Stevenson screens were first introduced in Australia in the 1880s and were widely installed by 1910. The screens have been used to shelter and protect thermometers and other meteorological instruments from rain and direct heat while the holes and double-louvre walls allowed air to flow around them. Sometimes other meteorological instruments were included in the weather stations, so there were different Stevenson Screen sizes. This authentic, original Stevenson screen was previously owned by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and was used for many years for weather readings at the Cape Otway Light Station in southwest Victoria. The Lighthouse Keepers recorded the readings for minimum and maximum temperatures at 9 a.m. every day from January 1865 until April 1994. The equipment was sheltered in a Stevenson Screen from 1902 until April 15 1994, when the mercury thermometer was replaced by a platinum resistance probe within an Automatic Weather Station (AWS). This Stevenson screen is one of the two screens that then became redundant. The other Stevenson screen was kept to display to visitors. Lightkeepers were no longer required at the Cape Otway Light station either, due to the automated system. The meteorological instruments donated with the screen were used for measuring temperature and humidity. They are mounted on a metal bracket that fits across the screw holes on the screen’s internal frame. The glass-covered Relative Humidity (RH) sensor was made by the renowned precision instrument maker, Rotronic AG of Switzerland, which was founded in 1965. The firm made its first electronic temperature and humidity instrument in 1967. Meteorological records have been collected in Australia from the 1800s. The records were collated, published and used as a basis for weather forecasts. Many sectors, such as maritime and agriculture industries, have relied on these figures for making important decisions. The quality and placement of the meteorological instruments used to measure temperature and humidity are of utmost importance for accuracy. In early colonial times, there were no national standards for meteorological instruments that would allow for accurate figures and comparisons. Once the Bureau of Meteorology was established (around 1908 to 1910) the department installed Stevenson screens throughout Australia, many at lighthouses and light stations, and the measuring instruments were standardised. The Stevenson Screen was named after its inventor, Scottish Civil Engineer Thomas Stevenson (1818-1887) who was also the father of Robert Louis Stevenson, author. Stevenson developed the small thermometer screen around 1867. It had double-louvred walls around the sides and a top of two asbestos sheets with an air space between them and was thickly painted with a white coating that reflected the sun’s rays. This design was modified in 1884 by Edward Mawley of the Royal Meteorological Society. Standards were set for the locations of the screens and instruments, including their distance above ground level and the direction the door faced.Stevenson screens played a significant part in providing a standardised shelter for all meteorological instruments used by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology from about 1910 until 1994. The readings from the instruments gave the meteorological statistics on which weather forecasts throughout Australia were based. This Stevenson screen was used locally at Cape Otway, along the Great Ocean Road in southwest Victoria, so contributed towards our local forecasts and weather warnings.Stevenson screen, original, from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s weather station at the Cape Otway Lighthouse. The screen is a white wooden cupboard with a slanted cover raised above the top. The top has ten drilled ventilation holes, and the sides and door are made of downward-slanting double louvres. Two brass hinges join the door to the lower edge of the screen and a metal fitting at the top edge allows for a padlock closure. The screen is supported on four short legs, each with a hole drilled from side to side for fitting to a frame. Inside the screen are two wooden frames fitted with hooks and screws. The floor has three boards; one across the back and one across the front at the same level, and a board wider than the space between these boards is fitted higher, overlapping them slightly. Inside the screen, a pair of electronic instruments with short electric cables is mounted on a metal bracket with drilled holes in it. One of the instruments is a Relative Humidity (RH) probe. It is 26 cm long and is a glass tube with a filter on one end and an electrical connection on the other. It has inscriptions on its label, showing that was made by Rotronic AG, Switzerland. The other instrument is a Resistance Temperature Device (RTD) thermometer. It is 22.5 cm long and has a narrow metal probe joined to a hexagonal metal fitting. A brass plate on the front of the screen has impressed inscriptions. The screen is Serial Number 01/C0032, Catalogue Number 235862.Stamped into brass plate "CAT. NO. / 253862 / SERIAL NO. 01/C0032" On instrument’s electrical fitting; “CD2” [within oval ‘+’ above S] “Serie693 op65 / 220/380V~16A” On instrument’s glass; “rotronic ag” “SWISS MADE” “CE / CH-8303 / Bassersdorf” Symbol for [BARCODE] “ART NO MP 101A_T4-W4W” “POWER 4.8.30VDC“ “OP. RANGE: 0-100%RH/-40+60° C” “OUT H 0-100% 0-1V” “OUT T -40+60°C -0.4..+0.6V” “SERIE NO 19522 009”flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cotton region shelter, instrument shelter, thermometer shelter, thermoscreen, thermometer screen, measuring instruments, meteorological instrument, weather recording, weather station, lighthouse equipment, light station equipment, stevenson screen, marine instruments, mercury thermometer, platinum resistance probe, aws, automatic weather station, rotronic ag, swiss made, meteorological device, weather forecast, weather prediction, weather records, meteorological forecast, meteorological record, australian bureau of meteorology, bureau of meteorology, bureau, bom, relative humidity, rh, relative humidity probe, resistance temperature device, rtd, thermometer, temperature, humidity, cape otway, cape otway lighthouse, cape otway light station, rotronic, switzerland, swiss instrument, thomas stevenson, double-louvered walls, edward mawley, royal meteorological society, 01/c0032, serial number, cat. no. 235862, serial no. 01/c00323

