Note from collector- "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from." Laconia Pure Lamb's Wool Blankets (mother and baby in bed)Laconia Pure Lamb's Wool Blankets/Make Goodnight a Certainty/*There's nothing in the World like WOOLblankets, blanket fever, wool, laconia, advertisement, australian women's weekly

Made by Syliva Maidment in 1947-48 from a pattern in "The Australian Women's Weekly", March 23rd, 1946, page 41.Blue bed jacket knitted by Sylvia Maidment 1944-1948knitting, maidment, mr ian maidment, ms sylvia

A coloured photograph of garden beds with a hose reel in a school yard.school garden, herb garden

Ceramic Bottle Bed Warmer. Stopper on top and flat bottom.stawell

Poplar in a bed on the right of the drive, that has since been removed.poplars, trees, garden view, drive

8 photographs demonstrating preparation of bed and planting of Cabbage seedlings.planting, cabbage, seedlings, soil preparation

Student identified by T.H. Kneen 10 June 1992 as Judy Serjeant.Black and white photograph. Judy Serjeant standing in a bed of delphiniumsOn reverse, "Delphiniums "Pacific Giants," and "Photograph by Publicity Branch Victorian Department Of Agriculture Ref. No. C.1768.E."delphiniums, judy serjeant, student working outside, pacific giant delphiniums, publicity

Russell SebireStainless steel, cylindrical bed-warmer, with removable screw stopper."Sunrise Stainless Steel Co Pat App 6368/42" Patent marks around the stopper.bed warmers

Donated by Carine Williams Wettenhall in 1991 for the Centenary Year. Sepia photograph of George Russ Standing in a garden bed of dahlias.On reverse, "Mr. Russ (our Garden Boss) - a good disciplinarian and needed to be! 1929"garden beds, carine williams (née wettenhall), 1991, centenary, 1929, george russ, dahlias, staff

Associated with - Melba Studios (Melb)

A framed colour photograph of a wounded soldier in a hospital bed raises his left arm. His right arm and torso are heavily bandaged. A picture of a young woman sits next to his bed.wounded serviceman, photograph

Coloured photo of Peter Ellis with a concertina, talking to a lady and a man at an Old Timers Ball held at the Melb. Town Hall on 28/6/85. Written on the back - part of it cut off: Old Timers Ball Melb Town Hall 28/6/85. Bourke (nee) Dixon. Ellis with my father's - ertina, Frank Dixon.photo, group, dance, peter ellis collection, old timers ball, melb town hall, bourke - nee dixon, ellis, frank dixon

This is number 18 of 27 items in the Daisy Vickers collection of World War One memorabilia. These items were sent or given to Daisy Ogier (nee Vickers) during World War One by Corporal Arthur Anderson who enlisted from Warrnambool in 1915 at the age of 21. He served in Egypt and France and returned to Australia in 1919. Daisy Ogier (1907-1987) was a student and then a teacher at Warrnambool Technical School with her early teaching years there from 1925 to 1936 and in 1949. She became the head mistress from 1950 to 1963 and in 1968. She officially retired in 1976. Daisy Vickers was one of the best loved and dedicated teachers that the school ever had. She married the Reverend Fred Ogier and continued her association with the school after her husband's deathisy Vickers collection: Item 12 of 27This card is interesting because of its association with World War One and two local people Daisy Vickers and Arthur Anderson.This is a coloured postcard featuring two parrots in bed and handwritten material on the back. Jan 6th 1918 Dear Daisy, Its some time since I had a letter from you. Can you play the Piano yet. Christmas is over now. It is cold over here and there is is plenty of snow and ice about. Arthur daisy vickers, arthur anderson, warrnambool technical school, world war 1 postcard

