Item was probably used as a storage container for Kerosene or oil possibly fuel or some other liquid, the spout indicates it was used to fill other objects such as machines or farm implements etc.It appears the item is quite old and could date from around the turn of the 20th century around 1900 -1920Round container galvanised with conical top and metal handle. Has cloth & wood stopper in top. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

A traditional term in the British Navy meaning to serve out an additional tot of grog to a ship's crew. The main brace itself was a purchase attached to the main lower yard of a square-rigged ship to brace the yard round to the wind. However, it probably has little to do with the saying beyond the fact that hauling on the main brace called for a maximum effort by the crew. In the days of sail the main brace was spliced (in terms of drink) in very bad weather or after a period of severe exertion by the crew, more as a pick-me-up than for any other purpose. But with the introduction of steam propulsion, with machines to take most of the harder labour out of seagoing, the main brace was spliced only on occasions of celebration or, occasionally, after battle. Now that rum is no longer issued aboard ship, splicing the main brace is a thing of the past.A small tap used to empty contents from a barrel containing rum or whisky aboard ships.Brass spigot or tap used for inserting into a barrel containing liquid such as rum, whisky or vinegar etctap, spigot, barrel, alcohol, liquid storage

This enamel jug is a basic design that was common to households in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Enamelware dates back to 1760 in Germany.This object is significant as an example of an item in common use in the 19th and early 20th centuries.White metal enamel jug, white with navy blue handle and rim. Tapered cylindrical shape, with a pouring lip.None.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, jug, enamel jug, kitchen equipment, liquid storage, beverage preparation

This kiln glazed container for liquid's, was the type used in the 1700's to mid 1900's to contain fluids mainly for human consumption which needed to retain liquid that could be affected by sunlight and or required to be maintained at a cooler temperatures. Ginger beer and other "brews" for human consumption were the prime target. The ability to refill these vessels were of the utmost importance to the consumer. Over time these containers were reduced in size and produced for "special" liquids e.g. alcoholic Port. This Demi John stone ware was manufactured in Tamworth (England) and imported into Australia during a period when the majority of "quality" domestic items were sourced from "the Mother Country" and the ties between the still "colonial" outpost were very strong. This bondage remained longer in rural communities than in the cities. The "multi-culturalism of the post World War II era resulted in the lessening of the earlier ties. The growing of nationalism, the Aussie evolution, was brought about by the increased social and business/commercial interactions between Australia and the United States of America, post World War II.This container(jug) is very significant to the Kiewa Valley, a rural region that required these type of liquid storage vessels, especially in the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. These were times when household refrigeration, if available, would be from the "block ice" coolers or "cool" storage nooks and crannies within farmhouse locations.This large "stone ware" glazed Demi John, alias Carboy has a capacity of over 20 litres. It has a conical smooth lipped neck top with a wide, flat(three to four finger) carry and poring handle. The top third portion of the jug is caramel in colour and the bottom a darker cream. It has a manufacturer's seal stamped into the surface before glazing. This item would have been corked and then sealed (air tight) with wax.manufacturer's seal "GEORGE SKEY WILNECOTE TAMWORTH"household liquid jar container, 1800's food storage, kiln fired glazed pottery

Ipecacuan powder, or Dover's powder, was a common emetic used through the eighteenth and nineteenth century as a sudorific and prescribed for colds, coughs, insomnia, rheumatism, pleurisy, and dysentery. Gum arabic was often used as an additive to promote binding of other ingredients to a liquid medium. Likely gum arabic was not prescribed by itself even though there are some health benefits for doing so, such as slowing the rate of absorption of some drugs within the gut. Camphor was a stimulant, narcotic and sudorific and was administered in pill form which included part ipecacuanha and opium to non acute fevers and remedy chromic rheumatism, as part of a liquid mixture to treat violent headaches as well as rheumatism, or in a solid form stored in a small bag worn around a patient's neck as a preservative against infection. Lint was commonly used for medical dressings.The right one of two marching medium sized wood drawers. Each drawer features four sliding lids on their top face which has a corresponding paper label depending on its contents as well as a small semi-circle notch, these lids slide laterally in pairs for either direction. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of glass containers.Ipecacuan. Powder. Gum Arabic. Camphor. Lint.volum collection

