Small monochrome photograph, lightly faded depicting lumber on the wharf with the James Henty and Co store in the backgroundWritten in pencil on verso "12"james henty & co, docks, lumber, timber, wood, wharf, yarra river

Dockside photograph of young man loading/measuring wood Small monochrome photograph depicting an apprentice on the wharf holding planks of woodWritten in pencil on verso "12"apprentice, wood, lumber, timber, wharf, yarra river

Used by lumber jacks in tree felling during the period circa 1900Imported and sold by Holden and Frost Ca 1910Steel prong on foot plate with leather straps with which the unit is held in place on foot.lumber, spikes, leather straps

Two short sections of flooring cut for distribution during Deakin Universities ‘Open Day’ in December 1994. This was during the conversion of Dalgety Wool Store to Deakin University’s Woolstore Campus. These small pieces of timber are part of Geelong’s history and were salvaged from the Dalgety Woolstores during the renovations. Hundred of meters of ironbark, red gum, pine and other timbers, some more than a century old, were reclaimed from the site and have been recycled as furniture and featured building materials for the woolstore campus. The old brick stores, located on a formerly neglected section of the Corio Bay shoreline, now house the administration and chancellery, architecture and building schools, information technology services, the student union, a cafeteria and, as the focal facility, a Great Hall seating 1500 people and acoustically tuned for symphony orchestras. The refit was developed from the existing grid of substantial timber columns and beams extending over 52,000 square metres. This framework was filled with lightweight panels to enclose workplaces and removed in some parts to establish courtyards, atriums and streets. The brick facades were redefined with new doors and double-glazed windows in proportion to original fenestration. Bright colours and industrial finishes identify the new insertions.Square sections of redgum lumber cut into floorboards. The sides of the lumber have a grove cut on one side and a matching section to fit within this groove on the other side. This has been done to ensure the floorboards have a tight and consistent fit with one another. The bottom of the lumber also has an additional grove running through the middle of the redgum. On top, one of the sections of lumber has three nail holes, which travel all the way through to the bottom of the wood.deakin university, dalgety wool store, red gum

In an article from the Argus, Monday 7 March 1927, page 21: "Surprise was caused on the waterfront yesterday by the appearance of the Reardon Smith line steamer Buchanness, which armed in Hobson's Bay with a list to port of more than 15deg. The vessel anchored off Gellibrand yesterday morning, and a consultation was held concerning the advisability of attempting the passage up the Yarra. The list changed to 12deg. before the tug James Paterson came alongside the Buchanness, and the steamer was piloted to a berth at No 18 South Wharf by Captain K.A. Forbes. The list was caused by the consumption of the fuel oil from bunkers below the waterline and the consequent overbalancing of the vessel by the heavy deck cargo. This wass not considered dangerous by either the master of the vessel or the pilot, both of whom stated that a ship carrying timber was liable to become unstable to some extent without showing any tendency to heel over. The Buhanness comes from North Pacific lumber ports with 4,300,000 super feet of red wood, oregon, and spruce timber, all of which will be discharged at this port to the agency of C.A. Wilms and Son. The discharge will occupy about three weeks.weller album, s.s. buchanness, timber, lumber, 1927, oregon

In an article from the Argus, Monday 7 March 1927, page 21: "Surprise was caused on the waterfront yesterday by the appearance of the Reardon Smith line steamer Buchanness, which armed in Hobson's Bay with a list to port of more than 15deg. The vessel anchored off Gellibrand yesterday morning, and a consultation was held concerning the advisability of attempting the passage up the Yarra. The list changed to 12deg. before the tug James Paterson came alongside the Buchanness, and the steamer was piloted to a berth at No 18 South Wharf by Captain K.A. Forbes. The list was caused by the consumption of the fuel oil from bunkers below the waterline and the consequent overbalancing of the vessel by the heavy deck cargo. This wass not considered dangerous by either the master of the vessel or the pilot, both of whom stated that a ship carrying timber was liable to become unstable to some extent without showing any tendency to heel over. The Buhanness comes from North Pacific lumber ports with 4,300,000 super feet of red wood, oregon, and spruce timber, all of which will be discharged at this port to the agency of C.A. Wilms and Son. The discharge will occupy about three weeks.weller album, s.s. buchanness, oregon, timber, lumber, 1927

