The world’s most ecologically distinct bird lives in the native grasslands of Victoria - but only just. The plains-wanderer is a small bird that was once widespread across the grasslands of south-eastern Australia. Today there are fewer than 1000 mature birds in the wild. The plains-wanderer is under threat due to habitat loss caused by overgrazing, cropping and suburban sprawl. Unlike most other birds, female wanderers are larger and more colourful and the males take care of the chicks. They are only about 15cm tall and weigh between 40-80g for the male and 55-90g for the female. Their intricate plumage mirrors the colours of their grassland home so they blend in perfectly with their surroundings. The plains-wanderer’s origins date back to when Australia was part of the Gondwana supercontinent over 60 million years ago. They are so biologically distinct that their extinction would result in the loss of a branch of the tree of life. A fussy grass dweller, they like neither too much nor too little grass. That is where sheep grazing can help. After years of low numbers in Victoria, plains-wanderer populations have been increasing in Terrick Terrick National Park in north west Victoria, as sheep grazing maintains the grass in the park at a suitable level. With the right management, this ecologically important bird species is continuing to survive in the native grasslands of Victoria. Managing these habitats for the plains-wanderer can also support the conservation of many other threatened plant and animal species. Object: Nest of plains-wanderers by Mary-Jane Walker, 2020. Outer made from upcycled paper, internal structure steel. Nest of plains-wanderers by Mary-Jane Walker, 2020. Outer made from up cycled paper, internal structure steel. native grasslands, plains-wanderer, terrick terrick national park

Ross Milne grew up on his family's tobacco property in Myrtleford, and began skiing at Falls Creek at an early age. He was taught by Austrian Sigi Haberzettl, who was chief coach at Falls Creek for 17 years. Ross went on to win the North-Eastern District Ski Association (NEDSA) Junior Championships for three consecutive years. In 1961 Ross was a member of the Australian team which competed against New Zealand in the Inter-Dominion Championships. In 1963, he won the Downhill and Alpine Combined title at the Australian Championships, while placing second in the Grand Slalom event. Ross was selected in the Australian team that participated in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games at Innsbruck, Austria. A few days before the opening of the Games, on 25th January 1964, he tragically lost his life when he crashed into a tree during a training run for the Men's Downhill. He was only 19 years of age. The construction of the Ross Milne Memorial Ski Jump was first discussed and built between 1964 and 1966. It was located at the top of Gully, Site 99, heading down the gully and ending with a run out onto Falls Creek Road. The Jump was constructed by the Nordic Committee of the Victorian Ski Association. Problems plagued the construction of the Jump and continued until 1974 when it was deemed unsafe. Problems such as construction methods and materials, snow loading and soil foundations and footings were some of the issues which the VSA Nordic Committee faced. On top of this there was discontent with Resort Management and the Lift Company of the day with respect to safety of the Ski Jump and its effect on adjoining chair lifts if an emergency should occur. The cost of reconstruction was prohibitive and an order was given that the SkiJump was not to be used during the 1974 ski season. The Jump was dismantled not long after.These items are significant as they document the development of a memorial to an Australian Olympic Skier, Ross Milne.A collection of documents and photographs documenting the construction of the Ross Milne Memorial Ski Jump built at Falls Creek in 1966. A display board including photographs and explanatory text is part of this collection.ross milne, ross milne memorial ski jump

The Australasian swamphen is a visually striking and socially complex bird found across Oceania. It can be found in eastern Indonesia (specifically the Moluccas, Aru, and Kai Islands), Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Australia. As a member of the rail family (Rallidae), it belongs to the diverse order Gruiformes, which also includes cranes and other rail species. Like other rails, it possesses relatively short wings and a strong, elongated bill, both adaptations suited to its semi-aquatic wetland habitat. This swamphen is easily identified by its deep blue-purple plumage, prominent red frontal shield, and sturdy red legs. It primarily inhabits swamps, marshes, and other wet lowland areas, though its range has expanded to include pastures, roadsides, and farmland due to significant landscape modifications over the past 150 years. Unlike many wetland birds, it is highly adaptable and thrives in both natural and human-altered environments. Its diet is similarly flexible, consisting mostly of plant material such as grass stems, shoots, and leaves, but also including invertebrates and, on occasion, the young of other bird species. This specimen was misidentified as a Purple Swamphen in original catalogue records and is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.This taxidermy specimen is of a Australasian swamphen which is mounted standing on a wooden platform and has a paper identification tag tied to its upper left leg. The specimen has dark colouring on its back and head with a purple-blue coloured neck, breast and belly. The bill is oversized and is orange/red which is the same colour as the frontal shield on the bird's face. The eyes are made from a red and black glass and the legs of this specimen are orange. The legs are elongated and the toes also long and unwebbed. 17e. / Purple Gallinule / Catalogue Page 35 / taxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, australian birds, swamphen, moorhen, purple bird, hen, purple swamphen, water bird

The Flora and Fauna Names Project is an initiative of the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages and the Victorian Biodiversity Strategy. The researcher has examined material from the archives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), the State Library of Victoria, the Victorian Public Records Office and the Australian Archives Office. This first stage of the project focussed on the NRE archives, in particular the field notebooks of the earliest surveyors and their maps although other NRE resources, libraries and public records were accessed. A total of 3028 words were found of which a significant proportion have previously been unknown to linguists. It appears that the place names and word lists in early surveyors notebooks, the 1858 surveyors responses to the Surveyor General and an extensive Wiradjuri wordlist by James Baylis have not yet been widely used or published. Fifteen percent of these 3028 words describe flora and fauna and six percent describe habitat. Of particular interest is the evidence provided by these lists of the existence of fauna in the mid nineteenth century in regions where it is now extinct. For example, magpie geese, eastern quolls, bustards and pademelons were assigned names in the Jardwadjali language area of the upper Glenelg and Wimmera Rivers. The outcomes of this project may help to assist in ascertaining the distribution of flora and fauna assets in Victoria.maps, b&w photographs, colour photographs, illustrations, word listswiradjuri, jardwadjali, glenelg river, wimmera river

This is a photograph from the W.C. Busse Collection and a woman is illustrated with a bun hair tie and a pearl necklace. Wilfred Clarence Busse 1898-1960, born in Chiltern, was a barrister and author. His family moved to the region during the gold rush and continued to reside in the area, purchasing land adjacent the Murray River. Busse attended school at Wesley College and studied law at the University of Melbourne. Busse went on to become a barrister, often in the chambers of Sir Leo Finn Bernard Cussen (1859-1933) a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Time spent on a Victorian station in his early twenties, as well as careful documentary research, informed the writing of his historical novels of bush life. "The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" was written in 1928 and published in 1930. "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties", written in 1930, won the T. E. Role gold medal for the best historical novel published that year and went on to become a best seller. His passion for the region led him to write “The History of Chiltern”, which was published in a serial form in the Chiltern Federal Standard from 1922-1923. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum upon his death in 1960. The photograph belongs to the W.C. Busse Collection, which is of great importance to Chiltern Athenaeum. Wilfred Clarence Busse was a barrister and author born in Chiltern and drew inspiration to write novels from his life growing up in Chiltern.Black and white framed photograph printed on paper and wooden frame.w.c. busse collection, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, barrister, author, murray river, wesley college, university of melbourne, chambers, leo finn bernard cussen, judge, supreme court of victoria, historical novels, bush life, the blue beyond, the golden plague, t. e. role gold medal, the history of chiltern, chiltern federal standard, chiltern athenaeum

This is a photograph from the W.C. Busse Collection and an elderly woman is illustrated sitting on a couch. Wilfred Clarence Busse 1898-1960, born in Chiltern, was a barrister and author. His family moved to the region during the gold rush and continued to reside in the area, purchasing land adjacent the Murray River. Busse attended school at Wesley College and studied law at the University of Melbourne. Busse went on to become a barrister, often in the chambers of Sir Leo Finn Bernard Cussen (1859-1933) a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Time spent on a Victorian station in his early twenties, as well as careful documentary research, informed the writing of his historical novels of bush life. "The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" was written in 1928 and published in 1930. "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties", written in 1930, won the T. E. Role gold medal for the best historical novel published that year and went on to become a best seller. His passion for the region led him to write “The History of Chiltern”, which was published in a serial form in the Chiltern Federal Standard from 1922-1923. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum upon his death in 1960.The photograph belongs to the W.C. Busse Collection, which is of great importance to Chiltern Athenaeum. Wilfred Clarence Busse was a barrister and author born in Chiltern and drew inspiration to write novels from his life growing up in Chiltern.Black and white framed photograph printed on paper.Obverse: 1,018/w.c. busse collection, wesley college, leo finn bernard cussen, supreme court of victoria, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, murray river, barrister, author, bush life, the blue beyond, the golden plague, t. e. role gold medal, the history of chiltern, chiltern federal standard, chiltern athenaeum, historical novels, university of melbourne, gold rush, best seller

Situated at 47 Lansell Street, Bendigo, the original 1911-12 Charles D'Ebro designed brick Bendigo Municipal Abattoir, comprising twin slaughter and hanging rooms for cattle, sheep and pigs, and two smaller ancillary brick buildings. After the buildings were acquired by the Country Roads Board in 1945, a substantial but sympathetic addition was made to the south-eastern end of the old cattle abattoir. The abattoir is significant for historic, architectural and technical reasons at a state level. as a rare surviving municipal abattoir, and represents the development of hygienic slaughtering through municipal regulations, thus improving standards of public health in Victoria. It is historically significant to the City of Greater Bendigo as a key to the primary production industry that centred on this precinct from the 1860s to the mid 1990s; they are an important surviving component of one of the largest regional livestock markets in Victoria. D'Ebro was critically influential in the development of industrial and in particular meat processing buildings, designing major freezing works and abattoirs throughout Victoria and Australia.(Source, National Trust Database). The Bendigo facility finally closed in 1945, when all slaughtering for local consumption passed to a joint export and local slaughtering facility at the Bendigo Inland Meat Authority. Ink, pen, pencil and watercolour architectural drawing for the proposed brick residence at Bendigo abattoirs. Proposed Brick Residence at Bendigo Abbatoirs (sic) For The Bendigo City Council. / Front Elevation / Easter Elevation / Section A. D. / Ground Plan / Wester Elevation / Section C.D. / Section I. P. ? Existing Building to be / Converted into Laundry ? Scale 1/8" to 1 FT / Geo. Austen Architect / Commonwealth Bank Chambers / Bendigocity of greater bendigo commerce, charles d'ebro

Des Martin lived all his life in Wodonga, except for his years of service during World War Two. He was raised on the family property Aherlo in the Huon Creek Valley. In 1937 he joined the 8th Light Horse Regiment but in May 1940 led his Wodonga Troop into the 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion, which saw service in Syria, Java, New Guinea and Borneo. After the war, Des returned to Aherlo and his horses. He was granted permission by the Victorian Racing Club to participate as an amateur “gentleman” rider. He was a founder of the Victorian Amateur Riders Association and also the Murray Valley Hunt Club, for which he was Master for 21 years. He was a prolific writer, cartoonist, photographer and poet, contributing to The Border Morning Mail, The Age, and the Herald and Weekly Times amongst other publications. Des Martin’s other literary works included Australia Astride (1959), A Tale of Twin Cities, Part One (1981) and Backing up the Boys (1998). In 1976, Des wrote an historical novel, “Many a Mile”, based on a fictional region which highly resembled the Albury-Wodonga and Upper Murray area of Victoria. It was set in the last 10 years leading up to Federation. Throughout this period tensions (caused by fluctuating border duties, including an infamous impost on cattle and horses) occasioned the intermittent posting of heavily armed police detachments along the River Murray. Des also wrote eight 50-minute scripts from “Many a Mile” as a television series and were presented to Michael Pate, one of Australia’s leading actors and producers. Also, funding was sought through the Australian Broadcasting Commission ... unfortunately the series never came to fruition. This album is a pictorial precis, including photos and scene descriptions, created to promote the concept of the series and have it produced locally in North Eastern Victoria featuring local settings, skilled horsemen and actors. It was to be called “Ringer’s River” ... Ringer being the title accorded to either a top cattle hand, or the fastest shearer in the wool shed. Des Martin died on 12th April 1995.These albums and images are significant because they document literature written by a prominent member of the Wodonga community. The presentation of this precis was supported by several significant district families and individuals.Documents written to introduce the concept of "Ringer's River" to gain interest for the development of a television seriesdes martin, many a mile, ringer's river, northeast victoria stories

Belgrave railway station is the terminus of the electrified line from Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, serving the eastern Melbourne suburb of Belgrave. Opened as Monbulk on 18 December 1900, it was renamed Belgrave on 21 November 1904. It was upgraded to a Premium station on 2 July 1996. The station was originally on the Upper Ferntree Gully – Gembrook narrow gauge line. It, along with the rest of the line, officially closed on 30 April 1954. However it saw further use between 1955 and early 1958, when trains were operated by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society in co-operation with the Victorian Railways. The station area re-opened on 19 February 1962 when the line as far as Belgrave was converted to broad gauge and used electric traction as part of the suburban network.[1] It has one island platform with two faces. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Belgrave line services The Puffing Billy Railway Belgrave station is located 100 metres north of the station and is accessible via a short footpath. It was required to be located further down the line than the original narrow-gauge station (which was approximately where the current suburban station car park is located). ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrave_railway_station photos at http://www.vicrailstations.com/Gembrook/Belgrave/Belgrave.htmlHistoric - Victorian Railways Station sign used at Belgrave StationStation Sign - Belgrave Metal sign - white enamel back ground with black letters Belgravepuffing billy, victorian railways, belgrave station

The red-winged blackbird is native to North America. They live in a verity of places from southern Alaska at its northern most point, to the Yucatan peninsula in the south and covers the greater part of the continent reaching from the Pacific coast of California and Canada to the eastern seaboard. Populations that are most northerly migrate south after the mating season, but some of the populations in the central and western United States, Central America and the Gulf Coast are resident year-round. In the breeding season, Red-winged blackbirds are found in a range of fresh and saltwater environments, including in small trees and bushes along marshes and watercourses, in agricultural areas and dry meadows. During migration, they can be found in, pastures, prairies and cultivated fields. They are polygamous. In the north, the early arrival and tumbling song of these birds are welcome indications of spring's return. The Red-winged blackbirds are known for their scarlet and yellow shoulder patches on this specimen are rather dull and the feathers are not as glossy black as they are in other images. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.This is one of the most common birds in North America and is the most boldly coloured one. The males are glossy-black with shoulder patches of scarlet and yellow which they are able to puff up or hide according to their level of confidence. Females look like a big, dark sparrow, being a subdued, streaky brown. This specimen has the colouring of the male Red-Winged Blackbird which helps to identify it as such.Swing-Tag: 137a. / Red-winged Starling / Catalogue page, 58 / Tag: A. 4429taxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, american birds, north america, red-winged blackbird, red-winged starling, migratory, alaska, canada, saltwater

This children's eating utensil is believed to belong to the household of Chiltern writer and historian, W.C. Busse. The level of tarnish and the mark 'EPNS' may indicate it is electroplated. The blade also contains the maker's mark 'APEX', which was used by John Biggin & Co, Sheffield, United Kingdom. Pushers such as these were a common utensil in Victorian and early twentieth-century households. They were used to help children too young to use knives learn to eat politely at the table - the blunt blade was used to push food onto the fork. Pushers could also be used to pull food from a serving platter onto an individual plate. Wilfred Clarence Busse was born in Chiltern in 1898. He went to school at Wesley College in Melbourne, studied law at the University of Melbourne and became a barrister. Additionally, after spending time on a Victorian station in his early twenties, he wrote two historical novels about bush life. His first novel was 'The Blue Beyond: a Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia', written in 1928 and published in 1930. Busse's second novel was titled 'The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties'. The judges of the Henry Lawson Society's T.E. Rofe competition to advance Australian literature unanimously awarded it the Gold Medal in 1931 for the best historical novel of 1930. Newspaper articles about the award mention the writer's meticulous documentary and oral history research regarding life on the Gold Fields in the 1850s. It became a best-seller. Busse also wrote a series of articles about local history for "The Federal Standard" newspaper in Chiltern. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum. He died in 1960.This child's eating utensil is significant for the detail it conveys of ordinary domestic life in the household of a significant Victorian writer with special reference to Chiltern and the surrounding region. It may also be significant in understanding the customs and practices of English-speaking nations in the early Twentieth Century. The object is a metal food pusher, a child's eating utensil with a blunt lozenge at right angles to the handle. The metal is tarnished, indicating that it may be silver or silverplated. APEX EPNS AI w.c. busse, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, gold fields, gold mining, gold rush, table manners, etiquette, children, childhood, john biggin & co, sheffield, golden plague, blue beyond, historical fiction, 1930s, 1850s, t.e. rofe, henry lawson society, electroplate, tableware, cutlery

This medal from the estate of W.C. Busse is believed to have been awarded to a recipient at the Rutherglen Agricultural Show in 1885. Due to degradation of the embossed markings, it is uncertain what the medal was awarded for or whom it was awarded to. It may have been awarded to a member of the Busse family prior to W.C. Busse's birth. Rutherglen is located approximately 18 kilometres from Chiltern. European agriculture and horticulture in the area was well established prior to the discovery of gold in the region in the 1860s. It held its first yearly Agricultural Show in 1880; in the present day it has a sister event focusing on showcasing the region's wines. Wilfred Clarence Busse was born in Chiltern in 1898. He went to school at Wesley College in Melbourne, studied law at the University of Melbourne and became a barrister. Additionally, after spending time on a Victorian station in his early twenties, he wrote two historical novels about bush life. His first novel was 'The Blue Beyond: a Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia', written in 1928 and published in 1930. Busse's second novel was titled 'The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties'. The judges of the Henry Lawson Society's T.E. Rofe competition to advance Australian literature unanimously awarded it the Gold Medal in 1931 for the best historical novel of 1930. Newspaper articles about the award mention the writer's meticulous documentary and oral history research regarding life on the Gold Fields in the 1850s. It became a best-seller. Busse also wrote a series of articles about local history for "The Federal Standard" newspaper in Chiltern. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum. He died in 1960. This item is significant for the information it provides about the development of industry and local culture in Victoria in the 1880s. Bronze coloured medal attached to single large-format chain link; embossed medal markings are indistinct but appear to show Coat of Arms on reverse side. Inscription on obverse: Illegible Indistinct inscription on reverse may read: Rutherglen Agricultural Society medal, rutherglen agricultural show, chiltern, north-east victoria, gold fields, gold mining, gold rush, 1885, heirloom, farming, horticulture, rutherglen historical society, indigo shire, wilfred clarence busse, golden plague, authors, writers, victorian writers, victorian literature, historical fiction, blue beyond, wesley college, federal standard

Wilfred Clarence Busse, born in Chiltern in 1898, His family moved to the region during the gold rush and continued to reside in the area, purchasing land adjacent the Murray River. Busse completed his secondary education at Wesley College in Melbourne then studied law at the University of Melbourne. Busse went on to become a barrister, often in the chambers of Sir Leo Finn Bernard Cussen (1859-1933) a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He worked most of his life in Chiltern as a Barrister and Solicitor and gained the unofficial title of historian of Chiltern, leaving behind several manuscript histories and a scrap book. Busse was an avid fictional writer and in 1930 he published two novels. Time spent on a Victorian station in his early twenties, as well as careful documentary research, informed the writing of his historical novels of bush life. "The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia” and "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties." "The Golden Plague” won the T. E. Role gold medal for the best historical novel which went on to become a best seller. Busse often drew inspiration for his novels from his younger years living Chiltern. His passion for the region lead him to write “The History of Chiltern” which was published in a serial form in the Chiltern Federal Standard from 1922-1923. Wilfred Clarence Busse was a member of Chiltern Athenaeum (where this object is now held) up until his death in 1960, he is buried in the Barnawartha Cemetery. The leaf shaped motif of this particular spoon appears to be stylised in a simple form of decorative arts and craft or even Art Nouveau style favoured in Europe between 1880-1920 and less representational than examples of Australiana flora captured in silversmithing from the 1850's onwards. According to Christine Erratt, due to the goldrush in the 1850's, there was increased wealth in the colony and an influx of immigrants from Europe to Australia who brought with them silversmithing skills which began ‘the golden age’ of Australian silver', Erratt says that 'Australia's unique flora has been portrayed in the decorative arts since the early colonial times of the last decade of the 18th century. The use of Australian flora to decorate silverware is of particular interest and diversity'. It is likely that those producing silverware at the time would be drawing on the decorative arts movement while incorporating elements of the natural beauty in the flora of their newfound environment into the silverware they produced. There are no discerning maker hallmarks to place where it was produced or ascertain the material accurately.Wilfred Clarence Busse was of social significance to Chiltern, he helped to document the cultural story of the area in his published works "The Golden Plague" and "The Beyond Blue" by recounting his own upbringing in a bush lifestyle. He was a respected Barrister and was the unofficial historian of the Chiltern Athenaeum for many years. This spoon represents a window into the domestic life of this person who was well loved in the area, and it continues its relationship to Busse as well as Chiltern by being held within the very collection he helped to maintain in his life. Domestic objects tell us the story about how people lived, objects of daily use hold particular meaning in that they can tell us the story of an individual, we feel closer to their life and habits, it humanises and connects us across time. A tarnished small silver teaspoon with leaf-shaped head and slim handlesilverware, wilfred clarence busse, busse, chiltern, chiltern athenaeum, federal standard, t. e. role, "the blue beyond, a romance of the early days in south eastern australia”, "the golden plague: a romance of the early fifties.", "the golden plague”, wesley college, university of melbourne, sir leo finn bernard cussen, supreme court of victoria, gold rush, murray river, “the history of chiltern”, silversmithing, spoon, decorative arts, floral, flora, australiana, australian flora, arts and craft movement, australian silver, cussen

Four species of quoll occur in Australia: the northern, spotted-tailed, eastern and western quolls. Once, most parts of Australia were inhabited by at least one of the species.Captain Cook collected quolls along the east coast in 1770, and recorded "quoll" as their local Aboriginal name. Quolls were often seen by early settlers, who called them "native cat", "native polecat" and "spotted marten", names based on familiar European animals. Since 1770, all four species have declined dramatically in numbers. This is mainly because of habitat loss or change across Australia, and introduced predators such as foxes and cats. Quolls are carnivorous marsupials with a pointed snout, a long tail and brown to black fur distinctively spotted with white. They are lively, attractive animals, with bright eyes, a moist pink nose and many sharp teeth. Like most Australian mammals, quolls are mainly active at night. Typically, they spend the day in one of their many dens, although spotted-tailed quolls and northern quolls sometimes forage and bask in the sunshine. Their large home ranges can extend for several kilometres in each direction from a smaller core range, and the range of a male quoll often overlaps those of several females. An interesting feature of their behaviour is the use of shared latrine (toilet) sites in open spaces such as rock ledges, for marking their territory and other social functions. Male quolls travel widely during the breeding season, with mating occurring during winter. All four species have a gestation period of 21 days. Because they are marsupial mammals, their young are born tiny and undeveloped and must work their way to the pouch, where they attach themselves to a teat to feed. Only the spotted-tailed quoll has a true pouch. In the other species, the young are protected by shallow folds of skin around the teats. As the pups grow, they dangle from the mother's belly; later, she carries them on her back. Quolls reach sexual maturity at one year. They have a naturally short life span, with smaller quolls living an average of only two years, and the larger spotted-tailed quoll about four to five years. The northern quoll is particularly short-lived. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum and the National Museum of Victoria, as well as individuals such amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century. This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.Average sized quoll with brown fur with white spots on body but absence on the long tail which is furry unlike the smooth body fur. The quoll has a small had with a pointed snout lined with sharp teeth, and thin membraned ears that are slightly covered in fur. The forelegs of the quoll are slightly smaller than the hindlegs, with all four legs featuring sharp clawed paws.On mounting board: BMM5984/ On Catalogue Tag (attached to left hindleg): Native Cat./ Catalogue. Page 50./ burke museum, taxidermy, taxidermy mount, fauna, animal, animalia, reynell eveleigh johns, quoll, native cat, dasyurus

These Message Sticks acknowledge the return of Dja Dja Wurrung Cultural material held by the Burke Museum. The Burke Museum is the current custodian of a significant collection of First Peoples’ cultural material from across South-Eastern Australia. These objects were sold to the Museum by Reynold Everly Johns in 1868. We recognise the harm caused by dispossession of cultural material, and by any inappropriate display and interpretation of this collection over the past 150 years. The Burke Museum is continuing to build relationships and collaborate with traditional owners, Aboriginal communities and the museum sector to ensure culturally appropriate outcomes for the collection, including repatriation of objects to communities of origin. Message sticks are a form of communication between Aboriginal nations, clans and language groups even within clans. Traditional message sticks were made and crafted from wood and were generally small and easy to carry (between 10 and 20 cm). They were carved, incised and painted with symbols and decorative designs conveying messages and information. Some were prepared hastily, like you might create a note left on a friend’s desk or a quick text message; others were prepared with more time to make the markings neat and ornate. There were always marks that were distinctive to the particular group or nation sending the message and often marks identifying the relationship of the carrier to their group. This way it could be identified and authenticated by neighboring groups and by translators when the message stick was taken long distances. Two solid cylindrical shaped pieces of wood bound together with black, red and yellow string. Each stick has etchings with angular lines and dots. dja dja wurrung, message sticks, burke museum, beechworth, beechworth museum, repatriation, reynold everly johns

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages. From Glen Eira Heritage Management Plan 1996 by Andrew Ward: Since 1990, valuable historic houses to have been demolished include "Noris", later "Quethiock", and "Koala" (1875) at 34 Balaclava Road, "Urandaline", later Samford private hospital at 510 Glen Eira Road, and No. 9 Lempriere Avenue. When the Caulfield Tramway Company opened its single line horse tramway along Glen Eira Road to Caulfield station in 1889, the eastern end of this road passed through open paddocks and alongside "Urandaline", a charming late Victorian villa residence with comer pinnacle roof, demolished in 1995.Page 59 of Photograph Album with five photographs, one portrait of the exterior of a house on Glen Eira Road, the other four are photos of sections of advertising materials for Urandaline Estate.Hand written: 508 Glen Eira Road [under top left photo] / 58 [bottom left] trevor hart, glen eira road, caulfield north, urandaline, urandaline estate, horse tram, land subdivision, real estate advertising, verandahs

This medal/badge was given to Wilfred Clarence Busse, born in Chiltern in 1898, supposedly during his time at Wesley College. The lion on the badge is a perfect match for Wesley College's logo, and the words Sapere Aude are the school's motto. Busse completed his secondary education as Wesley College in the early twentieth century, and went on to study law at the University of Melbourne. As a lawyer, he spent time in the room of Supreme Court Judge Bernard Cussen (1859-1933). Judge Cussen was popular, known for being just and precise and for completing through statutory consolidation in his spare time. As well as working as a lawyer, Busse wrote historical fiction inspired by his life in Chiltern, these included The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" and "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties," which won the T.E.Role gold medal for the best historical novel in 1930 and went on to become a best seller. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum until his death in 1960. Wesley College was founded in 1866 in St. Kilda by Rev. James S. Waugh, Dr James Corrigan, Rev. Daniel Draper and businessman Walter Powell. Wesley College was a founding member of the Associated public School of Victoria in 1908. Originally a boys school, coeducation was introduced in the 1970s, and the school continues to function today and has a reputation as one of the best schools in Victoria witth regards to VCE and IB scores. This item is significant for its connect to W.C. Busse and his literary and non-fiction work inspired by Chiltern. The object is a metal-open work badge depicting a stylised lion surrounded by a oval, which appears to resemble a belt, and bears the words Sapere Aude (translation Dare to be Wise). Below the main body of the badge is a short chain attached to a safety pin at the other end. Obverse: Sapere Aude Reverse: REC 269busse, w.c. busse, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, chiltern athenaeum, "the blue beyond, a romance of the early days in south eastern australia”, "the golden plague: a romance of the early fifties.", "the golden plague”, wesley college, university of melbourne, sir leo finn bernard cussen, supreme court of victoria, schooling, badge, medal

Holdenson and Nielson Fresh Food Pty Ltd was founded in 1903 by Poul Jorgenson Holdenson and Andrew Nielson, after acquiring the Fresh Food and Storage Co, which had plants throughout Australia, including Albury. The plant was moved to Wodonga that year. Cream was collected from all areas of North East Victoria and the Riverina, with contractors carting it to the railway stations for rail travel to Wodonga. The Butter Factory was built on the Lincoln Causeway in 1926, and the Cheese Factory in 1942 as a wartime emergency project. At the same time, a pasteurising plant was installed in the complex, and so whole milk was collected from dairy farmers, rather than just cream. The company was bought out by the North Eastern Dairy Co-operative in 1962. It became a retail milk depot also involved in ice-making and cold storage. In 1985, Goulburn Murray bought the complex and as the site was surplus to requirements, it was sold to Wodonga Council. The buildings were adapted for other uses. The Butter Factory was modified and extended and for some time was occupied by the Albury- Wodonga Visitor Centre. The Creator's Gallery was established in the engine room, and the loading area and ice-making works were extended and modified for use as the HotHouse Theatre. The Cheese Factory was adapted for use as a theatre and jazz venue, and housed the HotHouse office. The various outbuildings, such as garages and storage areas, were adapted for use as shops and craft outlets.This collection is significant because it documents an important industry in Wodonga.A collection of images and advertisements promoting Holdenson and Nielsen of Wodongaholdenson & nielson, wodonga dairies, victorian dairy industry

Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM, was born in Milingimbi, eastern Arnhemland in 1945. He was educated at Milingimbi Mission School and pursued his theological education as a youth leader and Sunday School teacher through the Methodist Church, before attending college in Brisbane. In 1969 he trained as a Minister in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands under the Uniting Church, before returning to Arnhemland to minister his own people at the Galiwin’ku parish, firstly as a lay pastor (1971-1972) and then as a Minister from 1976-1982. In 1983-84, Rev Djiniyini worked as a Lecturer in Theology at Nungalinya College, Darwin. He was honoured with a Diploma of Theology (Honorary) from there in 1984, and in 1991 received a Cultural Doctorate in Literature (Honorary) from the World University, Roundtable, Arizona USA. Rev Djiniyini was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1995. As well as being the Chairman of ALPA since 1993, Rev Djiniyini is currently the Director of Duduy’ngu Pty Ltd, which provides consultancy and cross-cultural services. He is also Director of Yirrkala Business Enterprises. Over the years, Rev Djiniyini has served on many committees and councils including: Member of the Steering Committee of the Australian Indigenous Cultural Network (1998-2001), CEO of Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc (1998-2001), CEO of the Northern Regional Council of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (1998-2001), Director of Reconciliation Australia Limited (2000-2001), Member of Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (1998-2000), Chairman of Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (1995-2000 & 1990-1993), Member of Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (1991-1994), Moderator of Northern Synod, Uniting Church in Australia (1985-1987), Secretary of newly formed Aboriginal Presbytery, Northern Synod, Uniting Church in Australia (1985), and Vice-President of Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress Uniting Church in Australia (1983-1987). Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM has also been extensively published, and his works include: • Information Papers (co authored), Aboriginal Resource and Development Services: • Confusion Between Cultures (1998) • MHead & Shoulders of Djiniyini Gondarra facing right of picture."Rev. Djiniyini Gondarra 1986. Moderator Northern Synod and Vice President of Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Conference."gondarra, djiniyini, uaicc, northern synod uca

Arthur Edward Stevenson enlisted on 17 September 1914 and served with the 14th Battalion of the AIF. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 20 August 1915 at age 28. His personal effects of a belt, hairbrush, knife, postcards and photos were returned to his brother John in June 1916. Later that year, John Stevenson wrote to the Officer in Charge of base records, asking for confirmation of his brother’s death, as he had received a letter from Arthur dated 27 August 1915, seven days later than the date on which he was reportedly killed. The Army confirmed that Arthur had in fact died, and concluded that he had likely misdated his letter. In 1920, Arthur’s sister Rachel wrote to the Department of Defence, asking whether her brother’s grave had been located and again querying the date of his death. Later, she completed a form that was sent to next of kin seeking information on deceased soldiers for the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour. Arthur Stevenson’s death is recorded at the Lone Pine Memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Honour Certificates WW1 - From 1915 onwards, recruits in many shires and towns in eastern Australia were honoured by local government authorities. A common form of recognition was the award of honour certificates. The first honour certificates were presented in 1915 and 1916 to men who had yet to leave Australia. The designers and publishing companies solicited business directly from councils. Publishers began to print two different types of certificates: honour certificates to thank soldiers who had survived and memorial certificates to commemorate the dead. D.W. Paterson, a Melbourne publishing firm, claimed they had supplied certificates to over 150 cities and shires in Victoria and New South Wales, including the Shire of Wodonga. Paterson also had the widest range of designs The certificate signified that the officials of the community recognised and shared the family's pride and grief. The certificate was signed by S. T Parker, Shire President and R. H. Murphy, Council Secretary on 4th August 1919.This certificate is significant as it recognises service given to Australia by Arthur Edward Stevenson. Coloured certificate presented to the family of Arthur Ernest Stevenson by Wodonga Shire Council. The certificate is mounted behind glass in a wooden frame.gallipoli, world war 1, arthur edward stevenson

Situated at the eastern end of York Street, Eltham, 'Shinrone', the former home of Professor William (Mac) MacMahon Ball was one of the first in the Shire of Eltham to incorporate mud-brick. Professor MacMahon Ball, a political scientist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat and family moved to York Street, Eltham in 1945 into a timber cottage built around the 1890s and in poor repair. Mac asked Alistair Knox to renovate the home and he expanded the living area and added verandahs. In 1948 Montsalvat artist and sculptor Sonia Skipper supervised the building of most of the mud-brick studio. Neighbour Gordon Ford made the mud-bricks. Mac also asked John Harcourt, who had worked with him as a journalist in shortwave broadcasting, to build a pise (rammed earth) and stone addition to the largely timber house. Harcourt built two bedrooms - including an attic bedroom - a balcony with a shower and toilet, a nd a fireplace and chimney of local stone. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p141 At the eastern tip of York Street, Eltham, stands Shinrone, the former home of one of Australia’s intellectual leaders. Professor William Macmahon Ball, was one of the first to bring Asia as a foreign policy issue to the Australian public.1 He was a political scientist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat. The house was one of the first in Eltham Shire to incorporate mud-brick,2 because of the acute shortage of building materials after World War Two. Its novice builders later become leaders in Eltham’s built and garden design. Mac (as he was usually called), who was the son of a Church of England minister, was born in Casterton, Victoria in 1901 and died in 1986. In 1945 he helped establish the United Nations, as political consultant to the Australian Delegation at the San Francisco Conference.3 Then in 1946 Mac was appointed British Commonwealth Representative on the Allied Council for Japan, which is recorded in detail in his diary.4 In 1948 Mac led an Australian Government Goodwill Mission to South East Asia. However, Mac was perhaps most successful as an academic and public speaker.5 He was a commentator on the Australian Broadcasting Commission, from the early 1930s to the early 1960s. He was also Controller of the Short-Wave Broadcasting Unit during World War Two, which later became Radio Australia. From 1923 he taught at The University of Melbourne, then became foundation Professor of Political Science in 1949 and was Chair until his retirement in 1968.6 In 1942, as the government expected a Japanese invasion, Mac’s wife Katrine and their only child Jenny, moved from Kew to Eltham as temporary evacuees. However Mac and Katrine lived in Eltham for almost the rest of their lives. After staying with friends, they rented a house in Reynolds Road, where, as it was wartime, they needed to keep horses for transport and a cow and poultry for milk and eggs. In 1945 the family moved to the house at York Street, which was then a timber cottage, built around the 1890s and in poor repair. The underground well, cellar and part of the garden are all that remain of what stood on the original 18 acre (7.3ha) allotment. Thanks largely to Katrine’s hard work, the house was gradually renovated and extended. The long rambling house was partially built by several young neighbours, who were inspired by the cheap mud-brick and stone building style of Montsalvat, the Eltham artists’ colony. Mac asked Alistair Knox to renovate Shinrone, named after an Irish village near Katrine’s family home. Knox later popularised the mud-brick style of house construction, for which Eltham became known. He expanded the living area and added verandas. In 1948 Montsalvat artist and sculptor Sonia Skipper supervised the building of most of the mud-brick studio. Another neighbour, Gordon Ford, who was to have a major influence on the Australian garden style, made the mud-bricks. Mac also asked John Harcourt, who had worked with him as a journalist in short-wave broadcasting, to build a pisé (rammed earth) and stone addition to the largely timber house. Harcourt built two bedrooms – including an attic bedroom – a balcony with a shower and toilet, and a fireplace and chimney of local sandstone. With pioneering work naturally came mistakes, including one particularly dramatic incident when Harcourt was building walls with unsupported sections. Jenny Ellis, Mac’s daughter, remembers being awakened from sleep by a thundering shudder. The wall of her room had fallen down – fortunately away from her! In 1950 artist Peter Glass – another neighbour and later landscape designer – built Katrine a mud-brick pottery. As a result, the house features at one end Harcourt’s characteristic steep gable roof, while at the other the flatter construction characteristic of Knox. Mac referred to the home as the Eltham ‘experimental building site’.7 Surprisingly, the combination works, perhaps partly because it has the warm inviting feel of timber, mud-brick and stone.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, alistair knox, gordon ford, john harcourt, mudbrick construction, pise construction, professor macmahon ball, shinrone, sonia skipper, york street

In Australia, precious opal is found in Cretaceous age sandstones and mudstones. These sedimentary rocks were deeply weathered and this weathering released silica into the groundwater.Australia is the only part of the world where opalised animal and plant fossils have been found. Opal artefacts several thousands of years old have been discovered in East Africa. As early as 250 BC the Romans prized opals, thought to have come from mines in Eastern Europe, the ancient world's main source of opals. There are many aboriginal dreamtime stories that feature opal. Australian opals discovered during the late 1800's found little favour with European markets but their commercial value increased in the 1900's and in 1932 Australia took over as the major producer of opals in the world and remains the largest producer to this day. Opal is found around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the western US) however Australia produces 95% of the world's precious opal and it is our official national gemstone. Opal was first mined commercially at Listowel Downs in Queensland in 1875 and later at White Cliffs in NSW. Today, Coober Pedy (SA) is the main producer of white opal, though in recent years this field has expanded and all types of opals are found. Other centres in SA include Andamooka and Mintabe. Lightning Ridge (NSW) is renowned for black opal and formerly White Cliffs was a large producer of high quality opal. Boulder opals (opals in concretionary ironstone) are mined in Queensland from numerous localities in a zone extending from the Eulo and Cunnamulla district in the south and northwest for a distance of over 700 km to Kynuna in the north. The towns of Quilpie, Yowah and Winton are the main opal mining and wholesale centres. Opals are considered gemstones and have been used in jewellery for thousands of years.Throughout much of history, opals were actually believed to be good luck. The Romans thought that opals were one of the luckiest gemstones and a symbol of hope. In the Middle Ages, opals were believed to be bestowed with all the positive properties of coloured gemstones due to its rainbow-like play of colour. Finally, there is a superstition that you should not wear an opal unless it is your birthstone otherwise misfortune will befall you. This, of course, is far-fetched, but the notion could have been promoted in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries by diamond traders who were trying to increase sales of diamonds and deter people from buying opals. Possibly related to this is the thought that you should set opal jewellery with diamonds as their powers of good fortune will override any negativity held by the opal. The great majority of opal does not show play of colour and is called common opal or potch however this is not the case with a precious opal. Opal is a precious gemstone, like rubies, emeralds or diamonds. Opal is rare, and it is expensive to prospect and mine for.Silica is one of the most common minerals on the planet, but precious opal is very rare – far more rare than diamonds. Precious opal is rare because the natural processes that create it rarely occur.Most (at least 95%) of the opal found by miners is common opal without gem colour. In Australia we call it potch. It can be white, grey, black or amber coloured. Even when a miner finds gem-coloured opal, most of it can’t be cut into gemstones because it’s too thin, or sandy. 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.It is not known where this opal originated, except that it is probably from Victoria, as it has been recorded from many localities in the State. Common Opal is formed from silica-rich water circulating through rocks near the Earth’s surface. It consists of minute spheres of silica arranged in different ways. In common opal, the spheres are of different sizes and randomly arranged, unlike in precious opal where the spheres are of similar size and uniformly arranged in three dimensions. These differences account for common opal generally being translucent to opaque and without the play of colours, or opalescence, displayed by precious opal. Common opal is found in many localities and different geological environments throughout Australia and the world. Precious opal requires special conditions to form and is much less common. Australia produces most to the world’s precious opal. burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, precious opal, opal, brazil, mexico, honduras, queensland, coober pedy, gemstones, jewellery, play-of-colour, light blue

