This beautiful costume was the 'going-away' dress worn by Mrs John Russell at her wedding in c.1884. It has been passed down through the Russell family and was donated by her grand-daughter Mrs David Nixon. John Russell was an early Orbost blacksmith in Orbost, and director of the Orbost Butter Factory for 50 years. He came to Orbost in c. 1890 at the invitation of another early settler, James Nixon, became a blacksmith, and later a farmer and landholder. Many of his descendants still live in the Orbost area. This full length female costume is made of moroon satin with gold velvet inserts. It has a small train at the back, scalloped folds with lace edging down the front of the skirt, and two rows of 14 buttons each down the bodice.going-away-dress 1890s-dress

This garment was made by Edith (?) Cowell (Mrs Jim Richardson, nee Cowell) and has been donated by her daughter Esma Richardson.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century.A full length white cotton night-dress with long sleeves. It has lace around the shoulders and across the chest, broderie anglais collar and cuffs. A ribbon is threaded through the lace at the neckline and cuffs. The bodice also has small pleats or pin-tucks at the front and clear buttons. Pinned to the left shoulder is a blue certificate indicating from the Bombala Exhibition Society of 1913.The certificate from the Bombala Exhibition Society indicates that Alice Cowell won first prize in the 1913 show for having made this night-dress.night-dress bombala-exhibition female-clothing

A child's doll used in the 1920s.A celluloid doll - a baby doll, with painted blue eyes and red lips and wearing an embroidered calico dress which is soiled. Its joints are held together by string. doll baby-doll celluloid-doll

Possibly 19th century white-work. A white linen tablecloth with a wide edging of white Brussels lace. linen table-cloth lace

This chair is presumed to be Ruth Richardson's chair from when she was a child. A child's rocking chair, frame of round wood and highly finished, seat and backrest of coffee coloured canvas, coiled springs are made of metal.child's-rocker spring-rocker richardson-family

Wedding stockings, c. 1920, worn by Mrs C Reynolds. A pair of cream silk stockings. The toes and tops are reinforced with cotton thread. silk-stockings female-underwear costumes-1920s wedding-stockings

Handmade white cotton pantaloons typical of underclothing from the late 19th and early 20th century.White cotton pantaloons or bloomers worn as women's underwear. A button at both sides of the waist/top. The legs are trimmed with broderie anglais lace. This item is handmade (homemade). womens-underwear

A large gas lantern with two lights, one on either side of a central hanging rod, each with a mantle. The fuel container is shaped like a ball. The lantern has a silver / metall apprearance. The glass shades which would have covered the mantles do not exisiting.gas-lantern mantle-lantern

This container could be filled with hot water and put on the floor of a train so that passengers could warm their feet by placing their feet near the container. A blanket could be put over the warmer to contain the heat. This foot warmer was used on trains. A galvanised iron container with a screwable stopper at the top and metal handles on both ends. foot-warmer metal-foot-warmer

A typewriter, made of metal, round keys and with the word "Remington" written in gold on to the front. It is capable of working with a red and black print ribbon.Remingtontypewriter remington

Used in shops and businesses in Australia prior to decimal currency being introduced in 1963.A Victor hand-operated adding machine covered in brown plastic trim. It has a lever on the right hand side which turns. Has eight columns of numbers with 1 - 11 on the right hand column and 1-9 on six columns and 1 only on one column.A gold VICTOR label on the front. adding-machine pre-decimal-currency

Possibly used in the farming industry for slashing vegetation.A large metal knife with a wooden handle. machete-knife

Used in the timber industry for trimming sleepers or shaping timber.This item is associated with the timber and sleeper-cutting industry in the Orbost Region. Timber sleepers were superceded by concrete sleepers in c. 1970s.An iron axe with a long cutting edge. The neck of the wooden handle is chipped.broad-axe sleeper-cutting timber-industry

Used in the timber and sleeper-cutting industry. Used to square sleepers. This axe was possibly used by the donor John McMahon.Used in the timber and sleeper-cutting industry in the Orbost region.Timber sleepers were superceded by concrete sleepers in c. 1970s. broad-axe sleeper-cutting timber-industry An iron axe head with a very long cutting blade and a long wooden handle. broad-axe sleeper-cutting timber-industry

Used in the timber industry for making split palings. The palings are shaped by hand with the bottom edge put onto the timber and a mallet hit onto the top of the blade. This pre-dates sawn palings. Associated with the timber and household building industry in the Orbost region.A rectangular flat iron blade attached to a wooden handle. The cutting edge of the knife is along the bottom (rather than the end as with an axe). The wooden handle appears to be made from a small tree branch.paling-knife splitting-timber

Possibly used in a shop or as a travelling set of scales for a hawker.This item is an example of an early device used for measurement.A set of hanging scales. Two copper containers are suspended one from each end of a beam. In the centre of the beam is a hanging rod to the top and a pointer at the bottom.A number of scroll designs are imprinted into the beam. scales weight-measure hanging-scales

Used to split shingles or palings from planks of wood. Used in the timber industry and building industries.A paling or shingle knife, also called a froe. The blade is iron, with the sharper edge on the bottom. It has a short wooden handle .paling-knife shingle-knife froe

