Robert MAIR Robert (Bob) Mair (1943- ) Born New Zealand A potter who trained at the Sturt Pottery in Mittagong under Les Blakebrough and later set up a pottery at Clifton Pugh’s Dunmoochin estate at Cottles Bridge near Melbourne. He then worked with John Olsen for two years from 1969-1970, with Mair throwing and Olsen hand-decorating the pots. During the 1970s, Bob Mair worked in goldfield production pottery in Ballarat with Robert Pitman before moving to Clarendon in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia in 1982. In the late 1880s and 1990s Robert Mair is working at Sturt Pottery timeline again in the late 1980s/1990s as a visiting potter under Campbell Hegan. In the early 2000s, he and partner Janie Kerr set up a pottery at Braemar in the Southern Highlands of NSW. They then moved, first to Sutton Forest where they took up a residency at Hillview, the former summer residence of the governors of NSW, then to Wingham in the Mid North Coast region of NSW. Mair’s work may be marked with an impressed ‘RM’, an impressed tricuspid symbol or both. In Clarendon, he continued to use the tricuspud symbol with an impressed ‘Old Clarendon Pottery Adelaide’ stamp. A Ballarat mark has not been identified, but simse this lidded pot was found in Ballarat it could be a cross in a circle?Lidded ceramic container with blue bamboo like design on the outside.australian studio pottery, ceramics, bamboo

The students used the bamboo to make whistles.Photograph of Miss Margaret Irving standing in the garden near bamboo circa 1910

Woven bamboo hat in traditional Asian conical shape as worn by Vietnamese farmers and workers.Brought back from Khe Sanh, South Vietnam by Major Ian G McKeown, Service no.335054, of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam 1964-65.bamboo, hat, traditional costume, vietnamese clothing

Rectangle wooden framed bamboo fan with picture of trees and fishing boats and backed with patterned and black paper.fan, frame, bamboo art, souvenir

The Walking Stick was owned by Dr. Samuel Reynolds- the first Mansfield Doctor This item is significant because Dr. Samuel Reynolds was Mansfield's first doctor who established the local hospital and contributed to many aspects of the social life of the town.'Colonial Doctor and His Town' by Joan Gillison, Cypress Books, 1976 is the Doctor's Story.The Walking Stick has remained in the Reynold's family until it was donated to the Society.A Victorian Bamboo horse measuring stick with a horn handle unscrewing to reveal brass measure and extending to 17 hands.walking stick, dr. reynolds, mansfield, horse racing, reynolds family, colonial doctor and his town

"BEHIND BAMBOO" "An Inside Story of the Japanese Prison Camps" Author - ROHAN D. RIVETT "War Correspondent Prisoner of War, on the Burma-Siam Railway"Hard cover book. Cover - cardboard, light orange buckram with red and white print on front and spine. 400 pages - cut, plain, off white paper, illustrated - black and white and colour illustrations. Front end papers - owner's name, owner's stamp, book seller's label. Price notation.Front end papers - Owner's name - handwritten, black pen, "O.PELL / 7 VIOLET ST/ BGO" "M. PELL/ ORBOST" Owner's stamp - black ink "BENDIGO DISTRICT RSL SUB BRANCH INC/ PO BOX 42/ LONG GULLY 3550. Book seller's label - silver on black background A.J. DIGBY/ BOOKSELLER AND STAT (?)/ BAIRNSDALE" price notation - grey lead pencil "$10/ DMTY"books, military history, ww2, japanese prison camps

