Showing 93 items
matching portland mayor
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Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Maiden voyage presentation Mayor Joy Davis, n.d
... . Portland mayor Joy Davis, flanked by two men either side.... Davis(Portland Mayor) Laskie (AWB) Stan Groves (Ship's Agent... & white Photo of a maiden voyage presentation. Portland mayor Joy ...PPAA (Port of Portland Authority)Back: (names on back of photo) Maiden voyage presentation. L-R Ship's Captain Jack Clayton (PPA Deputy Chairman) Joy Davis(Portland Mayor) Laskie (AWB) Stan Groves (Ship's Agent) Blue Biroport of portland archives, joy davis, portland harbour -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Newspaper - Newspaper Clipping - Descendants of Henty family being greeted at foundation celebrations by the Mayor of Portland 1929, 21/11/1929
... greeted at foundation celebrations by the Mayor of Portland 1929... greeted at foundation celebrations by the Mayor of Portland, Cr. J... greeted at foundation celebrations by the Mayor of Portland, Cr. J ...Foundation Celebrations 1929Black and white photo with inscription beneath, from newspaper dated 21 NOV 1929. Descendants of Henty family being greeted at foundation celebrations by the Mayor of Portland, Cr. J. L. Wyatt. Stuck to white cardboard. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Document - Invitation - Mayor of Portland to Betty Vivian, opening of the Woolcock Gallery, CEMA Arts Centre, Feb-90
... Invitation - Mayor of Portland to Betty Vivian, opening of...Mayor of Portland...Invitation from Mayor of Portland, Councillor Robert C...His Worship the Mayor of Portland / Cr. Robert C. Menzel... of Portland Collin Woolcock Nancy Malseed His Worship the Mayor ...Invitation from Mayor of Portland, Councillor Robert C. Menzel, to Miss B. Vivian, to the opening of the Woolcock Gallery in the C.E.M.A (Council for the Encouragement of Music and Arts) Arts Centre, Wednesday 21st February, 1990. The invite is printed on white, City of Portland letterhead A4 paper, black print. Top left hand corner Portland Victoria's Birthplace logo - image of a whale within a triangle and top righthand corner there is the City of Portland coat of arms.His Worship the Mayor of Portland / Cr. Robert C. Menzel, JP / cordially invites / Miss B. Vivian / to attend the opening of the Woolcock Gallery in the CEMA Arts Centre / by the Victorian Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Evan Walker, MIC. / to be held on / Wednesday, 21 February 1990 / 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm / at the CEMA Arts Centre.woolcock gallery, cema arts centre, betty vivian, mayor of portland, collin woolcock, nancy malseed -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - G. H. Tulloh
... Portland Mayor...official portrait photography Civic Portrait Mayor Portland ...Monochrome portrait photograph of a man. He has a beard and bushy eye brows and sits with his face slightly in profile. He wears and double breasted jacket with a bow tie. His portrait is placed in an oval framed mount board which is in a rectangular wooden frame. The frame is painted dark brown but has a border of flowers and foliage picked out in gold colour.official portrait photography, civic portrait, mayor, portland mayor, 1800s -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Duke of Gloucester with the Mayor at Portland during Centenary 1934, Winifred Esther Hall, 1934
... Photograph - Duke of Gloucester with the Mayor at Portland...Back: The Duke of Gloucester with the Mayor at Portland... with the Mayor at Portland during Centenary 1934 Winifred Esther Hall ...Photographs taken by Esther Winifred Hall (nee Smallpage) - great grand-daughter of Stephen George Henty. Taken in 1934 Centenary celebrations in Portland.Black and white photograph showing group of people, two men in centre, one on left wearing light coloured coat, one on left wearing dark jacket, white shirt, striped tie.Back: The Duke of Gloucester with the Mayor at Portland during Centenary 1934.portland centenary, 1934, esther winifred hall, henty, duke of gloucester, royal visit -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Harold R. Hedditch, MLA, Mayor of Portland 1940-43, c. 1940
... Photograph - Harold R. Hedditch, MLA, Mayor of Portland...Mayor of Portland...Front: Bottom centre: Harold R. Hedditch, MLA Mayor...Portland Town Council Harold Hedditch Mayor Mayoral Chain ...Portland Town CouncilFramed, black and white, head and shoulders photograph of Harold Hedditch, wearing dark suit, white shirt, spotted tie. White painted and decorated wooden frame (appears to be the period).Front: Bottom centre: Harold R. Hedditch, MLA Mayor of Portland, 1940-41, 1941-42, 1942-43 Back: Top centre: yellow sticker numbered 3096.harold hedditch, mayor, mayoral chain, mayoral robes, mayor of portland -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Thomas Web Smith, Meek-Hamilton, 1880-1920
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Thomas Webb SMith mayor ...Frame - Golden timber/mottled. Inner frame - Gold embossed. Mount - Maroon flecked cardboard. Pen & Ink Sketch - Male - Facing left Grey jacket White shirt Grey tie Sort beard Full head of hair Silver mark on left eye and mouthFront: T.W. Smith 1871-72thomas webb smith, mayor, portland, portrait photography -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Percival Hodge Esq. Mayor, Town of Portland 1950-51, 1950s
