English currency before decimalisation in the 1970's consisted of pounds, shillings and pence with twelve pennies to the shilling and twenty shillings to the pound.Coins ranged from farthings which were one quarter of a penny through to pennies, threepence, sixpence, shillings ,half crowns and crowns. Most coins had a variety of common names such as a " bob" for a shilling a "quid for a pound and a tanner for a sixpence. This coin is the equivalent of five shillings and is known as a crown. The text around the obverse, "Victoria Dei Gratia 1844". On the reverse the text of Reg Fid Def"Britanniar translates as Queen of Britain and defender of the faith. This coin is one of the smaller denominations.A common currency coin which has social and historical significance.Round copper coin with flat edge. The The obverse has an image of the young Victoria with text around the edge.The reverse has an image of Brittania in a chariot.Dotted edge around the inside rim of both sides.BRITTANNIAR REG FID DEFon the reverse and Victoria Dei gratia on the obverse.english penny, 1854 penny

This coin was minted in the time of Queen Victoria whose young image appears on the coin. It is a bronze coin mainly composed of copper with traces of tin and zinc. From 1825 English coins were minted in countries of the Empire where they were used as currency. In 1862 pennies would have been one of the more common denominations in circulation.A common item which is well worn and as such has historical and social significance.Round copper coin with image of woman on the obverse with letters EG. F D. The reverse side is extremely worn with only the date 1862 legible.There is a small section of dotted edge also below the date.1862warrnambool, english penny

This book is a text book for senior students used at St. Joseph’s School, Warrnambool in 1891. A Catholic School was first established in Warrnambool in Kelp Street in the 1850s and later this school became Common School Number 680 situated in Kepler Street. This school was known as St. Joseph’s School after 1876 and was re-located to Lava Street in 1935. Today St. Joseph’s Primary School is located in Botanic Road, Warrnambool. The Kepler Street school building that would have been the one Minnie Beatie attended is still existing No confirmed information has been found on Minnie Beatie but there was a Mary Beatie who was born in Warrnambool in 1875 to Michael and Margaret Beatie and this may be Minnie who owned the text book. This book is of interest as an example of a science text book used in Warrnambool in the late 19th century. It is associated specifically with St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Warrnambool and with Minnie Beatie. This is a hard cover book of 144 pages. It has a red cover with red lettering on a black background on the front cover and black lettering on the spine. Inside the front and back covers is information on other books published by Blackie and Son. There are two pages of colour illustrations and many black and white illustrations. The cover is a little stained. The inscriptions are handwritten in blue ink. ‘Minnie Beattie St Josephs School Warrnambool 1891’ st. joseph’s catholic school, warrnambool, minnie beattie, animal physiology

This book contains passages from literature for use in the teaching of Pitman’s shorthand. Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) was an English educator who invented in 1837 the shorthand system named after him. Pitman’s shorthand was the most widely used shorthand system in the 19th century and early to mid 20th century. Pupils studying commercial subjects learned Pitman’s shorthand until it was replaced in the second half of the 20th century in Victorian State schools by Dacomb’s shorthand system. No information has been found on D. Vickers.This book is of interest as an example of the type of shorthand tcxt books used early in the 20th century. It is useful for display.This is a soft cover book of 63 pages. It has a green cover with blue binding and black printing on the front cover with a printed signature of Isaac Pitman enclosed by an ornamental border. The back page has printed information about other Isaac Pitman books. The front cover has a circular black and green label pasted on. The pages are slightly detached from the binding. The inscription is handwritten in black ink and pencil.‘D.McK. Vickers’ pitman’s shorthand, history of education

