Showing 20 items matching "library at the dock"
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Mission to Seafarers VictoriaArticle, Docklands News, Lillie’s love letters, March 2015
... ...library at the dock...Mission to Seafarers Victoria 717 Flinders Street Docklands melbourne My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie Duncan exhibitions flinders street mission to seafarers docklands news lille duncan 2015 catherine mclay library at the dock city of melbourne my little melbourne girl Article published in Docklands News Lillie’s love letters Article Docklands News ...My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie DuncanArticle published in Docklands News exhibitions, flinders street, mission to seafarers, docklands news, lille duncan, 2015, catherine mclay, library at the dock, city of melbourne, my little melbourne girl -
Mission to Seafarers VictoriaPoster, My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie Duncan, 2015
... My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie Duncan was an exhibition curated by Catherine McLay and held at the Library at the Dock in 2015....Mission to Seafarers Victoria 717 Flinders Street Docklands melbourne My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie Duncan was an exhibition curated by Catherine McLay and held at the Library at the Dock in 2015. lillie duncan my little melbourne girl A4 size poster printed in colour with a photograph of Lillie Duncan. ...My Little Melbourne Girl, Exploring the love letters of Lillie Duncan was an exhibition curated by Catherine McLay and held at the Library at the Dock in 2015.A4 size poster printed in colour with a photograph of Lillie Duncan.lillie duncan, my little melbourne girl -
Eltham District Historical Society IncPhotograph - Digital Photograph, Marguerite Marshall, Eltham Library, Panther Place, Eltham, 18 April 2008
... Rear view of Eltham Library showing loading dock and ramp to the front of the building. ...Eltham District Historical Society Inc 728 Main Rd Eltham melbourne Rear view of Eltham Library showing loading dock and ramp to the front of the building. ...Rear view of Eltham Library showing loading dock and ramp to the front of the building. Designed by multi-award winning architect, Gregory Burgess, for which he won the 1995 Royal Australian Insitute of architects (Vic.) Merit Award in the New Institutional category. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p183 Award-winning Eltham Library, with its earthy tones blending into the nearby parklands, celebrates some of the best of Eltham’s spirit. Designed by multi-award winning architect, Gregory Burgess, the library at Panther Place, won him the 1995 Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Vic) Merit Award in the New Institutional category.1 The design is typical of Burgess’ work, emphasising natural materials and forms, and the integration of building and site.2 In its distinctive architectural character, Burgess celebrated the spirit of Eltham’s artist/architect Justus Jörgenson and mud-brick builder Alistair Knox. However this library, which opened in 1994, follows decades of efforts to acquire a suitable library for local residents. It was only in 1971 that Eltham acquired its first purpose-built library. In the 1930s books were borrowed from a mobile library run by Mr Foster of Bible Street. From the 1930s to the early 1950s, adults borrowed books from the newsagency and general store in Main Road (still a newsagency) near Arthur Street. As late as the 1950s, adults borrowed books in the shire office foyer, then in Main Road near the corner of Arthur Street.3 In the early 1950s the ratepayers voted for lower rates rather than a library, in a referendum to build a public library financed by higher rates. Children depended on volunteers for their library service until 1966. In 1946 the inaugural meeting of the Eltham War Memorial Trust’s Women’s Auxiliary, decided to support the Trust by raising funds to buy land and build a Children’s Library, Baby Health Centre and other facilities. The auxiliary formed the Children’s Library Committee, which included Mrs Morrison, Mrs Bow and Mrs Currie. They ran a library service in the stage area of the Eltham Hall, at the corner of Arthur Street and Main Road. In 1952 the books were relocated to a room in the newly opened Baby Health Centre on Main Road. Then in 1961, the Children’s Library received its own hall beside the Eltham Pre-School Centre on Main Road. From there, each month, volunteers delivered books to every school in the shire. In 1966 the Children’s Library closed after 17 years of service, following the transfer of the Trust land and buildings to the Shire of Eltham. The books were donated to nine schools in the shire and to Community Aid Abroad. An important boost to the library service came in 1965, when the Heidelberg Regional Library Service was formed by the City of Heidelberg with the Shires of Eltham and Diamond Valley. Its first library service for Eltham Shire was a bookmobile van. Books for children and adults were finally housed in one building in 1966, when the shire converted the Brinkkotter house in Dudley Street, into a library. At last in 1971, the Eltham Library moved to new premises attached to the shire offices near Panther Place. However these were demolished in 1996, by State Government appointed commissioners during council amalgamations. Meanwhile the Heidelberg Regional Library Service was disbanded in 1985 and the Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service was established. The burgeoning population brought pressure for a bigger library. Eltham was one of several municipalities in the 1970s and 1980s, battling with the State Government for adequate funding for public libraries. Funds were so tight, that in 1987 Eltham councillors threatened to close the library. However public petitions persuaded them to set aside funds to replace the cramped library facilities. In 1992 the Federal Government gave $887,496 towards the $3 million cost of the 1560 square metre library.4 The result is a light and spacious building with surrounding verandas, made of sustainable natural materials including earth and recycled and radially sawn timbers. It includes a gallery and function areas. In 2004 Mr Burgess won Australian architecture’s highest accolade: the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal. He has received more than forty professional and community awards.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, eltham library, panther place -
Federation University Historical CollectionMap - Ephemera, Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, c2006
... Barker Library (top floor) Mount Helen goldfields John So was Mayor of Melbourne from 2001-2008 Melbourne Southbank Melbourne Docks Fitzroy Carlton East Melbourne John So A brochure with a map of the Melbourne Central Business District. ...John So was Mayor of Melbourne from 2001-2008A brochure with a map of the Melbourne Central Business District.melbourne, southbank, melbourne docks, fitzroy, carlton, east melbourne, john so -
Federation University Historical CollectionNewspaper, Australasian Sketcher, 30 June 1884 to 01 November 1888, 1883 and 1888
