Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts.Fire tool used before the introduction of RakehoesRakut - Fire Rake and cutting toolGreen and red coloured handle and 020 marking indicated which FCV District the tool belonged tobushfire

Pulpwood was often split by hand or with black powder splitting guns into more manageable sizes and cut into 8 foot lengths (or billets). Billets were first stacked endwise to drain the sap and lighten the load before they were loaded by hand onto flat bed trucks for transport to the mills. This long length metal hook was used to pull and manoeuvre the pulpwood billets onto the truck. The advent of excavators in logging operations in the 1970s led to the loading and carting pulpwood in long tree lengths.Long steel tool with handle on one end and hook on the other.

This spinning wheel originates from New Zealand; however, it has no distinguishing features relating to its creator such as an inscription, so its exact maker is not known. Gill Stange remembers buying the wheel on Bridge Road in Richmond, approximately 30 years ago. Gill had joined her local Spinners and Weavers Guild after the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. She was a then resident of Mount Macedon and lost everything in the fires. Moving to Melbourne to get away from the scene of much pain, Gill was also in need of a new hobby to help occupy her mind. That is when spinning and weaving entered her life. The local Spinners and Weavers Guild was a great support network for her and with their recommendation, she purchased her own spinning wheel. Her passion was started, and the wheel was to become a treasured item in Gill’s home. She had several spinning wheels within her possession over the years, however, this wheel was her first and always her favourite. When the time came for Gill to downsize, there was simply no longer room for her spinning wheel. This is when she decided to donate the wheel to the National Wool Museum. Gill remembers one highlight was weaving a tablecloth from a traditional German design. It took her two years to complete, with Gill spinning all the wool herself on this wheel. The tablecloth won the first prize in the Melbourne Show in 1987. Gill also used the wheel to teach programs to school children on how to spin and knit wool. She would take the easily transported little wheel, and its accompanying seat, with her to schools. Its small size enabled her to teach children to knit and spin, bringing others the joy that spinning had brought her. Not just limited to schools, Gill also taught programs with the wheel here at the National Wool Museum. It is a fitting home for the wheel, which Gill donated to the National Wool Museum in 2021.Dark varnished wood in a Castle style spinning wheel. The wheel has 8 small spokes which meet a thick outside rim. The outside rim has four golden disc weights on the bottom edge, to aid in the turning of the wheel. The spinning wheel has four legs of turned wood giving a sculptural form, a design pattern which is continued throughout. The wheel has a single medium sized foot pedal. This pedal is well worn with varnish missing from years of use. The wheel is completed with its accompanying chair. Made of the same dark varnished wood, its legs are also of turned wood, continuing the design pattern and uniting the two objects. The chair is very simple outside of the legs, with a medium size base and a thin backrest ending in a rounded head. The chair’s varnish is also starting to fade from years of use. The chair is small, designed to keep the spinning wheel operator at the appropriate height when spinning on the equally small and compact Castle style spinning wheel. Additional parts were donated with the Spinning Wheel. - 3 x Lazy Kates - Spare Maiden. - 450mm Niddy Noddy - Steel teeth brushspinning wool, spinning wheel, ash wednesday, mount macedon, textile production

