Stawell Historical Society Inc
Instrument - Realia, Engineering Instruments from Northern Grampians Shire
1: Small cardboard box with lid containing Silver distance Measurer. This was used for Measuring distances on plans.(Planimeter)
2: Cardboard Box without lid containing three plumbobs: One large turned brass: one small turned metal. One circular silver coloured metal complete with string and winding board. These were used to locate survey equipment above a fixed point.
3: Timber ( Vic Ash?) dovetailed box with brass hinged lid and brass swing catches containing plywood templates called railway curves, used for drawing curves on plans.
4: Cardboard box with lid containing Allbrit panimeter in Bakelite/plastic box with silver metal hinges and catches "Shire of Kara Kara" inscribed on the box. The box contains the original Instructions. The Planimeter was used for calculating areas of Irregular shapes and used for estimating quantities from plans of cut and fill projects, as one example.
5: Timber Box with brass hinges and swing catches wand leather carry Strap containing one set of self adjusting level made by E.R. Watts and Son, London England. Paper label on the inside "Shire of Stawell". Also had paper instructions pasted to the inner lid. The level was used for taking Ground Levels.
The first 3 have been in use up until the 1990's, when computer drafting took over the role of these instruments with greater speed and accuracy.
The dumpy level would have been superseded in the 1980's when automatic levels became cheaper, and were more accurate.
stawell