... Barker Library (top floor) Mount Helen goldfields melbourne international exhibition Two copies of the Austakasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil .1) 30 June 1884 Includes articles on Archbishop Moran, Children's Hospital, Sherbourne Sheppard obituary, the Tichborne case Includes images of the Most Reverand P.F. Moran, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, New Sandridge Dock ...Two copies of the Austakasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil .1) 30 June 1884 Includes articles on Archbishop Moran, Children's Hospital, Sherbourne Sheppard obituary, the Tichborne case Includes images of the Most Reverand P.F. Moran, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, New Sandridge Dock, Cricketing news from home, sketches from the Children's Hospital, View of Napier New Zealand, F. Mills New Warehouse Launceston, Grace Park .2) 01 November 1888 Articles include: Australian animals Images include: Cadbury's cocoa advertisement, A Flemington Picture, Railway Surveying Wangaratta to Mansfield, H.M.S. Nelson Leaving Sydney, New Prince's Bridge, Wilson Hall, Victoria before gold, Fawkner's First Printing Office, Government House Melbourne, Sandridge, Hobson's Bay, Old Supreme Court Melbourne, Melbourne Town Hall, Ballarat in the 50, Geelong in 1840, Ballarat Church of Engand Cathedral, Melbourne Exhibition Building, Flemington Racecourse, the Australian Club, Sir Anthony Musgrave, Fisheries Court at the Centennial Exhibition; Professor Neumayer, Antarctic Exploration, Melbourne Town Hall Organmelbourne international exhibition -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation SocietyPhotograph - Town Pier, Sandridge, J W Lindt, 1870s
... Library Victoria (image b46977) Town Pier, Sandridge approx 1876-1894. A competitor to Railway Pier but without the rail facility. In the 20th Century it became limited to timber or collier ships. Pier demolished in 1950s. This image shows horse-drawn wagons being loaded and many sailing ships docked...Library Victoria (image b46977) Town Pier, Sandridge approx 1876-1894. A competitor to Railway Pier but without the rail facility. In the 20th Century it became limited to timber or collier ships. Pier demolished in 1950s. This image shows horse-drawn wagons being loaded and many sailing ships docked ...COPYRIGHT State Library Victoria (image b46977) Town Pier, Sandridge approx 1876-1894. A competitor to Railway Pier but without the rail facility. In the 20th Century it became limited to timber or collier ships. Pier demolished in 1950s. This image shows horse-drawn wagons being loaded and many sailing ships docked in the background. Image used in PMHPS calendar 2015 (July)piers and wharves - town pier, transport - horse, transport - shipping -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation SocietyDocument - Poem, re waterfront strikes of 1925 and 1928, Hogan's Flat, 1998
... Library of Victoria. George Dreyfus composed the first four verses for his TV series 'Waterfront'. The last two verses were written by Paddy McCorney(?), member of the Victorian Trade Union Choir to add to the rough relevance for the February 1998 dispute at Webb Dock....Library of Victoria. George Dreyfus composed the first four verses for his TV series 'Waterfront'. The last two verses were written by Paddy McCorney(?), member of the Victorian Trade Union Choir to add to the rough relevance for the February 1998 dispute at Webb Dock. ...Poem collected from Mrs Bowen by Composer Clive Douglas and included in her collection in State Library of Victoria. George Dreyfus composed the first four verses for his TV series 'Waterfront'. The last two verses were written by Paddy McCorney(?), member of the Victorian Trade Union Choir to add to the rough relevance for the February 1998 dispute at Webb Dock.Poem about Hogan's Flat and waterfront strikes of 1925 and '28piers and wharves - waterside workers, industrial disputes, ted hogan, allan whittaker -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation SocietyPhotograph - COR/BP tank farm clean-up, Alison Kelly, Aug 1990
... Library town planning - proposals shelved - bayside environment alison kelly Ink on back: 'A. Kelly 645 2324' Four colour photos of bulldozer working on clean up process on site of former COR/BP tank farm - view to south. Archivally mounted on vertical strip of white card and enclosed in mylar. Photos all looking south; views of equipment scooping out hydro-carbons, soil from pit filled with ground water; top to bottom: Williamstown and Webb Dock ...Shot when Alision Kelly was caretaker at the nearby 'Mission Art Centre' and displayed there and at the Port Melbourne LibraryFour colour photos of bulldozer working on clean up process on site of former COR/BP tank farm - view to south. Archivally mounted on vertical strip of white card and enclosed in mylar. Photos all looking south; views of equipment scooping out hydro-carbons, soil from pit filled with ground water; top to bottom: Williamstown and Webb Dock in background; white Toyota EAY-921 right foreground; close up; close up; Princes Pier in left backgroundInk on back: 'A. Kelly 645 2324'town planning - proposals shelved - bayside, environment, alison kelly -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.Book - THE NAVY LEAGUE ANNUAL
... Library View Street Alan H. Burgoyne, Editor A red hard covered book with an illustration of an anchor on the front cover. Titled ''The Navy League Annual.'' '' (corrected to October 10th, 1909). Founded and edited by Alan H. Burgoyne. :The Fleet of England is her all in all.'-Tennyson. Third year of issue. Part 1 The Editor Part 11Lord Elcho; Graf Ernst Von Reventlow; Hector C. Bywater; Maurice Loir, Secretaire Central de la Ligue Maritime Francaise; Satori Kato; Maxime Laubeuf, late Engineer in-Chief of the French Navy; J. Alec Mitchell; ''Naval Constructor''; 'Blue Peter.' Part 111 List of ships, comparative, statistical, dock ...A red hard covered book with an illustration of an anchor on the front cover. Titled ''The Navy League Annual.'' '' (corrected to October 10th, 1909). Founded and edited by Alan H. Burgoyne. :The Fleet of England is her all in all.'-Tennyson. Third year of issue. Part 1 The Editor Part 11Lord Elcho; Graf Ernst Von Reventlow; Hector C. Bywater; Maurice Loir, Secretaire Central de la Ligue Maritime Francaise; Satori Kato; Maxime Laubeuf, late Engineer in-Chief of the French Navy; J. Alec Mitchell; ''Naval Constructor''; 'Blue Peter.' Part 111 List of ships, comparative, statistical, dock and ordnance tables : The Editor.'' October 21st (Trafalgar Day), 1909. London John Murray, Albemarle Street, W. 279pgs. (ii.)Alan H. Burgoyne, Editorbooks, military, navy, book, books, ships, shipping, navy, navies, war, warships, battleships, bendigo free library view street -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and VillagePhotograph - Vessels, Sailing Ships, Circa 1910 - 1913