This is a Latin text book for pupils studying for the Matriculation examinations in 1899 and 1900. It was used by Lizzie Stanley at the convent school in Warrnambool This school was established in 1872 and was at first known as the Convent of Mercy, Wyton and, after 1888, St. Ann’s Convent School. In 1991 it merged with the Warrrnambool Christian Brothers’ College to become Emmanuel College. Lizzie Stanley is believed to be Elizabeth Stanley, born in 1883 with her parents John Shaw and Marie Stanley. Her father, a writer, mathematician and chess player, was well-known in Warrnambool as the founder and Head Master of Warrnambool Grammar School (1879-1900). This text book has at some stage been in the collection of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and Subscription Library were established in Warrnambool in 1854 and a Free Library was operating in the Mechanics’ Institute building from the 1870s on. The Mechanics’ Institute building was demolished in 1975 and the library collection was housed in the new library opened in 1976. In 2006 the old Mechanics’ Institute library was re-housed at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warrnambool and it is not known exactly when this text book was removed from the collection. This book is of considerable interest as it has connections to Warrnambool student, Lizzie Stanley, the Warrnambool Convent school and the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library.This is a hard cover book of 162 pages. It has a blue cover with black lettering. There are two library labels pasted in, one at the front and one at the back and a library sticker on the spine. The inscription is handwritten in black ink and there are also some notes written at the back in pencil. The cover is stained and the spine is much faded. ‘Lizzie Stanley Convent Warrnambool’ The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library’ ‘Warrnambool Public Library’ lizzie stanley, warrnambool mechanics’ institute library, warrnambool public library

This book of sea stories belonged to C. Simpson of ‘Elm Bank’, Wangoom. Charles Simpson was a farmer at Wangoom in the 1860s. The township of Wangoom is about ten kilometres from Warrnambool. Charles Simpson was the brother of George Simpson of Nullawarre and William Simpson who had a drapery store in Warrnambool. The owner of the book would be a descendant of one of these early settlers. This book is of interest as it belonged to a member of the Simpson families, several of whom were early settlers in the Warrnambool district. This is a hard cover book of 424 pages. The cover is dark blue with gold lettering and gold scroll work. The book has a preface, 42 chapters of sea stories and, at the back of the book, several pages of advertisements for other books published by Ward, Lock and Co. There are many black and white sketches scattered throughout the text. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink. ‘C. Simpson, Elm Bank, Wangoom’ (3 entries) simpson families of 19th century, warrnambool and district

This book belonged to Charity Lamerton Phillips and may have belonged to her parents before her. On the inside front cover are the names of George Phillips and Jessie Kerr, giving their marriage date and the birth dates of four of their children. Charity Lamerton Phillips (1872-1942) was the daughter of George and Jessie Phillips of Nirranda and she married Frederick Bonnett and farmed in the Mepunga district. This book is of interest because of its age and because it contains family information on the Phillips family of Nirranda. Many 19th century people recorded family information in a Bible or other old book kept in the home. This is a hard cover book of 325 pages. The cover is brown leather with some sections eroded away. The spine has gold lettering. The book contains several black and white illustrations. Some of the pages are stained and torn at the edges. There are two loose sheets – an undated newspaper cutting and a notice regarding an anniversary service at the Westdown Congregational Chapel. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink. There is also pencil scribble on some pages. Inside front cover: Details of the marriage of George Phillips and Jessie Kerr and the birth dates of four of their children. charity phillips, george and jessie phillips of nirranda, history of warrnambool

This 1901 history of the Boer War is written from the British perspective and the writing is so emotionally-charged that it reads like a story from a Boys Only Annual. The owner was James Fidler, presumably the eldest son of Thomas and Fanny Fidler who arrived in Melbourne in 1849. They lived on a property called Grange in Panmure with the homestead called Maida Hill. Thomas Fidler owned butchers’ shops in Warrnambool and Panmure. James Fidler was born in 1850 and died in 1929. This book is of interest because it was owned by James Fidler whose family was a prominent one in Warrnambool and Panmure in the 19th century. The book is also useful for researching the Boer War, a conflict in which many Warrnambool and district men took an active part. This is a hard cover book of 1554 pages. There are several pages at the end listing other books published by Cassell and Company. There are 127 chapters and an index. There are many black and white illustrations and several full-page colour plates. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink. ‘James Fidler Panmure’ ‘James Fidler’ boer war, history of warrnambool, fidler family of panmure.

The handwriting of the Skilbeck inscription suggests that it is of 19th century origin so the first owner of the book may have been Richard Skilbeck, a pioneer of the Koroit district who was at Yangery Grange farm from 1866 to 1916. The name on the printed label would be that of a Skilbeck descendant. This book is of antiquarian interest and is also kept because of its connection to the Skilbeck families from the Koroit area This is a hard cover book of 357 pages. It has a green cover with black and gold decorative panels and scrolls and gold lettering. The cover is somewhat stained and the spine is a little faded. The book has 33 chapters and advertisements at the back of the book for other books by the same author. There are decorative borders and scrolls at the beginning and end of each chapter. There are several black and white full-page illustrations, all protected by tissue paper. The inscription is handwritten in black ink and a piece of paper containing a printed name and address is affixed to the first page with adhesive tape. This label appears to come from an address on a parcel or newspaper. ‘Skilbeck Yangery’ ‘18 Mr Skilbeck Southern Cross Store Warrnambool’ richard skilbeck, yangery grange, yet not i

