This trophy is one of several from the 1930s awarded as part of the Warrnambool inter-church indoor sports competitions. One of the sponsors of this competition was Fletcher Jones, the well-known clothing manufacturer. He had his head office and main factory in Warrnambool. This trophy was awarded for rope quoits. The game of quoits consists of competitors throwing four or five rings or hoops on to a raised spike some metres away. The hoops are generally made of plaited rope and the game is said to have been started or popularized by sailors on board ship. The trophy was won by the Congregational Men’s Institute (C.M.I.). A Congregational Church was opened in Liebig Street in Warrnambool in 1864 and was transferred to Henna Street in 1940. This church was sold to the Salvation Army in 1979 when the Congregational Church merged with the Methodist Church to form the Uniting Church. This cup is of interest as it is a 1930s trophy awarded by the now-defunct Inter Church Indoor Sports Association of Warrnambool. This is an electro plated nickel silver cup with two ornate side handles and a stem in a bulbous shape attached to a silver base. The cup is mounted on a Bakelite stand.‘Inter Church Indoor Sports Association Cup Won by C.M.I. Rope Quoit Champions 1934’congregational church warrnambool, inter church indoor sports association warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This trophy is one of several from the 1930s that were awarded as part of the inter-church indoor sports competitions held in Warrnambool. One of the sponsors of these competitions was Fletcher Jones, the well-known clothing manufacturer. The head office and major factory of the Fletcher Jones business were in Warrnambool. This trophy was awarded to the Congregational Men’s Institute for deck quoits. The game of quoits consists of competitors throwing four or five rings or hoops on to a raised spike some metres away. The hoops are generally made of plaited rope and the game is said to have been started or popularized by sailors on board ship. In deck quoits the raised spike is usually replaced by concentric circles drawn on the playing surface. This game became very popular on ocean liner cruises from the 1930s on. The Congregational Men’s Institute was a leading men’s activity group in Warrnambool in the 1930s. A Congregational Church was opened in Liebig Street in Warrnambool in 1864 and transferred to Henna Street in 1940. This Henna Street church was sold to the Salvation Army in 1979 when the Congregational Church merged with the Methodist Church to form the Uniting Church. This trophy is of interest as a memento of the now-defunct inter-church sporting competitions held in Warrnambool in the 1930s.This is an electro-plated nickel silver cup with two side handles, a thin stem and a silver base. The cup is mounted on a Bakelite stand. ‘I.C.I.S.A. Deck Quoits Championship Won by C.M.I. 1935’congregational church, warrnambool, inter-church sporting competitions, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This is a family history of the Evans family, some of whose members lived in Warrnambool. The book gives details of the wife and work of a pioneer settler in Warrnambool, John Russell Evans and his wife Sarah. J.R.Evans was a road contractor and builder and was connected with several early road and building projects in the mid 19th century in Warrnambool. This book is an important addition to our Research Library as it provides comprehensive information on a pioneer Warrnambool settler, John Russell Evans and his descendants. This is a hard cover book of 188 pages. The cover is grey with gold printing on the front and the spine. It has colour and black and white photographs, sketches, maps and illustrations. ‘To the Warrnambool Historical Society in appreciation of your help with our research Ros Evans’j.r.evans & family, warrnambool, warrnambool history

This ink well could have been used in a household or a business office. It would have been an attractive addition to a desk or office and served in a practical way to enclose the ink needed for writing purposes. Today the ink well has been replaced by firstly the use of fountain pens and later, after 1950, the widespread use of ballpoint pens. Although it has no known local provenance this item is retained as an interesting example of an ornamental ink well from100 years ago. This is a brown rectangular-shaped metal stand elevated from the floor by four jutting side pieces. There are two upright semi-circular side metal pieces acting as protective shields. The base of the metal stand has an open fretwork pattern with a circular hole in the middle. This contains a china ink well. It is enclosed by a hinged metal lid. The protective uprights and the metal stand also have ornamental fretwork with patterns of fronds and flowers. The ink well is a little chipped.‘Rd. No. 44197’writing aids 20th century, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