... It has been identified as the "Dimsdale" by the original owner of this photograph and by the website "Photos of the Past" which have an identical copy of the photo, however the State Library of South Australia (who also have an identical copy of the photograph) have identified the date of the photograph as 1910 and the ship as the "Ainsdale". The "Dimsdale" and the "Lobo" were recorded several times in the local shipping news as being docked at the Port of Adelaide, at the same time, during the years 1912 and 1913, whereas the "Ainsdale" wasn't in Adelaide very often but was recorded as coming in and out of the Port of Adelaide in the years 1915 and 1916. ...It has been identified as the "Dimsdale" by the original owner of this photograph and by the website "Photos of the Past" which have an identical copy of the photo, however the State Library of South Australia (who also have an identical copy of the photograph) have identified the date of the photograph as 1910 and the ship as the "Ainsdale". The "Dimsdale" and the "Lobo" were recorded several times in the local shipping news as being docked at the Port of Adelaide, at the same time, during the years 1912 and 1913, whereas the "Ainsdale" wasn't in Adelaide very often but was recorded as coming in and out of the Port of Adelaide in the years 1915 and 1916. ...This photograph was one of ten photographs donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village by Fred Trewartha. Frederick John Fox Trewartha (Fred) was a well-known Warrnambool businessman. He was born in Beeac near Geelong in 1920 and came to Warrnambool with his family as a very young child. He was apprenticed to his father John, as a saddler and later opened his own shop on Raglan Parade. He then moved into working with tarpaulins and canvases for the trucking industry. Fred was keenly interested in photography (and was a member of the Warrnambool Cine Club), yachting and boat building. He kept his yacht moored at Port Fairy for many years and participated in sailing events locally and interstate. He also built boats with his sons. He had the opportunity to meet many older sailors and it's thought this photo (and others in the set) may have been given to him by one of these men. Fred Trewartha died in 2016 in Warrnambool. There is some conflict re the identity of the ship in the foreground of this photograph. It has been identified as the "Dimsdale" by the original owner of this photograph and by the website "Photos of the Past" which have an identical copy of the photo, however the State Library of South Australia (who also have an identical copy of the photograph) have identified the date of the photograph as 1910 and the ship as the "Ainsdale". The "Dimsdale" and the "Lobo" were recorded several times in the local shipping news as being docked at the Port of Adelaide, at the same time, during the years 1912 and 1913, whereas the "Ainsdale" wasn't in Adelaide very often but was recorded as coming in and out of the Port of Adelaide in the years 1915 and 1916. On February 25th 1916, the two ships (the "Ainsdale" and "Lobo") were both in the Port of Adelaide at the same time, but the "Ainsdale" was loading at Outer Harbor and the "Lobo" was discharging timber at Corporation Wharf. The "Ainsdale" was owned by the same firm that had owned the "Dimsdale". The Dimsdale was a three masted steel ship built in 1890 by C. J. Bigger of Londonderry. It became notorious when it struck the Wonga Shoal lighthouse near Port Adelaide on the night of 17th November 1912, destroying the structure and killing two lighthouse keepers. The accident was investigated by the Marine Board, the Coroner, the Police Court, the Admiralty Court and by the Criminal Courts of South Australia where the Captain (John Jones) was charged with manslaughter and found "not guilty". The Dimsdale was sold to a Norwegian firm and its name was changed to "Kwango". It sank in 1915 near the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The "Lobo" was a well known "windjammer" trading from the Port of Adelaide to other parts of the world. For a number of years it was employed in the New Zealand and Tasmanian services, after which it made several voyages to North America. It was an iron barque of 945 tons, built at Sunderland in 1877 by Osbourne, Graham and Company. On October 18th 1916, the Lobo (owned by Walter and Morris, timber merchants) was on a voyage from Parapato (Mozambique) to New York with a cargo of mango bark and ebony, when it struck rocks and ran aground 30 miles east of the Angoche River in Portuguese East Africa. A detailed account of the incident, written by Mrs Murchison (the Captains wife who was on board with her two year old son) was published in the Adelaide newspaper "The Mail" on Saturday 9th December 1916. She, and several of the crew were put in a boat early in the morning and sent away from the wreck. Several hours later, they were joined by Captain Murchison and the remainder of the crew. They were in their small open boats for several hours before landing on a small uninhabited island where they remained for several days before being picked up by another vessel and taken back to Parapato. The captain was able to obtain a position on a steamer which took him and his wife and child back to England.This photograph is significant as a record of the world wide mercantile trade Australia was engaged in at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century and as a record of the dangers faced by the crews of these ships.A black and white photograph showing two large sailing ships moored at a dock. There are industrial buildings in the background (one has smoke coming from its chimney) and several smaller craft (a rowing boat, two small boats that may be tugs and a little yacht) at the side of the ships. Pylons can be seen in the water and a metal fence is in the bottom right corner. On the back of the photo the words "Ship Dimsdale" and "Bk Lobo" are written diagonally across the top left corner in pencil. A beige paper label has been attached to the top right corner with the words "Dimsdale at Port Adelaide" and "Port Adelaide Historical Society may be interested" written in black ballpoint pen."Ship Dimsdale" / "Bk Lobo" ""Dimsdale" / at Port Adelaide" "- Port Adelaide Historical /Society may be / interested"warrnambool, dimsdale, lobo, barque lobo, port of adelaide, kwango, wonga shoal lighthouse, fred trewartha, ainsdale, frederick john fox trewartha, captain john jones, windjammer, iron barque, parapato -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and VillagePhotograph - Ship's crew, HMAS Warrnambool J202, 1941
... docked in the Warrnambool harbour at Lady Bay. The crew came ashore and performed a march for the city. The Mayor, Cr. John R Astbury presented them with a plaque of the City of Warrnambool’s Coat of Arms and the Warrnambool Patriotic Fund gave them a gift of 110 books for the crew’s library. ...docked in the Warrnambool harbour at Lady Bay. The crew came ashore and performed a march for the city. The Mayor, Cr. John R Astbury presented them with a plaque of the City of Warrnambool’s Coat of Arms and the Warrnambool Patriotic Fund gave them a gift of 110 books for the crew’s library. ...This photograph shows the crew of the first HMAS Warrnambool (J202) marching east along Timor Street in Warrnambool, just opposite the Post Office on the corner of Gillies Street. People are watching the parade from the footpath and two boys, dressed in their ‘best’ clothes, are marching alongside the crew. The HMAS Warrnambool was one of 60 Bathurst class corvette vessels built during World War II for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as armed minesweepers. The namesake of the City of Warrnambool, Victoria, was launched in Sydney in 1941. The HMAS Warrnambool began service with patrols off Bass Strait in 1941. In December the ship docked in the Warrnambool harbour at Lady Bay. The crew came ashore and performed a march for the city. The Mayor, Cr. John R Astbury presented them with a plaque of the City of Warrnambool’s Coat of Arms and the Warrnambool Patriotic Fund gave them a gift of 110 books for the crew’s library. The Warrnambool served in Darwin during the time it was bombed, it was involved in several rescues and carried troops to New Guinea, it carried out escort and patrol duties on Australia's east coast, then at Fremantle and back to Darwin. The ship was at Timor when the Japanese surrendered in 1945. It performed mine clearance work around the Solomon Islands and New Guinea after the war. In 1947 the HMAS Warrnambool was at the Great Barrier Reef, off the Queensland coast, to clear the defensive British mines