There are records of members of the Helmers family attending Bendoc State School. George Henry Helmers was a prospector who mined all the gold from the dry gullies that ran into Bendoc. George was born in 1866, in Bombala, New South Wales, Australia. He was married to Euphemia Lock, born on October 19 1870, in Bendoc Upper, Victoria, Australia.This photograph is associated with early settlers of Bendoc, East Gippsland.A black / white portrait photograph of a man in a suit, hat and tie. He has a large moustache. on back - "George Helmers"helmers-george-bonang

There are records of members of the Helmers family attending Bendoc State School. George Helmers was a prospector who mined all the gold from the dry gullies that ran into Bendoc. George was born in 1866, in Bombala, New South Wales, Australia. He was married to Euphemia Lock, born on October 19 1870, in Bendoc Upper, Victoria, Australia.This photograph is associated with early settlers of Bendoc, East Gippsland.A large black / white photograph of a man standing in front of a wooden cottage. there is a horse beside him, a woman standing on a verandah in the background and on the left is a clothes line with what seem to be nappies pegged out. There is also a copy of the original. on back - "George Helmers, Errinundra"helmers-george-bendoc

Ballarat School of Mines is a predecessor of Federation UniversityBlack and white photograph of School of Mines Magazine Committee, 1940. Names B. Martin, A. Gordon, G. Sutherland, G. Myers, A. Kersey, J. Hassell, E. Boustead, A. Janetski, G. Mounter, E. Scott, G. Downing, M. Dark, A. Ward, A. Helm, L. Griffin, A. Henderson, J. Wilkinson, J. Martin, Dr. Pound, M. Coward, M. Mein, F.G. Procter, G. Yorke, J. Evans. ballarat school of mines students' magazine committee, magazine committee, b. martin, a. gordon, g. sutherland, g. myers, a. kersey, j. hassell, e. boustead, a. janetski, g. mounter, e. scott, g. downing, m. dark, a. ward, a. helm, l. griffin, a. henderson, j. wilkinson, j. martin, dr. j. r. pound, m. coward, m. mein, f.g procter, g. yorke, j. evans, dr. pound, f.g. procter

Gold Fields Act. Published: Joseph A C Helm, Mackay & Co., Bendigo. 114 Pages. Inscriptions: inside front cover: hand writing from 30/10/1862 to 9/2/1864, Title Page: W Arch? Douglas, 8 January 1861, Repealed by Mining Statute, writing also on many other pages, newspaper articles pasted into book on pages 25, 30, & 31. Many pages have underlining. 114 pages. Owned by W A DouglasJoseph A C Helmbook, gold fields act, gold fields act, history, legal matters, miners rights

Red hard covered book holding seven volumes of the Ballarat School of Mines Students' Magazine. The cover of the 1938 magazine was designed and executed by Robert McHutchison. Includes original linocuts, including work by Max Coward. 1940 magzine includes a list of full course students; W.H. Middleton Obituary, artwork by C. Sargeant, Joe Wilkenson, Sheila Moss, Bessie Sargeant, Fifi Malseed, Isobel Boustead, Adeline Hulm, Audrey Janetski, Maureen McRae, Bettin George, Ernest Gribble, William Rowe, Jessie Daniel, Pat Martin, Jean Fisher, Gladys Wakeling, Max Coward. Images include the SMB Magazine committee.ballarat school of mines, white flat, linouts, max coward, robert mchutchison, dorothy woolcock, maureen mcrae, bessie martin, patsy walsh, gladys bilney, elva brimacombe, gilda gude, norma tatlock, audrey janetski, jay martin, betty delima, jeff wilkinson, gordon yorke, g. day, w. edward, a. janetski, ernest gribble, iris leviston, n. roberts, j. pittard, sylvia wyres, e. fisher, a. helm, a. nye, bena lamb, ela brimacombe, thelma morton, verna lynch, yarowee creek, bridge, fruit vendors, h.r. murphy retirement

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: Dave Milner/ Tugmaster (blue pen, centre left)port of portland archives, portrait photography, david milner, tugmaster