In the early 20th century there were many small machines and instruments developed to use as home cures. These included massage and vibratory instruments and those taking advantage of the growing use of electric currents in the treatment of nervous and mental health issues. This machine was used to produce a electric current to use on the human body to alleviate ailments that included nervous conditions, neuralgia, lumbago, back ache, muscle soreness and even toothache. Developments in allied health treatment saw the waning of the popularity of these kinds of medical aids by the mid 20th century.This machine is of great interest as an example of the items used by people in the late 19th and early 20th century as home cures for all sorts of ailments that afflicted people at the time.This is rectangular wooden box with a lid connected with metal hinges. The inside of the lid has a paper insert with printed material on it. The box has a metal mechanism inside and this includes a metal magnet, a pulley with a rubber belt and two round metal drums covered in dark blue felt. On the outside of the box is a metal handle that is connected to the mechanism inside. There is a metal closing catch on the outside of the box. There are also two wires on the outside of the box with one of these connected to the inside mechanism. The wires have hollow brass cylinders attached to the ends. The box is heavily stained and scuffed.‘Magneto Electric Machine for Nervous & Other Diseases’allied health in early 20th century, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This ink well could have been for household use but was more likely to have been used in an office or business. No information has been found on the name on the base – A.R. McLachlan. Ink wells began to be less used when fountain pens came into general use in the 1940s and went out of use completely when ballpoint pens became the popular writing instrument in the 1950s. This ink well is of interest as an example of the ink wells used early in the 20th century. It was probably used in an office or business building. This is a metal container with a circular base and an upright circular tube in which is inset a china ink well. The ink well is covered with a hinged metal lid and there are four round holes around the lid area. Both the lid and the base are etched with circular ridges. ‘A.R.McLachlan 1920’ office equipment, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This is a shaving mug which, together with shaving cream, hot water, a shaver with a razor blade and a razor strop, were the items used by men to shave faces and/or beards. Today these items have been replaced by the use of an electric razor or a plastic holder containing a razor blade. This item is retained as an attractive example of the mugs used by men for shaving purposes up to the 1950s and 60s. This is a white china shaving mug with a circular base, a handle, a wide-lipped opening and a top bowl with three drainage holes at the bottom. The sides of the mug have coloured painted flowers. On the base of the mug is an article from a newspaper regarding the disappearance of the shaving mug from general use (pasted on) and some handwriting, part of which is indecipherable. The handle and the rims of the mug have originally been gilt-edged. ‘Shaving Mug’ ‘This is quite an antique – used by all the 3 R….’ men’s accessories, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This souvenir dish has been made by the German firm of Alka. The name comes from the surnames of the two proprietors, Alboth and Kaiser. This type of dish was made between 1938 and 1958. Tourism has been an important industry in the Warrnambool area for over 100 years and souvenir dishes of this kind were a popular buy by the visiting tourists. The dish features a scene from the Hopkins River, a fishing and recreational area in Warrnambool since the early days of European settlement. Souvenir dishes such as this one can be sometimes found in local second hand and opportunity shops. This dish is of interest as an example of the high-quality souvenirs bought by local tourists in the Warrnambool area in the mid 20th century.This is a china dish made in a rounded-edged triangular shape. The rim is gilt-edged. In the centre of the dish is a coloured sketch/photograph of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool (Clifton Banks region). ‘Warrnambool Hopkins River’ ‘Alka Bavaria Germany’ tourism in warrnambool, hopkins river, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This comb appears to be made of some sort of bone so would date from early in the 20th century. It has fairly coarse teeth and was probably used by a woman with long thick hair. The provenance of this item is unknown but it is of interest as an example of a woman’s hair comb from times past.This is a yellow bone hair comb with 