There were at least three 1880s vessels named Lady Loch, all built in Victoria; a river launch (ca 1884-ca 1916, originally named Lady of the Lake), a steamer ferry (1884-1920s) and a government lighthouse tender steamer HMV Lady Loch (1886-1962.) The carved wooden panel was removed from the HMV SS Lady Loch before the vessel was scuttled in 1962. About HMV SS Lady Loch: - The HMV SS Lady Loch was an iron steamship built in Footscray, Melbourne, by Campbell, Sloss and McCain in 1886 for the colonial Victorian government’s Department of Trade and Customs. It was armed with a 6-inch gun and two 1-inch Nordenfelt guns. The Sydney Morning Herald of 27th January 1888 describes the vessel in detail. It even comments on the interior of the Saloon “The wood work … is on a very elaborate scale and is exceedingly neat …”. The HMV Lady Loch performed Customs duties and serviced the lighthouses along the coast. The scale could have measured goods for the Customs Tax, or for measuring out supplies for the lighthouse keepers. The vessel was named after Lady Elizabeth Loch, wife of Sir Henry Loch, Governor of Victoria from 1884 to 1889. In 1932 Lady Loch was converted to a hulk and used in Brisbane, and finally scuttled in 1962 at Moreton Bay, Queensland. The carved wood panel has importance due to its connection to the 1886 HMV Lady Loch, a vessel of great significance to Melbourne’s shipbuilding industry. It was the largest auxiliary vessel in the Victorian Colonial Government’s fleet and the first prominent vessel launched by Melbourne’s shipbuilding industry. It is significant to the history of the Victorian era and the colonial navy's steamship HMV SS Lady Loch. The vessel carried out Custom's work, and the scales were available to weigh goods that could attract taxes and goods for distribution to lighthouse keepers. The HMV Lady Loch was also important part of Victoria's maritime history, its communication with and support of the lighthouse keepers along the coast of Victoria.Heavy carved wooden panel, square, representing a framed plaque. The bottom and right edges are scalloped on the outer and inner edges. A carved oval within the frame represents a wide belt with buckle and tongue, and indents for the belt holes on its left and a carved inscription runs from top centre to bottom centre on the right side of the belt. Within the belt is the maritime symbol of an upright anchor in front of a rope. It was once part of the furnishing of the steamer HMVS Lady Loch and was removed before the ship was scuttled.Carved within the belt: "STEAM SHIP LADY LOCH"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, scale, salter, spring balance, silvester's patent, lady loch, steamship, hmv, colonial navy, victoria, lady elizabeth loch, custom's vessel, lighthouse tender, 1886, government vessel, victorian government, wood panel, timber panel, carved panel, carved log, lady loch logo, belt enclosing and anchor, anchor within belt, lady loch steam ship, wooden panel, ship's furinshing, ship's panel, ship's logo, great ocean road, government steamer, victorian colonial government, colonial vessel, public works, bass straight, hmv lady loch, hmvs lady loch, hmv ss lady loch, melbourne, melbourne shipbuilder, ship furnishings, wooden furnishings, decorative panel, carved emblem, carved logo, carved symbol, campbell stoss and mccain, government tender, victorian customs

This ship model is of a Colonial Port Jackson schooner, originally designed by the British Admiralty in 1803 as a response to the request of New South Wales' Governor Arthur Phillip. The drafts for the original plans are in Greenwich, UK, in the National Maritime Museum. The model is a Ledition edition, number 2 of 5, modelled by Bill Leonard. The model is rigged and decked in the manner of David McGregor. The flag on model of Port Jackson schooner is that of the British White Ensign which was used as the flag design of the Royal Australian Navy from 1911 - 1967. In 1785 the First Fleet arrived in the new British colony of Port Jackson (now Sydney Harbour) in New South Wales and Arthur Phillip was appointed as the first Governor. The following year Governor Phillip asked the English Royal Navy to provide drafts and materials for two ships for use in the Port Jackson colony for exploring and surveying rivers. The vessels needed a shallow draught and to be made from local cedar timber. He asked for the frames of the schooners to be provided along with shipwrights to assemble them. Many years later, in 1803, Governor Phillip’s request was fulfilled but he had already resigned from his post. The drafts titled ‘Schooner for Port Jackson’ were despatched by the Royal Navy from England to Australia. The original draft is still in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK. Meanwhile, the NSW Government had already built various other ships before 1803. In 1797 His Majesty’s Dockyard was opened at Port Jackson for building larger vessels. The Royal Navy’s 1803 design of a ‘Schooner for Port Jackson’ has been recognised on the obverse of Australia’s twenty dollar banknote since 1994. A sketch of the schooner is beside the portrait of Mrs Mary Reibey, who arrived as a convict and rose to become a respected and successful owner of a cargo shipping business. Her fleet included the Mercury, a schooner similar to the 1803 design for the Port Jackson schooner. Although the 1803 plans for a ‘Schooner for Port Jackson’ are commonly believed to be used for the first ship built in Australia, no records have been found of any ships being built according to these plans. However, it can be claimed that the plans were the ‘first Royal Navy plans made for a ship for use at Port Jackson, and to be built at Port Jackson, in Australia’. William (Bill) Leonard passed away on March 1st 1995.This ship model is significant for its representation of an early Australian colonial schooner. The 1803 Royal Navy’s plans for the colonial ‘Schooner for Port Jackson, were for the first ship specifically designed by the Royal Navy to be built and used in Port Jackson, for use in exploration and surveying of Australian ports and rivers. The plans are associated with Australia’s colonial settlement in the late 1700s. This ship model is significant for its association with the emblems of Australia’s history on the twenty dollar banknote. The colonial Port Jackson schooner is considered significant to Australian history, and represented on the 1994 twenty dollar banknote and its new version being rolled out in October 2019.Ship model of a colonial Port Jackson Schooner. Two-masted sailing ship displaying the flag named The British White Ensign. Mode of light coloured stained timberl is mounted on brass legs inside a glass case with timber frame and base. Metal engraved plaque states that the model is as designed by The Admiralty in 1803. Model is a number 2 of 5 in a limited edition, made by Bill Leonard.Engraved on metal plaque "PORT JACKSON SCHOONER / As Designed By The Admiralty. 1803"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship model port jackson schooner, sailing ship, limited edition model, model maker bill leonard, david mcgregor design, maritime trade, maritime vessel, colonial port jackson schooner, pacific island trade in early 1800s, sydney cove, governor arthur phillip, governor philip gidley king, a schooner for port jackson, national maritime museum greenwich, australian $20 banknote

