Ceramic hot water bottles were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As well as filling hot water containers to warm your bed, you could buy earthenware bottles to use as foot warmers or hand warmers too. Earlier foot warmers used to hold hot coals, or glowing wood, not warm water. In the same way, traditional bed warmers filled with embers were once more usual than hot water bottles.Ceramic foot warmer glazed in cream with a decoration of lattice and pink roses.Maker stamp on base: "The Mecca Foot Warmer / Made in finest English Ivory Ware / Reg. No. 571373 / No sharp corners / Warming Pan / Stone-Trent Englandfoot warmer, household item, bedroom item

Used to warm feet: ancestor of the hot water bottle.Stoneware foot warmer, treacle and off-white glazefoot warmers

During prestige, long distance train journeys some carriages had air-conditioning, and the majority of passengers had to brave unheated carriages. To offer some comfort during the winter months, the non-air-conditioned carriages were provided with footwarmers. These were metal containers roughly 100 mm thick and 300 mm wide, and about 750 mm long, which were filled with salt crystals (concentrated crystalline hydrated sodium acetate). The footwarmers were covered by sleeves of thick canvas, and two footwarmers were usually placed in each compartment of non-air-conditioned carriages. To activate the chemicals, the footwarmers were heated almost to boiling point. This was done by removing the canvas sleeves and placing the footwarmers in a large bath of very hot water. After they had been heated, they were removed from the bath and the sleeves refitted. They were then ready to be placed in the carriages. The McLaren patent foot warmer was used on railways in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia as well as South Africa and New Zealand. It was during the 1901 royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall that these foot warmers were first used in New Zealand in the royal carriage. Before railway carriage heating was introduced, McLaren patent foot warmers were placed on the floor of New South Wales government railway carriages from 1891 to provide a little passenger comfort. The rectangular steel container worked a bit like a hot water bottle but instead of water contained six and a half kilograms of loosely-packed salt crystals, (concentrated crystalline hydrated sodium acetate). This was permanently sealed inside the container with a soldered cap. After the foot warmer was heated in vat of boiling water for about one and a quarter hours the crystals became a hot liquid. (The melting point for sodium acetate is 58 degrees). There was a whole infrastructure of special furnaces set up at stations for the daily heating of foot warmers. By 1914 the Victorian railways had 4,000 foot warmers in service and by 1935 there were 33 furnaces at principal stations to heat them. After about 10 hours the container was picked up by the handle and given a good vertical shake which helped the cooled liquid reform into a solid mass of hot crystals. Staff or sometimes passengers shook them en route when the foot warmers began to get cold. However, as they were heavy this was only possible by fit and agile passengers. At the end of the journey the containers were boiled again for reuse on the next trip. Sodium acetate railway foot warmers were introduced in Victoria in 1889, Adelaide to Melbourne express in 1899. "Shaking up" on this service took place at Murray Bridge and Stawell on the tip to Melbourne and at Ballarat and Serviceton on the trip to Adelaide. The use of foot warmers began to decline in New South Wales from the 1930s with the first trial of carriage air-conditioning in 1936, steam heating from 1948 ad LP gas heating from 1961. By the early 1960s the main services using foot warmers were the overnight mail trains. info from : http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=67564#ixzz4UBNzVf6t Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial There was a whole infrastructure set up at stations for the daily heating of foot warmers in special furnaces. In Victoria alone in 1935 there were 33 heating works.Historic - Victorian Railways - Carriage Heater - Foot warmerA rectangular-shaped stainless steel casing with a welded seam down the back and welded ends. There is a handle at one end for carrying and shaking. Inside the foot warmer are two baffle plates and three trays to contain the sodium acetate. There was a cast-iron ball in each internal compartment. puffing billy, victorian railways, carriage haeter, foot warmer, passenger comfort, station furnace, railway ephemera, early heating methods

