Minutes of a meeting of the Presidents' Committee that discussed the increasing duties of the Melbourne Legacy President on 23 November 1965. The President in 1965 was Vance Dore and the president elect was Ron Isherwood. Was in a binder of documents that is passed from an outgoing President to the incoming President. It is primarily from the 1930s to 1990s. Most documents are being catalogued separately.A record of the duties of the President in the 1960s.White foolscap paper x 3 pages with black type about reviewing President's commitments in the 1960s.vance dore, ron isherwood

A chronological list of events attended by the President in 1965 and 1966. The President in 1965 was Vance Dore he wrote the list of events as an indication what is expected of a president. The presidential year ran from March to the following February. \Was in a binder of documents that is passed from an outgoing President to the incoming President. It is primarily from the 1930s to 1990s. Most documents are being catalogued separately.A record of the duties of the President in the 1960s.White foolscap paper x 12 pages with black type about the President's commitments in 1965/66.vance dore, presidents

A photocopy of an article in the 'Victorian Historical Magazine', 149th Issue August 1967. It was an account of a speech by Legatee Ian Anderson to the Historical Society on 23 May 1967. Legatee Anderson was president of Melbourne Legacy Club in 1964. This is a very good quality account of details of Legacy up to the 1960s. The article outlines the key figures and events in the creation of Legacy in 1923. He mentions 8 of the members at the founding meeting in September 1923 were from the 24th Battalion. The name 'Legacy' was suggested by L/ Frank Selleck. Also the first two years of Legacy focused on the rehabilitation of returned servicemen and finding them work. It was L/ Frank Doolan that proposed the 'real field for the movement's work lay in the care, guidance and encouragement of the families of those comrades who, through death, were themselves no longer there to give those benefits, and that as the children of deceased ex-servicemen were growing up, the cases were increasing in which some deputy was needed to take up among them the work for their deceased fathers, and to act virtually as a guardian or sponsor with the help and advice our dead comrade would have given.' It mentions the Central Liaison Committee, the Co-ordinating Council, the dates of the formation of other clubs, the Code of Legacy, the residences, the annual demonstrations, also the camps and classes provided for children. He quotes L/ Stan Savige in a speech to the Annual Conference in 1950 and also part of the speech given to farewell L/ Savige after his death. The notation H51 in blue pen shows that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy. A highly detailed account of the formation and evolution of Legacy between 1923 and 1967.White A4 photocopy of an article about Legacy published in the Victorian Historical Magazine x 6 pages.Handwritten H51 in blue pen. Typed 'Extract from Victorian Historical Magazine, 149th Issue - August 1967' on top of first page.history, speech, founding legatee

The Teenager, His Family and His Peers was a paper presented to the 1968 Federal Conference of the Legacy Clubs of Australia by Legatee John Hall of Melbourne Legacy (held in Ballarat from 7th to 10th November 1968). By resolution of the Conference it was printed by Legacy Co-ordinating Council for distribution upon their request to Legacy Clubs. It was stored with another paper presented at the 1968 Conference 'The Fundamentals of Legacy' which had the notation H51 in blue pen to show that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy. An example of the type of subject matter that Legatees shared at annual conferences. Brochure on white paper with black type about the role of Legacy with teenagers and families x 16 pages.history, conference

An account of Joynt's life and an extract from 'They Dared Mightily' pages 141, 142 and 143 - see also Cat. No. 01351. It includes a copy of the citation from when he was awarded the VC in World War One. There is no indication of when the biography of Joynt was written or by whom. Had been inserted into photo album (Cat.No. 01588). Part of the collection of material held by Melbourne Legacy on Legatee Donovan Joynt, a prominent Australian and VC winner.White A4 paper x 9 pages with black type about the life of Colonel Joynt VC.Some pencilled underlining.donovan joynt, biography