previously laid to protect Australia’s boarders. The ship hit a mine near Cockburn Reef, exploded and sank shortly afterwards. One of the 70 or so men on board was killed and three died later. The rescued men were transferred by boats to the nearby HMAS Swan II, which took the survivors to Cairns. The four deceased were Victorian seamen. In May 1948 the Royal Australian Navy divers recovered a number of items from the wreck, including the ship’s bell and the City of Warrnambool plaque. In 1949 the RAN returned the plaque to the Warrnambool City Council, and donated the ship’s bell to the Australian War Memorial. Further objects were recovered in 1972-75 by Southern Cross Diving and Salvage. A memorial plaque was erected in Warrnambool on September 13, 1995 in honour of all who served on HMAS Warrnambool. NOTE: (1)- HMAS Warrnambool II (FCPB204 was built in 1980 in Cairns, with a compliment of 22 personnel. It was decommissioned in 2005. (2)- SS Warrnambool, a steam and sail ship, was built in 1892 in London and broken up in 1926. [A more detailed history can be found in our Collection Record 3477.]This photograph is significant for its association with the lifesaving rescue of the crew and the sinking Royal Australian Navy vessel, HMAS Warrnambool (J202). The HMAS Warrnambool played a nationally significant role in overturning Australia’s Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (colloquially known as the White Australia policy). The ship rescued, and brought to Australia, Samuel and Annie Jacob and their family after they evacuated Dutch East India. The family was threatened with deportation and made the first successful appeal to High Court regarding that Act. The HMAS Warrnambool has - Local significance for being the namesake of the City of Warrnambool - Local significance, having docked in Warrnambool Harbour - Local significance, the crew having paraded in Timor Street, Warrnambool - State significance for its first patrol being in Bass Strait. - National significance, being present in Timor at the Japanese surrender - National significance, shown by the significance of the ship’s bell being curated as Military Heritage and Technology at the Australian War Memorial. - National significance as part of Australia’s defence force history, being one of only four Bathurst class corvettes lost while in Australian service, the only Bathurst class corvette lost after World War II, the only RAN vessel to be sunk by a mine, and associated with the last four Navy deaths of WWIIPhotograph of the crew of HMAS Warrnambool J202. This black and white image shows the crew marching east along Timor Street in Warrnambool. People are watching from the footpath and two formally dressed boys are marching alongside the sailors. Inscription on the reverse.(PRIVATE details - See Notes)flagstaff hill, maritime village, maritime museum, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, mort's dock & engineering co ltd, h.m.a.s. warrnambool, hmas warrnambool, hmas warrnambool i, hmas warrnambool j202, hmas swan ii, j202, world war ii, bathurst class corvette, royal australian navy, ran, sydney built ship, bass strait patrol, sea mine patrol, mine sweeper, mine clearance, navy divers, great barrier reef, cockburn reef, southern cross diving and salvage, warrnambool city council, cr j r astbury, mayor j r astbury, warrnambool patriotic fund, seal, coat of arms, dedicatory plaque, hmas warrnambool 1941, shipwreck by sea mine 1947, sinking ship, sunk ship, marching, parade, timor street warrnambool, minesweeper -
Federation University Historical CollectionBook, Railway Practice: a collection of working plans and practical details of construction in the public works of the most celebrated engineers, 1847 (exact)
... Library (top floor) Mount Helen goldfields Samuel Charles Brees (S. C. Brees) was a civil engineer, architect, painter, author and surveyor. He was born in Great Britain in either 1809 or 1810. He designed the greater part of the London to Birmingham railway line. He published two technical books called Railway Practice in 1837 and 1840. In 1830 he won the architectural gold medal of the London Society of Arts for a village church design. Brees died in the West Indian docks ...A green cloth hard cover book. Title and author's name are engraved in gold on spine. This is the 3rd edition, first series with black and white illustrations. It describes the engineering practices of the early days of British railroads. The book includes (series 1 to 4)and it contains, roads, tramroads and railroads, bridges, aqueducts, viaducts, wharfs, warehouses, roofs, and sheds, canals, locks, sluices, & the various works on rivers, streams, etc., harbours, docks, piers and jetties, tunnels, cuttings and embankments, the several works connected with the drainage of marshes, marine sands, and the irrigation of land, water-works, gas-works, water-wheels, mills, engines.civil engineering, railway practice, rail constructions, s c brees, western railway great britain, public works, railroads, canals, s.c. brees, samuel brees, samuel charles brees -
Federation University Historical CollectionBook - Annual Report, H Thacker, The Geelong Harbor Trust Commissioners' Third Report for the year ending 31st December 1908, 1909
... Library (top floor) Mount Helen goldfields In 1908 the Geelong Harbor Trust commissioners were George Frederick Holden, Edward Harewood Lascelles and James Hill. The officers were Walter S. Crowle (Secretary), A.C. McKenzie (Engineer), Captain G.A. Molland (Harbor Master), E.R. Hitch, (Assistant Harbor Master, Portarlington.) geelong harbour trust commissioners report finance properties dredging portarlington barwon heads ocean grove shipping engineer's report assets liabilities harbor trust geelong harbor trust grain shipping berthage corio quay cool stores dock accomodation floating plant hopetoun channel moorabool pier shed sparrovale irrigation farm thomas gibson-carmichael Yarra Pier Cargo Seal of the Geelong Harbour Trust Commissioners Red soft covered foolscap report of 101 pages. ...In 1908 the Geelong Harbor Trust commissioners were George Frederick Holden, Edward Harewood Lascelles and James Hill. The officers were Walter S. Crowle (Secretary), A.C. McKenzie (Engineer), Captain G.A. Molland (Harbor Master), E.R. Hitch, (Assistant Harbor Master, Portarlington.)Red soft covered foolscap report of 101 pages. Includes two photographic reproductions of teh New Cargo Shed on Yarra Pier, and Twin S.S. "G.F. Holden" (formerly the 'Pelican' (built in 1898 by Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley, England, for the Western Australian Government).Seal of the Geelong Harbour Trust Commissionersgeelong, harbour trust, commissioners, report, finance, properties, dredging, portarlington, barwon heads, ocean grove, shipping, engineer's report, assets, liabilities, harbor trust, geelong harbor trust, grain shipping berthage, corio quay, cool stores, dock accomodation, floating plant, hopetoun channel, moorabool pier shed, sparrovale irrigation farm, thomas gibson-carmichael, yarra pier cargo -
Sunshine and District Historical Society IncorporatedPhotograph - Deer Park Engineering 800 Ballarat Road Deer Park 1972 Photograph, 3rd July 1972