This model of the ship H.M.S. Lady Nelson was researched and built as the vessel Lady Nelson by David Lumsden, a professional ship model builder. His Majesty's Armed Survey Vessel Lady Nelson was commissioned in 1799 to survey the coast of Australia. This vessel was purpose-built before the British Admiralty requested plans for a Schooner for Port Jackson. At the time large parts of the Australian coast were unmapped and Britain had claimed only part of the continent. The British Government were concerned that, in the event of settlers of another European power becoming established in Australia, any future conflict in Europe would lead to a widening of the conflict into the southern hemisphere to the detriment of the trade that Britain sought to develop. Against this background, Lady Nelson was chosen to survey and establish sovereignty over strategic parts of the continent. Lady Nelson left Portsmouth on 18 March 1800 and arrived at Sydney on 16th December 1800 after having been the first vessel to reach the east coast of Australia via the Bass Strait. Before that date, all vessels had sailed around the southern tip of Tasmania to reach their destination. Lady Nelson's survey work commenced shortly after she arrived in Sydney, initially in the Bass Strait area. She was involved in the discovery of Port Phillip, on the coast of Victoria, in establishing settlements on the River Derwent and at Port Dalrymple in Tasmania. She also successfully chartered much of the Victorian coastline and was heavily involved with the exploration of the Queensland coast with Matthew Flinders; investigated the Hunter River; made numerous visits to New Zealand and Norfolk Island and was involved in the founding of numerous settlements. In comparison to most colonial vessels, the Lady Nelson was technically unique she was fitted with sliding keels, or centreboards, and water-tight trunks reaching to the deck. Captain Schank invented these sliding keels that, when raised, reduced her draught to less than six feet. Her life as an exploration vessel ended while accompanying HMS 'Tamar' to Melville Island in 1825, the 'Lady Nelson' was captured and later abandoned by pirates off the island of Babar (Indonesia). This brought the vessel's 25 years of coastal exploration and navigation to a close.The Lady Nelson made was the first British ship to survey of the southern or south-western coast of Australia and traverse the Bass Strait. The vessel holds a special place in Australia's history of exploration as the first to explore and establish settlements in the then-new British colony of Van Diemans Land. The model gives an insight into what life must have been like onboard sailing vessels of the time and Australia's early history of establishment and exploration. This model acts as an important legacy of the full-scale ship which no longer survives. Ship model of the 60 ton British brig HMS Lady Nelson. Timber model of a two-masted brig with rigging but no sails, displaying the British Union Jack flag. The ship is in a glass exhibition display case on metal stand. HMS Lady Nelsonflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, by captain john schanck, sliding keels or centreboards, lady nelson, british brig hms lady nelson, david lumsden ship model builder, lieutennant james grant, bass strait discovery, surveying king island and port phillip bay, philip gidley king

This piano was made by Aucher Freres of Paris, said to be famous for its pianos in the mid-late 1800s. Aucher Freres (Aucher Brothers) produced a model of piano that was built specifically for use on sailing vessels, the upright yacht-style piano. Pianos were amongst the domestic goods brought to Australia by many colonial immigrants. They were also imported by Australian distributors by the shipload and sought after by settlers. A piano was often found in a Missions to Seamen club room, where visiting seafarers would entertain or be entertained by music and song as part of their relaxation in port. A sarcastically written news article of January 2nd 1869 reported that the Secretary of the Loyal Liberals of Ballarat, Mr Henry Bell, was presented both with a “illuminated address” and a piano. The piano was made by Aucher Freres of Paris and was purchased for sixty guineas (which converts to around $7,500 Au in 2019). The gift was criticised for encouraging foreign industry rather than native Australian products, thus going against what the Loyal Liberals own protectionist policy. The writer goes on to state that several pianos made in the Colony compared very favourably at the International Exhibition with those manufactured by the English or French. He then says that “… the secretary … might learn a lesson from his piano ... the name Aucher Freres, Paris emblazoned on its front should be … a perpetual reminder of the hollowness of that protectionist imposture …” [Refer to Intercolonial News, Victoria, originally published in The Argus, was repeated in the Wallaroo Times and Mining Journal of South Australia 2-1-1869.] Aucher Freres pianos were still around in 1930. A second-hand model was advertised for sale as a good practice piano. The advertisement was placed by the Mount Gambier, SA, agents for Saver’s Pianos Ltd of Adelaide. The piano was described as “a sound little instrument of good tone and appearance”. The asking price in November 1930 was 32 pounds and ten shillings (which converts to about $2,500 Au in 2019). [Refer to Savery’s advertisement, Mt Gambier Border Watch 11-11-1930]This piano is significant for its connection with the time period of chapel and club room at Flagstaff Hill's St Nicholas Seamen's Church. It represents the form of entertainment enjoyed by seafarer's world wide, which is appropriate for a maritime village. The maker of the piano is famous for its quality pianos of the 19th and early 20th century.Piano, upright, polished wood. The wooden hinged keyboard cover lifts up to allow access to the keyboard. The piano also has two brass candlesticks. The top of the piano is hinged and lifts up to allow access to the piano mechanic's inside for tuning and maintenance. The inside flap has a music stand incorporated into it. It also has the usual two hard-soft pedals at the base. There are two brass decorated hooks at each end to allow for ease of movement when the position of the piano is changed. Maker's name inscribed inside keyboard lid in gold lettering. Made in Paris by Aucher Freres (Aucher Brothers)."AUCHER FRERES / Paris" (NOTE: the "C" is sometimes mistaken for a "G")flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, piano, music, upright piano, paris, france, aucher freres

T & C Clark & Company Limited, based at Shakespeare Foundry, was founded in 1795 by Thomas and Charles Clark and grew to be one of the largest iron foundries in Wolverhampton. The firm was the pioneers of Enamelled Cast ironware and the founder Charles Clerk went on to became mayor of Wolverhampton in 1860 after also serving as a Councilor, Alderman, and later Chief Magistrate. The company exhibited many products at the International Exhibition of 1862 at South Kensington, alongside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. The company was also awarded the silver medal for its products at the International Paris Exhibition in 1878. The company's product range included thousands of items, both domestic and industrial. T & C Clark pioneered the use of enamelled cast ironware, after taking out a patent in 1839 guaranteed to be free of lead or arsenic. In the late 1940s and 1950s the company produced acid-resisting enamelled cast iron boiling pans; steam-jacketed pans; stills; square and rectangular tanks; open and closed mixing vessels; flanged pipes; bends and tees; laboratory equipment; small scale plant; evaporating bowls; beakers; sulphonates; and glass-lined mild steel tanks for beer, mineral water, and food. The company is listed as enamelled chemical plant manufacturers in Kelly's 1962 Wolverhampton Directory, but within a few years, the company had ceased trading. The cooking pot is significant because it demonstrates one of the social norms founded by early settlers to this region. That close ties to "Mother England" and the "establishment" was still very strong. The social and family values from the British way of life was ingrained in colonial society until well past Australian Federation in July of 1900. It was not until the friendly "American soldier" invasion during World War II that the Empire mindset was slowly being eroded away. This change was the slowest in semi remote rural areas such as the Warrnambool district. Cast iron open fire cooking pot with lidCLARK & Co. PATENT", Below this a six star triangle with the letter "C" in the middleflagstaff hill museum, cooking appliance, camp fire pot, cast iron, t & c clark & co, drovers cooking pot

