In January 1923, 5 years after the end of WWI, the two French cruisers Jules Michelet and Victor Hugo went on a tour in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand consolidating the friendship between the countries. The cruisers arrived in January 1923 and Melbournians were invited to visit the ships. Amongst them the ladies from the Guild. In the "Jottings from Our Log"number 69 dated from January 1923 we can read: Our French Visitors The French cruisers, “Jules Michelet” and “Victor Hugo”, each with a complement of 26 officers and 747 men, paid a visit to this port towards the end of the year. Many of the sailors made good use of our institute, and were supplied with French magazines and papers, and were delighted to find that quite a number of ladies could speak French fluently. Over one hundred men were present at the Institute on one of our special nights during Christmas week, when each French visitor was supplied with refreshments and a cigar. Through the great kindness of some of our ladies, each man aboard the two cruisers was supplied with a packet of cigarettes. These were greatly appreciated by the men, and a warm letter of thanks was received from each of the captains."Reflects strong community and LHLG links via the Mission and as a result of WW1 support and fundraising efforts.Sepia tone blurry photograph with a white frame depicting two French seafarers with their traditional uniform and beret on shore near a pier shed children or women in the far distance at lwr right.Handwritten at the back in pencil: New Year 1923 Jules Micheletfrench cruiser, jules michelet, victor hugo, wwi

In January 1923, 5 years after the end of WWI, the two French cruisers Jules Michelet and Victor Hugo went on a tour in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand consolidating the friendship between the countries. The cruisers arrived in January 1923 and Melbournians were invited to visit the ships. Amongst them the ladies from the Guild and especially Dora Walker. In the "Jottings from Our Log"number 69 dated from January 1923 we can read: Our French Visitors The French cruisers, “Jules Michelet” and “Victor Hugo”, each with a complement of 26 officers and 747 men, paid a visit to this port towards the end of the year. Many of the sailors made good use of our institute, and were supplied with French magazines and papers, and were delighted to find that quite a number of ladies could speak French fluently. Over one hundred men were present at the Institute on one of our special nights during Christmas week, when each French visitor was supplied with refreshments and a cigar. Through the great kindness of some of our ladies, each man aboard the two cruisers was supplied with a packet of cigarettes. These were greatly appreciated by the men, and a warm letter of thanks was received from each of the captains."Reflects the close links and mutual friendships developed between French and Australian community developed between LHLG members from 1906 onward especially during WW1 and support of the French Red Cross.Black and white photograph jules michelet, victor hugo, french cruiser, ww1, france, dora walker, french sailors, dora simpson, lhlg, navy

The scrapbook, compiled by Edith E Hitchcock, displays a variety of newspaper clippings with photographs relating to ships, sailors, their hobbies, Padre Oliver. Page 1 - Map of the British Empire Page 3 - Newspaper clipping with photographs: "Happy Sailors Lads" onboard the CB Pedersen C.1935 Page 5 - Photograph depicting three children watching of a ship at sea Page 7 - 1937: article: with photograph"Sea Captain and Artist": Captain A.C.G. Dreillek, Swedish ship Yngaren (similar photo published in 1937 in the Courier Mail Brisbane) Page 9 - 1935: "Reunited": Dog Patsy with ship Pegasus crew members / "Sydney Harbour Bridge": Phillip Vanderhill, Cook of the Kota Inter and its sitar creation Page 11: Mr G. Gatty and Tim, the cat from the Esperance Bay / Herbert the hen, pet on the ship King Arthur / Frank Simpson, quartermaster and painter from the ship City of Dieppe. Page 13: Conway Seymour and shipmate aboard the Orford. Page 15: 3 photographs of French sailors from the cruiser Rigault de Grenouilly in 1936. Page 16: Photograph of A.J. Kramer working on a ship model aboard the Dutch ship, Kota Inten. Page 17: 1936: Photographs of sailors from the French ship Rigault de Grenouilly and the American ship: California State berthed in Prince's Pier. (plus