This is a travel book written by Mary Gaunt (1861-1942). She was an Australian author who gained international recognition for her novels, travel books, magazine articles and short stories. The wife of Dr H. L. Miller, she lived in Warrnambool from 1894 to 1900 and wrote some of her novels whilst in the town, using local scenes and situations for some of her writings. Her travel books are important as she wrote about her adventures in countries such as Africa and China where she was often touring places not previously visited by a white woman unaccompanied by other Europeans. This original copy of Mary Gaunt’s book about her travels in Jamaica is significant. Not only was Mary Gaunt a noted Australian writer but she was also a resident of Warrnambool for some time and thus has her place in Warrnambool’s history. This book was sent by Mary Gaunt to her brother Clive, resident in Rangoon at the time of the book’s publication. This is a hard cover book of 258 pages. The book has a dark green cover with gold lettering on the spine. The cover is very mottled and stained. There are four black and white photographs scattered throughout the text. A signature on the first page is in black ink and a small book plate is printed on a piece of paper which is pasted into the first page. ‘Clive Gaunt Rangoon’ ‘With the Author’s Compliments’ mary gaunt, history of warrnambool, australian literature

This is a lockable metal money box. It would have been useful place to store money and small items. being metal ,it would offer some protection from moisture and pests This money box has no known local provenance but it is an interesting item and is useful for display. This is a black rectangular tin box with a hinged lid with a tin handle attached with metal clips. There is a lock but no key. The lid has a gold and yellow border pattern and gold edging on the rim of the lid but these decorations are mostly eroded away. There is a maker’s mark on the base of the tin but it is indecipherable. ‘English Made’ social history, history of warrnambool, vintage money box

This container has been used to hold writing ink for commercial purposes so it would have been used by businesses and offices of all kinds. Ink was used in conjunction with writing tools (pens, quills, blotting paper etc) prior to the widespread use after the 1950s of the ballpoint pen for most handwritten work. This container has no known local significance but it is an example of the type of container that would have been used in local businesses and offices in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It will be useful for display. This is a ceramic container, light-brown in colour and varnished. The body of the container is circular in shape with a smaller circular-shaped neck and a top opening with a lip for pouring. The container has some imperfections and protrusions and the top has some chipping. The maker’s name is on the container. ‘Angus & Co Ink Commercial’ writing tools, history of warrnambool, pottery ink bottle

This is a porridge set which probably dates from the early years of the 20th century. Porridge bowls and cups were particularly popular in Scotland at that time and would have been used in households in Australia throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. These items have no known local provenance but are of interest as an example of the household china that was in use 100 years ago and was still being used for many decades after that time. They are attractive items and will be useful for display. These two items are a large cup and saucer made of china and used for porridge. The cup has colour floral and leaf scroll decorations inside the top rim, a piece of verse extolling the farmer and surrounded by black and white patterns, including farming implements, on one side of the cup and coloured farming implements in circles with the same verses in larger circles with a colour wheat sheaf in the centre on the other side of the cup. The saucer, more in the shape of a soup bowl, has the same colour floral and leaf decorations around the rim and the same farming patterns and verses in the centre. The handle has a black and white floral decoration The maker’s mark and name are on the bottom of the cup and saucer. ‘In God is Our Trust’ ‘The Farmers Arms’ history of warrnambool, porridge bowls

This book includes "Guide to the Telephone Exchange". As the State Electricity Commission of Victoria had a telephone exchange on the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme at Mt Beauty, this book is of interest. The first telephone exchange was established in the U.S.A. in 1877. In 1912 most civilised countries had one. Improvements continued as outlined in the book explaining how they work.The State Electricity Commission of Victoria constructed the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme and communicated using a switchboard based in Mt Beauty. This book belonged Roy F. Leibig, the grandfather of a local electrician.Black hard cover book with gold embossing of title, author and emblem "The Specialists Series" on the front cover. 630 pages with some black and white diagramsInside: "W. Kerr Newmann / 89 Moreland Grove / Coburg" written in pencil "S. Dunkerton / 8 Horne St / E. Brunswick / Oct. 7th 1913" crossed out with pencil (over handwriting with pen) "R.F. Leibig / "Orama" / Stafford St / West Preston" written in inkinstructional book; technical; telephones; switchboards; telephone exchange; state electricity commission of victoria