The old brick office buildings of the Murray River Sawmills were demolished around 1975. This photo relates to the series P000105-P000107. Sawmills in the Echuca area were historically and socially significant being a large employer in the area. The Murray River sawmill was one of the biggest and longest operating sawmills in the area. Black and white photograph of the old Murray River Sawmills, showing rear and side of the building with doorway and window. Lumber is piled at left front of photograph and other material (wire?) has been dumped in front of and along the side of the building.On reverse, in pencil, " M. R. Sawmills office or other old building, demolished". In pen "c.1975". Printed "Kodak paper". Blue ink"0932"murray river sawmills, echuca, echuca, victoria, pullicino, j

The two pieces of laminate show the different shades used by the MMTB in their vehicles, both trams and buses. These two pieces have been cut for use in the Uniform Workshops to separate size and type of items, in this case trousers and lumber jackets.Demonstrates two types of laminates used in MMTB vehicles and then used in the the MMTB or The Met uniform store clothing racks.Set of two sheets of laminex with dymo letter punched into adhesive tape.See item.trams, tramways, uniforms

Joel Joel Bridge Traction Engine Accident. Set of three photographs. C1922 Wimmera Bridge on Stawell Road. For information on accident see third SheetThree B/W photos of an accident on a bridge. A Traction engine broke through the surface of the bridge whilst towing a trailer full of lumber. the top photo is a close up of the tractor ashowing the rear wheel still on the bridge. The Second Photo shows the tractor and trailer from left rear, while the last phot shows the Secen from the right front.shire, archie slorach, joel area, john frampton

Notice to Drivers, conductors and conductresses titled "Khaki tunics & Uniform for summer wear", C 6685, dated 26/10/1949, about the wearing of Khaki Tunics or Lumber jackets and the rules for wearing these during the summer months, including the wearing of caps.Yields information about the wearing of uniforms during the summer months.Notice printed on quarto paper with stamp of the Manager.tramways, uniforms, notices to staff, shirts, caps

BHS CollectionBlack and white photograph mounted on rectangular grey board. House, weatherboard, corrugated iron roof, gabled front portico, two chimneys, woven crinkled wire front fence, paling side fences. On back of photo: 'Burchall, Abbott St., £900, refer Bendigo Lumber Coy' Date stamp 5 December 1927. 2012 photo attached to record.Frank A. Jeffree, Bendigo?place, building, residential, stamped on back in circle ''royal historical society of victoria, bendigo branch''

This was probably for a light buggy. Heavy farm, and lumber wagons had wider tires. It would have been made by a blacksmith. The blacksmith fitted steel rims onto wooden wagon wheels. The red hot metal rim expands when hot, so it can be fitted to the wagon wheel. Then it contracts to create a tight fit as it cools after being dropped into a tank of water.Horse-drawn wagons are an important part of Orbost’s agricultural history. Light buggies were popular with farmers for trips into town before the common use of motorised vehicles.A large iron rim for a wagon wheel.wheel-rim wagon transport agriculture

In the 2000s Legacy released a range of Legacy Bears to expand the merchandise available for sale during Legacy Week and at other fundraising opportunities during the year. This special edition WW2 land army bear was released in 2019. The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian group created during World War II to replace the men called up for the military. Over 80,000 women served working on farms, in sawmills, and in forestry. They became know as Land Girls and Lumber Jills. Please note the archive does not have a copy of this bear but is recorded here to complete the series.An example of the type of products sold along with Legacy Badges for fundraising in the 2010-2020s.Legacy bear dressed in a female WW2 Land Army uniform with a printed cardboard tag.Printed tag gives the price as $20.legacy appeal, fundraising, legacy bear