... Brimbank Library, 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine 3020. melbourne Deer Park Engineering Pty Ltd was a heavy‑engineering firm located at 800 Ballarat Road, Deer Park, Victoria. The company specialised in heavy engineering and fabrication, for example cranes for the Melbourne Docks. ...Deer Park Engineering Pty Ltd was a heavy‑engineering firm located at 800 Ballarat Road, Deer Park, Victoria. The company specialised in heavy engineering and fabrication, for example cranes for the Melbourne Docks. The company was founded by John Ure in 1942, as a heavy engineering and machinery manufacturing company.These photographs capture the size of some the company's heavy engineering projects. In this case, this beam was part of Melbourne Port Swanson Dock No 2 Container Crane. The Melbourne’s No. 2 Container Crane is one of the early ship‑to‑shore (STS) container cranes installed at Swanson Dock in the early 1970s, shortly after the port opened for containerisation in 1969–1970. These cranes were among the first in Australia and were essential to the launch of container shipping in Melbourne.deer park engineering, ballarat road, deer park, john ure -
Victorian Railway History LibraryBook, Carter, Mark, Port Dock Station Railway Museum, 1992
... Victorian Railway History Library 39 St Edmonds Rd Prahran Prahran railway and tramway preservation - Australia Mile End railway museum - South Australia Details about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabilia ill, p.40. ...Details about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabiliaill, p.40.non-fictionDetails about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabiliarailway and tramway preservation - australia, mile end railway museum - south australia -
Victorian Railway History LibraryBook, Carter, Mark et al, South Australian Diesel Pictorial the 80s, 1990
... Victorian Railway History Library 39 St Edmonds Rd Prahran Prahran Locomotives - South Australia - history diesel locomotives - Commonwealth Railways - Australia A history of diesel locomotives on the Australian National network in South Australia in the 1980s. ill, maps, p.94. South Australian Diesel Pictorial the 80s Book Carter, Mark Grant, Bob Kirk, John Sampson, Robert Port Dock ...A history of diesel locomotives on the Australian National network in South Australia in the 1980s.ill, maps, p.94.non-fictionA history of diesel locomotives on the Australian National network in South Australia in the 1980s.locomotives - south australia - history, diesel locomotives - commonwealth railways - australia -
Victorian Railway History LibraryBook, Thompson, Malcolm, Rails Through Swamp & Sand, 1972
... Victorian Railway History Library 39 St Edmonds Rd Prahran Prahran Railroad construction - South Australia - history railroad operations - South Australia - history The history of the railway to Port Adelaide in South Australia. ill, maps, p.112. Rails Through Swamp & Sand Book Thompson, Malcolm Port Dock ...The history of the railway to Port Adelaide in South Australia.ill, maps, p.112.non-fictionThe history of the railway to Port Adelaide in South Australia.railroad construction - south australia - history, railroad operations - south australia - history -
City of Melbourne LibrariesPhotograph, Bull, Hugh Jones, 1897-1993, Japanese woodblock prints
... Libraries 122 George Street East Melbourne melbourne A DECK GALLERY FOR JAPANESE PRINTS. A unique exhibition of Japanese Prints was opened yesterday on Japanese ship Kamo Maru.These pictures are the property of the captain of the Kamo Maru Captain T. Takahata, and are displayed in a specially arranged gallery on the deck of the ship now berthed at No. 13 Victoria Dock ...A DECK GALLERY FOR JAPANESE PRINTS. A unique exhibition of Japanese Prints was opened yesterday on Japanese ship Kamo Maru.These pictures are the property of the captain of the Kamo Maru Captain T. Takahata, and are displayed in a specially arranged gallery on the deck of the ship now berthed at No. 13 Victoria Dock. A picture on board yesterday after noon. (Inset) - One of many fine works by Utaguard Toyokuni who died in 1825. Photographer notations on slide: "B21" Published: 23 February 1934 Published title: A DECK GALLERY FOR JAPANESE PRINTS. Published caption: A unique exhibition of Japanese Prints was opened yesterday on Japanese ship Kamo Maru.These pictures are the property of the captain of the Kamo Maru Captain T. Takahata, and are displayed in a specially arranged gallery on the deck of the ship now berthed at No. 13 Victoria Dock. A picture on board yesterday after noon. (Inset) - One of many fine works by Utaguard Toyokuni who died in 1825. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203376863 Description: Japanese woodblock prints, probably belonging to Captain Takahata of the Japanese passenger and cargo ship Kamo Maru, who displayed his Japanese Woodblock prints in a special on-board gallery when it visited Melbourne during 1933 and 1934. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Plate MCK025 shows a number of Japanese woodblock prints. Three are of traditional “samurai” or Kabuki-style Japanese men in traditional dress and hairstyle; one is a composite of four different prints: two men and two women (samurai/geisha) in traditional dress. There are also several prints appearing to depict traditional scenes of indoor and outdoor life in Japan in the Edo period. An article appeared in The Age in February 1934, covering the visit to Melbourne of Captain T Takahata on the Japanese ship the Kamo Maru. An accompanying photo shows several women, in coats and hats, and a man, closely inspecting a gallery hang of Japanese woodblocks. Inset is a single image of a Kabuki theatre performer, a detail from the full photograph as shown in our slide. This work is attributed to Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1823), who was mostly known for his prints relating to kabuki theatre and the actors’ dramatic postures. Japanese Kabuki theatre features heavily stylised performances, glamorous, highly decorated costumes and elaborate make-up worn by its performers. It was particularly popular in the Edo period (1615-1868), as was woodblock printing, after its earlier introduction from China around 150 years earlier. Woodblock printing in Japan is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre of single sheet images (although books were also created) which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna, and erotica. The term ukiyo-e translates as 'picture[s] of the floating world'. This expression could be confusingly translated as meaning ‘a world of sorrow and grief’, 'erotic’ or ‘stylish’, and later came to describe the hedonistic spirit of the lower classes of the 17th century. Asai Ryōi celebrated this spirit in the novel Ukiyo Monogatari (Tales of the Floating World), c. 1661: “[L]iving only for the moment, savouring the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms, and the maple leaves, singing songs, drinking sake, and diverting oneself just in floating, unconcerned by the prospect of imminent poverty, buoyant and carefree, like a gourd carried along with the river current: this is what we call ukiyo.” (Wikipedia: 'Ukiyo-e') Mass production of woodblocks during the Edo period was due to high literacy rates: 100% for samurai and 50-60% for farmers. Consequently, cheaper books were produced in large numbers. In the 18th century, Suzuki Harunobu established the technique of multicolor woodblock printing called nishiki-e and greatly developed Japanese woodblock printing culture such as ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e influenced European Japonisme and Impressionism. Yoshitoshi was called the last great ukiyo-e master, and his cruel depictions and fantastic expressions influenced later Japanese literature and anime. However today the best known exponents from the period are probably Hokusai and Hiroshige.The price of one ukiyo-e at that time was about 20 mon, and the price of a bowl of soba noodles was 16 mon, so the price of one ukiyo-e was several hundred yen to 1000 yen in today's currency. 