A metal foot warmer from a Hoyts TheatreHOYTS

Used by Colin Sach during his employment as Manager of the Chemistry Dept. at the University of Melbourne over a period of forty years.Manufacturing History Museum Victoria Commentary: Australian manufacturing history Philip Wollen Many years ago, when I was an ambition young man, I took over a company called Hecla.|This business was formed in 1872, long before Federation was even contemplated. The company established a rich tradition in the Australian manufacturing industry. The prodigious product range included kettles, mixers, toasters, hairdryers, urns, pie warmers, bain maries, and electric blankets for the domestic and commercial market. During the war it even manufactured parts for aircraft. It was one of Melbourne's largest employers.|Hecla was one of the pioneers in TV advertising, led by icons like Bert Newton, Bobby Limb, Evie Hayes and Graham Kennedy who ad Jibbed his way through irreverent and unscripted naughtiness about Hecla electric blankets and foot warmers. The slogan was 'By Hecla, its good1'. One can imagine the fun Bert and Graham had with their double entendres.|In the 60's Hecla entered into a partnership with General Electric and expanded rapidly. The massive factory, on the corner of Alexandra Parade and Chapel Street overlooking the Yarra River was a Melbourne landmark.|The business was formed by one of the scions of Melbourne industry. Mr Marriott was a metal worker of some repute, building the lights in front of Melbourne's Parliament House, the first steam car, the sideboard at the RACY Club, and the first factory to run on electricity.|By the time I acquired the company it was a shadow of its former self, incapable of competing with cheap Chinese imports. Wandering around the warehouse late one night I discovered a large, boarded up storeroom which appeared not to have been opened in decades.|Over several months I combed through the room, unearthing a treasure trove of products from a bygone era. Dusty files, engineering drawings, wooden prototypes, patent records, and correspondence from distributors on every continent.|I decided to track down an old man, Ray, long retired after 50 years with Hecla. He was not well off financially and welcomed the paid work. It turned out that he had done his apprenticeship with the company and there wasn't much he didn't know about it. He had been personally involved in the manufacture of almost every type of product on the Hecla smorgasbord's of products.|So for over 2 years he methodically assembled a mini museum of Hecla products, painstakingly polishing them and ensuring they were in working order. He attached the original brochure of each product and their respective warranty cards. For him it was ,a labour of love. For me it was a fascinating, if vicarious journey, into Australia's manufacturing past.|My colleagues complained that I was wasting money on his salary, our time and factory space on stuff that should have been dumped years ago. I tried to explain that I was merely a steward of the Hecla tradition, not merely an owner. Besides, the look on Ray's face convinced me that there was another dynamic at work. One I could see, but didn't really understand.|After he Passed away I faced a dilemma. What to do with this 'museum' of Hecla history. Nobody was interested.|So I kept the 'stuff' in private storage, hoping that same day someone would be interested in it. And the years passed.|Finally, I had a brainwave. Perhaps the Melbourne Museum would be interested. It was a long shot but I made the call. I had a nagging suspicion that they would think I was simply trying to get them to relieve me of paying for this huge collection to be taken to the tip.|To my surprise they said they would be willing to take a look, I secretly hoped that they would take the whole collection and not leave me with an incomplete jumble of appliances that I would indeed have to take to the tip.|On the appointed day, four serious looking young people showed up. Armed with digital cameras, note books and poker faces they spent four hours analysing the goods and the supporting materials. I asked them if they had any interest and their response was decidedly non-committal. It depends on the acquisitions committee, I was told. I was disheartened and packed up the exhibits to go back into storage.|Imagine my surprise when months later they telephoned to say that they had researched the history of the company, and yes, they would like to take the whole collection. And a truck with 'handlers' would arrive the following day to pick it up. Two years ago all Hecla's archives left me forever and went to the Museum's warehouse.|Well, to my delight I received a call yesterday inviting me to a private viewing of the exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. These young historians had meticulously assembled an impressive display of Melbourne's industry and technology going back to the 1800's. They thanked me like a significant benefactor when it is I who should have thanked them.|I saw the excitement in the eyes of these young people who had somehow managed to dig out and assemble memories from Australia's past. If this is the standard of care that the curators of the Melbourne Museum show all their exhibits, our history is in safe hands.|Their meticulous work took me back to those years long ago when I saw an old man lovingly assembling and cataloging a lifetime of his work.|It took me back to the day when Australians actually made things. Long before we became a nation of quarrymen. Before we became animal-factory 'farmers'. Of a time when products didn't break down, or dumped and replaced before the warranty expired. When men like Mr Marriott cared deeply about what their hands produced.|It reminded me of the call I received from an elderly lady in Tasmania asking for the electrical element for a Hecla K7 kettle. I searched the archives and called her back. The K7 was produced decades earlier and we no longer carried that spare part. She was quite disheartened and told me her kettle had finally 'given up the ghost' and she couldn't bear to part with it. It was a present from her husband on their wedding day 45 years ago. Her final words were 'they don't make them like that, do they? By Hecla they were good1'|I'm glad I followed my instinct and put Ray back on the payroll all those years ago..|I like to think Mr Marriott would have been pleased.Square metal box with electrical elements inside. Used to stand on or to put feet on when sitting. Elaborate pattern in centre with inscription.Hecla Foot Warmerdomestic items, heating

