fictionA classic detective story. Harold Avery was born in 1869. His life reads like one of his own adventure stories. He was shipwrecked off the coast of Malaysia at the age of ten on his way to Australia with his parents who were drowned. Avery was brought up by the natives who, after three years put him on a Dutch boat bound back to England. He was brought up by an aunt who sent him to Eton and then settled with him in Edinburgh. Avery took a job in the city’s Water Department and in 1894 wrote his first book The Orderly Officer. In the next 45 years he wrote over fifty more books, mainly school stories and adventure stories. In 1941 he left Scotland to travel round the world and the last that was heard from him was a postcard sent to his aunt from Rio de Janeiro in 1943. It is chosen from his large output as being a typical school story but, it can be argued, it is the precursor of work by Enid Blyton and J K Rowling, dealing with school life, five children who go on an adventure and a mystical wizard who ends the story not with a wave of a wand but with kindness and consideration.#detectivestory, fiction, adventurebook, boysownadventure

"L. L. Smith, medico, writer, publisher, politician, litigant, showman, speculator, collector, vigneron, farmer, breeder and rider of racehorses, guiding hand for thirty year of Melbourne's great exhibition complex." - publisher's website. Instrumental in having Phillip island opened for selection in 1868.2 v. box : illustrations (some colour), facsimiles, protraits ; 24cm.Inscribed : To the Phillip Island Historical Society from Gillian and Norman Gengoult Smith, the grandson of Dr L. L. Smith whoe's [sic] 10 year battle in the Victorian Parliament for the cause was instrumental in having Phillip island opened for settlement Signed by the author : John Poynterjohn poynter, dr louis lawrence smith, the audacious adventures of dr louis lawrence smith

Blue book with Art Nouveau floral decor by Charles Nordhoff (1830-1901) found in the mission's library in 2018. Published by W.P. Nimmo, Hay and Mitchell, Edinburgh. The National Library of Australia has an holding mentioning 1876fictioncharles nordhoff (1830-1901), travel, seafaring, adventure, sailors' home

non-fictiondonation, queenscliff maritime museum

non-fictionkeith oliver, donation

non-fictionOn August 21, 1940, a Nazi raider torpedoed the British merchantman Anglo-Saxon and machine-gunned the survivors as they tried to escape in their lifeboats. One little boat escaped with seven men. Five of them perished, but Robert Tapscott and Wilbert Widdicombe endured for seventy full days and 2,300 miles to landfall on the other side of the Atlantic. This is the incredible account of their ordeal, one of the most thrilling stories of the sea ever written--and one that almost never came to light. "It has seldom happened," writes William McFee in the introduction, "that a narrative so circumstantial, so entirely stripped of all humbug and false sentiment, has come out of the depths of the sea, to inspire us with admiration for human valor." In the tradition of the Shackleton adventure and Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea, Two Survived is an unforgettable true story of survival against the very longest odds.ww2, survivors, german submarines, robert tapscott, wilbert widdicombe

non-fictionkeith oliver, donation

non-fictionkeith oliver, antarctica, tim bowden, adventures

The letter was written by Allen Quinn to his mother. Allen started working as a seafarer when he was 16 years old, and frequently wrote to his mother during his travels. He also created an extensive photograph collection, which corresponds with the letters.The letter is part of an ongoing correspondence between Allan and his mother. This letter mentions of the of the albums of photographs Allan complied during his seafaring.Letter addressed to Mum, in two parts. Part 0150.1 Envelope Part 0150.2 Letter. Both the envelope and letter were white paper, which is now a creamy-white. The letter begins "Darling Mum, Here are the snaps I took during 1947-48..." and concludes with "P.S. We had six inches of snow today...". In the top right hand corner of the letter is "New York / Feb 2".Front of Envelope: MUM, handwritten in blue ink and underlined. The envelope has been opened at the back.letter, handwriting, photograph, new york, argentina, buenos aires, allan quinn, seafarers, adventure