There is no indication either of who wrote this, nor whether other chapters were written. Although it covers the same events as "Legacy" by Claude Blatchford, and "The Torch" by M.H. Ellis, it is not a draft for either. The chapter covers events from the inauguration of Legacy in 1923 to a conference of Legacy Clubs held in Melbourne in 1928. The notation H43 in red pen shows that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy.A briefer and more readable version of the period described.White quarto paper with black type, 19 pages about the beginning of Legacy, headed Chapter 1.Page 1 "H43" (See Item 00937) and "2"(circled) in blue biro; Page 2 notation in the margin of paragraph #3 "Later", written in blue biro; Page 15, pencilled corrections #1.history, founding legatee

Details the instructions for moving trams within depots, speed must not exceed 4 mph, safety, danger signs, wash bay gates, and shunting over points. Signed H J Smith, Running Sheds Engineer. Yields information about the instructions about driving trams within depots.Foolscap duplicated sheet detailing instructions about driving trams in depots. Dated 7-12-1960tramcars, tramways, mmtb, depots, safety, speed, running sheds

Set of four black and white prints of MMTB buses - MMTB "Official" photographs. .1 - bus 346 - AEC Regal Mark 3 - Comeng .2 - bus 553 - AEC Regal Mark 3 - Martin and King .3 - bus 620 - AEC Regal Mark 4 .4 - bus 588 - AEC Regal Mark 3 - Martin and King - close up of the driver's exit door, rear view mirror, turn indicator (the hand operated type to show either a stop or a right hand turning using a cut out of a hand. Shows the radiator and head lights. .5 - as for .3, but with the doors closed. Information about the buses from: https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/vicdisp.php accessed 3/9/2019trams, tramways, mmtb, buses

This Unibic Limited Edition ANZAC Biscuit tin is one of a series produced in 2014 to commemorate 100 years 1914 - 2014 of World War 1, focusing on the Victoria Cross, The Anzac Biscuit Story and The RSL Story. The included paper sheet explains the Victoria Cross in full detail. The RSL and Modern Baking Pty Ltd in Broadmeadows provided this product.A large rectangular commemorative Unibic Limited Edition red lidded Anzac Biscuit Tin with an embossed old brown toned photograph image of a soldier on parade receiving a Victoria Cross medal. The lettering for the tin is stamped in red and white at the top of the lid with Limited Edition in gold. There is a brief explanation about the Victoria Cross in a black rectangle shape at the bottom as well as a picture of the medal above it. The back of the tin has information about The Anzac Biscuit Story and details about the RSL (Returned Service League) formed in 1916. Inside the tin there is a white sheet of paper with full details about the Victoria Cross. As stated above there is the name of the tin 'Limited Edition ANZAC Biscuit'. "The Victoria Cross" - The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "In the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. 500g Net'war, world war 1, world war 2, containers, tins, commemorative tins

Newspaper cutting - The Age, 1/6/1998 - pages 9-13 - with two stories about the phasing out of tram conductors - with sub-heading "The trams are still running but conductors have taken their last ride. Will Melbourne ever be the same again?" - "Once were connies" - written by Lyall Johnson - about the conductors no longer on tramcars and what would happen in the future and some of the issues. - "End of the Line" - written by John Elder - has stories about travelling on the tram network. - Letter to the Editor - page 13 - "Life without conductors" - particularly about the ticket machines and inspectors. Written by Bernard Sheppard of Middle Park.trams, tramways, conductors, ptc, one man trams, public transport, tickets, stories, metcard, letter to the editor

http://www.measurement.gov.au/Publications/CertificateOfApproval/WeighingInstruments/Balances/Documents/6-1-120081111102335.pdfSmall pan scale/beam balance Black base on three legs, silver pansGriffin & George Limited London (winged griffen emblem) Birmingham Manchester - Glasgow - Edinburgh Made in Englandbalance, griffen, george, bakelite, steel, pans, assaying, scientific instruments