This framed print of the famous clipper ship “Schomberg” is associated with Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the wreck of the “Schomberg”. The original was painted in 1992 by maritime artist Philip J. Gray. This limited edition print is number 9/1000. ABOUTH THE SUBJECT – “Schomberg” The Schomberg was a luxury ship built in 1855 to bring immigrants from the UK to Australia in superior comfort. The voyage could take three months or longer but Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes thought that he could sail the Schomberg from Liverpool to Melbourne in a record time of 60 days. On October 6th 1855 the Schomberg left Liverpool on its maiden voyage. She carried 430 passengers plus 3000 tons cargo including rail lines for Geelong and iron for a bridge in Melbourne. After 78 days at sea, on December 27th, Schomberg ran aground near Peterborough, Victoria. All on board were rescued the next day by the passing steamer SS Queen. Gray is well known for his depiction of maritime history. His meticulous attention to detail shows the enormity of the immigrant clipper with its huge billowing sails compared to the tiny figures at work on the deck. The busy crew can be seen attending to the rigging, as can a group of sailors working on the bow under supervision. He identifies the company logo of the Black Ball Ship Line by the flapping white flag with its black circle. Divers from Flagstaff Hill including Peter Ronald (former director) salvaged artefacts and personal effects from the wreck, to be preserved and displayed. Amongst these is the famous Schomberg Diamond ring. ABOUT THE ARTIST – Philip James Gray “Philip is one of Australia’s leading maritime artists and his meticulous research and social commentary paintings of ships, such as, the Loch Ard and Schomberg form an important part of Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.” [ref. Dr Marion Manifold, Artist and Art Historian, 2014] Philip James Gray was born in London but has lived most of his life in Australia. He graduated from a London school of art as an illustrator, specialising in technical and scientific illustration as well as other commercial and applied art. He was also a student for a time of Fyffe Christie - British figurative artist, mural painter and humanitarian – who had a great influence on his career. Philip has always worked as a professional artist and illustrator. Many publications on maritime history have featured his work. His paintings have been released and sold all over the world as limited edition prints. The State Library of Victoria’s ‘Latrobe Collection’ holds two of his paintings. His street painting of ‘The Ashes Contest’ decorates the brick wall of Old Bakery Laneway in Sunbury and a Sunbury café owner commissioned him to paint the ‘Sunbury Pop Festival’ as a remembrance of local history. [ref. Sunbury Leader, Nov 15 2013] Philip has been an active member of the Sunbury Art Society in Victoria for several years, serving on the committee for some of that time and being involved in exhibitions. He enjoys helping new artists and sharing his skills and experience. The subject of the sailing ship “Schomberg” is significant for is connection with the 1800s vessel “Schomberg” and the historic role the ship, and other similar ships, played to transport migrants and goods into Australia. The print is significant as it is a limited edition of an Australian maritime artist. Print in gilt timber frame. "The Colonial Clipper Schomberg" by Australian maritime artist Philip J Gray, 1992. Signed and numbered, Limited Edition print 9/1000. Depicts clipper ship “Schomberg”, in full sail at sea with land in background. Backing of frame has illegible adhesive label and pencilled text. Stamp In pencil “FLAGSTAFF HILL” and “FLAGSTAFF C”. Illegible text on adhesive label. Signature [Philip J Gray] Stamped as a limited edition of SCHOMBERG Handwritten edition "9/1000"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, sailing ships, schomberg, clipper ship, colonial clipper, limited edition print, 9/1000, philip j gray, marine artist

Lifebuoys are flotation devices used to rescue and save people whose lives are at risk in the water. They are part of a ship's safety equipment. The cork material is very buoyant. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria.Lifebuoy, round cork inner only, no canvas covering.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifebuoy, cork lifebuoy, flotation device, safety equipment, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device

Cardboard-backed large monochrome photograph of posed crew (and girl) onboard an unknown vessel.Bottom left to right: Patrick Coburn (Irish), Alick Leonard ?, Mullender-Watchman- (Belgian), Captain Parker, Charlie Rotner (German), Gus - (Swede), Jonny? (Colonial). Top left to right: name missing, - Buerch (German), Ascinius Aspachlag (Hollander), - Smedler (English), Frank Kalucki (German), Lucy Parker, Dick - (Hollander), Alec Hunter (New Zealand).captain's daughter, lucy parker, captain parker, crew, ships, crews and ships

This kiln glazed container for liquid's, was the type used in the 1700's to mid 1900's to contain fluids mainly for human consumption which needed to retain liquid that could be affected by sunlight and or required to be maintained at a cooler temperatures. Ginger beer and other "brews" for human consumption were the prime target. The ability to refill these vessels were of the utmost importance to the consumer. Over time these containers were reduced in size and produced for "special" liquids e.g. alcoholic Port. This Demi John stone ware was manufactured in Tamworth (England) and imported into Australia during a period when the majority of "quality" domestic items were sourced from "the Mother Country" and the ties between the still "colonial" outpost were very strong. This bondage remained longer in rural communities than in the cities. The "multi-culturalism of the post World War II era resulted in the lessening of the earlier ties. The growing of nationalism, the Aussie evolution, was brought about by the increased social and business/commercial interactions between Australia and the United States of America, post World War II.This container(jug) is very significant to the Kiewa Valley, a rural region that required these type of liquid storage vessels, especially in the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. These were times when household refrigeration, if available, would be from the "block ice" coolers or "cool" storage nooks and crannies within farmhouse locations.This large "stone ware" glazed Demi John, alias Carboy has a capacity of over 20 litres. It has a conical smooth lipped neck top with a wide, flat(three to four finger) carry and poring handle. The top third portion of the jug is caramel in colour and the bottom a darker cream. It has a manufacturer's seal stamped into the surface before glazing. This item would have been corked and then sealed (air tight) with wax.manufacturer's seal "GEORGE SKEY WILNECOTE TAMWORTH"household liquid jar container, 1800's food storage, kiln fired glazed pottery

This lifebuoy is part of the lifesaving equipment that would be carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The strips of cork wood have been joined together to make the ring shape. The broad arrow symbol indicates that it was once the property of the British or Australian defence force. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device to keep a person afloat in the. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. The lifebuoy is thrown to a person in distress in the water, allowing the rescuer to pull the person to safety. The lifebuoy is a made from a buoyant material such as cork or rubber and is usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria. The lifebuoy was once the property of the British or Australian defence force.Lifebuoy, round cork object with canvas wrapped around it and rope attached to one side. Broad arrow mark and other red marks indecipherable. Painted white.Symbol of broad arrow. indecipherable markings.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, life rings, lifebuoy, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment, government lifebuoy, broad arrow

This Flying Angel lamp bracket was recovered from the wreck site of the steam sailing ship, "Loch Ard", which sank near Port Campbell, Victoria in 1878. It formed part of the ship's cargo. The 'flying angel' lamp was, for a time, displayed in the St Nicholas Seamen's Church at Flagstaff Hill. The design was very appropriate to the Missions to Seamen, being associated with the emblem of the 'flying angel' on the Missions' to Seamen's flag. Brief history of the Loch Ard: The vessel Loch Ard was constructed on the Clyde River in Scotland in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. A century later, despite the pounding seas and the efforts of looters, the wreck site continued to provide ample evidence of the extraordinary range of goods being imported into the Colony of Victoria in the post-Gold Rush era. Flagstaff Hill divers in the 1970s reported finds of “Bottles of champagne, window panes, rolls of zinc, barrels of cement, iron rails, clocks, lead shot, corrugated iron, lead, marble, salad oil bottles, ink bottles, copper wire, gin bottles, rolls of carpet, floor tiles, copper rivets, gas light fittings, pocket knives, toys, crystal chandeliers, beer mugs, cutlery, candles sticks, wick scissors, cow bells, and sauce bottles.” The lamp bracket is significant for its connection with the wreck of the sailing ship, Loch Ard, in 1878. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Gas lamp, brass, single burner, wall-mounting bracket, delicately crafted. Ornate decoration features bust of an angel with up-swept wings, or 'flying angel'. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, lamp fitting, shipwreck artifact, 1878, shipwreck cargo, household effects, 19th century lighting, angel lamp, loch ard lamp, angelic lamp, lighting at sea, marine technology, ship's lighting, flying angel, gas lamp, maritime archaeology, port campbell

