non-fictionpadre frank leslie oliver, port of melbourne, beverley kent nee oliver, music, photographs, jacki fowler

Wooden stamp with metal plate featuring circular design of Melbourne Harbour Trust insiginia "The Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners" "PWO 2993.11"

embossing block with Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners "The Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners" PWO 2993.5

Stamp with dark wooden handle and metal plate "PWO 2992.11" " Deliver/ The Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners"

Stamp with blue handle and Melbourne Harbour Trust logo"The Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners/ Permit Transhipment" "PWO 2992.8"

iMnutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 14th December 1977 Report of the Town Clerk's Department Report of Town Clerk Ainsworth Reserve Committee of Management D. J. Evans Hall Financial Statement Research Into the Staggering of Hours, Use of Flex-Time, Financial Assistance for Study Proposed Swimming Club Rooms Sunshine & Life Saving Club Request for Lease Provision of Flood Lights Chaplin Reserve Road Accidents Suggestions for Reduction Subsidies Pre-School Centres Special Use Zone 7 Proposed Rezoning Land Transfer Nickson Estate Proposal to Rezone Zone 7 and other Adjoining Lands Agreements Re Disposal of Trade Waste Sunshine Tip James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd, South Melbourne City Council, Collins & Davey Pty Ltd, Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners, E. A. Watts Pty Ltd & M. Keogh Beautification Group Prize Money Etc by Sunshine Beautification Committee Library Service to the Shire of Melton Surrender and Creation of Easement Consolidated Bearing Company & Self Service Wholesalers Mitchell Street Proposed Purchase of Land Ardeer South for Infant Welfare and Pre-School Centre Lots 1058 & 1059 Ridgeway Parade Meals On Wheels Ground Allocation Strategy Plan for Public Swimming Pools in Melbourne Metropolitan Region Report of the Co-Ordinator of Welfare Services Visiting Kindergarten Teacher Grant Family & Community Services Programme Accommodation for Adolescents Report of the Chief Health Inspector Application for the Installation of a Package Sewerage Treatment Plant Sunshine Golf Club Ralph Street Gas Fired Toilets and Biological septic Tank Systems Health Act Registrations for 1978 Mantoux Testing for School Children (Test for exposure to tuberculosis "TB") Symposium on Municipal Refuse Composting Report of the Chief By-Laws Officer Court Proceedings Parking Infringements Report of City Librarian Library Statistics Bookmobile Report of City Engineer Processing of Applications for Planning Permits Land Use Permit Application Sign Albanvale Residents Association Dover Street and Lot 119 Station Road Land Use Permit Application Extensions to Existing Service Premises (Milk bar) King Edward Avenue Corner Adelaide Street Massage Parlours Amendment 70 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Submission from S. Custance & Associates on Behalf of Amusement Machine Operators Association Land Use Permit Application Service Premises and Caretaker's Residence 461A Ballarat Road Land Use Permit Application Store Additon to Two Existing Shops and Dwellings 59 Sydney Street Proposed Municipal Tip Disused Albion Quarry Hulett Street Sunshine Tip Land Use Permit Application Sign 250 Ballarat Road Braybrook Land Use Permit Application Detached House Lot 545 Quinn Street Land Use Permit Application Additional of Two Portable Classrooms St. Bernadette's Primary School 59 Westmoreland Road bounded by Suffolk Road, Rufford Street & Willey Street Sunshine North Land Use Permit Application Sign 25 Wright Street Land Use Permit Application Extension to Highpoint West Shopping Centre Land Use Permit Application Subdivision and Detached Houses Westerngate Estate Stage 4A Land Use Permit Application Youth Welfare Service 331 Main Road East Land Use Permit Application Panel Beating Factory Lot 4 McIntyre Road Land Use Permit Application Sign 193 Hampshire Road