The picture on the tile is a reproduction of the painting "The Mill at Wijk bij Duurstede" which was painted around 1670 by the Dutch painter Jacob Isaacksz vab Ruysdael (1628-1682)Souvenir type item, likely purchases at the souvenir shop of the (Dutch) Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.Tile with colour print of of Dutch landscape in gold with black line frame protected on back with cardboard nailed to frameCardboard at back of of frame has text " Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael 1628-1682. "The Mill at Wijk bij Duurstede" (painted about 1670). Original size 32 5/8 " x 39 3/4" Oil on Canvas (note this is about 892x1009mm) Held in Rijksmuseum at Amsterdamtile dutch painter

Bendigo Magazine Issue 9 Summer 07/08. Contains an article written by Sharon Greenaway about Violee Myer-Davey OAM which mentions her life and education in Bendigo. Book also contains other articles about Bendigo, its people and businesses.government, local, city of bendigo, golden square laurel street p.s. collection - bendigo magazine issue 9 summer 07/08, violee myer-davey oam

Page from Historical Magazine. Part of article about the naming of Bendigo (ref to Abednego Thompson, William (Bendigo) Thompson. Further short article (in full) by Wes Harry about Electric Power in Bendigo. Reference to Bendigo Electric Power Company and State Electricity Company.person, individual, william thompson, bendigo electric power company, wes harry, state electricity commission.

Copy photograph of a letter to Mrs. Hugo, dated 27/1/1939 requesting her to make about two hundred flowers for the decoration of a tramcar. Notes that about 4000 flowers required and that Mr. Hodgson would deliver materials. Letter signed for the Manager, T. A. Farr.tramways, trams, decorated trams, letters

Newspaper clipping from The Courier, Ballarat, 8/9/1971, titled "Display will aid appeal", about the Ballarat Historical Society having a display panel at the SEC offices about Ballarat's tramway history to aid an appeal for the Ballarat Children's Home Toddlers' rebuilding appeal.ballarat historical society, appeals, displays

This piece of timber from the ship Eric the Red has been eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called sea worms or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by using coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper or a combination of copper and zinc (called Muntz metal) and would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. The American ship Eric the Red was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric ‘the Red-haired’ Thorvaldsson , who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) – about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Zaccheus Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were also 2 saloon passengers on board. The ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. As Eric the Red approached Cape Otway there was a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. On 4th September 1880 at about 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. The sea knocked the helmsman away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The lifeboats were swamped, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast also fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer SS Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. She was built in 1876 and bought by the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co. in 1877. At the time of this journey she was commanded by Captain Jones, and was sailing between Melbourne and Portland via Warrnambool. The provedore of the Dawn, Benjamin Lear, heard cries of distress coming through the portholes of the saloon. He gave the alarm and the engines were stopped. Cries could be heard clearly, coming from the land. Captain Jones sent out crew in two boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital for care and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Zaccheus Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, several samples of wood and a medal for bravery, awarded to Nelson Johnson, a crew member of the S.S. Dawn by the U.S. President, for the rescue of the crew. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. A Mr G.W. Black has in his possession a medal and a purse that were awarded to his father, another Dawn crew member who was part of the rescue team. The medal is inscribed and named “To John Black ….” (from “Shipwrecks” by Margaret E. Mackenzie, 3rd edition, published 1964). The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. Nelson Johnson, recipient of the medal for bravery, married Elizabeth Howard in 1881 and they had 10 children. They lived in South Melbourne, Victoria. Nelson died in 1922 in Fitzroy Victoria, age 66. In 1895 the owners of the S.S. Dawn, the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co., wound up and sold out to the Belfast Company who took over the Dawn for one year before selling her to Howard Smith. She was condemned and sunk in Suva in 1928. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn".The wood (timber) sample is listed on the Collections Australia Database, Heritage Victoria, number 239 00010 A “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) Wood sample from the wreck of the ship Eric the Red. Triangular shaped, full of sea worm (Teredo worm) holes. The wood is dark in colour and is very light in weight.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwreck-artefact, eric-the-red, zaccheus-allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne-exhibition, cape-otway, otway-reef, wood-sample, s.s.-dawn