Hecla Foot Warmer, used by Doney to warm developing liquids Sloping (40-60mm) foot plate marked HECLA FOOT WARMER Produced by Hecla electric company Equipment in poor condition - rustedHecla electric company

Probably used by staff in the PavilionBrown iron and tin electric foot warmer with art nouveau decorative design surrounding branding inscription 'Hecla Foot Warma,' in centre. Electric cord and plug attached."Hecla Foot Warma" on front. "230/250 volts, 80 watts, cat. no. F28. Hecla Australia" on back.hecla, foot warmer, footwarmer, hecla foot warma, artifact

Used as a bed warmer, or foot warmer. A stoneware hot water bottle, generally a round shape with an opening at the top and a round knob on one end which presumably functions as a holder. The stopper is missing. The main part of the body is cream, with the knob end brown.hot-water-bottle ceramic

This container could be filled with hot water and put on the floor of a train so that passengers could warm their feet by placing their feet near the container. A blanket could be put over the warmer to contain the heat. This foot warmer was used on trains. A galvanised iron container with a screwable stopper at the top and metal handles on both ends. foot-warmer metal-foot-warmer

The Ballarat Junior Technical School was established in 1913, and was a division of the Ballarat School of Mines. According to 'The Australasian' of 31 July 1915 sixty students of the Ballarat Junior Technical School made all the items depicted in the photograph.Black and white photograph mounted onto a brown card showing the interior of the Ballarat School of Mines Carpentry Building. It shows the war efforts of Sloyd students at the Ballarat Junior Technical School. Numerous foot stools, foot warmers, tables and seats were made by student to send to the front during World War One. Teacher Albert Steane stands on the left (2nd to the left of the Red Cross sign). From the second timber support beam V. Maddison stands 4th to the right and F.N. Ling 6th to the right of the beam. ballarat school of mines, ballarat junior technical school, world war one, world war 1, world war, red cross, albert steane, v. maddison, fn king, war effort, home front, trade, steane, sloyd