This little bag of "whitener" additive for the washing of white clothes was manufactured in Hull in the United Kingdom mid and later 1900's. The Manufacturer, Ricketts, was one of the first manufacturers to employ women in equal proportions with males (a rarity before 1914). This product was used to improve the appearance of white fabrics. This ability to use a product that would "whiten" clothes chemically rather than the "hard boiling" of clothes was a time saver and a lot easier on the fabrics. This is a boon to rural families where time was of the essence (boiling took time). The blue coloring was introduced because the white colour perception is enhanced by the blue (fadeable and not permanent). The "washing machine industry" of the late 1900's emphasised "whitening" agents that were not so haphazard in producing blue stains, and allowed a "gentle" washing action. This item is very significant in detailing the early 1900's rural household domestic "chore" of washing white clothes to a "social" standard of cleanliness. White shirts were the mark cleanliness that those outside of the family judged the family unit by. The best clothes were worn to church on Sundays. Hard and mostly rural activities/work in the Kiewa Valley encompassing farming, crop cultivation, cattle/sheep and "field work" to do with the SEC Vic Hydro Scheme involved provided a stain prone environment. As appearances, of clothing, was on the whole not significant it was a different scenario at social and religious scenes. The ability to attain "brilliant" white shirts, dresses and bonnets by a less drastic method to that of "boiling" of clothes in vats, was a boon of that "era". The anti establishment revolt came later in the 1950's onward took longer to migrate from the cities and larger rural townships to eventually sneak into the Kiewa valley.This "blue bag" is a whitening agent wrapped in flannel or muslin, or sold ready bagged (1 ounce).It was used in the final rinse to "whiten white coloured clothes" The string was used to facilitate finger grip onto the "bag" after the wash had finished for easy removal to stop the hand and other surfaces from being stained by the blue colour residue drips.domestic and commercial laundries, starch and whitening additive, washing brightener

This book was used as a text book at Camberwell Grammar School by Jack Roper whose family lived and farmed at Mt Yorke Station, Tawonga. At the time there wasn't a local High School, the closest one being in Albury. Historical: Students studied History. Country students boarded in Melbourne for their education. Provenance: Jack Roper had a private school education. His family still live and farm in the Kiewa Valley. Comparative to his descendants' education.Blue book with embossed hard cover including cloud like patterns in a rectangular shape around the title.Inside cover - hand written: Jack Roper / Camberwell G.S. / Jack Rooper / Mt Yorke Station / Tawonga/ Via Yackandandah Also handwritten notations: Marathon 490; 130 to 136 History; 4 chapter after holidays 18 to 24; !V chapter. Also smudged ink stain.education. history. greece. jack roper. mt yorke station. tawonga. camberwell grammar school.

This book was used in Forms 1.2 and 3 by Ian Smith. It is an example of the type of English book used in the 1960s.Historical: Education in the 1960s, compared with other eras. Provenance: Ian Smith attended school in the Kiewa Valley.Red book covered with clear plastic with white writing (printed) on cover. Across top of book in faded red: ON . SPELLING . WORD STUDY . MISTAKES TO AVOID . IDIOMS . A / GRAMMAR . PUNCTUATION . SPELLING . WORD STUDY . MIST / VICES . CORRESPONDENCE . GRAMMAR . PUNCTUATION . SPEL Centre middle in white large letters: A BASIC COURSE IN / ENGLISH Across bottom quarter of book in faded red: NDENCE . GRAMMAR . PUNCTUATION . SPELLING . WORD STUDY / IDIOMS AND COMMON SAYINGS . FIGURES OF SPEECH . POETIC D / . MISTAKES TO AVOID . IDIOMS AND COMMON SAYINGS . FIGU The faded red writing continues on the back cover where the word NISBET is written originally in white but coloured with blue ink.education. english. school.

Educational book for teaching English. Appears to be old with the text very detailed. G. Cooper is from a dairy farm in the Kiewa Valley.Historical: Educational teaching of English in the past compared to the current day. Provenance: G. Cooper is from a well known farming family in the Kiewa ValleyBrown cloth hard cover. 3 straight lines embossed around the perimeter of front and back in black .Title in blackOn back of front cover: written in pen 'G. Cooper' and scribble in pencil. education. english. grammar. school. language.