The set of seven 1858 plans shows proposed plans for the original Lighthouse Complex that was built on Middle Island in 1858-1859. The whole complex was then transferred to Flagstaff Hill in 1871. The plan, dated 1909, is for proposed additions and repairs to the Quarters at Flagstaff Hill. The plan 'Alterations and Additions' shows alternate plans for changes to the quarters at the Flagstaff Hill location. This plan has no date. The Complex comprised the Lighthouse, the Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, the Store (now called the Chart Room) and a Privy, which was not included in these plans. The Keeper’s bluestone Quarters was a cottage divided into two compartments, one for each keeper and his family. The bluestone Store was divided into three; a store, a workshop an oil store (or office). The Privy comprised of a small building also divided into two separate, back-to-back toilets, one for each Keeper and his family. The Flagstaff Hill Keeper's Quarters have had extensions and additions at various times, and these have also been removed at various other times. THE PLANS - *Dec. 1858 (12/58) ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool’ (2375.01)* Public Works Office Melbourne – Front and Back elevations, sections, and floor plan. The drawing shows timber walls. [The floor plan is the closest plan to the current building, however, the walls are timber in this plan.] *Nov. 1858 – No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool’ (2375.02)* Office of Public Works, Melbourne – Back and End elevations and section through. The drawing shows stone walls. One side; Senior Keeper’s bedroom, living room and kitchen with storeroom. Another side; is the Assistant’s bedroom, living room and storeroom. *Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool’ (2375.03)* Office of Public Works – Front, Side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows stone walls. *Nov. 1858 – No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.04)* Office of Public Works – Front, side and end elevations, centre section. The drawing shows timber walls. *Nov. 1858 – ‘Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool’ (2375.05)* Public Works Office Melbourne. The plan shows the foundations, joists and eaves. The drawing shows timber walls. (Nov. 1858 – ‘No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool’ (2375.06)* Public Works Melbourne (Part of the paper is missing). This plan shows an octagonal tower, internal stairs, a balcony landing, and a weather vane on top. *November 1858 – No. 1, ‘Lighthouse – Warrnambool’ (2375.07)* Office of Public Works Melbourne. This plan shows a round tower, including the stairs, windows on the tower and the weather vane on the top. *4/3/9 [1909] – ‘Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan’ (2375.8)* Department of Public Works Melbourne’s official stamp is signed by Croft. It shows the floor plans of the Store, Upper Lighthouse and the Quarters. The Store building has three sections; a Store, Work-Shop and Office, with an internal wall between them and separate entries. The Quarters are divided into two dwellings. The Senior Keeper’s side on the left has fireplaces in two of the three bedrooms and there is a pantry and wash house. The Assistant’s side has no fireplaces in the bedrooms and there’s no pantry or washhouse. These plans include proposed changes to the buildings. The Senior Keeper’s Quarters would have a partition on bedroom 2, a bath with plumbing and drainage, a wall moved and a built-in side porch. The Store would also have a built-in porch. The undated plan 'Additions and Alterations' (2375.9) shows alternative arrangements for water tanks, plumbing and such. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSES- In the 1800s ships sailing from England to Australia began to use Bass Strait as a faster route to Melbourne. Small navigation errors led to many tragic shipwrecks. From 1848 lighthouses were operating along Victoria’s southern coast as a guide for sailors. Coastal towns such as Warrnambool grew and the exchange of trade and passengers were of great benefit. However, the uncertain weather changes, relatively shallow waters and treacherous, hidden rocky reefs were not suitable for a Harbour and in the 1840s and 1850s there were many shipwrecks in the area, with some even stranded in its Lady Bay harbour. A jetty was built in 1850 and a flagstaff to guide seafarers was placed up high on what became known now as Flagstaff Hill. In November 1857 the Victorian Government recommended that Warrnambool Harbour had beacons and two lighthouses to guide vessels into and out of the Harbour safely. The white light of the Middle Island lighthouse was to be used for the first time on September 1, 1859. The red light of the Beach Lighthouse, a wooden obelisk structure, was first operated on March 25, 1860, but in 1868 this light was ‘discontinued’ due to it being too low. Melbourne’s Department of Public Works decided to relocate the Middle Island Lighthouse Complex - Lighthouse, Keeper’s Quarters, Privy, Store Room and even water tanks - to Flagstaff Hill. The lower obelisk was shortened, and a protruding gallery, railing, and external ladder were added, as well as the light from the Beach Lighthouse. A green guiding light was erected on the end of the jetty. The transfer of the Complex began in March 1871. Each shaped stone of the lighthouse was carefully numbered, removed then reassembled on Flagstaff Hill. In 1872 the well was sunk behind the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage. The Keepers and families had left Middle Island in April and moved to Flagstaff Hill in October 1871. Vessels entering Lady Bay align the Upper and Lower Lighthouse towers during the day and the lights at night. The Upper Lighthouse is a round tower, the Lower Light is square. The Lighthouses were categorised as harbour lights rather than coastal lights, so they remain under the control of the Victorian Government’s Ports and Harbours section. The lights were originally powered by oil, then acetylene gas, later by electricity, and then converted to solar power in 1988. In 1993 the solar panel was replaced by a battery charger. A decision was made in 1936 to replace the lighthouses’ lights with unattended lights that no longer required Keepers and Assistants. At least 29 Keepers had attended to the lighthouse from its opening in 1859 to when the last official Lightkeepers left In April 1916. The Warrnambool Harbour Board rented out the Quarters from 1916 to 1936. The Board closed down but the rentals continued with other unknown landlords. In the 1970s the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board was set up under the chairmanship of John Lindsay. The Board was to make recommendations to the Warrnambool City Council regarding the use of the buildings and the rest of the Crown Land on the site. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage in stages, during which time evidence of a 1920s fire was found in the eastern section of the cottage. Additions of a porch on the west and a washroom on the east were made in the 1980s. The western part of the building is now a Shipwreck Museum and the east has returned to a late 19th-century Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage and includes the screen made by Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Hope during one of his two periods of service there. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS Lighthouse Keepers were responsible for keeping their Lighthouse’s lights shining at night. They kept a lookout for passing vessels and changes in weather. They were expected to clean, polish and maintain the equipment and buildings. They kept regular and detailed records of who was on watch, and the time the light was lit, trimmed and extinguished. They kept a journal about other events that occurred. They keep regular, accurate Meteorological Logs. It was expected that they were competent in Morse code signalling. They would be called to help in times of disasters and shipwrecks, and to give official statements about these events. Many Lighthouse Keepers also volunteered as members of the lifeboat crew. The Lady Bay lighthouses were officially classified as small, so the Keepers had the official titles of Senior Assistant Lighthouse Keeper and Assistant Lighthouse Keeper. They were employed by the Public Service and paid rent to live in the Lighthouse Quarters. They were compulsorily retired at the age of 60, with most receiving a superannuation payment. Despite their time-consuming duties, there was time to follow hobbies and crafts such as growing vegetables, playing musical instruments, making models of buildings including lighthouses, and crafting furniture pieces. An example of a keeper’s skills is the carved fire screen made by /assistant Keeper Thomas Hope in the early 20th century and displayed in the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage at Flagstaff Hill. The last occupants of the Middle Island Complex were Senior Keeper Robert Deverell, his Assistant Keeper, Andrew Farncombe, and their families. They all became the first occupants at the Lady Bay Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters on Merri Street. The Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex plans are the origin of what is now the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. They are a record of the people, process and departments involved in bringing the complex into fruition. The plans are significant to the Complex, which is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, H1520, for being of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. The Complex is significant as an example of early colonial development. The plan are significant for their connection with the important navigational function of the Lighthouses, a function still being performed to this day. The plans are also significant as an example of a product from the Public Works Department in Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. The structures built to these plans still stand strong. Plans for the Lighthouse Complex in Warrnambool, including Lighthouses, Keeper's Quarters and Stores. Seven of the plans are on thin fragile paper, one is on thicker, stronger paper. The drawings have been made in pens coloured red and black. They originate from Public Works in Melbourne. Seven were drawn in 1858, one in 1904, the other is not dated.Dec. 1858 - Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No.2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.3 ‘Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse Stores Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - No.4, ‘Lighthouse Stores No. 2 Warrnambool. Office of Public Works. Nov. 1858 - Details Lighthouse Keepers Quarters No. 2 Warrnambool. Public Works Office Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No.4 ‘Lighthouse No. 2 – Warrnambool. Public Works Melbourne. Nov. 1858 - No. 1, Lighthouse - Warrnambool. Office of Public Works Melbourne. 4/3/9 [1909] - Additions and Repairs, Lighthouse Quarters, Warrnambool, General Plan. Department of Public Works Melbourne. SIGNED "Croft" "15A" on reverse [no date] - Lighthouse Quarters Warrnambool, Additions and Alterations. "9A" on reverseflagstaff hill, warrnambool, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse residence, lighthouse, plans, public works, melbourne, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, chart room, quarters, privy, middle island, beach lighthouse, obelisk, lighthouse keeper, assistant keeper, lighthouse complex, lady bay, lady bay complex, keepers, upper lighthouse, lower lighthouse, ports and harbours, cottage, harbour board, flagstaff hill planning board, meteorological record, robert deverell, andrew farncombe, warrnambool port, warrnambool harbour, residence, alterations, repairs, department of works

