Photograph appears to have been taken outside Linton State School building.Black and white photograph of eight young ladies dressed in costume for a school concert, four seated, four standing behind, other people in background.On card mounting of photograph, hand written in ink: "Song / Miss Milligan's / by / Music Pupils of / Miss G. Barry / about 1912 / at Shire Hall (crossed out) State School" "Back row: C McBeath P O'Beirne M Bolte K Burke Front row: K O'Beirne L Burke G Cox J Cox Background S Mark V Cornish A Thompson C Bolte".gertrude barry, music students, musicians, c. mcbeath, p. o'beirne, m. bolte, k. burke, g. cox, j. cox, s. mark, v. cornish, a. thompson, c. bolte, o'beirne collection, milkmaids

A second copy of this photograph is also in the collection - see Registration no. 1604.Linton school photograph grades 1-4, sign in front of students dated 20-6-1923. Brown cardboard surround. Names of pupils recorded in ink on the mount.linton state school no. 880, s. robinson, r. preston?, a. bolte, a. chasey, j. pye, j. walker, s. chasey, j. hyatt, h. megee, j. stapleton, a. pyke, m. rowe, e. pyke, a. brown, m. pye, i. hyatt, a. chasey, l. sandow, a. megee, l. chasey, d. cornish, l. woodford, g. pettersen, e. walker, r. cornish, l. fletcher, i. brown, l. bass, i. armstrong, d. wearne, m. allan, i. nicol, c. megee, r. allan, s. mark, f. donaldson, s. morgan, w. bass, r. jennings, c. murrell, f. wishart, w. megee, f. megee

Letter to Mr D Egan from C Duggan for Manager - Public Relations - Australia Post, dated 23 February 1983. Letter mentions the history of the Long Gully Post Office. There are many gaps in the history. Mentioned are the number of letters, newspapers, Money Orders, telegrams, mail articles, postal notes and expenditure. Values of money orders, telegrams and postal notes are mentioned. Postmasters/mistresses were P Pentreath, A Pentreath, Amelia Daniel, Mrs S A Wilcock, Mark H Webb, William J H Read, Mrs Elsie Anderson, Sydney Gordon Dawson, John Henry Bennett, Miss Margaret Mulvey, John Henry Bennett, Henry William Purchase, Mr R F Warren, Mrs Margaret Cecily Kennedy, Edward Charles Landers, Mrs Margaret Landers, Shirley Egan, Brian Matthew Egan and Shirley and Max Volk.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - postal history of long gully, australia post, mr d egan, p pentreath, a pentreath, amelia daniel, mrs s a wilcock, mark h webb, william j h read, mrs elsie anderson, sydney gordon dawson, john henry bennett, miss margaret mulvey, henry william purchase, mr r f warren, mrs margaret cecily kennedy, edward charles landers, mrs margaret landers, shirley egan, brian matthew egan, shirley and max volk, c duggan

Smoke Social tendered to The Visiting Delegates of the 15th Annual Convention of the Chamber of Agriculture by the Bendigo Agricultural & Horticultural Society in 1917. S. H. McGowan, President and H. S. Marks, Secretary. Black printing on white paper. Bolton Bros, Printers.document, invitations, social evening, document, smoke social, 15th annual convention of the chamber of agriculture, bendigo agricultural & horticultural society, s h mcgowan, h s marks, bolton bros

Silver spoon with racquet motif on end of handle. Bird hallmark stamped on reverse, and 'JL&S' makers mark. Materials: Silver/Metaltennis