Used by the Mah Meri people, Kuala Langat, Selangor (Malaysia), 1936. While Malaysian, this blow-gun is analogous to that used by Indigenous groups from South America with curare. The gun is of bamboo, with a highly polished inner tube of the same. The darts are reeds, made directional by knobs of a tudor wood, with poison made from the ipoh tree and the Strychnos vine The blowpipe examined in this report consists of a long bamboo tube with engraved floral motifs on the outside and a second bamboo tube inside. The mouthpiece is attached to the inner tube and the whole piece can be removed from the outer casing. There is a quiver, filled with darts, a small poisons receptacle, and a single dart and hollow bamboo tube, stored outside the quiver. The objects were donated as a whole to the museum in 1948 by Dr Thomas Edward Marshall. The engravings on the outer case originate from the Mah Meri community in Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. The floral ‘motif is of a vine with small incisions to reflect the properties/identity of the plant (poisonous/harmful)’. These motifs are generally handed down through the generations and can be used for kinship identification. They are also believed to enhance the performance of the blowpipe. The outer casing is made up of several pieces of bamboo fused together. Broken or damaged blowpipes were not discarded. Broken sections of a pipe could be removed and replaced as required, and the observably different bamboo sections suggest this has taken place at some point. Sap from the perah tree is used to seal or glue the pieces together and the glue is reversible by heating. The Mah Meri created a poison from the ipoh tree for use in hunting. The poison acted swiftly to kill the animal and did not result in secondary poisoning. The way in which the Mah Meri hunted is analogous with other blowpipe hunting practices elsewhere in the world. Blowpipe hunting practices represent a starting point for the introduction of standardised muscle relaxants into surgery during the 20th Century. In parts of South America, plant poisons were used to tip the darts and kill prey. These poisons are known as curare. The crucial ingredient in curare was Chondrodendron tomentosum root. Raw curare formed the basis for Intocostrin, the first standardised, mass produced muscle relaxant. The introduction of muscle relaxants dramatically changed surgery, allowing for more precise surgery and better patient outcomes. Bamboo blowpipes can be found in many museum and heritage collections, particularly those with strong colonial origins or influence. Blowpipes from Borneo seem to be well represented, along with those from Guyana. Blowpipes from Malaysia appear to be less common. More research is required to establish the rarity or representativeness of the blowpipe. Ownership of the blowpipe can be traced back from the museum to Dr Thomas Marshall. It has also been established the blowpipe’s point of origin is among the Mah Meri people of Kuala Langat, near Kuala Lumpur. There is no information regarding the way in which Marshall came into possession of the blowpipe. Provenance cannot be fully established. Despite these difficulties, the blowpipe represents a full set of hunting implements. It is accompanied by a quiver, also decorated with a floral motif, a set of bamboo darts, and a poison receptacle. The quiver also has a waist strap which enabled the owner to strap it to themselves, preventing its loss while hunting. Each object within the set is in good condition, although the inner tubing is beginning to split lengthwise and should not be removed from its outer casing. While the blowpipe and accompanying objects are not of South American origin, the techniques and poisons used are analogous and this object has high interpretative capacity. Hollow bamboo blowpipe with mouthpiece at one end. Two different types of organic fibre have been used at difference points along the shaft to secure different segments of the blowpipe. The item consists of two tubes a thin and unpolished inner tube that has degraded and can no longer be removed, and a polished and decorated outer casing. The outer casing is made up of different sections of polished bamboo, some pieces have developed a deep red hue which is likely the result of prolonged polishing and regular heating over many years, other sections are a lighter yellow indicating that they are newer pieces of bamboo. The entire outer tube is covered in a varied sequence of genomic patterns. The exact meaning of these patterns is unknown however they are passed down through family lineage, the exact family of origin is unknown. Connected to the mouthpiece if it is removed from the inner casing is a piece of cloth with the numbers 2241 written in black ink, their purpose is unknown.curare, malaysia, bamboo

Owner and donor details - see Cat No. 5836.3.Soft cover book. Cover - cardboard, red, black and green print on front, spine and back. Illustrated front - red, black and green colour cartoon of two men with tools. Back - cartoon portrait of author. 88 pages, cut, plain, white paper. Biographical stories and black and white cartoon illustrations. Front end paper - handwritten notes.Front end paper - handwritten notes, grey lead pencil "$6.95/ NID"books, military history, ww2, cartoons