This is an image of the Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex on Middle Island in 1854. The Store, Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters, Lighthouse and Flagstaff are in the background. The foreground shows a covered buggy drawn by two horses and a person in attendance, and another wheeled vehicle behind it with a figure nearby. There is a saddled horse to the right with two males in conversation nearby. The ground is soft, perhaps the riverbed or sandy shore. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS Lighthouse Keepers were responsible for keeping their Lighthouse’s lights shining at night. They kept a lookout for passing vessels and changes in weather. They were expected to clean, polish and maintain the equipment and buildings. They kept regular and detailed records of who was on watch, and the time the light was lit, trimmed and extinguished. They kept a journal about other events that occurred. They keep regular, accurate Meteorological Logs. It was expected that they were competent in Morse code signalling. They would be called to help in times of disasters and shipwrecks and to give official statements about these events. Many Lighthouse Keepers also volunteered as members of the lifeboat crew. The Lady Bay lighthouses were officially classified as small, so the Keepers had the official titles of Senior Assistant Lighthouse Keeper and Assistant Lighthouse Keeper. They were employed by the Public Service and paid rent to live in the Lighthouse Quarters. They were compulsorily retired at the age of 60, with most receiving a superannuation payment. Despite their time-consuming duties, there was time to follow hobbies and crafts such as growing vegetables, playing musical instruments, making models of buildings including lighthouses, and crafting furniture pieces. An example of a keeper’s skills is the carved fire screen made by /assistant Keeper Thomas Hope in the late 19th century and displayed in the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage at Flagstaff Hill. Both Alexander and Farncombe had served under Senior Keeper Robert Deverell, who was the first and only Senior Lighthouse Keeper at the Middle Island Complex. John Alexander was the Assistant Keeper in the 1850s. Andrew Farncombe was the last Assistant Keeper at Middle Island, serving there with his family from 1864 to 1871. During 1871 and 1872 the Lighthouse Complex was moved to Flagstaff Hill on Merri Street. Farncombe and Deverell then became the first Keepers and occupants of the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex at Flagstaff Hill. They continued their service together; overall, Deverell served from 1859 to 1885 and Farncombe from 1864 to 1974. WARRNAMBOOL'S LADY BAY LIGHTHOUSE COMPLEX - The original Lighthouse Complex was built on Middle Island in 1858-1859 then transferred stone-by-stone to Flagstaff Hill in 1871. The Complex comprised the Lighthouse, the Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters and a Privy. The bluestone Keeper’s Quarters was a cottage divided into two compartments, one for the Senior Keeper and his family, the other for the Assistant Keeper and his family. The bluestone Store was divided into three; a store, a workshop, and an oil store (or office). The Privy comprised a small building also divided into two separate, back-to-back toilets, one for each Keeper and his family. In the 1970s the Flagstaff Hill Planning Board was set up under the chairmanship of John Lindsay. The Board was to make recommendations to the Warrnambool City Council regarding the use of the buildings and the rest of the Crown Land on the site. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village opened in 1975 and began renovating the Cottage in stages, during which time evidence of a 1920s fire was found in the eastern section of the cottage. Additions of a porch on the west and a washroom on the east were made in the 1980s. The western part of the building is now a Shipwreck Museum and the east has returned to a late 19th-century Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage and includes the screen made by Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Thomas Hope in the late 19th century. Hope served two periods of time at the Lighthouse. This photograph is significant as a visual record of the original Warrnambool Lighthouse Complex on Middle Island, the origin of what is now the Lady Bay Lighthouse Complex. The photograph is significant for its connection to the Complex, which is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, H1520, for being of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria. The Complex is significant as an example of early colonial development. The photograph is significant for its connection with the important navigational function of the Lighthouses, a function still being performed to this day. The photograph is also significant as it shows an example of buildings organised by the Public Works Department in Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. The structures tare still stand strong. Photograph of horses, a buggy and three gentlemen in the foreground and the background shows a lighthouse and accompanying buildings. Printed in black and white. (Another two horse-drawn vehicles are partially visible). The subject is the Lighthouse Complex on Middle Island, Warrnambool, dated between 1854 and 1871.An inscription is handwritten in black pen on the back of the mounting board."The lighthouse and accompanying buildings were / established on Middle Island in 1854, as this / picture shows. In 1871 they were moved to their / present site on Flagstaff Hill."flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse residence, lighthouse, chart room, quarters, privy, middle island, beach lighthouse, obelisk, lighthouse complex, lady bay complex, warrnambool port, warrnambool harbour, lady bay, keepers, lighthouse keeper, upper lighthouse, lower lighthouse, assistant keeper, ports and harbours, cottage, meteorological record, 1854, 1871