This automotive circular saw was designed to allow trees to be sawn into planks at the site they were felled, rather than requiring them to be carted to a lumber mill first. It was invented by Robert John (Bob) Pyle in 1936 and patented in 1937 (serial number 101975). This picture depicts Clarrie Howell (left) and Bob Pyle (right), standing with the sawbench between them. What was special about Bob’s new invention was that it not only allowed a circular saw to be portable and set up at a logging site, but that it allowed the circular saw to be run using the car motor, and that the saw could be detached, allowing the car to be used for carting or other purposes. This photograph is significant because it shows an early instance of an emerging technology, portable sawmills, and is evidence to the innovations that the people of Beechworth have achieved throughout history, as well Black and White rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Incription on cream paper stapled to bottom left of photographObverse: On left Clarrie Howell / Right Bob Pyle / with sawbench built by Bob Pyle / Patent 1936 / Rosalie Pyle has the original / [redacted]bob pyle, robert pyle, r j pyle, clarrie howell, howell, pyle, invention, patent, sawmill, saw, sawbench, wood, timber, forestry, automobile, car, 1930s, 1930s beechworth, industry, wooden, convenience, innovation

A double-bevelled broad axe can be used for chopping or notching and hewing. When used for hewing, a notch is chopped in the side of the log down to a marked line, called scoring. The pieces of wood between these notches are removed with an axe, called juggling, and then the remaining wood is chopped away to the line. Broad axe head; handmade. A metal, T-shaped axe head, double-bevelled, with a formed slot for adding a wooden handle. The shape is common; a Canadian pattern. warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, hewing axe, timber working tool, forestry, axe head, braod axe, lumber, building, handmade, forged, iron, steel

This image shows the gorge adjacent to Beechworth in approximately 1900. Although the exact location of the photograph is yet to be determined, the present-day Beechworth Gorge Walk includes views of the Cascades at the point at which Spring Creek flows into the valley on the level below. Gold-sluicing techniques in use in the town during periods of active gold extraction may have altered the landscape since the photograph was taken, however. In the 1850s a mill was built at the top of the Spring Creek falls by Russian-born Louis Chevalier, brother of artist Nicholas Chevalier. The mill supplied the town with lumber that supported the town's initial construction boom. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and natural landscape in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, indigo shire, north-east victoria, spring creek falls, beechworth gorge, louis chevalier, nicholas chevalier, lumber industry, timber industry, 1850s, construction, building, mill, mills, waterfall

This image shows the gorge adjacent to Beechworth in approximately 1900. Although the exact location of the photograph is yet to be determined, the present-day Beechworth Gorge Walk includes views of the Cascades at the point at which Spring Creek flows into the valley on the level below. Gold-sluicing techniques in use in the town during periods of active gold extraction may have altered the landscape since the photograph was taken, however. In the 1850s a mill was built at the top of the Spring Creek falls by Russian-born Louis Chevalier, brother of artist Nicholas Chevalier. The mill supplied the town with lumber that supported the town's initial construction boom. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and natural landscape in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, beechworth gorge, indigo shire, landscapes, mill, sluicing, gold mining, north-east victoria, spring creek, louis chevalier, cascades