In the 18th century, spring scales appeared. To produce these scales, a manufacturer would use the resistance of a spring to calculate weights, which could be read automatically on the scale’s face. The ease of use of spring scales over balance scales is what led most post offices to outfit their clerks with spring postal scales. One of the most common types of spring scales was the kitchen scale—also known as a family or dial scale. Designed for horizontal surfaces, these scales used the weight of goods in a pan at the top of the scale to force the spring down. Such scales were common in early-20th-century households and were sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward. Many had flat weighing surfaces but some were topped by shallow pans. Companies such as Salters, Chatillon, and Fairbanks made both. SALTER HOUSEWARES began in the late 1760 in the village of Bilston, England. At this time Richard Salter, a spring maker, began making 'pocket steelyards', a scale similar to the fisherman's scale of today. By 1825 his nephew George had taken over the company, which became known as George Salter & Co. and later established a large, well equipped manufacturing site in the town of West Bromwich. The business thrived throughout the 1900s, and in 1972 the company was purchased by Staveley Industries Plc. In 2002, the management team at Salter Housewares Ltd, backed by Barclays Private Equity, bought the company out from the group, to concentrate on its consumer businesses. In 2004 was sold to the US-based HoMedics company, and in 2006, Salter Housewares USA and Taylor Precision Products Inc (also owned by HoMedics) merged.Salter Brand No. 46 Household Spring Balance Kitchen Scales made of green painted metal with a white large clock face dial marked in 1oz graduations and with a shallow metal bowl placed on the flat top connected to the mechanism. An adjustable screw tightened or loosened the spring to bring the pointer to zero, prior to adding the material to be weighed.. A common piece of kitchen equipment as most families used this type of scale when measuring goods for cooking or storing. HOUSEHOLD SCALE / NO. 46 / SALTER / TO WEIGH 28 LB / ( rope & arrow TM) BRITISH MADE Base rope & anchor S (trade mark) weights, measures, shops, scales. balances, grocery stores, early settlers, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, salter housewares pty ltd, west bromwich, england, salter george, salter richard, bilston england

In the 18th century, spring scales appeared. To produce these scales, a manufacturer would use the resistance of a spring to calculate weights, which could be read automatically on the scale’s face. The ease of use of spring scales over balance scales is what led most post offices to outfit their clerks with spring postal scales. One of the most common types of spring scales was the kitchen scale—also known as a family or dial scale. Designed for horizontal surfaces, these scales used the weight of goods in a pan at the top of the scale to force the spring down. Such scales were common in early-20th-century households and were sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward. Many had flat weighing surfaces but some were topped by shallow pans. Companies such as Salters, Chatillon, and Fairbanks made both. SALTER HOUSEWARES began in the late 1760 in the village of Bilston, England. At this time Richard Salter, a spring maker, began making 'pocket steelyards', a scale similar to the fisherman's scale of today. By 1825 his nephew George had taken over the company, which became known as George Salter & Co. and later established a large, well equipped manufacturing site in the town of West Bromwich. The business thrived throughout the 1900s, and in 1972 the company was purchased by Staveley Industries Plc. In 2002, the management team at Salter Housewares Ltd, backed by Barclays Private Equity, bought the company out from the group, to concentrate on its consumer businesses. In 2004 was sold to the US-based HoMedics company, and in 2006, Salter Housewares USA and Taylor Precision Products Inc (also owned by HoMedics) merged. A portable, brass balance scale , 'Salters' for weighing items. A steel ring holds a brass plate marked with graduations 0 – 26 to which is attached a steel hook. ( rope & arrow TM ) / SALTER / POCKET / BALANCE / MADE IN ENGLAND Graduated 0 – 26 / PATENT / No. 8 Base rope & anchor S (trade mark) pioneers, early settlers, market gardeners, moorabbin, brighton, cheltenham, tools, craftsman, balance, scales, weights, imperial measure,, salter housewares pty ltd, west bromwich, england, salter george, salter richard, bilston england,

In 1911, students received prizes for highest marks. Books were appropriate prizes. Everil Fisher grew up and lived at Mongan's Bridge in the Kiewa Valley.Blue hard covered book with light blue title surrounded by light blue swirl on cover. On the spine - the title and author's name are embossed in gold. RTS is embossed in gold at the bottom of the spine. The decoration on the spine is light blue. Inside: Font is large. Between the title page and a picture is a clear sheet of 'tissue' paper.Everil Fisher / Highest marks / S. S. 3403 / 25. 4. 11 - Handwritten on first page.everil fisher, school prize, mongan's bridge primary school

