens today. Instead of using a blade to pry open a metal can, buyers could clamp the edge of the can between two wheels and twist the handle of one of the wheels to move the blade around the lip. The Star can openers weren't perfect. Compared to the bully beef model, they were flimsy and breakable, but they probably prevented a few injuries. Six short years after the Star model came to market, the first electric can opener was invented. It was patented in 1931 by the Bunker Clancey Company of Kansas City, who had already been sued by the Star Can Opener Company for trying sell a double-wheeled can opener like the Star model (the case was dismissed). The electric can opener must have seemed like the wave of the future and a sure-fire seller, but it proved to be too far ahead of its time. In 1931 not that many households had electricity, and those that did weren't interested in buying can openers. The Bunker Clancey Company was subsequently bought by the Rival Company, which still makes small appliances like can openers today. It took another 25 years for electrically powered can openers to become practical. In the 1950s, Walter Hess Bodle and his daughter, Elizabeth Bodle, developed an electric can opener in the family garage. Walter came up with the opener's blades and motor, and Elizabeth sculpted the outside. Their can opener was a free-standing unit that could sit on the kitchen counter. The Udico brand of the Union Die Casting Company put it on the market in time for Christmas in 1956 and had great success with it. Over the next few years it came out in different styles and colours, and, like the bully beef can opener, has become a collector's item. Also like the bully beef model, Udico can openers often still work. They don't make 'em like they used to. Although there have been some design changes and refinements over the last sixty years, there have yet to be any more leaps forward in can opener technology. If you're resentfully opening a can, you are almost certainly doing it using the Star design, manually forcing the can between two wheels, or the Bodle design, clamping the can into a free-standing electrical opener. Whether or not you enjoy your holiday meals, at least you can be happy that you are not getting poisoned by your own food or cutting open your hand with the blade you use to get at it. That's something, right?The can opener, Bottle opener and the corkscrew are still very important and essential items in most kitchens.Metal can opener, chromed, with bottle opener, and a corkscrew seated in the handle.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, canning, can opener, corkscrew, bottle opener, kitchen equipment