Enforcement Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1961 Land Use Permit Application Furniture and Carpet Sales, Warehouse and Light Industry 2 - 4 Burton Crescent Land Use Permit Application Child Minding Centre 36 Sydney Street Land Use Permit Application Greyhound Training Establishment North Street Ardeer Land Use Permit Application Four Warehouses and One Factory Berkshire Road and Ayton Street Land Use Permit Application Flats Lot 88 Chifley Drive Land Use Permit Application Apartment House and Caretaker's Residence 16 Ridley Street Parking Area Tallintyre Road Housing Commission of Victoria Subdivision Plan of Subdivision Carter Street & Henry Street Strata Subdivision Fabian Court Consolidation of Title Corner McIntyre Road and Balwin Avenue Consolidation of Title Lots 52 & 53 Cromer Avenue Consolidation of Title Corner of St. Albans Road and Princess Street Plan of Subdivision Ballarat Road, Hampshire Road and Anderson Road Contract Supply and Maintenance of Vehicles Anderson Road Contract Western Highway Street Lighting Proposed 75kM/Hr Buffer Zone Western Highway Deer Park Station Road outfall Drain Through Commonwealth Property Metcon Second Phase Replacement of Mayoral Car Tender Berkshire Road Tender Gooding Street Tender Tennis Courts Dempster Park Tender New Sunshine Tip Dispute over F19 eastern Freeway and Freeways in General City of Collingwood Geelong Road Service Road Burgess Road to Paw Paw Road Objections to Hulett Street Private Street Scheme Report of the Building Surveyor Fencing Lot 343 Anley Place Sunshine West Local Government Act 569H Refund 15 Bardsley Street Sunshine West Undersize Allotment 100 Ballarat Road Maidstone Application Ruinous Fence 2 Norma Street Sunshine Application Outbuilding 77 Anderson Road Sunshine Application Liquids Store M.M.W.B. Western Regional Depot St. Albans Road Albion Application Undersized Allotment 8 Victoria Street Sunshine Application Outbuilding 32 Killara Street Sunshine West Application Outbuilding 171 Main Road West Deer Park Pre-School Station Road Deer Park Alteration to Grandstand Skinner Reserve Churchill Avenue Cricket Pavilion Dempster Park Sunshine North Report of Officer's General-Purpose Committee Information Posters Orders of the Day Accounts Submitted for Payment 30th November 1977 Land Use Permit Application Flats Phoenix Street Replacement of Fleet No 410 Weights & Measures Sunshine Indoor Solar Heating Subdivision of Land at Fairbairn Road Proposed Transfer of Loan Extraordinary Business Replacement of Plant 21 & 86 Land User Permit Application Furniture and Carpet Sales Warehouse and Light Industry Burton Crescent city of sunshine, alexander "alex" george gillon, ainsworth reserve committee of management, ainsworth reserve, vernon crescent, sunshine west, d. j. evans hall, churchill avenue, braybrook, sunshine & life saving club, chaplin reserve, anderson road, sunshine, sunshine tip, james hardie & co, south melbourne city council, collins & davey pty ltd, melbourne harbour trust commissioners, e. a. watts pty ltd, m. keogh, sunshine beautification committee, consolidated bearing company, mitchell street, maidstone, ridgeway parade, sunshine golf club, ralph street, dover street, station road, albanvale residents association, king edward avenue, adelaide street, albion, ballarat road, sydney street, albion quarry, hulett street, quinn street, deer park, westmoreland road, st. bernadette's primary school, suffolk road, rufford street, willey street, sunshine north, wright street, highpoint west shopping centre, rosamond road, maribyrnong, main road east, st. albans, mcintyre road, hampshire road, burton crescent, north street, ardeer, berkshire road, ayton street, chifley drive, ridley street, carter street, henry street, fabian court, balwin avenue, cromer avenue, st. albans road, princess street, western highway, gooding street, dempster park, phoenix street, geelong road, burgess road, paw paw road, brooklyn, anley place, bardsley street, norma street, m.m.w.b. western regional depot, victoria street, killara street, main road west, skinner reserve