The story of Christopher Gabriel born on April 2, 1746, in Falmouth England is a tale of a poor boy who made good. Shortly before he turned thirteen years of age in 1759 he was apprenticed to a local master carpenter, recorded as a Mr Barnicot the master trained his apprentice well as we can assume by Christopher's later successes. The apprenticeship ended in 1766 after seven years when Christopher reached twenty. Then in 1768, he relocated to London walking the two hundred miles from Falmouth carrying his possessions in a sack. He no sooner arrived in London when he met Alice Trowell who became his wife in March 1769. They set up house on Albermarie Street Clerkenwell and by the first of 1770, Gabriel had begun his business of plane making. It has been speculated that Gabriel took over the shop of John Cogdell aided with an investment from his in-laws of 131 pounds. He went on to prosper as a plane maker and lumber merchant over the next forty years.   His business did well and in 1774 Gabriel moved to a house in Golden Lane, London and 1779 moved again to a home in Ould Street London.    By now Gabriel was making a name for himself and his business at this time was located at 32 Banner Street Golden Lane, the following year he purchased another home in Banner Street and 1793 purchased the house next door. At the time of his death in 1808, he owned twenty-seven houses and commercial building.   Christopher Gabriel s descendants became quite prominent in England and his grandson, Sir Thomas Gabriel became the Sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1859 and the Lord Mayor of London 1866 and 1867.  Gabriel was an extremely prolific plane maker with a lot of examples made in the 18th century can still be found today. He made good quality tools and was an innovator of several new plane designs.   A vintage tool made by a well-known plane maker, this item was made commercially for firms and individuals that worked in wood and needed a tool that could give a decorative finish to timber. These planes came in various shapes and sizes to achieve a finish to timber surfaces and came in many sizes.  A significant Christopher Gabriel plane from the mid to late 18th century that after 200 years can still be used today. Planes made by Gabriel are eagerly sought after by collectors. The tool gives us a snapshot of how furniture and other finishes were created on timber by the use of cutting edged hand tools. Tools that were themselves hand made shows the craftsmanship used during this time not only to make a tool such as the subject item but also the craftsmanship needed to produce a decorative or even finish that was needed for the finishing of timber items. Plane Moulding Reverse Ogee with two squares type Maker stamped Gabriel also stamped JB & No 9flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village

The story of Christopher Gabriel born on April 2, 1746, in Falmouth England is a tale of a poor boy who made good. Shortly before he turned thirteen years of age in 1759 he was apprenticed to a local master carpenter, recorded as a Mr Barnicot the master trained his apprentice well as we can assume by Christopher's later successes. The apprenticeship ended in 1766 after seven years when Christopher reached twenty. Then in 1768, he relocated to London walking the two hundred miles from Falmouth carrying his possessions in a sack. He no sooner arrived in London when he met Alice Trowell who became his wife in March 1769. They set up house on Albermarie Street Clerkenwell and by the first of 1770, Gabriel had begun his business of plane making. It has been speculated that Gabriel took over the shop of John Cogdell aided with an investment from his in-laws of 131 pounds. He went on to prosper as a plane-maker and lumber merchant over the next forty years. His business did well and in 1774 Gabriel moved to a house in Golden Lane, London and 1779 moved again to a home in Ould Street London. By now Gabriel was making a name for himself and his business at this time was located at 32 Banner Street Golden Lane, the following year he purchased another home in Banner Street and 1793 purchased the house next door. At the time of his death in 1808, he owned twenty-seven houses and commercial building. Christopher Gabriel s descendants became quite prominent in England and his grandson, Sir Thomas Gabriel became the Sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1859 and the Lord Mayor of London 1866 and 1867. Gabriel was an extremely prolific plane-maker with a lot of examples made in the 18th century can still be found today. He made good quality tools and was an innovator of several new plane designs. A vintage tool made by a well-known plane-maker, this item was made commercially for firms and individuals that worked in wood and needed a tool that could give a decorative finish to timber. These planes came in various shapes and sizes to achieve a finish to timber surfaces and came in many sizes. A significant Christopher Gabriel plane from the mid to late 18th century that after 200 years can still be used today. Planes made by Gabriel are eagerly sought after by collectors. The tool gives us a snapshot of how furniture and other finishes were created on timber by the use of cutting edged hand tools. Tools that were themselves hand made shows the craftsmanship used during this time not only to make a tool such as the subject item but also the craftsmanship needed to produce a decorative or even finish that was needed for the finishing of timber items. Moulding multi patterned plane has a "5" long bladeStamped Maker C Gabriel (owner JB).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, side rabbet plane, gabriel m hobling