This educational program was used at Mt Beauty Primary school possibly in the 1950s.Historical: Mt Beauty primary School was establish in the late 1940s as a result of an increase in the population due to the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme. Provenance: As a new school it was considered to be very modern with the latest equipment. This program can be compared to other programs used in Education.4 grey boxes which open up with a lid that is the shape of the box cut diagonally in half. The side opposite the hinge falls down as it is attached at the bottom (not the sides). Inside are a lot of pamphlets. Each topic is bound with string through 2 holes punched along the side. Each topic is numbered and of about 8 Sections which cover each area of the curriculum. eg. Topic 19 is 'Sugar' and has 14 pages. Box 1 has topics 1 to 21; Box 2 has topics 22 to 42; Box 3 has topics 43 to 63 and Box 4 has topics 64 to 84.Inside front of box in ink 'E.A. Plyton(?) On cover page: Two Years / in the / Infant School / Prepared / Under the Supervision of / Enid Blyton, N.F.U.mt beauty primary school. educational program. enid blyton. teaching infants.

Used by builders and plumbers to cut tin.Used by Alan Tyers who worked for the State Electricity Commission of Victoria on the Kiewa Hydro Scheme.Cousin's Regular Pattern. Used by builders and plumbers to cut tin. Regular pattern with straight cutting edge. Best cast steel, black finish, ground blades. 9 inch. When closed blades meet at the point. Handles meet when closed and are curved outwards."J. Cousins & Sons. Sheffield"- Inscribed on handle side of pivot on one side.tinsmith, tin snips, tool, secv, cousin's & sons

Used to weigh bulk produce in the Tawonga Store. Part of a platform scale.Historical: Imperial weights used before packaging of goods. Tawonga Store opened c1920 selling produce for the farming community of the Kiewa Valley.5 circular cast iron weights with a slot from the edge towards the centre. Each has a ridge around the circumference to enable each to fit on top of a bigger one. On the top, above the slot, the weight is embossed. The set is held together with a piece of wire about 50 cm long. The set fit on to a holder which has a circular hook for hanging and a long straight cast iron rod going through a solid half sphere which is held with a nut at the base. The half sphere has a wider circular base for weights to sit on. Used with scales (KVHS 0800 (B)) to weigh goods sold at Tawonga Store.Weights: 14 lbs; 28 lbs; 56 lbs; 1 cwt; 2 cwt.weights. scales. shop. store. tawonga store.

Women preserved fruits to make jams, jellies, marmalade, pickles by bottling and canning as part of their housework duties in the 1950's.The women whose husbands worked on the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme were not permitted to work for the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, the expectation at the time being to work at home as mothers and housewives. This book describes one of their 'duties'.Coloured paper cover showing, on the front, fruit and jars with oranges being cut and fruit cooking, on the back. The title is across the top in black and then red. The book contains 28 pages and consists of recipes with illustrations. preserving. bottling. canning. housework. women's work.

These scales were used in the Tawonga Store which opened c1920. They were used to weigh produce e.g.. flour & wheat that the farmers used on their farms and in their homes. These scales pre date packaging. Ref. Weights KVHS 0800 (A)The Tawonga Store opened c1920 and sold goods and produce to the farmers of the Kiewa Valley. The scales were a necessary item for a store as goods were sold in bulk. Large steel dirty black platform attached at the middle of the back to a red cylinder which has 2 smaller platforms coming out to the side. The top platform has a black steel lever attached and a hook to hold it down. Below this platform is a measuring rod marked 2,4 etc up to 14 on which hangs a eight. The bottom platform is to rest the unused weights. Weights ref. KVHS 0800 (A)W. & T. Avery Birminghamscales. weights. tawonga store. farm produce.