Belonged to the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissionersarge, wooden, rectangular "Roll of Honour" board for the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners. It was their honourary board for employees who went to the 1st World War. comprised of seven panels with names of people carved into them. The centre panel has "in Memorium' in brass lettering and is raised out from the three panels which flank it on either side. The main lettering across the top of the board is made from brass, and is attached to the wood. A circular brass crest is featured in the centre top of the board, which is flanked by carved gum leaves and nuts. The date "1918" is also cast in brass and attached to the lower front right hand side of the board.1918 circa."ROLL OF HONOUR/ THE MELBOURNE HARBOR TRUST COMMISSIONERS/ MHT/ IN MEMORIAM/ R. DEWAR, W. KEARNEY, A.H. TREBLE, R. CURWEN, G.R. PALMER, J. STUBBS, A. ALLISON, T. MCCARRON, W. MCLAUGHLIN, J.D. MCMILLAN, F.S. CLISSOLD, A. STEEGE, W. JORY, C.H. WOOD, H.H. BARKER, J. HEMINGWAY, R.H. CROCKETT, T.W. PARROTT, E.G. STONE, W.H. FRAME, S.H. PARROTT, V.W. PIPER, A.R MCBRIDE/ D. FINLAYSON, S.EVERETT, G.O. LAWRENCE, A. PHILLIPS, A. CAHILL, G.C. HUGHES, G.S BELL, A.D. BROAD, C.W. MILLS, A.C. COOK, A. JONES, A. COCCIARDI, A.N. ROYCE, M. THOMAS, A.WARE, J. RISBRIDGER, A. STEPHENS, G.S. MCCOLL, W.S. TAYLOR, H.A. MILLER, P.J. BURNS, D.B. MACKIE, F. HEARN/ E. SAMBELL, J. STOTT, W. POOLEY, R. JOHNSTON, A.W. FERGUSSON, W.H. SPURR, P.R. STEVENS, D.J. STUART, T. CHAPPLE, W. REED, W.J ALLINGHAM, J. PAGE, J.J. MAIR, C.A PHIPPS, J. WILSON, A.J WILLIAMS, W.L. FOSTER, W.S PENHALLURIACK, R.N. BARBER, E. DOLAN, T. MCGRATH, P. PATERSON, J.W. GRAY/ C.J.H.BARRY, F.L. WATERS, F.E. BUXTON, A.C. NUTTING, E.J BATTEN, C.E. ELLIOTT, C.T. RUFFLE, W.H. STEVENS, J. JOHNSTON, D. BATHIE, J. MCPHERSON, T.W. GIBBON, J.W. BURN, C.H. CHEEK, P.J. EVANS, J. MUCHEMORE, G.N. SADLEIR, W.D. SMITH, C HINCHCLIFFE, A. CARD, F.A. ROBERTS, C.E. TROWBRIDGE, W. ALLAN/ V.T. NICKELS, J.G MEYERS, T.G. MCKEDDIE, W.H EVANS, S. KEWLEY, F. MUIR, F.W. TREGANOWAN, M. GRANT, T.R. HAWWORTH, N. NORRISON, J. MCDONALD, J. SHERIDAN, H.R. GOLDIE, A.A. METHVEN, H.P.H VINVENT, P. RIDDELL, R.W. BARCLAY, P. NASH, A.E. WHYTE, W. DAWSON, J.F LEISTER, J. MCNEILL, H. STAFFORD/ J. PHILLIPS, W.J. PETTETT, W. PRIEST, C. OLSON, G.D. CARRE, L.C.R GAME, I.M COWLISHAW, R.R. SMITH, P. DUSTING, T.H. JONES, W. DOWIE, G.T. BEASELY, J.G BAILEY, F. JORDAN, J. FARRELL, A. DAWE, W.H. STUBBINGS, C.W. STEFFENSON, H. BLACKEBY, H. TATE, J. BASSETT, J. MCLEAN/ IN MEMORIAM, P. FOLEY, A.C. JOHNSON, S. TURNER, C.W FORD, E.F RENNICK, T.G. HOBERG, T. WEIR, W.S HICKS, J. BARRY, H. DANIEL, W. ROADKNIGHT, L.N CLARK, R. DYSON, H.G JOHANSON/ 1914/1918