This Remington No.12 typewriter is of the typebar, front-strike class. It was made by the Remington Typewriter Company of Ilion, New York, U.S.A. in about 1925. The Model No. 12 was introduced in 1922 and was one of the first 'visible writer' machines, in which the typed characters were visible to the operator. Previous models were of the upstrike class in which the characters were typed on the underside of the platen. To see what had been typed the operator had to raise the platen, meaning the typist was typing blind much of the time. This machine was used by Margaret Ganly née Burn in the 1930s. It was purchased for her by one of the sons of William Pride, a famous saddle maker in Geelong, William was Margaret’s grandfather. The typewriter was donated with original sales receipt and servicing tools. Margaret worked at Dennys for 7 years during the 1930s. The typewriter is accompanied with a story written by Margaret about her time working at the company. Margret married Jack Ganly, a fellow employee of Dennys. The Ganly name was well known within Dennys, with three generations of the Ganly family working at the company. WORKING CONDITIONS & OFFICE WORK DUTIES. Written by Margaret Burn in 2021. Worked at Dennys Lascelles in the 1930s. In the 1930s coming out of the Depression, jobs were hard to come by and had to be clung to by efficiency and subserviency. There was no union to protect workers – bosses could be tough and rough. Dennys Lascelles revolved around fortnightly wool sales in the “season” – September to May. Sale day was always a day of suppressed excitement. Preparation from a clerical point of view was complete and we now awaited the aftermath of the actual wool auction. The building teemed with people. There were country people down to see their wool sold, buyers of many nationalities, or from the big cities, who were coming in and out of the building all day. Their role was to inspect the acres of wool bales displayed on the show floors; however, caterers were present to feed clients, and there was plenty of social interactions on top of business. The office staff did not go home but waited until the first figures came back from the wool sales and the machines went in to action, both human and mechanical, preparing the invoices for the buyers’ firms. This comprised of lists of lot numbers, weights, prices per lb., and the total prices paid. A lot of this was done by old-school typewriters, making this work a big, heavy, tiring job. Before the finished lists could be dispatched, they were collated on an “abstract”. The lists had to balance with the catalogue from which the invoices had been prepared. This never happened automatically. All the paperwork had to be split up amongst pairs of workers and checked until discrepancies were found. This would happen until midnight but occasionally went until 2 or 3 am. Once complete, the invoices could then be rushed off to the buyers’ firms usually in Melbourne, and hire cars took the staff home. It was back on the job the next morning, usually around 8.30. The office hours varied according to the size of the sale and work involved. Some days started as early as 8 and could finish around 5.30. The second phase of work began with the account sales to be prepared for the sellers of the wool. These detailed all the weights, descriptions of wool, brands, and prices. One Sales account could have multitudes of lot numbers, all needing to be individually described. Various charges needed to be deducted such as finance for woolpacks, extra stock, or farmers who were given a loan to live on during the season. Details of how payment was to be made was also noted, whether the seller was to be paid by cheque, to a bank, or credited to their account with the company (which often left the seller still in debt). For a couple of months in the winter, things were quieter when staff took holidays and were sometimes given afternoons off. But there were still weekly skin sales and stock sales around the state. The annual end of June figures to be prepared for a big company like Dennys with branches all around the state also kept the staff busy. In good years there was sometimes a bonus. On sale days there was a bar open for the clients and wool buyers. This added to the excitement for the young girls, who were strictly barred from using it, but somehow managed to sneak a gin and tonic. This is how I had my first ever, before the evening meal. There was also the romantic notion in some minds, with all the influx of males, that some of us might end up on a wealthy station, or be noticed by an exotic buyer. To my knowledge, this never happened at Dennys Lascelles Limited. Group staff photo at Dennys Lascelles Limited. Margaret Burn. Age 18 or 19. Jack Ganly (Margaret’s future husband). 22.The typewriter has a black painted metal frame. The top section of the typewriter consists of a cylindrical platen on a carriage featuring plated metal fittings. A curved folding paper guide sits behind the platen and moves on the horizontal axis when the user types on the keyboard. A horizontal semicircular type basket with typebar links the top section to the lower keyboard. The ink ribbon is carried between two spools on a horizontal axis, one on each side of the type-basket. At the rear, a paper tray features gold lettering which reads ‘Remington’. At the front, a four-row QWERTY keyboard is found with 42-character keys total. 'SHIFT LOCK' and 'SHIFT KEY' are to the left of the keyboard, 'BACK SPACER' and 'SHIFT KEY' to the right. All keys are circular, white with black lettering. At the top of the keyboard are five circular red keys with the numbers 1-5 displayed behind their respective keys. A Spacebar is found along the front of the keyboard. The typewriter is accompanied by a cardboard box. This box contains the original sales receipt, on blue paper with grey lead handwriting. It also contains spare parts, a spare ribbon stretched between two spools, and cleaning tools such as brushes of differing sizes. Serial Number. Engraved. "LX45395" Gold lettering. Paper tray. “Remington” Gold Lettering. Behind keyboard. “Made in Ilion, New York, U.S.A. Gold Lettering. Mirrored both sides of type-basket. “12”remington, dennys lascelles ltd, worker conditions 1930s

Maintenance tool for Wolseley and Lister handpieces. Handpieces size 10 marked 722 and 24.Maintenance tool for Wolseley and Lister handpieces.01 722 24 24 722 0 0 10 0shearing machinery, de josselin, mr john