Corrector fluid was used to cover typing mistakes before retyping over it upon drying. Correction fluid became available sold with a brush and was drier and therefore quicker to use. Computers then followed with 'delete' keys to correct mistakes. History of Gestetner Company.Jan worked as a typist in the S.E.C. offices and would have used corrector fluid when typing reports etc..Small bottle with no neck and with black bakelite lid. Inside there is a bright pink liquid of 'Corrector fluid'. Cardboard box containing the bottle is lined with cardboard and is red with white writing on the top and white with black writing on the bottom. Each side of the box is written the Brand name and Directions each side in different languages. Embossed on bottle AA517 on base Embossed on bottle UC or UG on basecorrector fluid bottle; gestetner company

Litmus papers were used for medical purposes to test medical conditions.Small orange, black and white box containing six 'blue litmus test books'. Covered by clear plastic and opened at one end. One 'test book' accompanies the box.litmus papers; johnsons of hendon ltd.;

This Agers Telegraphic Primer or skeleton telegram guide contains a list of 19000 words which could be used by a business firm to send telegrams overseas in code form. The book once belonged to the Warrnambool firm Cramond and Dickson on the corner of Liebig and Timor Streets which opened a branch of their drapery business in London in 1868. By an agreement with the Reuters Telegram Company in 1899, the code word “sferalcea “ was used for the transmission of telegrams between the two shops. Messages of a general kind were set out at the back of the book: eg: the code word septicity stood for the message, “answer must be here not later than today twelve noon.” The selected words which were used by Cramond and Dickson’s have hand written entries beside the code word. These code books were used to save money and also to improve security.This book has significance on a number of levels. It has local historical significance, is well provenanced. It belonged to one of Warrnambool’s earliest and longest running businesses. The book itself, belonged to the era of early telegraphic communication and as such has wider historical significance.Black soft leather cover with gold lettering, pink inside front and back covers. 312 pages. Up to page 200 the book has words with spaces beside each word to make entries. The back section contains lists of words. Some loose pages and notes contained within the book. Typed page inside front cover from Reuters Telegram Company Limited. Ager’s Telegraphic Primer or skeleton telegram code: consisting of 19000 good telegraphic English words with appendix. Purple stamp inside front cover: Dr Ager 1 Foulden Road Stoke Newingtonwarrnambool, warrnambool history, cramond & dickson, agers telegraphic primer, agers telegraphic primer, reuters telegram company

This book mark was issued by Cramond & Dickson's store Warrnambool to honour Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The Cramond & Dickson's store was established by John Cramond and James Dickson in 1855 and closed in 1974. The first store was in Timor Street and later moved to the corner of Liebig Street and Timor Street in 1865 . They opened a branch store in Poultry Lane in London in the 1880s. Queen Victoria ruled from 1837 to 1901. This card has social significance showing the deep ties that Warrnambool people in the 19th century felt they had with Queen Victoria and the British Empire.A sheet of cream coloured paper in the shape of a book mark with scrolled edges, gold coloured writing and a coloured image of Queen Victoria on one side and the words of God Save the Queen and some musical notation on the other side . DIAMOND JUBILEE SOUVENIR 1837- 1897 With Messrs. Cramond & Dickson's Compliments cramond and dickson's store warrnambool

This book belonged to the Warrnambool solicitor, Con O’Mahony (1863-1920). In 1883, he won the University of Melbourne Bowen Prize for his essay on the Federation of the Australian colonies. His prize, ten volumes of the ‘Lives of the Chancellors’, is today in the possession of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. O’Mahony had a legal practice in Warrnambool in the Royal Chambers in Kepler Street at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was initially in a partnership with Messrs E.W. Klingender and Murray, then ,when this partnership was dissolved, he continued the business under the name of O’Mahony and later O’Mahony and Murray. He was actively involved in the management of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and was a member of the Warrnambool Hospital committee. The item here described shows O’Mahony’s interest in bridge-playing, a popular pastime at that time. This book is of some significance as it belonged to Con O’Mahony, a well-known lawyer in Warrnambool in the early 1900s. It also shows the interest in bridge-playing as a pastime during that period. This is a small hard cover book of 112 pages. It was published in 1901(eighth edition) and contains seven chapters on how to play bridge, a scoring table and an index. The last three pages are advertisements for other books on bridge. The cover is yellow with the title of the book, the author’s name and the publisher on the front cover contained within a scroll pattern with four coloured images of the four kings from a pack of cards. The back cover has a list of the British Chess Handbooks published by George Routledge & Sons Ltd. The pages have been annotated (presumably by Con O’Mahony, the Warrnambool solicitor) and some sentences and headings have been underlined.Four stamps – one of ‘May 24 1902’ and three of ‘C.O’Mahony, Solicitor, Warrnambool’.bridge-playing, con o’mahony, warrnambool