The ceramic piece is one of four porcelain fragments washed up from the Loch Ard wreck near Port Campbell Victoria. These fragments resemble the foot and leg of a large bird and legend has it that another bird had drifted ashore at the same time the Loch Ard peacock. This figurine is on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and regarded as the most valuable shipwreck relic. It is believed that all four fragments could belong to another peacock or a Minton porcelain stork that had been photographed in a Home Beautiful magazine in 1928. This stork appeared to be missing a leg and foot and experts have hypothesized that the four fragments could belong to this stork, the whereabouts of which are currently unknown. History of the Loch Ard: The Loch Ard got its name from ”Loch Ard” a loch which 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, Curdle and 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, umbrella, 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 its 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 Loch Ard 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 which 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 family 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 Loch Ard 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 Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Loch Ard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts 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 in. 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 artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so 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. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Glazed ceramic fragments; two that fit together. They appear to be a leg section and green foliage.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, ceramic, porcelain, piece, fragment, ceramic bird, loch ard, shipwreck, salvage, recover, 1877, 1878, minton, shard

BHS CollectionGreen cover, maroon binding on spine, 93 pages of which 11 are used. Dates of invoices from 1911 to 1913. 'Bendigo Tailings Company, No Liability, Invoice Book" bendigo, gold mining, tailings, bendigo tailings company, invoice

Christmas 1930; Norman Arthur Woods; G.W.L GibsonPresented to future shire Secretary Norman Arthur Woods at Christmas 1930 by Shire President C.W.L GibsonGreen leatherette loose leaf book Back Page: Shire of Broadmeadows/ with compliment of season/ G.W.L Gibson / President / Xmas 1930 Book Cover: Gold embossed N.Wshire of broadmeadows, secretary, notebook, norman arthur woods, c.w.l gibson

Part of 'Woolcock Gallery Collection' Exhibited CEMA 1989.Illustration of a plant with prickly pointed leaves (holy-like) and pink flowers with thin tubular petals and yellow stamens (toothbrush-like in appearance). New leaves are at top with brown-red colouring. To mid-right of plant are two seed pods with a pink petal tube emerging from end. Mounted in double matt (faun on orange), framed under glass in gold, blue and brown wooden frame.Front: CE Woolcock (lower left) (green pencil) Back: Grevillea aquifolium (Variable Prickly Grevillea) (Sticky label, blue pen) CE Woolcock (signature)collin woolcock, botanical, woolcock collection, cema

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Bendigo the Jubilee Exhibition ran from November 1901 to May 1902. It was opened on the 13th November 1901 by the Governor General Lord Hopetoun. Also in attendance was the Prime Minister Edmund Barton. The exhibition was promoted as far away as London.Souvenir jubilee exhibition handkerchief. Cream fine linen with ''Jubilee Exhibition'' embroidered with blue cotton and ''Bendigo 1851 - 1901'' embroidered in red cotton below a scene embroidered with yellow, green, fawn and blue cotton. It has a 3.7cm border. On the back is a white tag with the numbers DI-419 fixed to the handkerchief with tape.costume accessories, male, handkerchief

Framed portrait of Howard (Pat) M. Lightfoot (1904-1991), who was the President of the Association for the Blind in 1952-1954 and 1964-1972 respectively. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Mr Lightfoot is seated, with his hands clasped, and wears a gray jacket, grey collared shirt, green woolen vest and red tie. There is a name plate attached at the base of the painting with his name and dates of appointment. Signed by the artist in the lower, right-hand corner.1 art original in gold frameMr Howard (Pat) M. Lightfoot OBE President 1952-54, 1964-72 Association for the Blindassociation for the blind, h.m. lightfoot

