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

This rod was salvaged from the American three-masted wooden clipper ship, Eric the Red, named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red. The ship first traded in coal between America and Britain and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 its hull was re-metalled and the vessel was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 Eric the Red departed New York under the command of Captain Z Allen, with 24 crew plus two passengers. It was heading for Melbourne and then Sydney. The ship was commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 American exhibits for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The items included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, and samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Also on board was general 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 ship had been at sea for 85 days when, on 4th September 1880, it hit the Otway Reef on the southwest coast of Victoria and was quickly wrecked. Captain and crew ended up on floating parts, or in the long boat or the sea. He was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued by the steamer Dawn and later taken to Warrnambool, where they received great hospitality and care. Four men lost their lives; three crew and one passenger. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne and then returned to America. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. The salvaging ship 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 found the name of the wrecked vessel. The government steamer Victoria and a steamer S.S. Otway picked 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 onto Point Franklin. Some of the vessel's yards and portions of its masts were on shore with pieces of canvas attached, confirming that the vessel had been under sail. On shore were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. There were 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”, and kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts. Other cargo remains included croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a flywheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs, wooden clothes pegs and a ladder. There were three cases of goods meant for the Exhibition Other items salvaged from amongst the debris floating in the sea were chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and flycatchers. 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 a 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. A life belt was once on the veranda of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has several artefacts from the wreck. There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. “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)Iron rod with flat lugged washer. The rod is made of a heavy metal with encrustations and signs of rusting on the surface. It is stepped down in diameter mid-shaft and is slightly bowed on the narrower end. The narrow end flares out slightly in the last few centimetres with a burred foot and has a circular head on the wider end. The washer on the narrower end cannot move past the centre or the narrow end of the rod. The washer is a different metal from the rod and has a small lug jutting out along the circumference in one position. The rod was recovered from the wreck of the ship the Eric the Red.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, rod, iron-rod, eric the red, steamer dawn, cape otway reef, 1880, captain allen, usa pavillion, melbourne exhibition, melbourne international exhibition, captain jones, medal, united states government, pharos, a. james, flag board, steamer victoria, steamer otway, diamond oil, r w cameron and company, long and co., t s and co melbourne, a. field and son, taunton, massachusetts, ketch apollo, ship nail

This painting of the “La Bella” is associated with Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the wreck of the “La Bella”. It was painted around the 1980s by maritime artist Philip J. Gray. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The Kosnar Picture Framing and Mirrors Shop identified the "GRAY 3135, Y04/111" as their job number for the framing and said that the label "ANOTHER KOSNAR FEATURE" was last used before about 1990. About artist Philip J. Gray “Philip is one of Australia’s leading maritime artists and his meticulous research and social commentary paintings of ships, such as, the Loch Ard and Schomberg form an important part of Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.” [Dr Marion Manifold, Artist and Art Historian, 2014] Philip James Gray was born in London but has lived most of his life in Australia. He graduated from a London school of art as an illustrator, specialising in technical and scientific illustration as well as other commercial and applied art. He was also a student for a time of Fyffe Christie - British figurative artist, mural painter and humanitarian – who had a great influence on his career. Philip has always worked as a professional artist and illustrator. Many publications on maritime history have featured his work. His paintings have been released and sold all over the world as limited edition prints. The State Library of Victoria’s ‘Latrobe Collection’ holds two of his paintings. His street painting of ‘The Ashes Contest’ decorates the brick wall of Old Bakery Laneway in Sunbury and a Sunbury café owner commissioned him to paint the ‘Sunbury Pop Festival’ as a remembrance of local history. Philip has been an active member of the Sunbury Art Society in Victoria for several years, serving on the committee for some of that time and being involved in exhibitions. He enjoys helping new artists and sharing his skills and experience. About the “La Bella” The wreck of the La Bella lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour in Lady Bay. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked there but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, the company being one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. La Bella was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October 1905 the twelve year old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia . She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. Bad weather en-route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25 year old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days an unidentified body of a young person was washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later, when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan, after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy). Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked, but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ.This painting of the La Bella by Philip J. Gray is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The painting connects with other objects and artefacts associated with the wreck of the La Bella. This painting is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella” . the “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Large framed painting of the three masted barquentine "La Bella" fully rigged. Painted by Phillip J Gray. A fine printed line squares off the painting. Beneath painting and line is a gold plate with black copper plate designating "La Bella" is encased in glass, surrounded by a silver-metal frame. Yellow and brown paper label is adhered to back of painting. Picture framed by Kosnar in Melbourne."The La Bella" on gold plaque Logo of "K" inside a brown square. "GRAY 3135, Y04/111", "ANOTHER KOSNAR FEATURE" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, painting, la bella, artist phillip j gray, maritime painting, lady bay warrnambool