two large loose clippings with portraits of same sailors). Page 18: 1934: Ball on the Manunda to raise funds for the Mission: photograph of Captain Robert Sunter, Padre Oliver, Moira Oliver, Mrs Harold Clapp. Page 19: Photograph of French sailors from the Rigault de Grenouilly in a bus en route to the Dandenong Ranges. Page 21: Photographs of a shipwreck (probably Kakariki in 1938, see next page). Page 23: Aerial photograph of the shipwreck Kakariki in Hobson's Bay in 1937 Page 25: Photograph of the shipwreck Kakariki in Hobson's Bay in 1937. Page 26: Photograph of the shipwreck Kakariki in Hobson's Bay in 1937. Page 27: Photograph of the survivors from the shipwreck Kakariki in the Mission in 1937: A. Bunyard, W. Fisk, J. Greene, L. Tarlington, J. McInnes, G. Coote, G. Sugar. Page 28: Photograph of the survivors from the shipwreck Kakariki in the Caradale in 1937: W. Fisk, T.W. White. Page 29: Missioneers talk to Firemen: Padre Oliver and his assistant, L.V. Owen talking to ship's firemen.(the Argus, 24 July 1931) Page 31: 3 articles with photographs: American cadets from the California State / Governor's Surprise Visit: Lord Huntingfield visiting Padre Oliver in the Mission (the Argus, 19 May 1936) / Sea Scouts on Liner: Padre Oliver on the P&O Cathay (the Argus, 16 June 1936) Page 33: Harbour Lights: padre Oliver, Lord Somers and Rev. R. Kerdell / Visit of the Duchess to the Mission (the Argus, 26 february 1945). Page 34: Photograph titled "An old salt still yearns for the sea- 369 miles away". Page 35: two clippings : Presentation of cheques for Merchant Navy: Betty Raymond giving a cheque to Padre L.L. Elliott / A cheque for the Seamen's Mission: Photograph of Padre Oliver with a cheque. Page 37: 4 clippings with photographs: Padre Oliver playing the piano for the cadets of the C.B. Pedersen / Miss Gladys Grant with parcels (from the Age 10 November 1943) / All Nations' Dance / Christmas at the Flinders Street mission, Padre Oliver cutting the cake (The Age, 15 December 1942) Page 39: Unveiling of the Memorial window to Captain Robert Sunter in 1936. Page 41: 2 clippings: At the Seamen's Mission: photographs of J. W. Neill and Padre Oliver / Married: Albert Robertson and Beryl Landrigan / Postcard of the St Peter Chapel. Page 43: 2 postcards: The Cloisters / The Mission view from Flinders Street. Page 45: Postcard of the windvane. / clipping of Sailors from the Zealandic. Page 46: 2 clippings: Virtually a Man without a country: Frans Nobel on the ship Milleeta / Seaman, Soldier, Waiter, Singer, Cook Finds Peace (Frans Nobel).(1939) Page 47: That Land Looks Good: two seamen from the tanker British Fame Page 48: large clipping of the C.B. Pedersen "Like a page from the past".(april-May 1935) Page 49: Photograph of Padre Oliver in his army uniform.This scrapbook is significant because it makes reference to contemporaneous events related to the Mission to Seafarers. On the inside cover is the name Edith E. Hitchcock.edith e. hitchcock, scrapbooks, c.b. pedersen, hobbies, ship models, painting, frank leslie oliver, mv manunda, captain robert sunter, windvane, rigault de genouilly, french, german, california, kakariki, ship pegasus, sydney harbour bridge, sugar, kota inten, philip vanderhill, lord somers, reverend r. kerdell, r.m.s. moldavia, victoria dock, ww2, pets, bird, dog, cat, gladys grant, alphonse polo, eugene emonin, raoul gannson, esperance bay, g. gatty, captain a. macwhirter, frank simpson, city of dieppe, conway seymour, orford, a.j. kramer, dutch, moira bird oliver (nee good), mrs harold clapp, caradale, 3uz radio, betty raymond, l.l. elliott, j.h. bustard, merchant navy patriotic fund, g.h. martin, j.w. neill, albert robertson, beryl landrigan, zealandic, frans nobel, milleeta, british fame

HMS Amethyst (1793) was a 36-gun fifth-rate frigate, originally the French Perle captured in 1793 and wrecked in 1795. HMS Amethyst (1799) was a Penelope-class 36-gun fifth rate launched in 1799 and wrecked in 1811. HMS Amethyst (1844) was a Spartan-class 26-gun sixth rate launched in 1844 and sold in 1869 for use as a cable vessel. HMS Amethyst (1871) was an Amethyst-class screw corvette launched in 1871 and sold in 1887. HMS Amethyst (1903) was a Topaze-class cruiser launched in 1903 and scrapped in 1920. HMS Amethyst (F116) was a modified Black Swan-class sloop launched in 1943. She was later designated as a frigate, was involved in the Yangtze Incident in 1949 and was broken up in 1957. HMS Amethyst was to have been a River-class minesweeper. She was renamed HMS Waveney before being launched in 1983, and was sold to the Bangladeshi Navy in 1994, being renamed Shapla See also Able Seacat Simon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat))Plaque with insignia of H.M.S. AmethystH.M.S. Amethyst

Original Ships History: Aréthuse was a French frigate, launched in 1757 during the Seven Years War between England and France. She was captured by the Royal Navy in 1759 and became the fifth-rate HMS Arethusa. She remained in Royal Navy service for twenty years until she was wrecked after being badly damaged in battle. The ship was constructed at Le Havre for privateer warfare as ”Pélerine” and soon after her launch, she was purchased by King Louis XV (1710-1774) and commissioned as Aréthuse on 21 January 1758. In June, under captain Vauquelin, she sailed through the British blockade of Louisbourg helping to defend the site before departing, again forcing the blockade. On 18 May 1759, she was in transit from Rochefort to Brest, under the command of Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis of Vaudreuil, when she was intercepted near Audierne Bay (Baie d'Audierne) by three Royal Navy ships the Thames, Venus and Chatham. She attempted to escape but after two hours, lost her topmasts and was overtaken by her pursuers. Thames and Venus engaged her with heavy fire, causing 60 casualties before the vessel surrendered. She entered service with the Royal Navy for the rest of the war, and was in service in British home waters and became responsible for the capture of several French privateer cutters. In 1777, a Scotsman James Aitken, widely known as John the Painter, was hanged from her mizzenmast for burning the Rope House at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard on 7 December 1776, to aid the struggle of American independence. The mast was struck from the ship and re-erected at the dockyard entrance so as many people as possible could watch the execution. On 17 June 1778, she fought a famous duel against the French 36-gun frigate, Belle Poule. Belle Poule was on a reconnaissance mission, along with the 26-gun Licorne, the corvette Hirondelle and the smaller Coureur when she encountered a large British squadron that included Arethusa at a point 37 km south of The Lizard. Admiral Keppel, commanding the British fleet ordered that the French ships be pursued. The captain of Belle Poule refused the order to sail back to the British fleet. The British fired a warning shot across his ship's bow, to which he responded with a full broadside. This action began a furious, two-hour battle between the two ships that resulted in the deaths of the French second captain and 30 of the crew. However, Arethusa was crippled by the loss of a mast and withdrew, allowing Belle Poule to escape. This battle was the first between British and French naval forces during the American Revolutionary War and took place around three weeks before France had made a formal declaration of war. The battle was widely celebrated in France as a victory, even inspiring a hair-style in court circles that included a model of Belle Poule. It was also viewed as a victory in Britain and became the subject of a traditional Sea shanty, The Saucy Arethusa. On 18 March 1779, under captain Charles Holmes Everitt, Arethusa engaged the French Aigrette, under Lieutenant Mortemart, sustaining considerable damage in the fight. Arethusa was wrecked the next day off Ushant, It was the fame of this Arethusa which induced the Royal Navy, during the following two centuries, to bestow the name on a further seven consecutive individual ships and two consecutive classes of cruisers. (See Provenance Sec this document for information on the makers of this model). Model ship of the 3 masted frigate the “Arethusa”, model is painted black and white with varnished deck and masts. A British flag is flown at the stern. The ship is displayed in a glass case with timber frame and 4 legged stand.Label at bottom of glass case, printed in black script on a gold strip “Model of the “Arethusa" "A famous frigate, taken from the French by the British, on the 18th of May 1759 and lost on the French coast in 1779. – Made and presented by G. Lance & P. Diggins, October 1894” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, arethusa ship model, george lance, peter diggins, len asling, warrnambool art gallery, warrnambool exhibition, message in a bottle