8382.1 - Metal (likely steel) protractor, marked down to 0.5, used mostly in map drafting. 8382.2 - Wooden red velvet-lined case.- Flavelle bros and Roberts, Sydney and Brisbane. - 6692 a s x- similar marks were made and scratched out. - a h x

Electroplated silver spoons were commonly used in the late 1800s to early 1900. These spoons were owned by Mrs Alice Dinsmore, grandmother of Mrs. Jean Raper of Wodonga. Spoon 1 (at the top of the image) bears the hallmark of George Waterhouse & Co of Sheffield, England. II is labelled EPNS which stands for Electroplated nickel silver. Spoon 2 bears the makers mark WM & S, the mark of William Mammatt & Sons of Sheffield which operated under that name from 1886 until 1906. In 1901 Maxfield & Sons and the associated businesses of J.& J. Maxfield and W. Mammatt & Sons were converted into a single liability company under the style of J. & J. Maxfield Ltd and in 1908 was reformed as Maxfield & Sons (Silversmiths) LtdThis item is from the Raper Collection donated to the Wodonga Historical Society by Mrs. Jean Raper.2 silver plate jam spoons. The spoons are both electroplated and have clearly discernible hallmarks imprinted on them.On spoon 1: W & Co EP in separate shields. On spoon 2: "WM & Ssilver spoons, domestic items, silver cutlery

MMTB logo or decal for the use on the sides of tramcars, glued transfer adhered to a sheet of gloss paper on one side and plain on the other with the transfer instructions made by Selex Decal in the 1970's, with alignment marks on the rear. Has the Selex Decal logos on the rear and the number "107642827" along the bottom edge. Refer to MMTB Drawing R10-135 for a drawing. Three copies heldtrams, tramways, mmtb, signs, logos, preston workshops

MMTB logo, monogram or decal for the use on the sides of tramcars, glued transfer adhered to a sheet of gloss paper on one side and plain on the other with the transfer instructions made by Selex Decal in the 1970's, with alignment marks on the rear. Has the Selex Decal logos on the rear and the number "108256181" along the bottom edge. Refer to MMTB Drawing R10-135 for a drawing. Two copies heldtrams, tramways, mmtb, signs, logos, preston workshops

Poster - printed on off white paper of a lady with 5 parcels, a case mark "S. S" and a well dressed man reading a newspaper and with two fingers around the hand rail looking at here - taking up the whole of the seat. In the background is a sign on the tram with the words "Move Up Please" Has a message "Here's another "Selfish Sue" who dawdles all her shopping thru, then late she rushes for Tram, and some tired worker has to stand". Promoting early shopping and passenger behaviour. Has the initials JH on the bottom of the message.trams, tramways, passengers, behaviour, shoppers, cartoons, illustrations

MMTB decal - "Please step inside" for the use on the exterior of tramcars, glued transfer adhered to a sheet of gloss paper on one side and plain on the other with the transfer instructions made by Selex Decal in the 1970's, with alignment marks on the rear. Has the Selex Decal logos on the rear and the number "098051751" along the bottom edge. Refer to MMTB Drawing R10-138 for a drawing. Three copies held, two wax paper separate sheets, cardboard protective strip. The wax separation sheets have the Selex Decal logos printed onto them.trams, tramways, mmtb, signs, logos, preston workshops, behaviour, passengers, footboards

Composite photograph from a journal showing five scenes of the equipment and operational facilities of the cable tram system - a power house, Nicholson St workshops paintshop, the iron shop and the wood shop. Includes an image of the grip mechanism.Yields information about the cable tram workshopsComposite photograph of cable tram maintenance facilities and grip mechanism.Melbourne 1 – Power House No. 3 2 – Paint shop – Nicholson St W/S 3 – Grip Mechanism 4 – Iron Shop – Nicholson St W/S 5 – Wood Shop – Nicholson St W/S Copy neg Mark Plummer collections ex late John Alfred collection. cable trams, melbourne, grip, workshops, nicholson st workshops, power house, engine house