Large stoneware hot water bottle also called a foot warmer. The stoneware hot water bottle has a rubber cap, often the original stone cap would be replaced with a cork alternative to seal the hot water. Because they were mass produced and very robust many survived so the antique value is not great. Many stoneware hot water bottles are still in use today and will be for years to come. Stoneware is a certain clay fired at a particularly high temperature and glazed so that it resembles polished stone.The bottle was filled with hot water, close the stopper securely and stand them in a bed, upright, on their small flat ends so that the sheets and blankets formed a tent-like structure over them. The peak of the 'tent' was the special feature of the rounded knob opposite the flat end, which also served as a carrying handle. Used this way, the hot water bottle was supposed to heat more of the bed Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and studied architecture under Otto Wagner. As a designer, Hoffmann was creative and prolific. His design portfolio encompassed commissions for buildings and interiors but extended to things as diverse as textiles, umbrella knobs, walking stick handles, tea pots, caskets and book covers as well as glass and ceramics.In 1903, with Koloman Moser and financier Fritz Waerndorfer, Hoffmann founded the Wiener Werkstätte. The collaboration of artists, designer architects and artisans enabled the realisation of the ‘total artwork’. Hoffmann’s designs were based on simple and clear proportions and employed rich, high-quality materials. Everyday objects were conceived as part of a whole living environment and were considered works of art. A large earthenware hot water bottle.HOFFMANNearly settlers, moorabbin mckinnon, ormond, bentleigh, pottery, craftwork, earthenware, pioneers, hoffmann josef, waerndorfer fritz, moser kololan, weiner werkstatte, vienna, austria, brumpton frances

Hecla produced a wide range of appliances for domestic use, beginning with heaters and later branching out to a wider range of kitchen appliances Hecla was established by Clarence William Marriott, a young Melbourne metal worker. He began manufacturing Australia's first carbon filament electric radiators in 1899. He originally worked for his father James Marriott who commenced business in Melbourne as an art metal worker in 1872 and was, in 1907, appointed as the official art metal worker to the Victorian Government producing items including the ornate iron gates and gas lamp standards outside Melbourne's Parliament House. With the invention of nickel chromium wire after 1900, C.W. Marriott began making more efficient heating elements using this new material in 1916. After being influenced by the eruption of Mount Hekla in Iceland, on 19 December 1918, Clarence registered the brand name "HECLA" with an erupting volcano as its logo. The company Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd was officially registered in 1922. In 1928 the company adopted the advertising slogan, 'By Hecla, it's Good'. The Hecla range rapidly expanded to include electric heaters and radiators, electric foot warmers, electric kettles, ceramic & metal electric jugs, immersion hot water elements, electric fans, electric coffee percolators, electric toasters, electric grillers and stoves, electric irons and electric frypans, clocks and curling wands. Electric blankets were introduced shortly after WWII.In 1930, a controlling interest in Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd was acquired by General Electric Corporation. Clarence William Marriott died in June 1967 in Melbourne, Victoria.This item is representative of a common domestic appliance used throughout Australia. It was manufactured by a pioneering Australian company.A small chrome steel toaster manufactured by Hecla Australia. It has a door on either side which flips down to insert or remove a slice of bread on each side, Each door has two black Bakelite knobs. The electric element is placed down the centre of the cavity. A detachable electric cord is included.240 Volts, 600 Watts. Cat. No. T4 Submitted to Electrical Approval Board Ref Application A1/AD01 SECV 240 Volt 600 Watt MANFED. IN AUSTRALIA SOLID BRASSelectrical appliances, hecla corporation australia, clarence william marriott, domestic appliances

Boots are believed to be one of the earliest shoes created when the evolution of footwear had begun. Boots form the building blocks of modern footwear which were merely a two-piece unit covering the foot and lower leg, a century ago. Throughout history, the importance of boots has been about fulfilling the needs of the wearer to be in sync with the prevailing culture. Boots were initially made of various materials like cotton, wool, silk, fur, felt, and leather (including caribou hide and sealskin. Around1000 B.C.E., men wore simple boots made of untanned leather with the fur turned in against the leg to keep it warm. These baglike boots were simple in design and then leashed to the leg by just a thong of leather. A mass produced pair of children's boots from the first quarter of the 20th century no significance other than the items age giving a snapshot into footwear of the period. Boots are unable to be linked to a significant person, family or event.One pair of Antique Victorian/Edwardian young boys-young girls shoes / boots. The boots are a black leather which lace up the front, laces missing bottom soles are leatherNoneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, boots, children's boots, footware