This lifebuoy is part of the lifesaving equipment that would be carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The strips of cork wood have been joined together to make the ring shape. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device to keep a person afloat in the. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. The lifebuoy is thrown to a person in distress in the water, allowing the rescuer to pull the person to safety. The lifebuoy is a made from a buoyant material such as cork or rubber and is usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria.Lifebuoy, round cork object covered with white stiffened material wound around it. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifebuoy, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment

This lifebuoy is part of the lifesaving equipment that would be carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The strips of cork wood have been joined together to make the ring shape. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device to keep a person afloat in the. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. The lifebuoy is thrown to a person in distress in the water, allowing the rescuer to pull the person to safety. The lifebuoy is a made from a buoyant material such as cork or rubber and is usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria.Lifebuoy, round cork object with no covering. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, life rings, lifebuoy, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment

This handmade green glass bottle was recovered between the late 1960s to early 1970s from the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard. The ship was wrecked in 1878 and its remains are located at Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell, Victoria and bottles of liquor were listed as part of the Loch Ard’s cargo. All glass is made from silica, which is found in quartz sand. The naturally occurring sand has impurities, such as iron, that determine the colour of the glass. Residual iron leads to green or amber-coloured glass and carbon in the sand makes that glass appear as ‘black’. A strong light behind the glass will show its colour as dark green or dark amber. This handmade bottle appears to have been made in a dip mould, with the molten glass blown into a seamless shoulder-height mould to give the body a uniform symmetrical shape and size. After the body is blown, the glass blower continues blowing free-form (without the mould) to form the shoulder and neck, then the base is pushed up with a tool, and the finish for the mouth is added with his tools. The dip mould gives the body a slightly textured surface, with the free-blown shoulders and neck being smoother and shinier. There is usually a line around the shoulder where the mould of the body meets the shoulder, and a lump or mark in the centre of the base, called a pontil mark, where the push-up tool was removed. The ship Loch Ard was built on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. It sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from the fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. This bottle is historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into to Colonial Victoria in the mid-1800s to early-1900s. The bottle is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Loch Ard, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. The collection is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417. The collection has additional significance because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Loch Ard. The Loch Ard collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The Loch Ard collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The shipwreck is one of the worst, and best-known, shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.Bottle, green glass wine bottle with contents. Glass has ripples and crease lines. The mouth has a seal in place. The applied lip is cracked. It has a deep pushed-up base with a pontil mark. Handmade with no seams in the body. The contents smell like apple cider vinegar. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, loch ard, mutton bird island, eva carmichael, tom pearce, john chance, bottle, antique bottle, bulge neck bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil base, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, green glass

This handmade black glass bottle was recovered between the late 1960s to early 1970s from the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard. The ship was wrecked in 1878 and its remains are located at Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell, Victoria and bottles of liquor were listed as part of the Loch Ard’s cargo. All glass is made from silica, which is found in quartz sand. The naturally occurring sand has impurities, such as iron, that determine the colour of the glass. Residual iron leads to green or amber-coloured glass and carbon in the sand makes that glass appear as ‘black’. A strong light behind the glass will show its colour as dark green or dark amber. This handmade bottle appears to have been made in a two-piece dip mould, with the molten glass blown into a seamless shoulder-height mould to give the body a uniform symmetrical shape and size. After the body is blown, the glass blower continues blowing free-form (without the mould) to form the shoulder and neck, then the base is pushed up with a tool, and the finish for the mouth is added with his tools. The dip mould gives the body a slightly textured surface, with the free-blown shoulders and neck being smoother and shinier. There is usually a line around the shoulder where the mould of the body meets the shoulder, and a lump or mark in the centre of the base, called a pontil mark, where the push-up tool was removed. The ship Loch Ard was built on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. It sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from the fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. This bottle is historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into to Colonial Victoria in the mid-1800s to early-1900s. The bottle is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Loch Ard, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. The collection is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417. The collection has additional significance because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Loch Ard. The Loch Ard collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The Loch Ard collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The shipwreck is one of the worst, and best-known, shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.Bottle, black glass wine bottle with contents. Glass has ripples, crease lines and side seams. The mouth has a seal in place. The applied lip is wide. The base has been pushed-up base and has a pontil mark. Handmade with a ridge in the body around the base of the shoulder. The bottle has a white sticker.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, loch ard, mutton bird island, eva carmichael, tom pearce, john chance, bottle, antique bottle, bulge neck bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil base, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, black glass, black bottle

This handmade black glass bottle was recovered between the late 1960s to early 1970s from the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard. The ship was wrecked in 1878 and its remains are located at Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell, Victoria and bottles of liquor were listed as part of the Loch Ard’s cargo. All glass is made from silica, which is found in quartz sand. The naturally occurring sand has impurities, such as iron, that determine the colour of the glass. Residual iron leads to green or amber-coloured glass and carbon in the sand makes that glass appear as ‘black’. A strong light behind the glass will show its colour as dark green or dark amber. This handmade bottle appears to have been made in a two-piece dip mould, with the molten glass blown into a seamless shoulder-height mould to give the body a uniform symmetrical shape and size. After the body is blown, the glass blower continues blowing free-form (without the mould) to form the shoulder and neck, then the base is pushed up with a tool, and the finish for the mouth is added with his tools. The dip mould gives the body a slightly textured surface, with the free-blown shoulders and neck being smoother and shinier. There is usually a line around the shoulder where the mould of the body meets the shoulder, and a lump or mark in the centre of the base, called a pontil mark, where the push-up tool was removed. The ship Loch Ard was built on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. It sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from the fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. This bottle is historically significant as an example of liquor bottles imported into to Colonial Victoria in the mid-1800s to early-1900s. The bottle is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the Loch Ard, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. The collection is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417. The collection has additional significance because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the Loch Ard. The Loch Ard collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The Loch Ard collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The shipwreck is one of the worst, and best-known, shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.Bottle, black glass wine bottle with contents. Glass has ripples, and crease lines and the neck has side seams. The mouth has a seal, the top of which comes away from the rest of the seal. The applied lip is wide. The base has been pushed-up base and has a pontil mark. Handmade with a ridge in the body around the base of the shoulder. The contents have no colour or odour. The bottle has a white sticker.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, loch ard, mutton bird island, eva carmichael, tom pearce, john chance, bottle, antique bottle, bulge neck bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil base, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, black glass, black bottle

