This letter book contains letters written by representatives of the Warrnambool Lance Patent Pan Company to agents in Western Australia during the period 1896 to 1913. This company was formed to market the Lance Patent Cess Pan produced by George Lance in Warrnambool. The Western Australian venture did not prove profitable for the company. George Lance was a Warrnambool plumber and gasfitter who produced the Eureka Pump and the Lance Patent Cess Pan. The latter sold widely in Victoria with the Warrnambool Council owning 1700 of these pans in 1896. George Lance was also prominent in Warrnambool as a musician, artist (eleven of his works are in the Warrnambool Art Gallery)and local history writer. He was also involved in the development of the Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and the establishment of the Warrnambool School of Art and Design and the Warrnambool Art Gallery. This letter book is of considerable interest as it gives details on one aspect of the George Lance invention of the Patent Cess Pan (its marketing) and George Lance played an important role in Warrnambool's late 19th century history.This is a letter book of 506 pages. It has a hardboard cover with a mottled red pattern and red binding on the spine. The pages contain an alphabetical index and copies of letters handwritten in black ink. There are many blank pages. The letter book cover is torn at the edges.george lance patent cess pan, george lance warrnambool, warrnambool plumbers, cess pan patents

These folders contain the historical notes written by Bruce Morris in regard to the life story and achievements of George Lance. These notes were used by Bruce Morris to write a great number of historical articles on George Lance and these were mostly published in the Warrnambool Standard. Bruce Morris (1903-1986) was the editor of the Warrnambool Standard from 1946 to 1968. During that time he was prominent in community activities in Warrnambool and was well-known for the great number of historical articles he published in his paper, making him one of Warrnambool’s most important historians. George Lance, the subject of the notes in these folders, was Bruce Morris’ grandfather. George Lance (1933-1901) was a plumber particularly associated with the development and use of gas power in Warrnambool and the inventor of the Eureka Pump and the Lance Patent Cess Pan. He was also a writer of historical articles, a musician with the Warrnambool Artillery Band and an important artist in the town, with some of his works of art in the Warrnambool Art Gallery today. He is regarded as the person most responsible for the establishment of the Warrnambool Art Gallery in the 1880s. Bruce Morris’ notes include material on George Lance’s involvement with the Warrnambool Bowls Club, the School of Arts, the Mechanics’ Institute, the Baptist Church and the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows.These folders are of considerable importance as they contain the historical notes of Bruce Morris regarding his grandfather, George Lance. Both Bruce Morris and George Lance are significant in Warrnambool’s history, the former as an important historian and newspaper editor and the latter as an inventor, writer, artist, musician and a person regarded as the 19th century founder of the Warrnambool Art Gallery .1 This is a lime-green rectangular-shaped folder made of stiffened cardboard with a black plastic handle on the top with a black plastic catch on the side. Inside the folder are paper inserts that fold up in concertina fashion. In the inserts are twelve blue plastic folders that contain handwritten and typed material. .2 This is a purple rectangular-shaped folder made of stiffened cardboard similar to .1 above. It has a black plastic handle on the top and a black plastic catch on the side. Inside the folder are paper inserts that fold up in concertina fashion. In the inserts are twelve blue plastic folders that contain handwritten and typed material. George Lance Folders. Bruce Morrisbruce morris, warrnambool, george lance, warrnambool, history of warrnambool