Leather flying coat and helmet owned by Catherine "Katie" Weir Rothwell Bloomfield. Born on December 31st 1904 in Pakenham, Bloomfield was the first women in Victoria to earn her private pilot's licence. Her license was number 334, with her gaining it on the 29th of June 1929 at the Essendon aerodrome. Prior to gaining her license, she flew 10 hours in duel flying. Bloomfields first aircraft was a Cirrus Moth, which was a leftover model from WW1, with its top speed being 65 mph (104km/h). This is the aircraft that she gained her license with and flew the most.

Used by Jim Waites (Shearer/Farmer), Kanyapella (Item over 100 years old?)Long, brown leather coat. Well-worn. No labelleather, satin lining

This jacket was potentially worn c. WWI. The press studs on sleeves are stamped Australian Made. .1) Brown leather full length coat. Double breasted with collar. Buttons are of a brown bakelight/bone appearance. The buttons are 25mm diameter. The two centre buttons are light coloured. Sleeves are full length and can be drawn closed at the wrist using press studs. The lining is a brown cotton drill. .2) Leather belt, with leather covered metal buckle. It has one leather loopclothing, uniform

Cattlemen wore coats when working with their cattle especially during the winter in the Kiewa Valley and when travelling on horses with cattle to, on and from the High Plains where they stayed for days during summer attending and mustering their cattle. The coats protected the cattlemen from harsh weather conditions including snow which sometimes fell in summer. This coat was owned and worn by Richard Marum who owned a farm in Tawonga south. He was the descendant of Kyran Marum, the stockman, who worked for Georgina Huggins. Brown leather full length coat with collar, lapel, long sleeves and buttoning up the front. Instead of pockets the coat has an opening about 12 cm on each side that look like pockets.cattlemen, leather coat, bogong high plains, marum family, tawonga south

Black leather coated wooden scabbard

Parts catalogue for Pratt and Whitney R-1830-C3G and -92 engines.

Charles Mumford beside Ariel. Wearing a leather coat and standing with hand on hip. Circa 1951police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; ariel motorcycle; mumford, charles

While slouch hats were common, the destructive power of modern warfare made steel helmets essential. Australia produced its own versions, copies of the British Mark II (Brodie helmet) initially, then the deeper-bowled Mark III ("turtle" helmet) by 1944 for better side protection. Worn alongside the slouch hat, especially in Europe and later in the Pacific, for active combat protection.Khaki in colour, dark brown leather plastic coated canvas inserts, the chin strap is missing.Nil.helmets, tin helmets, tin hats, wwii, world war 2, metal helmets, metal hats, army helmets

Used by Jim Waites (Shearer/Farmer), Kanyapella (Item over 100 years old?)Suede leather shearer's coat, quite marked, taupe colour, long-sleeved, with press-studs(See photo) Protector Safety Apparel on collar label sheep, shear's coat, shearing, farming, farmer, agriculture

While slouch hats were common, the destructive power of modern warfare made steel helmets essential. Australia produced its own versions, copies of the British Mark II (Brodie helmet) initially, then the deeper-bowled Mark III ("turtle" helmet) by 1944 for better side protection. Worn alongside the slouch hat, especially in Europe and later in the Pacific, for active combat protection. Khaki in colour steel metal hat with dark brown leather and plastic coated canvas inserts, with pale khaki cloth chin strapW. Hill has been scratched into the underside brimhelmets, tin helmets, tin hats, wwii, world war 2, metal helmets, metal hats, army helmets

.1) Binoculars, metal construction with fabric hand grips. All black. Attached via 2 lugs is a leather strap coated black on 1 side. Small inscription engraved on 1 side. .2) Leather binoculars case for .1) brown colour. Ends are rounded with lid closing on a brass catch. A leather strap is attached via 2 brass lugs..1) “Carl Zeiss, Jena Silvermar 6 x 30". “CAPT F S OLDHAM” .2) “Carl Zeis Jenz. Made in Germany”personal effects - seeing aids, military history - containers, binoculars, german

This coat was owned and worn by Lieutenant T L(known as Leigh) Simpson D.F.C. who joined the Royal Flying Corps during Workd War 1. He was born in Hamilton Victoria and had an interest through his family in flying, before the war. In 1916 he transferred from the Light Horse Field Ambulance to the 68th Australian Sqd. Royal Flying Corps. He was promoted to lieutenant of the 3rd Squadron. During the war he was a pilot and photographer and took hundreds of reconnaissance photos over occupied territory. He was involved in photographing enemy positions and supplying information to the artillery batteries which then shelled those positions. He was involved in a number of missions involving direct contact with the enemy including Baron von Richtofen and was involved in the "dog fight" which led to von Richtofen's death. In May 1918 he had been promoted to Flight Commander and temporary Captain when his cousin Captain Duigan was wounded. He represented Australia at von Richtofen's funeral and presented the Australian wreath. Following his discharge after being seriously wounded, he returned home and became a grazier in the Dunkeld area. He maintained his interest in aviation throughout his life with a strong connection with Reg Ansett and was a director of Ansett Airways Pty Ltd for many years. He died in Dunkeld in 1960This flying coat is significant because it was owned by Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Simpson DFC while he was in the Australian Flying Corps during World War 1. World War 1 Flying coat. Tan leather, nap finish. Lining wool fabric. Map pocket on front of chest. Internal pocket on left front behind map pocket and external pocket below the waist on the left hand front towards the side.L Simpson on the inside left front.t leigh simpson, royal flying corps, baron von richtofen, australian aviation

.1) & .2) The items were issued to Cpl H BACON VX103705 2nd AIF, Naval Bombardment Group..1) Hat, slouch, Kahki fur felt, cotton pugaree, Rising Sun badge, chin strap leather, leather lining. .2) Coat, Battle Dress, Kahki, Cpl stripes on one sleeve, 2 x Rising Sun Lapel badges, 2 x Australia shoulder badges, 2 x Colour patches red over blue in wave fashion with grey surround, metal buttons, 4 pockets. .3) Belt, webbing, light Kahki, brass buckles and keepers..1) “D & D ../30 size 7 1945” uniform, army, webbing, slouch hat