The story of Christopher Gabriel born on April 2, 1746, in Falmouth England is a tale of a poor boy who made good. Shortly before he turned thirteen years of age in 1759 he was apprenticed to a local master carpenter, recorded as a Mr Barnicot the master trained his apprentice well as we can assume by Christopher's later successes. The apprenticeship ended in 1766 after seven years when Christopher reached twenty. Then in 1768, he relocated to London walking the two hundred miles from Falmouth carrying his possessions in a sack. He no sooner arrived in London when he met Alice Trowell who became his wife in March 1769. They set up house on Albermarie Street Clerkenwell and by the first of 1770, Gabriel had begun his business of plane making. It has been speculated that Gabriel took over the shop of John Cogdell aided with an investment from his in-laws of 131 pounds. He went on to prosper as a plane-maker and lumber merchant over the next forty years. His business did well and in 1774 Gabriel moved to a house in Golden Lane, London and 1779 moved again to a home in Ould Street London. By now Gabriel was making a name for himself and his business at this time was located at 32 Banner Street Golden Lane, the following year he purchased another home in Banner Street and 1793 purchased the house next door. At the time of his death in 1808, he owned twenty-seven houses and commercial building. Christopher Gabriel s descendants became quite prominent in England and his grandson, Sir Thomas Gabriel became the Sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1859 and the Lord Mayor of London 1866 and 1867. Gabriel was an extremely prolific plane-maker with a lot of examples made in the 18th century can still be found today. He made good quality tools and was an innovator of several new plane designs. A vintage tool made by a well-known plane-maker, this item was made commercially for firms and individuals that worked in wood and needed a tool that could give a decorative finish to timber. These planes came in various shapes and sizes to achieve a finish to timber surfaces and came in many sizes. A significant Christopher Gabriel plane from the mid to late 18th century that after 200 years can still be used today. Planes made by Gabriel are eagerly sought after by collectors. The tool gives us a snapshot of how furniture and other finishes were created on timber by the use of cutting edged hand tools. Tools that were themselves hand made shows the craftsmanship used during this time not only to make a tool such as the subject item but also the craftsmanship needed to produce a decorative or even finish that was needed for the finishing of timber items. Side Rabbet Plane Stamped Maker Gabriel (owner M Hobling).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, side rabbet plane, gabriel m hobling

This item can be seen as a hand piece belonging to a logger or farmer spanning over one hundred or more years. The equipment was made to perfection as a hand tool and has not been improved upon since its introduction into the logging industry or farming fraternity. It can be used by one person or two (husband and wife or father and child). Its versatility is ageless. It can be used for domestic clearing of the paddocks, or for domestic fire places and stoves or commercial logging up until the 2000s (introduction of specific logging trucks that cut and treat the trees in one process).This item is very significant to the rural and logging regions within the Kiewa Valley. It has been used for domestic wood cutting and for industrial logging in the mid to late 1900s. It was used when clearing land for the SEC Hydro scheme and to allow for the introduction of the Mount Beauty construction workers' village (later developed into the town) The great advantage of this saw was that it uses only muscle power and can be located where ever a lumber "Jack" or property owner can venture. either by foot or by horse.This saw is a Warranted Superior One/Two Man Logging Saw. It has 68 teeth and is 42 inches long. At a position of one inch (2.5cm) from the end is a hole one inch down from the leading edge. There is another hole 45 cm in front of the handle. Both these holes are for a "helper handle" which when in use renders this logging saw fit for a two man operation. This is a cross cut saw for cutting down vertical trees (horizontal cut) The handle is made from wood and fastened to the blade by three heavy duty screws. The one helper handle stands 150mm high and has a 150mm wooden hand grip.The central screw has 25mm manufacturers' identification logo stamped "WARRANTED SUPERIOR".one or two man cross cut saws, forestry, timber industry