The story of Japanese Prisoners of War by Rohan Rivett “War Correspondent, POW on the Burma Siam Railway”Hard cover, buckram, dark fawn colour, blue print on spine, red print symbol on front cover, 400 pages, plain off white, illustrated B & W, colour and maps.Front fly leaf, hand written in grey lead pencil, “8a A.E. Lockwood 12/6”. Front end paper bottom right, book shop label in blue print intelligible.books, military history, pow’s

Rohan D Rivett, War Correspondent, Prisoner of War on the Burma - Siam Railway. Hard, dark fawn coloured buckram cover, green print on spine, 335 cut plain pages, illustrated, colour & black & white illustrations, & maps.Bookshop label, front end paper: Austral Book Shop 263 Collins Street Melbvourne - FJ 3739books, military, history

Book, soft cover. Main background on front cover is red & white. Title is white ink on black background. Bottom half has 2 images showing Germans searching a British soldier & 4 Japanese guards lined up. 159 pages, illustrations, some maps & drawings.Donated by Bgo YMCA Stamped on 2nd fly leaf: Thailand Hellfire Pass ex POW Projectbooks, military, history, imprisonment

Book is part of the Australian War Classics series presented by E E (Weary) Dunlop.Book, soft cover, white print on front, back & spine. Front cover illustration detail from Digging Bore Hole Latrines by Murray Griffin. Rising Sun badge illustrated on front & back covers, 400 cut plain pages, black & white illustrations. Handwritten in blue ink on front flyleaf: J Fuller In black ink on front flyleaf: RSL Stampbooks, military history

Ill, p.400.non-fiction The bestselling memoir of life as an Australian POW on the notorious Thai-Burma railway. Rohan Rivett was a journalist in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in 1942. He escaped south - across the treacherous Bangka Strait - to Indonesia, but was soon captured and became just one of thousands of POWs struggling for existence in a Japanese camp. The struggle was to last for more than three years. Behind Bamboo is unflinching in its honesty and haunting in its realism. It is a vivid, compelling testament to the Australians' will to survive and their unassailable spirit in the face of the most callous inhumanity.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese, burma - thailand railway

Ill, maps, p.159A collection of stories of capture, imprisonment and escape in World War I and II. Covering experiences in Europe and in South East Asia, the book presents contrasting PoW experiences - of daring escapes from Colditz Castle, and of endurance and slow suffering in Japanese camps.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany

It began and ended with a trap. The first one nearl led a green Special Forces captain into a slaughter, the last cost the life of a heroic lietuenant. Between the two raged some of the fiercest infantry fighting of the Vietnam Waraustralia - armed forces - biography, vietnam war, personal narratives - australian, vietnamese conflict, 1961-1971 - personal narratives, australian, battle of dong tre, battle of trung luong, battle of hoa hoi, 1st cavalry division, 101st screaming eagles, nva

Booknon-fictionPrisoners and Prisons - Japanese - Prisoners of war - Personal Narratives

Ill, p.391.non-fictionThe bestselling memoir of life as an Australian POW on the notorious Thai-Burma railway. Rohan Rivett was a journalist in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in 1942. He escaped south - across the treacherous Bangka Strait - to Indonesia, but was soon captured and became just one of thousands of POWs struggling for existence in a Japanese camp. The struggle was to last for more than three years. Behind Bamboo is unflinching in its honesty and haunting in its realism. It is a vivid, compelling testament to the Australians' will to survive and their unassailable spirit in the face of the most callous inhumanity. world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - japan, burma railway

Owned by Laura Hudson, local pioneerBamboo shelf (hang on wall) 3 pegs under shelf, shelf has railingNillaura hudson, bamboo

