Kelaston (Ballarat Day Centre) was furnished with donations from Ballarat and surrounding districts. To acknowledge this generosity, plaques were created and placed in various locations around the centre. The inscriptions read as follows: This room was refurbished through the assistance of the Ballarat Police and Patrons Golf Club -1989- Generous gifts donated in memory of Cecil H. Jeffrey and George R. Rose furnished this area This room was furnished by Buningyong Auxiliary -1957- These facilities were made possible through the support of Mr Z. Nelsons This room was furnished by Lismore Auxiliary 1957 This room was sponsored by Wendouree Younger Set for the Aged Blind This room was furnished by Snake Valley/Carngham Auxiliary This room was furnished by Mrs Philip Russell Carngham 1959 This room was furnished by Hamilton Auxiliary 1957 Presented by Lorraine Bennett -1951- This room was furnished by the Bungaree Auxiliary Sponsored by Brown Hill Auxiliary 1963 This room was furnished by the Ballarat Bowling Club This lounge room was furnished by the late Miss J.A. Wright through her bequest to the Ballarat Ladies Auxiliary This room was furnished by Snake Valley/Carngham Auxiliary 1959 This room was furnished by Penhurst Auxiliary 1957 This room was furnished by Wendouree Auxiliary 1958 The generous gift of Wendouree Mills furnished this room This room was furnished by Wendouree Auxiliary This room was furnished by Lismore Auxiliary 1957 This room was furnished by Mortlake Auxiliary 1957 This room was furnished by Lake Bolac Auxiliary 1958 This room was furnished by Camperdown Auxiliary 1957 This room was furnished by Staff of Allied Bruce Small 1958 This room was furnished by Buninyong Auxiliary 1957 This room was furnished by the ladies of the Ballarat Philharmonic Singers This room was furnished by Waubra AuxiliaryVariousauxiliaries, fundraising, plaques, kelaston home (ballarat), cecil jeffrey, george rose, buningyong auxiliary, z nelsons, lismore auxiliary, wendouree younger set, hamilton auxiliary, snake valley auxiliary

RVIB Auxiliaries raised monies for the organisation at a grassroots level, via a variety of meetings, fundraisers and events. To keep them in touch with head office and to let branches what other branches were doing across the state, regular newsletters were sent out. Celebrations for Ocean Grove (60 years) Heathcote (70) Sale (73), Frankston (75) Auxiliary Christmas party at Ormond Hall, information on volunteer Lyn Annetta and past student Joan Delahunty, and the work of the Hamilton Auxiliary producing a talking newspaper 'Talking Spectator'.30 pages of text and imagesroyal victorian institute for the blind, auxiliaries

This organ stool was part of the original furnishings of the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen's Church at 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria. The Church was operated by the Mission to Seamen organisation. The stool was possibly donated together with the Mason & Hamilton reed organ, which was generously donated by the Joy Club for Fighters, a charity organisation in Williamstown. THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews) The Missions to Seamen, an Anglican charity, has served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. It symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centr4es in over 200 ports world-wide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities. In Victoria the orgainsation began in Williamstown in 1857. It was as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’. Its location was an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings. The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s. In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966. A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981 and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel. This organ stool is significant historically for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of seafarers. It originated in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837. The stool is historically significant for its connection to the 1880s Mason & Hamilton reed organ that was also in the St Nicholas Seamen's Church in Williamstown. The connection of this stool to the Mission to Seamen and to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, and possibly to the Joy Club for Fighters, highlights the strong community awareness of the life of people at sea, their dangers and hardships, and their need for physical, financial, spiritual and moral support. Stool; mahogany organ stool, angled seat with two legs reinforced by horizontal wooden bar. Legs have a decorative cut away design. This stool is in our St Nicholas Seamen's Church Collection.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, church furniture, religious furniture, religious worship, missions to seamen victoria, st nicholas seamen’s church williamstown, st nicholas seamen’s church flagstaff hill, church music, stool, organ stool, piano stool

Articles in annual report include: branch committees, President's report, finance report, balance sheet, hospital homes, blind citizens' community centre, welfare, auxiliaries, volunteer service group, life governors, opening of the new hospital wing at Brighton by Premier Sir Henry Bolte, Mrs Laura Clarke celebrating her 103rd birthday, closure of the Hostel at Brighton due to lack of applicants able to care for themselves, continued demand for hospital care, expansion of 20 hospital beds planned for Mirridong and increase of Welfare staff with two appointed in Geelong and Latrobe Valley.16 pages of text and photographsassociation for the blind, dorothy hamilton, h.m. lightfoot, elanora home (brighton), laura clarke, w.h. coakley, k.f. hosken, mrs j.e. howard, mrs h.s. nunn, mrs j. harrington, mrs h. lindhe, mrs i jennings, john wilson, mrs c.v. moore, mrs h.a. shannon, s.o. rogers, r.a. pearson, annual reports, katharine (kitty) rose

The Ballarat Branch Committee and girls of Lucas & Co. raised the money for the memorial window in Good Chapel of Saint Peter which is dedicated to the men of the Jervis Bay and all Merchant seamen who gave their lives in the world wars. To see a picture of the actual window go to VC database Mtsv record 0035.Regionally based support across Victoria provided crucial funds to the Mission for Seafarer welfare, activities and operations. This support was very often sourced either through a country Auxiliary group based in places such as Ballarat, Camperdown, Hamilton, Bendigo and other similar towns or centres. Op shops and CWA, Church Auxiliaries and other similar charities mainly operated by the womenfolk of the respective communities, recognized the vital importance of 19th and 20th C Merchant and Military Naval services to the development of Australia. The cumulative local fundraising efforts helped maintain the work of the Coastal based Mission services to seafarers.Rectangular brass plaque mounted to wood board.This window was erected by the Ballarat Branch of the Victoria Missions to Seamen and the Lucas Girls 1946.ballarat, lucas girls, lucas & co., 1946, window, plaque, ww2, world war 2, textile company, lucas clothing factory

Thank you card from RVIB Murtoa Auxiliary members to Edith Watson on the 50th anniversary of the auxiliary in 1983.1 folded piece of cardboard with paper bi-fold insideFront cover: With Appreciation Inside: There is beauty in every day .... may you always find it. To Mrs E.E. Watson 50th Anniversary 1983 From "The President and Members of the Murtoa Blind Auxiliary."royal victorian institute for the blind, edith emma watson, auxiliaries, gwen gellatly, gwen blandthorn, sylvia smith, audrey hately, flo newell, alice summer, anne pianta, vira anders, stasia tooley, flo pollard, daria hamilton, anne bates, isobell dillus, lorraine uhe, mavis yole, neva juon, ivy gawith, mary pearcey, june degenhardt, theresa pickering, daphne timms, carolyn west, annie ellery, alice oulton

From it's beginning in 1867, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind grew in size and its number of employees and benefactors. These bound volumes of annual reports contain the information sent to subscribers of the Institute and outline the notable events and difficulties facing the blind and the RVIB. This includes the increase of blind babies due to medical care of premature infants, interest free loans to help workers purchase homes, praise for Council of Auxiliaries chairwoman Augusta Tutton, establishment of the Blind Workers Retirement Fund, foundation of the Victorian Guild of Professional Blind, Headmaster Green offers insight into the routines and education of children in the nursery and school, listing of staff including portraits of George Findlay, Donald Forbes, Hugh Jeffrey, Neil Westh and Dorothy Nuske - first blind woman to receive a Bachelor of Music.1 volume bound with illustrations.royal victorian institute for the blind, annual reports, george findlay, donald forbes, hugh jeffrey, neil westh, dorothy hamilton

This newsletter was produced to keep RVIB auxiliaries informed of news, activities and events that occurred across the state, and to recognise individual auxiliaries and their members undertaking the valuable work of raising funds for RVIB. Produced six times a year, changing to monthly and possibly quarterly. In 1996, this included the introduction of a duplicator at the Wangaratta library to create local cassette copies of the The Chronicle and the dial in service for the Talking Book catalogue, a new course to 'kick start' students for tertiary studies, award for Dorothy Hamilton, Dr Harry Cooper unveiling a bronze sculpture of a koala and her joeys at Healesville Sanctuary, 'More than just a Look' exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, profile of Bea Doherty and Jessie Twaddle, disbanding of Moe Auxiliary, and the passing of members from various auxiliaries.1 v. in various pagingsAlso titled: RVIB Auxiliary newsletterroyal victorian institute for the blind, auxiliaries

The Hamilton-Smith collection was donated by the children of Grace Mary Hamilton-Smith nee Ellwood (1911-2004) and John Hamilton-Smith (1909-1984) who settled in Wodonga in the 1940s. The Ellwood family had lived in north-east Victoria since the late 1800s. Grace’s mother, Rosina Ellwood nee Smale, was the first teacher at Baranduda in 1888, and a foundation member of the C.W.A. Rosina and her husband Mark retired to Wodonga in 1934. The collection contains significant items which reflect the local history of Wodonga, including handmade needlework, books, photographs, a wedding dress, maps, and material relating to the world wars. Grace and John married at St. David’s Church, Albury in 1941. John was a grazier, and actively involved in Agricultural Societies and the Belvoir Wodonga Rotary Club. Grace was an active member of several organisations including the CWA, Red Cross, the Wodonga Show Ladies' Auxiliary and the Victorian Agricultural Societies Association. This uniform was owned by Grace Hamilton-Smith. She achieved recognition for more 20 years of service to the Red Cross.This item has well documented provenance and a known owner. It is part of a significant collection from the Hamilton-Smith family of Wodonga and reflects important aspects of social history including the roles of women and their contribution to the community. A tan coloured Red Cross uniform and badges worn C1940sred cross australia, hamilton-smith collection, wodonga red cross