... Photograph - Percival Hodge Esq. Mayor, Town of Portland...Mayor of Portland...Front: Bottom centre: PERCIVAL HODGE, Esq. Mayor, Town...Portland Town Council Percival Hodge mayor Portland civic ...Portland Town CouncilFramed black and white photograph of a man wearing a 3 piece suit. He has a white shirt with a patterned tie. Dark jacket and waistcoat (Percival Hodge). He has receding hair and is smiling.Front: Bottom centre: PERCIVAL HODGE, Esq. Mayor, Town of Portland 195--51 Back: Top left: Yellow sticker numbered 3503percival hodge, mayor, portland, civic, local government, civic photography, mayor of portland -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Medal - Medallion - Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 1837-97, 1897
... Back: Presented by W.T. Pile Esq, Ex-Mayor Portland June... House Back: Presented by W.T. Pile Esq, Ex-Mayor Portland June ...Displayed at History HouseUnknownBack: Presented by W.T. Pile Esq, Ex-Mayor Portland June 22.1897. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Accessory - Badge, c. 1995
... Presented to Sid Cuffe. Sid Cuffe the mayor of Portland.... Sid Cuffe the mayor of Portland Syd Cuffe badge citizenship ...Presented to Sid Cuffe. Sid Cuffe the mayor of PortlandBadge round, enamelled, City of Portland Crest. presented to Sid Cuffe - Citizenship Award, city of Portland 1995syd cuffe, badge, citizenship -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Letter, n.d
... ' to Mayor of Portland. Typewritten letter, signature in ink..... Boyd, Royal Navy, HMS 'Adamant' to Mayor of Portland ...Letter from Captain B. Boyd, Royal Navy, HMS 'Adamant' to Mayor of Portland. Typewritten letter, signature in ink. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - Portland visit 1970, 1970
... left by Mayor of Portland, Cr Peter Cooney, another man on her... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road GSC Records archives ...GSC Records archivesBlack and white photo. Close-up of QE.II flanked on her left by Mayor of Portland, Cr Peter Cooney, another man on her right.queen elizabeth ii, prince phillip, mayor cr john cooney -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - Portland visit 1970, 1970
... left by Mayor of Portland, Cr John Cooney, another man on her... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road GSC Records archives ...GSC Records archivesBlack and white photo. Close-up of QE.II flanked on her left by Mayor of Portland, Cr John Cooney, another man on her right.queen elizabeth ii, prince phillip, mayor cr john cooney -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip - Portland visit 1970, 1970
... left by Mayor of Portland, Cr John Cooney, another man on her.... II flanked on her left by Mayor of Portland, Cr John Cooney ...Black and white photo. Close-up of QE. II flanked on her left by Mayor of Portland, Cr John Cooney, another man on her right.queen elizabeth ii, prince phillip, mayor cr john cooney -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Syd Cuffe, Town Crier, 19/11/1985
... Coloured photo of Mayor of Portland, Cr Robert Halliday... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Coloured photo of Mayor ...Coloured photo of Mayor of Portland, Cr Robert Halliday and Sir Brian Murray, leaving Glenelg Shire Offices, after the presentation of the City of Portland's Citizenship award to Syd Cuffe. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Letter - Invitation - Pageant of Royalty Exhibition Building 1953, c. 1953
... Invitation to his worship the Mayor of Portland and Mrs... the Mayor of Portland and Mrs Thomas to a Pageant of Royalty ...Invitation to his worship the Mayor of Portland and Mrs Thomas to a Pageant of Royalty at the Exhibition Building, Wed 3rd June 1953. Cream card, blue coat of arms and script, hand written names -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Document - Invitation - Complimentary Dance for the Centenary Celebrations Committee and workers 1935, Jul-35
... Invitation from Mayor of Portland to Miss E. Sharp... Mayor of Portland to Miss E. Sharp, to a complimentary dance ...Invitation from Mayor of Portland to Miss E. Sharp, to a complimentary dance for the Centenary Celebrations Committee and workers at Free Library Hall, Wed. July 3, 1935. Cream card, scalloped edges, black print.Front: 'Miss E. Sharp' - handwritten, black pencentenary celebrations -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Functional object - Envelope, 1967
... As size envelope from Hudson's store to Cr. Mibus Mayor... Hudson's store to Cr. Mibus Mayor of Portland 1967. Remains ...Records Department Glenelg Shire CouncilAs size envelope from Hudson's store to Cr. Mibus Mayor of Portland 1967. Remains of cellotape around 3 edges. Red cross on front and back indicating registered post. Registered sticker top left.cr mibus mayor -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Ship's Wheel, 1871 or earlier