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - April 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observations april 1948, meteorological observations, record book, meteorology

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - June 6th to 17th July 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observations part june_july 1948, meteorological observations, record book, meteorology

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - August 18th to 13th September 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, book, meteorological observations part august_september 1948, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, meteorological observations, record boook, meteorology

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - October 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observations october 1948, meteorological observations, record book, meteorology

This book of Warrnambool's meteorological observations is dated November 1948. The book was published by the Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau, Victora Division. It was printed by L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra. It was originally printed for Division 3, Queensland but has been overwritten with 'Vic' [Victoria] and used for Warrnambool. Readings were recorded daily for barometric pressure, temperature, rain and wind velocity. At the end of each month, they were posted to the central Branch in Melbourne.These Meteorological Observations are an important accurate record of the local weather since the decades. They are part of Flagstaff Hill's Meteorological Observations collection of over seventy record books dating from the late 19th century. The collected information gives a picture of the weather patterns for the months and seasons, which then allows for warnings of events out of the normal or extreme, such as forecasting floods or droughts.Meteorological Observations record book. Recordings were taken at Warrnambool in November 1948. Small red cardboard printed cover with printed pages prepared for adding records. Published by the Commonwealth of Australia. The book was printed for Queensland; the cover has been altered by hand to read Vic [Victoria], but the fly page has not been altered.Printed cover text includes "Central Meteorological Bureau" "METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS DIVISION No. 3 QUEENSLAND" Handwritten on cover "VIC" "Nov 1948."flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, meteorological observations, commonwealth meteorological bureau, weather readings, weather records, weather history, weather measurement, weather record, division no 3 queensland, victoria, november 1848

Official Recording of Warrnambool Meteorological ObservationsTwo bound ledgers and one paperback exercise book and a folder of correspondencewarrnambool weatherwarrnambool weather

Register of Meteorological Observations at Warrnambool Lighthouse for the following months. mber 1905. 1902 - all months, 1903 - Jan, Feb, April, May, June, July, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec, Mar, 1905 - Jan. Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, 1906- Jan, Feb, Mar, May, Jun, July, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, 1907 - all months.Register, marble pattern cover on March and Septe. Warrnambool Lighthouse Register of Meteorological Observations, 1902 Apr Recorded information of meteorological events at the Warrnambool Lighthouse, giving details of Air Pressure, Temperature, Wind Velocity and Direction, Cloud, Rain and RemarksHandwritten entriesflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, warrnambool lighthouse register of meteorological observations 1902 apr, meteorological observations, book, warrnambool lighthouse, meteorological observation

Foley, J. C. (James Charles) (1892-1967) , classified major droughts in Australia from the early period of European settlement to 1955 on the basis of rainfall analyses. This document is a useful reference tool.A 19 pp copy of a document titled DROUGHTS IN AUSTRALIA, Review of Records from Earliest Years of Settlement to 1955. It was compiled by the Bureau of Meteorology in September,1957. This section deals mostly with droughts in Victoria.Author J.C. Foleydrought-victoria foley-james-charles bureau-of-meteorology climate

Charles Todd was one of the pioneers of meteorology in Australasia. Sir Charles Todd (1826-1910) was an astronomer, meteorologist and electrical engineer. Much of the history of astronomy, meteorology and telegraphs in South Australia is contained in his reports to parliament between 1856 and 1900.This is a useful research tool.A large sheet of lined card with a printed alphabetical list of South Australian towns and hand-written details of wind direction and force. Beside each is a remark.meteorology-records-south-australia todd-charles

Warrnambool Lighthouse Register of Meteorological Observations 1906 Aprflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, meteorological observations, book

A barometer is an instrument used for measuring atmosphere pressure thus determining weather changes.The first apparatus generally accepted as a barometer was that set up in Florence in 1644 by Evangelista Torricelli (1608–1647), a mathematician and physicist. Torricelli filled a glass tube with mercury, sealed it at one end, and inverted it with its open end in a dish of mercury. The level always fell a short way down the tube, then settled at a height of about thirty inches. He concluded correctly that the mercury column was sustained by the weight of the air pressing on the open surface of mercury, and further experiments convinced him that the space above the mercury in the tube was a vacuum. He noted that the level rose and fell with changing temperature, but he was unable to use his apparatus to measure variations in the weight of the atmosphere because he had not foreseen that temperature would affect the level of the mercury. News of this experiment circulated quickly among European scientists, who hastened to replicate the experiment. Torricelli's conclusions were not universally accepted because some disputed whether the air had weight, while both Aristotle and the Catholic Church denied the possibility of a vacuum. In France, the philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650) seems to have been the first person, probably in 1647, to attach a graduated scale to the tube so that he could record any changes attributable to the weather. At around this time Duke Ferdinand II of Tuscany organized the first short-lived meteorological network among scientists in other Italian cities, gathering observations of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind direction, and state of the sky.Theis barometer is an example of a household item from the early 20th century, used to determine the day's weather. The barometer is significant as an aid to human social, material and scientific development.Barometer, round, brass housing inset into carved wooden casing (lacquer mostly worn off). Decorative lettering for weather conditions "Stormy, Rain, Change, Fair, Very Dry". Workings are visible through opening in centre of dial. Indicator needle and another adjustable needle . Hook screwed into back of case.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, barometer, scientific instrument, weather forcasting instrument, weather gauge