37 tapering teeth.women’s accessories, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This advertising card comes from the Warrnambool business of Swintons Pty Ltd. William and Ann Swinton migrated to Australia in 1854 and for a decade William Swinton worked as a builder and carpenter in the Warrnambool area. In 1865 he opened a store in Timor Street, Warrnambool, selling groceries, hardware, glassware and china. By 1888 the business was known as William Swinton and Sons. Branch stores were opened in Cudgee, Nullawarre, Wangoom, West Warrnambool and South Warrnambool. After William Swinton died in 1901 his son Robert became the first managing director of Swintons Pty Ltd. In 1934 the business split with George Swinton and Sons selling furnishings, clothing and glassware and Swintons Pty Ltd selling seeds, produce and hardware. Today the Swinton family still operates a furniture and bedding store in Timor Street. This card is of interest as it is a memento of the Warrnambool business of Swinton Pty Ltd. The current Swinton business in Timor Street is the oldest family business in Warrnambool and with the name Swinton associated with Timor Street businesses for over 150 years, it is amongst the oldest family businesses in Australia. This is a piece of cardboard torn in half but joined together with adhesive tape. The cardboard originally had a pink or white background but it is now very stained. The card has a red border with ornamental corners and a black and white photograph of a woman using a telephone and a young girl. The card also has dark blue printing. The card has had printing on the back but this is now covered over with a paper backing. ‘Phone 36 With Compliments from Swinton’s Pty Ltd Universal Providers Timor Street Warrnambool’ ‘Branches: Raglan Parade and at Cudgee’ ‘Grocery Drapery Ironmongery Crockery’ swintons pty ltd, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This is a pencil used by carpenters and builders and other tradesmen on site. It has been produced in a flattened shape to prevent it from rolling away. The pencil advertises a Warrnambool business, Pontings Timber and Hardware. This business was founded in 1923 by brothers Walter and Len Ponting. Three of Walter’s sons took over the business in the 1940s and today it is still operated by members of the Ponting family. The business is at 110 to 114 Kepler Street.This pencil is of interest as it advertises a prominent Warrnambool business, Pontings Timber & Hardware. This business has operated in Warrnambool for 95 years.This is a rectangular-shaped wooden pencil with a yellow coating and graphite inserted inside the wood. There is printing on both sides of the pencil. It has been sharpened at one end and part of the pencil has been used up. ‘Pontings Timber & Hardware PH 62..’ ‘Stanley Bos…’ pontings, timber & hardware, warrnambool history

Bullock teams and bullockies were common sights in Australia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bullock teams were used for the transport of heavy goods such as wool, wheat, timber, sugar cane, farm equipment, building supplies etc. and their presence and that of their colourful bullock drivers in the countryside have become part of Australia bush folklore. Bullocks were often favoured over horses as they could pull heavy loads over rough surfaces and were less expensive to maintain. As the bullock teams frequently varied in size (up to 40 bullocks have been recorded in the one team) the whip was always a very long one. This item is of considerable significance as a memento of the days (19th century and early 20th century) when bullock teams were the common form of transport for heavy goods. As in other parts of Australia, bullock teams were a feature of the area around Warrnambool and created much interest when they arrived in the smaller towns. This is a wooden stick, slightly tapered to the top, with a leather binding at the top with a small knob. Attached to the top of the stick is a whip made of plaited leather. The leather is brown and stained and slightly worn. At the end of the whip is a strip of plain leather with a knot at the end. bullocks and bullockies in the western district, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