This navigation cart of Lady Bay and Warrnambool Harbour was originally surveyed in 1870 but this version includes the update for magnetic variation in 1893. Since the printing of the chart several annotations have been added. These include an additional stamp dated 15-8-1910, a handwritten comment across the top of the page dated August 1910, and another handwritten comment regarding the ‘Proposed Extension of Dock’ dated 19-2-1925, plus connected drawings, notes and figures. The 1925 proposal on this chart may have been a reaction to the Royal Commission of 1923, when the damaged stonework on the seaward side of the Warrnambool Breakwater, caused by the action of the sea, was the subject of enquiry. A conference between the Public Works, Water Commission and the Harbour Trust concluded that it would less costly to make repairs to prevent further damage rather than replaced the damage portion of the wall. A contract was raised in late 1924 to deposit rubble on the damaged side of the breakwater to minimise the Southern Ocean’s destructive action and work had started by August 1925. The Breakwater construction had begun in 1874 and was completed in 1890. The Victorian Government had commissioned Sir John Coode, a British harbour engineer, to present a plan to complete the Warrnambool Breakwater but his original plan was too expensive. He prepared a revised plan for a shorter structure. The construction proved to be too short to protect adequately from the weather and didn't allow enough depth for larger vessels to come into port. The decreasing trade was further affected by siltation in the bay due to the breakwater, and the completion of the railway line. The situation of the harbour became a real problem by 1910 and required continuous dredging. In 1914 the Breakwater was extended but proved to be a failure because the work began to subside and by 1920 about two thirds of the harbour was silted up. Alterations made in the 1920's increased the silting problem and by the 1940's the harbour was no longer used. More alterations were made in the 1950's and 1960's. This chart is significant for its strong connection to the maritime history of Warrnambool Harbour and Lady Bay and the Warrnambool Breakwater. The Warrnambool Breakwater is registered as a place of significance on the Victorian Heritage Database (VHR H2024). The Warrnambool Breakwater is one of the most important late 19th century maritime engineering projects in Victoria and significant in the development of Victorian coastal shipping. It is also significant for its connection with British harbour engineer, Sir John Coode. The chart is a historical record of structures existing in 1893; the Warrnambool Jetties, Warrnambool Breakwater in Lady Bay, the leading lights (lighthouses), streets, roads, bridges and many buildings. It also shows the lay of the land and seabed. Navigation Chart: Lady Bay and Warrnambool Harbour, Australia - South Coast - Victoria. Surveyed by Nav. Lieut. H.J. Stanley, R.N., 1870. Updated for Magnetic Variation, 1893. The rectangular chart is printed on heavy cream paper. Stamps are shaped rectangular, oval and round. Around the Breakwater and Jetty area are handwritten notes, dotted and joined lines, numbers and signatures, and shading of red and green. The chart shows the surrounds of Warrnambool Harbour, Lady Bay, the Breakwater and Jetty, roads, bridges and the streets in Warrnambool. It has sounding details, and angles of line from the leading lights.Stamp, rectangular, including "AUG 1910" Stamp, double oval " - - - -CHART" Stamp, hand drawn, red circle, with "B" inside Hand written note "22-8-1910 - - - - - of surveying C. Ca - - - request of 15-8-10 [initials] " Notes and lines in red pen, including a grid of sounding numbers: "1300" "1050" "1200" "Possible Extension of Dock" "19-2-25" "Dock Dredged to 20 Ft" Notes and lines in blue pen "Extension of Dock to accommodate vessels drawing 20 Feet" and "Light not visible south of this line" Red dots (4) with yellow highlight at both leading lights, breakwater and jettyflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, map, chart, navigation chart, plan, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, breakwater, jetty, pier, dock extension, proposed extension, vhr h2024, 1870, 1893, 1910, 1925, warrnambool town late 1800s, warrnambool streets late 1800s royal commission, 1923, public works, water commission, harbour trust, victorian harbours, sir jon coode

Ship model in glass bottle mounted on timber with presentation plaque on front of timber. Ship is 3 masted sailing ship, no sails, towing small boat, flying red flag with blue and white cross. Background includes cliffs and two lighthouses. There is an inscription of the bottom of the model.Plaque on front of timber mount "To / FLAGSTAFF HILL MARITIME MUSEUM / WARRNAMBOOL AUSTRALIA …" Inscribed on Bottom "NORSK HÅKON skib No Filo Nilsen 230" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, model ship, model ship in bottle, norwegian model ship, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

A foghorn is a device that uses sound to warn of navigational hazards like rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used with marine transport. When visual navigation aids such as lighthouses are obscured, foghorns provide an audible warning of rocky outcrops, shoals, headlands, or other dangers to shipping. An early form of fog signal was to use a bell, gong, explosive signal or firing a cannon to alert shipping. From the early 20th century an improved device called the diaphone was used in place of these other devices, The diaphone horn was based directly on the organ stop of the same name invented by Robert Hope-Jones, creator of the Wurlitzer organ. Hope-Jones' design was based on a piston that was closed only at its bottom end and had slots, perpendicular to its axis, cut through its sides, the slotted piston moved within a similarly slotted cylinder. Outside of the cylinder was a reservoir of high-pressure air. Initially, this air would be admitted behind the piston, pushing it forward. When the slots of the piston aligned with those of the cylinder, air passed into the piston, making a sound and pushing the piston back to its starting position, whence the cycle would be repeated. This method of producing a low audible sound was further developed as a fog signal by John Northey of Toronto and these diaphones were powered by compressed air produced by an electric motor or other mechanical means that admitted extremely powerful low-frequency notes. The example in the Flagstaff collection is an early cased and portable diaphone used on pleasure or sailing craft. By manually turning the crank handle air is produced and fed into valves that direct air across vibrating metal reeds to produce the required sound. in foggy weather, fog horns are used to pinpoint a vessels position and to indicate how the vessel is sailing in foggy conditions. One blast, when sailing on starboard tack and two blasts, when sailing on a port tack and three dots, when with wind is behind the vessel. Since the automation of lighthouses became common in the 1960s and 1970s, most older foghorn marine installations have been removed to avoid the need to run the complex machinery associated with them, and have been replaced with an electrically powered diaphragm or compressed air horns. The example in the collection is significant as it was used in the early 19th century for sailing vessels was important but these portable crank fog horns have also been superseded by modern electric varieties. Therefore the item has a historical connection with sailing and maritime pursuits from our past.English Rotary Norwegian Pattern nautical foghorn within a boxed pine varnished case with exposed corner dovetailing, original leather carrying strap, brass side crank, and original copper trumped horn. Card accessory with Directions for Use in both English and French.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, foghorn, maritime technology, maritime communication, marine warning signal, portable foghorn, bellows foghorn, crank handle, robert hope-jones, john northey