This item is from a collection donated by descendants of John Francis Turner of Wodonga. Mr. Turner was born on 6 June 1885. He completed all of his schooling at Scotts Boarding School in Albury, New South Wales. On leaving school, he was employed at Dalgety’s, Albury as an auctioneer. In 1924 John was promoted to Manager of the Wodonga Branch of Dalgety’s. On 15/03/1900 he married Beatrice Neal (born 7/12/1887 and died 7/2/1953) from Collingwood, Victoria. They had 4 daughters – Francis (Nancy), Heather, Jessie and Mary. In 1920, the family moved From Albury to Wodonga, purchasing their family home “Locherbie” at 169 High Street, Wodonga. "Locherbie" still stands in Wodonga in 2022. The collection contains items used by the Turner family during their life in Wodonga. The hallmark on this item identifies it as being produced by James Dixon and Sons of Sheffield, England. Their first corporate mark of the trumpet (bugle) and banner was granted in 1879, and the second with the name was added in 1890 and used until 1920, therefore helping to establish provenance of this set. The mark JD&S was used from c. 1920. The abbreviation EPBM in the hallmark denotes "electroplated Britannia metal". Britannia metal was generally used as an alternative to electroplated nickel silver.This item comes from a collection used by a prominent citizen of Wodonga. It is also an excellent example of Britannia ware of the early 20th century.A pair of Britannia metal chamber sticks with a base representing the shape of a thistle and its leaves. Underneath each stick, Beneath the symbol of a bugle and banner, surrounded by shields "J D & S"/E P B M/ 8207"domestic items, britannia metal

Illustrated book with dustjacket. Book is bound in dark blue fabric with hospital crest on front in gilt. title and publisher's mark printed in gilt on spinenon-fictionHistory of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the first public hospital in Victoria, from its opening in 1848 in Lonsdale St up to 1998, contains over 100 historical photographs and illustraionsroyal melbourne hospital-history, hospitals-victoria-history

Branding irons are used to print a burn an identifying marker on the hide of horses or cattle so that they may be later identified if they become lost or escape from their pasture. The irons were typically forged by blacksmiths using a toolset that included hammers, anvils and chisels. The branding irons were used by heating the end bearing the owner’s initials to a very high temperature in a furnace, and then burnishing it against the skin of the cow. Brands were registered with state governments as unique marks. This allowed for a state registry to be maintained. This item is an example of a common implement used in the livestock industry in Orbodt.A long-handled branding iron with an S or 2 on the end. There is a loop at the top for hanging.branding-iron rural livestock-industry

A map of Bungal in the 1920's showing the allotments, and the size, with the names of the residents. It shows the roads and the Western and Eastern Moorarbool River, and the Whipstick State Forest.Cream coloured map of Bungal in the County of Grant, bounded by the the East Moorarbool River on the East, and the State Forest on the South. It is marked with the scale of chains and the number L.358. Lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey. Melbourne by W. J. Butson on 9.9.1926. It shows the land allotments with names of owners.Coloured pen marks and circled numbers on various areas. Price 2 shillings marked on bottom right hand edge.bungal, kerrit bareet, egerton, lal lal, borhoneyghurk, bungeeltap, ballark, yaloak, gorong, moorarbool west