Nails such as these were used for building purposes, probably in the construction of house and shed roofs. The jar has no significance, being a discarded household item used to contain the nails. The nails have no known local provenance but are of interest as they date back over 100 years and are retained to show the type of nails used in the past.This is a glass jar with a ridged base and a metal screw top lid. There is etched printing on one side of the jar. The jar contains many old metal nails, possibly handmade. They are mostly rectangular in shape with flattened heads. There is also at least one metal screw in the jar‘AGEE Mason Jar’antiquarian building materials, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This padlock is a heavy duty item but it is ornate enough to have been used on a large front door or other room in a household or business. The padlock is locked and there is no accompanying key. Today padlocks may still be made of metal but they are considerably more lightweight. This item is retained as an interesting example of a padlock used in the past.This is a metal padlock made in a shield shape with a raised ornamental piece of brass patterning surrounding the key mechanism. The padlock is very rusted.antiquarian household items, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This temperature gauge would have been used in the past to take the temperature of water in a pot or bath. Water temperature gauges are still in use today. Although this item has no known local provenance it is retained as an example of a household item of the past – a water temperature gauge. This is a glass temperature gauge set into a metal holder with markings on each side of the thermometer. The holder has a metal clip at the top for hanging the object on a wall or cupboard. The holder is much rusted.‘Cold, Cool, Temp, Tepid, Warm, Hot’ ‘351’ bath thermometers, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This item was originally made to put around a farm or herd animal to enable it to be identified and found if it strayed. Horses, cows, goats and oxen were the animals most commonly given neck bells in Australia as a way of identifying and finding cattle particularly in areas where prpoerties were unfenced or when droving large herds of mixed cattle. Drovers often marked these bells as a way of identifying which cattle belonged to them. Some of these bells from the 1860's onwards were imported to Australia and some were manufactured locally. The cow bell in various sizes is often still produced to sell to tourists, particularly those in Europe. Many of these souvenir bells contain some form of art work. Although this item has no known local provenance it is retained as an early example of the bells placed around animals’ necks to stop them from straying. This is a piece of metal welded to form a cover or a bell container with a bottom opening to hold a metal clapper which is held in place by a metal ring. The top has a metal handle. The bell is very rusted and stained.animal husbandry, warrnambool, history of warrnambool, cow bell

This letter book has maps, letters and plans dating from 1902 to 1905. It came from the office of John William Crawley, Junior, an engineer, architect and surveyor in private practice in Warrnambool and also the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1895 to 1935. His father, brother and son were all engineers and worked in that capacity or as Shire Secretary for the Shire of Warrnambool, with the Crawley family recording a total of 132 years of service to the Shire of Warrnambool. The Shire of Warrnambool existed from 1863 to 1994. This letter book was passed on to John Crawley’s son, Rolf, engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1935 to 1968. The letter book then came into the possession of Michael Hand who took over the private surveying business of Rolf Crawley in Warrnambool. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society acquired the letter book, along with several other Crawley ledgers, from the Michael Hand estate. This letter book is of considerable importance as it contains the letters, maps and plans produced by John William Crawley Junior, a Shire of Warrnambool engineer for 40 years. It will be useful to researchers. This is a black hard cover letter book of 505 pages, plus an alphabetical index at the back of the book. The letter book contains handwritten letters, sketch maps and plans. There is gold lettering on the spine.‘1’ ‘Invoice’ ‘Chadwick Copying Book Co. Springfield Mass.’ john william crawley, junior, warrnambool, rolf crawley, warrnambool, shire of warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This letter book has letters, plans and maps and dates from 1901 to 1908. It came from the office of John William Crawley, Junior, an engineer, architect and surveyor in private practice in Warrnambool and also the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1895 to 1935. His father, brother and son were also engineers and worked in that capacity or as the Shire Secretary for the Shire of Warrnambool, with the Crawley family recording a total of 132 years of service to the Shire. The letter book was passed on to John Crawley’s son, Rolf, engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1935 to 1968. The letter book then came into the possession of Michael Hand who took over the private surveying business of Rolf Crawley in Warrnambool. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society has acquired the letter book, one of several Crawley ledgers, from the Michael Hand estate. The Shire of Warrnambool existed from 1863 to 1994. This letter book is of considerable significance as it contains maps, plans and letters produced by John William Crawley Junior, the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool for 40 years. It will be very useful for research. This is a hard cover letter book of 717 pages. It has a black cover with brown leather binding on the cover edges and spine. The leather is worn away in places. The letter book contains an alphabetical index, handwritten letters, sketch plans and maps. There is a mauve stamp on the inside front cover. ‘3’ ‘Letter Book 1901 to 1908’ ‘Letter Book J.Wm. Crawley’ ‘Rolf L. Crawley, Civil Engineer, Drainage and Water Supply Engineer, Licensed Surveyor, Registered Architect, Warrnambool’ john william crawley junior, warrnambool, rolf crawley, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This letter book has letters, invoices, sketch maps and plans and dates from 1908 to 1910. It came from the office of John William Crawley Junior, an engineer, architect and surveyor in private practice in Warrnambool and also the official engineer of the Shire of Warrnambool from 1895 to 1935. His father, brother and son were also engineers and worked in that capacity or as the Shire Secretary for the Shire of Warrnambool, with the Crawley family members recording a total of 132 years of service to the Shire. The letter book was passed on to John Crawley’s son, Rolf, Engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1935 to 1968. The letter book then came into the possession of Michael Hand who took over the private surveying business of Rolf Crawley in Warrnambool and the Warrnambool and District Historical Society has acquired the letter book, one of several Crawley ledgers, from the Michael Hand estate. This letter book is of considerable significance as it contains maps, plans, sketches and written information on the work of John William Crawley, the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool for 40 years. This is a black-covered letter book with copies of letters and field maps and plans and an alphabetical listing at the front. Some of the letters are invoices for work carried out. The leather section of the front cover has been almost completely torn away and the binding is mended with adhesive tape. There are some torn pages. The front page has a signature and a mauve stamp. ‘Letter Book’ ‘J.Wm. Crawley (Private)’ ‘ Rolf L. Crawley, Civil Engineer, Drainage and Water Supply Engineer, Licensed Surveyor, Registered Architect, Warrnambool’ ‘4’ rolf crawley, warrnambool, john william crawley, junior, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These dinner plates were used at the Criterion Hotel in Kepler Street, Warrnambool, about the mid 1900s. The Criterion Hotel was opened in 1872 with the first licensee, John Tate. The Humm family was associated with the hotel from the 1880s to 1919 and members of the McGennan family were licensees and owners of the hotel for over 50 years in the 20th century. The hotel closed in 2008 and the building was demolished in 2013.These plates are of great interest as excellent examples of the dinner plates used at the Warrnambool Criterion Hotel in the mid 20th century. The Criterion Hotel was a Warrnambool landmark for over 130 years.These are two white vitrified china plates. One is slightly smaller than the other but they are both dinner –plate size and made for hotel use. They are circular in shape with a wide outer band and the base or body of the plates slightly recessed. The name of the hotel is printed in red on the side of the plates in an oval decorative pattern. Details of the manufacturer and supplier are printed on the bottom of the plates. There are few stains or markings on the plates, suggesting they have been little used‘Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Globe Pottery Co. Ltd. Cobridge England Vitrified’ ‘John Dynon & Sons Melbourne’criterion hotel, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These bottles came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Ralph Reeves. This factory in Koroit Street, Warrnambool was established in the 1860s as the Union Cordial Factory by John Davis and then bought by John Fletcher in 1885. Fletcher’s business continued until 1930 when it was bought by Ralph Reeves. Coming to Warrnambool about 1900 Ralph Reeves managed a Banyan Street cordial factory which had been established by John Rowley. Ralph Reeves bought a business in 1916 at Hamilton and sold it in 1929 to concentrate on the Warrnambool business. Reeves was joined by his son Reg in Warrnambool and Reg operated the business from 1946 to 1972. The trade name of Reeves was still used after Reg Reeves died and continued on for some years.These bottles are of significance as they come from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Ralph Reeves. Reeves and his son Reg operated this business for 40 years. Cordial manufacturing was an important industry in Warrnambool for over 100 years. These are five glass bottles with a rounded body, a round base and a smaller rounded neck. The tops are made of moulded glass and the stoppers are made of cork with a brown top. The name of the maker of the aerated waters is impressed into the glass on the side of the bottles.‘This bottle always remains the property of R.V. Reeves Warrnambool’ reeves bottles, reeves cordials, ralph reeves, warrnambool history

This bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Reg Reeves. This factory in Koroit Street, Warrnambool was established in the 1860s as the Union Cordial Factory by John Davis and then bought by John Fletcher in 1885. Fletcher’s business continued until 1930 when it was bought by Ralph Reeves. Coming to Warrnambool about 1900, Ralph Reeves managed a Banyan Street cordial factory which had been established by John Rowley. Ralph Reeves bought a cordial business at Hamilton in 1916 and sold it in 1929 to concentrate on his Warrnambool cordial factory. Reeves was joined by his son Reg in Warrnambool and Reg operated the business from 1946 to 1972. The trade name of Reeves was still used after Reg Reeves died and continued on for some years. This bottle is of interest as an example of the soft drinks made at the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Reg Reeves. Reg and his father Ralph operated a cordial business in Warrnambool for 40 years. Cordial manufacturing was an important industry in Warrnambool for over 100 years.This is a glass bottle with a long rounded body, a round base and a short rounded neck. The top of the bottle has a moulded glass open top and there is a cork stopper with a brown top to enable the bottle to be opened by turning. The stopper has the name of the manufacturer of the soft drink on it and there is a multi-coloured label pasted on to the side of the bottle. The name of the soft drinks manufacturer is also impressed into the glass on the side of the bottle. There are two small chips near the base of the bottle. Stopper: R.V.Reeves R.V.R. Bottle: Reeves Imitation Cordial Pineapple Artificially coloured &flavoured This food contains not more than 2 grains of sulphur dioxide to the pint R.J. Reeves Warrnambool ralph reeves, warrnambool, reg reeves, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These bottles come from the Warrnambool aerated waters business of Reg Reeves. A cordial factory was established in Koroit Street, Warrnambool by John Davis and this business was taken over in the 1880s by John Fletcher. Ralph Reeves, who had been involved in the cordial making business in Warrnambool since 1900, bought the Koroit Street business in 1931. His son Reginald John acquired the business in 1946 and was actively involved until his death in 1972. The factory continued until the 1908s. These bottles are of interest as they come from the Warrnambol aerated waters business of Reginald John Reeves. The Reeves cordial factory was prominent in Warrnambool for over 40 years. Cordial manufacturing in Warrnambool was an important industry for over 100 years. These are two clear glass bottles (one has been slightly discoloured inside from the contents). They have a rounded base with a rounded body tapering to a smaller neck. The openings at the top have a lip of moulded glass. The name of the aerated waters manufacturer is impressed into the side of the bottle. There are no stoppers.‘This bottle always remains the property of R.J.Reeves Warrnambool.’ reg reeves, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These bottles came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Charles and Frederick Flett. They were sold under the name of Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd. This business was first established in the 1920s by Joseph Lescai who had a fruit shop in Fairy Street, Warrnambool (his brother James also had a fruit shop in Liebig Street). Joseph Lescai began to make cordials and moved his business to another location in Fairy Street. His cordial business was sold to a company of local businessmen who employed a cordial maker. In the 1930sThomas Hill then purchased this business, followed by the Flett brothers’ purchase in the 1940s. Charles and Frederick Flett, the sons of William Flett, a Timor Street tinsmith, also operated their father’s plumbing business for some time. In the 1960s Frederick Flett, the surviving brother, sold the Warrnambool Cordials business to Thomas McKenzie.These bottles are of interest because they are examples of the soft drinks bottles sold by the Flett brothers in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The Warrnambool Cordials business was a prominent one in Warrnambool for many years. These are two glass bottles with a round base and body and rounded neck with a moulded glass opening at the top. The stoppers are missing. The bottles have the contents maker’s details impressed into the body of the bottle.