The ship building company E. & A. Sewall, from Bath, Maine, USA, built many ships that had wheels with the same decorative, starburst pattern on them as this particular wheel segment, including the Eric the Red. The wheel was manufactured by their local Bath foundry, Geo. Moulton & Co. and sold to the Sewall yard for $100, according to the construction accounts of the vessel. Eric the Red was a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, and was the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows that Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) - about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - from America for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. On 4th September 1880 the ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. Eric the Red approached Cape Otway in a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Cries were heard coming from out of the darkness. Captain Jones sent out two life boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Z. Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts and bravery, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and a medal for bravery. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn". “The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse.“ (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA) Segment of a ship's wheel, or helm, from the wreck of the sailing ship Eric the Red. The wheel part is an arc shape from the outer rim of the wheel and is made up of three layers of timber. The centre layer is a dark, dense timber and is wider than the two outer layers, which are less dense and lighter in colour. The wheel segment has a vertically symmetrical, decorative copper plate inlaid on the front. The plate has a starburst pattern; six stars decorate it, each at a point where there is a metal fitting going through the three layers of timber to the rear side of the wheel. On the rear each of the six fittings has an individual copper star around it. The edges of the helm are rounded and bevelled, polished to a shine in a dark stain. Around each of the stars, front and back, the wood is a lighter colour, as though the metal in that area being polished frequently. The length of the segment suggests that it has probably come from a wheel or helm that had ten spokes. (Ref: F.H.M.M. 16th March 1994, 239.6.610.3.7. Artefact Reg No ER/1.)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ship's-wheel, eric-the-red, helm, shei's wheel, ship's steering wheel -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Decorative object - Sword, 1871 or earlier
This wooden sword is said to “possibly be the only remaining part of the figurehead from the sailing ship Eric the Red.” It was previously part of the collection of the old Warrnambool Museum and the entry in its inventory says “Wooden sword, portion of the figurehead, held by “Eric the Red” at the bow.” A large part of the ship’s hull was found on the rocks and a figurehead may have been attached or washed up on the shore. The shipping records for E. & A. Sewall, the builders, owners and managers of Eric the Red, are now preserved in the Maine Maritime Museum. There is no photograph on record of Eric the Red but photographs of other ships built around that time by the same company show that these did not have figureheads, and there is no record found of a figurehead for Eric the Red being ordered or paid for. Further research is being carried out. The ship building company E. & A. Sewall, from Bath, Maine, USA, built Eric the Red, a wooden, three masted clipper ship. She had 1,580 tons register and was the largest full-rigged ship built at Bath, Maine, USA in 1871. She was built and registered by Arthur Sewall, later to become the partnership E. & A. Sewall, and was the 51st ship built by this company. The annually-published List of Merchant Vessels of the U.S. shows that Bath was still the home port of Eric the Red in 1880. The vessel was named after the Viking discoverer, Eric the Red, who was the first European to reach the shores of North America (in 980AD). The ship Eric the Red at first traded in coal between America and Britain, and later traded in guano nitrates from South America. In 1879 she was re-metalled and was in first class condition. On 10th June 1880 (some records say 12th June) Eric the Red departed New York for Melbourne and then Sydney. She had been commissioned by American trade representatives to carry a special cargo of 500 exhibits (1400 tons) - about a quarter to a third of America’s total exhibits - from America for the U.S.A. pavilion at Melbourne’s first International Exhibition. The exhibits included furniture, ironmongery, wines, chemicals, dental and surgical instruments, paper, cages, bronze lamp trimmings, axles, stamped ware, astronomical and time globes, samples of corn and the choicest of leaf tobacco. Other general cargo included merchandise such as cases of kerosene and turpentine, brooms, Bristol's Sarsaparilla, Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, Wheeler’s thresher machine, axe handles and tools, cases of silver plate, toys, pianos and organs, carriages and Yankee notions. The Eric the Red left New York under the command of Captain Z. Allen (or some records say Captain Jacques Allen) and 24 other crew including the owner’s son third mate Ned Sewall. There were 