Large paper document including colour illustrations of Melbourne Harbor Trust shield and other shields. Includes three wax seals attached to document with blue ribbon."To All and Singular to whom these presents shall come, Sire Anthony Richard Wagner/ Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Garter Principal King of Arms. Sir John Lunamace Heaton Arm/ Strong Knight, Member of the Royal Victorian Order. Clarenceux King of Arms an Aubrey John Toppin Esquire/ Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Norroy and Ulster King of Arms Send Greeting! Whereas Victor/ George Swanson. Esquire upon whom has been conferred the Australian Efficiency Decoration Chairman of the Melbourne Harbor/ Trust Commissioners hath represented unto The Most Noble Bernard Marmaduke, Duke of Norfolk, Knight of the Most/ Noble Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cress of the Royal Victorian Order, Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of/ England and one of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council that the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners is a body/ corporate with perpetual succession and a Common Seal duly constituted by Act of Legislature of the Colony of Victoria number/ DLII bearing date Twenty second day of December 1876 the said Act having been amended from time to time and various Acts passed consolidating such amendments that under the said/ Act the exclusive management and control of the port and the preservation and improvement of the port generally as vested in the said Commissioners. That the Melbourne Harbour Trust/ Commissioners being desirous of having Armorial Bearings, Supporters and a Device or Badge duly assigned under lawful authority and he hath therefore requested the favour of His Grace's/ Warrant for Ouigranting and assigning such Armorial Ensigns and in the same Patent such Supporters and such Device or Badge as may be proper to be borne and used by the Melbourne/ Harbor Trust Commissioners on Seals otherwise accoding to the Laws of Arms. And forasmuch as the said Earl Marshal did by warrant under his hand and Seal bearing date the Sev-/ enth day of March 1962 authorize and direct Us to grant and assign such Armorial Ensigns and such Supporters and such Device or Badge Accordingly. Know ye therefore that we/ the said Garter Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster in pursuance of His Grace's warrant and by virtue of the Letters of Patent of Our several offices to each of us respectively granted do/ by these Presents grant and assign unto the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners the Arms following that is to say: Azure a representation of the constellation of the Southern Cross/ Argent on a Chief enarched on five Pallets of the first. And for the Crest Out of a Coronet composed of eight Masts each with sail set and upon Rim Or in front of a Bollard proper/ two Anchors in saltire Azure Mantled figure doubled Argent as the same are in the margin here of more plainly depicted. And by the Authority aforesaid We do/ further grant and assign the following Device or Badge that is to say: Two Anchors in saltire Argent as here depicted And by the Authority aforesaid the said Garter/ do by these Presents further grant and assign unto the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners the Supporters following that is to say : On either side a Sea Horse/ (Hippocampus) or collared and lined Gules in front of a representation of the Melbourne Harbour front proper as the same are also in the margins here of more/ arms plainly depicted the whole to be borne and used forever hereafter by the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners on seals otherwise according to the laws of/ Arms. In witness whereof we the said Garter Clarenceux and a Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms have to these presents subscribed Our names and affixed the seals/ Of our Several offices this fith day of March in the Twelfth Year of the reign of our Soveriegn Lady Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great/ Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith and in the years of Our Lord One Thousand nine/ hundred and sixty three" "Prosperity Through Service"