Cubed iron ship tanks were invented by Richard Trevithich in 1808, in partnership with Robert Dickson, and the design was patented that year. The invention eventually replaced the wooden casks or barrels used at the time, as the ship tanks were more secure and their shape was much more economical in storage space. The robust metal tanks were originally made to transport water, but their preserving quality enabled them to transport perishable dry goods such as grain on long voyages, as well as other forms of liquid and solid cargo. The first ship tanks were made from sheets of iron, and later mild steel sheets, with double riveted edges and corners. A round cast iron lid with handle grips was fitted snugly into the top opening, providing an air-tight and water-tight seal. Brass taps were often fitted into the base, which could have been the case with this tank, but it now has a wooden bung in the hole. Sailing ships began using the new ship tanks on Australian voyages from around the 1830s, storing food and water for those on board, and filling them with other cargo. A large number of the ship tanks were repurposed in 1838 for the Victoria Settlement at Port Essington, N.T., as they were able to protect the food, clothing and other stores from termite and insect damage. Other ‘recycled’ ship tanks were cut in half and used as washing tubs or cookers. A 1929 catalogue from Hudson’s Tank Stores advertised square tanks that contained around 600 litres – 160 gallons – which equals an internal measurement of 33.25 inches – 84.5 centimetres – per side ship tanks are still made and sold in 1952 by the Globe Tank and Foundry in Wolverhampton, England, which was incorporated in 1922. Today, ship tanks can be seen around Australia. Wilsonson’s Promontory Lightstation has the lid from a ship tank that was used on site for the storage of water. Some have been repurposed as domestic water tanks and dog kennels, others for eucalyptus distilleries. Flagstaff Hill has two ship tanks. The Campaspe Port at Echuca, once a bustling river port, has a ship tank beside the locomotive yard. The lids of ship tanks are collectible items. Richard Trevithick (1771-1833): - Trevithick was born in 1771 in Cornwall, England. He was a famous British engineer and inventor during the Industrial Revolution, known for his invention of the first full-scale working railway, the high-pressure steam locomotive, which he demonstrated hauling a railway train in 1804. He set up a small workshop in 1808 at 72 Fore Street, Limehouse, London, to make iron ship tanks, and this invention was instrumental in replacing the wooden casks formerly used for storage on ships. He was involved with mining technology, iron foundry and ship equipment. Ship tanks changed the way that cargo was transported on ships and other vehicles from the 1830s and were used into the mid-20th century. The ship tanks’ advantages were that they could store more content, lasted longer, were waterproof and airtight, stackable and could be repurposed for many uses other than water, such as fuel, dry goods and domestic cargo. They have even been used aa dog kennels and cookers. Ship tanks were part of the evolving methos to transport water, food and cargo, which changed in 1956 when Malcolm McLean invented the large, rectangular shipping containers that are in use today; they speed up the process of loading on and off the ships, saving time and money. Ship tank: a cubed iron container with an offset hole on one side. The hole has cutouts for securely attaching a lid. This tank is on its side on the ground with the opening facing sideways. The side facing upwards has a wooden bung in a round hole. The ship tank is made from six square, thick iron sheets, rolled and riveted along the edges. The inside has a black sticky coating, possibly bitumen, and a strong creosote odour. There are small remnants of green paint on the outer surface.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, iron cube, water tank, shipping container, ship tank, ship's tank, ship tanks, marine container, richard trevithich, 1808, robert dickson, water transport, water storage, iron foundry, steel sheets, iron sheets, revets, victoria settlement, port essington, globe tank and foundry, wolverhampton, british engineer, british inventor, wooden casks