‘Fletts Warrnambool’ ‘Net Contents 6½ fl.oz.’ ‘Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd Warrnambool’ ‘This bottle is the property of the Warrnambool Cordials Pty. Ltd. Warrnambool’ ‘39 L103’ charles and frederick flett, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This is a marble stopper bottle that came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of John Fletcher. This bottle was filled upside down so that as soon as the filling stopped the marble was forced down to seal the bottle against the rubber ring. Pressure inside the bottle would keep the marble pressed against the top of the bottle. To open the bottle the marble was pressed down where it has fallen into the neck chamber below. The marble stayed inside the bottle when it was tilted for drinking. John Fletcher worked as a young boy at Rowley’s cordial factory in Banyan Street Warrnambool. He then worked for John Davis who had established the Union Cordial Factory in Koroit Street in the 1860s. In 1885 Fletcher bought John Davis’ business and operated it until 1930. It was then bought by Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured soda water, tonic waters, lemonade, ginger ale, sarsaparilla, cordials, hop beer and hop bitters. This bottle is of some significance as an example of a marble stopper bottle and as a memento of the Warrnambool soft drinks business of John Fletcher. He was a prominent businessman in This is a mauve-coloured glass bottle known as a marble stopper bottle. The base and body are round with the top part of the body heavily indented to form a narrow opening leading to the neck. The neck is rounded and slightly tapering to the moulded round top. A green glass marble is loose in the neck section. The rubber ring at the top of the opening is missing. The details of the soda water manufacturer are embedded into the glass on the sides. ‘John Fletcher Trade Mark (crown symbol) Warrnambool’ ‘Soda Water’ ‘M’ john fletcher, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters manufacturer, John Fletcher. This factory was commenced in the mid 19th century by John Davis. As a young boy John Fletcher worked in the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool and then worked for John Davis at his Union Cordial Factory for many years. In 1885 he succeeded John Davis in this business. Fletcher’s business continued until1930 when it was bought by another soft drinks manufacturer, Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured aerated waters, soda, tonic water, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsaparilla and cordials. This bottle is of interest because it is a John Fletcher bottle and he was a prominent soft drinks manufacturer in Warrnambool for over 40 years. This is a clear glass bottle. It has a round base and a rounded body tapering in the neck to a round moulded open top. The stopper or seal is missing. The bottle has embedded lettering with details of the manufacturer of the contents.‘John Fletcher Trade Mark (crown symbol) Warrnambool’ ‘This bottle is the property of John Fletcher Warrnambool & cannot be legally used by others’ john fletcher, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of Charles and Frederick Flett, with the business known as Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd. This business had been established by Joseph Lescai in the 1920s. He had a fruit shop near the corner of Lava and Fairy Streets and then moved further north in Fairy Street. His cordial business flourished and was bought by a company of local businessmen before being sold to Thomas Hill in the 1930s. In the early 1940s Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd was purchased by Charles and Frederick Flett. Their father, William was originally a tinsmith in Timor Street and the two sons continued on his plumbing business until the 1950s as well as operating the cordial factory. In the 1960s Frederick sold the cordial business to Thomas McKenzie and it became McKenzie’s Cordials. This bottle is of interest as a memento of the Flett brothers cordial business in Warrnambool in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd was a prominent business in Warrnambool for 40 years.This is a clear glass bottle with a rounded base and a circular body tapering to a narrower neck with a moulded glass open top. The stopper or bottle top is missing. The details of the manufacture of the soft drink are impressed into the glass on the sides of the bottle.