'Wikipedia: Ukiyo-e' states: “Japanese art, and particularly ukiyo-e prints, came to influence Western art from the time of the early Impressionists. Early painter-collectors incorporated Japanese themes and compositional techniques into their works as early as the 1860s: the patterned wallpapers and rugs in Manet's paintings were inspired by the patterned kimono found in ukiyo-e pictures, and Whistler focused his attention on ephemeral elements of nature as in ukiyo-e landscapes. Van Gogh was an avid collector, and painted copies in oil of prints by Hiroshige and Eisen. Degas and Cassatt depicted fleeting, everyday moments in Japanese-influenced compositions and perspectives. ukiyo-e's flat perspective and unmodulated colours were a particular influence on graphic designers and poster makers. Toulouse-Lautrec's lithographs displayed his interest not only in ukiyo-e's flat colours and outlined forms, but also in their subject matter: performers and prostitutes. He signed much of this work with his initials in a circle, imitating the seals on Japanese prints. Other artists of the time who drew influence from ukiyo-e include Monet, La Farge, Gauguin, and Les Nabis members such as Bonnard and Vuillard. French composer Claude Debussy drew inspiration for his music from the prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige, most prominently in La mer (1905). Imagist poets such as Amy Lowell and Ezra Pound found inspiration in ukiyo-e prints; Lowell published a book of poetry called Pictures of the Floating World (1919) on oriental themes or in an oriental style.” An awareness of and interest in this style of art seems to have been well established by the time Captain Takahata brought his sailing gallery to Australia in the 1930s. The Age article “Colour Prints from Japan” on 22 February 1934 p. 13, consists predominantly of a sophisticated curatorial assessment of the woodblock style and detailed artist and style information, which is remarkable for its in-depth analysis. The writer even draws attention to the existence of female woodprint artists. It has been difficult to verify those noted in this article, but worth drawing attention to the work produced by the daughter of Hokusai, Katsushika Oi, which is documented and has gained attention within Japan and elsewhere. Captain Takahata may have been quite the ambassador: adverts in Australian quarterly magazine, The Home, promoted regular cruises out of Melbourne and Sydney via Queensland, Thursday Island, Phillippines and Hong Kong to Japan at a cost of £90 for a round trip via Yokohama.(The Home, 1 August 1936, pages 76 and 79). It is reported in one of the many newspapers articles printed during 1933/1934 about Captain Takahata and his collection, that he inherited it, and it was not for sale even at an offered £10,000. However, one article makes mention of him scouring antique shops in rural Japan to add to the collection! And even enlisting the help of his children in the hunt. The collection totalled 11,000 prints and apparently 1,500 travelled with him when he sailed. These numbers do differ between reports, but his collection was undoubtedly large, and Captain Takahata enjoyed lecturing on the subject, explaining that each print was handmade. It took painstaking work over months to create the delicate colour tones, with a block being created for each colour used, and transferred onto specially prepared paper. Many of the designs are symbolic, and even those representing figures and scenes have a narrative basis, or represent traditional incidents in the life and history of Japan. (See Japanese Prints, The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 July 1934). In Brisbane in October 1934, The Courier Mail noted that Captain Takahata, now on the Yusen Kaisha steamer ‘Atsuta Mam’ (a sister ship to Kamo Maru) arrived with another 100 prints in his possession, and that he spent his spare time mounting and cataloguing his treasures. One of his new additions dated from 1787 and Captain Takahata “said that it was the only woodcut to depict eyelashes, and with the aid of a magnifying glass, he showed the extremely fine lines around the eyes of the three Japanese ladies on the print.” References: COLOR PRINTS FROM JAPAN. (1934, February 22). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20338088 A DECK GALLERY FOR JAPANESE PRINTS. (1934, February 23). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203376863 JAPANESE WOOD-CUTS. (1934, July 14). Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Sydney, NSW : 1891 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161150580 JAPANESE PRINTS. (1934, July 14). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved February 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28024038 RARE WOOD-PRINTS FROM JAPAN (1934, July 16). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 20. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243171208 JAPANESE WOODPRINTS. (1934, July 14). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28023902 11,000 RARE WOODCUTS (1934, October 11). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 18. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35647690 A DECK GALLERY FOR JAPANESE PRINTS. (1934, February 23). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203376863 RARE JAPANESE PRINTS (1934, July 11). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36723139 Wikipedia: 'Ukiyo-e', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e Wikipedia: 'Woodblock printing in Japan', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodblock_printing_in_Japan Wikipedia: 'Utagawa Toyokuni', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utagawa_Toyokuni Wikipedia: 'Kabuki', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki 'Digital Humanities and Japanese History',https://dh.japanese-history.org/2020-spring-women-in-japanese-history/japanese-women-artists-of-the-edo-period/ '25 Famous Painters in Japanese Art', https://dh.japanese-history.org/2020-spring-women-in-japanese-history/japanese-women-artists-of-the-edo-period/ 'Nyk Kamo Maru', https://blog.shipwatcher.com/index.php/nyk-kamo-maru/ The Home : an Australian quarterly Retrieved March 4, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-386036987 : Volume 17, No. 8, 1 August 1936.Photographer notations on slide: "B21".japan, prints, ships, art -
City of Melbourne LibrariesPhotograph (item), Bull, Hugh Jones, 1897-1993, Unloading timber at Victoria Dock, 1933