The artefact is a damaged brass cow bell recovered from the 1878 shipwreck of the LOCH ARD near Port Campbell. It was raised by Flagstaff Hill divers in 1973 and is in storage at the Maritime Village. The LOCH ARD was constructed on the Clyde in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman and one young female passenger. A century later, despite the pounding seas and the efforts of looters, the wreck site continued to provide ample evidence of the extraordinary range of goods being imported into the Colony of Victoria in the post-Gold Rush era. Flagstaff Hill divers in the 1970s reported finds of “Bottles of champagne, window panes, rolls of zinc, barrels of cement, iron rails, clocks, lead shot, corrugated iron, lead, marble, salad oil bottles, ink bottles, copper wire, gin bottles, rolls of carpet, floor tiles, copper rivets, gas light fittings, pocket knives, toys, crystal chandeliers, beer mugs, cutlery, candles sticks, wick scissors, cow bells, and sauce bottles.” From this array of objects on the ocean floor emerged the humble brass cow bell. Cow bells were common to colonial agriculture and transport, used wherever animals were turned out to graze overnight and had to be rounded up again next morning. Bells were fastened around the necks of household milking cows, domestic goats, bullock teams, horse teams, and camel teams, to help find them in the pre-dawn light. Station shepherds and cattle drovers also used them to warn of any disturbances to their flocks and herds overnight. The bells were a necessary item in a largely unfenced continent. So important, that Anthony Mongon began making his pot-bells at Yackandandah from 1861, August Menneke produced the “Wagga Pot” from 1867, and Samuel Jones started manufacturing his distinctively shaped “Condamine Bell” in 1868. However, these deeply resonant Australian bells were made from iron — Mongon and Jones were blacksmiths who simply beat old pitsaw blades into shape. Few genuinely brass cow bells were made here, the vast majority being imported from Britain where the industry of brass founding was already well established. (Some bells were also imported from the United States, but these too were nearly all of iron).This bell is historically significant as typical of a cow bell used by farmers and herdsmen in Colonial Victoria. It was included in the cargo of the Loch Ard. Its significance is increased by being one of a collection of artefacts recovered by the Flagstaff Hill Divers from the wreck of the Loch Ard in the early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have also been recovered for Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection under a Government permit, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The cow bell is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best-known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.Cow bell; a small brass bell, blunt-wedge shaped. The sides expand outwards from the smaller rectangular roof of the bell to a larger open rectangle or bell mouth. The handle, now missing, was fixed in two places at the top. A neat half-circle piece has been cut from the base on a long edge. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, eva carmichael, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, brass cow bell, colonial cow bells, 1878 shipwreck, shipwreck artefact, flagstaff hill divers, cow bell

This is one of two cast brass nameplates of James & Alexander Brown in our collection. The Newcastle, NSW, firm was renowned for its coal mining and exporting business established in colonial Australia in 1843. The firm had an office in Melbourne and sold coal for commercial use and from the Wharf for the domestic market. The coal was then distributed along the southwest coast of Victoria in steamships or steam packets and into the regional areas of Victoria by cart and wagon. In 1890 there was a strike of coal workers but the Geelong Advertiser, September 1, 1890, announced that “a firm of coal merchants only recently received some large cargoes from Newcastle”. This supply of coal could have originated at the colliery of James & Alexander Brown. About James & Alexander Brown: - James (1816-1894), John (1823-1846) and Alexander Brown (1827-1877) migrated with their parents from Scotland to Sydney, Australia, in 1842. The next year James leased land and was assisted by his brothers Alexander and John in mining coal in the area near Maitland. The market was very competitive, with the government controlling prices. James was instrumental in a legal battle that resulted in the introduction of open competition for coal mining. James and Alexander had become business partners by 1852 and moved south of Newcastle where they established and worked a profitable mining enterprise. Their assets by 1857 included a ships’ chandlery, a fleet of steamships and an overseas trading business. They were the first firm to import rum, sugar and coffee into Newcastle. By 1892 they were exporting coal to New Zealand, China, North America, and various colonial ports. They had elaborate workshops to service their own steam engines and steamships. They were the first to use a steam collier vessel in Australian waters and they set up the second tug boat in Newcastle, the beginning of being owners of many more tug boats and performing a towing business. By 1868 James & Alexander Brown was the largest coal producer in the colony. James focused on managing the colliery and Alexander on overseas trade. It was estimated that the firm had produced over eight per cent of coal in New South Wales by 1914. James & Alexander Brown advertised in the Melbourne Herald in the early 1900s and kept an office at Queen Street, Melbourne as well as at the Wharf, stating their telephone numbers for both places. The coal was available for ‘Immediate Delivery’ for household and industrial purposes. The advertising claimed that their Pelaw Main coal was the famous household coal that met the highest test in Australia and burned bright and clean. Domestic customers could purchase the coal at the wharf or pay for delivery. Commercial customers could load their purchases into their steamships or wagons for further distribution into regional Victoria. After James’s death in 1894 his son John managed the firm, which was also known as J & A Brown. John passed away in 1930 and his sons took over. In 1931 the firm amalgamated with Abermain Seaham and the new name was J & A Brown & Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd. commonly abbreviated to JABAS, which merged with Caledonian Collieries Ltd in 1960 and Coal & Allied Industries Ltd. was formed. The pair of nameplates is significant for its connection with the firm James & Alexander Brown. The firm was established in 1845 and became one of the largest collieries in colonial Australia. It was involved in trading within Australia and overseas. James was involved in the introduction of open competition for coal mining prices. They were the first to use a steam colliery in Australian waters and the first to import goods such as rum, sugar and coffee into New South Wales. The firm had a Melbourne office in the early 1900s, selling and distributing coal throughout Victoria, which likely included the Port of Warrnambool, which opened in 1890. The nameplates are likely to have originated from the Melbourne location.Brass Entrance Name Plate, one of a pair. Eight holes are formed through the plate; one in each corner, and four more holes are within the inscription area. The cast plate has three rows of text with the company’s name and type of business. The plate was owned by James & Alex. Brown. "JAMES & ALEXR. BROWN / COLLIERY PROPRIETORS / & STEAMSHIP OWNERS"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nameplate, james & alexander brown, j & a brown, james & alexr brown, colliery proprietors, steamship owners, ship chandlers, coal mine, coal export, australian import, australian export, newcastle, colliers, coastal trade, steamships