Ship model of coastal trader SS Casino in glass fronted case with stained wood frame. Ship has both steam and sail. Background of lighthouse on cliff, sea and sky. Ship painted green, 3 flags flying. Details (incorrect) of ship painted in white across top frame of case. The S.S. Casino was a passenger and freight steamer built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1882 for the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company of N.S.W. She weighed 425 tons gross with a length of 160.4 feet, beam of 24.1 feet and depth of 10.2 feet. She had saloon accommodation for 35 people, forecabin for 25 more people, and she carried 300 tons of cargo. While on her delivery journey on May 30th 1882 the S.S. Casino called in at the Port of Warrnambool for coal ., narrowly escaping going ashore in gale force winds due to the quick action of the pilot. At that time, still at anchor, she impressed the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company so much that they bought her immediately; she was ideal for trade in along the West Coast of Victoria. (Belfast is the original name for Port Fairy, South West Victoria. The Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company was first managed by Messers. Saltau and Osburne and after the passing of Mr. Osburne, by produce merchants Messers H. Sautau and Sons, whose had a hay and corn store and shipping agency was on the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in Warrnambool. ) The S.S. Casino became “the most famous steamer to operate in Victorian waters along the West Coast” by author Jack Loney. Captain Boyd was her first Master, followed by Captain Chapman, who stayed with her 1890 until 1924. Captain W. Robertson followed for a short term, then Captain Middleton then took command 1925 - 1932. The S.S. Casino had several mishaps during her life. One was on 3rd January 1898 when she collided with the S.S. Flinders in Apollo Bay with minor damage. Another was on 24th October 1924 when she grounded on a reef at Point Hawdon near Grey River and most of her cargo (of Christmas goods) had to be dumped into the sea. Then in February 1929 she was ‘holed’ when she struck a submerged object as she entered Lady Bay, Warrnambool. On the morning of 10th July 1932, after attempting to berth at Apollo Bay jetty in heavy seas, Captain Middleton decided to take her out into the bay and wait until the seas abated. It was not realised that the anchor used to steady her as she manoeuvred to her berth had pierced her hull. She put about and headed for the beach but sank. Captain Middleton and nine others lost their lives; nine people were rescued including the two female passengers . Captain Middleton had been in charge of the S.S. Casino for seven years. He was the first ship’s Master to lose his life through shipwreck in the West Coast trade. In the years following the turn of the century the S.S. Casino remained the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast. From 1882 she had made at least 2,500 voyages on the one run. Flagstaff Hill’s collection has a photograph of a portrait of Captain Chapman, , a ship model of the S.S. Casino that shows both forms of power under which she sailed, steam and sail. The ship is painted green and flies three flags. The inscription across the case of the ship model, incorrectly dated, tells the sad story of the wreck of the ship and the loss of lives on July 10th 1932 at Apollo Bay. A print in the Collection show S.S. Casino underway in heavy sea off Point Lonsdale, another two photographs show her at the Port of Warrnambool, leaving from the Breakwater in Lady Bay and another identifies the S.S. Casino as a ship from the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company. (Belfast is the original name for the township of Port Fairy). This ship model is significant because of its association with the coastal trader S.S. Casino 1882-1932 and its significance to trade along Victoria's West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th century. The wreck of the S.S. Casino is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and as such has been declared and protected as an Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Ship model SS Casino in glass fronted case with stained wood frame. Ship has both steam and sail. Background of lighthouse on cliff, sea and sky. Ship painted green, 3 flags flying. Details of ship painted in white across top frame of case. NOTE: Correct details for shipwreck is 10 July 1932, at Apollo BayPainted in white on wood across top of case "SS CASINO WRECKED AT APOLL BAY JUNE 10 10 LIVES LOST".flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, newcastle and hunter river steam navigation company, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, h. sautau and sons, s.s. casino, west coast trader s.s. casino, victorian coastal trader, captain boyd, captain w. robertson, captain chapman, captain middleton, apollo bay shipwreck, s.s. casino at lady bay warrnambool, ship model s.s. casino, saltau and osburne

Ship model Loch Pearl 3 masted ship in glass case with clear rigging. Has 4 flags at rear end, bow is black with white line and ship is leaning to one side because the tissue paper is damaged. Has backdrop of lighthouse and sky.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

This brass rail holder fixture would have been used to hold the end of a rail in place. There is no information as to where the fitting or rail would have been placed on the ship; sailing ships had many brass fittings. It was recovered from the wreck of the La Bella, which lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, the company being one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October, 1905, the twelve year old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia . She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. . Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25 year old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days an unidentified body of a young person was washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later, when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan, after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked, but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. As well as this letter, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and a postcard of William Ferrier with four of the survivors. This original congratulatory letter sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia demonstrates the importance attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The letter is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The letter to William Ferrier from the Australian Government acknowledges the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The letter is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it honours William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The letter connects to the postcard of William Ferrier with four of the five rescued crew, the photograph of the wreck of the La Bella and the artefact from the wreck, the rail holder. This item is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella” . the “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Brass rail holder from the wreck "La Bella". This rail holder would have been used as a fitting for the end of a rail. It is made up of two parts and looks a little like a goblet in shape. The top is a hollow spherical shape with a circular hole cut out on one side, into which the end of a round rail would fit. There are two gouge marks close to each other on one side of the hole, about one centimetre apart, at 1 and 2 o’clock position. The sphere has a hollow pipe-like stem with a screw thread turned into the outside of the lower section and the bottom of the stem has been flared out after having the base fitted. The base is round and has a mound in the centre. The edge has four evenly spaced fixture holes around its edge. The metal shows signs of pitting and has mild encrustation. The fitting of the base is loose, allowing it to swivel in a complete circle. The top of the sphere is rough and has a dent in it. Underneath the base there is verdigris; some has flaked off and reveals a bright golden colour underneath. rail holder, brass rail holder, la bella, lady bay, norway, 1893, new zealand, captain mylius, william ferrier, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

Frenzel glass section formerly used in lighthouse of Flagstaff Hillflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, frenzel, frenzel glass, lighthouse

Press metal hand-operated press base with 2 round pressing surfaces and large curved lever. Stamp is marked with "Warrnambool Harbour Board" and depicts graphic of lighthouse, boat and sun. In working condition. Has separate wooden base of rectangular shape and tall wooden box lid with key and 2 key holes.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, press, warrnambool harbour board