The barometer was either made or sold by T. Gaunt & Co. of Melbourne, a manufacturer, importer and retailer of a wide variety of goods including jewellery, clocks and watches, navigational and measuring instruments, dinnerware, glassware and ornaments. Thomas Gaunt photograph was included in an album of security identity portraits of members of the Victorian Court, Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888. (See below for further details.) Admiral Fitzroy Pattern Barometer History: The stick mercury barometer was named after Admiral Robert Fitzroy of the Royal Navy (1805-1865) for his detailed instructions on how to interpret the weather, which were included with the instrument. Fitzroy was the captain of the HMS Beagle, also a weather forecaster to Charles Darwin and the second Governor of New Zealand. He developed many different types of barometers and was the first person to introduce the science of weather forecasting to the British Isles. A local manufacturer of scientific instruments, Thomas Gaunt, produced the barometer that was adapted for the southern hemisphere by Robert Ellery, the State Astronomer based at the Melbourne Observatory. In the original sale catalogue for Gaunt's, the item is described as "Gaunt's Fitzroy Barometers" and it was priced from 25/- to ₤9.9s. History of Thomas Gaunt: Thomas Gaunt established Melbourne's leading watchmaking, optical and jewellery business during the second half of the 19th century. Gaunt arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and by 1858 had established his own business at 14 Little Bourke Street. Around 1869 he moved to new premises in Bourke Street on the corner of Royal Arcade. Gaunt's shop quickly became a Melbourne institution. Gaunt proudly advertised that he was 'The only watch manufacturer in the Australian colonies'. While many watches and clocks may have had Gaunt's name on the dial, few would have been made locally. Gaunt did make some watches for exhibitions, and perhaps a few expensive watches for wealthy individuals. Gaunt's received a telegraph signal from Melbourne Observatory each day to correct his main clock and used this signal to rate and repair ship's chronometers and good quality watches. His main horological manufacturing was directed at turret clocks for town halls, churches and post offices. These tended to be specific commissions requiring individualised design and construction. He made the clock for the Melbourne Post Office lobby, to a design by Government Astronomer Robert Ellery, and won an award at the 1880-81 Melbourne International Exhibition for his turret clock for the Emerald Hill Town Hall. He became well known for his installation of a chronograph at Flemington Racecourse in 1876, which showed the time for the race, accurate to a quarter of a second. The firm also installed the clockwork and figures for Gog and Magog in the Royal Arcade. Thomas Gaunt also developed a department that focused on scientific instrumentation, making thermometers and barometers (from imported glass tubes), telescopes, surveying instruments and microscopes. Another department specialised in electroplating for trophies, awards and silverware, and the firm manufactured large amounts of ecclesiastical gold ware and silverware, for the church including St Patrick's Cathedral. There are no records that disclose the number of employees in the firm, but it was large enough for Gaunt to hold an annual picnic for the watchmakers and apprentices at Mordialloc from 1876; two years previously they had successfully lobbied Gaunt to win the eight hour day. Gaunt's workforce was reportedly very stable, with many workers remaining in the business for 15 to 30 years. Gaunt's wife Jane died on September 1894, aged 64. They had one son and six daughters, but only three daughters survived to adulthood. Two became nuns at the Abbotsford Convent and one daughter, Cecelia Mary Gaunt (died 28 July 1941), married William Stanislaus Spillane on 22 September 1886 and had a large family. Gaunt died at his home in Coburg, Victoria, leaving an estate valued at ₤41,453. The business continued as T. Gaunt & Co. after his death. The barometer is historically significant as an example of the work of Melbourne’s leading scientific instrument maker, Thomas Gaunt. The barometer has social significance as an example of the type of scientific equipment that Thomas Gaunt expanded his horology business into producing. Further social significance lies in the fact that Robert Ellery, the Government Astronomer who designed the local version of the barometer, had a direct connection with the Melbourne Athenaeum founded in 1839 as the Melbourne Mechanics' Institution. Its purpose was "the diffusion of literary, scientific and other useful information". There are also records of a T Gaunt as a subscription and committee member of this the Athenaeum organisation during the 1870s and 1880s which may be Thomas Gaunt, unfortunately still unverified.Stick mercury barometer known as the Admiral Fitzroy Barometer. It comprises an oblong wooden case with glass front panel, ornate pediment, barometer with bulb cistern (empty of fluid), cleaning brush with printed instructions for interpreting information given by the gauge affixed to left and right face of instrument. Includes a thermometer. The barometer appears to be intact. Adapted to the Southern Hemisphere. Special remarks by Admiral Fitzroy. Made by Thomas Gaunt, Melbourne. Manufacturer's details are on back of wooden casing. Rear has upper and lower brass screw plates for securing to vertical surface."Manufactured by Thomas Gaunt, 14 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, barometer, admiral fitzroy, thomas gaunt, thomas gaunt of melbourne, clockmaker, admiral fitzroy barometer, barometer instructions, gaunt’s fitzroy barometer, gaunt’s of melbourne, gog and magog designer, horological manufacturer, meteorological instrument, melbourne athenaeum, melbourne mechanics' institution, melbourne observatory time signal, robert ellery government astronomer, scientific instrument, stick mercury barometer, thermometer, weather forecast, t gaunt & co