Captain Robilliard: James Arthur Robilliard was a sea captain and tentmaker, born on the 19th April 1843 at Saint Helier, Jersey. He trained there in his father's sail loft as a sailmaker. His first job as a sailor was in Liverpool, England, and in 1875, James Robilliard migrated to Australia as a mate on the "E.M. Young". James Robilliard and his family were amongst the early settlers who arrived along the Curdies River in the Heytesbury district of Western Victoria. In 1877, he became a Captain and would have used his compass from ship to ship. On 28th May 1877, in that same district, a small 3-masted schooner, the "Young Australian", was wrecked. This schooner had been built in 1864 at Jervis Bay, NSW. It had been on her way from Maryborough, Queensland, to Adelaide, under the command of Captain Whitfield, when it lost its mainmast in a heavy gale. It was beached at Curdies Inlet in Peterborough, Victoria. Captain Robilliard was placed in charge of the salvaging operation and recovered a good portion of the cargo. Not long after this incident, a Warrnambool shop owner, David Evans, found employment for James Robilliard with Evan Evans, who produced tents, sails, tarpaulins and similar goods; James already had the necessary skills for this work. Evan Evans was the same sailor rescued from the “Young Australian”. Soon after his rescue, Evan recalled he had a relative in Australia in a town called Warrnambool, and while walking in Timor Street, Warrnambool, he saw a sign over a shop that said “David Evans,” and once the two men met, Evan was warmly welcomed. David then helped his relative establish a tent and tarpaulin-making business there. Evan later transferred his successful business to a shop in Elizabeth St, Melbourne, under the name Evan Evans Pty. Ltd.) James Robilliard was a committed Christian and accredited Lay Preacher with the Methodist Church. He travelled around the local district leading the settlers in worship. On 14th November 1879, Captain Robilliard married Helen Beckett. Alfred and Selina Beckett and their family all attended the church at Brucknell, where Captain Robilliard preached. He was said to have been taken by their young daughter, Helen. James and Helen had ten children: James Arthur (Jnr), Henry William, Nellie Jessie, Alfred Albert, Rubena Nellie, De Jersy Norman, Clifford Beckett, Olive Ida, Frances Ridley Havergal and Nellie Elvie, all born in Victoria. In the 1880s, James Robilliard captained the cutter "Hannah Thompson" into Port Campbell, Victoria. This vessel was the first coastal trader to operate between Melbourne and Port Campbell. At one time, Captain Robilliard had to beach the "Hannah Thompson" for repairs. In 1923, the vessel was blown ashore in a gale and wrecked at Oberon Bay, at Wilson's Promontory. In 1889, the compass was saved by Captain James Arthur Robilliard from his sinking brigantine "Mary Campbell". This vessel was used to carry equipment for the Sydney Sugar Refinery's Mill in Southgate, NSW. The ship had been built in 1869 and traded for the next 20 years between Australian ports and rivers along the east coast, as well as regular ports in New Zealand. It was recognised by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the best "carrying vessels in the timber trade". It had several owners over this time, the last one being Captain James A. Robilliard. On 29th April 1889, the "Mary Campbell", with Captain James A Robilliard as captain and owner, was on its way from Clarence River, NSW to Melbourne, Victoria with a cargo of railway girders for the Melbourne Harbour Trust. Captain Robilliard encountered a storm off Port Macquarie. He sailed the vessel south to about 40km east of Cape Hawke, near Tuncurry. At around 7 pm, he discovered that the cargo had shifted during the storm and the heavy girders had damaged the hull, causing a leak. The pumps were inadequate to stem the fast-flowing leak, and water soon filled the hull during the next two hours. Some of the crew began throwing the cargo overboard to lighten the vessel, hoping to keep it afloat until daylight. When the water reached over 2 meters in the hull, they realised their efforts were in vain. On the 30th April 1889, the crew left the vessel the ship was sinking fast, so they made for the shore. While still miles off Cape Hawke, all seven crew members, including the Captain, were rescued by the Government Tug "Rhea" and taken to Port Macquarie Hospital and later returned to Sydney in the vessel "Wellington". No cargo had been saved, and the consignment had been under-insured, only covered for half its value. The name of the last ship Captain Robilliard sailed is currently unknown; however, he sailed that ship from the port of Marlborough, Queensland, carting steel railway girders for the Geelong-to-Camperdown railway line. On this trip, the ship hit a storm, the cargo shifted, and the ship was wrecked along the NSW coast. After this, Captain Robilliard retired from the sea and began farming in Peterborough. In about 1897, verging on retirement, Capt. Robilliard superintended the Melbourne Sailors’ Home in Spencer Street, Melbourne, before being asked to leave this position in 1902 for trying to shut down a local hotel. On 6th May 1917, Captain James Arthur Robilliard J.P. died at Blackwood Park, in the Cobden district of Brucknell, the first Robilliard family homestead in Australia. He was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria. His wife Helen, passed away in 1947. This compass, once belonging to Captain James Arthur Robilliard, is of local and state historical significance for its use by the Captain with his vessel, the "Mary Campbell", a trading vessel that was bringing railway girders to the Melbourne Harbour Trust. He also used this compass on the "Hannah Thompson", listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and known as being the first coastal trader to operate between Melbourne and Port Campbell. The compass is also a very fine example of maritime navigational instruments manufactured and used in the mid-19th century. Marine compass, brass, in a wooden box with a separate, fitted lid. The compass card has sixteen points. The four principal points are marked: North with a star-shape, South with an “S”, East with an “E” and West with an “O” (French word OUEST). Each quadrant of the circle is numbered from 0 – 90 degrees. The card is floating in a liquid. The compass gimbal is attached to the sides of the box and to the front and back of the compass’ cylindrical brass frame. The mahogany coloured timber storage case is joined with brass nails. The centre of the lid has a folding decorative brass handle. The lid fits over the base and closes with a brass screw and hook on both front and back. Maker: Dubas Watchmaker Optician, Nantes, France, c 1860-1870. Compass came from the ship “Mary Campbell”, which sank off the NSW coast in 1889, near Forster. The compass, as well as the ship, belonged to Captain James Arthur Robilliard and was donated by his family. “DUBAS MANTES” stamped into the side of the gimbal. “DUBAS HORLOGER OPTICIEN. NANTES.” printed around the centre of the card. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, marine compass, navigation instrument 19th century, marine instruments, dubas mantes, captain james arthur robilliard, j.a. robilliard, helen beckett, ship young australian, ship young australia(n), ship hannah thompson, ship mary campbell, melbourne sailors home, david evans, evan evans, curdies inlet, brucknell church, curdies railway, great lakes museum, dubas horloger opticien. nantes