... Libraries 122 George Street East Melbourne melbourne Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5" Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), Tuesday 15 August 1933 MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 16, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Published title: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA Published Caption: Age Tue 15 Aug 1933 Caption: Unloading Mahogany Logs brought from Manila, Philippine Islands, by the steamer Taiping, which berthed yesterday at Victoria Dock. ...Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5" Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), Tuesday 15 August 1933 MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 16, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Published title: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA Published Caption: Age Tue 15 Aug 1933 Caption: Unloading Mahogany Logs brought from Manila, Philippine Islands, by the steamer Taiping, which berthed yesterday at Victoria Dock. The vessel discharged twenty logs, each weighing three tons, the first shipment of this type of timber landed in Melbourne. Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: This photograph in many ways epitomises Melbourne in the 1930s. It is a time of enormous growth, development and change. But before delving into that, the photo itself is very powerful. The huge mahogany logs being unloaded appear to be so heavy that the ship itself seems to list to port as they are craned over the side. They are being levered into a cart to which two large and sturdy Clydesdale horses are hitched. In contrast to the traditional horses, the wharf is crisscrossed with modern railway tracks. Unloading is both mechanical and manual, and the scene is one of intense interest to a young boy bystander. The ship appears to be squat and solid, but the whole image also gives a feeling of movement and intensity. The mahogany being delivered to Melbourne would be intended for high quality furniture. In the 1930s Australia actually had a growing timber industry, but much of the eucalyptus wood was being utilised for mass produced furniture, and much of this furniture would then have had a veneer applied to it. The fact that it was economic to import this timber from the “Philippine Islands” – not a traditional trading market for Australia – reflects a Victorian economy that was strong enough to support a growing demand for good quality furniture Mahogany was described as a classic, strong hardwood, often used for dark opulent furniture. In the 1930s the importation of timber from Manila (Philippines) to Australia was a notable trade, particularly in Philippine Lauan (often referred to as Philippine Mahogany), which was used as a cheaper alternative to other hardwoods. 1930s furniture, dominated by the art deco style, used a mix of luxurious exotic woods like mahogany, macassar and ebony for high-end pieces, often veneered over less expensive woods such as walnut, birch and poplar, and with plywood, chrome and lacquer also popular for more practical, streamlined designs during the Depression era. By the mid 1930s timber mills were being relocated away from the immediate dock area, but the fact that these logs were being transported by horse-drawn cart implies that the load would not have had to be taken too far for milling. 1885 the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners had decided that land in or near the city was far too valuable to be used as timber yards. Furthermore, large stacks of timber posed a fire risk. The Trust asked the Victorian Government to reserve a site on the east side of the Yarra River opposite Yarraville and Spotswood. Here, in 1889, the Trust began building six jetties and a wharf specifically for the landing of timber. Clydesdale horses were initially brought to Victoria from Tasmania in the 1830s, and with the 1850s gold rush they were imported direct from Scotland. Melbourne was from its earliest years an important centre of horse-breeding from both imported and colonial-bred stock, providing the well-built draught horse for pulling heavily loaded wagons, the harness horse for delivery work and drawing coaches, and the saddle-horse used for riding. Stud breeding facilities were advertised from the early 1840s. By the 1870s the horse export trade was thriving, and the Port of Melbourne was the country's busiest exporter of horses to Indian, Asian and New Zealand markets. Kirk's Melbourne Horse and Carriage Bazaar in Bourke Street first advertised for business in 1840, and by the 1850s Bourke Street West was famed for its horse bazaars and saleyards. The Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society reports that Clydesdale working horses were a vital part of Melbourne's infrastructure and agricultural industry in the 1930s, when they reached the peak of their popularity despite the increasing competition from mechanization. Their main roles and usage at this time were: • City Delivery: Clydesdales were a common sight for metropolitan deliveries, particularly for breweries (such as Carlton & United Breweries), milk runs, and bread deliveries. • Industrial Work: They were heavily used for hauling cargo at the docks, in construction, and at specialized sites like the Truganina Explosives Reserve, where they pulled wagons. • Agriculture: In surrounding rural areas, they were the primary power source for ploughing and agricultural machinery. • Specialization: By the 1930s, the Clydesdale was smaller and more compact than the Shire or Percheron breeds, making them ideal for navigation in urban environments. After the 1930s their numbers decreased due to the onset of WWI and mechanisation. Wartime petrol rationing led to a brief revival for the working horse, as suburban tradesmen, now used to motor delivery, took their old jinkers out of mothballs. By 1947, however, only 1.5% of city traffic was horse-drawn. In 1952 the large horse cartage company A. Kellet Pty Ltd sold its 250 horses and converted its Richmond stables to storage. In the 1950s at Station and Princes piers, wharf labourers refused to work with the six draught horses still being used to haul trolleys and which were soon superseded by the fork lift, semi-trailer and mobile crane. Where carefully trained horses had once shunted trains in city goods yards, a few hundred a week were now being killed at the abattoirs for pet and human consumption. The last MCC dray horse was withdrawn from service in 1958, but some of the few remaining working animals are used by the mounted police for crowd control at demonstrations and football games. The death knell had also sounded for the associated trades of farrier, saddler and blacksmith. Our photo, therefore, showing the wharf with both the haulage Clydesdales and the rail lines, is a strong visual summary of the social and economic changes experienced in Victoria in the 1930s and on towards the 1950s. Our photo is located at Victoria Dock (also known as Victoria Harbour) which is still an active component of Melbourne’s port system. In 1892 the West Melbourne Dock (later Victoria Dock) was opened, downstream and immediately west of the Spencer Street railway shunting yards. It contained a swing basin for ships, replacing the one which had been provided on the south side of the river, later to be the Duke and Orr dry dock, west of the Charles Grimes Bridge. Further west was the South Wharf along the river bank. The history of Victoria Dock is extremely well described by Ashley Smith in his 2 March 2022 article in Docklands News, and its accompanying aerial photo of the Dock taken in 1934. He writes: "In the early 1930s Victoria Dock was one of the biggest sites for trade and export in Melbourne. A constant queue of ships sailed in, unloaded their cargo, recharged and reloaded, then left for the next port. Around the time this photo was taken (found in a 1934 photo book), the trapezium-shaped basin had been through some changes since its construction in the 1890s. The 497-metre-long Central Pier, finished in 1919, now featured six sheds to house the ever-increasing volume of cargo. The entrance had also been widened in the 1920s to allow better access. Some of the berths featured three-ton jib electric cranes to help with loading cargo and a rail network connected to the State Railway service. By the time construction was completed, the dock was 39 hectares and hailed as the second-largest dock in the world (behind Cavendish Dock, Barrow-in-Furness). To further save costs, excavations were dug to a more reasonable seven metres below