A bucksaw is a hand powered frame saw similar to bow saw and generally used with a sawbuck to cut logs or firewood to length (bucking).Used by residents of the Kiewa Valley for clearing land, chopping firewood, cutting lumber. Also used while camping because it is portableFormerly UKV 239. Buck Saw with Lightning Tooth Blade. Operated by two men.Ref. Page 10 Tools for all Trade Catalogue. It consists of 3 horizontal bars, the top one being twisted wire and the bottom one being the metal blade with a wood bar in between. They are attached at each end to curved wooden bars. tool for wood, saw, buck saw

Workmen working with cut logs and a circular saw blade in an outdoor setting at Hurstbridge. In 1920 the Hurstbridge sawmill site was situated on 6 acres and was advertised for sale. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, hurstbridge, timber mill, logs, lumber trade, timber, sawmill

Six men, some with tools stand on or beside a very large tree which has been recently felled. Pat Ryan identified at front left. In 1920 the Hurstbridge Sawmill operated as part of a local logging industry where among other things large logs were used for bridge building and railway construction. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imageWritten on photocopy: "Pat Ryan (front)" with arrow pointing to him "Timber felling for railway construction Diamond Creek - REF 1050"sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, hurstbridge, logging, lumber trade, felled tree, railway construction, diamond creek, pat ryan

Loggers from Brown's Mill, Kinglake use a hand saw to remove bark and split a tree trunk after its felling in the Kinglake forest. Circa 1923.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, kinglake, browns mill, logging, loggers, lumber trade, brown's mill, kingake national park, forest, bush

The 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (1st RANBT) was formed in Melbourne on 28 February 1915 and was intended to be a horse drawn engineering unit attached to the Royal Naval Division (RND), then serving as infantry on the Western Front. The term ‘train’, in its title, was a direct reference to the horse drawn wagons that would, in theory, form and move ‘in train’ to carry the unit’s heavy lumber, building materials and engineering equipment to the front. The unit was manned by members of the Royal Australian Naval Reserve for whom there were no available billets in seagoing RAN ships. Many of the sailors serving in the 1st RANBT were rated ‘drivers’, and again, this refers to wagon drivers as opposed to motor vehicle drivers. Other seamen were rated as ‘artificers’ or ‘sappers’, the latter being a military term traditionally used to describe army engineers. Appointed in command of the 1st RANBT was Lieutenant Commander Leighton Seymour Bracegirdle, RAN. Bracegirdle was ideally suited to command the unit, having seen active service with the NSW Naval Brigade during the Boxer Rebellion in China as well as serving as a military officer in the South African Irregular Horse during the Boer War in 1901. He had also recently returned from German New Guinea where he had served as a staff officer in the joint Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) responsible for the capture of the German colonies in the Pacific in September 1914. Three hundred naval reservists, including 50 men who had recently served in New Guinea, were selected for the 1st RANBT and they began their training in horsemanship, engineering and pontoon bridging at the Domain in Melbourne. By late May 1915 a decision was made to send the unit to Britain to complete its training and then to join the RND on the Western Front. The plan, however, never eventuated. The complaints about the non-combatant work being done by the men had been raised in Federal Parliament and following consultation with the senior Australian officer in the Middle East, Lieutenant General Sir Harry Chauvel, a recommendation was made that the unit be disbanded and its men used as reinforcements for the AIF. Consequently, Lieutenant Commander Bracegirdle was advised that his unit was to be dispersed; its men transferring to the AIF or being returned to Australia for discharge. On 27 March 1917 the 1st RANBT was officially disbanded.Oxidised brass anchor shaped collar badge.ww1, world war 1, first world war, ranbt, ran bridging train, royal australian navy bridging train, collar badge