This small barrel looks well used. Unfortunately, the inscription on the barrel is indecipherable so its story is a mystery. However, the bungholes on the side are a clue that it was once used for storing liquid, likely to have been liquor. Barrels have been used over many centuries for transporting and storing a wide range of dry and liquid goods. They are made by tradesmen called coopers, who use heat and steam to bend and shape the wood to suit the work in hand. They add metal reinforcing, handles, spouts and suchlike, to complete they process. Their produce also includes buckets, casks and tubs. Ships transported bulk liquor in their cargo, stored in wooden barrels. The barrels' round shape allowed them to be easily moved by rolling them into place. The body's shape gave the barrels added strength and the iron bands helped the wooden sheaves stay in place. The tops and bottoms allowed for easy grip. The bungholes gave access to government representatives, who would sample the contents, measure the alcohol percentage, and charge the appropriate duty or tax; the process was called Ullaging and the instrument they used was a Hydrometer. Hundreds of barrels of cement were imported into Warrnambool in the late 19th century for the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater. Barrel-shaped concrete blocks are still visible at shipwreck sites such as on the LOCH ARD wreck, which carried cement among its cargo.This small barrel is representative of 19th century containers used for transportation and storage of liquid such as liquor. It is a historic shape that is still used in modern times.Barrel; wooden barrel, cylindrical shape with metal bands or ribs for reinforcement. The side has two bungholes; one has a bung or stopper. Inscription on top (indecipherable). (indecipherable)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, barrel, cask, small barrel, trade, coopering, cooper, casket, transport, storage, bunghole

Peerless Holdings’ Braybrook site began in the 1890s as Pridham’s Rendering Works. The rendering works produced sausage casings, meat meal, tallow, and fertiliser and operated as part of a large cluster of slaughterhouse related industries in Braybrook and Footscray districts. The founder, William Pridham was a prominent civic figure (Councillor, mayor, and community leader). Peerless Foods began in the 1950s as a small Melbourne business recycling and rendering meat by‑products with their early focus on rendering, tallow production, basic edible fats and oils. This positioned Peerless as a natural successor to Pridham’s operations. In 1982, Peerless Foods acquires Pridham’s Braybrook rendering business This acquisition gave Peerless a large, established industrial site, and by integrating Pridham’s century old rendering operations allowed Peerless to scale into a national fats and oils manufacturer During the 1980s and into the 2000s, Peerless went through a diversification process and expanded from tallow into edible oils, margarine, shortenings, bakery fats and foodservice oil. In 2005, Peerless purchased Unilever’s nonretail margarine and oil business, acquiring major Australian brands EOI, Copha, Fairy and Kremelta. This dramatically increased the Braybrook site’s production and distribution role. Peerless Holdings (Peerless Foods) now produces edible oils, spreads, shortenings, and bakery fats, supplies retail, foodservice, bakery, ingredients, and export markets. Peerless is still operating out of long-established Braybrook industrial complex, and the site remains one of the largest and longest running industrial facilities in Melbourne’s western suburbs.These tallow tanks are large, heated storage vessels that are used to hold rendered animal fat (tallow) in liquid form so it can be processed, refined, or transported. As tallow is solid at room temperature, these tanks keep it pumpable, and are fitted with steam coils, hot‑water jackets and insulated walls.evans street, braybrook, pridham

