Part of the collection purchased from Brendan Kurtze by the City of Portland. From the Kurtze Museum. Spades were used primarily for cutting up a whale. They were flat-bladed implements (except the gouge spade) with a chisel cutting edge and were mounted on wood poles by means of a socket at the aft end of the spade. The blades of later spades, after the 1850's, were usually made of cast steel, while the sockets and shanks were wrought iron. Cast steel held a cutting edge far better than the earlier wrought iron, and was necessary for repeated cutting. The sockets of spades were forge welded closed, without an open seam, for added strength. They were secured to the pole with a nail, screw or pinWhaling implement, iron, painted gloss black. Flat blade and handle sleeve on either end of shaft, no handle. Spades were used primarily for cutting up a whale. They were flat-bladed implements (except the gouge spade) with a chisel cutting edge and were mounted on wood poles by means of a socket at the aft end of the spade. The blades of later spades, after the 1850's, were usually made of cast steel, while the sockets and shanks were wrought iron. Cast steel held a cutting edge far better than the earlier wrought iron, and was necessary for repeated cutting. The sockets of spades were forge welded closed, without an open seam, for added strength. They were secured to the pole with a nail, screw or pinkurtze museum, whaling, tools, industry, maritime

Single page flyer, red, black print, one side only, advertising Kurtze's Museum, South Portland.

Flyer for Kurtze's Museum, 78 Wellington Rd Portland. White, black print, black and white photo of C.F. Kurtze, proprietor

Rocket launcher and tripod. Galvanised iron channe, wrought iron and wooden legs. Bronze hinges and fittings. Rocket 'stick' wooden hexagonal. Orange tubular steel head slides onto stick. White case.Front: "P&H" on side of caserocket launcher, maritime, rescue, kurtze museum

Possibly from the Kurtze collection The 531 ton coastal steamer, the S.S.Coramba, was built in Scotland in 1911 and was lost at sea off Phillip Island on November 30, 1934, during a violent storm. There were no survivors. This starboard lifeboat from the Coramba was found washed up on the southern shores of Phillip Island on November 30, 1934, and was thought to have held two crew members, whose bodies were later found near Forrest Caves. This piece of lifeboat was found among the wreckage on Phillip Island shortly after the vessel sunk in 1934.A section of wreckage from the lifeboat 'Coramba'. This section has been cut from the wreckage. 4 sections of planking. Lapstake construction painted white with the lettered name 'CORAMBA' in black.Front: 'CORAMBA' 'S1' Back: -sscoramba, lifeboat, wreckage, phillip island, kurtze museum

Part of collection purchased from Brendan Kurtze by the City of Portland. Whaling industryWhaling implement, iron, painted gloss black, 2 prongs, short section of handle riveted into handle sleeve. The blubber fork was used to transfer sliced pieces of blubber, called "bible leaves", into the try pots for rendering or boiling it into oil. Bible leaves were thrown into the trypots with a blubber fork or blubber pike and heated until the whale oil tried out from them, much like the grease coming from bacon as it cooks. Care had to be taken not to burn the oil, but to be certain that all oil was extracted from the bible leaves.kurtze museum, whaling, blubber fork, maritime

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze MuseumThree pronged shape-shaped iron tool, painted with high gloss black paint.whaling, whaling tools, maritime industry

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze MuseumIron utensil featuring shaft with V shaped section on one end and soldi cone shaped section on the other end. Painted with glossy black paint.

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze MuseumIron weapon or tool comprising triangular shaped wedge attached to end of shaft. Painted with glossy black paint.whaling, weapon, harpoon

City of Portland Collection 19/4/2000|Kurtze MuseumIron utensil featuring shaft with V shaped section on one end and solid cone-shaped section on the other end. Painted with glossy black paint.whaling, weapon, harpoon

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000Iron utensil featuring shaft with V shaped section on one end and solid cone shaped section on the other end. Painted with glossy black paint.

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000Iron utensil featuring shaft with V shaped section on one end and soldi cone shaped section on the other end. Painted with glossy black paint.

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000Long tapered iron tool, painted with black gloss paint.

Part of collection purchased by the City of Portland in 1990s from Brendon Kurtze (Kurtze's Museum Portland). “Grains with Five Prongs. GRAIN. An iron instrument with four or more barbed points, and a line attached to it, used at sea for striking and taking fish.” -Whitney, 1911Grain spear used to harpoon dolphins. Iron, painted black gloss, no handle. 3 flat blades on one end of shaft and handle sleeve on the other.fishing

Purchased by Glenelg Shire from Kurtze's Museum. The Casino commenced West Coast Trade in 1882 after being purchased by the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Co. The Casino came to an end in 10.7.1932 when it rolled over and sank at Apollo Bay. Casino built at Dundee Scotland 425 reg. tons.Life buoy, circular ring, canvas covered cork, rope loop fixed to 4 points on the outside edge. Painted white "SS CASINO" and "PORT FAIRY" lettered in black. 2 images of flags painted opposite sides of the 'front' of buoy. Ex SS CASINO wrecked 10.7.1932.Front: 'SS Casino' 'Port Fairy' Back: -

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000. The lifebuoy came from the S S Casino. A popular cargo ship, the Casino was a regular sight on the Moyne river and along the coast. The ship was an integral part of coastal life until she was shipwrecked in the 1930's, and objects from the Casino can now be found in collections from across the region.S S CasinoCanvas covered ring of bouyant material (possibly cork), with rope loop fixed to 4 ponts on the outside edge. Inscription "S.S. CASINO" centre top, "PORT FAIRY" at centre bottom, a flag painted centre left and centre right.Front: Centre top "S. S. CASINO"|Centre bottom "PORT FAIRY"|flag on centre left and centre rightss casino, port fairy, cargo ship, lifebuoy

City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000. Once a whale was killed and its blubber was cut up and hauled aboard the ship for processing, the chunks of flesh were moved around the slippery vessel with long-handled, two-tined blubber forks. These forks were used to pitch the pieces of minced blubber into the hot try-pots to boil it down into oil. The long handles prevented sore backs from too much bending over and protected the men from getting too close to the boiling oil. (taken from Smithsonian Museum)WhalingTwo pronged utensil, painted with glossy black paint. An attempt to repair handle, short stem of handle rivetted onto handle sleeve.whaling, whaling tools

One page of an article on Portland's proclamation of a town, from 'the Argus' weekend magazine, Nov 19 1949. Several photos: Percy St, E.N.T. Henry and secretary Dawn Barclay in council offices, needle factory, L.R. & C.F. Kurtze at their museum, 2 men walking across Percy St.