Notice of Ordinary Meeting of the Council of the City of Sunshine to be held on 14th December 1977 Report of the Town Clerk's Department Report of Town Clerk Ainsworth Reserve Committee of Management D. J. Evans Hall Financial Statement Research Into the Staggering of Hours, Use of Flex-Time, Financial Assistance for Study Proposed Swimming Club Rooms Sunshine & Life Saving Club Request for Lease Provision of Flood Lights Chaplin Reserve Road Accidents Suggestions for Reduction Subsidies Pre-School Centres Special Use Zone 7 Proposed Rezoning Land Transfer Nickson Estate Proposal to Rezone Zone 7 and other Adjoining Lands Agreements Re Disposal of Trade Waste Sunshine Tip James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd, South Melbourne City Council, Collins & Davey Pty Ltd, Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners, E. A. Watts Pty Ltd & M. Keogh Beautification Group Prize Money Etc by Sunshine Beautification Committee Library Service to the Shire of Melton Surrender and Creation of Easement Consolidated Bearing Company & Self Service Wholesalers Mitchell Street Proposed Purchase of Land Ardeer South for Infant Welfare and Pre-School Centre Lots 1058 & 1059 Ridgeway Parade Meals On Wheels Ground Allocation Strategy Plan for Public Swimming Pools in Melbourne Metropolitan Region Report of the Co-Ordinator of Welfare Services Visiting Kindergarten Teacher Grant Family & Community Services Programme Accommodation for Adolescents Report of the Chief Health Inspector Application for the Installation of a Package Sewerage Treatment Plant Sunshine Golf Club Ralph Street Gas Fired Toilets and Biological septic Tank Systems Health Act Registrations for 1978 Mantoux Testing for School Children (Test for exposure to tuberculosis "TB") Symposium on Municipal Refuse Composting Report of the Chief By-Laws Officer Court Proceedings Parking Infringements Report of City Librarian Library Statistics Bookmobile Report of City Engineer Processing of Applications for Planning Permits Land Use Permit Application Sign Albanvale Residents Association Dover Street and Lot 119 Station Road Land Use Permit Application Extensions to Existing Service Premises (Milk bar) King Edward Avenue Corner Adelaide Street Massage Parlours Amendment 70 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Submission from S. Custance & Associates on Behalf of Amusement Machine Operators Association Land Use Permit Application Service Premises and Caretaker's Residence 461A Ballarat Road Land Use Permit Application Store Additon to Two Existing Shops and Dwellings 59 Sydney Street Proposed Municipal Tip Disused Albion Quarry Hulett Street Sunshine Tip Land Use Permit Application Sign 250 Ballarat Road Braybrook Land Use Permit Application Detached House Lot 545 Quinn Street Land Use Permit Application Additional of Two Portable Classrooms St. Bernadette's Primary School 59 Westmoreland Road bounded by Suffolk Road, Rufford Street & Willey Street Sunshine North Land Use Permit Application Sign 25 Wright Street Land Use Permit Application Extension to Highpoint West Shopping Centre Land Use Permit Application Subdivision and Detached Houses Westerngate Estate Stage 4A Land Use Permit Application Youth Welfare Service 331 Main Road East Land Use Permit Application Panel Beating Factory Lot 4 McIntyre Road Land Use Permit Application Sign 193 Hampshire Road Enforcement Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1961 Land Use Permit Application Furniture and Carpet Sales, Warehouse and Light Industry 2 - 4 Burton Crescent Land Use Permit Application Child Minding Centre 36 Sydney Street Land Use Permit Application Greyhound Training Establishment North Street Ardeer Land Use Permit Application Four Warehouses and One Factory Berkshire Road and Ayton Street Land Use Permit Application Flats Lot 88 Chifley Drive Land Use Permit Application Apartment House and Caretaker's Residence 16 Ridley Street Parking Area Tallintyre Road Housing Commission of Victoria Subdivision Plan of Subdivision Carter Street & Henry Street Strata Subdivision Fabian Court Consolidation of Title Corner McIntyre Road and Balwin Avenue Consolidation of Title Lots 52 & 53 Cromer Avenue Consolidation of Title Corner of St. Albans Road and Princess Street Plan of Subdivision Ballarat Road, Hampshire Road and Anderson Road Contract Supply and Maintenance of Vehicles Anderson Road Contract Western Highway Street Lighting Proposed 75kM/Hr Buffer Zone Western Highway Deer Park Station Road outfall Drain Through Commonwealth Property Metcon Second Phase Replacement of Mayoral Car Tender Berkshire Road Tender Gooding Street Tender Tennis Courts Dempster Park Tender New Sunshine Tip Dispute over F19 eastern Freeway and Freeways in General City of Collingwood Geelong Road Service Road Burgess Road to Paw Paw Road Objections to Hulett Street Private Street Scheme Report of the Building Surveyor Fencing Lot 343 Anley Place Sunshine West Local Government Act 569H Refund 15 Bardsley Street Sunshine West Undersize Allotment 100 Ballarat Road Maidstone Application Ruinous Fence 2 Norma Street Sunshine Application Outbuilding 77 Anderson Road Sunshine Application Liquids Store M.M.W.B. Western Regional Depot St. Albans Road Albion Application Undersized Allotment 8 Victoria Street Sunshine Application Outbuilding 32 Killara Street Sunshine West Application Outbuilding 171 Main Road West Deer Park Pre-School Station Road Deer Park Alteration to Grandstand Skinner Reserve Churchill Avenue Cricket Pavilion Dempster Park Sunshine North Report of Officer's General-Purpose Committee Information Posters city of sunshine, alexander "alex" george gillon, ainsworth reserve, vernon street, sunshine west, d. j. evans hall, churchill avenue, braybrook, sunshine swimming pool, sunshine swimming club, kennedy street, sunshine, chaplin reserve, sunshine & life saving club, anderson road, sunshine tip, sunshine beautification committee, consolidated bearing company, self service wholesalers, mitchell street, maidstone, ardeer south infant welfare & preschool, ridgeway parade, ardeer, sunshine golf club, ralph street, dover street, station road, deer park, king edward avenue, adelaide street, ballarat road, albion, sydney street, albion quarry, hulett street, quinn street, st. bernadette's primary school, westmoreland road, suffolk road, rufford street, willey street, wright street, highpoint west shopping centre, rosamond road, maribyrnong, main road east, st. albans, mcintyre road, hampshire road, burton crescent, north street, chifley drive, ridley street, tallintyre road, carter street, henry street, fabian court, balwin avenue, cromer avenue, st. albans road, princess street, western highway, berkshire road, gooding street, dempster park, phoenix street, geelong road service road, paw paw road, anley place, bardsley street, norma street, victoria street, killara street

