In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

In the years of Allan Doney’s photography, landmark buildings succumbed to fire, neglect and redevelopment. He photographed the grey sand hills from Bendigo’s mining past, the streetscapes, poppet heads, miners’ cottages, gracious homes with ornate verandahs, trams and much more. Above all, his photographs show how much of the city has survived from the 19th century – and how much has not. Through two decades of great change, Allan Doney was there to capture ways people interacted with it. Although he travelled to many other places in Northern Victoria and beyond in search of subjects for his art, he seemed to always return to Bendigo for inspiration.

CEMA Art Collection. Part of "A Community View" 150 years in Portland Screenprint Exhibition. Part of Angela Gee Residency 1983 and 1984.Laminated screenprint of females in various landscapes. The top half of the work features the ocean, coastline and breaking waves. Super imposed on this are images of: five seagulls; a blue portrait of a female face; and a female torso and head. In the centre of the work a female stands looking towards a house and the ocean in the distance. The lowest section of the work features the image of a female face in a blue and orange rectangle. To the left of her is a twig.Front: 14/16 Bridgewater Bay. Catherine Taylor '83 Back: 42

This rescue line-throwing rocket set was made for the Dennett rocket system, which was used by the Rocket Rescue crews in South West Victoria from around the 1860s to the 1890s. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria has had over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it, followed in 1864 by a rocket house to safely store the Rocket Rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost one hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain and improve their skills, summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The first use of a lifesaving rocket rescue system is often credited to Captain Manby and his invention of a life mortar, first used in 1808 to fire a line onto a ship to rescue lives. Henry Trengrouse’s invention of 1820 was the first to use a sky rocket’s power to throw a line, and his invention included a chair for carrying the shipwrecked victims to shore. In 1832 John Dennett invented a rocket specifically for shore to ship rescue. It had an iron case and an 8 foot pole attached and could shoot the line as far as 250 yards (about 230 metres). From the 1860s the rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It comprised a breeches buoy and traveller block that was suspended on a line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. Colonel Boxer, who had invented an early line-thrower, designed a rocket in 1865 with a range from 300 to 470 yards. It was the first two-stage rocket, with two rockets placed one in front of the other in a tube that carried the rescue line. The hemp line was faked, or coiled, in a particular way in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired, and the angle of firing the rocket was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol around 1920, which used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. Victoria’s Government adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain, which used Colonel Boxer’s rocket apparatus rescue method. The British Board of Trade published instructions in 1850 for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line attached, then firing it across the stranded vessel. A tally board was then sent out with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the continuous whip line and attach the whip block to a mast or sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a heavier hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser is then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rocket system could also be used from one ship to another.The Dennett rocket set is quite rare - there are not many examples in existence and little information is available. This Dennett's rocket set is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.A Dennett rocket set in six parts; the rocket head, three shafts (poles) and two rocket-head toting boxes. The rocket head, mounted on one of the shafts, is a long, red painted, iron tube with rounded ends and a protruding fitting around each end. The wooden rocket shafts are octagonal, with a metal sheath at the ends, carved elongated slots towards each end, and a scribed channel above the black foot. The rocket head toting boxes are thick timber, covered in fabric and painted black. They have a hinged wooden lid that slants downwards from back to front, and a metal closure. Small deliberate holes, in groups of four, on the box’s sides, indicate missing attachments, likely to have been handles. Impressed one a shaft "8"flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, irish hand barrow, rocket head toting box, explosives, rocket shaft, rocket pole

This rocket launching machine is used in conjunction with the Dennett Rocket Set. Both are part of the rocket rescue equipment that launches the line-throwing rescue rockets. A light line is threaded through the carved holes in the 8 foot long shaft and attached to the scribed channel at the base of the shaft. The rocket head is fitted to the shaft and inserted into the machine. The machine is set at an angle determined by the person in charge of the rescue crew, and the legs and base of the machine are adjusted accordingly with the use of the quadrant, or protractor, and plumb-bob on the side of the machine. The rocket is then ignited and fired across the vessel in distress. John Dennett - John Dennett was from Carisbrooke, in the Ilse of Wight, UK. In 1826 he invented, patented and demonstrated an improved method of rocket powered, line firing rescue equipment for saving lives. The rockets had a longer range than the mortars being used, they were lighter, needed less preparation time, only needed one line for repeated shots, and fewer people were needed to move the equipment. Very favourable reports of Dennett’s rockets were received by those in charge of His Majesty’s Naval and Military services. In 1832, Dennett’s rocket-thrown line was sent out to the wreck of the ‘Bainbridge’, and was responsible for nineteen survivors coming ashore in two boatloads, along the fired line. Dennett’s rocket received national fame, and a one-year contract to supply rockets to the Coastguards. He became known as ‘Rocket Man’ and his rockets were used in rescues at least until 1890, when his son Horatio was running the business. A rocket weighing 23 lb would have a range of about 250 yards (228 metres), on average. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This rocket launcher machine is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Rocket launcher, named a Rocket Machine, and storage box. Launcher has a long open metal channel with a spike at the base, and narrow, rectangular device, which is the line-firing rocket machine, at the top, all painted blue. Two hinged wooden legs are attached where the channel and machine meet. The side of the machine has an oval cut-out window and an attached quadrant, or protractor, with a plumb-bob on it. The quadrant has angles marked in degrees. The long protective box has white stencilled letters along the side. Its lid has three hinges and is fastened with two metal latches.On box “ROCKET MACHINE” On quadrant “10” “20” “30” “40”flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, william schermuly, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, schermuly pistol, pistol rocket apparatus, beach rescue set, traveller, block, running block, pulley, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, rescue boat, lifeboat, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, captain manby, mortar, henry trengrouse, sky rocket, john dennett, shore to ship, colonel boxer, two-stage rocket, italian hemp, quadrant, protractor, schermuly, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, welsh hand barrow, rocket set