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: Capt. Ian Baird (blue pen, lower left)port of portland archives, portrait photography, captain ian baird

Entry No. 621 on page 856. Entry is a list of the Catherine Reef United Claimholders Gold Mining Company Shareholders with their address and the number of shares they hold. Manager was Thomas Eyre and the Company Office was at Peg Leg Gully, Eaglehawk. Names of Shareholders are: John Abern, Simon Albert, James Allen, William Allen, Alexander Anderson, William Anderson,Harry Leigh Atkinson, William Bannerman, Adolphus Barnett, Adolphus Robert Barnett, Alexander Bayne, Adam Beattie, Robert Bell, Gottfried Bermann, William Boncher, James Branagan, Carl Brecht, Frederick William Brinkmeyer, William Ruthford Brown, Joseph Burgoine, Thomas Burgoine, Thomas Burrows, Joseph Butler, John Thomas Caldwell, Philip Carr, Mary Jane Chantler, James Cobb, Edward Cook, Edward F Cooper, James Crameri, George Cudden, Jacob Ludwig Culmsec, Gustav Damkohler, Ellen Dithmer, William Dixon, William Doig, Robert Campbell Dow, Adam George Dunlop, Andrew McBride Dunlop, Hugh Ellis, Thomas Eyre, Richard Philip Eyre, William Farnsworth, Matthew Fawcett, Frederick John Fleming, John Forrest, Andrew Frei, Robert Gilmour, James Gray, Fordinand Gremelsbecher, Robert Grieve, John Grieve, William Grose, George Hagger, Andrew Hamilton,Hans Truchen Hansen, Thomas Harding, Abraham Harkness, Alexander Hay, Joseph A C Helm, John Hoole, George Hoole, Edward Hunt, Thomas Huston, Henry Jackson, Samuel Jackson, Eli James, Robert Jeffrey, Carl Heinrich Jensen, George Foster Johnson, Richard Kevern, William Kimber, Martin Kircher, Hay Kirkwood, Henry Koch, John Lamperd, Mary Anne Lawley, Charles Letheby, Joseph Lowery, Ninjan Mailor, William Marshall, Robert Marshall, Henry Adolphus Medlicott, John Mitchell, William Moore, Susan Murray, Andrew McGrigor, John Steele McNair, Thomas McCormack, Peter Nielson, William Parry Nicholls, Henry Boyns Nicholas, George Nicholson, John Noble, Daniel Noonan, John O'Keeffe, David Purves, William Rea, William Usher Reavely, Francis Robinson Reay, John Bellew Richards, Samuel Richardson, William Robinson, Henry John Rowe, Thomas Ruberg, John Rule, Thomas Rule, Joseph Rutherford, Edward B Ryal, John Snaith Rymer, Philip Seeber, Ferdinand Sahlberg, John Thomas Sanders, Edward Saunders, Charles Selwyn Savage, Charles Sayer, John Scanlon, William Schafer, James Sherson, William Simpson, Antony Smith, Samuel Snowdon, Peter Sorensen, Anders Neilsen Sorensen, Frederick Stahl, David Chaplin Sterry, James Steward, Louis Straub, Robert Suggett, George Suggett, John Talbot, Marion Taylor, John Thomas, Joseph Thomson, Thomas Treloar, William Trimble, George Turner, Alfred Wainwright, Charles Wallin, John Watson, Joseph Watson, Richard John Webb, Frederick Whitaker, John William Williams, Henry Williams, Robert Wills, Christian Weiss, John Wilson, William Winter, George Wisemann, Joseph Wood, James William Wood, Edward Wrixon, Thomas Young and Henry Young. Witness to Signature was J D Crofts.mining, business, shareholders, catherine reef united claimholders gold mining company shareholders, thomas eyre, mining partnerships limited liability act 1860, john abern, simon albert, james allen, william allen, alexander anderson, william anderson, harry leigh atkinson, william bannerman, adolphus barnett, adolphus robert barnett, alexander bayne, adam beattie, robert bell, gottfried bermann, william boncher, james branagan, carl brecht, frederick william brinkmeyer, william ruthford brown, joseph burgoine, thomas burgoine, thomas burrows, joseph butler, john thomas caldwell, philip carr, mary jane chantler, james cobb, edward cook, edward f cooper, james crameri, george cudden, jacob ludwig culmsec, gustav damkohler, ellen dithmer, william dixon, william doig, robert campbell dow, adam george dunlop, andrew mcbride dunlop, hugh ellis, thomas eyre, richard philip eyre, william farnsworth, matthew fawcett, frederick john fleming, john forrest, andrew frei, robert gilmour, james gray, fordinand gremelsbecher, robert grieve, john grieve, william grose, george hagger, andrew hamilton, hans truchen hansen, thomas harding, abraham harkness, alexander hay, joseph a c helm, john hoole, george hoole, edward hunt, thomas huston, henry jackson, samuel jackson, eli james, robert jeffrey, carl heinrich jensen, george foster johnson, richard kevern, william kimber, martin kircher, hay kirkwood, henry koch, john lamperd, mary anne lawley, charles letheby, joseph lowery, ninjan mailor, william marshall, robert marshall, henry adolphus medlicott, john mitchell, william moore, susan murray, andrew mcgrigor, john steele mcnair, thomas mccormack, peter nielson, william parry nicholls, henry boyns nicholas, george nicholson, john noble, daniel noonan, john o'keeffe, david purves, william rea, william usher reavely, francis robinson reay, john bellew richards, samuel richardson, william robinson, henry john rowe, thomas ruberg, john rule, thomas rule, joseph rutherford, edward b ryal, john snaith rymer, philip seeber, ferdinand sahlberg, john thomas sanders, edward saunders, charles selwyn savage, charles sayer, john scanlon, william schafer, james sherson, william simpson, antony smith, samuel snowdon, peter sorensen, anders neilsen sorensen, frederick stahl, david chaplin sterry, james steward, louis straub, robert suggett, george suggett, john talbot, marion taylor, john thomas, joseph thomson, thomas treloar, william trimble, george turner, alfred wainwright, charles wallin, john watson, joseph watson, richard john webb, frederick whitaker, john william williams, henry williams, robert wills, christian weiss, john wilson, william winter, george wisemann, joseph wood, james william wood, edward wrixon, thomas young, henry young, j d crofts

