The silkworm gut thread would be used in surgery for applications such as sewing sutures to close wounds or hold drainage tubes in place. This surgical thread was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, Surgeon and Oculist. It is part of the “W.R. Angus Collection” that includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928 (also known as Dr Roy Angus) was born in Murrumbeena, Victoria in 1901 and lived until 1970. He qualified as a doctor in 1923 at University of Adelaide, was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1924 and for a period was house surgeon to Sir (then Mr.) Henry Simpson Newland. Dr Angus was briefly an Assistant to Dr Riddell of Kapunda, then commenced private practice at Curramulka, Yorke Peninsula, SA, where he was physician, surgeon and chemist. In 1926, he was appointed as new Medical Assistant to Dr Thomas Francis Ryan (T.F. Ryan, or Tom), in Nhill, Victoria, where his experiences included radiology and pharmacy. In 1927 he was Acting House Surgeon in Dr Tom Ryan’s absence. Dr Angus had become engaged to Gladys Forsyth and they decided he would take time to further his studies overseas in the UK in 1927. He studied at London University College Hospital and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928, was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh. He worked his passage back to Australia as a Ship’s Surgeon on the on the Australian Commonwealth Line’s T.S.S. Largs Bay. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1929, in Ballarat. (They went on to have one son (Graham 1932, born in SA) and two daughters (Helen (died 12/07/1996) and Berenice (Berry), both born at Mira, Nhill ) Dr Angus was a ‘flying doctor’ for the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service in 1928 . The organisation began in South Australia through the Presbyterian Church in that year, with its first station being in the remote town of Oodnadatta, where Dr Angus was stationed. He was locum tenens there on North-South Railway at 21 Mile Camp. He took up this ‘flying doctor’ position in response to a call from Dr John Flynn; the organisation was later known as the Flying Doctor Service, then the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A lot of his work during this time involved dental surgery also. Between 1928-1932 he was surgeon at the Curramulka Hospital, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. In 1933 Dr Angus returned to Nhill where he’d previously worked as Medical Assistant and purchased a share of the Nelson Street practice and Mira hospital from Dr Les Middleton one of the Middleton Brothers, the current owners of what was once Dr Tom Ryan’s practice. Dr L Middleton was House Surgeon to the Nhill Hospital 1926-1933, when he resigned. [Dr Tom Ryan’s practice had originally belonged to his older brother Dr Edward Ryan, who came to Nhill in 1885. Dr Edward saw patients at his rooms, firstly in Victoria Street and in 1886 in Nelson Street, until 1901. The Nelson Street practice also had a 2 bed ward, called Mira Private Hospital ). Dr Edward Ryan was House Surgeon at the Nhill Hospital 1884-1902 . He also had occasions where he successfully performed veterinary surgery for the local farmers too. Dr Tom Ryan then purchased the practice from his brother in 1901. Both Dr Edward and Dr Tom Ryan work as surgeons included eye surgery. Dr Tom Ryan performed many of his operations in the Mira private hospital on his premises. He too was House Surgeon at the Nhill Hospital 1902-1926. Dr Tom Ryan had one of the only two pieces of radiology equipment in Victoria during his practicing years – The Royal Melbourne Hospital had the other one. Over the years Dr Tom Ryan gradually set up what was effectively a training school for country general-practitioner-surgeons. Each patient was carefully examined, including using the X-ray machine, and any surgery was discussed and planned with Dr Ryan’s assistants several days in advance. Dr Angus gained experience in using the X-ray machine there during his time as assistant to Dr Ryan. Dr Tom Ryan moved from Nhill in 1926. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1927, soon after its formation, a rare accolade for a doctor outside any of the major cities. He remained a bachelor and died suddenly on 7th Dec 1955, aged 91, at his home in Ararat. Scholarships and prizes are still awarded to medical students in the honour of Dr T.F. Ryan and his father, Dr Michael Ryan, and brother, John Patrick Ryan. ] When Dr Angus bought into the Nelson Street premises in Nhill he was also appointed as the Nhill Hospital’s Honorary House Surgeon 1933-1938. His practitioner’s plate from his Nhill surgery states “HOURS Daily, except Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturday afternoons, 9-10am, 2-4pm, 7-8pm. Sundays by appointment”. This plate is now mounted on the doorway to the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Tom Ryan had an extensive collection of historical medical equipment and materials spanning 1884-1926 and when Dr Angus took up practice in their old premises he obtained this collection, a large part of which is now on display at the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. During his time in Nhill Dr Angus was involved in the merging of the Mira Hospital and Nhill Public Hospital into one public hospital and the property titles passed on to Nhill Hospital in 1939. In 1939 Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson, at 214 Koroit Street. (This property was sold in1965 to the State Government and is now the site of the Warrnambool Police Station. ). The Angus family was able to afford gardeners, cooks and maids; their home was a popular place for visiting dignitaries to stay whilst visiting Warrnambool. Dr Angus had his own silk worm farm at home in a Mulberry tree. His young daughter used his centrifuge for spinning the silk. Dr Angus was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer (Health Officer) in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool; he was thus Warrnambool’s last serving Port Medical Officer. (The duties of a Port Medical Officer were outlined by the Colonial Secretary on 21st June, 1839 under the terms of the Quarantine Act. Masters of immigrant ships arriving in port reported incidents of diseases, illness and death and the Port Medical Officer made a decision on whether the ship required Quarantine and for how long, in this way preventing contagious illness from spreading from new immigrants to the residents already in the colony.) Dr Angus was a member of the Australian Medical Association, for 35 years and surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942, He served as a Surgeon Captain during WWII1942-45, in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W., completing his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. During his convalescence he carved an intricate and ‘most artistic’ chess set from the material that dentures were made from. He then studied ophthalmology at the Royal Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital and created cosmetically superior artificial eyes by pioneering using the intrascleral cartilage. Angus received accolades from the Ophthalmological Society of Australasia for this work. He returned to Warrnambool to commence practice as an ophthalmologist, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years. He made monthly visits to Portland as a visiting surgeon, to perform eye surgery. He represented the Victorian South-West subdivision of the Australian Medical Association as its secretary between 1949 and 1956 and as chairman from 1956 to 1958. In 1968 Dr Angus was elected member of Spain’s Barraquer Institute of Barcelona after his research work in Intrasclearal cartilage grafting, becoming one of the few Australian ophthalmologists to receive this honour, and in the following year presented his final paper on Living Intrasclearal Cartilage Implants at the Inaugural Meeting of the Australian College of Ophthalmologists in Melbourne In his personal life Dr Angus was a Presbyterian and treated Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest. He would visit 3 or 4 country patients on a Sunday, taking his children along ‘for the ride’ and to visit with him. Sunday evenings he would play the pianola and sing Scottish songs to his family. One of Dr Angus’ patients was Margaret MacKenzie, author of a book on local shipwrecks that she’d seen as an eye witness from the late 1880’s in Peterborough, Victoria. In the early 1950’s Dr Angus, painted a picture of a shipwreck for the cover jacket of Margaret’s book, Shipwrecks and More Shipwrecks. She was blind in later life and her daughter wrote the actual book for her. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s society with a strong interest in civic affairs. Their interests included organisations such as Red Cross, Rostrum, Warrnambool and District Historical Society (founding members), Wine and Food Society, Steering Committee for Tertiary Education in Warrnambool, Local National Trust, Good Neighbour Council, Housing Commission Advisory Board, United Services Institute, Legion of Ex-Servicemen, Olympic Pool Committee, Food for Britain Organisation, Warrnambool Hospital, Anti-Cancer Council, Boys’ Club, Charitable Council, National Fitness Council and Air Raid Precautions Group. He was also a member of the Steam Preservation Society and derived much pleasure from a steam traction engine on his farm. He had an interest in people and the community He and his wife Gladys were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill, including the layout of the gardens. After his death (28th March 1970) his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The collection of medical instruments and other equipment is culturally significant, being an historical example of medicine from late 19th to mid-20th century. Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan, a pioneer in the use of X-rays and in ocular surgery. Surgical thread of silkworm gut in white envelope, from the W.R. Angus Collection. Envelope has printed text on front “Specially Selected / SILKWORM GUT / For Surgical Purposes” “No. 4209/ Size No. 56, 50 Strands, Length 13”. Hand written in black nib pen is “White”. Once part of Dr T F Ryan's medical practice.Printed on envelope “Specially Selected / SILKWORM GUT / For Surgical Purposes” “No. 4209/ Size No. 56, 50 Strands, Length 13”. Hand written in black nib pen is “White”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, silkworm gut, silkworm thread, surgery, dr t f ryan, dr angus, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, silkworm gut, silkworm thread, surgery, dr t f ryan, dr angus, surgical thread, medical equipment, warrnambool base hospital, nhill base hospital, mira hospital, flying doctor, medical history, medical treatment