Maintenance tool for Wolseley and Lister handpieces. Size - standard.Ferrule pliers. Maintenance tool for Wolseley and Lister handpieces.STANDARD GERMANYshearing machinery, de josselin, mr john

Maintenance tool for Wolseley and Lister handpieces. Size is standard.Foot print wrench, steel.AHREM TOOLCO. GERMANY PATENTshearing machinery, de josselin, mr john

Mitcham resident, Adrian Pratt, has designed a pocket sized computer which enables trades people and small business people to give on-the-spot printed quotes and invoices.Mitcham resident, Adrian Pratt, has designed a pocket sized computer technology, pratt, adrian, parkhurst, ralph

From the estate of Werner Weiss of 13 Lionel Street East DoncasterSteel Stanley brand two handed wooden steel router - Stanley 71 - grooving bit fitted is 1.2cm wide. Different size bits can be installed. Height of bit can be adjusted as can the depth to which groove can be used.Stanley No.71. Patent 10-29-01 Pat 9-10-07trades, carpentry

Used by W.R. Cruickshank from 1920-1970's in Albury, at Nicholson & Smith, Watchmakers & Jewellers, Albury.A black cardboard box with slide-on top. Six, red compartments with 6 various sized punches used by watch makershorology, tools, trades, jewelling

Tools used by W.R. Cruickshank from 1920-1970's in Albury when he worked for Nicholson & Smith, Watchmakers and Jewellers.A multi-tool to cut and draw wire. Metal round nose tool with 5 sized wire holes. Handles are held with metal clamphorology, tools

Wooden block of wood with five semi-circular recessions graduated in size. Also four elongated wooden rods with round handle at top and a round shaped bottom approximately matching the holes in the block. Further wooden rod with elongated neck widening at the top with hole in top and a small pointed wooden rod with a round top. A total of 8 pieces in the set. Used for decorating leather. See sample in NA2849handcrafts, leatherworking, trades

Needle case is part of a collection of sewing tools donated by Betty McPhee.Green mottled leather wallet style case containing sewing needles of various sizes. Includes 5, 4/8, 6 rug, crewel, darners, chenille.handcrafts, equipment

Needle case is part of a collection of sewing tools donated by Betty McPhee.Plastic folder case containing needles of various sizes. Folder has floral picture on front and a green and blue leaf pattern on back.Golden Fleece| Made in Redditch, Englandhandcrafts, equipment

Part of collection of Carpenters' tools used on sailing ships from England to Australia7 metal centre bits of various sizes for drilling in wood.NA987.1 Arthur NA987.2 Marples and Sons 11/16 NA987.3 Larnshaw BRC Sheffield NA987.4 JOHN WILSON Sheffield NA987.5 1 1/4 NA987.6 W.Marples + Sons NA987.7 R.Sorby Casteeltrades, carpentry

Part of collection of carpenters' tools used on sailing ships from England to Australia14 shell bits - two different types and in differing sizesThe name Sorby, Mathieson and Ridgway are endorsed on some bits.trades, carpentry

Part of collection of carpenters' tools used on sailing ships from England to Australia8 hand made nails in various sizestrades, carpentry

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crotchet hook size 1, with cover.'Sun' Englandhandcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook, size 7ABC 7handcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook size 4 1/2. Engraving on one end.4.5handcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook - size 7.'Sun' Englandhandcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook - size 7.Ecebee Made in Englandhandcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook - size 7.'Star' Englandhandcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel Crochet hook - size 6D.D. Englandhandcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Collected by Betty McPhee as an addition to her collection of handwork toolsSteel crochet hook - size 1.ARCHER Made in England.handcrafts, equipment, crocheting or crochet work

Needles are part of a collection of sewing tools donated by Betty McPhee.Packet of crewel sewing needles - size 5/9The Flora Macdonald Needle Packet Crewel.handcrafts, equipment

Needles are part of a collection of sewing tools donated by Betty McPhee.Packet of Egg eye shaped sharp sewing needle - size 4/8. Made by Abel Morrall - Griffen Brand. Packet endorsed ' Every needle selected - over 100 years reputation.On packet No.4/8 Abel Morrall's Egg Eyed Needles.handcrafts, equipment