During the years 1869-1935 there were well over 250 registered bamboo furniture producers in Britain. The earliest recorded firm was Hubert Bill of 14 Little Camden St, London N.W., who claimed to have been established in (1869) while Daniel Jacobs & Sons of Hackney Road, London, were still in business in 1915, after 45 years of production. Design, quality, price and methods of construction were fairly consistent throughout the whole period, but it was the imaginative and often eccentric choice of subject matter that marked differentiation between the various firms. While most produced standard tables, stands and fire-screens, the more adventurous offered for sale items such as corner shelve units, charcoal barbecue grills and musical tea tables. Shelves were often covered with embossed leather paper designs, at first imported from Japan and then later produced in England. Some firms incorporated the knobbly roots of the bamboo stems into their designs, generally to form feet. Occasionally handles to drawers and cupboards were made with these roots although they were more commonly carved as imitations. Handles were mostly of cheap metal or brass. The ends of the bamboo canes were capped with stamped metal or turned bone, ivory or wooden discs. Methods of construction fell into three categories. First and most common is that of pegging. Bamboo stems being hollow, thick dowels can easily be glued into the joints. Some firms farmed out this work of `plugging' the ends of the canes to part-time workers at home. The second method, that of pinning, was far less satisfactory as bamboo tends to split lengthwise and therefore the jointed pieces eventually disintegrated. The most efficient method was that patented in 1888 (patent No 2383) by the firm of W. F. Needham in Birmingham. It consisted of metal shoes and covers for all joints which were made by wrapping a metal strip around the stems and soldering the overlapping ends. Some joints were further strengthened by a small pin or screw. Needham was by far the largest and most successful manufacturer and their individual and superior method of construction undoubtedly gained them their reputation. A. Englander & Searle of 34 Gt Eastern St and 31 Mare St, Hackney, London, were a firm particularly concerned with methods of construction. Although they seem to have entered the bamboo furniture market at a comparatively late date, about 1898, they produced inexpensive' bamboo, aimed particularly at the export trade. Stating in their catalogue that bamboo furniture “can be exported in one piece or it can be exported in pieces and put together again. The fixing up is much facilitated by a system of marking and numbering. Further, no glue is required for putting together as the screw system only is applied”. This method of construction best fits the Etagere and this item in the flagstaff collection and it is believed to have been made by A Englander & Searle, exported in a knock down form to Australia, purchased in kit form from a dealer here and put together by the purchaser. The bamboo plant stand is a significant item as it highlight furniture fashion of the late Victorian era. This item was highly sort after in its time and although mass produced, not many examples remain because the item is so fragile so this example is a valuable addition to the Flagstaff collection. It is believed,the construction method used is by a notable and respected maker in England of bamboo furniture that was aimed specifically at the export market and probably came to Australia in kit form to be assembled by the purchaser.Bamboo plant stand with octagonal top edged with tortoise shell bamboo the top is of wood and supported by four tortoise shell bamboo legs joined at the base by a square cane covered shelf. The tortoise shell appearance is brown lacquer. Item is part of the Giles Collection. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, furniture, plant stand, bamboo furniture, etagere, victorian furniture, simulated bamboo, tortise shell, a englander & searle, domestic furniture, giles collection, henry giles, cooramook, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century household goods