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: Dave Milner (blue pen, lower left)port of portland archives, tug, tarragal, wharf, david milner

Spiral bound copy of a book with yellow pages titled 'What A Good Idea! - Bendigo's Innovations - An Exhibition by Helen Mainka (ed.). Contents include: Acknowledgements, Introduction, Australian Bell, Bendigo Mining, Coliban Water Scheme, Ford's Rock Boring Machine, Goyne's Battery Gratings, Hospital Sunday, The Huntly Bus, Ladies' Cricket Match, Movable Cuff Shirt, New Goldfields Act 1858, Safety Cages, Scalebuoys, School of Nursing, Sunday School Picnic, Taipan Catamarans, Taraxale, Victorian Police Guide, A Bendigo Miscellany, References and Further Reading, List of Artefacts and List of Illustrations.bendigo, industry, what a good idea! - bendigo's innovations - an exhibition, helen mainka (ed.), city of greater bendigo, bendigo historical society inc, joseph martin brady, robert gray ford, john goyne, joseph henry abbott, william bannerman, john edward buchan, joseph a c helm, benedict branch, john henry seymour, william middleton, richard h s abbott jnr, abraham harkness, greg goodall, jim boyer, george albert pethard, george albert pethard jnr, john barry

DVD Copy of a printed book put together for an exhibition 15-28 July 2002 for the Bendigo Historical Society Inc. Labelled: 'What A Good Idea! Bendigo's Innovations An Exhibitions 15-28 July 2002' Proudly sponsored by the City of Greater Bendigo. Labelled attachment 15. An Exhibition by Helen Mainka (ed.). Contents include: Acknowledgements, Introduction, Australian Bell, Bendigo Mining, Coliban Water Scheme, Ford's Rock Boring Machine, Goyne's Battery Gratings, Hospital Sunday, The Huntly Bus, Ladies' Cricket Match, Movable Cuff Shirt, New Goldfields Act 1858, Safety Cages, Scalebuoys, School of Nursing, Sunday School Picnic, Taipan Catamarans, Taraxale, Victorian Police Guide, A Bendigo Miscellany, References and Further Reading, List of Artefacts and List of Illustrations.bendigo, industry, what a good idea! - bendigo's innovations - an exhibition, helen mainka (ed.), city of greater bendigo, bendigo historical society inc, joseph martin brady, robert gray ford, john goyne, joseph henry abbott, william bannerman, john edward buchan, joseph a c helm, benedict branch, john henry seymour, william middleton, richard h s abbott jnr, abraham harkness, greg goodall, jim boyer, george albert pethard, george albert pethard jnr, john barry

Brown Paper Music Record Cover – Helm’s Late Hornsey’s Musical Warehouse. Main Street Stawellstawell

Black and White Photograph of S.S Casino taken 1930-1932. Ship has men on deck and a man at the helm. Hills and the shore can be seen in the background. The S.S. Casino was a passenger and freight steamer built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1882 for the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company of N.S.W. She weighed 425 tons gross with a length of 160.4 feet, beam of 24.1 feet and depth of 10.2 feet. She had saloon accommodation for 35 people, forecabin for 25 more people, and she carried 300 tons of cargo. While on her delivery journey on May 30th 1882 the S.S. Casino called in at the Port of Warrnambool for coal ., narrowly escaping going ashore in gale force winds due to the quick action of the pilot. At that time, still at anchor, she impressed the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company so much that they bought her immediately; she was ideal for trade in along the West Coast of Victoria. (Belfast is the original name for Port Fairy, South West