This hot water bottle was designed to lay flat in a bed between the sheets. Its purpose was to warm the bed before use. The bottle was filled with hot water then a stopper was placed in the top to seal it, preventing the water from running out. The inscription on the attached label of this hot water bottle gives both the donor's details and the location of the bottle when it was first displayed at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. the "P.M.O." are the initials for the Port Medical Office. The donor's details are also written in pencil on the base of the bottle. In the 16th-century people warmed their beds with the 'bed warmer', which was a long-handled, metal pan filled with hot coals and embers and covered with a lid. The pan was placed between the bedsheets to warm the bed before the person retired to sleep for the night. In the early 19th-century earthenware bed warmers came began to be used for the same purpose. They would be filled with hot water and sealed then often wrapped in fabric. The ceramic material would hold the heat for quite some time, without being too hot for the person in bed to also warm their feet as they went off to sleep. Hot water bottles were later made from glass, copper, brass or tin. Some manufacturers made them into decorative pieces that still had practical use. In 1903 a patent was taken out for the first rubber hot water bottle, invented by Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, a Croatian engineer. This bottle is of historic significance, as an example of personal heating equipment used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Hot water bottle, earthenware, pale colour with brown glaze on top over the shoulder and mouth section and clear glaze on the remainder of the sides. The cylindrical bottle tapers to a slightly narrower base. One side of the bottle, about a sixth of the circumference, is flat. The base of the bottle has a handwritten inscription. An inscription was on the paper label originally attached to the bottle. Inscription hand written on base of bottle "Mrs K. Rob _ / Browns Rd / Offic / 3 _ _ 9" Inscription on paper label " "Mrs K Robinson Browns Rd Officer 3809 - Hot water bottle P.M.O." flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, domestic item, hot water bottle, heating equipment, ceramic bottle, stoneware bottle, potter, earthenware, personal item, bed warmer, foot warmer, flat-sided hot water bottle, household item, stoneware, clay, ceramic

The Kangaroo Hoppet is Australia’s premier long distance cross country ski race, and a member of the Worldloppet series of international cross country ski events. The first race at Falls Creek was held in 1979 under the name of “Australian Birkebeiner”. It was a 21km race with about 80 participants organised by the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club of Mount Beauty. The course started and finished at Falls Creek Alpine Resort and took participants out into the Bogong High Plains. After running the event for 10 years, it was decided they should become part of the Worldloppet series of marathon ski races. Representatives from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club and the Australian Ski Federation attended the Worldloppet Annual Meeting in Finland in June 1990 to put the case for the acceptance of an Australian event into the Worldloppet series. Before being admitted, they had to demonstrate that the Birkebeiner Club could run a world class event, so three months later in August 1990 a 42km event named the Australian International Ski Marathon was held at Falls Creek together with a 21km Birkebeiner race and a 7km event called the Birkebeiner Lite. The event was approved by delegates from USA, Norway and Austria, in 1991 Australia became the 12th member of Worldloppet, with the condition that there had to be a name change. After some late night discussion allegedly involving red wine from North East Victoria the main event became the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet, with the minor events being the 21km Australian Birkebeiner, and 7km Joey Hoppet. In the winter of 1991, the first Kangaroo Hoppet was held. It was a great success and has been a regular fixture on the international ski calendar ever since. It features the main 42km event as well as a 21km event and a 7km event. The Hoppet brings the Australian snowfields to an international audience. In 2009 the Men's Winner was Ben Sim from Australia in a time of 0:58:39.4. The winner of the Women's event was Kate Calder of New Zealand in a time of 1:07:48.9. Due to the poor weather, and in view of skier safety and poor snow cover, a modified course was set. he Hoppet was reduced from 42 to 25 kms. This poster is significant because it documents an event which brings international attention to Falls Creek and the surrounding region.A poster with an aerial photo of a large number of skiers in the formation of the shape of a kangaroo. The colour of the border is blue, white and orange text is used. The Worldloppet logo is at the top left. The logos of AGL, Alpine Shire, Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, Parks Victoria, Tourism Victoria and Falls Creek are across the bottom of the poster. At the top: KANGAROO HOPPET 2009 NINETEEN At the foot of the kangaroo shape: 29 AUGUST 2009 FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA In orange text: KEEP WINTER COOL FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING WWW.KEEPWINTER COOL.COM.AU At bottom in white text: www.hoppet.com.au kangaroo hoppet, worldloppet events, falls creek, mt. beauty