This music stand set of shelves is one of many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with the Giles Family and are known as the “Giles Collection”. Many of the items of furniture, linen and crockery in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the simple home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) whose photos are in the parlour. They married in 1880. Henry, born at Tower Hill in 1858, was a labourer on the construction of the Breakwater before leaving in 1895 to build bridges in N.S.W. for about seven years. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook. She attended Mailor’s Flat State School where she was also a student teacher before, as family legend has it, she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family of six, some of whom were born at Mailor’s Flat and later children at Wangoom, lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. THE SHELVES During the years 1869-1935 there were well over 250 registered bamboo furniture producers in Britain. The earliest recorded firm was Hubert Bill of 14 Little Camden St, London N.W., who claimed to have been established in (1869 the first bamboo furniture maker), while Daniel Jacobs & Sons of Hackney Road, London, were still in business in 1915, after 45 years of production. Design, quality, price and methods of construction were fairly consistent throughout the whole period, but it was the imaginative and often eccentric choice of subject matter that marked the differentiation between the various firms. While most produced standard tables, stands and fire-screens, the more adventurous offered for sale items such as Corner shelve units, charcoal barbecue grills and musical tea tables. Shelves were often covered with embossed leather paper designs, at first imported from Japan and then later produced in England. Some firms incorporated the knobbly roots of the bamboo stems into their designs, generally to form feet. Occasionally handles to drawers and cupboards were made with these roots although they were more commonly carved as imitations. Handles were mostly of cheap metal or brass. The ends of the bamboo canes were capped with stamped metal or turned bone, ivory or wooden discs. Methods of construction fell into three categories. First and most common is that of pegging. Bamboo stems being hollow, thick dowels can easily be glued into the joints. Some firms farmed out this work of `plugging' the ends of the canes to part-time workers at home. The second method, that of pinning, was far less satisfactory as bamboo tends to split lengthwise and therefore the jointed pieces eventually disintegrated. The most efficient method was that patented in 1888 (patent No 2383) by the firm of W. F. Needham in Birmingham. It consisted of metal shoes and covers for all joints which were made by wrapping a metal strip around the stems and soldering the overlapping ends. Some joints were further strengthened by a small pin or screw. Needham was by far the largest and most successful manufacturer and their individual and superior method of construction undoubtedly gained them their reputation. A. Englander & Searle of 34 Gt Eastern St and 31 Mare St, Hackney, London, were a firm particularly concerned with methods of construction. Although they seem to have entered the bamboo furniture market at a comparatively late date, about 1898, they produced inexpensive bamboo, aimed particularly at the export trade. The company stated in their catalogue that bamboo furniture “can be exported in one piece or it can be exported in pieces and put together again. The fixing up is much facilitated by a system of marking and numbering. Further, no glue is required for putting together as the screw system only is applied”. This method of construction best fits the Etagere in the Flagstaff collection and it is believed to have been made by A Englander & Searle, exported in a knock down form to Australia, purchased in kit form from a dealer hear and put together by the owner. The Etagere is a significant item as it highlight furniture fashion of the late Victorian era. This item was highly sort after in its time and although mass produced, not many examples remain, so this example is a valuable addition to the Flagstaff collection. It is believed that the construction method used is by a notable and respected maker of bamboo furniture and that its production was aimed at the export market and probably came to Australia in kit form.Bamboo shelves: decorative free standing Etagere comprising three large shelves and one small shelf. Shelves are made of wood used to store either orange or bacon boxes (as there are no knots in the wood, imported from South America and cheap to recycle). Shelves are covered with embossed leather paper. Frame is made from tortoise shell bamboo (brown lacquer applied to simulate tortoise shell appearance). Ends of bamboo canes are covered with metal shoes and fixed with a pin. Other bamboo joints are fixed with round head steel screws. This item is part of the Giles Collection.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bamboo shelves, bamboo etagere, victorian furniture, furniture, bamboo furniture, embossed leather paper, simulated bamboo, tortise shell, a englander & searle, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century furniture

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981Although bamboo sheath is frequently used as material for boxes and other containers, it is rare to find a box made of bamboo leaves. This engaging creation from Takada City in Niigata Prefecture is made of sasa (dwarf bamboo) leaves bound over a framework of split bamboo. The natural-fibre twine enhances the delightfully rustic appearance, and the triangular label is a distinctive touch. The contents are filled rice pastries called Okesa Monaka. - Professor Hideyuki Oka, curator.japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