In August 1884, Alfred Hirst who had started his trade as a watch repairer and was described as a watchmaker extraordinaire established Hirst Brothers and Company, on Union Street in Oldham Manchester. He took his two stepbrothers into the business and the company was set up to produce timepieces and jewellery as well as importing “Limit company” Swiss watches and precision machine tools for the watch and clock trade. By 1902 Hirst Brothers. had become a limited company and was still growing, adding other businesses in Manchester in 1904 and at Birmingham in 1907. The quality of the clocks and watches was such that Alfred Hirst realised his greatest ambition in 1912 with a range of watches which carried the "Limit" trademark. These watch movements had originally been made in Switzerland and shipped to Hirst Bros. to be put into British made “Dennison” cases. This trade brought even more growth with additional sales offices opening in London and Glasgow. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 found them manufacturing aircraft parts including revolution counters and optical instruments. The firm had been tasked by the Ministry of Munitions to solve the problem of pilots dropping bombs by hand and as a result, they effectively created the first bomb rack. After the war, the company once again began to prosper and with the demand for their products increasing they looked to build a new purpose-built factory to manufacture their products. In 1917 they purchased a seven-acre field site at Tame Side Dobcross, the designing of the new factory was passed onto local architect AJ Howcroft. His brief for the design of the clockworks would have been prompted by Alfred Hirst who having visited modern factories in the United States was inspired by the latest factory designs providing as much daylight as possible during working hours. The factory was eventually completed in 1920, by the mid-1920s there were cheap clock imports from Germany and production turned to radio sets and other components as well as counter and gas meters for the "Parkinson and Cowan" company who was later to take over the business. In 1926 came the cotton crash and the District Bank who had loans with the company foreclosed on the Hirst loan. The company did survive and throughout the second World, War II were involved in munitions work at the factory as well as making instruments for various aircraft. In the 1950’s they were producing meters and high grade measuring equipment but by the 1970's the business had closed and the factory was demolished in the mid-1980 "s The item is a good example of the later use of an early mechanism “Fusee” that was originally invented around 1525 in Prague. This type of clock mechanism was replaced as watchmakers looked for mechanisms that could reduce the size of clocks and watches, it appears England was the only country to continue making clocks with a Fusee device until around 1900,s of which our clock is an example. The use of a Fusee movement eventually became obsolete in 1970,s. The item is significant for the collection as it is a clock with a movement that has long since been made obsolete. Fusee type gallery wall clock made by Tame Side with an 8-day mechanical fusee movement. The white enamel dial is a little crazed and some of the Roman Numeral numbers are fading due to over-cleaning. The movement has a hexagonal iron pendulum bob hooking onto a pendulum rod with a spring-wound anchor escapement.Only mark is stamped on the movement believed to be a production number "13490" and made in Tame Side. (If the clock had been made after 1912 it would have had a trade mark "Limit")flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock, wall clock, fusee, gallery clock, alfred hirst, tame side

The Excelsior IV Log is a nautical instrument for measuring a vessel’s speed and distance travelled. When navigating a ship it is essential to be able to estimate the boat’s speed and distance travelled to determine its position at sea. In times past the only way to measure a ship’s speed was to throw a wood log into the water and observe how fast it moved away from the ship. In the 16th century, the log was fastened to a rope knotted at set intervals. The log was thrown over the stern (back) of the vessel and a crew member counted the number of knots that were paid out in a set time. From this, they could estimate the speed of the vessel through the water. This was known as streaming the log and is also the derivation of the knot as a measurement of nautical speed. The Walker’s Excelsior Mark IV instrument was designed for smaller vessels, such as yachts, launches and fishing vessels. Historical: Thomas Walker & Son was internationally renowned in the manufacturing of ships logs, founding father , Thomas Walker (1805–1871), an engineer in Birmingham, patented a mechanical log in 1878 which was a recording instrument that attached to a rail at the stern of a vessel connected by a long cord with a rotor which was towed behind the ship. The instrument dial recorded the distance travelled. Thomas Walker first went into business to manufacture stoves at 58 Oxford Street Birmingham. Walker’s self-feeding stove was widely lauded at the Paris Exhibition of 1855, winning a prize medal and kick starting the first of many notable innovations for the Walker family's manufacturing business. However, it wasn’t until working on an earlier ship’s log model invented by his Uncle that Thomas Walker became interested in the further development of this device, used to ascertain a ship’s speed. Walker continued to improve on the common log for the company of Massey & Sons and these improvements were deemed revolutionary. This log became a firm favourite of the West India Association (British-based organisation promoting ties and trade with the British Caribbean), being the most common log in use for two generations. It took until 1861 for Thomas Walker and his son, Thomas Ferdinand Walker (1831-1921) to patent the first Walker log of many. Together, with the introduction of the A1 Harpoon Log two years later, they established the Walker Log Business as a force to be reckoned with. By the time of his passing in 1871, Thomas Walker Snr had not only founded a family business with considerable staying power but also instilled a tradition of public service. Having sat as a representative on the Birmingham Town Council for 15 years and played an active role in public works, he was soon given the nickname of ‘Blue Brick Walker’. Much like his father, Thomas Ferdinand Walker changed the face of the maritime industry. His patent of 1897, the ‘Cherub’ log, was a notable departure from the past providing a far more accurate reading and replacing the majority of logs of the age. They were the first to produce an electric log and the Walker factory was one of the first to introduce the 48 hour work week for employees. The ship log was invented and made by a significant marine instrument maker and innovator of machinery. It demonstrates the huge leap taken to improve navigational accuracy at sea with an instrument that was in use for decades.Ship's Taff Rail Log, rope attached. Walker's Excelsior IV Log model. Nautical miles dials: units and 10's. "Walker's Excelsior IV Log", "Made in England by Thomas Walker, Birmingham"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, log register, taff rail log, taffrail log, marine navigation, a1 harpoon log, cherub’ log, walker’s excelsior mark iv log, ship’s log instrument, mechanical ship’s log, measure ship’s speed, nautical instrument, navigation instrument, massey & sons, thomas walker, blue brick walker, thomas walker & son, thomas ferdinand walker, 48 hour work week