Round, flat cardboard box with lid containing silkworm gut ligatures for medical use. Made from white cardboard with red edging. The lid has a paper label adhered to surface printed in red, blue, yellow and gold. A small label is stuck on tip of the larger label. The underside of the box is plain white but had handwritten words in pencil.On bottom, handwritten in pencil "Always Boil" Label on lid "One hundred ligatures Silkworm gut" ligatures, silkworm gut, johnson & johnson

The tennis racquet belonged to John Phillips who used it in the late 1950s / early 1960s. It was not a new racquet when Ihe started using it, but a pass-me-down from his father. He purchased his first new racquet in the mid 60s and gave this racquet to the Orbost Museum to go in the racquet press so that people would have an idea of what the item (press) was used for - to stop wooden framed racquets with gut strings from warping. John played tennis at Orbost Tennis Club from 1969-1981 - vice president 1971-77, president 1977-81, secretary of Orbost & District Tennis Association 1975-81. He is a Life Member of the Orbost Tennis Club (1980). John is also a Life Member of the Orbost & District Historical Society.This item is an example of an early piece of sports' equipment which was manufactured using different materials.A wooden tennis racquet with a reinforced cane handle. The handle has a black leather grip. The frame is wooden ash with gut strings.ALL ENGLAND Genuine Weather Proof SLAZENGER Reinforced Cane Sealed finishtennis-raquet sport recreation phillips-john orbost-tennis-club

Thirty-seven plastic sealed packets of Cyanmid 'Titan' natural tennis gut. Materials: Gut, Plastictennis

Ethicon - Plain, 2/0.non-boilable, surgical, gut

Used in surgery. Made from silkworms.Dr Mitchell Henry O'Sullivan worked in the Victorian country town of Casterton as a general practitioner from 1919 until his death in 1977. He also practiced obstetrics. His son, Dr David More O'Sullivan donated the obstetric bag and its contents to the College in 1999. The gladstone bag and contents are a unique time capsule of the type of instruments and pharmaceuticals used in the inter-war period.Round metal tin containing silkworm gut. Tin is painted pink, with a yellow label affixed to the lid bearing a central image of a red cross. Tin is labelled 'MILNE'S/SILKWORM/GUT.' Tin contains a ring of eighteen strands of silkworm gut tied with fine hat elastic, and one additional ring of silkworm gut. surgery

Owned by Thomas Sebire.Wooden cello bow with gut stringscello bows

Twenty-nine boxes containing plastic sealed packets of Cyanmid 'Titan' natural tennis gut. Materials: Gut, Plastic, Cardboard, Inktennis

A poster advertisement for Victor Gut Strings, entitled: SOME/RELEVANT FACTS/ABOUT VICTOR/GENUINE GUT STRINGS. Materials: Paper, Inktennis

These cello strings belonged to Edith Jacobs (nee Larwill) who was prominent in music circles in Queensland before her marriage to Henry Jacobs, a Warrnanbool Estate Agent and Auctioneer during the 1940s and 50s. Edith Jacobs featured in many concerts and musical entertainments in Warrnambool during the middle years of the 20th century. Her son, Frank Jacobs was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the 70s, 80s and 90s and the wallet was either made by him or for him. These items are of some significance as they belonged to Edith Jacobs, a musician who was prominent in the Warrnambool musical scene in Warrnambool in the 1940s and 50s.This is a light brown leather wallet, hand made with two fringed areas, one on the top covering. There is some machine stitching and some hand stitching (repairs)The wallet is lined with cream-coloured silk and the back of the wallet has an etching of an emu. The opening has two press studs for closing the cover. There are also three paper packets containing cello strings. Two of the strings are loose in the packets. Label stitched on – ‘Frank H. Jacobs’ Etching of emu Strings – ‘Calizi Tru-tested Strings, Cello, G or 3rd, Wound on selected gut, Made in England, J. E D. & S Ltd.’ ‘Conservatoire, Cello, A gut, Reliable and Durable, No. 1620, J.E.D.& S. Ltd’ edith jacobs (larwill), cello, cello strings, warrnambool