These child's skis which were made by Tyrolia. The Tyrolia company was founded in the state of Vienna in 1847 as Wiener Metallwaren-, Schnallen- und Maschinen- Fabrik GmbH. Tyrolia produced a variety of products out of metal and timber but didn't enter the binding business until 1949. They are accompanied by a set of bamboo stocks which have leather straps.This item is significant because it demonstrates developments is ski technology. A set of wooden skis which were originally painted white and a pair of bamboo stocks with leather straps.tyrolia, children's skis, bamboo ski stocks

Made by and used by mother-in-law of the donor during her time in Asia and Australia, c1930s.Navy blue cloth roll with stitched pockets to hold knitting needles. Roll contains approx 110 different knitting needles or various sizes, make and colour. Some are bamboo/timber, some are plastic or metal. Cloth roll was made by mother-in-law of donor and is designed to fold up to cover the needles prior to rolling. Once rolled, cloth can be secured with two small push buttons.plastic, bamboo, knitting needle

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981Salmon-trout sushi from Toyama City is packaged in much the same way as the Osaka product. The lid of the container is held down by pieces of split bamboo firmly lashed with vine. An arrangement of trimmed bamboo leaves cover the contents. - Professor Hideyuki Oka, curator.japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

A Neil Robinson stretcher is a lightweight carrying device modelled on Japanese bamboo litters, the Neil Robertson rescue stretcher was developed in the early 1900s by John Neil Robertson. Used for lifting an injured person vertically. The stretcher is made from stout canvas reinforced with bamboo slats. The stretcher is designed for removing an injured person from spaces wherein access, doors or hatches are too small to permit the use of regular stretchers. Spaces such as ship engine room spaces, cargo holds, pump rooms, boiler rooms etc. are a few examples of such compact spaces.An item designed to transport injured personnel from tight places, either at sea or on land.A rescue stretcher made from white canvas reinforced with bamboo slats and adjustable canvas straps. The canvas straps are secured with metal buckles and there is a metal ring attached to lengths of ropes at both ends. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, stretcher, neil robertson, neil robertson rescue stretcher, rescue equipment

Made of canvas and bamboo slats with hemp ropes, adjustable canvas straps and metal buckles and rings, the rescue stretcher was used for carrying an injured person. According to the Powerhouse Museum, the stretcher and was ‘designed to support and carry an injured person in circumstances where the person has to be lifted vertically’. Known as the ‘Neil Robertson stretcher’, it was developed in the early 1900s by John Neil Robertson as a lightweight rescue device and was modelled on Japanese bamboo litters. An identical stretcher is held in Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum and is thought to date between c.1967 and 1999. The museum’s statement of significance for the unique stretcher elaborates on its cultural values: The canvas is wrapped around the patient and secured with strong canvas straps. A lifting rope is attached to a ring above the patient's head, while a guideline is tied near the ankles and used to stop the stretcher swaying as it is hoisted up. This style of stretcher was specifically designed for use on ships, where casualties might have to be lifted from engine-room spaces, holds and other compartments with access hatches too small for ordinary stretchers. The original name of the Neil Robertson stretcher was 'Hammock for hoisting wounded men from stokeholds and for use in ships whose ash hoists are 2 ft. 6 in. diameter'. Since those times the Neil Robertson stretcher has also been used in factories and mines and for other emergency rescue situations. It is still possible to buy this type of stretcher although the slats are now more likely to be made of wood. The example in the Powerhouse collection was amongst several items of obsolete first aid and rescue equipment donated by the electricity generation company Delta Electricity. It would have been used - or at least been on stand-by - at the company's Munmorah Power Station or the associated coal mine on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Industrial sites and mines are extremely dangerous work places. Throughout the 20th century to the present there has been a drive, especially in developed countries like Australia, to improve workplace safety. Measures taken to reduce injuries and deaths have included safer industrial equipment, safer work practices, staff training, and the ready availability of accident and emergency equipment.It was also used throughout WWI and WWII. There are two other examples of the stretcher are known in Parks Victoria heritage collections. Canvas and bamboo stretcher with straps and buckles. Hemp ropes are attached to the stretcher.