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

remove cobwebs and dustLarge, heavy, metal Melbourne Harbour Trust SignTHE MELBOURNE HARBOR TRUST COMMISSIONERS/No. 3 STATION/OPEN 7-30 A.M. TO 5-30 P.M. EXCEPT/SATURDAYS OPEN 7-30 A.M. TO 12-30 P.M./ CLOSED SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYSmelbourne harbour trust (mba)

Large Melbourne Harbour Trust Sign, BrassTHE/MELBOURNE/HARBOR TRUST/COMMISSIONERS/1877melbourne harbour trust (mba)

Has recently been framed and laminatedFramed list of pennants signifying ships and signals hand drawn with coloured pencil in 1915 on paper. Later corrections made in 1933 in black penM. H. T./SIGNALS/FOR THE USE OF FLOATING PLANT OCT 1915 1915/Corrected Feb 1933/ HUME/ J. A. BOYD/WILLIAM PITT/WILLIAM STRONG/CHAS DUCKETT/EDWARD NORTHCOTE/ H C PIGGOTT/BATMAN/FAWKNER/FRANCIS DUNCAN/WILLIAM ANDREWS/COMMISSIONER/PENGUIN (at Geelong)/ RED BIRD/GELLIBRAND/MOTOR BOAT NO 2 TATEGAMI/MOTOR BOAT NO 3/MOTOR BOAT NO 4/ENGINEER/HARBOR MASTER/LADY STANLEY/HOVELL/ W. S. MOUNTAIN/W.M. COWPER/G.F.H./D. YORK SYME/ SUPER of DREDGING/ASSISTANT/HARBOR MASTER/SUPER of MACHINERY/ELECTRICIAN/INSP of DREDGING/INSP of MACHINERY/INSPECTOR WHARVES/(F WILLIAMS)/INSPECTOR DOCKING/& SHIPWRIGHTS/DIVERS WANTED/ACCIDENT SEND/MEDICAL ASSISTANCE/WAITING FOR/EMPTY BARGES/DREDGING STOPPED/WEATHER UNFAVOURABLE/TAKE AWAY/EMPTY BARGES/TUG WANTED/DERRICK PUNT/WANTED/TAKE DERRICK/PUNT AWAY/TAKE AWAY/COAL BARGE/BUCKETS FOULED/OBSTRUCTION SEND/DERRICK PUNT &/DIVERS/ DREDGING STOPPED/REPAIRING/DREDGING RESUMED/ B. Harris 16.8.15/ Drawing No 3415melbourne harbour trust (mba)

Heavy metal stamp plate with Melbourne Harbour trust logoV/6 "Melbourne Harbor Trust commissioners/ 29 Market Street Melbourne 3000/ Telephone 620731"

Large silver cup with lid sitting on base surrounded by small silver shields."Commissioners Cup/ Presented by the Commissioners/ of the/ Maritime services board of NSW/ G.D Williams President/ W. O Connor Vice President/ G H Faulks Commissioner/ Melbourne Harbour Trust/ G Kermode Chairman/ J.A Boyd Commissioner/ F. Duncan/ D. York Syme/ C. A Phayer/ For the competition between the/ Maritime Services Board Cricket Club/ and Melbourne Harbor Trust Cricket club/ December 1938"