‘Fletts Warrnambool’ ‘Warrnambool Cordials Pty Ltd Warrnambool’ ‘This bottle is the property of the Warrnambool Cordials Pty. Ltd. Warrnamnbool’ charles and frederick flett, warrnambool, warrnambool cordials pty ltd, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This bottle comes from the Warrnambool aerated water factory of Reg Reeves. This factory, in Koroit Street, Warrnambool, was established in the 1860s as the Union Cordial Factory by John Davis and then bought by John Fletcher in 1885. Fletcher’s business continued until 1930 when it was bought by Ralph Reeves. Coming to Warrnambool about 1900, Ralph Reeves managed a Banyan Street, Warrnambool cordial factory which had been established by John Rowley. Ralph Reeves bought a business in 1916 at Hamilton and sold it in 1929 to concentrate on the Warrnambool business. Reeves was joined by his son Reg in Warrnambool and Reg operated the business from 1946 to 1972. The trade name of Reeves was still used after Reg Reeves died and continued on for some years. This bottle is of interest as an example of a lemonade bottle form Reeves Cordial Factory in Warrnambool. The Reeves family operated this business in Warrnambool for 40 years. Cordial manufacturing was an important industry in Warrnambool for over 100 years. This is a clear glass lemonade bottle with a round base, a rounded body and a smaller circular neck with a screw top stopper made of composite material. A metal handle is attached to the neck section and it has a coil of metal on the handle for easier handling. The stopper has the name of the manufacturer of the soft drink. ‘R.V.Reeves R.V.R.’ (twice)reeves cordial factory, warrnambool, cordial manufacturing in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

These marble stopper bottles came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of John Fletcher. A marble stopper bottle was filled upside down so that as soon as the filling stopped the marble was forced down to seal the bottle against the rubber ring. Pressure inside the bottle would keep the marble pressed against the top of the bottle. To open the bottle the marble was pressed down where it would fall into the neck of the chamber below. The marble would stay inside the chamber when the bottle was tilted up for drinking. As a young boy John Fletcher worked at the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool. He then worked in Koroit Street, Warrnambool at the Union Cordial Factory of John Davis. This factory had been established in the 1860s. In 1885 John Fletcher bought the business of John Davis and continued it on until 1930 when it was bought by Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured lemonade, tonic waters, soda water, sarsaparilla, cordials, ginger ale, hop beer and hop bitters. These bottles are of interest, firstly because they are good examples of the marble stopper bottle type of bottle, no longer in use. They are also important because they are John Fletcher bottles and he was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool for over 40 years.These are two glass bottles. They have a rounded base and body with deep indentations which give a narrowed aperture to the top of the body and the neck. The neck is round and tapering to a moulded opening at the top of the bottle. Both bottles had a round rubber ring inside the bottle, with one lodged in the bottom of the bottle. Both bottles have a green glass marble in the neck of the bottle. The name of the manufacturer of the lemonade is impressed into the body of the bottles. ‘J. Fletcher’s Aerated Waters Koroit Street Warrnambool’ ‘Lemonade’ ‘This bottle is the property of John Fletcher Warrnambool & cannot be legally used by others’ ‘A.G.M.’ john fletcher warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This bottle is called a torpedo bottle. It cannot stand up but lies on its side so that the soda contents are kept in contact with the cork. This stops the cork from shrinking and the consequent loss of pressure. The bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of John Fletcher and would have held soda. The bottle has the name of both John Davis and John Fletcher on it. John Davis established a store in Warrnambool in the mid 19th century and he also established the Union Cordial Factory in Koroit Street in the mid 1860s. John Fletcher worked at that factory for John Davis and in 1885 he bought the factory from John Davis. The Fletcher business continued until 1930. As the name of Davis is on the bottle (‘late J. Davis’) it is probable that this bottle dates from the early years of the Fletcher business. This bottle is of some considerable interest as it appears to be an early example of a John Fletcher bottle (late 19th century). Fletcher was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool for over 40 years. This is a green glass bottle, known as a torpedo bottle. It has a spherical-shaped body with a pointed curved end and a rounded neck with a round moulded top. There is no stopper. The details of the soda manufacturer are embedded into the glass on the side of the bottle. ‘John Fletcher late J. Davis Koroit St. Warrnambool’ john fletcher of warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool