The iron anchor is from the iron steamship, Easby built in England in 1873. It struck Skerries Reef at Gabo Island and sank in the harbour in April 1907 while carrying a cargo of potatoes. The iron anchor was recovered from the wreck at an unknown date and put on display between the two sets of keepers’ quarters. Parts of the ship, including the collapsed hull plating, engine and boilers as well as another anchor lie at a shallow depth at the wreck site 15m west of the jetty. This wreck became a shipping hazard and was eventually blown up. (1928) Another anchor of identical design lies underwater on the shoreline 15 metres west of the jetty.The wreck site and relics, including the anchor on display, are protected by the Victorian Heritage Register (VHDS S204).Large rusted metal anchor.

This timber fragment is from the shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG (1855). The bow of the ship broke off after an unsuccessful salvage attempt to tow her off the Peterborough reef. At the wreck-site the submerged hull points north towards the beach but the front section is missing. Parts of the bow have been carried away by the eastward bearing ocean currents and have come ashore on the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Don Charlwood writes in Wrecks & Reputations (1977) that in 1871 “a piece of wreckage over 20 feet long and 12 feet wide was brought out” by land from its remote location at Tauperika Creek. In 1875 “an even larger section was brought out by sea”. It was suggested at the time that these relics of a large wooden sailing ship were from the wreck of the SCHOMBERG some 20 years earlier on the Victorian coast. “To corroborate the theory”, Charlwood continues, “a piece was sent to Halls of Aberdeen [the ship’s builders in Scotland]. They identified it as having come from the ship they had launched with such pride in 1852.” Charlwood, whose great-grandparents were passengers on the SCHOMBERG’s fateful maiden voyage, acquired some samples of the wreckage timber recovered in New Zealand, and brought them back with him to Australia. In 1976 “comparison was made of timbers from the New Zealand find and timber from the remains of the hull at Peterborough. They proved to be from the same ship.” The extraordinary journey of these pieces of wood from the once mighty clipper ship SCHOMBERG came to an end in 1984, when they were given to Flagstaff Hill by the author, and reunited with other shipwreck timbers and copper bolts from the vessel that are on display at the Maritime Village. The shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG is of State significance - Victorian Heritage Register S612The artefact is a small piece of wood that was broken from the timbers of the shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG (1855) and carried by the eastern currents to New Zealand (1875). It has 2 drilled holes that show faint screw marks and no metallic residue (possibly for patent treenails). The top surface is rounded, of a dark colour, and showing clear grains that have been worn smooth by the action of the sea. There is a reddish stain on the timber where breakage has occurred. The wood appears to have been strong in its original condition but is now light to lift and soft and crumbly at its exposed edges. The artefact is in fragile condition.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwreck timber, don charlwood, ‘wrecks & reputations’

This timber fragment is from the shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG (1855). The bow of the ship broke off after an unsuccessful salvage attempt to tow her off the Peterborough reef. At the wreck-site the submerged hull points north towards the beach but the front section is missing. Parts of the bow have been carried away by the eastward bearing ocean currents and have come ashore on the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Don Charlwood writes in Wrecks & Reputations (1977) that in 1871 “a piece of wreckage over 20 feet long and 12 feet wide was brought out” by land from its remote location at Tauperika Creek. In 1875 “an even larger section was brought out by sea”. It was suggested at the time that these relics of a large wooden sailing ship were from the wreck of the SCHOMBERG some 20 years earlier on the Victorian coast. “To corroborate the theory”, Charlwood continues, “a piece was sent to Halls of Aberdeen [the ship’s builders in Scotland]. They identified it as having come from the ship they had launched with such pride in 1852.” Charlwood, whose great-grandparents were passengers on the SCHOMBERG’s fateful maiden voyage, acquired some samples of the wreckage timber recovered in New Zealand, and brought them back with him to Australia. In 1976 “comparison was made of timbers from the New Zealand find and timber from the remains of the hull at Peterborough. They proved to be from the same ship.” The extraordinary journey of these pieces of wood from the once mighty clipper ship SCHOMBERG came to an end in 1984, when they were given to Flagstaff Hill by the author, and reunited with other shipwreck timbers and copper bolts from the vessel that are on display at the Maritime Village. The shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG is of State significance - Victorian Heritage Register S612A small piece of wood broken from the timbers of the shipwrecked clipper SCHOMBERG (1855, Peterborough) and retrieved from the southwest coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The artefact bears a reddish stain on exposed parts but the main surface is grey coloured. It appears to have been split off other wood fragments in the Flagstaff Hill collection (6257, 6259). It presents as a lighter less dense wood than oak, but may have lost mass through submersion.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwreck timber, don charlwood, ‘wrecks & reputations’

This timber fragment is from the shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG (1855). The bow of the ship broke off after an unsuccessful salvage attempt to tow her off the Peterborough reef. At the wreck-site the submerged hull points north towards the beach but the front section is missing. Parts of the bow have been carried away by the eastward bearing ocean currents and have come ashore on the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Don Charlwood writes in Wrecks & Reputations (1977) that in 1871 “a piece of wreckage over 20 feet long and 12 feet wide was brought out” by land from its remote location at Tauperika Creek. In 1875 “an even larger section was brought out by sea”. It was suggested at the time that these relics of a large wooden sailing ship were from the wreck of the SCHOMBERG some 20 years earlier on the Victorian coast. “To corroborate the theory”, Charlwood continues, “a piece was sent to Halls of Aberdeen [the ship’s builders in Scotland]. They identified it as having come from the ship they had launched with such pride in 1852.” Charlwood, whose great-grandparents were passengers on the SCHOMBERG’s fateful maiden voyage, acquired some samples of the wreckage timber recovered in New Zealand, and brought them back with him to Australia. In 1976 “comparison was made of timbers from the New Zealand find and timber from the remains of the hull at Peterborough. They proved to be from the same ship.” The extraordinary journey of these pieces of wood from the once mighty clipper ship SCHOMBERG came to an end in 1984, when they were given to Flagstaff Hill by the author, and reunited with other shipwreck timbers and copper bolts from the vessel that are on display at the Maritime Village. The shipwreck of the SCHOMBERG is of State significance - Victorian Heritage Register S612A piece of wood broken from the timbers of the shipwrecked SCHOMBERG (1855, Peterborough) and retrieved from the southwest coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The artefact is a light grey colour with plain long grain and bears a reddish stain on parts. Part of a drilled hole is red stained with traces of corroded metal still evident. The piece appears to have split off from other fragments that are in the Flagstaff Hill collection (6257, 6258) and it is in fragile condition.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, schomberg, shipwreck timber, don charlwood, ‘wrecks & reputations’

Item souvenired by Mathew Redwood. Item from an Iraqi T - 34 Tank. A rotating dial with a drawn gun under it that would correlate with the actual gun position so the gunner could gauge the gun position with relation to the Hull. REDWOOD Mathew No 3811680/8237166, served 2nd Cavalry Regiment Iraq Secdet V.B in the following areas, Baghdad, Al Kasik, Taji, As Sammawah, Al Muthana Province, Southern Iraq. Mathew enlisted 17.2.1998 in RAEME, served in the following areas Bandiana, training and Workshops on Leopard tanks, Brisbane, Combat support BTN, Darwin, 2 Cav Regt A Sqd,Secdet V Bravo deployment Iraq Nov 2004 - Mar 2005, AMTG II Nov 2005 - June 2006, discharged Feb 2007.Circular plastic Indicator with graduations around the edges, tank outline in the centre, inner and outer graduations in increments of 5.iraqi, tank t - 34, indicators

This is one of the very few surviving pieces of correspondence between Bob and his wife, Madge. Bob destroyed the bulk of such correspondence between the pair, although some of Bob's typed letter/stories that Bob sent to Madge survived, pasted into a large hard-backed journal, and later passed on to grand-daughter, Margaret Davey. The Registry Office marriage was a secret business. Perhaps an Irish nationalist, Madge's father, Andrew McLaughlin, had absolutely forbidden any of his daughters to marry a soldier. The Snapes were taken by surprise too and Madge wore the wedding ring on a string about her neck. Bob wrote to Madge McLaughlin c/- her parents's home in at 22 Hull Street, Richmond (near West Richmond Railway Station).Picture Postcard.snape collection

502 Class 3a Photo (1942). Back row - Jack (Wossie) Hall, Ron Maddock, ? Smart, Gilbert Smith, Knowles Roberts , Ken Hull, Ron Richards. 2nd Back row - Hilary Waring, Lois Truscott, Margaret Taylor, Joan Hayward, Alison West, Patricia Hall, Glenda Hurst, Lorraine Woodhart, ? Krause. 1st Row Seated - ? Allender, Noreen Byron, Margo Williams, Pam Knipe, Dorothy Christian, ?, ?, Judith Sweeney. Front Row - ? Johnston, E. Prydderch, ? Smart, Jim Martin, Hartley Newton, ? Oliver, (Whistle) Cooper, Selwyn (Keith) Darker, The Smart boys were twins. Judith Sweeney stayed with the Maddocks family 6-8 months - war evacuee, her father made runner shoes. Stawell Primary School, 502 Grade 3a Class photo. The class black and white photo taken in 1942 consists of 32 students. Two middle rows of female students (17) and two rows of males students (15). The background of the photo is a brick school wall with 3 windows. stawell education

The SS. Edina was built on the River Clyde by Barclay Curle & Co. for Leith, Hull & Hamburg Steam Packet Co. She was launched on 4 May 1854 as a 3 masted steamer. She initially carried passengers and cargo across the North Sea. She then went onto serve in the Crimean War (HMS Edina), the American Civil War (c.1862), took fortune hunters to New Zealand during the Gold Rush and ferried passengers and cargo up the Queensland coast and across Victoria's Western District. In 1880 she began to trade between Geelong and Melbourne, traveling in her later years between Portarlington and Williamstown, via Geelong and Point Henry. She averaged 312 trips a year with 100 passengers a day. She made her last trip in 1938.The notice from the S.S.Edina likely relates to her use as a passenger boat, operating between Geelong and Melbourne from 1880-1938. The object is significant for its historic connections to Victoria's early travel networks by sea and to the S.S. Edina as a long serving vessel. A black board with white stenciled lettering set in a wooden frame. On the front is a Notice pertaining to the SS Edina. On the back of the board are 4 paintings of the SS Edina, showing her in 1875, 1884, 1917 and 1938."S.S EDINA NOTICE passage tickets are issued to & accepted by passengers subject to the conditions printed on the back of the ticket. Passengers are particularly requested to carefully read such conditions. No person allowed on board without a ticket."s.s edina, geelong harbour trust, corio bay, geelong

These two framed model ship plans are from more than 650 produced for the LOCH ARD Centenary (1878-1978) Commemoration Committee. These plans were originally researched, designed and distributed in 1977 to assist entrants in the Committee’s Ship Model Competition. The competition was arranged as a means of creating public interest and awareness for the 100th anniversary of the tragic LOCH ARD shipwreck on Victoria’s south west coast in 1878. The main subject specified for modelling was “The Loch Ard ― Iron Wool Clipper 1873”. “The plans were drawn by Mr P Webb to the order of the Committee through Mr P Williams, organizer of the competition. The details were based on all available information which resulted in considerable historical research…and received favourable comment from model makers because of their attention to detail…In excess of 650 sets of plans were sold before entries closed…Many plans were probably purchased by collectors and interested persons for historical reference. An illustrated historical story sheet…was prepared and enclosed with the plans…” (‘Loch Ard Shipwreck Centenary 1878-1978 Report’, November 1978). An example of the attention to historical detail delivered on the plans is the inclusion of the following useful information about the original vessel: “Tonnage….1,693 G.R.T., 1,624 N.R.T. Builders….Charles Connell & Co., Ltd., Scotstoun, 1873. Owners….General Shipping Co., Glasgow, (Aitken Lilburn & Co., Ltd.)”. The quality of research and drafting makes these framed copies of considerable interpretive value to related items from the LOCH ARD shipwreck on display at Flagstaff Hill. They were originally mass produced but are now out of print. Flagstaff Hill retains other (unframed) copies in storage. The plans, in conjunction with the scale Ship Model of the LOCH ARD also on display, are of interpretive significance to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The plans provide historical and technological context to artefacts from the shipwreck, increasing understanding and appreciation of those objects. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Two framed model ship plans of the LOCH ARD. These are detailed and researched plans from the original vessel, drawn to scale and printed on good quality paper, and framed behind glass to be hung on display. One slightly smaller plan “Lines, Decks and Details” portrays the hull lines as a body plan (straight on at the bow), a sheer plan (full side view), and a half breadth plan (a top-down view of deck to keel), as well as two top-down views of the upper decks and main deck with fittings and details of specific fixtures. One slightly larger “Sail and Rigging Plan” presents a side on, above deck view of masts and shrouds and a front on, above deck view showing “Elevation of Mainmast Looking Aft”. Each plan bears the draftsman’s initials and date of completion (“P.A.W. 10/77”). The larger plan also includes a boxed label attributing the project to the “LOCH ARD CENTENARY Commemoration Committee Ship Model Competition.”Smaller plan: heading “LOCH ARD: LINES, DECKS and DETAILS”; initials “P.A.W. 10/77”. Larger plan: heading “LOCH ARD: SAIL and RIGGING PLAN”; initials “P.A.W. 10/77”; label “LOCH ARD CENTENARY Commemorative Committee Ship Model Competition”. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, ship model plans, loch ard model plans, sailing ship, loch ard centenary

This row lock was fitted onto the Warrnambool Lifeboat, which is also on-site at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The construction of the lifeboat 'Warrnambool' began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by Great Britain's Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whale back decks fore and aft, mast and centre board, and rudder and tiller hung from the stern post. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was a foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight with watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat's construction are penciled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the 'Melbourne Directory' of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill's documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at 'Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne the name 'Myers' can also be spelled 'Meiers', which could be the same person as the Meiers in "McAuley and Meiers" (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named 'Warrnambool' was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built-in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, with new sea-going qualities such as greater maneuverability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining’ design was made the vessel difficult to capsize and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has plenty of free board. The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The Warrnambool lifeboat was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in the early 1900s. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be ready for action in case of an emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool lifeboat in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990, she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name 'WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The subject row lock is significant due to its association the Warrnambool Lifeboat which was an integral part of an important service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel for a half-century. One of the lifeboats many achievements was when it was used to help retrieve the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ship Antares. Rowlock from the Warrnambool Lifeboat.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifeboat warrnambool, life boat, life saving vessel, 1910 vessel, port fairy, boat builder plaque, rescue boat, beagley, government dockyard, williamstown, v.e.e. gotch, royal lifeboat institution, captain ferguson, non-capsizeable lifeboat, self-righting lifeboat, antares shipwreck, double diagonal planking, captain carrington, rowlock, lifeboat rowlock

This row lock was fitted onto the Warrnambool Lifeboat, which is also on-site at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The construction of the lifeboat 'Warrnambool' began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by Great Britain's Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whale back decks fore and aft, mast and centre board, and rudder and tiller hung from the stern post. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was a foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight with watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat's construction are penciled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the 'Melbourne Directory' of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill's documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at 'Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne the name 'Myers' can also be spelled 'Meiers', which could be the same person as the Meiers in "McAuley and Meiers" (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named 'Warrnambool' was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built-in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, with new sea-going qualities such as greater maneuverability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining’ design was made the vessel difficult to capsize and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has plenty of free board. The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The Warrnambool lifeboat was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in the early 1900s. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be ready for action in case of an emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool lifeboat in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990, she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name 'WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The subject row lock is significant due to its association the Warrnambool Lifeboat which was an integral part of an important service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel for a half-century. One of the lifeboats many achievements was when it was used to help retrieve the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ship Antares. Rowlock from the Warrnambool Lifeboat.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifeboat warrnambool, life boat, life saving vessel, 1910 vessel, port fairy, boat builder plaque, rescue boat, beagley, government dockyard, williamstown, v.e.e. gotch, royal lifeboat institution, captain ferguson, non-capsizeable lifeboat, self-righting lifeboat, antares shipwreck, double diagonal planking, captain carrington, rowlock, lifeboat rowlock

This row lock was fitted onto the Warrnambool Lifeboat, which is also on-site at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The construction of the lifeboat 'Warrnambool' began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by Great Britain's Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whale back decks fore and aft, mast and centre board, and rudder and tiller hung from the stern post. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was a foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight with watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat's construction are penciled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the 'Melbourne Directory' of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill's documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at 'Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne the name 'Myers' can also be spelled 'Meiers', which could be the same person as the Meiers in "McAuley and Meiers" (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named 'Warrnambool' was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built-in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, with new sea-going qualities such as greater maneuverability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining’ design was made the vessel difficult to capsize and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has plenty of free board. The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The Warrnambool lifeboat was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in the early 1900s. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be ready for action in case of an emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool lifeboat in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990, she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name 'WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The subject row lock is significant due to its association the Warrnambool Lifeboat which was an integral part of an important service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel for a half-century. One of the lifeboats many achievements was when it was used to help retrieve the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ship Antares. Rowlock from the Warrnambool Lifeboat.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifeboat warrnambool, life boat, life saving vessel, 1910 vessel, port fairy, boat builder plaque, rescue boat, beagley, government dockyard, williamstown, v.e.e. gotch, royal lifeboat institution, captain ferguson, non-capsizeable lifeboat, self-righting lifeboat, antares shipwreck, double diagonal planking, captain carrington, rowlock, lifeboat rowlock

The Mahogany Ship is today regarded as a legend and refers to an ancient wreck that is purported to lie beneath the sand beside Armstrong Bay, several kilometres west of Warrnambool, Its location is currently unknown. For well over a century the mystery of this ship has fascinated Australians because the existence of such a vessel could throw a different light on the earliest phases of exploration of eastern Australia by Europeans. The story is that in January 1836 a party of whalers from Port Fairy travelled to the mouth of the Hopkins River in search of seals. Their boat overturned and one man was drowned. The three survivors were walking the 30 kilometres back to Port Fairy along the coast when, about halfway along, they discovered the wrecked ship in the dunes. It is said that Captain John Mills, who was in charge of the whaling station at Port Fairy promptly visited the wreck with several of his men, including Hugh Donnelly. Donnelly who was the originator of that version of events is now regarded as unreliable. Local history researcher Joan Fawcett believes Donnelly could not have visited the wreck in 1836 because he did not arrive in Victoria until 1841. The "mahogany" description can be traced to a letter from Port Fairy builder, architect and surveyor John Mason and published in the Melbourne Argus in 1876. He said he had seen the hull in 1846 and it "had the appearance of either cedar or mahogany." In 1884 Argus journalist `The Vagabond' wrote that the hull was built of "Spanish mahogany" and six years later Mason wrote another letter saying it might not have been mahogany but red gum or ironbark from New South Wales. He was too late with this new description as the wrecks mahogany tag was here to stay all through the hull was not visible as it had disappeared beneath the shifting sands by 1880. A more reliable account was later presented by the former editor of the Warrnambool Examiner, historian Richard Osburne, who wrote about the wreck in his book History of Warrnambool (published 1887). In it the author remembers to have noticed a wreck in the hummocks between Belfast and Warrnambool, in 1847 or 1848; he stated it was much nearer Warrnambool than Belfast, now known as Port Fairy, going on to state “in fact, it was only two or three miles from the former place, to the west of the big hummock which was supposed to fill Warrnambool Bay with drift sand washed by the Merri River before the cutting was made.” Osburne followed up with a letter to the Port Fairy Gazette on June 25, 1876, during a period of heightened interest in the wreck, although he was unsure of the provenance of the ship he went on to state in his letter. “The old wreck was, in fact, miles away from the Port Fairy beach, and only about four miles from Warrnambool. In the years 1847 and 1848. I have often seen the wreck and I regret to say I do not believe she was a foreign ship at all.”The ship model is significant for its association with the Warrnambool story of what is now referred to as the Mahogany Ship, an ancient shipwreck. The model is significant as it is an interpretation of a Portuguese caravel and possibly associated with the early history and exploration of Southern Australia. The model is a fine example of a hand crafted ship made from plans, not from a kit. Some of the materials used for the model are significant to the Gembrook community in that the timber used is a portion from a 30-meter pine tree that fell onto and destroyed the 120-year-old Gembrook church building. The model is also a dedication to Edward Kermond, who grew up in Warrnambool and claimed to have seen the shipwreck in the dunes when he was a lad in the late 19th century. (See note section of this document for further information on the creator and donation of the subject item).Ship model, an interpretation of a mahogany Portuguese carvel vessel in a glass display case with wood frame and a description plaque. Model is made from dark stained wood. The three masted vessel is fully rigged, with a Portuguese-like flag on mast. Plaque is rectangular, free standing on a pedestal. The model was handmade by Joe Hilder (Senior) in 1999 from flooring obtained from the Gembrook Uniting Church in Victoria. Inscriptions, hand written, under base of case and on plaque.Under base, black felt tip pen “Ship & Case made From / Flooring from Gembrook uniting Church, Flattened in 1999 / By Large Pine Tree.” On plaque, white paint "This interpretation of the Fabled Mahogany Ship was made by Joe Hilder, Gembrook Vic. is displayed in the memory of the late Edward Kermond (Ted) 1887-1973, a Warrnambool son who claimed to have seen the original ship as a child." flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, ship model, mahogany ship, mahogany ship story, portuguese caravel, joe hilder, edward kermond, ted kermond, gembrook uniting church, gembrook storm 1999, port fairy whalers, belfast whalers

Context: A deadeye or bullseye is an item used in the standing and running of sail rigging in traditional sailing ships. It is a smallish round thick wooden disc (usually lignum vitae) with one or more holes through it, perpendicular to the plane of the disc. History Falls of Halladale: The wooden bullseye comes from the Falls of Halladale, a four-masted iron-hulled barque that was built in 1886 for the long-distance bulk carrier trade. The vessel was built for the Falls Line (Wright, Breakenridge & Co., Glasgow, Scotland) at the shipyard of Russell & Co., Greenock on the River Clyde, she was named after a waterfall on the Halladale River in the Caithness district of Scotland. The ship's design was advanced for her time, incorporating features that improved crew safety and efficiency such as elevated bridges to allow the crew to move between forward and aft in relative safety during heavy seas. The Falls of Halladale was the seventh vessel in a series of eight similar iron-hulled sailing ships, all built by Russell & Co and all named after waterfalls in Scotland. The Falls of Halladale was preceded by the Falls of Clyde (1878), the Falls of Bruar (1879), the Falls of Dee (1882), the Falls of Afton (1882), the Falls of Foyers (1883) and the Falls of Earn (1884). The Falls of Halladale was followed by a sister ship, the Falls of Garry (1886). The Falls of Clyde is afloat today and is a major attraction at the Hawaii Maritime Centre in Honolulu. The Falls of Halladale is best known for her spectacular demise in a shipwreck near Peterborough, Victoria on the shipwreck coast of Victoria, Australia. On the night of 14 November 1908, she was sailed in dense fog directly onto the rocks due to a navigational error. The crew of 29 abandoned ship safely and all made it ashore by boat, leaving the ship foundering with her sails set. For weeks after the wreck, large crowds gathered to view the ship as she gradually broke up and then sank in the shallow water. Soon after the accident the ship's master, Capt. David Wood Thomson was brought before a Court of Marine Inquiry in Melbourne and found guilty of a gross act of misconduct, having carelessly navigated the ship, having neglected to take proper soundings, and having failed to place the ship on a port tack before it became too late to avoid the shipwreck. Capt. Thomson's punishment included a small fine and he had his Certificate of Competency as a Master suspended for six months. Today the Falls of Halladale is a popular destination for recreational divers. The wreck is easily accessible by scuba divers about 300 m offshore in 3 to 15 m of water. The hull lies on its collapsed starboard side. Some of the original cargo of 56,763 roof slates remains at the site of the wreck along with corroded masses of what used to be coils of barbed wire. Twenty-two thousand slates were salvaged in the 1980s and used to provide roofing at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. An anchor that was recovered in 1974 is on display at the village.The pulley sheave is significant as a salvaged item from the Victorian heritage-listed Falls of Halladale wreck. As an artifact from the wrecked ship, it helps us to remember today the story of the wrecking and is an important reminder of a marine incident in Victoria's maritime history.Carved wooden Bulls Eye/Deadeye, varnished.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, falls of halladale, shipwreck peterborough, 1908 shipwreck, great clipper ships, russell & co., bulls eye

Just off Port Phillip Heads on April 12 1936, a strong wave struck the Nairana, tipping her over for two minutes before she righted herself again. During the horrifying two minutes, four people were drowned, and eight people were injured. The ship was reportedly carrying roughly one tonne of concrete in the hull when she tipped. Reports from the local papers said that it was a tidal wave meanwhile others were saying it was either an earthquake or a total lie. A later paper said that the ship had been caught in a rip at the mouth of the bay, causing the tragedy. The S.S Nairana, was sold for £4,000 (over $170,200 in today’s money!) in 1951 after two years of being stranded on the beach at Port Melbourne, when the moorings broke one night during a storm and drifted ashore, causing her to wreck.After WWI in 1920 she was decommisioned as a seaplane carrier and returned to her Australian owners crossing Bass Strait until she was laid up in 1948.Pair of oars from the Nairanaoars, ss nairana

WANNON 567 gross tons. Lbd: 167'4" x 26'6" x 11'. Steel hulled, single screw steam coaster, coal burner (burnt briquettes when on Melbourne-Tassie run); 3cyl triple expansion steam engine, 61 nhp; built 1919 at Enkhuisen, Holland, as Boschpolder; 1920 as British flag Rawlinson; 1922 to Canterbury Steamship Co. Ltd. Lyttleton, N.Z, as Gale; 1935 to Belfast & Koroit Steam navigation Co. Ltd., Melbourne, renamed Wannon to ply the Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Melbourne trade route after the loss of S.S.Coramba off Phillip Island. World War 2 as (S-153) carried general equipment, stores to U.S. Army camps at islands such as Woodlark, Kiriwina, Goodenough. Also served at Lae, Finschhafen and Wewak. Returned to owners and in 1957 went to Hong Kong shipbreakers hand tinted photograph of shipship, boat, sea, river, s.s.wannon

This oil painting is in a handmade, carved frame, dates back to the period of the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery. The two-masted, sail-and-steam-powered ship has the sails and bow shape of a tall clipper ship plus the extra power of steam. It dates to the transition between the clipper ships with their billowing sails and the steam-powered ships, which happened in the late 19th to early 20th century. The flag flown from the stern is that of the British Merchant Navy that traded around the world to transport cargo, and later passengers, from one destination to another. The painting was originally catalogued as the "S.S. Warrnambool" although it has a different design. It was also attributed to the ship portrait painter, the renowned C.K.M. - Charles Keith Miller - but differs from his style. Further research is being carried out at this time. In 1966, between the closure of the old Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery and the distribution of the painting to Flagstaff Hill, this painting was repaired by David Heysen, son of the German-born artist Hans Heysen OBE. David was born in Hahndorf (called Ambleside for a short period of time), South Australia, married Lyly Refshauge from Melbourne, and they raised a family on their property in Kalangadoo, near Penola, in South Australia.The painting's frame is an example of handmade carving and joinery created in the late 19th century. The artist has depicted the image of a historical sail-and-steam ship of the type in which cargo was traded across the world, including to and from Australia. Vessels such as this also brought migrants to Australia.Painting, oil on board, in hand carved wooden frame with floral and geometric pattern, inner border painted gold. Image of a two-masted sail and steam ship, sails raised, black funnel emitting smoke. Hull is black with white horizontal stripe and white trim around sides of deck. Three lifeboats are visible. Bow is ‘clipper shape’ with what appears to be a figurehead. A red ensign flag flies at the stern and a blue and red flag is attached to the mainmast. The frame has been assembled using Mortice and Tenon joints, one of which is exposed on the back, lower right corner. Chandelier chain has been attached for hanging. There is no visible signature, date or title on the front of the painting. The back board has empty holes spaced around the edge and is held in place by staples. The visible surface has remnants of adhesive from two rectangular attachment s. There are two small white stickers attached, one with a hand written inscription. There are pencil and pen inscriptions. The painting is protected by cardboard with inscriptions in marking pen.On back board, written in the style used by the Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery: - On white sticker, in pen “A-P31/1-74” - Pencil “A27/1883 / Artist CKM 1883 / Title SS Warrnambool / oil on board” Written in pen by the repairer - “Repaired & re-drilled – cleaned etc. / David Heysen 11/66” Written by Flagstaff Hill’s Cataloguer - Pencil “3031” On cardboard wrapper, in marking pen: - “S.S. Warrnambool / by / C.K.M. 1883” - “A-P/31/1-74” - “3031”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, s s warrnambool, charles keith miller, charles miller, steam and sail ship, british merchant navy, slipper shaped bow, 19th century sea trade, warrnambool museum and art gallery, old warrnambool art gallery, hand carved picture frame, mortice and tennon picture frame, migrants, c.k.m.

This oar is from the Lifeboat Warrnambool, which is on sit at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The construction of the lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later, 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by the Great Britain’s Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whaleback decks fore and aft, mast and centreboard, and rudder and tiller hung from the sternpost. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. The boat was described as “… a fine piece of workmanship and does credit to her builders and designers…” It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight and watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat’s construction are pencilled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990’s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the ‘Melbourne Directory’ of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, (Victorian Heritage Database, ‘Contextual History, Maritime Facilities’), It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill’s documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at ‘Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne’ – the name ‘Myers’ can also be spelled ‘Meiers’, which could be the same person as the Meiers in “McAuley and Meiers” (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named ‘Warrnambool’ was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. A winch was used to bring it in and out of the water. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, build and sea-going qualities such as greater manoeuvrability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining’ design was “practically non-capsizeable” and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has “… plenty of freeboard, high watertight spaces between the deck and bottom… through which pipes lead…” The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The lifeboat Warrnambool was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in early 1900's. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares, and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen, which they brought back to Warrnambool. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be manned by a strong and competent crew, ready for action in case of emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River, bolted to the Port Fairy lifeboat. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990 she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name ‘WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The oar is significant for its association with the lifeboat WARRNAMBOOL, which is significant for its half century service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel. She was also used to help retrieve the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ANTARES. Large wooden oar, shaped two handgrip with tapering shaft to large flattened blade, (2) copper reinforcing strips on blade. Sweep oar is from the Lifeboat Warrnambool. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, oar, lifeboat warrnambool, sweep oar

The plans were used for the construction of the lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’, which began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by Great Britain’s Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whaleback decks fore and aft, mast and centreboard, and rudder and tiller hung from the sternpost. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was the foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. The boat was described as “… a fine piece of workmanship and does credit to her builders and designers…” It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight and watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat’s construction are pencilled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the ‘Melbourne Directory’ of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, (Victorian Heritage Database, ‘Contextual History, Maritime Facilities’), It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill’s documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at ‘Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne’ – the name ‘Myers’ can also be spelled ‘Meiers’, which could be the same person as the Meiers in “McAuley and Meiers” (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named ‘Warrnambool’ was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. A winch was used to bring it in and out of the water. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, build and sea-going qualities such as greater manoeuvrability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining design was “practically non-capsizeable” and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has “… plenty of freeboard area, high watertight spaces between the deck and bottom… through which pipes lead…” The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The lifeboat Warrnambool was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in the early 1900s. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen, which they brought back to Warrnambool. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be manned by a strong and competent crew, ready for action in case of emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River, bolted to the Port Fairy lifeboat. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990, she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name ‘WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The line drawing is significant for its connection with the lifeboat WARRNAMBOOL. The lifeboat is very significant to local and state history for its use in the lifesaving rescues of seafarers, particularly in Lady Bay. It was part of the local rescue equipment. It gave a half-century of service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel, including its involvement in retrieving the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ANTARES. Line drawing in black ink and pencil on rectangular parchment or waxed linen. Drawing has diagrams of three profiles of a vessel, with measurements and connecting pencil lines on the left quarter. The plan is for the lifeboat named “Warrnambool”, which was built in Melbourne and completed in 1910. Old blue copies of the Lifeboat plan are archived also.“LIFE BOAT / FOR / WARRNAMBOOL” “Scale, One Inch to One Foot” “ “Length as shown 30’ – 8” “ “Breadth “ “ 8’ – 6 ½ “ “ “Depth “ “ 3’ – 4 ¾” “flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifeboat, warrnambool lifeboat, boat plans, lifeboat plans, boat construction, boat building, line drawing, plan for lifeboat, life boat, life boat 'warrnambool', clinker design, 1910 lifeboat, life saving equipment, shipbuilding

Rowlock from the Lifeboat Warrnambool, which is on site at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The construction of the lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ began 15th September 1909 and was completed almost 12 months later, 1st September 1910. It was built at the Government Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria, along the lines designed by the Great Britain’s Royal Lifeboat Institution, and included whaleback decks fore and aft, mast and centreboard, and rudder and tiller hung from the sternpost. It could be propelled by both sail and oar. At that time Captain Ferguson was Chief Harbour Master and Mr Beagley was foreman boat builder. Mr Beagley built the lifeboat with his fellow workmen. The boat was described as “… a fine piece of workmanship and does credit to her builders and designers…” It had all the latest improvements in shape, disposition of weight and watertight compartments, and it had space for a large number of people in addition to the crew. It appears that 'H Meiers' whose signature was on the plaque that was found concealed in the hull, was involved with the building of the lifeboat. His signature and the dates of the start and finish of the boat’s construction are pencilled on the raw timber 'plaque' found in the hull in the early 1990’s when the lifeboat was being restored. It is interesting that the ‘Melbourne Directory’ of 1911, published by Sands and MacDougal, lists McAuley and Meiers, boat builders, Nelson Place foreshore, between Pasco and Parker Streets, Williamstown, (Victorian Heritage Database, ‘Contextual History, Maritime Facilities’), It is quite possibly the business of the person whose name is inscribed on the lifeboat plaque. Flagstaff Hill’s documentation also mentions that the keel was laid at ‘Harry Myers, boat builders, Williamstown, Melbourne’ – the name ‘Myers’ can also be spelled ‘Meiers’, which could be the same person as the Meiers in “McAuley and Meiers” (as mentioned in genealogy lines of Myers). The new lifeboat, to be named ‘Warrnambool’ was brought to town by train and launched at the breakwater on 1st March 1911 using the Titan crane (the old lifeboat built in 1858, was then returned to Melbourne in 1911). This new lifeboat was stationed at Warrnambool in a shed located at the base of the Breakwater, adjacent to the slipway. A winch was used to bring it in and out of the water. The lifeboat ‘Warrnambool’ was similar in size to the old lifeboat but far superior in design, build and sea-going qualities such as greater manoeuvrability. The ‘self-righting, self-draining’ design was “practically non-capsizeable” and even if the boat overturned it would right itself to an even keel and the water would drain away. The hull was built of New Zealand Kauri, using double diagonal planking, laid in two layers at right angles, with a layer of canvas and red lead paint between the timbers to help seal the planking. It has “… plenty of freeboard, high watertight spaces between the deck and bottom… through which pipes lead…” The backbone timbers were made of Jarrah. The lifeboat Warrnambool was one of several rescue boats used at Port Fairy and Warrnambool in early 1900's. In late 1914 the Warrnambool lifeboat and crew were used to help find what was left of the tragic wreckage of the Antares, and were able to discover the body of one of the crewmen, which they brought back to Warrnambool. Between 1951 and 1954 the lifeboat was manned under the guidance of Captain Carrington. He held lifeboat practice each month on a Sunday morning, to comply with the Ports and Harbour’s request that lifeboats be manned by a strong and competent crew, ready for action in case of emergency. In the early 1960’s it ended its service as a lifeboat and was used in Port Fairy as a barge to help dredge the Moyne River, bolted to the Port Fairy lifeboat. Flagstaff Hill obtained the Warrnambool in 1975. In 1984 it was on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. On 23rd May 1990 she was lifted from the water and placed in a cradle for restoration. The name ‘WARRNAMBOOL could be seen faintly on the lifeboat before it was restored. It was during the restoration that Flagstaff Hill's boat builder discovered the 'plaque' inside the hull. A copy of the blueprint plans has the name “V.E.E. Gotch” printed on it. His advertisement in Footscray’s ‘Independent’ newspaper of Saturday 11th May 1901 states he is “Principal and Skilled member (Naval Architect) to the Court of Marine Inquiry of Victoria and holds classes for naval architectural drawing and arithmetic.” The rowlock is significant for its association with the lifeboat WARRNAMBOOL, which is significant for its half century service to the local community as a lifesaving vessel. She was also used to help retrieve the body of a shipwrecked crew member of the ANTARES. Rowlock, iron, upper ends scroll over, from the Lifeboat Warrnambool.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, life boat, life saving vessel, 1910 vessel, port fairy, boat builder plaque, rescue boat, beagley, government dockyard, williamstown, v.e.e. gotch, royal lifeboat institution, captain ferguson, non-capsizeable lifeboat, self-righting lifeboat, antares shipwreck, double diagonal planking, captain carrington, rowlock, lifeboat rowlock, lifeboat warrnambool

A sheathing hammer is used for attaching the copper or Muntz sheathing to the outside of a vessel. The outside cover of the hull of a ship or boat is called sheathing. In previous centuries the sheathing was timber but on long voyages, the sea worms could eat through the timber and their holes would weaken the sheathing, sometimes causing the vessel to break up in the rough sea or if the ship was beached. Copper or Muntz sheathing was later used. It was effective but very expensive. In modern times the hulls of ships are iron. The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings. You can see Laurie’s inscription on the tool called a ‘bevel’. Laurie worked for Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, for over 50 years, beginning in the early 1960s. He and a fellow shipwright inscribed their names on a wheelhouse they built in 1965; the inscription was discovered many decades later during a repair of the plumbing. Many decades later Laurie worked on the Yarra moving barges up and down the river and was fondly given the title ‘Riverboat Man’ His interest in maritime history led him to volunteer with the Maritime Trust of Australia’s project to restore and preserve the historic WWII 1942 Corvette, the minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine, which is a sister ship to the HMAS Warrnambool J202. Laurie Dilks donated two handmade displays of some of his tools in the late 1970s to early-1980s. The varnished timber boards displayed the tools below together with brass plaques. During the upgrade of the Great Circle Gallery Laurie’s tools were transferred to the new display you see there today. He also donated tools to Queenscliffe Maritime Museum and Clunes Museum.The shipwright’s tools on display in the Great Circle Gallery are connected to the maritime history of Victoria through their past owner, user and donor, Laurie Dilks. Laurie began his career as a shipwright at Ports and Harbours in Melbourne in the mid-1900s, following in the wake of the skilled carpenters who have over many centuries used their craft to build and maintain marine vessels and their fittings.The sheathing hammer has a wooden handle and metal head. One side of the head has a long claw for removing nails with minimum damage to the surrounding surface. The other side has a wide, flat round head for hammering in the large nails used in shipbuilding. It once belonged to shipwright Laurie Dinks.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwright, carpenter, shipbuilding, ship repairs, hand tool, equipment, ship maintenance, cooper, tool, marine technology, sheathing hammer, hammer, shipwright's hammer, ship's sheathing, laurie dilks, l dilks, port and harbours melbourne

The P. S. Edwards was built in May 1875 by J. M. Webb, Echuca. Official number 73287, made of wood, with paddle wheels at the side. 78 gross tons, 27 nett tons. It was altered in 1916 , after cabin removed 48 gross ton. It had 7 different owners before being purchased by R. J. Evans, of Evans Bros. Saw Mill, Echuca, in 1919. The P. S. Edwards was sunk at Echuca in the spring of 1958 and then raised in January 1981 and then was being restored by Geoff Evans in 1985 (Parsons, Ronald. Ships of the Island Rivers. 3rd ed. 1996. p.67) The barge Ada was built in 1899 at Echuca by the Permewan Wright Company. The Ada hull was built of part wood and part steel, to protect the wool from becoming wet on the voyage down the Darling River to the Echuca Wharf. The Ada was used as a logging insider barge as well as a wool barge with the Pevensey on the Darling River.The P. S. Edwards has historical and social significance being a paddle boat built in Echuca. The P. S. Edwards was built in May 1875 by J. M. Webb, Echuca. It had 7 different owners before being purchased by R. J. Evans, of Evans Bros. Saw Mill, Echuca, in 1919. The P. S. Edwards was sunk at Echuca in the spring of 1958 "and as the mill was burnt in 1959 salvage was not attempted. She was raised in January 1981 and in 1985 was restored by Geoff Evans. While owned by Evans Bros, was used to bring red gum from the Barmah Forest to the sawmill in the barge Clyde." (Parsons, Ronald. Ships of the Island Rivers. 3rd ed. 1996. p.67) The barge Ada was significant because of the construction of the hull, being part wood and part steel. The Ada was used as an inside looking barge as well as a wool barge with the P.S Pevensey on the Darling River. The barge Ada is still on display at the slipway at the Port of Echuca. A black & white photograph of the P. S. Edwards towing the barge "Ada". A large tree is in the foreground and frames the boats. The boats are on a bend in the river. The barge appears to be laden with timber.In blue pen on reverse of photograph are written the words ? Adelaide (crossed out) Edwards & Ada barge ID4. Geoff Evans ? ( also crossed out). port of echuca, p. s. edwards, evans bros saw mills, ada barge, wool industry, p.s pevensey, darling river

“On the 8th April 1934, at her residence in Bedford, England, Eveline Victoria Townshend, widow of the late Thomas Achilles Townshend, C.E. of County Cork, Ireland, died in her 74th year. Mrs Townshend was the Eva Carmichael who, with the late Tom Pearce, were the only two survivors of the ship Loch Ard, which was wrecked near Port Campbell, on 1st June, 1878 ....”. [Transcription of the article is attached]. Captain Gibbs was master of the Loch Ard, an iron clipper of 1623 tons, which was wrecked on Mutton Bird Island, one mile east of Sherbrook River. The two survivors, Carmichael, a passenger and Pearce, a member of the crew, were washed through the mouth of the gorge, which now bears the name of the ill-fated ship. The impact of the ship was so violent that the deck was torn clean off the hull, which now lies in 70 fathoms of water. (edited version of the same article)The newspaper article is of local, state and national historical significance for its association with the wreck of the sailing ship LOCH ARD, which is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register S417. The article records an eye witness account of the rescue of the only two survivors from the Loch Ard wreck. A newspaper cutting from the Warrnambool Standard in 1934. It contains the obituary notice of Eva Carmichael (Townshend), the only female survivor of the LOCH ARD shipwreck in 1878. She died on 8 April 1934, a widow in England, in her 74th year. This original newspaper cutting has yellowed and creased with age. The article in the cutting is incomplete. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, warrnambool standard, eva carmichael, loch ard, eveline townshend, tom pearce, eveline victoria townsend, thomas achilles townshend, county cork, ireland, loch ard survivors, port campbell victoria, royal reade, 1-6-1878, w. c. till, eye witness account, george ford, glenample homestead, princetown, gibson, w. shields, mckenzie, robertson, robert strasenburg, loch venacher, robert pearce, tss hobsons bay

“Yarram Park” Willaura Visited by American Seamen. Gentleman is Mr William Jennings Kinsella. The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was to make friendly courtesy visits to numerous countries while displaying new U.S. naval power to the world. One goal was to deter a threatened war with Japan since tensions were high in 1907. It familiarized the 14,500 officers and men with the logistical and planning needs for extended fleet action far from home. Hulls were painted a stark white, giving the armada its nickname. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various small escorts.[1][2] Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.willaura simmons

“Yarram Park” Willaura Hunting Trip with American Seamen. Gentleman at top center back is William Jennings Kinsella. The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was to make friendly courtesy visits to numerous countries while displaying new U.S. naval power to the world. One goal was to deter a threatened war with Japan since tensions were high in 1907. It familiarized the 14,500 officers and men with the logistical and planning needs for extended fleet action far from home. Hulls were painted a stark white, giving the armada its nickname. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various small escorts.[1][2] Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.willaura simmons

The photograph was taken towards the ESE from Peterborough headland. It reproduces an original landscape view of the FALLS OF HALLADALE shipwreck which occurred at 3 am on 14 November 1908 (and confirms that the vessel was on an ENE tack at the time of the collision). The image includes three groups of formally dressed Edwardian sightseers on the cliff top and an adjacent rock ledge. Subsequent versions of this well-known image are usually cropped to present a striking portrait view, emphasising the vertical lines of the ship’s masts and sails, and excluding the groups of sightseers on the right hand of the original image. The small girl in the foreground and the loose sail on the foremast are common to both the landscape and edited portrait versions of this memorable scene. The photograph was taken at an early stage of the ship’s final days, somewhere between the date of her grounding in mid-November 1908 and early January 1909 (when salvagers began dynamiting her iron masts so they could get to the valuable cargo still in her holds). Firmly wedged between two parts of the reef and with all of her square-rigged sails fully set, the FALLS OF HALLADALE provided a spectacle for many miles along the coast. Over these weeks she attracted hundreds of sightseers, and photographers, before the pounding seas finally broke her weakened hull and she disappeared back into deeper waters. The iron-hulled, four-masted barque, the Falls of Halladale, was a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 on her way to Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold, along with 56,763 tiles of unusual beautiful green American slates (roofing tiles), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6500 gallons of oil, 14400 gallons of benzene, and many other manufactured items, were 117 cases of crockery and glassware. Three months later and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked on a reef off the Peterborough headland at 3 am on the morning of the 15th of November, 1908. The captain and 29 crew members all survived, but her valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. ABOUT THE ‘FALLS OF HALLADALE’ (1886 - 1908) Built: in1886 by Russell & Co., Greenock shipyards, River Clyde, Scotland, UK. The company was founded in 1870 (or 1873) as a partnership between Joseph Russell (1834-1917), Anderson Rodger and William Todd Lithgow. During the period 1882-92 Russell & Co., they standardised designs, which sped up their building process so much that they were able to build 271 ships over that time. In 1886 they introduced a 3000 ton class of sailing vessel with auxiliary engines and brace halyard winches. In 1890 they broke the world output record. Owner: Falls Line, Wright, Breakenridge & Co, 111 Union Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Configuration: Four masted sailing ship; iron-hulled barque; iron masts, wire rigging, fore & aft lifting bridges. Size: Length 83.87m x Breadth 12.6m x Depth 7.23m, Gross tonnage 2085 ton Wrecked: the night of 14th November 1908, Curdies Inlet, Peterborough south west Victoria Crew: 29The shipwreck of the FALLS OF HALLADALE is of state significance: Victorian Heritage Register No. S255. The Falls of Halladale shipwreck is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). The Falls of Halladale shipwreck is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry. The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976).Photograph; sepia-toned black and white, mounted on grey card. Image of a fully rigged sship, the Falls of Halladale, stranded near the shore with a group of people in the foreground seated on the ground. The photograph is well-worn. Description of Image: Quadrant 01, vessel with full set of sails perched on reef with stern submerged; Quadrant 02, predominantly clear sky over flat calm sea; Quadrant 03, two groups of standing sightseers on rocky promontory with three individuals approaching from left foreground; Quadrant 04, fifteen well-dressed sightseers seated on grassed cliff top including one child and six women. There is a deliberately obscured inscription in white ink along the lower border or foreground of the photograph.Lettering of white uppercase in grassed foreground of initial image is smudged out by subsequent development process and largely indecipherable. However pencilled writing on rear of card ― “Mrs Francis” and “Wreck of ‘Falls of Halladale’ Peterborough 1908”.flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwreck coast, peterborough reef, shipwreck photograph, falls of halladale, warrnambool, flagstaff hill, shipwrecked image, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwrecked coast, maritime museum, edwardian sightseers, shipwreck spectacle, photograph, mrs francis, wreck of falls of halladale, peterborough 1908, 1908, peterorough, shipwreck

This rod was salvaged from the American three-masted wooden clipper ship, Eric the Red, named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red. The ship first traded in coal between America and Britain and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 its hull was re-metalled and the vessel was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 Eric the Red departed New York under the command of Captain Z Allen, with 24 crew plus two passengers. It was heading for Melbourne and then Sydney. The ship was commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 American exhibits for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The items included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, and samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Also on board was general merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The ship had been at sea for 85 days when, on 4th September 1880, it hit the Otway Reef on the southwest coast of Victoria and was quickly wrecked. Captain and crew ended up on floating parts, or in the long boat or the sea. He was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued by the steamer Dawn and later taken to Warrnambool, where they received great hospitality and care. Four men lost their lives; three crew and one passenger. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne and then returned to America. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. The salvaging ship Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally, those on board the Pharos had found the name of the wrecked vessel. The government steamer Victoria and a steamer S.S. Otway picked up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated onto Point Franklin. Some of the vessel's yards and portions of its masts were on shore with pieces of canvas attached, confirming that the vessel had been under sail. On shore were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. There were sewing machines, some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”, and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire, some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”, and kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts. Other cargo remains included croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a flywheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs, wooden clothes pegs and a ladder. There were three cases of goods meant for the Exhibition Other items salvaged from amongst the debris floating in the sea were chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and flycatchers. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with a chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. A life belt was once on the veranda of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has several artefacts from the wreck. There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA)Iron rod with flat lugged washer. The rod is made of a heavy metal with encrustations and signs of rusting on the surface. It is stepped down in diameter mid-shaft and is slightly bowed on the narrower end. The narrow end flares out slightly in the last few centimetres with a burred foot and has a circular head on the wider end. The washer on the narrower end cannot move past the centre or the narrow end of the rod. The washer is a different metal from the rod and has a small lug jutting out along the circumference in one position. The rod was recovered from the wreck of the ship the Eric the Red.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, rod, iron-rod, eric the red, steamer dawn, cape otway reef, 1880, captain allen, usa pavillion, melbourne exhibition, melbourne international exhibition, captain jones, medal, united states government, pharos, a. james, flag board, steamer victoria, steamer otway, diamond oil, r w cameron and company, long and co., t s and co melbourne, a. field and son, taunton, massachusetts, ketch apollo, ship nail

This Teak wood sample has been taken from a handrail on the wreck of the ship Otago. The fully rigged iron-hulled sailing ship Otago was built in Glasgow for the New Zealand Government as an immigrant ship, launched in 1869. One of the captains of the Otago was Joseph Conrad. He was one of the captains of the Otago and it was the only ship that he had ever commanded. Joseph Conrad (1857-1927) Joseph Conrad was Polish-born and became a British subject in 1886. He was a renowned marine fiction writer and also, for a short time, a mariner and Captain. As a boy of 13 years old, Joseph Conrad’s desire was to be a sailor. At 19, he joined the British merchant marine, working in several roles. He eventually qualified as a captain but only served in this role once, from 1888-89, when he commanded the barque Otago sailing from Sydney to Mauritius. In 1889 he also began writing his first novel, Almayer’s Folly. He retired from life as a mariner in 1894, aged 36. Conrad’s visits to Australia from 1878 to 1982, and his affection for Australia, were later commemorated by a plaque in Circular Quay, Sydney. Conrad continued as an author. It is said that many of the characters in his books were inspired by his maritime experiences and the people he had met. By the end of his life, he had completed many stories and essays, and 19 novels, plus one incomplete novel titled ‘Suspense’ that was finished and published posthumously. Shortly before he passed away, in 1924, Conrad was offered a Knighthood by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald for his work but declined. The Otago: - The 1869 iron-hulled barque Otago changed hands several times in the late 19th century. In 1903 the Melbourne shipping company Huddart, Parko & Co., purchased the ship and it was converted to a coal hulk for use in Sydney. The Otago was later sent to Hobart in Tasmania where it was in use there until 1931. The ship was eventually left to lay on the banks of the Derwent River until destroyed by fire in 1957. The wood sample is significant for its association with the ship Otago, the only ship that author Josep Conrad had command of as Captain. It was known as Joseph Conrad's Otago. The sample of teak is significant as an example of materials used in the construction of the 1869 iron hulled sailing ship, bult in Glasgow, Scotland. The association with the Otago is also significant for its use in building an immigrant ship for New Zealand.Wood sample; a rectangular section of a teak wood handrail that has a bead planed along one side. Two cards with the sample have inscriptions, one handwritten and one typed. The sample is from the wreck of the barque Otago, once under the command of Captain Joseph Conrad. Handwritten card: "PART OF TEAK HANDRAIL / from / Joseph CONRAD'S ship / OTAGO / (HULK at RISDON, DERWENT River, TASMANIA) Typed card: "PART OF THE TEAK HANDRAIL / FROM JOSEPH CONRAD'S SHIP / "OTAGO" / (HILK AT RISDON, DERWENT / RIVER, TASMANIA)"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, joseph conrad, joseph conrad's ship, otago, ship's handrail, 1869 ship, migrant ship, immigrant ship, new zealand, sydney, newcastle, tasmania, iron hull, captain joseph conrad, author, mauritius

A delightfully framed shot of the Botanical Gardens in the mid to late 1950s. We can be reasonably sure of the date of this image because it shows the Keel House conservatory. Designed and fabricated in England, it was then re-assembled in the Ballarat Gardens in 1906. It was purely for display, only allowing public viewing through glass windows at either end. It became known as the Keel House because the roofline resembled a boat hull. The Keel House was replaced in 1959 by Cuthbert House, another conservatory which also did not allow public access. Cuthbert House was replaced in 1995 by the present Robert Clark conservatory, which allows public access for the first time. Note other details in this photograph, the sprinkler at full bore and the little boy hiding behind the sundial. Mrs Bon Strange and her husband Bert were well known Ballarat residents. When Mrs Strange died some years ago, her extensive slide collection was sorted through and those relevant to Ballarat were gifted to the Ballarat Library.greenhouse, glasshouse, keel glasshouse, garden, building, public building, ballarat botanical garden