This is one of two cast brass nameplates of James & Alexander Brown in our collection. The Newcastle, NSW, firm was renowned for its coal mining and exporting business established in colonial Australia in 1843. The firm had an office in Melbourne and sold coal for commercial use and from the Wharf for the domestic market. The coal was then distributed along the southwest coast of Victoria in steamships or steam packets and into the regional areas of Victoria by cart and wagon. In 1890 there was a strike of coal workers but the Geelong Advertiser, September 1, 1890, announced that “a firm of coal merchants only recently received some large cargoes from Newcastle”. This supply of coal could have originated at the colliery of James & Alexander Brown. About James & Alexander Brown: - James (1816-1894), John (1823-1846) and Alexander Brown (1827-1877) migrated with their parents from Scotland to Sydney, Australia, in 1842. The next year James leased land and was assisted by his brothers Alexander and John in mining coal in the area near Maitland. The market was very competitive, with the government controlling prices. James was instrumental in a legal battle that resulted in the introduction of open competition for coal mining. James and Alexander had become business partners by 1852 and moved south of Newcastle where they established and worked a profitable mining enterprise. Their assets by 1857 included a ships’ chandlery, a fleet of steamships and an overseas trading business. They were the first firm to import rum, sugar and coffee into Newcastle. By 1892 they were exporting coal to New Zealand, China, North America, and various colonial ports. They had elaborate workshops to service their own steam engines and steamships. They were the first to use a steam collier vessel in Australian waters and they set up the second tug boat in Newcastle, the beginning of being owners of many more tug boats and performing a towing business. By 1868 James & Alexander Brown was the largest coal producer in the colony. James focused on managing the colliery and Alexander on overseas trade. It was estimated that the firm had produced over eight per cent of coal in New South Wales by 1914. James & Alexander Brown advertised in the Melbourne Herald in the early 1900s and kept an office at Queen Street, Melbourne as well as at the Wharf, stating their telephone numbers for both places. The coal was available for ‘Immediate Delivery’ for household and industrial purposes. The advertising claimed that their Pelaw Main coal was the famous household coal that met the highest test in Australia and burned bright and clean. Domestic customers could purchase the coal at the wharf or pay for delivery. Commercial customers could load their purchases into their steamships or wagons for further distribution into regional Victoria. After James’s death in 1894 his son John managed the firm, which was also known as J & A Brown. John passed away in 1930 and his sons took over. In 1931 the firm amalgamated with Abermain Seaham and the new name was J & A Brown & Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd. commonly abbreviated to JABAS, which merged with Caledonian Collieries Ltd in 1960 and Coal & Allied Industries Ltd. was formed. The pair of nameplates is significant for its connection with the firm James & Alexander Brown. The firm was established in 1845 and became one of the largest collieries in colonial Australia. It was involved in trading within Australia and overseas. James was involved in the introduction of open competition for coal mining prices. They were the first to use a steam colliery in Australian waters and the first to import goods such as rum, sugar and coffee into New South Wales. The firm had a Melbourne office in the early 1900s, selling and distributing coal throughout Victoria, which likely included the Port of Warrnambool, which opened in 1890. The nameplates are likely to have originated from the Melbourne location.Brass Entrance Name Plate, one of a pair. Eight holes are formed through the plate; one in each corner, and four more holes are within the inscription area. The cast plate has three rows of text with the company’s name and type of business. The plate was owned by James & Alex. Brown. "JAMES & ALEXR. BROWN / COLLIERY PROPRIETORS / & STEAMSHIP OWNERS"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nameplate, james & alexander brown, j & a brown, james & alexr brown, colliery proprietors, steamship owners, ship chandlers, coal mine, coal export, australian import, australian export, newcastle, colliers, coastal trade, steamships

The artefact is a damaged brass cow bell recovered from the 1878 shipwreck of the LOCH ARD near Port Campbell. It was raised by Flagstaff Hill divers in 1973 and is in storage at the Maritime Village. The LOCH ARD was constructed on the Clyde in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman and one young female passenger. A century later, despite the pounding seas and the efforts of looters, the wreck site continued to provide ample evidence of the extraordinary range of goods being imported into the Colony of Victoria in the post-Gold Rush era. Flagstaff Hill divers in the 1970s reported finds of “Bottles of champagne, window panes, rolls of zinc, barrels of cement, iron rails, clocks, lead shot, corrugated iron, lead, marble, salad oil bottles, ink bottles, copper wire, gin bottles, rolls of carpet, floor tiles, copper rivets, gas light fittings, pocket knives, toys, crystal chandeliers, beer mugs, cutlery, candles sticks, wick scissors, cow bells, and sauce bottles.” From this array of objects on the ocean floor emerged the humble brass cow bell. Cow bells were common to colonial agriculture and transport, used wherever animals were turned out to graze overnight and had to be rounded up again next morning. Bells were fastened around the necks of household milking cows, domestic goats, bullock teams, horse teams, and camel teams, to help find them in the pre-dawn light. Station shepherds and cattle drovers also used them to warn of any disturbances to their flocks and herds overnight. The bells were a necessary item in a largely unfenced continent. So important, that Anthony Mongon began making his pot-bells at Yackandandah from 1861, August Menneke produced the “Wagga Pot” from 1867, and Samuel Jones started manufacturing his distinctively shaped “Condamine Bell” in 1868. However, these deeply resonant Australian bells were made from iron — Mongon and Jones were blacksmiths who simply beat old pitsaw blades into shape. Few genuinely brass cow bells were made here, the vast majority being imported from Britain where the industry of brass founding was already well established. (Some bells were also imported from the United States, but these too were nearly all of iron).This bell is historically significant as typical of a cow bell used by farmers and herdsmen in Colonial Victoria. Its significance is increased by being one of a collection of artefact recovered by the Flagstaff Hill Divers from the wreck of the Loch Ard in the early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have also been recovered for Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection under Government permit, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The cow bell is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.A small brass cow bell, in poor condition. It is blunt-wedge shaped. The sides expand outwards from the smaller rectangular roof of the bell to a larger open rectangle or bell mouth. A handwritten label is attached to the bel. Recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard.Label text "["10/6/73, Brass Cow Bell, LOCH ARD, Found in the sandy hole in the centre of the wreck site. Cow bells were part of the cargo" - "10/6/73, LOCH ARD, small brass cow bell salvaged by FHMV divers"]. "LOCH ARD / PETER RONALD"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, eva carmichael, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, brass cow bell, colonial cow bells, 1878 shipwreck, shipwreck artefact, flagstaff hill divers

A mass-produced brass marine or ship's fitting made for water drainage from a ship's deck or elsewhere on a marine vessel or for covering a ventilation hole. The brass marine fitting is significant as an example of equipment or furnishing used on a marine vessel in colonial times that is still made in modern times. Brass marine drainage cover, circular; Perforated convex cover with eight drilled screw holes around its wide collar. warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, ventilator cover, ventilator, drain cover, drain, marine fitting, ship's fitting, perforated brass cover

This lifebuoy is part of the lifesaving equipment that would be carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The strips of cork wood have been joined together to make the ring shape. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device to keep a person afloat in the. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. The lifebuoy is thrown to a person in distress in the water, allowing the rescuer to pull the person to safety. The lifebuoy is a made from a buoyant material such as cork or rubber and is usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria.Lifebuoy; round, cork filling of lifebuoy. The nails joining the layers are visible. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, life rings, lifebuoy, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment

This lifebuoy is part of the lifesaving equipment that would be carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The strips of cork wood have been joined together to make the ring shape. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device to keep a person afloat in the. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. The lifebuoy is thrown to a person in distress in the water, allowing the rescuer to pull the person to safety. The lifebuoy is a made from a buoyant material such as cork or rubber and is usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. From the early 20th century Kapok fibre was used as a filling for buoys. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria.Lifebuoy, round cork filling inside white canvas cover with four reinforced bands. Four ropes are attached.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, life rings, lifebuoy, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment

This lifebuoy bears the name of the ship, its origin, the shipping company and the red ensign. These details mean that the lifebuoy was part of the lifesaving equipment on the sailing ship the Loch Ness, part of the Glasgow Shipping Company’s Loch Line (G.S.C. on the red pennant) and a British-registered ship (the red flag with the Union Jack on it). Lifebuoys were part of the emergency lifesaving equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The ring was made of strips of cork wood joined together to make the ring shape then covered in canvas and sealed usually with white paint. Four evenly spaced canvas reinforcing bands would be added for strength and for a place to thread a rope or line. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device often thrown to an endangered or distressed person in the water to keep them afloat while they receive help. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. Lifebuoys is a made from a buoyant materials such as cork or foam and ae usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. Cork lifebuoys were used from the late 19th to early 20th century. Kapok fibre was then used as a filling for buoys but wasn’t entirely successful. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The ship LOCH NESS 1869-1922 … The ship Loch Ness, of Glasgow, was the same ship what William Carmichael sailed on to Australia when he laid the commemoration stone on behalf of his sister Eva and himself, dedicated to their parents, brothers and sisters. The family members lost their lives on June 1, 1878, when their ship, the Loch Ard, was wrecked at Mutton Bird Island in south west Victoria. Eva Carmichael was one of the two survivors from that shipwreck, the other 52 tragically lost their lives. The ship Loch Ness was a three-masted sailing ship built in 1869 for the Loch Line owned by the Glasgow Shipping Company. The line transported cargo and passengers from Glasgow, Scotland, to Australian ports. The Loch Ness was sold in 1908 to Stevedore & Shipping Co, Sydney for use as a coal hulk. In 1914 the Australian Government took over the ship for naval defence purposeless. In 1926 the ship was sunk during gunfire practice by HMAS Melbourne, near Fremantle, Western Australia. The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria. The lifebuoy is significant for its connection to the ship Loch Ness on which William Carmichael, brother of Eva Carmichael, travelled to lay a memorial to their parents and all of their other siblings who lost their lives in the Loch Ard disaster of 1878 near Peterborough, Victoria. Lifebuoy, round, cork filling inside canvas cover, painted white, with rope attached. Lifebuoy has printed name of vessel Loch Ness, Glasgow. Symbols of red flag with white initials G S Co. There is also a red ensign."LOCH NESS", "GLASGOW" "G S Co"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch ness, loch ard, william carmichael, eva carmichael, lifebuoy, glasgow sailing ship, loch ness of glasgow, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment, g s c, glasgow shipping company

Lifebuoy is from the ketch Reginald M, built in Port Adelaide by John Murch in 1922. Lifebuoys were part of the emergency lifesaving equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century. The ring was made of strips of cork wood joined together to make the ring shape then covered in canvas and sealed usually with white paint. Four evenly spaced canvas reinforcing bands would be added for strength and for a place to thread a rope or line. A lifebuoy, or life-preserver, is used as a buoyancy device often thrown to an endangered or distressed person in the water to keep them afloat while they receive help. It is usually connected by a rope to a person in a safe area such a nearby vessel or on shore. Lifebuoys is a made from a buoyant materials such as cork or foam and ae usually covered with canvas for protection and to make it easy to grip. The first use of life saving devices in recent centuries was by the Nordic people, who used light weight wood or cork blocks to keep afloat. Cork lifebuoys were used from the late 19th to early 20th century. Kapok fibre was then used as a filling for buoys but wasn’t entirely successful. Light weight balsa wood was used as a filler after WW1. In 1928 Peter Markus invented and patented the first inflatable life-preserver. By WW2 foam was combined with Kapok. Laws were passed over time that has required aeroplanes and water going-vessels to carry life-preservers on board. The Reginald M 1922- The two-masted coastal trading ketch Reginald M was built by John (Jack) Murch in Port Adelaide, South Australia, in 1922 and it was launched there in Largs Bay in the same year. It is thought that the keel was hewn from two telegraph poles - its owner was a regular visitor to salvage yards. Its cargo at times included Guano, Barley, Wool, Horses, Cattle, Timber, Explosives, Potatoes, Shell Grit and Gypsum. At one time the vessel was used as a customs boat, renamed 'HMC No. 3, Pt Adelaide'. In 1969 she was used by a mining and railway company as a barge to carry explosives. In 1972 the vessel was renamed 'T.S. Macquarie' and planned to be used for sea cadet training.; this did not eventuate. It was sold again and went to Melbourne to be used for pleasure sailing, and again sold for use as a ferry. Late in 1975 Flagstaff Hill purchased the vessel to be used as an exhibit at the Maritime Village where many visitors enjoyed being able to board and explore a real ship with a long history. Sadly, in late 2016, the decision was made to 'decommission' the vessel due to the continuing high cost of maintenance and the risk to public safety. Many of the components of the vessel are held as part of Flagstaff Hill's collection.The lifebuoy is an example of equipment carried on vessels in the late 19th and early 20th century to help preserve life. There were many lives lost in Australia’s colonial period, particularly along the coast of South West Victoria. The lifebuoy is significant for its connection with the Australian built, 1922 coastal trader, Reginald M. Lifebuoy, round , cork, filled, white canvas cover with four red tabs. Text is printed in black on quarters 1 and 3. This lifebuoy once belonged to the vessel 'Reginald M' , Pt Adelaide. "REGINALD M / Pt ADELAIDE".flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, lifebuoy, lifesaving, ship equipment, reginald m, life rings, safety ring, life-saving buoy, ring buoy, life preserver, personal floating device, floatation device, safety equipment, coastal trader, john murch, reg webb

The image in this photograph is the 'John Murray', which was owned by the Government of Victoria from 1909 to 1917 as a training vessel. It was built and registered in Glasgow, UK in 1877 as the 'Loch Ryan'. This photograph is a copy of the original photograph, which was owned by Dr J. Douglas, brother o the donor. The iron baque 'Loch Ryan' was a three masted, 1207 ton sailing ship built by James & George Thomson in Glasgow in 1877. It was purposed as a general cargo vessel and owned by the General Shipping Company, known as the Loch Line because the ships were named after Scottish lochs. The company had a fleet of 25 colonial clipper ships that traded between the UK and Australia between 1866 and 1909, mainly from Glasgow to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Many of the sips, including the Loch Ryan, had a distinctive white stripe on their dark coloured hulls. The 'Loch Ryan' was purchased in 1909 by the Victorian Government's Défense Department and converted for the purposes of a training in Williamstown. In 1910 it was renamed John Murray, whose namesake, John (Jack) Murray (1851-1916) was born near Koroit. He was the 23rd Premier of Victoria (1909-1912), and a Warrnambool Member of Parliament for twenty years. The government commissioned the ship from 1910-1917 for reforming juvenile offenders, training them as seamen for the Navy and Merchant Navy. The training project ceased after reports of the treatment of the boys. Although 411 did their training under this scheme, the success rate of them qualifying to serve on other vessels was less than twenty percent. In 1917 the John Murray was sold to the Government of Australia to serve during WWI. The ship was loaded with a cargo of dynamite and petroleum at San Francisco then departed for Melbourne when, during its passage, it was wrecked at Malden Island reef in the mid-Pacific Ocean on May 29th, 1918.The photograph of the John Murray , formerly the 'Loch Ryan' is significant for its connection with the Loch Line of the General Shipping Company of Glasgow, the same company that owned the Loch Ard, which was wrecked and tragically lost 52 lives. The photograph is also significant for its connection with Victoria's training ship John Murray, which aimed at reforming delinquent juveniles, to be suitable as seamen for Australia's Navy or Merchant Navy. The ship was the namesake of John Murray, so the photograph is also significant for its connection with Victorian and local Government, as John Murray was the 23rd Premier of Victoria and a Warrnambool Member of Parliament for over 20 years. He was born in the local town of Koroit. The photograph is significant as an image of the many clipper ships that traded between the United Kingdom and Australia, with goods collected from other countries along the way.Photograph, black and white, behind glass, matt, framed in black with gold trim. Image is the Government of Victoria's training ship "John Murray". Label attached to back of frame with inscription. Also a square white sticker with handwritten number.Text on label includes: "The "John Murray" / A training ship for delinquent boys about 1910 / Formerly the Loch Ryan / John Murray - Premier of Victoria and Member for Warrnambool for over 20 years / Donated by Elizabeth O'Callaghan / Original photo in possession of Dr J. Douglas / (Brother of Elizabeth O'Callaghan - nee Douglas)" Sticker; handwritten "57"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, the john murray, loch ryan, john murray, loch line, general shipping company, government of victoria, training ship, juvenile reformation, delinquent boys, james & george thomson, iron barque, three masted ship, clipper ship, uk to australia trade, dynamite cargo, petroleum cargo, maldon island reef, 1909-1917