This tea spoon is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, a Loch Line ship of 1,693 tons which sailed from Gravesend, London, on 2 March 1878 with 17 passengers and a crew of 36 under Captain George Gibbs. “The intention was to discharge cargo in Melbourne, before returning to London via the Horn with wool and wheat”. Instead, on 1 June 1878, after 90 days at sea, she struck the sandstone cliffs of Mutton Bird Island on the south west coast of Victoria, and sank with the loss of 52 lives and all her cargo. The manifest of the LOCH ARD listed an array of manufactured goods and bulk metals being exported to the Colony of Victoria, with a declared value of £53,700. (202 bills of lading show an actual invoice value of £68, 456, with insurance underwriting to £30,000 of all cargo). Included in the manifest is the item of “Tin hardware & cutlery £7,530”. This teaspoon is one of 482 similar items of electro-plated cutlery from the LOCH ARD site, comprising spoons and forks of various sizes but all sharing the same general shape or design and metallic composition. 49 of these pieces display a legible makers’ mark — the initials “W” and “P” placed within a raised diamond outline, which is in turn contained within a sunken crown shape — identifying the manufacturer as William Page & Co of Birmingham. An electroplater’s makers’ marks, unlike sterling silver hallmarks, are not consistent identifiers of quality or date and place of manufacture. A similar line of five impressions was usually made to impress the consumer with an implication of industry standards, but what each one actually signified was not regulated and so they varied according to the whim of the individual foundry. In this case, the maker’s marks are often obscured by sedimentary accretion or removed by corrosion after a century of submersion in the ocean. However sufficient detail has survived to indicate that these samples of electro-plated cutlery probably originated from the same consignment in the LOCH ARD’s cargo. The following descriptions of maker’s marks are drawn from 255 tea spoons, 125 dessert spoons, and 99 table forks. These marks are clearly visible in 66 instances, while the same sequence of general outlines, or depression shapes, is discernible in another 166 examples. 1. A recessed Crown containing a raised Diamond outline and the initials “W” and “P” (the recognised trademark of William Page & Co) 2. An impressed Ellipse containing a raised, pivoted, Triangle in its lower part and bearing a Resurrection Cross on its upper section (a possible dissenting church symbol reflecting religious affiliation); OR a rounded Square impression containing a raised, ‘lazy’, letter “B” (possibly mimicking sterling silver hallmark signifying city of manufacture i.e. Birmingham) 3. An impressed rounded Square filled with a raised Maltese Cross (the base metal composite of nickel silver was also known as ‘German silver’ after its Berlin inventors in 1823) 4. A recessed Circle containing a Crab or Scarab Beetle image; OR a recessed Circle containing a rotated ‘fleur de lys’ or ‘fasces’ design 5. A depressed Diamond shape enclosing a large raised letter “R” and a small raised letter “D” (mimicking the U.K. Patent Office stamp which abbreviated the term ‘registered’ to “RD”, but also included date and class of patent) Suggested trade names for William Page & Co’s particular blend of brass plating are ‘roman silver’ or ‘silverite’. This copper alloy polishes to a lustrous gold when new, discolouring to a murky grey with greenish hue when neglected. The LOCH ARD shipwreck is of State significance – Victorian Heritage Register S 417.Unrestored tea spoon from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The spoon design has a flattened fiddle-back handle, with a thin stem or shank, flared collar, and elongated bowl. The spoons metallic composition is a thin layer of brass alloy which has partially corroded back to a nickel-silver base metal. Approximately 35% of original electroplating survives, with some verdigris, and 25% sediment encrusted on bowl of spoon.electroplated cutlery, loch ard, shipwreck artefact, nickel silver, william page & co., birmingham, tea spoons, makers marks, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, electroplated cutlery, loch ard, shipwreck artefact, nickel silver, william page & co., birmingham, tea spoons, makers marks

