This hat stand appears to have been made by the English firm of Battersby & Company, a hat manufacturer established in England in the late 19th century. The stand may have been fitted on to the head by the Melbourne firm Ramie Specialty Co. Battersby hats must have been sold extensively in Australia.This hat stand is useful for display purposes and of interest because of its possible composition (ramie)This is a model of a head used for displaying men's hats. The head is made of composite material , originally a gold colour and lined what what may be the vegetable fibre, ramie. The head is mounted on a wooden stand with a stepped base. There are two labels, one on the neck of the head and the other on the back of the stand. The head is chipped and stained, with exposed nails. Battersby Hats Ramie Specialty Co. Pty. Ltd. Melbournebattersby hats, model head stand, vintage men's clothing, ramie

This washing machine is an early model hand machine which came from Allansford, near Warrnambool.This item is an interesting example of an early washing machine with its primitive and simple parts.This is a cylindrical galvanised metal tub mounted on a metal stand. It has a metal ring around the top of the tub and a wooden handle serving as the washing mechanism. The name of the manufacturer is stencilled on the side of the tub.QUEENS HEAD AUSTRALIAvintage household items, washing machine, mechanical washing machine, warrnambool history

Landholders installed windmills to draw underground water supplies to the surface in areas with the windmill becoming an iconic status in Australian culture, symbolising triumph over natural barriers to settler ambition. Comet Windmills was founded in Rockhampton, Queensland in 1879 by Sidney Williams and the Comet became known as "Australia's Leading Mill". The windmill is a vital farming tool as it assists with agriculture, irrigation, and water supply and this windmill drew water from the 'Windmill Dam' for decades before Churchill Island's acquisition by Victorian Conservation Trust in 1976. In 1981, VCT invited BP Westernport Refinery Manager, John Shawley, to inspect the windmill with view of restoration. This was then done through the next year, as BP Social Club Members (including engineers, managers, and accountants) restored the pump, wheel, tower and piping. The wheel itself was lowered to the ground through a jury mast. The pressure from the windmill is weak but the extracted water was found to be brackish and excessively salty.This windmill is anecdotally the oldest working mill of its model in Gippsland. Its connection to Churchill Island is vital as it has been a fixture for the last 80 years. Complete water-boring windmill on metal stand, with vane at head and pumphouse at base.COMETfarm, machinery, windmill, water, pumping, dams, dam, churchill island, comet