Tawonga School No. 2282 was opened on 27th July 1880. From 1881 to 1894 the school was worked half time with School No. 2551 Mullindolingong School.Tawonga State school educated the children who lived in the Kiewa Valley. The clothing worn by the students indicates the period that the photo was taken and compares with current school uniforms / clothing.Black and white photo of 26 pupils and 3 teachers standing outside the school. The children are dressed in warm clothes some with hats, some girls with white collars on their dresses, the boys with long shorts and 2 children at the front are bare footed. This photo is published on pages 105 and 108 of 'A History of the Kiewa Valley' by Esther Temple and David Lloyd On the back in ink "Tawonga Schooltawonga school, education, mullindolingong school

Early form of home heating and because of the copper dish was considered one of the better models|Manufacturing History Museum Victoria|Commentary: Australian manufacturing history Philip Wollen|Many years ago, when I was an ambition young man, I took over a company called Hecla.|This business was formed in 1872, long before Federation was even contemplated. The company established a rich tradition in the Australian manufacturing industry. The prodigious product range included kettles, mixers, toasters, hairdryers, urns, pie warmers, bain maries, and electric blankets for the domestic and commercial market. During the war it even manufactured parts for aircraft. It was one of Melbourne's largest employers.|Hecla was one of the pioneers in TV advertising, led by icons like Bert Newton, Bobby Limb, Evie Hayes and Graham Kennedy who ad Jibbed his way through irreverent and unscripted naughtiness about Hecla electric blankets and foot warmers. The slogan was 'By Hecla, its good.'. One can imagine the fun Bert and Graham had with their double entendres.|In the 60's Hecla entered into a partnership with General Electric and expanded rapidly. The massive factory, on the corner of Alexandra Parade and Chapel Street overlooking the Yarra River was a Melbourne landmark.|The business was formed by one of the scions of Melbourne industry. Mr Marriott was a metal worker of some repute, building the lights in front of Melbourne's Parliament House, the first steam car, the sideboard at the RACY Club, and the first factory to run on electricity.|By the time I acquired the company it was a shadow of its former self, incapable of competing with cheap Chinese imports. Wandering around the warehouse late one night I discovered a large, boarded up storeroom which appeared not to have been opened in decades.|Over several months I combed through the room, unearthing a treasure trove of products from a bygone era. Dusty files, engineering drawings, wooden prototypes, patent records, and correspondence from distributors on every continent.|I decided to track down an old man, Ray, long retired after 50 years with Hecla. He was not well off financially and welcomed the paid work. It turned out that he had done his apprenticeship with the company and there wasn't much he didn't know about it. He had been personally involved in the manufacture of almost every type of product on the Hecla smorgasbord's of products.|So for over 2 years he methodically assembled a mini museum of Hecla products, painstakingly polishing them and ensuring they were in working order. He attached the original brochure of each product and their respective warranty cards. For him it was ,a labour of love. For me it was a fascinating, if vicarious journey, into Australia's manufacturing past.|My colleagues complained that I was wasting money on his salary, our time and factory space on stuff that should have been dumped years ago. I tried to explain that I was merely a steward of the Hecla tradition, not merely an owner. Besides, the look on Ray's face convinced me that there was another dynamic at work. One I could see, but didn't really understand.