There are many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with the Giles Family and are known as the “Giles Collection”. These items mostly came from the simple home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton), whose photos are in the parlour. They married in 1880. Henry Giles was born at Tower Hill in 1858. He was a labourer on the construction of the Breakwater before leaving in 1895 to build bridges in N.S.W. for about seven years. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook. She attended Mailor’s Flat State School where she was also a student teacher before, as family legend has it, she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family of six, some of whom were born at Mailor’s Flat and later children at Wangoom, lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Museum was established.Bedspread, double bed size, white self-embossed floral pattern.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, mailor’s flat, vera & aurelin giles, bedspread, double bed bedspread, bed linen, quilt, embossed cotton

Bed pan ceramic white glaze handle cracked at bottom of handle.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bed pan ceramic, ceramic bed pan

Churchill Island Heritage Farm has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series of photographs was taken at a Farm in Kyneton and shows a similar historic farm to Churchill IslandPhotograph of a paved large garden and raised garden beds filled with vegetablesCatalogue number written on reverse in pencil.churchill island, photograph, kyneton

Slipcover to fit the bed. Woven wool, chocolate brown with lighter fleck.walsh st furnishings, robin boyd

Note by T.H. Kneen 8 April 1992, "Note: gable of Pavilion in background - 2 large Pinus radiata and at the right Prunus (sic) (Pinus) canariensis. The 2 P. Radiata did not survive until the Centenary. The bay windows were replaced in Mr. Jessep's (sic) McLennan's) time as Principal."Black and white photograph. Garden beds between Principal's Residence and Pavilion.garden beds, principal's residence, pavilion, a.w. jessep, bay windows, pinus radiata, pinus canariensis, mclennan

Used by Sylvia Maidment.Left over wool used by Sylvia Maidment to knit bed jacket.knitting, maidment, mr ian maidment, ms sylvia, wool, yarn, blue

Small iron bed suitable for child. Iron lattice at both endsfurniture, domestic-nursery

Coloured photograph of main bedroom in Schwerkolt cottage bed and patchwork quilt.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex, nunawading & district historical society

Looking down through lawn and garden beds to Principal's Residence in background.lawn, gardens, principal's residence

Silver hand bell with 'RVIB 1935-1945' inscribed. Unsure of origin, however assuming that this was made as a commemorative piece as Neil Maxwell arrived at the RVIB in 1945.1 silver hand bell with clear plastic bed on handle and inscriptionRVIB 1935-1945royal victorian institute for the blind, neil maxwell

The curved path through the Botanical Gardens at Port Fairy. The Port Fairy Botanical Gardens were formed in 1856 making it one of the earliest gardens in Victoria. The first curator was James Prior, he was paid fifty-two pounds per annum. He was an outstanding curator having been apprenticed to the trade in England at the age of 12, his brother Edward in later years was the Curator of the Koroit Gardens. Prior retired in 1903. During the years of his curatorship Port Fairy was said to have the best gardens outside the city of Melbourne, he was constantly in touch with Baron Von Mueller and later Guilfoyle of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne. In the early years plants from all over the world were planted here with varying rates of success many of them sent by Baron Von Mueller. In the 1930’ and 40’s the gardens were still very beautiful, and the curator was Roy Manuell. The beautiful iron gates at the entrance were destroyed in the 1946 floods and were replaced in 1989 using some of the material from the original gates. From the 1950’s on the gardens went into a state of decline, much being taken up by the caravan park until in 1986, after a public meeting ‘Friends of the Gardens’ was founded when the entrance section was restored. Black & white panoramic landscape of the paths and garden beds of the Botanical GardensPort Fairy Gardens W. Scottbotanical, garden, paths, trees

Ceramic, two toned (brown & beige) bed warmer, with wooden stopper.bed warmers

Piece of curtain fabric from the bed in which John Wesley died.john wesley, bed curtain

Colour photograph. View of Administration Building with Emily Gibson beds in foreground.administration building, emily gibson beds

Cover to Science Exercise Book ( R F Bush); Class - Year II School ?? (not decipherable), 'Melb' Hard cover/back with no pages.person, individual, bush collection - personal, bush collection, collection