This hand barrow, sometimes called a Welsh hand barrow, was used to transport a load of marine rescue equipment from the beach cart to the rescue site, particularly over hilly, uneven or rough terrain. Hand barrows were in common use in the 19th century. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. Victoria’s Government responded to the need for lifesaving equipment and, in 1858, the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for the lifeboat stations. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built for it on the Tramway Jetty, followed by a rocket house in 1864 to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater (constructed from 1874-1890), and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifesaving and rescue crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to rehearse and maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. In July 1873 a brass bell was erected at Flagstaff Hill specifically to call the rescue crew upon news of a shipwreck. Some crew members became local heroes but all served an important role. Rocket apparatus was used as recently as the 1950s. Rocket Rescue Method - Rocket rescue became the preferred lifesaving method of the rescue crews, being much safer that using a lifeboat in rough seas and poor conditions. The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. . The British Board of Trade regularly published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle, determined by the Head of the crew and measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A continuous whip line was then sent out to the ship’s crew, who hauled it in then followed the instructions – in four languages - on the attached tally board. The survivors would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line with a tail block connected to it. They then secured the block to the mast or other strong part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the survivors fixed above the whip’s tail block. The hawser was then tightened by the crew pulling on it, or by using the hooked block on the shore end of the whip and attaching it to a sand anchor. The breeches buoy was attached to the traveller block on the hawser, and the shore crew then used the whip line to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. The rescue crew wore scarlet, numbered armbands and worked on a numerical rotation system, swapping members out to rest them. This hand barrow is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Hand barrow; a transporting device carried between two people walking one in front of the other. A wooden ladder-like frame with two handles at each end, blue painted body with unpainted handles. Seven equal-length slats are joined at equal distance between two parallel poles, and two longer slats are attached diagonally between the first and last slats as a brace. flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, tramway jetty, breakwater, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, rocket crew, lifeboat men, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, maritime accidents, shipwreck victim, rocket equipment, marine technology, rescue boat, lifeboat, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, life saving rescue crew, lifesaving rescue crew, rocket apparatus, rocket rescue method, shore to ship, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, line throwing mortar, mortar, rocket rescue apparatus, line thrower, line throwing, lifeboat warrnambool, hand barrow, manual transport, welsh hand barrow

HISTORY OF THE LOCH ARD The LOCH ARD belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many ships from England to Australia. Built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the LOCH ARD was a three-masted square rigged iron sailing ship. The ship measured 262ft 7" (79.87m) in length, 38ft (11.58m) in width, 23ft (7m) in depth and had a gross tonnage of 1693 tons. The LOCH ARD's main mast measured a massive 150ft (45.7m) in height. LOCH ARD made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its final voyage. LOCH ARD left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of Captain Gibbs, a newly married, 29 year old. She was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers and a load of cargo. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. On board were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionary, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were items included that intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. At 3am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land and the passengers were becoming excited as they prepared to view their new homeland in the early morning. But LOCH ARD was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4am the fog lifted. A man aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and LOCH ARD's bow swung back. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time LOCH ARD was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind the ship. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves broke over the ship and the top deck was loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of LOCH ARD and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael had raced onto deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached LOCH ARD Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland, this time by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the LOCH ARD disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the LOCH ARD tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of LOCH ARD still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some was washed up into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton porcelain peacock - one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today, the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artefact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history. Painting of The Loch Ard oil on board depicting wreck. It shows stormy sea and coastline in background. Ship appears to be capsized.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, painting