Diamond Valley Library displayed stories and memorabilia from migrant families in the area.News clipping, black text, colour image.diamond valley library, yarra plenty regional library, multicultural arts victoria, immigration

A 1941 edition of Ginger Meggs comic strips. Ginger Meggs was created in the early 1920s by Jimmy Bancks and first published in the 'Sunbeams" section of the Sydney Sun. Several other cartoonists drew Ginger Meggs strips after Bancks death in 1952. This edition is a "Sunbeams Book". An original 1941 copy of this book, in good condition.Comic book, 32 pages, colour illustrations.ginger meggs, jimmy bancks, sunbeams book, cartoons

A short history of the Country Women's Association of Victoria 1928-1978. 76 pages, black and white photographs. Soft cover.country womens association of victoria

This photograph details (early to mid1950s), the Victorian Alpine region when this remote area was part of a "lay back" rural landscape,occasionally visited by recreational adventurers and some wayward tourists. The mountain ranges had provided an adequate barrier against the way-would traveller, but with the opening up of this region by the provision of improved roadways and accommodation facilities, courtesy of the Kiewa Valley Hydro Electricity Scheme, changes such as tourism and its impact upon the "natural" state started to show its side effects (clearing of the land). The expansion of the European immigration numbers (1950s) coming into Australia was increasing after World War II which not only provided increased construction workers to the region but also immigrants who appreciated alpine regions. Some of these immigrants contributed to the expansion of the region and provided for a greater degree of diverse professions and rural related work force.This photograph depicts the borderline in time between an exclusively rural based population and respective activities(early 1900s)to the present (2000 on wards) integrated village, tourist and retiree/holiday area. The time when land was exclusively used in agriculture and Alpine grazing lands is over. The Kiewa Valley is loosing its hiding place and is becoming more and more a source of untapped residential land and winter time recreational adventure lands. The changes brought about by modern technologies involving recreational activities such as hang gliding, gliding (local airstrip), mountain bikes, car rallies and their associated clubs is providing for an increased short term population boost. These together with the attractions for retirees is changing not only the physical nature of the Kiewa valley but also its "soul".This item is a black and white photograph of a section of snow covered catchment area in the Victorian Alps in the mid 1900. It is on 200 gms paper but not on photographic paper and has a white boarder (3 mm).kiewa valley tourism, victorian alps, alternate energy supplies, alpine population growth

These type of tobacco pouches were used mostly by the outdoor/outback type of male. They were a product of an earlier period in time when males in the outback were considered "red back" adventurers. This pouch is more of a statement than a useful tobacco pouch. It comes from a younger time in bush folk law when the outback appearances was in fashion and before the "new age" male emerged(circa early 1900s).This tobacco pouch was admired in the outback scene and spoke of adventure and "the wild". It was a time when travel in the outback was, in the top end of Australia especially, considered unsafe and "frontier" type adventure filled environment. It was a time when colloquially speaking 'men were men', in other words tough and resourceful, and could tackle anything. This attitude was more so in isolated country areas such as in the Kiewa Valley before "the sensitive new age" male evolved. The pouch presents the early presentation of the outback male as rugged, independent and resourceful. The Kiewa Valley and the tobacco fields, especially during the construction stages of the Hydro Electricity Scheme, was the right environment for such a display.This tobacco pouch is the bottom or main containment pouch for rubbed tobacco leaf to be smoked either as "roll your own" cigarettes or in a pipe. The pouch is of crocodile skin and is light brown on one side and darker brown on the other. The pocket is fashioned with the top section curved to allow fingers to remove the top cover, see KVHS 0059(2). The pocket has fine, but strong stitching holding the bottom and sides together. It is made of relatively medium thick hide and the crocodile markings are both outside and inside. See KVHS 00059(2) for insert pouchThe markings are crocodile in shape.loose tobacco, pipe smoking, rural smoking, red neck workers.