Accurate charts were imperative for sea farers to sail their vessels safely from one side of the world to another. The British Admiralty published many charts and updated them frequently. Specialists were employed to gather information such as depth soundings to give the navigator as many helps as possible. At regular intervals the charts had to be updated with the amount of adjustment needed to a compass to allow for magnetic variation.This chart is significant for its association with incoming and outgoin ships for trade and passengers in the late 19th century.Admiralty Chart of Port Phillip, Victoria, South Coast of Australia. It shows navigation buoys, lighthouses, tides and money other details. It was surveyed by Commander Henry L. Cox R.N. in 1864. Published by Admiralty August 19th 1865. Corrections were made by Staff Commander E.J. Stanley R.N. in 1874. The West Channel was surveyed b J.B. Mason , Engineer, in 1899. Published and cartographed in Admiralty, London, England in 1897, supervised by Capt G H Richards R N Hydrographer. Chart was updated in 1899. Sold by W D Potter Agent for Admiralty Charts 145 minorities.Printed: "Port Phillip" "Australia - South Coast, Victoria"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime-museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, chart, australia, south coast, port phillip, admiralty, 1899, navigation, cartography, cartographer

This black and white photograph of the tugboat NYORA towing the steam ship INVERNESS-SHIRE was taken between 1915, when the INVERNESS-SHIRE was dis-masted, and 9the July 1917, when NYORA tragically sank. The sailing ship INVERNESS-SHIRE was a four masted steel barque built in 1894 by Robert Duncan & Co. Limited, Glasgow, U.K. (The supervising engineer during the building was William Cumming. He accompanied every ship he’d built on their maiden voyages from UK to Melbourne.) In 1916 she was purchased by A/S Christiansand (Sven O. Stray), Kristiansand, Norway and renamed SVARTSKOG. In October 1920 she disappeared at sea, carrying a cargo of coal, and all hands were lost. The steam powered NYORA was a powerful tugboat and a salvage vessel built by J.P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK. She was originally launched with the name NEPEAN in May 1909, then as NYORA in August 1909 and registered in Melbourne in November 1909 by owners Huddart Parker Pty Ltd. She was made of steel, had triple-compounded steam engines, and her dimensions were 306 ton, 135.0 x 25.1 x 13.6ft. The Melbourne tug NYORA was known as “one of the best known tugs in Victoria, and carried the latest appliances for firefighting and salvage purposes.” She serviced the Port of Melbourne for most of her career. In July 1917 NYORA was towing the American schooner ASTORIA from Port Pirie to Sydney, because ASTORIA’s engines had broken down; she had been delivering a large cargo of timber. On July 9th the vessels were two days out from Port Pirie. At 10:30am NYORA foundered after casting off at Cape Jaffa, 50 miles south of Kingston, South Australia, and sank. Only 2 of the 16 crew survived; NYORA’s Master, Captain W.M. McBain (William Murray) and helmsman, able seaman Gordon Lansley. They were rescued by the two Cape Jaffa light keepers, Jamieson & Clark, who launched the rescue from the Cape Jaffa lighthouse on Margaret Brock Reef. Both men were brought to the lighthouse keeper’s cottage where they recuperated after their long exposure to the rough. (The Queenscliff Sentinal of 14th July 1917 noted that both saved men originated from the same district; Gordon Lansley was from Queenscliff and Captain McBain formerly from Point Lonsdale.) The ASTORIA was “in a very dangerous position ten miles west of the Margaret Brock reef near the Cape Jaffa lighthouse, setting towards the land.” Captain Solly from Beachport later said “Owing to the position … the ship was very fortunate in making Guichen Bay in safety, as she did” (Guichen Bay is south of Robe). Captain Bull, manager of Huddart Packer Pty Ltd, NYORA’s owner, was unable to see any reason for the foundering, as the NYORA was well known for its seaworthiness. At a hearing later on, the Marine Board could blame on no-one either, but found that the ship had been swamped by heavy seas, and had listed to one side when a load of 40 tons of coal in sacks on her deck shifted. The tow line to the ASTORIA was cut to try and save the tug but a huge wave swamped her, crashed open the engine room door and flooded the compartment. It was impossible to launch the lifeboats due to the listing of the sea and NYORA sank within 15 minutes. There was some criticism of the length of time it took Captain Solly and the lifeboat crew to get from Beachport to Cape Jaffa to help with the rescue. However, they had great difficulty in the very strong seas, taking 9 hours just to reach Robe, which was only 32 miles away. There they filled the tanks with ample benzene for the task ahead (impossible to do at sea at the time), took in food and brought on board the Robe Harbour Master, Mr Sneath. The Harbour Master was then able to safely pilot the lifeboat to Cape Jaffa in the smoother coastal waters, saving very much time, but by the time they arrived at Cape Jaffa the 2 survivors had already been taken to the lighthouse on the mainland. There was also a question as to the chances of the ship ASTORIA lowering a lifeboat to help with the disaster. Captain Solly explained that it would have been impossible without sacrificing the lives of the lifeboat crew , due to the great height of the ship out of the water and the roughness of the sea. Captain Svenson, of the ASTORIA, said himself “We are ourselves in a helpless position” and “"Cannot see anything of lifeboats”. One of the 14 lost crew of the NYORA was Hugh Edwards, whose body was not recovered. The descendants of Captain William McBain have continued the seafaring heritage. His son was also a tugboat captain (Captain Norman Clive McBain), working mostly from Reid Street Pier, Williamstown, who would often take his own grandson out to sea to spend time with him on his tugboat. Now that grandson has built a tugboat in memory of his heritage and spends time in it with his own grandson. The Cape Jaffa original lighthouse has been dismantled and moved to Kingston and is now a Lighthouse Museum. The attached photographs of Margaret Brock Reef, and the Cape Jaffa Lighthourse keeper's cottage (now in ruins) is courtesy of Capt. William McBain's great grandson, who visited the area in 2015. There is a model of the NYORA in Museum Victoria, donated by Huddart Packer & Co Ltd. in 1937. This photograph is significant for its association with the tugboat NYORA, that is part of the seafaring history of the Port of Melbourne and associated Victorian ports. Black and White photograph of the tugboat NYORA and steam ship INVERNESS-SHIRE. C. 1915-1917.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, historic maritime photograph, lighthouses, shipwrecks, steamships, j.p. rennoldson & sons ltd, huddart parker pty ltd, nepean, nyora, inverness-shire, astoria, captain w.m. mcbain, william cummings supervising engineer, cape jaffa lighthouse, beachport lifeboat, captain solly, captain svenson, margaret brock reef