2 saloon passengers also. On 4th September 1880 the ship had been sailing for an uneventful 85 days and the voyage was almost at its end. Eric the Red approached Cape Otway in a moderate north-west wind and hazy and overcast atmosphere. Around 1:30am Captain Allen sighted the Cape Otway light and was keeping the ship 5-6 miles offshore to stay clear of the hazardous Otway Reef. However he had badly misjudged his position. The ship hit the Otway Reef about 2 miles out to sea, south west of the Cape Otway light station. Captain Allen ordered the wheel to be put ‘hard up’ thinking that she might float off the reef. A heavy sea knocked the man away from the wheel, broke the wheel ropes and carried away the rudder. The sea swamped the lifeboats, the mizzenmast fell, with all of its rigging, then the mainmast fell and the ship broke in two. Some said that the passenger Vaughan, who was travelling for his health and not very strong, was washed overboard and never seen again. The ship started breaking up. The forward house came adrift with three of the crew on it as well as a longboat, which the men succeeded in launching and keeping afloat by continually bailing with their sea boots. The captain, the third mate (the owner’s son) and others clung to the mizzenmast in the sea. Then the owner’s son was washed away off the mast. Within 10 minutes the rest of the ship was in pieces, completely wrecked, with cargo and wreckage floating in the sea. The captain encouraged the second mate to swim with him to the deckhouse where there were other crew but the second mate wouldn’t go with him. Eventually the Captain made it to the deckhouse and the men pulled him up. At about 4:30am the group of men on the deckhouse saw the lights of a steamer and called for help. At the same time they noticed the second mate and the other man had drifted nearby, still on the spur, and pulled them both onto the wreck. The coastal steamer Dawn was returning to Warrnambool from Melbourne, its sailing time different to its usual schedule. Cries were heard coming from out of the darkness. Captain Jones sent out two life boats, and fired off rockets and blue lights to illuminate the area. They picked up the three survivors who were in the long boat from Eric the Red. Two men were picked up out of the water, one being the owner’s son who was clinging to floating kerosene boxes. At daylight the Dawn then rescued the 18 men from the floating portion of the deckhouse, which had drifted about 4 miles from where they’d struck the reef. Shortly after the rescue the deckhouse drifted onto breakers and was thrown onto rocks at Point Franklin, about 2 miles east of Cape Otway. Captain Jones had signalled to Cape Otway lighthouse the number of the Eric the Red and later signalled that there was a wreck at Otway Reef but there was no response from the lighthouse. The captain and crew of the Dawn spent several more hours searching unsuccessfully for more survivors, even going back as far as Apollo Bay. On board the Dawn the exhausted men received care and attention to their needs and wants, including much needed clothing. Captain Allen was amongst the 23 battered and injured men who were rescued and later taken to Warrnambool for care. Warrnambool’s mayor and town clerk offered them all hospitality, the three badly injured men going to the hospital and others to the Olive Branch Hotel, then on to Melbourne. Captain Allen’s leg injury prevented him from going ashore so he and three other men travelled on the Dawn to Portland. They were met by the mayor who also treated them all with great kindness. Captain Allen took the train back to Melbourne then returned to America. Those saved were Captain Z. Allen (or Jacques Allen), J. Darcy chief mate, James F. Lawrence second mate, Ned Sewall third mate and owner’s son, John French the cook, C. Nelson sail maker, Clarence W. New passenger, and the able seamen Dickenson, J. Black, Denis White, C. Herbert, C. Thompson, A. Brooks, D. Wilson, J. Ellis, Q. Thompson, C. Newman, W. Paul, J. Davis, M. Horenleng, J. Ogduff, T. W. Drew, R. Richardson. Four men had lost their lives; three of them were crew (Gus Dahlgreen ship’s carpenter, H. Ackman steward, who drowned in his cabin, and George Silver seaman) and one a passenger (J. B. Vaughan). The body of one of them had been found washed up at Cape Otway and was later buried in the lighthouse cemetery; another body was seen on an inaccessible ledge. Twelve months later the second mate James F. Lawrence, from Nova Scotia, passed away in the Warrnambool district; an obituary was displayed in the local paper. The captain and crew of the Dawn were recognised by the United States Government in July 1881 for their humane efforts and bravery, being thanked and presented with substantial monetary rewards, medals and gifts. Neither the ship, nor its cargo, was insured. The ship was worth about £15,000 and the cargo was reportedly worth £40,000; only about £2,000 worth had been recovered. Cargo and wreckage washed up at Apollo Bay, Peterborough, Port Campbell, Western Port and according to some reports, even as far away as the beaches of New Zealand. The day after the wreck the government steam ship Pharos was sent from Queenscliff to clear the shipping lanes