This photographic exhibition was developed by the Federation University-led Community Wellbeing research stream of the Hazelwood Health Study in collaboration with Morwell Neighbourhood House and Gippsland Centre for Art and Design at Federation University Australia. It highlights people's hopes for the future of Morwell has its roots in two unexpected places: the Hazelwood mine fire in 2014 and an academic study into community recovery from that fire. In late summer of 2014 a bushfire spread to the coal mine near the town of Morwell in the LaTrobe Valley, in south-eastern Victoria. The Hazelwood mine fire burned for 45 days, shrouding communities - especially Morwell - in smoke and ash. Strong calls by the community for an investigation into the health impacts of the Hazelwood Mine Fire led to the Department of Health's (Know the Department of Health and Human Services) decision to fund a ten year study of the potential health effects of this smoke event (Known as the Hazelwood Health Study). This exhibition came out of work undertaken by the Community Wellbeing Stream of the Hazelwood Health Study during 2016 and 2017. Based at Federation University Australia's Gippsland Campus, just a few kilometres from where the fire took place, one of our Study's main aims has been to find out from the community how the smoke event impacted on community wellbeing. We also planned to talk to community members about the effectiveness of community rebuilding activities, and find our how these have aided recovery following the smoke event. In 2017 we began working with community organisations on a project to foster community recovery and wellbeing. What emerged from these discussions was the idea for a photographic exhibition, on the theme of 'Our hopes for the future of Morwell'. Invitations to participate were extended to up to 50 members of various community groups. The groups were asked to think of some object that symbolizes their hopes for the future of Morwell. Individuals were then invited to attend a photographic session kindly hosted by the Morwell Neighbourhood House. Each individual was to hold this object while it was photographed, as well as explain what the object represented in terms of Morwell's future. Out of this process twenty nine photographs with their captions were produced, enlarged and framed for exhibiting. The photographs were taken by Clive Hutchison of the Gippsland Centre for Art and Design at Federation University Australia.Twenty nine framed original photographs.morwell, our hopes for the future of morwell, clive hutchison, photography, morwell neighbourhood house, hazelwood health service, gippsland centre for art and design, hazelwood mine fire, haxelwood health study, morwell neighbourhood mine fire, neale stratford, tracie lund, ian brown, susan yell, sue whyte, ainsley ja, ainsley james, michelle duffy, shaun mallia, valerie prokopiv, morwell art and framing

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.Rakhoeforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools, forest harvesting, bushfire

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.Fire Beater (canvas) 1930s designforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools, forest harvesting, bushfire

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.Pulaski Fire Tool Combines an axe and a grubbing hoe. Digging end and cutting end with short wooden handleforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools, forest harvesting, bushfire

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.First used in 1955Rakehoe Combination of a heavy-duty six-toothed (each 9cm long) rake with a large, sturdy (25cm) hoe.bushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)

This "coffee" tin has by the "art deco" appearance its origins in the late 1950's to 1960's. This time period was one of accelerated growth both in the physical (housing) sense and the mental (new ideas and inventions) changes in "attitudes". These occurred more rapidly in cities but had its effects on the rural environment. The drinking of coffee was spurred on by easier distribution of imported food and drinks. Advertising by stronger radio links and then by television brought the variety of foods and drinks to semi isolated rural regions. The accessibility through greater information channels becoming available brought with it unbelievable ranges of goods and foodstuffs. Rural regions still relied on bulk supplies and relatively larger storage containers than those in cities. This "bulk" buying and storage "syndrome" was a lingering result of many years of "drought" periods when road transports met delays from flooded roadways in supplying population centres in the Kiewa Valley. The construction phases in building the SEC Vic Hydro electricity Scheme in the eastern sections of the Victorian Alps brought many changes to the quiet rural regions in the Kiewa Valley. Changes in population and social mores. The influx of a varied , mostly temporary, and "European flavoured cuisine" changes the "cuppa tea only" flavour to the have a "coffee break". The subliminal influence of the "American" films changed those children growing up in the post 1950s from the "English tea" to the "American coffee". This "Americanisation process has influenced not only rural Australia but also other areas throughout the world.This "insignificant" coffee tin is very significant as it demonstrates that the Kiewa Valley was becoming more accessible to reliable coffee supplies and general food items.The container was part of a "set" of containers that included tea, sugar,biscuits,flour, rice and other family condiments. This type of kitchen storage containers was brought about through changing patterns in tea and coffee useage and overall consumption. Household demands for faster "self help" cooking especially beveridges and the greater choice of kitchen "utensils" was brought on by easier access to products due to a lessening of the area's "isolation" by having a reliable (all weather) road system and an ever increasing population growth. The need for travelling goods/merchant supply caravans to service the area became a diminishing factor, as a result of the establishment of grocery stores in Tawonga and Mount Beauty in the supply of previously "hard to get" groceries. This transition was precipitated by the SEC Vic Hydro Scheme of the 1940's to 1960's which increased the valley's population level three fold.This cylindrical tin has a pull/push lid(for easy access to the contents). The container is labelled for "coffee" however it has no commercial manufacturer's label to establish that it was bought with coffee ingredients in it. The majority of the container's external surface has a "metallic" light blue colour with two sets of silver rings confining black (horizontal spotted) rectangles. "COFFEE" within an elongated spherical "art deco" four pointed banner of silver and black colouringkitchen containers, domestic food storage, bulk stocks of dried condiments

This locket is from the museum's collection of objects relating to Wilfred Clarence Busse. Busse was born in Chiltern in 1898, completed his secondary education as Wesley College in the early twentieth century, and went on to study law at the University of Melbourne. As a lawyer, he spent time in the room of Supreme Court Judge Bernard Cussen (1859-1933). Judge Cussen was popular, known for being just and precise and for completing through statutory consolidation in his spare time. As well as working as a lawyer, Busse wrote historical fiction inspired by his life in Chiltern, these included The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" and "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties," which won the T.E.Role gold medal for the best historical novel in 1930 and went on to become a best seller. He was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum until his death in 1960. The placing of hair in lockets was a common 19th and early 20th century, with Queen Victoria wearing a locket containing a piece of Albert’s hair after his death in 1861. Wearing a loved one’s hair or giving a lock of your hair to someone for wearing, could be a gesture of love and friendship, or of mourning. The tangibility and personal nature of hair made it a common keepsake, especially in cases of high mortality or where family members were separated by oceans without the possibility of air travel. The intention and origin of this locket is currently unknown, but it is likely it was a keepsake of love or mourning, either way, a emotional object. This object artistically significant as an example of late 19th/early 20th century jewellery, and social and spiritual sigifiicance as locket containing a piece of hair, which, regardless of exact intention, imbues it with a strong emotional aura. A small dark metal locket with a decorative leaf pattern on the exterior. The locket contains a small amount of reddish hair, supposedly from a loved one or family member of the original owner, and a degraded image that may have ocne represented a person. busse, w.c. busse, wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, chiltern athenaeum, "the blue beyond, a romance of the early days in south eastern australia”, "the golden plague: a romance of the early fifties.", "the golden plague”, wesley college, university of melbourne, sir leo finn bernard cussen, supreme court of victoria, locket, hair locket, hair jewellery, jewellery