Olivine is mostly found on the Earth's surface in igneous rocks that are dark-coloured. It is common at divergent plate boundaries and at warm spots, such as volcanic areas. It crystalises and forms during the cooling of magma. Olivine is used in refractory sand, bricks, and gemstones. Olivine has been found on a number of meteorites, which might have originated from large asteroids or the mantle of a now-destroyed planet. This olivine crystal is thought to originate from Mount Noorat, with speculation that it could have originated from Mount Shadwell. Mount Noorat is a dormant volcano cone located in the Newer Volcanics Province of Victoria. Mount Noorat belongs to the Kirrae Wuurong people, who used the Mount as a place for meetings and gatherings prior to European settlement. Contact was first made between European settlers and the Indigenous people in 1841. The Mount has mostly been used for cattle and sheep grazing. Mount Shadwell is a well-known source of olivine and is the highest of a gathering of volcanic cones. The New Volcanic Province is located in South East Australia and covers 15000 square kilometres. It contains 400 explosive vents and small shield volcanoes. The last eruption is thought to have occurred 5000 years ago at Mount Gambier and Mount Schank. This olivine crystal has been identified as a volcanic bomb, which is a molten rock which was pushed out and ejected into the air when a volcano reupts. A rock needs to be larger than 65 mm in diameter to be classified as a volcanic bomb. This olivine volcanic bomb and its locality is historically and socially significant. The olivine was found in the Newer Volcanic Province, an area which contains over 400 dormant volcanoes. This olivine is one part of a volcanic bomb, which would have ejected when magma erupted out of a volcano. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.A solid iron-magnesium silicate mineral with shades of green and brownburke museum, beechworth, geological, geological specimen, olivine, igneous rock, volcanic, gemstones, volcanic bomb, meteorites, asteroids, plantes, mount noorat, mount shadwell, indigenous, kirrae wuurong people, newer volcanics province, victoria, european settlement, eruption

The initial partnership in a quartz crushing plant between Henry Koch, Simon Albert and Charles Wallin was dissolved in 1860 with Koch becoming the sole owner. In 1866 the crushing plant consisted of a 50 hp engine and 48 stamping heads capable of crushing 600 tons of quartz per week. By 1902 there were 72 stamps and this was by far the largest crushing plant in the area, serving many quartz mines. Henry Koch (1800-1889) was a German sailor who signed off when his ship reached Melbourne in 1851. Having heard of the gold discovery he proceeded to Bendigo where he was initially employed in puddling in the Myers Flat area. He was soon employed and then made partner in a quartz crushing plant that he became sole owner of in 1860. He was also landlord at the British and American Hotel and the Silver Mines Hotel. HE also started the Perseverance United gold claim. He married Anna Maria Theresia Heinz in 1857. In 1872 he sold the crushing plant for 75,000 pounds and took his family back to Germany. He resumed his trade as a ship builder although he maintained many Bendigo mining interests.Yellow tone photo which has some green through it photo of Kock's Pioneer Quartz Crushing Plant, Long Gully. No 31 printed at the top. The photo has a decorative frame around it. It is a N. J. Caire Photo, Sandhurst and a Casey & Wenborn's Print. Forbes & Holmes, Agents. The photo has a long two storey building with chimneys and some smaller buildings and tall mine chimneys. Printed below is Perseverance United Claim and Windmill Hill in the distance. Paper is mounted on yellow card which is mounted on dark tan card and laminated.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - koch's pioneer quartz crushing plant - long gully, n j caire, casey & wenburn, forbes & holmes, perseverence united claim, windmill hill

Ludmilla Meilerts, Oil On Board, Botanical Gardens, Circa 1970 Ludmilla Meilerts (1908 - 1997), Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, an impressive work painted with bold brushstrokes and a vivid colourful palette which typifies the artists work. ​ Born in Riga,Latvia in 1908 - After displaying an early talent for art she studied at The Latvian Academy Of Fine Arts graduating in 1940. Later that year she married Otto Meilerts, an Economist, and they moved to Stuttgart, Germany to avoid living under Soviet occupation and then emigrated to Australia in 1948 settling in Melbourne. She worked as a nurse's aid and in a clothing factory to fund the further development of her artistic career achieving considerable early success with her colourful work encompassing portraiture, florals and city and landscapes. She particularly like painting dockland scenes. She was a member of The Victorian Artists Society (VAS) and The Melbourne Society Of Woman Painters And Sculptors. ​ Major prizes include The Dunlop Prize in 1952, Gosford Art prize 1971, Camberwell 1973, VAS Purstitz Gold Medal 1982. She is represented in The State Galleries of Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and Western Australia as well as several regional Galleries.​ ​Still life of fruit and a jog. Painted in thick impasto paint, creating a very textured surface. Fruit is depicted in green, brown, apricot, pink and red. Background is abstract. Upper left background is brown, upper centre and right background is in shades of grey, blue and green, with some white. Brown wooden frame.Front: L Meilerts 70 (lower right, black paint)still life, female artists, women, women artists