The artefact is a brass cow bell recovered from the 1878 shipwreck of the LOCH ARD near Port Campbell. It was raised by Flagstaff Hill divers in 1973 and is in storage at the Maritime Village. The LOCH ARD was constructed on the Clyde in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. A century later, despite the pounding seas and the efforts of looters, the wreck site continued to provide ample evidence of the extraordinary range of goods being imported into the Colony of Victoria in the post-Gold Rush era. Flagstaff Hill divers in the 1970s reported finds of “Bottles of champagne, window panes, rolls of zinc, barrels of cement, iron rails, clocks, lead shot, corrugated iron, lead, marble, salad oil bottles, ink bottles, copper wire, gin bottles, rolls of carpet, floor tiles, copper rivets, gas light fittings, pocket knives, toys, crystal chandeliers, beer mugs, cutlery, candles sticks, wick scissors, cow bells, and sauce bottles.” From this array of objects on the ocean floor emerged the humble brass cow bell. Cow bells were common to colonial agriculture and transport, used wherever animals were turned out to graze overnight and had to be rounded up again next morning. Bells were fastened around the necks of household milking cows, domestic goats, bullock teams, horse teams, and camel teams, to help find them in the pre-dawn light. Station shepherds and cattle drovers also used them to warn of any disturbances to their flocks and herds overnight. The bells were a necessary item in a largely unfenced continent. So important, that Anthony Mongon began making his pot-bells at Yackandandah from 1861, August Menneke produced the “Wagga Pot” from 1867, and Samuel Jones started manufacturing his distinctively shaped “Condamine Bell” in 1868. However, these deeply resonant Australian bells were made from iron — Mongon and Jones were blacksmiths who simply beat old pitsaw blades into shape. Few genuinely brass cow bells were made here, the vast majority being imported from Britain where the industry of brass founding was already well established. (Some bells were also imported from the United States, but these too were nearly all of iron). This bell is historically significant as typical of a cow bell used by farmers and herdsmen in Colonial Victoria. Its significance is increased by being one of a collection of artefact recovered by the Flagstaff Hill Divers from the wreck of the Loch Ard in the early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have also been recovered for Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection under Government permit, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The cow bell is also significant for being part of Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD, which is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Brass cow bell, flat-top pyramid shape, rectangular head, shoulders flare out to a rectangular mouth. The hanging yoke is missing. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, loch ard, cowbell, great ocean road, loch line, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, cow bell, brass cow bell, shipwreck artefact, flagstaff hill divers, horse bell, bell smith, vintage bell, farmer, shepherd, drover, stock bell, brass bell

The artefact is a brass cow bell recovered from the 1878 shipwreck of the LOCH ARD near Port Campbell. It was raised by Flagstaff Hill divers in 1973 and is in storage at the Maritime Village. A cow bell is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes. Although they are typically referred to as "cow bells" due to their extensive use with cattle, the bells are used on a wide variety of animals. The earliest examples of truly recognizable cow bells date back to the Iron Age. The use of iron bells in sub-Saharan African music and the Niger–Congo area is linked to the early iron-making technology spread during the Bantu migrations. The earliest archaeological evidence of bells dates back to more than 5000 years ago, from the 3rd millennium BC in Neolithic China. During this era, there is evidence of early forms of pottery cow bells, which were likely used to keep track of goats, sheep, and cattle. These pottery bells were later replaced by metal bells using brass and other materials. The LOCH ARD was constructed on the Clyde in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. (See References or Notes below for further details.)The cow bell is believed to be part of the cargo of the Loch Ard and this shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of historical significance for Victoria. Registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417), with Flagstaff Hill having a varied collection of artefacts from the Loch Ard. Its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. Brass cow bell, covered in encrustations. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, maritime museum, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, loch ard, mutton bird island, glenample, eva carmichael, tom pearce, flagstaff hill divers, cow bell, horse bell, bell smith, vintage bell, farmer, shepherd, drover, stock bell, brass bell

The artefact is a brass cow bell recovered from the 1878 shipwreck of the LOCH ARD near Port Campbell. It was raised by Flagstaff Hill divers in 1973 and is in storage at the Maritime Village. The LOCH ARD was constructed on the Clyde in 1873 for the prestigious Loch Line of colonial clipper ships, designed for the Australian run. She sailed from England on 1 March 1878 carrying 37 crew, 17 passengers and a diverse general cargo ranging from luxury items to bulk railway iron. On 1 June 1878, emerging from fog and hearing too late the sound of breakers against the tall limestone cliffs, the vessel struck the southern foot of Mutton Bird Island and sank in 23 metres of water. Of the fifty-four people on board only two survived, one young male crewman, Tom Pearce, and one young female passenger, Eva Carmichael. A century later, despite the pounding seas and the efforts of looters, the wreck site continued to provide ample evidence of the extraordinary range of goods being imported into the Colony of Victoria in the post-Gold Rush era. Flagstaff Hill divers in the 1970s reported finds of “Bottles of champagne, window panes, rolls of zinc, barrels of cement, iron rails, clocks, lead shot, corrugated iron, lead, marble, salad oil bottles, ink bottles, copper wire, gin bottles, rolls of carpet, floor tiles, copper rivets, gas light fittings, pocket knives, toys, crystal chandeliers, beer mugs, cutlery, candles sticks, wick scissors, cow bells, and sauce bottles.” From this array of objects on the ocean floor emerged the humble brass cow bell. Cow bells were common to colonial agriculture and transport, used wherever animals were turned out to graze overnight and had to be rounded up again next morning. Bells were fastened around the necks of household milking cows, domestic goats, bullock teams, horse teams, and camel teams, to help find them in the pre-dawn light. Station shepherds and cattle drovers also used them to warn of any disturbances to their flocks and herds overnight. The bells were a necessary item in a largely unfenced continent. So important, that Anthony Mongon began making his pot-bells at Yackandandah from 1861, August Menneke produced the “Wagga Pot” from 1867, and Samuel Jones started manufacturing his distinctively shaped “Condamine Bell” in 1868. However, these deeply resonant Australian bells were made from iron — Mongon and Jones were blacksmiths who simply beat old pitsaw blades into shape. Few genuinely brass cow bells were made here, the vast majority being imported from Britain where the industry of brass founding was already well established. (Some bells were also imported from the United States, but these too were nearly all of iron). This bell is historically significant as typical of a cow bell used by farmers and herdsmen in Colonial Victoria. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Cow bell, brass, covered in encrustation, handle missing from the top.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, maritime museum, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, loch ard, mutton bird island, glenample, eva carmichael, tom pearce, flagstaff hill divers, cow bell, horse bell, bell smith, vintage bell, farmer, shepherd, drover, stock bell, brass bell