This piece of timber from the ship Eric the Red has been eaten through by the marine animals called Teredo Worms, sometimes called sea worms or ‘termites of the sea’. The worms bore holes into wood that is immersed in sea water and bacteria inside the worms digest the wood. Shipbuilders tried to prevent this problem by using coatings of tar, wax, lead or pitch. In the 18th and 19th centuries the outside of their ships were sheathed in copper or a combination of copper and zinc (called Muntz metal) and would be re-metalled periodically to ensure the sheathing would remain effective. In more recent times the ships are protected with a toxic coating. The American ship Eric the Red was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric ‘the Red-haired’ Thorvaldsson , who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) – about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Zaccheus Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were also 2 saloon passengers on board. The ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. As Eric the Red approached Cape Otway there was a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. On 4th September 1880 at about 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. The sea knocked the helmsman away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The lifeboats were swamped, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast also fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer SS Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. She was built in 1876 and bought by the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co. in 1877. At the time of this journey she was commanded by Captain Jones, and was sailing between Melbourne and Portland via Warrnambool. The provedore of the Dawn, Benjamin Lear, heard cries of distress coming through the portholes of the saloon. He gave the alarm and the engines were stopped. Cries could be heard clearly, coming from the land. Captain Jones sent out crew in two boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital for care and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Zaccheus Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, several samples of wood and a medal for bravery, awarded to Nelson Johnson, a crew member of the S.S. Dawn by the U.S. President, for the rescue of the crew. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. A Mr G.W. Black has in his possession a medal and a purse that were awarded to his father, another Dawn crew member who was part of the rescue team. The medal is inscribed and named “To John Black ….” (from “Shipwrecks” by Margaret E. Mackenzie, 3rd edition, published 1964). The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. Nelson Johnson, recipient of the medal for bravery, married Elizabeth Howard in 1881 and they had 10 children. They lived in South Melbourne, Victoria. Nelson died in 1922 in Fitzroy Victoria, age 66. In 1895 the owners of the S.S. Dawn, the Portland and Belfast Steam Navigation Co., wound up and sold out to the Belfast Company who took over the Dawn for one year before selling her to Howard Smith. She was condemned and sunk in Suva in 1928. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn".The wood (timber) sample is listed on the Collections Australia Database, Heritage Victoria, number 239 00010 A “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) Wood sample from the wreck of the ship Eric the Red. Oblong shaped, full of sea worm (Teredo worm) holes. The wood is dark in colour and is very light in weight. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwreck-artefact, eric-the-red, zaccheus-allen, sewall, 1880, melbourne-exhibition, cape-otway, otway-reef, wood-sample, s.s.-dawn

CONCERT AT ELTHAM. (1902, June 20). Mercury and Weekly Courier (Vic. : 1878 - 1903), p. 3. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58580761 NEW PUBLIC HALL AT ELTHAM. (1921, December 2). Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate (Vic. : 1917 - 1922), p. 3 (MORNING.). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57640472 ELTHAM HALL (1924, February 22). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 3 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56656807 THE Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser AND Diamond Creek Valley Advocate (1925, February 6). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 2 (AFTERNOON). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56658074 ELTHAM PUBLIC HALL. (1927, January 21). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 3 (AFTERNOON.). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57754280 ELTHAM. (1927, January 28). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 3 (AFTERNOON.). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57754308 ELTHAM. (1929, February 15). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 2 (AFTERNOON.). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57759218 ELTHAM PUBLIC HALL. (1929, March 1). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 3 (AFTERNOON.). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57759343 Eltham Council; Items of Interest (1951, September), Heidelberger, p1 – Eltham Public Hall Committee granted Council approval to purchase two shop frontage blocks next to shire hall. Traces the earliest history of the Eltham Public Hall in Henry Streeteltham public hall, eltham shire hall, henry street, eltham rechabite hall, arthur street