Victoria. The Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company was first managed by Messers. Saltau and Osburne and after the passing of Mr. Osburne, by produce merchants Messers H. Sautau and Sons, whose had a hay and corn store and shipping agency was on the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in Warrnambool. ) The S.S. Casino became “the most famous steamer to operate in Victorian waters along the West Coast” by author Jack Loney. Captain Boyd was her first Master, followed by Captain Chapman, who stayed with her 1890 until 1924. Captain W. Robertson followed for a short term, then Captain Middleton then took command 1925 - 1932. The S.S. Casino had several mishaps during her life. One was on 3rd January 1898 when she collided with the S.S. Flinders in Apollo Bay with minor damage. Another was on 24th October 1924 when she grounded on a reef at Point Hawdon near Grey River and most of her cargo (of Christmas goods) had to be dumped into the sea. Then in February 1929 she was ‘holed’ when she struck a submerged object as she entered Lady Bay, Warrnambool. On the morning of 10th July 1932, after attempting to berth at Apollo Bay jetty in heavy seas, Captain Middleton decided to take her out into the bay and wait until the seas abated. It was not realised that the anchor used to steady her as she manoeuvred to her berth had pierced her hull. She put about and headed for the beach but sank. Captain Middleton and nine others lost their lives; nine people were rescued including the two female passengers . Captain Middleton had been in charge of the S.S. Casino for seven years. He was the first ship’s Master to lose his life through shipwreck in the West Coast trade. In the years following the turn of the century the S.S. Casino remained the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast. From 1882 she had made at least 2,500 voyages on the one run. Flagstaff Hill’s collection has a photograph of a portrait of Captain Chapman, , a ship model of the S.S. Casino that shows both forms of power under which she sailed, steam and sail. The ship is painted green and flies three flags. The inscription across the case of the ship model, incorrectly dated, tells the sad story of the wreck of the ship and the loss of lives on July 10th 1932 at Apollo Bay. A print in the Collection show S.S. Casino underway in heavy sea off Point Lonsdale, another two photographs show her at the Port of Warrnambool, leaving from the Breakwater in Lady Bay and another identifies the S.S. Casino as a ship from the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company. (Belfast is the original name for the township of Port Fairy). This ohotograph is significant because of its association with the coastal trader S.S. Casino 1882-1932 and its significance to trade along Victoria's West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th century. The wreck of the S.S. Casino is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and as such has been declared and protected as an Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Black and White Photograph of S.S Casino taken 1932-1932. Ship has men on deck and a man at the helm. Hills and the shore can be seen in the background.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, newcastle and hunter river steam navigation company, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, h. sautau and sons, s.s. casino, west coast trader s.s. casino, victorian coastal trader, captain boyd, captain w. robertson, captain chapman, captain middleton, apollo bay shipwreck, s.s. casino at lady bay warrnambool, saltau and osburne