Owned and used by Thomas Sebire.Cello with two metal and 2 gut strings.H.S. Sampsonstringed instruments

This fishing reel belonged to Arthur Smith (1874- 1955). About 1908 he was employed by the Western District Co-Operative at the corner of Raglan Parade and Kepler Street as a field representative. In this capacity he became one of the earliest motorists in Warrnambool. In 1928 he took on a similar job with Saltau and Son in Kepler Street. This fishing reel is of some interest as it belonged to Arthur Smith who was a resident of Warrnambool for many years. His son, Reg, was a Life Member of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. Fishing was and is a popular pastime for many Warrnambool residents. This is a wooden fishing reel with a metal holder and screw and a bakelite turning handle and a gut line. The wood and the gut are painted a dark red. There is some rust in the metal.arthur smith, warrnambool, saltau and son

A toddler's tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, gut stringing, and leather collar around shaft. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

Dunlop Maxply 'Gussie Moran' tennis racquet and racquet press. Perforated leathr handle grip. Gut strings. Materials: Metal, Wood, Gut, Leathertennis

Aseptic Cat Gut Ligatures part of Col 021equipment, 1914, general

A children's tennis racquet, with gut stringing continuing from head into open throat, and cloth bound lower shoulders and shaft. Materials: Wood, Gut, Cloth tape, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

Tennis racquet with solid, convex throat, shoulders with string whipping, and fine grooved handle, flaring slightly at the butt. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Gut, String, Gut, Leathertennis

A Prince 'Precision' tennis racquet, with Prince 'Duratac' synthetic handle grip, and Prince 'Duraflex 17' synthetic gut strings. Materials: Graphite, Paint, Ink, Plastic, Synthetic Gut, Synthetic materialtennis

A Read squash racquet, with gut stringing, and leather handle grip. Manufacturer's details across throat on obverse, and across butt cover. Materials: Wood, Gut, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leather, String, Inktennis

A Prince 'Graphite' oversize tennis racquet, with Prince 'Synthetic Gut' strings, and original handle grip retail wrap. Materials: Synthetic Gut, Graphite, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Ink, Synthetic material, Leathertennis

A Prince 'Precision Graphite' tennis racquet, with Prince 'Softzorb' synthetic handle grip, and 'Forten' synthetic gut strings. Materials: Graphite, Composite Materials, Paint, Ink, Plastic, Synthetic Gut, Synthetic materialtennis

To use this tape, the tube would be broken in half using cat-gut breakers.Dr Mitchell Henry O'Sullivan worked in the Victorian country town of Casterton as a general practitioner from 1919 until his death in 1977. He also practiced obstetrics. His son, Dr David More O'Sullivan donated his obstetric bag and its contents to the College in 1999. The bag and contents are a unique time capsule of the type of instruments and pharmaceuticals used in the inter-war period.Glass vial, containing silk umbilical tape [193.2] in sterile solution. The tape is wound around a flat spool.obstetric delivery

Glenelg Shire Council RecordsColour photograph of 3 women and a man filleting, gutting, washing and weighing fish.Front: (no inscriptions) Back: (no inscriptions)

The fire damaged building is the former Diggers Rest Hotel which was ruined by fire in the 1990s. It was the last standing and operating hotel along the Calder Highway between the towns of Keilor and Gisborne. A coloured photograph of a fire gutted building along a roadside with gum trees in the background.

A Feltham flat top tennis racquet. Materials: Wood, Metal, Gut, Leathertennis

A Feltham flat top tennis racquet. Materials: Wood, Metal, Gut, Leathertennis

A Prince 'Magnesium Pro' split shaft oversize tennis racquet, with black plastic bridge, and Prince 'Synthetic Gut' strings. Materials: Synthetic Gut, Metal composite, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Ink, Synthetic material, Leathertennis

A Prince 'Thunder Blast' oversize tennis racquet, with Prince 'Duraperf' synthetic handle grip, and Gamma 'Synthetic Gut 16' strings. Materials: Graphite, Composite Materials, Paint, Synthetic Gut, Ink, Synthetic material, Plastictennis