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel glass replacement lens for a navigation side lamp of a ship. W.T.G (S) and 10x7 S.STR.ENGL.125warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

Before the introduction of electricity, lighthouses had a clockwork mechanism that caused the lens to rotate with a light source inside that was either powered by Kerosene or Colza oil. The mechanism consisted of a large weight attached by a cable through the centre of the lighthouse to the top where the cable wrapped around a barrel, drum or wheels that controlled the speed of the lights rotation by a clockwork mechanism. The keeper would crank the clockwork mechanism, which would lift the weight ready for the next cycle similar to an old grandfather clock mechanism. Once the weight lifted to its apex at the bottom of the first landing, the keeper would let it fall, which would pull on the cable, which would, in turn, operate a series of gears activating the rotation of the Fresnel optical lens, which would then rotate to create the lighthouse’s unique light speed of rotation characteristic. Creating a specific characteristic required a way to regulate the speed of the rotation, and was important as sailors could identify a particular light by its speed and time between flashes. The weight had to fall at a certain rate to create the proper rotation speed of the lens and a regulator within the mechanism accomplished this. History: From 1851, Chance Brothers became a major lighthouse engineering company, producing optical components, machinery, and other equipment for lighthouses around the world. James Timmins Chance pioneered placing lighthouse lamps inside a cage surrounded by Fresnel lenses to increase the available light output these cages, are known as optics and they revolutionised lighthouse design. Another important innovation from Chance Brothers was the introduction of rotating optics, allowing adjacent lighthouses to be distinguished from each other by the number of times per revolution the light flashes. The noted English physicist and engineer, John Hopkins invented this system while employed at Chance Brothers. Chance Brothers and Company was a glass works and originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands England. The company became a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glass making technology. The Chance family originated in Bromsgrove as farmers and craftsmen before setting up a business in Smethwick near Birmingham in 1824. They took advantage of the skilled workers, canals and many other industrial advances taking place in the West Midlands at the time. Robert Lucas Chance (1782–1865), known as 'Lucas', bought the British Crown Glass Company's works in Spon Lane in 1824. The company specialised in making crown window glass, the company ran into difficulty and its survival was guaranteed in 1832 by investment from Chance's brother, William (1788 – 1856). William owned an iron factoring business in Great Charles Street, Birmingham. After a previous partnership that Lucas had dissolved in 1836, Lucas and William Chance became partners in the business which was renamed, Chance Brothers and Company. Chance Brothers invented many innovative processes and became known as the greatest glass manufacturer in Britain. In 1848 under the supervision of Georges Bontemps, a French glass maker from Choosy-le-Roi, a new plant was set up to manufacture crown and flint glass for lighthouse optics, telescopes and cameras. Bontemps agreed to share his processes that up to then had been secret with the Chance Brothers and stayed in England to collaborate with them for six years. In 1900 a baronetcy was created for James Timmins Chance (1814–1902), a grandson of William Chance, who had started the family business in 1771 with his brother Robert. Roberts grandson, James became head of Chance Brothers until his retirement in 1889 when the company became a public company and its name changed to Chance Brothers & Co. Ltd. Additional information: Lighthouses are equipped with unique light characteristic or flashing pattern that sailors can use to identify specific lighthouses during the night. Lighthouses can achieve distinctive light characteristics in a few different ways. A lighthouse can flash, which is when brief periods of light interrupt longer moments of darkness. The light can occult, which is when brief periods of darkness interrupt longer moments of light. The light can be fixed, which is when the light never goes dark. A lighthouse can use a combination of flashing, oscillating, or being fixed in a variety of combinations and intervals to create individual light characteristics. It is a common misconception that a lighthouse's light source changes the intensity to create a light characteristic. The light source remains constant and the rotating Fresnel lens creates the various changes in appearance. Some Fresnel lenses have "bulls-eye" panels create beams of light that, when rotated between the light and the observer, make the light appear to flash. Conversely, some lenses have metal panels that, when rotated between the light and the observer, make the light appear to go dark. This Dioptric clockwork apparatus used to turn a lighthouse optical lens is very significant as it is integral to a lighthouses operation, we can also look at the social aspect of lighthouses as being traditionally rich with symbolism and conceptual meanings. Lighthouses illustrate social concepts such as danger, risk, adversity, challenge and vigilance but they also offers guidance, salvation and safety. The glowing lamp reminds sailors that security and home are well within reach, they also symbolize the way forward and help in navigating our way through rough waters not just on the oceans of the world but in our personal lives be it financial, personal, business or spiritual in nature. Nothing else speaks of safety and security in the face of adversity and challenge quite the way a lighthouse does. Revolving dioptric clockwork apparatus used to turn a Fresnel optical lighthouse lens. A cylindrical cast metal pillar and cabinet painted green with 3 glass doors enclosing the top section. Inside the pillar/cabinet is a large clockwork mechanism used to turn and regulate a lighthouse light by means of weights and a chain attached to same. One door has the name "Adams Mare" in metallic dots similar to "Braille" to the inside edge of door frame.shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, flagstaff hill, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, revolving dioptric mechanism, dioptric mechanism for lighthouse, lighthouse clockwork timing mechanism, acetylene lighthouse light mechanism, 19th century lighthouse mechanism, kerosene light, fresnel lenses, colza oil, chance brothers

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel glass replacement lens for a navigation lamp of a ship. None warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel glass replacement lens for a navigation mast headlamp of a ship. Nonewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel round glass masthead replacement lens for a navigation lamp of a ship. Nonewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel glass lens for a ships masthead navigation lamp. Nonewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

A Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use primarily in lighthouses.  Made from high-quality glass Fresnel lenses were used originally in lighthouses and later for many other applications They were later being used for automobile headlamps, brake, parking, and turn signal lenses, and many other applications. Fresnel lenses used in lighthouses were considered state of the art from the late 19th through to the middle of the 20th century. The subject item is a Fresnel replacement lens used in a ships navigation light. For lighthouses, these lenses have now been replaced with much less expensive and more durable aerobeacons, which themselves often contain plastic Fresnel lenses. The lens design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. A Fresnel lens can be made much thinner than a comparable conventional lens, in some cases taking the form of a flat sheet. The simpler dioptric (purely refractive) form of the lens was first proposed by Count Buffon and independently reinvented by Fresnel. The catadioptric form of the lens, entirely invented by Fresnel, has outer elements that use total internal reflection as well as refraction; it can capture more oblique light from a light source making the light visible from greater distances.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with a historical event, person or place, provenance is unknown, the item is a replacement for a ships navigation light and it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Fresnel glass replacement lens for a navigation side lamp of a ship. Nonewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, fresnel lens, maritime light, ships navigation light, augustin-jean fresnel, lighthouse lenses, lighthouse, navigation, warning light

This bank deposit book was used for financial deposits made between1932 and 1936. The funds were deposited into the Emergency Account of the Warrnambool Harbour Board, lodged at the Warrnambool Branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited (CBC). James Menzies, Pilot and Harbour Master from 1929, would have used this deposit book when he was appointed as Acting Secretary of the Warrnambool Harbour Board in 1932. He held this office until the Board ceased in 1936. Warrnambool’s CBC Manager during this time was L E Whitney; he was Manager from 1924 to 1939. The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited opened in 1893. On January 1, 1927 the CBC amalgamated with the Bank of Victoria. In 1981 the CBC merged with the National Bank of Australasia Limited and on January 1, 1983 the bank started using the abbreviated name of the National Australia Bank (NAB). Warrnambool Harbour Board The Warrnambool Harbour Board was constituted by Order of Council on May 29, 1928, under the Harbour Board’s Act of 1927, taking over from the Ports and Harbours Branch of the Public Works Department of Victoria. The Board was then the only body with power to manage and control the whole Port, including shipping, facilities upkeep and improvements of the port. The work it carried out involved dredging, building of port facilities and drafting of port regulations, and collecting taxes, tolls, rates and charges. The Board was officially dissolved on June 30, 1936, at which time the Public Works Department again had control. The Warrnambool Harbour Board had rented out the Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters from the 1920s until 1936, when the Board closed down. However, rentals continued with other currently unknown landlords until Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage, in stages. This financial record book is significant for its association with the historic financial records of the Warrnambool Harbour Board and relates to the maritime history of Warrnambool, in particular with the Port of Warrnambool.Warrnambool Harbour Board Emergency Account Book containing deposit receipts and blank forms for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited. Rectangular book has buff coloured card covers, white pages with pre-printed text and lines and black tape binding on left side. Inscriptions stamped on front cover, receipts and unused, pre-printed pages. Approximately half of the pages have been filled in, and the deposit slips removed, leaving the receipt end attached to the book. There are two lose receipts stapled into the book. Hand written receipts date from 21 JAN 1932 to 25 JULY 1936. Stamped "WARRNAMBOOL HARBOUR BOARD / EMERGENCY ACCOUNT" "WARRNAMBOOL VIC" "EMERGENCY ACCOUNT / WARRNAMBOOL HARBOUR BOARD" Also, each receipt has the bank's stamp with its details and the date on it. Hand written details are on each completed receipt.warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, warrnambool harbour board, emergency account, commercial banking company os sydney ltd, bank deposit book, financial record, financial management, stationery, deposit book, public works department, ports and harbours, commercial banking company of sydney ltd., james menzies, harbour master, l e whitney, cbc manager warrnambool, harbour board act, port of warrnambool, warrnambool harbour, lady bay, harbour pilot