The story of the most fertile regions of the Victoria: the Goulburn Valley and North Eastern Victoria, the adjoining territory of the Riverina district of NSW and the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric and Irrigation Scheme.Hard Cover. 2 Burgundy blocks and 2 photographs of mountains and water storage on front cover. "Liquid Gold Australia" in gold lettering and map of Australia. 2 Plain burgundy blocks, photograph of power pole and peach trees on back cover.irrigation, water, goulburn valley, north eastern victoria, snowy mountains hydro electric scheme

The Liquid 2 Level Sensor is an aid for people with vision impairment to fill cups and glasses with 2 levels of liquid. The unit simply hangs over the side of a cup or glass with the probes on the inside. Ideal for making a cup of tea or coffee with milk. Simply pour in your hot water stopping when a pulsating tone is heard. Pour in milk stopping when a continuous tone is heard. Your cup is now filled to approximately 15mm from the top and ready to drink. Can also be used as a single level sensor such as for non-mixed drinks. Handy magnets on the back of the unit allow for easy storage on fridge or other metal object.Yellow plastic round container with blue base and four yellow wiresassistive devices, equipment

This two level Liquid Level Sensor is an aid which prevents cups from being overfilled with 2 levels of liquid. The unit simply hangs over the side of a cup or glass with the probes on the inside. Ideal for making a cup of tea or coffee with milk. Simply pour in the hot water stopping when a pulsating tone is heard then pour in milk stopping when a continuous tone is heard. Can also be used as a single level sensor such as for non mixed drinks. Handy magnets on the back of the unit allow for easy storage on fridge or other metal object. Uses a 12V battery. 1 black liquid sensor with 2 magnets assistive devices, equipment

The donor of the item believes that the demijohn belonged to her grandmother Jean Goldie. The Goldie family owned and operated a grocery business in Port Fairy, Victoria.An interesting item that gives insight into the type of multi use ceramic container that would have been refilled by the grocers when people were purchasing liquids, e.g. vinegar.Ceramic demijohn with cork stopper.POWELL, ORR & GOLDIE PPY. LD. PORT FAIRY- 1stoneware, demijohn, bottle, goldie, orr, storage

The heavy cast iron, round lid was originally fastened into a large, riveted metal box, known as a ship tank. It has the name ‘John Bellamy London’ cast in capitals in a continuous circle on the outer edge of the lid face, and the words ‘Byng St Millwall’ on the inner circle. , of Millwall, London, manufactured boilers and ship tanks from the 1860s to the 1930s and came from a family of tank makers who began manufacturing tanks some time before 1856. Ship tanks were invented in 1808 by notable engineer, Richard Trevithick and his associate John Dickinson. Their patent obtained the same year described the tank’s superior cubic shape that allowed it to fit squarely as a container in vessels and thus use space efficiently, while its metal fabric preserved and secured its liquid or solid contents from damage. The containers revolutionised the movement of goods by ship and made wooden casks redundant. Research by Michael Pearson has determined that they were carried on passages to Australia from at least the 1830s conveying ships’ victuals and water storage, as well as general goods heading for the colonies. Pearson found photographic evidence of their use in the 1860s, and by the 1870s they appeared to be in common use. lids surviving from containers indicate that nearly all the tanks transported to Australia came from London manufacturers. It was usual for the brand name to also feature as a stencil on the tank but in most cases this eventually wore off. A tank without its original stencil survives at Wilsons Promontory. Tanks transporting ‘drinking water or perishable dry goods were hermetically sealed by the use of the tightly fitting lid with a rubber sealing ring ‘which was screwed tight with the aid of lugs cast into the lid and wedges cast into the rim of the loading hole’. The raised iron rod welded across the outer face of many lids such as the Bellamy example, allowed for screwing the lid tight. Once in the colonies, the ship tanks were often recycled and adapted for many resourceful uses such as packing cases, dog kennels, water tanks, oil containers and food stores and this invariably led to the separation of the lid and tank. The Bellamy lid could have been salvaged from a shipwreck but is more likely to have to have originated from a recycled tank that was brought to the lightstation for water storage purposes. Pearson writes that: Ship tanks show up at a wide range of sites, many of them isolated like lighthouses. They were, I think, usually taken there for the purposes they filled, usually water storage, as they were readily available, relatively light to transport, and probably very cheap to buy as second-hand goods containers. In rural areas they may have been scavenged for their new uses from local stores, to whom goods were delivered in them. Parks Victoria has identified five tank lids in the lightstation collections covered by this project. In addition to the Bellamy lid at Point Hicks, they include a Bow brand lid at Point Hicks and another at Cape Otway, unidentified lids at Cape Otway and Wilsons Promontory. Pearson and Miles Lewis have each recorded two versions of the Bellamy trade name on the lids; one being ‘John Bellamy Byng St. London’; the other, ‘John Bellamy Byng St. Millwall London’. The Point Hicks lid has the second version of the name, as do other examples in Victoria that Lewis has identified at Illawarra, Toorak; Warrock homestead, Casterton; Eeyeuk homestead, Terang; Ward’s Mill, Kyneton; and Boisdale homestead near Maffra, and in NSW at Ayrdale Park, Wolumla; and Bishop’s Lodge, Hay. Pearson’s list includes the same lids in NSW at Tumbarumba; the Quarantine Station, Sydney; Willandra Station; Bedervale, Braidwood; Gunnedah Museum; Walla Walla and Macquarie Island. The Point Hicks lid is currently stored in the lighthouse although it is unlikely that its use had any association with this building. The lid is in good condition and retains the central bung. Pearson notes that ‘surviving lids are far less numerous than the tanks themselves, presumably because the uses to which the tanks were put did not require the lid to be retained’.347 The Bellamy ship tank lid has first level contributory significance for its historic values. Circular cast-iron disc with raised outer ridge with inscription. It also has an inner depression with inscription. Two metal sections form handles over inner depression. Hole in middle of disc.Around perimeter of outer edge "JOHN BELLAMY LONDON" Around inner area "BYNG ST MILLWALL"

