A 'The Superb' wooden tennis racquet, with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a fine-grooved handle with fish tail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tape, Stringtennis

A 'Superb' wooden tennis racquet, originally with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a fine-grooved handle with fish tail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tapetennis

A wooden racquet with laminated throat and shoulders, and, orange and green whipping. Decal along throat on obverse: ONWENTSIA. Inscription along throat on reverse: WILSON. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Ink, Lacquer, Glue, Leather, Stringtennis

An Eleanor Tennant, Tennant Jr. tennis racquet. Decal of Tennant trademark features on throat. Butt cover features the 'IT'S A WILSON' logo. Materials: Wood, Gut, String, Ink, Leather, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Painttennis

A TG Mustang tennis racquet with ribbon whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with quatrefoil perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Ribbon, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Vinyl, Leather, Enamel, Adhesive tapetennis

A Dunlop Maxply Fort, International Model, wooden squash racquet, with faux-whipping around shoulders and shaft, and cotton handle grip. Materials: Wood, Enamel, Nylon, Ink, Adhesive tape, Cotton, Plastic, Lacquer, Gluetennis

A Dunlop Junior Professional, wood/composite squash racquet, with string whipping around shoulders, and cotton handle grip. Materials: Wood, Composite Materials, Nylon, Ink, String, Adhesive tape, Cotton, Plastic, Lacquer, Gluetennis

A Dayton badminton racquet, with steel frame and strings, orange support strings and whipping, and fine grooved wooden handle with plastic butt cap. Materials: Metal, Paint, Wood, Lacquer, String, Ink, Plastic, Adhesive tapetennis

A Dayton badminton racquet, with steel frame and strings, orange support strings and whipping, and fine grooved wooden handle with plastic butt cap. Materials: Metal, Paint, Wood, Lacquer, String, Ink, Plastic, Adhesive tapetennis

A classic Cragin-Simplex Hornet squash racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with large floral-patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Gut, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leather, String, Inktennis

A Pretty tennis racquet with solid convex throat, and leather collars around cupper shaft and butt. Model name is impressed in cursive script across throat, on obverse. Materials: Wood, Gut, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leathertennis

A children's tennis racquet, featuring slightly lobbed head, solid convex throat, wood/cardboard laminated frame and shaft, and paper collar and end wrap. Materials: Wood, Twine, Paper, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Cardboardtennis

A Johnny Walker Mark V tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leather, Plastic, String, Enameltennis

The Loch Ard got its name from "Loch Ard" a loch that lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic. The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curle & Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen, and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead, and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold their position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Lochard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy that had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost families in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce, and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Lochard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Lochard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Lochard Gorge. Cargo and artifacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register.The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artifacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artifacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collection's objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history.Pressure gauge; round brass instrument with brass fittings: gate valve and handle. The two separate parts include a small bracket. Encrustations are on the surface. The flat side has been lacquered. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, pressure gauge, mechanical instrument

A Peck & Snyder 'The Beckman' tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, cross-hatched handle, and, a wooden butt cap. Decals of model and maker feature across throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Guttennis

A wooden flat-top tennis racquet with solid concave throat, ribbon and cloth collar, and a leather handle grip extending up the whole length of the shaft. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leather, Cloth, Ribbontennis

A Frank Sugg transitional flat-top tennis racquet with solid convex throat, ivory inlay with manufacturer's details on throat, and fine-grooved octagonal handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leather, Ink, Ivorytennis

A Thornton 'The Monarch' Special tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, cloth tape reinforced shoulders with string whipping, and fine-grooved octagonal handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leather, Cloth tape, Inktennis

A William Read & Sons Inc wooden tennis racquet . Has solid convex throat and octagonal handle with fine grooves. Manufacturer name and trademark printed across throat. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Metal, Glue, Ink, Guttennis

A wooden racquet with a convex throat. Throat of obverse features the Horsman 'centaur' trademark in black and gold. Unique for stringing arrangement and distinct 'sweet spot' at centre of racquet. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Lacquer, Leather, Cloth tapetennis

A Grenvilles 'The Varsity' wooden tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, cloth tape reinforced shoulders with string whipping, and a slightly fantailed handle butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, String, Cloth tape, Inktennis

An H.H. Co. Multnomah tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders, and cloth tape wrapped around the lower half of the fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, String, Ink, Cloth tapetennis

An unstrung Wright and Ditson transitional flat-top tennis racquet, with: solid, convex throat; and, cross-hatched handle. Inscription across throat on obverse: WRIGHT/& DITSON/BOSTON. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Paint, Inktennis

A wooden Spalding Steel King badminton racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, String, Ink, Adhesive tape, Metal, Paint, Leather, Gut, Gluetennis

A Spalding Favorite squash racquet, with painted cloth shoulder supports, string whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, String, Ink, Adhesive tape, Metal, Paint, Leather, Cloth, Guttennis

A Dayton badminton racquet, with steel frame and strings, wooden handle and lower shaft, soft leather handle grip, and black cloth butt cover. Materials: Metal, Paint, Plastic, Nylon, Leather, Ink, Cloth, Wood, Lacquertennis

A Pretty tennis racquet with solid convex throat, and leather collars around upper shaft and (originally) butt. Model name is impressed in cursive script across throat, on obverse. Materials: Wood, Gut, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leathertennis

A Wilson Tournament badminton racquet, with red plastic ribbon whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with quatrefoil perforations. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Plastic, Ink, Enamel, Adhesive tapetennis

A Yashima MiniSmash wooden racquetball racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and leather handle grip with x-formation perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Plastic, Adhesive tape, String, Paint, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A Sportsply Royal Crown Dynacane Model tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders, and leather handle grip with patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Gut, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leather, String, Enamel, Adhesive tapetennis