This butter or cheese knife is a decorative example of electroplated cutlery that had become an affordable alternative to more expensive silver cutlery in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The knife has stamp marks in the back of its handle that are a combination of letters and symbols used by British silversmiths to identify their workmanship. The design and type of this knife was not normally used by everyday people but rather those of a higher social class with time and money to have a particular decorative knife to serve butter or cheese. The marks on the handle tell that it was made of nickel silver, and electroplated with superior quality Stirling silver. The Barker Brothers of Birmingham made the knife between 1885 and 1907, but most likely before 1895. It was made for the British, or British colonial, people, connected with a government department such as the navy or defence. This story may be slightly inaccurate, as some silversmiths added extra ‘pseudo marks’ to their wares to disguise the quality. THE MARKS and their meaning – - ‘A1’ The silver used in electroplating this knife was the highest level, ‘superior quality’, measured in grams of silver per table spoon or table fork, with ‘A1’ being 2 2/3 grams, and ‘D’ being 0 1/2 grams of silver. - ‘BB’ The Baker Brothers used these initials from 1885 to 1907. - ‘[crown symbol]’ – This symbol is used for Sterling silver but this knife is a metal alloy. The crown is also the town mark of Sheffield (appointed by the Sheffield Assay Office) but this knife was made in Birmingham, which has the town mark of an anchor. The Barker Brothers may have added the crown mark to this electroplated silverware as a ‘pseudo hallmark’, leading the buyer to think that it was actual Sterling silver. The use of pseudo hallmarks by electroplaters of the Victorian era was common practice but it was illegal. In 1895 the unlawful practice was seen as imitating the Sheffield Silver Mark and the law was firmly applied to eradicate the deception, so items with this mark probably date before 1895. - [EPNS] Electro Plated Nickel Silver, called nickel silver or German silver, is a metal alloy that usually combines copper, nickel and zinc (60 percent copper, 20 percent nickel, 20 percent zinc). It has a silver-white appearance and is sometimes referred to as ‘white ware’. It does not contain any silver but is often used as a base for electroplating, when the item is covered with a thin layer of silver to give it the polished appearance of pure silver. It became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century as an affordable substitute for sterling silver. - Broad Arrow - an official stamp that indicates it was once the property of Britain government, either in Britain or one of its colonies, and used in the defence force. In Great Britain, from an 1875 government act, it was, and still, is a crime to forge or wrongfully use, the broad arrow symbol. The BARKER BROTHERS of Birmingham - Barker Brothers were one of the earlies firms of Birmingham silversmiths, established in 1801 by Mary Barker. They became Barker & Creed, then William and Matthias Barker, then from 1885 they were the Barker Brothers. They were operating in Paradise Street in 1871 until in 1903 they moved to Unity Works, Constitution Hill, in Birmingham. The firm also had a showroom at 292 High Holborn, London, from the early 1900s to the 1980s. In 1907 the firm became Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd, then in the 1960s they merged with Ellis & Co, becoming Barker Ellis Silver Co. Ltd. In 1979 they were registered in USA as Ellis & Co., Barker Ellis, and Ellis Barker. The business went into administration in 1992, after almost 200 years of production. The firm advertised as specialists in electroplating, and used the trademarks BRITANOID, UNITY PLATE and THE HYGENIA.This knife is historically significant, dated from 1885 to 1907 but most likely pre-1895, and made by the longstanding Birmingham silversmiths, the Barker Brothers, established in 1801. The knife is an example of decorative flatware used by people of ’class’. It also has the broad arrow stamp, connecting it to the British government, in particular the ordinance department. The stamp also connects it to other items in our collection with that stamp. It may have been connected to pre-Federation government organisations and officials such as the army Garrison, government naval vessel, police, lighthouse keepers, harbour masters. The knife is the only example of its kind in our collection, being a decorative silver butter or cheese knife, made by the Barker Brothers of Birmingham. Butter knife, or cheese knife, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS). Upper blade edge has decorative shape and engraved motifs, lower blade edge is bevelled to a cutting edge, and narrow plain handle flares out to a wide, rounded end. Maker’s marks are stamped on the reverse. Made by Barker Brothers of Birmingham in the late-19th century. Stamps: “flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, butter knife, cheese knife, electroplate, electro plate, nickel silver, nickel alloy, alloy composition, copper nickel zinc, german silver, epns, barker brothers, birmingham, london, silversmiths, victorian era, 19th century, a1, bb, crown inside square, broad arrow, flatware, tableware, cutlery, cutler, dining utensils, eating utensils, superior quality, pseudo hallmark, stirling silver, silver-white metal, mary barker, barker & creed, william barker, matthias barker, barker brothers silversmiths, barker ellis silver co, ellis & co, barker ellis, ellis barker, britanoid, unity plate, the hygenia, british, colonial, government use, defence department use, naval use, knife, serving knife

Warrnambool Harbour Board The Warrnambool Harbour Board was constituted by Oder of Council in 1928 under the Harbour Board’s Act of 1927. The Board was made up had 7 members 1 from the Government in Council, 3 from the City Council and 3 from the Shire of Victoria. After the functions of the lighthouse keepers ceased, the Lady Bay Assistant Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters, on the western side of the building, wererented out to the public as living quarters.The book is significant for its connection with the Heritage Listed Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. It is also connected to the community of Warrnambool, and to the Warrnambool Harbour Board.Hard covered ledger book with bound pages and hand written entries. Grey cloth covered back and front covers with spine and corners reinforced with light brown fabric. Book was labelled and printed for use as the Warrnambool Harbour Board Rent Register . Hard covered bound ledger book with hand written entries dated October 1930 to 1936 Rent paid on the Western side of the building previously used as the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers Cottage.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, warrnambool harbour board rent register, lady bay lighthouse complex, lady bay lighthouse keeper's quarters, lighthouse keeper's quarters, assistant lighthouse keeper's quarters, assistant lighthouse keeper, rent paid, record book, rent book, rent register, warrnambool harbour board

This bundel of twenty pages of meteorological observations covers the period between March 1947 and April 1948 but there are some gaps. The bundle includes handwritten records on pre-printed forms from the Commonwealth Government and brief records on plain paper. There are calculations for monthly totals of information such as rainfall, and there are some comparisons between the years. One of the forms has handwriting in three directions, which is quite unusual. Readings were recorded daily for barometer, temperature and wind. There was also a section for comments on Exceptional Phenomena such as storms and fog. . It was one of the many duties of the Lighthouse Keeper or his Assistant to keep these records and make the mathematical calculations required by the Government. Information gathered from Lighthouse Keepers' letters tells of the large amount of time taken for this detailed work and the lack of payment made for such a responsibility. The quite detailed record for May, June and July 1947 were signed by C Carrington, Harbour Master for Warrnambool. Captain Carrington was responsible to the Harborus Board. He was responsibilite for the fortnightly training of the Warrnambool Lifeboat Crew on the practice of lifesaving and using the Rocket Rescue equipment. These Meteorological Observations are an important accurate record of the local weather since the late 1899s. They are part of Flagstaff Hill's Meteorological Observations collection of over seventy record books dating from the late 19th century. The collected information gives a picture of the weather patterns for the months and seasons, which then allows for warnings of events out of the normal or extreme, such as forecasting floods or droughts.Meteorological Observations for Warrnambool March 1947 to May 1948. A bundle of unbound sheets of paper joined at the top left corner with a metal fastener. The pages are ordered from most recent on top to the oldest on bottom. The older records are on pre-printed forms and include many handwritten details. The more recent records are handwritten on plain paper. There is a line for each day of the month and lines for calculations at the bottom of the page. The handwritten Information includes readings for Barometer, Temperature, Wind and Rain. Printed: "COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA METEROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS / Division No. 5, Vic. "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, meteorological observations, weather records, meteorology, barometer readings, temperature records, barometer records, wind records, rain records, commonwealth of australia, division 5, weather measurement, weather forecast, weather history, carrington, harbour master

Colour photograph of Flagstaff Hill at night. warrnambool, flagstaff hill, lighthouse, night