Transcription of conversation with Alma and Kelly Helm by Richard Carter (Past President of Ringwood Historical Society) and Larraine Haslam on 18 July 2008 detailing family history. Certificates of title of land between Oban Road and Mullum Mullum Creek. Six and a half acres sold to the Helm Family in 1917. Includes Certificate of Title Vol 5311 Fol 1062052 Carolyn Mary Glynn dated 27 April 1927. Certificate of Title Vol 4023 Fol 804560 Robert Beckett dated 19th January 1917. Plans of Subdivision including Oban Road, Barnsdale Way, Loughies Track, 1997. Certificate of Title Vol 4029 Fol 805702 Ellen Elizabeth Helm dated 8th February 1917. Transfer of Land (2093031) payment to James William Dartnell by Alma Mary Helm and Elsie May Helm of Oban Road, Ringwood North - 13th August, 1947.

The plaque accompanying the stained glass window by Gerry Cummins was dedicated in 1981 to the men who gave their lives during the World War II period in the merchant and navy services.The chapel originally designed as a Memorial to the Great War 1914-18 continues to be a place of commemoration for both merchant and naval services of WW2 and other conflicts.Small rectangular plaque made of steel mounted on wood. The plaque features helm representing Merchant seamen and an anchor with a crown on top representing the Navy. Both are gold plated. To the glory of God and In memory of those who went down to the sea in ships 1939-1945 24 Dec, 1981.second world war, world war two, navy, merchant, plaque, 1981, ww2, merchant navy

The ship building company E. & A. Sewall, from Bath, Maine, USA, built many ships that had wheels with the same decorative, starburst pattern on them as this particular wheel segment, including the Eric the Red. The wheel was manufactured by their local Bath foundry, Geo. Moulton & Co. and sold to the Sewall yard for $100, according to the construction accounts of the vessel. Eric the Red was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, and was the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows that Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) - about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - from America for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included 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 Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. On 4th September 1880 the ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. Eric the Red approached Cape Otway in a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Cries were heard coming from out of the darkness. Captain Jones sent out two life boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Z. Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts and bravery, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of 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 the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking 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 on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included 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”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. 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 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. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and a medal for bravery. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". “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) Segment of a ship's wheel, or helm, from the wreck of the sailing ship Eric the Red. The wheel part is an arc shape from the outer rim of the wheel and is made up of three layers of timber. The centre layer is a dark, dense timber and is wider than the two outer layers, which are less dense and lighter in colour. The wheel segment has a vertically symmetrical, decorative copper plate inlaid on the front. The plate has a starburst pattern; six stars decorate it, each at a point where there is a metal fitting going through the three layers of timber to the rear side of the wheel. On the rear each of the six fittings has an individual copper star around it. The edges of the helm are rounded and bevelled, polished to a shine in a dark stain. Around each of the stars, front and back, the wood is a lighter colour, as though the metal in that area being polished frequently. The length of the segment suggests that it has probably come from a wheel or helm that had ten spokes. (Ref: F.H.M.M. 16th March 1994, 239.6.610.3.7. Artefact Reg No ER/1.)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship's-wheel, eric-the-red, helm, shei's wheel, ship's steering wheel