This book of meteorological observations is dated May 1945. The book was published by the Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau, Victora Division. It was printed by L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra. Readings were recorded daily for barometric pressure, temperature, rain and wind velocity. At the end of each month, they were posted to the central Branch in Melbourne. These Meteorological Observations are an important accurate record of the local weather since the decades. They are part of Flagstaff Hill's Meteorological Observations collection of over seventy record books dating from the late 19th century. The collected information gives a picture of the weather patterns for the months and seasons, which then allows for warnings of events out of the normal or extreme, such as forecasting floods or droughts.Meteorological Observations, dated May 1945. Small brown cardboard printed cover with printed pages prepared for adding records. Published by the Commonwealth of Australia. Printed text includes "Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau / DIVISION NO. 5 VICTORIA / METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS " and "The Observer who takes each set of readings is requested to put his initials at the bottom of each column" "flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, meteorological observations, commonwealth meteorological bureau, commonwealth meteorologist, central meteorological bureau, division no. 5 victoria, weather readings, weather records, may 1945, weather history, weather measurement, weather record

Meteorological Observations Nov 1947 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation nov 1947, meteorology, great ocean road

Meteorological Observations Dec 1947 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation dec 1947, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observation Jan 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation jan 1948, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observations Feb 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation feb 1948, great ocean roaad, meteorology

Meteorological Observations Mar 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation mar 1948

Meteorological Observations April - 16 May 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation april - 16 may 1948, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observations 17 May - 31 June 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation 17 may - 31 june 1948, meteorological observation, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observations Jul Aug 1948 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation jul aug 1948, meteorological observation, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observations flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation, great ocean road, meteorology

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool Station Feb 1949 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, record book, meteorological observation feb 1949

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - March 1949 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, record book, meteorological observation march 1949, meteorological observation

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - May 1949 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation may 1949, record book, meteorological observation

Meteorological Observations taken at Warrnambool - June 1949 flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, book, meteorological observation june 1949, meteorological observation, meteorology