low water, instead of British engineer Sir John Coode’s recommended 8.3 metres. Even then, the costs were still around £900,000. It was envisaged, with the extra wharfage, that around thirty 90-metre ships could berth inside. On March 22, 1892, Victoria Dock was opened by Victoria’s Governor, the Earl of Hopetoun (later Australia’s first Governor-General) who opened the sluice to let the Yarra in. It took six days to fill the basin with The Leader newspaper estimating that it would take another six months to completely fill (March 26, 1892). In the end, it took nearly a year before the first ship was allowed to enter on February 20, 1893, when the steamer Hubbuck sailed in to unload 1200 tonnes of cargo in 15 hours. The Argus (February 23, 1893) reported that the ship’s captain, J. R. Brodie, called the Yarra “better than the Thames”, and compared Victoria Dock favourably to the Albert Dock (Liverpool)." This would be a good time to move our focus on to the Taiping, which is the transporter of these giant mahogany logs. The Taiping was a steel-hulled, single-screw passenger-cargo Chinese steamer, which today has the dubious legacy of being involved in a collision headlined as “The Chinese Titanic”. It was constructed by the Hong Kong and Shampoa Dock Company at its facility in Hong Kong, with completion in 1926 for service under the Australia Oriental Line. Her gross register tonnage measured 4,324 tons, reflecting her design for inter-island and coastal trade routes, accommodating both passengers and freight. She operated routes connecting Australian ports with East Asian destinations. As World War II approached, Taiping continued predominantly working the trade routes between China and Australia, until December 1941, when she evacuated women and children from Hong Kong to Manila just before Japanese forces overran the region. She then safely reached Australia despite enemy air raids. Taiping was then requisitioned by the Royal Navy and repurposed as a victualling stores issuing ship for the Eastern Fleet, supporting logistical needs in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Returned to the Australian Oriental Line in 1947, she underwent refitting and by mid-1948 was chartered to the Shanghai Shipping Company, and modified for greater passenger accommodation – approximately 500 passengers. In 1948/49 the Chinese Civil War took place. The Taiping departed Shanghai on 26 January 1949 as one of the final vessels evacuating civilians from to Keelung Harbour in Taiwan. Reports indicate that the Taiping carried double the rated capacity of passengers i.e. 1000. The ship carried families, military personnel, civilians, carrying personal belongings, gold and valuables in hope of resettlement in Nationalist Taiwan. It also held heavy cargo in the form of silver and gold bullion loaded by the Central Bank of China. Because of the risk of patrols, and to conserve fuel, the Captain took the ship away from the usual open-sea passage, and instead navigated along the coast. He also extinguished navigation lights to avoid detection. Shortly after midnight on 27 January 1949 the Taiping collided with the smaller cargo steamer Chien Yuan in the East China Sea near the Zhoushan Archipelago. The Chien Yuan was also operating in darkness. The subsequent collision was catastrophic. The Chien Yuan sank with in 5 minutes, with the loss of 72 of its 74 crew. The Taiping sustained severe structural compromise from the broadside strike and initially remained afloat, then made a swift descent into the freezing water, with no attempt at an organised evacuation. No formal recovery process was instigated, however a distress signal went out. 32 survivors were picked up by the Australian destroyer HMAS Warramunga (on patrol nearby), a passing US vessel found 2 more, and local Zhoushan fishermen retrieved others. In the end, only 37 people survived. The event is remembered as a poignant moment in the mass migration to Taiwan, with families tragically separated. A memorial to the disaster exists at the Keelung Harbour naval base on Taiwan. With its total of over 1,500 deaths, it constituted one of the worst peacetime maritime losses. It is sometimes referred to as the “Oriental Titanic” because of the similarly large loss of life and speed of demise with the RMS Titanic in 1912. A fictional depiction of this event appears in the John Woo movies “The Crossing (Part 1) (2014), and The Crossing II (2015), known in Chinese as “Taiping Wheel”. The narrative weaves a story around pre-disaster romances and wartime turmoil among passengers, culminating in the ship’s rapid sinking. “The production, a high-budget Sino-Taiwanese-Hong Kong co-effort, portrays the event as a microcosm of the 1940s Sino-Japanese and civil war legacies, though critics noted the melodramatic style prioritizing spectacle over historical precision.” In conclusion, it is nice to return to our photo, and observe the people involved in this moment. The dockworkers are, so typical of the 1930s, dressed in what looks to us like formal clothing – dark suits or coats, white shirts, and black hats. I am particularly drawn to the young boy, bare-headed, arms crossed, and so intent on the unloading process. He too is wearing a white shirt, black trousers and jacket, and black shoes. This is 1933 Melbourne – but the haircut he is sporting is now very “hipster” and modern in 2026 Melbourne. References: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Wikipedia, Taiping steamer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_(steamer) Wikipedia, Victoria Dock, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Dock_(Melbourne) Docklands News, Ashley Smith, 2 Mar 2022, https://www.docklandsnews.com.au/victoria-dock/ Living Histories: Heritage Council of Victoria, Jill Barnard, 2008, Jetties and Piers, https://livinghistories.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Jetties-ONL-intro_Part-1.pdf eMelbourne, Wharves and Docks, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01612b.htm Australian Academy of Technological Sciences – Harvesting Wood, https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/225.html Old Treasury Building, On the Water – The Docks, https://tinyurl.com/3wkbk66m Old Treasury Building, On The Road, https://tinyurl.com/dw44yr3t Port of Melbourne, Victorian Places, https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/port-of-melbourne Docklands Heritage Study - Environmental History, https://mvga-prod-files.s3.ap-southeast-4.amazonaws.com/public/2024-05/docklands-heritage-review-thematic-environmental-history-1991.pdf eMelbourne, Horses, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00723b.htm Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society, https://www.clydesdalesvic.org.au/history The Crossing, https://letterboxd.com/film/the-crossing-i/Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5"ships, shipping, timber industry, shipwrecks, horses, docks, wharves, 1930-1939, wars, docklands -
Victorian Railway History LibraryBook, R. Sampson, On Shed at Port Dock, 1997
... Victorian Railway History Library 39 St Edmonds Rd Prahran Prahran railway and tramway preservation - Australia Mile End railway museum - South Australia Details about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabilia ill, p.40. ...Details about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabiliaill, p.40.non-fictionDetails about the Port Dock railway museum in Adelaide South Australia and the collection of rollingstock and railway memorabiliarailway and tramway preservation - australia, mile end railway museum - south australia