Vision Australia Foundation staff and clients were asked to make a square representing their base, which would be sewn together to represent the multi-faceted nature of the organisation. Unfortunately the patchwork wall hanging incorporating them was not made, however these squares were sent in: Warragul - sun and sunshine, clouds and water, a house on a hill with flowers around it, trees, water, people, a cow on a green hill that has daffodils and Pindari sewed upon it. Ballarat - Kelaston sown in same lettering as Ballarat, large fabric flowers with button centres, a mine head, a person panhandling, a person with a pickaxe. Warrnambool - sun and clouds over a seaside, a boat and whales in the water, a large fir tree and lighthouse. Hamilton - thick plaited stalks with fabric leaves and yellow pom poms as wattle. Digital imagevision australia foundation

This letter of sympathy is written to the widow of William Ferrier who rescued Captain Mylius and another seaman from the shipwreck, La Bella, at Warrnambool. Leonard Robertson, from Auckland, was II Mate of the La Bella. The letter was written from the Marine Dept. Queensland. Many newspaper accounts narrate the rescue and evidence given at the Marine Court of Inquiry. A book "Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella"/Jack Churchouse was printed. William Ferrier was born in Warrnambool and it is reported that he was a member of the lifeboat crew and served some years in the lighthouse service. During the La Bella rescue Ferrier used his dinghy, as he was an experienced fisherman of 25 years old. Ferrier, moved to Queenscliff at some stage and died at the Geelong hospital after having a seizure at sea. Ferrier's 15 years old son was having his birthday and fishing with him at the time. He was survived by his widow and 13 children. Otto Bayer who had informed Robertson of Ferrier's death was a crew member of the lifeboat. The site of the La Bella wreck lies in Lady Bay Warrnambool, at La Bella Reef - named after the fact. Transcript: Marine Dept Queensland 5.1.38 Dear Mrs Ferrier, Please accept my Sincerest Sympathy with you and your family in the loss of your husband. Mr. Otto Bayer advised me of the sad news and as I was II Mate of the La Bella when she was lost at Warrnambool I feel that I should write this short note and express my deep feelings in your loss. It is now 32 years since the wreck of which your husband was the hero. It is sad to think that we are all fading away and looking back I can see Bill Ferrier out in his boat at the La Bella it brings it all back to my mind as I write. A good man, and sailorman, is gone but never forgotten. Again expressing my deepest sympathy to you all Believe me, Yours Sincerely Leonard Robertson.This item is of historical significance in relation to the La Bella shipwreck as it is written and signed by a survivor and witness of the rescue. It is a single letter to the wife of the hero William 'Bill' Ferrier. The Ferrier family have a long social history with Warrnambool and Ferrier Drive is named in honour of the hero. The letter front is written on a lined and yellowed paper that has been repaired. The repair runs from top to bottom and has been done with cello tape. A small repair runs across the middle a couple of centimetres from the top and for approximately four centimetres down the middle. There are some small tears to the edges, particularly on fold creases. There are small brown age spots to peripheral areas. This is a sympathy letter from Leonard Robertson, II Mate and survivor of the La Bella to the widow of William (Bill) Ferrier rescue hero on his death. Inscribed in blue ink: "OWNER. G. FERRIER / LOANED. TO. BE / PHOTOGRAPHED / 27/4/76"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, la bella, william ferrier, bill ferrier, lady bay, 1905, 10th november 1905, 11th november 1905, parliament of the commonwealth, prime minister, australian government, new zealand, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, leonard robertson, rescue, frank ferrier, la bella reef, otto bayer

This medallion was awarded to Mirth Marfell for swimming. The award was given to students in Victorian schools for advanced prowess in swimming and lifesaving. Mirth Marfell was a student at Warrnambool High School in 1935 when she received the medallion. Warrnambool High School was established as an Agricultural High School in 1907 and, after a merger with Warrnambool North Technical School, it is known today as Warrnamboool College. Mirth Marfell, the daughter of Henry and Helena Marfell, was born in Warrnambool in 1919. Her grandfather, John Marfell, a Warrnambool hay and corn dealer and miller connected to the Warrnambool Co-operative Milling Company, was prominent in community and civic affairs in the town. Mirth Marfell completed her nursing training at the Warrnambool Base Hospital and served in the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War Two for five years. She then became the first Australian nursing organizer for the Victorian Royal College of Nursing. This medallion is of interest, firstly as an example of the medallion given to students for swimming achievements in the 1930s in Victorian schools and secondly because it was awarded to Mirth Marfell, a Warrnambool person who had a distinguished nursing career.Circular metal medallion . Obverse features raised semi naked figure holding a cloth across the lower torso with one hand and a palm like branch in the other hand, an oval shield with text and decorative sprays of leaves. The reverse features the back of a naked female figure with long hair and a trident holding the hand of a child half immersed in the sea, another child"s head is raised above the sea. A lighthouse is featured on the distant shore. MIRTH MARFELL 1933. 34 on rim EDUCATION DEPARTMENT VICTORIA SWIMMING AND LIFE SAVINGmirth marfell, warrnambool co-operative milling company, australian army nursing service, history of warrnambool

These labels come from the pharmacy business of R.F.Kennedy who sold Lectar Company products and used a lighthouse image as his logo. Richard Kennedy (1826-1903), a wholesale, retail and manufacturing chemist in Timor Street, came to Warrnambool in 1880 and had what was described in the ‘Cyclopedia of Victoria’ as ‘the largest and best-appointed pharmacy in Victoria’. Kennedy was the Vice-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, on the Pharmacy Board and was prominent in community affairs n Warrnambool. He also made local perfumes with many varieties named after people or events of the time – Nellie Melba, Federation etc. His pharmacy building in Timor Street and his house in Canterbury Road (“Ivanhoe”) still stand today.These labels are of some interest as they are associated with the Warrnambool business of the chemist, R.F.Kennedy. This business was the most important historically of all the Warrnambool chemists. .1, .2 Paper with a decorative order, images in gold and black of grapes, flowers and a lighthouse and black printing .3 As .1 above .4,.5 Paper with a gold border, images of grape vines in gold and blue printing .1,.2 Vinegar manufactured by the Lectar Company .3 Lemon Syrup manufactured by the Lectar Company .4,.5 Vinegar manufactured by the Lectar Company