|After he Passed away I faced a dilemma. What to do with this 'museum' of Hecla history. Nobody was interested.|So I kept the 'stuff' in private storage, hoping that same day someone would be interested in it. And the years passed.|Finally, I had a brainwave. Perhaps the Melbourne Museum would be interested. It was a long shot but I made the call. I had a nagging suspicion that they would think I was simply trying to get them to relieve me of paying for this huge collection to be taken to the tip.|To my surprise they said they would be willing to take a look, I secretly hoped that they would take the whole collection and not leave me with an incomplete jumble of appliances that I would indeed have to take to the tip.|On the appointed day, four serious looking young people showed up. Armed with digital cameras, note books and poker faces they spent four hours analysing the goods and the supporting materials. I asked them if they had any interest and their response was decidedly non-committal. It depends on the acquisitions committee, I was told. I was disheartened and packed up the exhibits to go back into storage.|Imagine my surprise when months later they telephoned to say that they had researched the history of the company, and yes, they would like to take the whole collection. And a truck with 'handlers' would arrive the following day to pick it up. Two years ago all Hecla's archives left me forever and went to the Museum's warehouse.|Well, to my delight I received a call yesterday inviting me to a private viewing of the exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. These young historians had meticulously assembled an impressive display of Melbourne's industry and technology going back to the 1800's. They thanked me like a significant benefactor when it is I who should have thanked them.|I saw the excitement in the eyes of these young people who had somehow managed to dig out and assemble memories from Australia's past. If this is the standard of care that the curators of the Melbourne Museum show all their exhibits, our history is in safe hands.|Their meticulous work took me back to those years long ago when I saw an old man lovingly assembling and cataloging a lifetime of his work.|It took me back to the day when Australians actually made things. Long before we became a nation of quarrymen. Before we became animal-factory 'farmers'. Of a time when products didn't break down, or dumped and replaced before the warranty expired. When men like Mr Marriott cared deeply about what their hands produced.|It reminded me of the call I received from an elderly lady in Tasmania asking for the electrical element for a Hecla K7 kettle. I searched the archives and called her back. The K7 was produced decades earlier and we no longer carried that spare part. She was quite disheartened and told me her kettle had finally 'given up the ghost' and she couldn't bear to part with it. It was a present from her husband on their wedding day 45 years ago. Her final words were 'they don't make them like that, do they? By Hecla they were good.'|I'm glad I followed my instinct and put Ray back on the payroll all those years ago..|I like to think Mr Marriott would have been pleased.Pedestal radiator. Base is cast iron with three feet with rose design on each. Pedestal supports a copper spherical reflector plate which has an electrical connection box at its base. The connection box is joined to the pedestal by a screw and nut to enable the reflector to be tilted. The element is cone shaped and is in the centre of the plate. The element is protected by a wire guard.Hecla Firedomestic items, heating