This dessert spoon is from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, a Loch Line ship of 1,693 tons which sailed from Gravesend, London, on 2 March 1878 with 17 passengers and a crew of 36 under Captain George Gibbs. “The intention was to discharge cargo in Melbourne, before returning to London via the Horn with wool and wheat”. Instead, on 1 June 1878, after 90 days at sea, she struck the sandstone cliffs of Mutton Bird Island on the south west coast of Victoria, and sank with the loss of 52 lives and all her cargo. The manifest of the LOCH ARD listed an array of manufactured goods and bulk metals being exported to the Colony of Victoria, with a declared value of £53,700. (202 bills of lading show an actual invoice value of £68, 456, with insurance underwriting to £30,000 of all cargo). Included in the manifest is the item of “Tin hardware & cutlery £7,530”. This dessert spoon is one of 482 similar items of electro-plated cutlery from the LOCH ARD site, comprising spoons and forks of various sizes but all sharing the same general shape or design and metallic composition. 49 of these pieces display a legible makers’ mark — the initials “W” and “P” placed within a raised diamond outline, which is in turn contained within a sunken crown shape — identifying the manufacturer as William Page & Co of Birmingham. An electroplater’s makers’ marks, unlike sterling silver hallmarks, are not consistent identifiers of quality or date and place of manufacture. A similar line of five impressions was usually made to impress the consumer with an implication of industry standards, but what each one actually signified was not regulated and so they varied according to the whim of the individual foundry. In this case, the maker’s marks are often obscured by sedimentary accretion or removed by corrosion after a century of submersion in the ocean. However sufficient detail has survived to indicate that these samples of electro-plated cutlery probably originated from the same consignment in the LOCH ARD’s cargo. The generally common range of marks are drawn from 255 tea spoons, 125 dessert spoons, and 99 table forks. These marks are clearly visible in 66 instances, while the same sequence of general outlines, or depression shapes, is discernible in another 166 examples. Suggested trade names for William Page & Co’s particular blend of brass plating are ‘roman silver’ or ‘silverite’. This copper alloy polishes to a lustrous gold when new, discolouring to a murky grey with greenish hue when neglected. The LOCH ARD shipwreck is of State significance – Victorian Heritage Register S 417. 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. Unrestored dessert spoon from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. The spoon design has a flattened fiddle-back handle, with a thin stem or shank, flared collar, and a shallow rounded bowl. The spoons metallic composition is a thin layer of brass alloy which has partially corroded back to a nickel-silver base metal. Bent stem and buckled bowl. Only 5% of original plate remains and base metal exhibits cu, fe, zi, oxidisation in bright spots. Some verdigris and an amount of encrustation on front and back of the spoon. Outlines of five makers marks are visible - Crown, Elipse, Rounded square, Circle, Diamond.flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, electroplated cutlery, loch ard shipwreck, william page and co, birmingham brass plating, spoon