A hand-operated maize planted used in the maize industry, possibly used prior tothe introduction of larger horse-drawn planters which could plant two rows at a time. Associated with the large maize growing industry in the Orbost region 1880s - 1950s.A metal and wooden maize planter, a square seed reservoir, wooden handle on the top, a swing door at the bottom which is manouvered by two wires connected to the door.maize-corn-planter agricultural-implement

A badge presented to and worn by General Nurse, Ethel M Lynn in 1924.The Lynn family is well-known in the Orbost area. Ethel Lynn is believed to have been working at Bairnsdale in 1924. A badge possibly made of brass and with an enamelled face with the words AUSTRALIAN NURSING FEDERATION GENERAL printed, along with a red cross. A fastening pin is attached to the back. On the back is the name Ethel M Lynn, 1st July 1924.nurses-badge ethel-lynn

Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford) was an excellent needlewoman and has made this cushion cover.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century when women's focus was the home and its decoration was important. Embroidery and crochet work was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value, and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes.A cushion cover made of black fabric, embroidered with large roses on stems and hand painted over the roses. cushion-cover womens-needlecraft handcrafts

The corset belonged to Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford) and was worn by her. A medium size pale pink lady's corset with whale bone stays and metal clasps and suspenders at the bottom. The corset is laced through eyelets. Lady Ruth (manufacturer)womens-corsetry fashion-underwear

A set of collars, possibly worn during the 1920s-1950s period, wearer unknown. A detachable collar is a shirt collar separate from the shirt, fastened to it by studs. The collar is usually made of a different fabric from the shirt, in which case it is almost always white, and, being unattached to the shirt, can be specially starched to a hard cardboard-like consistency. The popularity of detachable collars and starched collars in general began to fade in the 1920s and 30s as men’s clothes became more comfortable.These items are examples of men's clothing from the first decades of the 20th century when men wore more formal daily attire. A set of four white men's collars of assorted sizes, made from stiffened fabric.Cremorne Collar Company, Melbournemen-collars male-apparel

Used for dressing hair and for brushing small items off clothes. One brush could have been used for boot polishing.Six assorted clothes and hair brushes in different shapes. All appear to have animal hair bristles.brushes bristle-brush hair-brush clothes-brush

This item was worn by Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford)Until well into the 20th century, the corset was an essential element of fashionable dress. Corsets were worn by women (and much earlier by men) to enhance their figures and to hold their stockings in place. Although still sometimes used they were mainly used prior to the making of pantyhose approximately 1960.A corset of pink/apricot coloured cotton with small flowers embroidered onto the fabric, with whale bone stays, and with suspenders and metal clasps attached to the bottom. It has tape lacing and metal eyelets as can be seen in the photograph. It is marked as size 32, Jenyns Patent Corsetry.Size 32, Jenyns Patent Corsetrywomens-corsetry body-shaping womens-appareil

Belonged to Marjorie McKeown (need Ford)A brassiere of apricot / pink cotton fabric with metal suspender clips around the bottom and 18 small metal clasps down the back. Size 42. La Mode (manufacturer) Size 42womens-corsetry womens-undergarments fashion

Belonged to Marjorie McKeownA brassiere made of pink / apricot coloured cotton fabric which has a broderie anglais pattern of embroidery. It has an elasticised back with metal clasps, and thin shoulder straps and two suspenders hanging from the sides. Lady Gay (manufacturer)women-corsetry womens-undergarments female-underwear

This item was worn by Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford)Until well into the 20th century, the corset was an essential element of fashionable dress. Corsets were worn by women (and much earlier by men) to enhance their figures and to hold their stockings in place. Although still sometimes used they were mainly used prior to the making of pantyhose approximately 1960.A corset made of apricot / pink cotton fabric embroidered with flowers in the same colour. It has whalebone stays, and laces through metal eyelets. This corset is similar to 822 in the collection. It is size 33 and manufactured by Jenyns.Size 33, Jenyns Patent Corsetry (manufacturer) womens-corsetry womens-undergarments female-underwear

This simple brass see-saw balance was used to test the gold sovereign coin and its half for wear, and to detect counterfeit coinsSovereigns and half sovereigns are no longer in use.A metal sovereign balance with two measuring plates and weight. Counterweighted desktop rocker tests for British gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns, both weight and thickness. It has the original green box with label on lid top.Front - sovereign - half - Askey's improved warranted - son -Bush'ssovereign-balance instrument weighing sovereign

Lady Bells were widely made and used during the 1800's as bells to call the servants.A brass bell in the shape of a lady wearing a full ball dress. Her hands are clasped in front.bell lady-bell brass ornament

The Point Hicks cancel was used 8,269 times on the commemorative covers dated 20th April 1970. The first day cover commemorates the bicentenary of Cook's sighting of Point Hicks.When sailing along the coast of what is today southern Victoria, Cook recorded in his journal in April 1770 that he had named "‘The Southernmost Point of land we had in sight’ as Point Hicks, ‘because Leiut Hicks, was the first who discover’d this land’." This was the first European name recorded during that Endeavour voyage to be applied to a feature on the east coast of Australia. There is no longer a post office at Point Hicks and was possibly a temporary one used only for this issue.A first day issue envelope with stamps. Produced to commemorate the sighting of Point Hicks by Captain James Cook 0n 20 April 1770. It is a large cover with a strip of 5x 5c & a single 30c stamps. first-day-cover cook-james stamps philately point-hicks