Manufacturing History Museum Victoria|Commentary: Australian manufacturing history Philip Wollen|Many years ago, when I was an ambition young man, I took over a company called Hecla. This business was formed in 1872, long before Federation was even contemplated. The company established a rich tradition in the Australian manufacturing industry. The prodigious product range included kettles, mixers, toasters, hairdryers, urns, pie warmers, bain maries, and electric blankets for the domestic and commercial market. During the war it even manufactured parts for aircraft. It was one of Melbourne's largest employers.|Hecla was one of the pioneers in TV advertising, led by icons like Bert Newton, Bobby Limb, Evie Hayes and Graham Kennedy who ad Jibbed his way through irreverent and unscripted naughtiness about Hecla electric blankets and foot warmers. The slogan was 'By Hecla, its good.'. One can imagine the fun Bert and Graham had with their double entendres.|In the 60's Hecla entered into a partnership with General Electric and expanded rapidly. The massive factory, on the corner of Alexandra Parade and Chapel Street overlooking the Yarra River was a Melbourne landmark.|The business was formed by one of the scions of Melbourne industry. Mr Marriott was a metal worker of some repute, building the lights in front of Melbourne's Parliament House, the first steam car, the sideboard at the RACY Club, and the first factory to run on electricity.|By the time I acquired the company it was a shadow of its former self, incapable of competing with cheap Chinese imports. Wandering around the warehouse late one night I discovered a large, boarded up storeroom which appeared not to have been opened in decades.|Over several months I combed through the room, unearthing a treasure trove of products from a bygone era. Dusty files, engineering drawings, wooden prototypes, patent records, and correspondence from distributors on every continent.|I decided to track down an old man, Ray, long retired after 50 years with Hecla. He was not well off financially and welcomed the paid work. It turned out that he had done his apprenticeship with the company and there wasn't much he didn't know about it. He had been personally involved in the manufacture of almost every type of product on the Hecla smorgasbord's of products.|So for over 2 years he methodically assembled a mini museum of Hecla products, painstakingly polishing them and ensuring they were in working order. He attached the original brochure of each product and their respective warranty cards. For him it was ,a labour of love. For me it was a fascinating, if vicarious journey, into Australia's manufacturing past.|My colleagues complained that I was wasting money on his salary, our time and factory space on stuff that should have been dumped years ago. I tried to explain that I was merely a steward of the Hecla tradition, not merely an owner. Besides, the look on Ray's face convinced me that there was another dynamic at work. One I could see, but didn't really understand.|After he Passed away I faced a dilemma. What to do with this 'museum' of Hecla history. Nobody was interested.|So I kept the 'stuff' in private storage, hoping that same day someone would be interested in it. And the years passed.|Finally, I had a brainwave. Perhaps the Melbourne Museum would be interested. It was a long shot but I made the call. I had a nagging suspicion that they would think I was simply trying to get them to relieve me of paying for this huge collection to be taken to the tip.|To my surprise they said they would be willing to take a look, I secretly hoped that they would take the whole collection and not leave me with an incomplete jumble of appliances that I would indeed have to take to the tip.|On the appointed day, four serious looking young people showed up. Armed with digital cameras, note books and poker faces they spent four hours analysing the goods and the supporting materials. I asked them if they had any interest and their response was decidedly non-committal. It depends on the acquisitions committee, I was told. I was disheartened and packed up the exhibits to go back into storage.|Imagine my surprise when months later they telephoned to say that they had researched the history of the company, and yes, they would like to take the whole collection. And a truck with 'handlers' would arrive the following day to pick it up. Two years ago all Hecla's archives left me forever and went to the Museum's warehouse.|Well, to my delight I received a call yesterday inviting me to a private viewing of the exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. These young historians had meticulously assembled an impressive display of Melbourne's industry and technology going back to the 1800's. They thanked me like a significant benefactor when it is I who should have thanked them.|I saw the excitement in the eyes of these young people who had somehow managed to dig out and assemble memories from Australia's past. If this is the standard of care that the curators of the Melbourne Museum show all their exhibits, our history is in safe hands.|Their meticulous work took me back to those years long ago when I saw an old man lovingly assembling and cataloging a lifetime of his work.|It took me back to the day when Australians actually made things. Long before we became a nation of quarrymen. Before we became animal-factory 'farmers'. Of a time when products didn't break down, or dumped and replaced before the warranty expired. When men like Mr Marriott cared deeply about what their hands produced.|It reminded me of the call I received from an elderly lady in Tasmania asking for the electrical element for a Hecla K7 kettle. I searched the archives and called her back. The K7 was produced decades earlier and we no longer carried that spare part. She was quite disheartened and told me her kettle had finally 'given up the ghost' and she couldn't bear to part with it. It was a present from her husband on their wedding day 45 years ago. Her final words were 'they don't make them like that, do they? By Hecla they were good.'|I'm glad I followed my instinct and put Ray back on the payroll all those years ago..|I like to think Mr Marriott would have been pleased.Large electric heater with two radiator bars and a protective grille at the top and false coals at the bottom.Replacements for this fire - Elements No. F314 - Illuminators No. 3P. Berry's Electric Ltd - Volts 230 - 240 -Watts 2000 V/AD/Cat No. 454 . Made in Australia by Hecla Electrics Pty Ltd Melbournedomestic items, heating