Lid for ship's tanks used for early domestic water storage (1860's) at the lightstation The water tank and lid are probably from the same unit that was used for transporting drinking water or perishable dry goods on ships. The unit comprised a large, riveted metal tank which was fitted with a heavy cast iron round lid to form a hermetically sealed container. It had a rubber sealing ring ‘which was screwed tight with the aid of lugs cast into the lid and wedges cast into the rim of the loading hole’. A raised iron rod welded across the outer face of many lids allowed for screwing the lid tight. Ship tanks were invented in1808 by notable engineer, Richard Trevithick and his associate John Dickinson. Their patent obtained the same year described the tank’s superior cubic shape that allowed it to fit squarely as a container in ships and thus use space efficiently, while its metal fabric preserved and secured its contents, whether liquid or solid, from damage. The containers revolutionised the movement of goods by ship and made wooden casks redundant. Research by Michael Pearson has determined that they were carried on passages to Australia from at least the 1830s, conveying ships’ victuals and water storage as well as general goods heading for the colonies, and by the 1870s they were in common use. Once in the colonies, the tanks were often recycled and adapted for many resourceful uses such as water tanks, packing cases, dog kennels, oil containers and food stores and this invariably led to the separation of the lid and tank. Raised lettering on the lids indicates that nearly all of the ship tanks transported to Australia came from London manufacturers, and it was usual also for the brand name to feature as a stencil on the associated square tank but in most cases this eventually wore off. It is not known if the Wilsons Promontory tank retains its stencil, and the heavy lid will need to be turned over to reveal its manufacturer’s name. How it came to the lightstation is also not known, but it was either brought to the site as a recycled tank or salvaged from a shipwreck. Pearson writes that Ship tanks show up at a wide range of sites, many of them isolated like lighthouses. They were, I think, usually taken there for the purposes they filled, usually water storage, as they were readily available, relatively light to transport, and probably very cheap to buy as second‐hand goods containers. In rural areas they may have been scavenged for their new uses from local stores, to whom goods were delivered in them. Recycled to serve as a water tank, the Wilsons Promontory tank is the last surviving example of several that were used at the site to hold water for domestic consumption. The tank has had its lid removed and a tap fitted to the one of the sides. It stands on concrete blocks next to a building to receive water running off the roof via a metal pipe. Wilsons Promontory is the only lightstation managed by Parks Victoria with a tank container, although Cape Otway and Point Hicks have lids. Parks Victoria has identified four other lids which include two at Point Hicks, one manufactured by Lancaster and Co. the other by Bellamy. Cape Otway also has two, one unidentified and the other by the Bow Tank Works, East London, which produced tanks between 1910 and 1930. Pearson notes that ‘surviving lids are far less numerous than the tanks themselves, presumably because the uses to which the tanks were put did not require the lid to be retained’. The tank and lid, which are possibly part of the same unit, have first level contributory significance for their historic values and rarity. Round ship's tanks lid, iron.