Ventifacts are sand-blasted rocks that are typically faceted and often display parallel grooves carved by wind-blown sand. They are useful indicators of wind direction and strength in environments such as deserts, mountains, and coastal areas because they are usually not hidden by later sediment, soil or vegetation cover. In Antarctica ventifaction is strongly related to the composition or type of rock. Ventifacts are important because they provide evidence for abraders such as sand, dust or snow and ice crystals, and offer a unique understanding of past wind processes that are effective in the reconstruction of past wind flow conditions and can provides clues to weather and climate changes in the past. Interestingly ventifacts have also been found on the surface of Mars. They were a threat to the NASA rover due to the sharp angles of the facets, created by the Martian wind over the course of millions of years. These Martian ventifacts act like weathervanes for past wind and weather patterns on the red planet in a similar manner to those found on earth.The Geological Survey of Victoria was instigated in response to the Victorian Gold Rush which began around 1851 in the Beechworth, Castlemaine, Daylesford, Bendigo and Ballarat areas. The survey was conducted by Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn from his arrival in December 1852 until his resignation in 1869and during this time he trained many notable geologists, e.g. Aplin, Wilkinson, Daintree, who went on to other State survey senior positions. This specimen was among those donated to the Burke Museum in 1868.A hand-sized solid mineral specimen in shades of dark and light browns with light lines visible in all configurations and a groove on configuration 2.light lines visible in all configurations and a groove on configuration 2burke museum, beechworth, geological, geological specimen, ventifact, antarctic region, antarctic, alfred richard cecil selwyn, alfred selwyn, wind direction, wind strength, abraders, wind flow, climate change, reconstruction of wind flow conditions, weather change, mars

These two bottles have contained milk sold by the Warrnambool firm of Antarctic Ice Pty Ltd. in the mid 20th century.In the 1930s a pasteurizing plant was set up in Warrnambool in conjunction with an ice works in Kepler Street known as Antarctic Ice (Good and Stevenson). This firm had secured a milk supply from farmers in the Warrnambool region. Eventually Antarctic Ice was bought by the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory and Kraft Foods as equal partners and the milk was marketed as Sungold. Also a farmer named Kaye Ryan had set up a pasteurization plant in East Warrnambool (Raglan Parade/Verdon Street) in opposition to Antarctic Ice and Sungold. Kraft and Warrnambool Cheese and Butter bought out Ryan and moved Sungold operations to the Ryan site. Kraft Foods sold its share of Sungold to Warrnambool Cheese and Butter and in 1989 the milk factory was moved to the Allansford site of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter and Sungold continues there today.These bottles are of interest, firstly as examples of the half-pint milk bottles familiar to people living in the mid 20th century and secondly because they are good examples of the bottles used by an important Warrnambool business, Antarctic Ice. These are two clear glass bottles. When filled each bottle contained 10 fluid ounces or half a pint of milk. The bottles have a round base with a rounded body tapering slightly to a thick neck and a thick moulded top. The bottles when filled had a seal consisting of a circle of waxed cardboard that was pressed into a recess on the lip of the bottle. These lids are missing.The bottles have lettering impressed into the glass. ‘This bottle contains milk bottled for sale by Antarctic Ice Products Pty Ltd Warrnambool and always remains their property. It is loaned and cannot be legally used or sold by others.’ ‘Contents 10 ozs.’ ‘497’ milk production in warrnambool, antarctic ice pty ltd