This Royal Red Cross was awarded to Minnie Maud McNab who served as a nurse then Sister in Queen Alexandria's Imperial Military Nursing Staff Reserve, Dr Bird's Unit during WWI. "Appointed to QAIMNSR 22 January 1915 Arrived in Egypt 22 January 1915 Embarked Bombay 18 April 1917 Disembarked Basrah 26 April 1917 Posted No 3 British General Hospital 26 April 1917 Admitted to hospital 03 May 1917 Discharged 07 May 1917 Joined for duty at Bagdad 23 May 1917 Appointed Assistant Matron to 31 BSH at Basrah 01 December 1917 Mentioned in Lieut General Sir F S Mande's despatch dated 02 November 1917 London Gazette No 30570 Joined for temporary duty Baghdad 24 May 1918 Admitted OCD 29 July 1918 Discharged 17 August 1918 and returned to Duty Left unit to proceed on leave to India 24 August 1918 Proceeded to India on leave per 'Kina' 01 September 1918 Returned from Leave 31 October 1918 Rejoined unit from leave Baghdad 10 November 1918 Awarded Royal Red Cross 1st Class in recognition of valuable services with the British Forces in Mesopotamia 26 August 1918 (Gazette No 30865) Mentioned in despatches by Lt. General W R Marshall in his despatch dated 15 April 1918 (Gazette No 30867) Admitted to Hospital 11 January 1919 Discharged from Hospital 10 February 1919 31 B S Hospital 'Sister Minnie Maud McNab QAIMNS Reserve has served under me for eighteen months as Sister and Assistant Matron, the duties of the latter she performed to my entire satisfaction. I consider her a thoroughly well trained Nurse, most kind and attentive to the patients, she is energetic, reliable, punctual, tactful and good tempered. Her powers of administration and initiative are excellent and she has great ability in instructing the orderlies. I recommend her for further service if required, promotion and for full gratuity.' Transferred to UK for duty 21 February 1919 Embarked 'Vasna' 21 February 1919 or UK Appointment terminated 21 July 1919 Departed from her unit 21 July 1919 After taking a holiday in Scotland asked for temporary duty if her passage home was not available. Posted to Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich 08 September 1919 Postal address whilst awaiting repatriation Berrington War Hospital, Shrewbury Returning to Australia per 'Northumberland' trans-shipped at Bombay ex 'Macedonia' embarked England 01 November 1919" (https://ausww1nurses.weebly.com/mca-mcn.html) "The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. It was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria... The Royal Red Cross was originally a single class of Member and it was first awarded to the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. A second class, Associate, was added during World War I in 1917. The award is awarded to a fully trained nurse of an officially recognized nursing service, military or civilian, who has shown exceptional devotion and competence in the performance of nursing duties, over a continuous and long period, or who has performed an exceptional act of bravery and devotion at her or his post of duty. The decoration was conferred exclusively to women until 1976. Recipients of the Royal Red Cross are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “RRC” or “ARRC” for Members and Associates respectively." [https://collectionswa.net.au/items/25f38e85-6c15-429f-95b6-0a24c241e199] A thin, black, textured leather coated box with gold lettering 'R R C' in the centre and '1st' in the bottom left corner. Has a white sticker attached to the top right hand corner with red handwritten 'M47'. The box has a small metal button on bottom section that when pushed opens the box. The leather is damaged and fraying around the edges and corners of the box and there are various scratch marks that have removed the black paint/dye from the leather in places. Inside, the box lid is lined with padded fabric (likely silk or satin), has the manufacturer details printed at the centre of lid. There is a small blue ink mark on the fabric in the top left of the inside of the lid and minor holes and wear in the upper portion of the lid. The bottom part of the box is a mount covered in blue velvet. The mount and velvet have a depression in the shape of the main Royal Red Cross (RRC) medal and ribbon. The velvet is dusty and has some fibres in the creases and across the whole area. "The badge for the RRC is in the shape of a golden cross, 1.375 inches (3.49 cm) wide, the obverse enamelled red, with a circular medallion, bearing an effigy of the reigning monarch at its centre. The words "Faith", "Hope" and "Charity" are inscribed on the upper limbs of the cross, with the year "1883" in the lower limb. The reverse is plain except a circular medallion bearing the royal cypher of the reigning monarch" [Wikipedia - see References], on this medal the initials are GRJ. The ribbon is a dark blue stripe between crimson edge stripes and forms a landscape oriented bow that the medal hangs from the middle. This box also contains a miniature medal, bearing the same description as above being of [approximately quarter size]. There is a white sticker on the underside of the box that has handwritten in black ink 'RNC / J McCarthy' 'M47' [red ink on white sticker attached to top of box] 'RNC / J McCarthy' [black ink on white sticker attached to underneath of box] 'M.M.McNAB / 1914-1919' [Engraved on bottom of the lower part of the full sized medal's cross]minnie maud mcnab, wwi, ww1, world war one, royal red cross 1st class, royal red cross, queen alexandra's imperial military nursing service reserve

Photographer notations on slide: At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), 1933 THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 Published title: THE EXHIBITS. A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE. Curios, Novelties, Working Displays Published Caption: ONE OF THE NOVELTIES – AN OUTSIZE IN SHOES Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Our photo is dated 20 September 1933, and shows a happy, chubby-faced young girl sitting in a very over-sized girl’s shoe. It is labelled – “Shoe, An Out Size, loaned by Messrs Blackman & Rose”. (1) It is an effective way to capture the attention of the readership and alert them to the Melbourne Leather Show 1933. This show was designed to be a drawcard of extraordinary proportion, and there is no doubt that this leather exhibition was a really big deal for Melbourne. It completely took over the Melbourne Town Hall, and was open from 10.30 am until 10.30 pm. It seemed to contain something for everyone – the military, the man about town, the home handyman, the housewife, the child, the sporting types, the domestic workers, the outdoor enthusiasts, the horseracing fans, car enthusiasts, those wishing to show off the latest fashion – both men and women - and those just intrigued by a lot of fascinating and wide ranging exhibits. One of the most comprehensive descriptions of the Exhibition accompanies the photograph, and is worth quoting in full: “PROMINENT among exhibits which first attract attention in the foyer of the Town Hall is a comprehensive display of leather articles used by the defence forces. A conspicuous legend states that leather plays an important part in national defence, being used for saddlery, tool containers, holdalls, range-finding, surveying and signalling equipment, explosives factories, harness accoutrement, bandsmen's equipment and clothing. Three models of horses and several figures of soldiers wearing leather equipment illustrate the lesson, and a great range of leather goods used in military training and work variegate the display. Nearby are Texas cowboy, buckjumping and breaking-in saddles; whips, a walking stick, made of leather and numerous other curios. The general exhibition occupies the whole floor space of the main Town Hall, and is subdivided by partitions running most of the length of the hall. A bewildering variety, of leather goods presses for close and leisured inspection. Here and there operatives in charge of working machinery give practical demonstrations of factory processes in the production of footwear. Polishing materials are well represented. One attractive exhibit includes two bush huts constructed of leather, with wattle bark for roofing. Opossums, rosellas and a kookaburra add touches of bush realism. Adjacent exhibits include bags, fishing boots, leggings, leather covers in all colours. Factory Processes. One exhibitor has installed an automatic cinema apparatus and screen, which projects various factory processes in making a shoe, the operator being shown at work. Elsewhere an interesting exhibit depicts the five stages in the manufacture of sole leather, and the tanning materials employed. "Very handsome effects are achieved in the interior appointments of motor cars, which are attended by figures of smart chauffeurs in leather coats. Motor-trimming leather is said to be more durable and hygienic than fabric materials, and cheaper. The neat finish of the material, its excellent appearance, certainly make a very favourable impression. It takes the hides of three beasts to cover the cushions, squabs and door panels of a full-sized sedan, while to finish the entire interior, including quarter-panels and head linings would take four or even five. Special Exhibits. Amongst the special sections the display arranged by the handicrafts and home industries- committee of the Country Women's Association of Victoria is a notable one. In all there are about 130 entries which are in four classifications, viz., hand-tooled or embossed leathers, suede, hand-made gloves and undecorated leather. The glove section attracted the most numerous entries, a number being the work of members and craft subscribers of the Country Women's Association. In the leathercraft competition, organised by the Country Women's Association, the judges yesterday awarded the first prize for bookbinding (the only prize given in this division) to Miss M. Alston, of South Yarra. There is also a creditable display of exhibits submitted by boys of the orthopaedic section of the Children's Hospital at Frankston. Amongst the novelties on view in other portions of the exhibition were the following: — Leather coats worn by Sir C. Kingsford Smith on his Atlantic flight. Model Wellington boot, Phar Lap's saddle. Melbourne Cup winner's saddle. Longest whip in world, 108 feet long. (33 metres) [See our photo, to left of Girl in Shoe] Diminutive shoes. Pair of shoes 65 years old. Pair of men's working boots 75 years old. Larwood's, Tate’s and Pataudi’s cricket boots. [Three internationally revered cricketers of the day] (2) Picture frame made of leather bought 63 years ago. [See our photo, to right of Girl in Shoe] Leather frame, powder bowl, &c. Saddle used by world's champion buckjumper in U.S.A. Mexican cowboy outfit. Miniature saddle and bridle. A fireman's helmet made of sole leather. (3) Sample of the leather hat worn by porters at the Billingsgate Fish Market, London. (4) From South Australia there have been obtained sets of harness for donkeys, goats and camels, the equipment being displayed to good advantage on stuffed representations of the animals mentioned. Close to the platform is a glass case containing snow shoes and coats which have been used in Antarctic exploration work. Trade Display. Amongst the trade exhibits may be seen in operation a slipper turn shoe sewing machine, with heeling and channelling facilities, and the various stages in the production of ladies' sandals are shown. There is a wide contrast between sole leather of varying degrees of thickness on view in one stall and the choice samples of ladies' footwear in another — footwear, by the way, which could almost be used as ornaments, so dainty in colour and production are they. Again, there are displays of upholstering leathers of such soft texture that they could he readily mistaken for some of the finest cloth. Those who may be particularly interested in the production of chamois leather may gain an insight into the materials and chemicals used in the "working up” of this variety of leather. Supplies of glace kid (5) are tastefully arranged, and there may also be seen bags of all shapes and sizes, including satchels, suit cases and "sporting" cases, and bags for tennis players and golfers. Further variety is given to the exhibition by the display of antique hides, brightly coloured, with punching balls, boxing gloves and batsman's pads. There are crocodile skins and snake skins so cleverly "Worked up" that one could be almost pardoned for betraying an affection for such unpopular creatures.” “ Another wonderful article on this Exhibition, published the same day in one of the opposition daily newspapers, The Argus, is in the weekly article “Women to Women”, entitled “A Great Victorian Industry: Many Uses for Leather”. This weekly column was penned by Vesta, and she writes, with much purpose: “Yesterday afternoon I paid a hurried visit to the Leather Exhibition now being held in the Melbourne Town Hall and I was disappointed to find that the early visitors to the main exhibition were almost all men. Women, I think, should make a point of seeing every exhibition of our great industries, for women are the buyers of household requisites and goods for their own use and their tastes, and opinion influence also, to a large extent, the purchases of men. So, the welfare of industries is more or less in their hands and it becomes a duty for them to inform themselves fully of the extent and the quality of the manufacturing that is done here. The value of the output of the Australian boot and shoe factories alone was in 1930-31, the latest year for which the figures are given, Stg 3,750,000. Fully two thirds of that amount must have been spent by women on boots and shoes for themselves and their children. In a host of other directions, in the purchase of handbags, travelling bags, belts and straps, cushions, furniture coverings, purses, notebooks, spectacle cases, their annual expenditure must be very high. Their interest, therefore, in this industry is practical, and their support of it should be governed by knowledge of comparable values and qualities of the goods they buy. From the point of view of women, however, the exhibition itself is rather disappointing. There is an amazing collection of good stuff on show, but most of it is not displayed in a fashion that attracts attention. I was surprised, for example, at the range and quality of the leathers displayed, the suppleness of the finer qualities, and the varied range of colours and designs. But they are shown in such a fashion that if one set out deliberately to look for them it would be quite easy to miss most of them.” …It was surprising, too, that no one seemed to have taken advantage of the present fashion of wearing coloured gloves, or the cult of glove making, which the Country Women’s Association has fostered so successfully. Outside the collection of chamois leathers I saw no skins which were suitable to glove making. (6) However, it is perhaps a little unfair to be highly critical of the exhibition, inasmuch as it is the first of its kind. The material is there, undoubtedly, for a splendid show of every phase of this enterprising industry, and I am confident that experience will prove to those concerned that it will be worth while next time to devote a great deal of attention of the method of display.” With further research, it transpires that “Vera” is in fact NZ born Stella May Allen (nee Henderson) (1871-1962), a journalist, the first woman in NZ to begin a law course, in 1890-91). She later worked at a law firm while she completed her degree. Study of the law had always been open to women in NZ, but its practice was still barred to them. Her case “…led to amending legislation in 1896 allowing women to practise as barristers or solicitors. However, on gaining her LL.B. in November 1897 she did not apply for admission to the Bar. Instead, she became the Wellington-based correspondent and leader-writer for the Lyttelton Times. Her appointment, the first for a woman, was not welcomed by the all-male Press Gallery, and special permission had to be obtained from a subcommittee of the House before her presence was accepted. In 1900 she married Edwin Allen, a senior leader-writer for the Wellington Evening Post, and they moved to Australia in 1903 when Edwin Allen took up the post of foreign affairs leader-writer and parliamentary man for the Melbourne Argus. As Patricia Keep notes in her excellent entry of Stella Allan in the Australian Dictionary of Biography: “In 1907 The Argus commissioned her to write a series of articles on the first Australian Women's Work Exhibition held in October. They aroused much interest and next year The Argus invited her to join its full-time staff and begin a weekly section on the particular interests of women. She adopted the nom de plume 'Vesta' and called the column 'Women to Women'. Her work was unique in an Australian daily paper at that time. Her pages extended to cover every aspect of women's affairs, children's interests and community welfare, and 'Vesta' became a household word for authoritative information and advice on such matters. An excellent needlewoman and first-rate cook herself, she thoroughly tutored her staff in the work and needs of women in both country and city, as well as providing the usual training for cadet journalists. She conducted interviews and also visited the country to see at first hand the results of bushfires, mouse plagues, droughts and floods. In 1910 she was one of three women foundation members of the Australian Journalists' Association. “…she found time to become deeply involved in community affairs. She was an original committee-member of the Victorian Association of Crèches and of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, and had much to do with the early days of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association, the Baby Health Centres Association and the Queen Victoria Hospital. She was a member of the National Council of Women, first in New Zealand and then in Melbourne, and of the Country Women's Association from its inception. … in 1924 she was appointed substitute delegate for Australia to the fifth assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva and was a delegate to the second Pan Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii in 1930. A meeting held in the Melbourne Town Hall in 1938 by representatives of all the main Victorian women's organizations paid special tribute to her work and influence. She retired next year to England where she continued to write for the Argus, contributing articles on the experiences of women and children in wartime.” It is little wonder that “Vesta” was unafraid to take to task both the women of Victoria, and those who created the exhibition! One item which appears to have gone unnoticed, or at least unreported, is a framed article in the background of the photo of the chubby girl in the shoe. The display frame is labelled “Leather from the Human Skin, Tanned and Dressed by French artists.” The exhibition was certainly a cabinet of curiosities! A charming article in The Argus is a nice note on which to end. It gives a quick history and overview of the Australian leather industry and its unprecedented, and possibly unexpected, development and success, and states with pride: “Though Victoria is the largest leather producer in the Commonwealth all tanners in the Commonwealth can look back with pride on the long march of progress.” Footnotes: (1) “Blackman and Rose”. Messrs Blackman and Rose were shoe manufacturers, from 1927 located at 200 Noone Street, Clifton Hill. The Melbourne Circle describes their building as a “fine-looking building in the Federation ‘blood and bandage’ style.” It was built around 1912 for Puttifoot and Bloom, boot manufacturers, and today the building is apartments. (2) These cricketers were household names in the day: Tate: Maurice Tate, “English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s, and leader of England’s Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. The founder of modern seam bowling. “ Larwood: Harold Larwood, “English right-arm fast bowler and the main exponent of the bowling style known as “bodyline”. Used to considerable effect in the 1932-33 Test series in Australia. Pataudi: Iftikhar A K Pataudi, “an Indian prince who in the 1930s played Test cricket for England, and in the 1940s played Test cricket for India (as Captain) – the only test cricketer to have played for both India and England. (3) “sole” leather “… is the thickest and most resistant material existing in the tanning industry … made from vegetable tanned leathers, usually bovine butts, processed in a special way to make them the hardest type of leather in existence.” (4) The hats worn by porters at Billingsgate Fish Market were also known as a “Bobbin” and look quite squat and rather unsophisticated. They were made of wood and tarred leather, with a “flat, hardened top designed to support large rectangular boxes of fish. The upturned brim protected the porter’s head against fish juice draining from the boxes of fish which would be carried on top of the hat. Some hats featured a small drain hole at the rear to allow this collected juice to drain down the back of the carrier. The hats were made using the ‘cuir bouilli’ technique. The leather was immersed in water which was heated until the leather began to shrink. It was then removed and put on a wooden former. The leather was stitched together to make the hat while still wet, and then held in place until dry.” (See article and photo on the London Museum website) (5) Glace kid – described on the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ Cameo database as “A smooth glossy leather originally prepared from goat or sheepskin. Early glace kid had a shiny surface that was originally prepared by tawing the skin in a mixture of alum, table salt, flour, and egg yolk. Today, glace kid is prepared from many types of vegetable or chrome tanned leathers. The smooth polished surface is obtained mechanically by shaving, glazing, ironing, and/or rolling the dry leather.” (6) In the 1930s, Melbourne’s glovemaking industry was characterised by local manufacturing, with key producers like Simpson’s Gloves Pty Ltd in Richmond and the Stagg Glove Company in Clifton Hill leading the market. These factories produced high-quality leather gloves, handbags, and specialty gear, often employing a clear gendered division of labour and training young, local women. Museum Victoria holds the Simpson’s Gloves Collection, comprising over 1200 items, and the University of Melbourne Archives holds the company’s business records. References: THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 EXPORT LEATHER. (1929, September 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4037647 LEATHER EXHIBITION (1933, September 18). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 10. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11693362 (1933, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page522766 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1933, September 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11694034 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Stella May Allan (1871–1962) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allan-stella-may-4998 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1930, January 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4063888 Museums Victoria, Simpson’s Gloves, 486-496 Victoria Street, North Richmond, VIC, Australia https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2702 The Argus. (1927, October 31). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3888451 Melbourne Circle: stories from the suburbs: “Boots and all in Clifton Hill” https://melbournecircle.net/2015/11/20/bootmakers-of-clifton-hill/ Wikipedia, Maurice Tate, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Tate Wikipedia, Harold Larwood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Larwood Wikipedia, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Ali_Khan_Pataudi Buy Leather Online Italy, Sole leather: https://buyleatheronline.com/en/blog/outsole-and-insole-leather-n7 London Museum, Porters hats, https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-731122/hat-porters-hat/ Cameo Database, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Glace Kid, https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Glac%C3%A9_kid VICTORIAN LEATHER HAS WON RENOWN (1937, September 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 31 (March of Progress Supplement). Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1108704 Photographer notations on slide: "At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age B5".displays, melbourne town hall, leather, children, shoes, 1930-1939, industry, hats, gloves

Photographer notations on slide: Steel Manuf’rs at McPherson’s Ltd 1933 Published: The Age, 30 August 1933 BUREAU OF STEEL MANUFACTURERS OF AUSTRALIA. (1933, August 30). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204372874 Published title: Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia Published caption: A group of Inter-State Visitors, from the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia, on a tour of inspection at the Bolt Works of McPhersons Pty. Ltd., Burnley-Richmond, yesterday. Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: The photo shows a line up of 36 men, in three rows, in front of a building. They are mostly dressed in dark 3-piece suits, or camel coats. But one gentleman stands out in his full length leather coat! Striped ties are popular, and they are all holding hats. One man, at the rear towards the right, looks a bit younger with his thick, black, brylcreamed hair.. These interstate gentlemen are described in the newspaper caption as representatives of the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers "...on a tour of inspection at the Bolt Works of McPhersons Pty Ltd, Burnley, Richmond." Interestingly, the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia (BOSMA) still exists, and is the industry body for major Australian steel producers like BlueScope, Liberty, and InfraBuild, representing their interests, engaging with government, and participating in standards setting for the domestic steel market, with a history dating back to 1923. While BOSMA focuses on primary manufacturing, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) serves as the broader peak body for the entire steel supply chain, from mills to end-users, promoting and supporting the industry. But at the time of this photo, the Australian steel industry was just starting to make headway. As the AST website explains, "Steelmaking in Australia began just a decade prior to the start of the 1851 Gold Rush whilst Australia was still divided into colonies. Iron ore deposits were discovered in 1840 at Iron Knob, South Australia but a lack of equipment meant that the process of producing steel was impossible. Even attempts at smelting the iron ore in a blast furnace to create pig iron were unsuccessful due to the poor quality of iron ore and coke available to the budding industry. In the other colonies at the time, such as Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales, there were minor discoveries of iron ore but poor technical expertise and limited quantity meant that the quality of steel was poor. Compared to the far superior steel being imported from Britain at the time, the steel manufacturing industry simply couldn’t compete and was unviable. By the 1870s, almost all steel production in Australia had been abandoned. The situation began to change at the turn of the century. Rapid growth sparked higher demand for industrial machinery made from steel and infrastructure such as rail. It became apparent that there was a need for locally manufactured steel and soon there would be an answer. In 1901, the year Australia united into a federation, the nation’s first blast furnace went into production at Eskbank near Lithgow in New South Wales. The development was spearheaded by William Stafford and his son Esk, and Stafford is known as the father of Australian steel production. In 1915, production expanded with another steel mill in Newcastle that was opened by BHP. It sourced coke from local mines and iron ore from South Australia, creating a domestic loop for steel manufacturing. In the following years, more steelworks opened in Whyalla, South Australia and Port Kembla in NSW. Steel manufacturing in Australia was now underway." The company mentioned in the photo’s notation and in the newspaper caption, was McPhersons, "...an Australian hardware firm, for many years a leading merchant of woodworking and metal-working machinery... [and founded by] Thomas McPherson (c.1823–1888) who had a home "Dudley House" at 142 Dudley Street, West Melbourne. [The] ironmongery business [was located] in 1860 at 149 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Merchandise carried included bells, lathes, horseshoes and steam engines." (Wikipedia - McPherson's Pty Ltd) Anyone who has read Robyn Annear’s excellent award-winning 2014 book Bearbrass – the name for early Melbourne - will remember only too well her description of West Melbourne, from where the city of Melbourne as we know it, emerged. Her book resurrects the village that was early Melbourne – from the arrival of white settlers in 1835 until the first gold rushes shook the town – and brings it to life in vivid colour. The McPherson family, whose arrival in Bearbrass coincides with this period (Thomas arrived in 1852), became intimately involved in the growth and development of Melbourne. Thomas was Mayor of Melbourne (1870-1871); his eldest son Hunter became a successful Sydney businessman; second son Edward and third son William inherited the company, and ran it together until 1896 when Edward killed himself. William had a notable career in politics as treasurer of Victoria 1917-1923, in which year he was knighted. 1928-1929 he was Premier of Victoria, and a noted philanthropist. The family were significant property owners in the city of Melbourne: 149 Spencer Street, 582-588 Collins Street, 554-566 Collins Street, together with a property on Jeffcott Street, West Melbourne, and factories in Sunshine, Tottenham, Kensington and Richmond – all by the mid 1940s. By that time they also had controlling interests in several Australasian industries, including Ajax Bolt and Rivet Pty Ltd of NZ, F W Hercus Manufacturing Co Ltd, manufacturers in South Australia of lathes, guillotines and other heavy machinery, also of Patience and Nicholson (P & N), manufacturers in Maryborough, Victoria, of twist drills and thread-forming tools; also Wiltshire Files on Sunshine Road, Tottenham, manufacturing files and rasps. The Acme Machine Tool Company became a branch of McPhersons, and the company claimed to have supplied, from their own manufacture, all five million rivets (some 3,600 tonnes) used in the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge – described as a steel through arch bridge, which opened in 1932; the tallest of its kind in the world (Wikipedia – Sydney Harbour Bridge) McPherson’s was also innovative in other ways. It published a comprehensive catalogue, extensively detailed with prices, available free of charge to farmers and other businesses. In 1908 it had 148 pages. By 1937 it had grown to 372 pages. The University of Melbourne’s Archives entry on McPherson’s Limited notes: "After the outbreak of the Second World War, McPherson’s factories worked at full capacity and were crucial to Australia’s war efforts. On 5 December 1944 McPherson's converted to a public company named McPherson's Ltd, with William Edward as Chairman of Directors. By the start of the 1950s the company had a very different Board of Directors; in 1947 the Managing Director Oliver Addison died, and his replacement Marshall Eady died only six months later. Both had been Directors since McPherson’s became a proprietary company in 1913. Another Director, Philip Bevan, died in 1948 and this was followed by the death of William Edward in 1950. S.B Holder, F.G. Thorpe, H.L. Hastie, F. Grassick and D.G. Syme all joined the Board before 1950. The company continued to prosper for many years after the death of William Edward. His son, William David, was invited to join the McPherson’s Ltd Board in 1951. He married Angela Cumming in 1955 and soon after was sent to Brisbane as Director in Charge to oversee the building of a new warehouse. The opening of this warehouse in Queensland meant that the company now had major outlets in five states. As time went on, manufacturing in Australia began to decline and imports of everyday tools began arriving from Asia. These tools were being produced with much lower labour costs and could be sold at cheaper prices. William David retired in 1984 and eventually parts of the company were divested, such as the Richmond Bolt Works which closed in the early 1990s. Since the 1980s, McPherson's has diversified into housewares, printing, and health and beauty care products." This article also contains photos, one of which is a photograph of 'Bolt works picnic' 1920, showing workers in their shirt sleeves participating in a tug of war in a rural "picnic" setting. McPherson’s premises at 554-566 Collins Street more than lasted the test of time and is listed as historically significant. The magnificent art deco building from the 1930s in the heart of Melbourne was first commissioned in 1934 and completed in 1937. It is an imposing building fronting almost a quarter of the city block between Spencer Street and King Street, and was designed to be a warehouse, office and showroom for the hardware empire. International architects Stuart P Calder, and Reid and Pearson designed the four-storey building with a basement level and a stair tower at the centre that provides access to what was a tennis court on the roof. It is considered an example of the streamlined modern style in Melbourne and shows how the McPherson company, protected from taxes after World War I, was able to manufacture goods without being affected by the competition. The building has survived, and its current iteration is as the home to il Mercato Centrale – an Italian style artisan market concept. The University of Melbourne Archives hold a particularly good image of the building from its heyday, complete with Collins Street lamps on the pavement outside the store. And to return to our image, sited at "Bolt Works of McPhersons". Today this segment of McPhersons is still very well known - Ajax. A good summary of the company’s history, and the development of the name and business, can be found on the Mine Suppliers Online website: "AJAX Fasteners can trace its heritage back to 1900, when the Acme Bolt Company was established in West Melbourne, Victoria. In 1909, William McPherson used the company as the basis for establishing McPherson’s Bolt Works – adopting the brand ‘Ajax’ – and moved it to Richmond. Over the years, the company changed many times in response to industry needs to ensure that it remained the premier manufacturer of high quality fasteners in Australia. Many other names in the industry, such as Firth Cleveland, Spurway Cooke and Nettlefolds were merged or acquired into the company. McPhersons ended their 80-year ownership of Ajax in the early 90s when they sold their shares to National Consolidated, which was also a major shareholder at the time. In 1997, Ajax Fasteners moved to new purpose-built premises in Braeside, Victoria. Soon after, National Consolidated was taken over by the diversified manufacturer Austrim. The group soon acquired the iconic Nylex, and adopted the name Nylex Corporation. In January 2007, ACME Operations Pty Ltd acquired Ajax Fasteners and continues to operate the business today from the Braeside plant. The name ACME provides a nostalgic return by the new owners to the company’s heritage, when the Acme Bolt Company was founded in July 1900." REFERENCES: BUREAU OF STEEL MANUFACTURERS OF AUSTRALIA. (1933, August 30). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204372874 Wikipedia, McPherson’s Pty Ltd, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McPherson%27s_Pty_Ltd Wikipedia, Richmond, Victoria, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_Victoria Industry: From the mid-19th century, Richmond was a centre of manufacturing industry, including many large complexes such as the Bryant & May match factory, Jaques Limited engineering works, the Wertheim Piano factory and Pelaco. Wikipedia, Sydney Harbour Bridge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge eMelbourne, Manufacturing, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00896b.htm 'New life for Melbourne's McPherson Building', The Urban Developer, https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mcphersons-building-melbourne-il-mercato-centrale-food-retail-destination Bureau Of Steel Manufacturers Of Australia Limited, http://www.bosma.org.au/ 'A Brief History of Steel Manufacturing in Australia', AST, https://astraders.com.au/a-brief-history-of-steel-manufacturing-in-australia/ 'Steel manufacturing in Australia: a brief history', Hard Bakka Steel Fabrication, https://www.hardbakka.com.au/component/virtuemart/steel-manufacturing-in-australia-a-brief-history?Itemid=494 McPherson's Limited, University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/58364 Source of Description: 'Nuts and Bolts: A story of a family and a firm', Barbara Hamer (2006), McPherson’s Printing Group 'Photograph of 'Bolt works picnic' 1920', University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/assets/display/1287217-max?u=dea2e4d2fd07ac822e624f1e7d39adb3 'Photograph of the exterior of the McPhersons Department store at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne.', University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/assets/display/1287215-max?u=12430d30453a77059b7d10d49006a521 Robyn Annear, Bearbrass: imagining early Melbourne, Black Inc., 2014 (originally published 1995 by Mandarin) 'Company details', Ajax Fasteners, http://www.minesuppliersonline.com.au/australia/braeside/hardware/ajax-fasteners 'Former McPherson's Building', Victorian Heritage Database, https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/741Photographer notations on slide: "Steel manuf'rs at McPherson's Ltd 1933 B5".1930-1939, industrial workers, clothing and dress, 1930, iron and steel industry, businesses, bridges, industry, melbourne, gold rush, moderne style architecture

The Ballarat Junior Technical School was established in 1913 as a division of the Ballarat School of Mines. It is a predecesor institution of Federation University Australia.Black cloth covered foolscap book with red leather spine and corners. The book is filled out by hand and includes the name of each student, the subjects they studied, their grade for each subject and a total. Each page is signed by Principal A.W. Steaneballarat junior technical school, exams, examinations, a.w. steane, steane, a.e. williams, a. northcott, r. borradale, h. wakeling, r. mcvitty, e. embling, w. skilbeck, c. brittain, r. bath, john dulfer, r. luikeis, allan bernaldo, a. whitla, r. hauffman, n. ellis, a. cutter, h. dodds, h. edmonds, j. deautschmann, j. landvogt, george leech, guido brelaz, roy kauffman, baily leslio, henry dodds, john landvogt, e. adamthwaite, alan billman, william deveux, thomas fry, ernest towsell, thomas wesley, h. barraclough, william baragwanath, rex kitchen, matt moralee, john breen, john garner, g. quigley, h. o'bern, sid chambers, frank prout, reginald crick, f. leask, v. coates, a. butterworth, claude gunnell, eugene lowe, cecil hart, thomas rees, sam prout, charles strachan, thomas stubb, fred ellsworth, cecil hood, vivian taylor, thomas wasley, william shattock, harry o'bern, victor coates, albert anstis, alex amiller, jospeh minster, h. hammer, l. featherstone, j. penhalluriack, r.j. selkirk, j.d. chard, a.s. begg, r. caldwell, w. lepp, arthur coates, hector gay, w.c.f. almeida, arthur pearce, john trethowan, john cowan, ivan ditchburn, a. boyce, a. pattendon, s. rowe, h. corne, j. skilbeck, e. wyatt, e. birt, r. young, lyle eves, hubert lazarus, harry david, john jude, raymond proctor, gustave j. zilles, david flockhart, richard j. young, alfred e. boyce, l. curnow, p. dance, e.f. rowe, h. holmes, c. hiscock

This hat belonged to Mr William Grant, Shire President of Bacchus Marsh. Mr Grant and his wife were invited to the opening of the first Federal Parliament held in the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, on the 9th May 1901. The opening was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later George V and Queen Mary) and 12,000 guests. Mr Grant's family were early settlers in Bacchus Marsh, and both he and his father were influential people in the town. They owned the property "Millbank". When William Grant died in 1924, his obituary in the 'Express' listed 17 public positions he held, including severaal terms as Shire President.This item has historical significance at a local, state and national level. It is representative of formal gentlemen's dress in the latter part of the 19th century/early 20th century.Gentleman's black shiny velour top hat with silk ribbon band, bound inside with leather sweat band, adjustable with silk ties. Inscription inside hat. Purple lining with gold embossing. Light canvas coated inside. Protective silver paper sweat band under leather sweat band.Inscription in gold inside hat reads "GREASE PROOF / Prize Medal" / Royal Insignia with motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" / "VENTILATED / AND / FELT BANDED".1910, top hat, gentlemen s fashion, mr grant, velour, ninteenth century attire, skilled hatter, upper class attire, formal wear, monopoly token, president bacchus marsh shire, federation celebrations 1910, federation, owner millbank, mad hatter, opening parliament 1910, royal exhibition building, original box, greaseproof prize medal royal isignia, the sea breeze, no 5044, size 6, 7 8

Metal container with cork stopper, coated with soft fabric material to create evaporative cooling when wetted, has an adjustable leather shoulder strap.ZL&Tt, 1942 broad arrow military insignia. (Zephyr Loom Textile were a Canadian company.water bottle

Brown quarter leather bound book with examinations results for students of the Ballarat School of Mines. non-fictionExamination results for a range of subjectsballarat school of mines, examination, alumni, j.b. robinson, practical chemistry, land surveying, assaying, mineralogy, metallurgy, geology, mining geology, building contruction, engineering, geometry, botany, mining, mechanics applied to mining, petrology, sound and light, steam and gas engines, engineering drawing, maxwell gaunt, a.s. ritchie, john adam, george hepburn, george cornell, godfrey hary, valentine anderson, john sutherland, william h. callister, lionel lambert, john currie, ferdnand g. krause, thomas lakeland, william troon, charles lund, richard cowles, glyndwr evans, norman buley, wilfred avery, norman lagerche, frederick l. treloar, arthur tandy, reginald callister, henry kofoed, david bonar, herbert j. semmens, a.d.r. galloway, william e. figgis, emma wardle, photography, leslie blick, leslie coulter, ernest heighway, henty whittingham, charles vale, james brokenshire, eric bieske, william baragwanath, harold cornell, j. raymond blight, george kidd, joseph mcgoldrick, samuel j. tongway, thomas k. sim, hevill tinworth, israel flegeltaub, oliver jaegar, charles flude, william burbridge, hubrt murphy, samuel mayo, ellen b. morris, elsie m. naples, jean rankin, hilda wardle, ernest morshead, arthur lilburne, herbert malin, robert serjeant, mollie o'dowd, robert w. allan, albert w. steane, leslie de j. grut, norman tinworth, robert m. serjeant jnr, vincent giuliano, william coates, allan bernaldo, loyal finch, john dulfer, william carroll, noel brelaz, guido brelaz, kathleen fisher

This felt bowler hat was partof Dr Angus' wardrobe. It 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” 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 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 ) According to Berry, her mother Gladys made a lot of their clothes. She was very talented and did some lovely embroidery including lingerie for her trousseau and beautifully handmade baby clothes. Dr Angus was a ‘flying doctor’ for the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service in 1928 . Its first station was 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 and purchased a share of the Nelson Street practice and Mira hospital (a 2 bed ward at the Nelson Street Practice) from Dr Les Middleton one of the Middleton Brothers, the current owners of what previously once Dr Tom Ryan’s practice. Dr Tom and his brother had worked as surgeons included eye surgery. Dr Tom Ryan performed many of his operations in the Mira private hospital on his premises. He had been 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 had 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. 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 is now mounted on the doorway to the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. When Dr Angus took up practice in the Dr Edward and Dr Tom Ryan’s old premises he obtained their extensive collection of historical medical equipment and materials spanning 1884-1926. A large part of this collection is now on display at the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. 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. and an ALDI sore is on the land that was once their tennis court). 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. (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 with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during WWII 1942-45, 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. He had an interest in people and the community They 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. Black bowler hat, part of the W.R. Angus Collection. English made gentleman's bowler hat, black pure fur felt, black ribbon hatband, brown leather sweatband, coffee coloured silk lining. Dr Angus' initiials W.R.A. punched into leather sweatband. Sold by Henry Buck Pty Ltd, Gentlemen's Outfitters, Melbourne. Gold embossed labels on sweatband and lining. Lining also has Australia’s Coat of Arms. Sweatband has punched letters “W R A” and gold embossed ‘PURE FUR FELT / Made in England” and "[logo] the sign of excellence. Stamped on linng, gold embossed “HENRY BUCK PTY LTD / Gentlemen’s Outfitters / 76 Swanston St Melbourne” and logo of Australia’s Coat of Arms. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, dr w r angus, dr ryan, surgical instrument, t.s.s. largs bay, warrnambool base hospital, nhill base hospital, mira hospital, flying doctor, felt bowler het, gentleman's hat, dr w.r. angus wardrobe, formal wear hat, henry buck pty ltd melbourne

Australian Army Officers Cap worn in the mid 20th century. These caps are not issued anymore and have been replaced by the slouch hat.Khaki Officer's Peak Cap, cloth material, leather band round the peak attached to the cap by two small round shaped gold in colour Australian Army cap buttons.Internal cap band is leather and joined at the centre back by a silk white ribbon. Internal leather band is secured at the rear by a white silk bowed ribbon. The inside water proof insert is inscribed Dept of Supply and CGCF (Commonwealth Government Clothing Factory) with the Commonwealth Coat of Arms in the centre of the inscriptions. Size 7 and one half.officer, cap, khaki,

1951 Commemorative Plaque (Centenary of Government in Victoria and Centenary of the Discovery of Gold) THE obverse side of this Medallion represents the three qualitities of democratic Government which makes the citizen's life worth living. Freedom, Justice and Equality. But the basic quality, through which Equality and Justice can be achieved or which results in Equality and Justice is FREEDOM. So the artist, in agreement with the sub-committee, selected a beautiful horse, gallantly bounding forward, his broken shackles still on his foreleg, carrying a woman representing Justice and a man representing Equality on its back. Without Freedom there is no Justice and Equality, but if there is Freedom, Justice and Equality are its natural results. The Stake on the reverse side represents strong democratic Government. Supported by it society grows and blossoms freely.Medal: OBVERSE: Depiction of a bucking horse with two nude riders. The first rider is a man wielding what appears to be a torch. The second rider is a blind folded woman wielding a sword. The horse has a broken shackle on the left foreleg. Information sheet in case. Case: Black leather, white satin lining and green velvet insert. Top bears gold coat of arm of Government of Victoria.Front: Equality and Justice through freedom. Back: CENTENARY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA 1851-1951 (edge) Presented to THE TOWN OF PORTLAND 1951 (engraved, centre)medal, commemorative, centenary, victoria

In 2024, while doing some renovations at the Orbost Customer Service Centre / Library, Council staff have found some boxes of old Orbost Municipal Band uniforms and flags which date back to the late 1970s (when it’s understood the band wound up). These items were offered to the O D Historical Society for its collection. A selection was made (3364). The first Orbost Brass Band was formed in 1889. Around 1908 the town band split and the Orbost Workers' Band was formed. Eventually the two bands merged in 1913 to reform as the Orbost Municipal Band under conductorship of Charles Spink. The band continued for many years but was later disbanded and again reformed. This was to happen a number of times, the last time being in 1961 and continuing through to the late 1970's. Also refer to items in the O D H S collection. Further info and Ref: In Times Gone By - Deborah Hall The items are significant because they are authentic parts of the Orbost Municipal Band. A number of items of clothing (cap, coat, gloves, jacket, badges, trousers), banner, insignias, whistle. These are all items associated with the Orbost Municipal Band. The costume items are all dark blue/black with gold and red trims. Gloves are white/cream gauntlet style. Whistle is silver. The banner is red background with gold trims and O M B appliqued. 3364.1 cap, dark blue with front visor, red ribbon decoration, 2 gold buttons on sides; large gold metal decoration of a lyre with crown on top a the front. 3364.2 pair of gloves, gauntlet style, white/cream leather, silver studs 3364.6 large jacket, dark blue/black, woollen, red epaulets on shoulders with gold buttons, 4 gold buttons on front, 6 on sleeves, gold braiding; drum badge on sleeves, 2 lyre badges; gold lanyard on right sleeve. Gold on black cloth badge on shoulders. A whistle is also with this jacket. 3364.4 small jacket, dark blue/black, woollen, red epaulets, gold studs, 2 lyre studs on lapels 3364.5 small trousers. dark blue/black, woollen. Red stripe down outside of both legs. 3364.3 a 41 cm square square red cloth banner, with gold fringe on the bottom, gold tassle on top with gold cord. Has O M B in large lettering appliqued to the banner. labels on clothing: F. Maxey & Son P/L - on cap Simpson's Gloves P/L Vic. - gloves Hersh's - on badges, also trousers, and jacket OMB - Orbost Municipal Band - on banner ORBOST - on cloth badges orbost municipal band, orbost bands

This outfit was worn for competitive riding by Nancy Bland in 1930's.A woman's riding costume. It consists of a brown felt cap (2524.1); a long-sleeved, hand-made black lined coat made of serge with two black buttons and two pockets (2524.2); a cotton cloth badge with "MLC" inside an eight-pointed star pinned to the coat (2524.3); a gold tie clasp with a horse and rider jumping through a horseshoe (2524.4); a black silk tie (2524.6); a hand-made black and white herringbone patterned waistcoat, lined with blue striped silk material (2524.7); a pair of light brown jodhpur style riding breeches with patching on the inside of legs (2524.8); a pair of black leather calf high riding boots with leather soles (2524.9 and 2524.10).2524.6 - "LOWES" 2524.8 - "Rankine & Dorrs Melbourne ARMY STORES REG"equestrian horses jodhpurs outfit-riding bland-nancy

This Post Office Receiving Pillar was restored in 1980 and is now a fully operational Australia Post mailbox. In early August 1980 Prime Minister Mr. Fraser posted Warrnambool’s first commemorative envelope into this restored Post Office Receiving Pillar at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The special limited edition envelopes are numbered 1 – 7000. When posted, the envelopes would have the Flagstaff Hill Logo and Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s own postmark of a ship’s steering wheel surrounding a lighthouse and a sailing ship, and were dated August 3 on the First Day Cover. Amongst Flagstaff Hill’s collection is that very first letter posted by Prime Minister Fraser. HISTORY OF POST OFFICE RECEIVING PILLARS In 1851 ‘pillar boxes’ were installed at roadside locations in the island of Jersey, England; they had already been successful in several European countries. The use of new prepaid, adhesive postage stamps as well as the roadside pillar boxes meant there was no need for the public to take a trip to the Post Office just to post a letter. By 1855 London had installed its first six Pillar Boxes. In 1856 the pillar boxes were first introduced in Sydney. These were circular with a crown on the dome, supported by leaves. Early Victoria Mail was originally collected by ‘letter carriers’, first appointed in Melbourne in 1841, equipped with leather bag and hand bell. He wore a red coat with brass buttons and a black top hat! In 1844 two wooden receiving boxes were erected in Melbourne. The first cast iron boxes were installed in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and were still in service until 1967. They were a fluted circular design and made in England. In the early 1860’s the ‘low door round’ design posting box was introduced, being circular and surrounded by a crown, with two broad embossed bands around its circumference. The clearance door was in front of the box and low down. These were made in Australia. In the early 1870’s square boxes with a tapering top were being used. These too were made in Australia by different manufacturers with slight variations on style such as the orientation and number of slots. Next came the circular boxes again, similar to the ‘low door round’ but with the clearance door extending to just below the posting slot, often referred to as ‘high door round’. These boxes did not have embossed bands. In 1887 small cast iron boxes were introduced, attached to posts and poles and called ‘lamp post receivers’. Around 1930 a ‘London’ model was used in Victoria. It was copied from the flat-domed type in London but made in Tasmania. [References: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village records, The Warrnambool Standard, August 1st, 1980, “Stamps.Au” http://www.stampsau.com, 4th April 2011 (Extracted from “Australian Street Posting Boxes” by Ken Sparks – out of print)] Post Office Receiving Pillar, or letterbox.1885 “High Door Round” design. Tall cast iron cylinder with decorative dome cap with crown on top. Side has a slot and a hinged door with handle shaped as a fist. Painted red with gold trim. “POST OFFICE / RECEIVING PILLAR” lettering cast into cylinder. Restored in 1980 and once again operating as an Australia Post mailbox. Commemorative plague on pillar.“POST OFFICE / RECEIVING PILLAR” lettering cast into cylinder. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum – Port of Warrnambool. This letter receiver was officially commissioned on 3rd August 1980 by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser M.P. on completion of 25 years’ service as the Federal Minister for Wannon.”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, post office receiving pillar, letterbox, mailbox, australia post