of debris that could be a danger to ships. The large midship deckhouse of the ship was found floating in a calm sea near Henty Reef. Items such as an American chair, a ladder and a nest of boxes were all on top of the deckhouse. As it was so large and could cause danger to passing ships, Captain Payne had the deckhouse towed towards the shore just beyond Apollo Bay. Between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay the captain and crew of Pharos collected Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, nests of boxes, bottles of Bristol’s sarsaparilla, pieces of common American chairs, axe handles, a Wheelers’ Patent thresher and a sailor’s trunk with the words “A. James” on the front. A ship’s flag-board bearing the words “Eric the Red” was found on the deckhouse; finally those on board the Pharos had the name of the wrecked vessel. During this operation Pharos came across the government steamer Victoria and also a steamer S.S. Otway, both of which were picking up flotsam and wreckage. A whole side of the hull and three large pieces of the other side of the hull, with some of the copper sheathing stripped off, had floated on to Point Franklin. Some of the vessels yards and portions of her masts were on shore. The pieces of canvas attached to the yards and masts confirmed that the vessel had been under sail. The beach there was piled with debris several feet high. There were many cases of Diamond Oil kerosene, labelled R. W. Cameron and Company, New York. There were also many large planks of red pine, portions of a small white boat and a large, well-used oar. Other items found ashore included sewing machines (some consigned to ‘Long and Co.”) and notions, axe and scythe handles, hay forks, wooden pegs, rolls of wire (some branded “T.S” and Co, Melbourne”), kegs of nails branded “A.T. and Co.” from the factory of A. Field and Son, Taunton, Massachusetts, croquet balls and mallets, buggy fittings, rat traps, perfumery, cutlery and Douay Bibles, clocks, bicycles, chairs, a fly wheel, a cooking stove, timber, boxes, pianos, organs and a ladder. (Wooden clothes pegs drifted in for many years). There seemed to be no personal luggage or clothing. The Pharos encountered a long line, about one and a half miles, of floating wreckage about 10 miles off land, south east of Cape Otway, and in some places about 40 feet wide. It seemed that more than half of it was from Eric the Red. The ship’s crew rescued 3 cases that were for the Melbourne Exhibition and other items from amongst the debris. There were also chairs, doors, musical instruments, washing boards, nests of trunks and fly catchers floating in the sea. Most of the goods were saturated and smelt of kerosene. A section of the hull lies buried in the sand at Parker River Beach. An anchor with chain is embedded in the rocks east of Point Franklin and a second anchor, thought to be from Eric the Red, is on display at the Cape Otway light station. (There is a photograph of a life belt on the verandah of Rivernook Guest House in Princetown with the words “ERIC THE RED / BOSTON”. This is rather a mystery as the ship was registered in Bath, Maine, USA.) Parts of the ship are on display at Bimbi Park Caravan Park and at Apollo Bay Museum. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village also has part of the helm (steering wheel), a carved wooden sword (said to be the only remaining portion of the ship’s figurehead; further research is currently being carried out), a door, a metal rod, samples of wood and a medal for bravery. Much of the wreckage was recovered by the local residents before police and other authorities arrived at the scene. Looters went to great effort to salvage goods, being lowered down the high cliff faces to areas with little or no beach to collect items from the wreckage, their mates above watching out for dangerous waves. A Tasmanian newspaper reports on a court case in Stawell, Victoria, noting a man who was caught 2 months later selling tobacco from the wreckage of Eric the Red. Some of the silverware is still treasured by descendants of Mr Mackenzie who was given these items by officials for his help in securing the cargo. The gifts included silver coffee and tea pots, half a dozen silver serviette rings and two sewing machines. The wreck and cargo were sold to a Melbourne man who salvaged a quantity of high quality tobacco and dental and surgical instruments. Timbers from the ship were salvaged and used in the construction of houses and sheds around Apollo Bay, including a guest house, Milford House (since burnt down in bushfires), which had furniture, fittings and timber on the dining room floor from the ship. A 39.7 foot long trading ketch, the Apollo, was also built from its timbers by Mr Burgess in 1883 and subsequently used in Tasmanian waters. It was the first attempt at ship building in Apollo bay. In 1881 a red light was installed about 300 feet above sea level at the base of the Cape Otway lighthouse to warn ships when they were too close to shore; It would not be visible unless a ship came within 3 miles from it. This has proved to be an effective warning. The State Library of Victoria has a lithograph in its collection depicting the steamer Dawn and the shipwrecked men, titled. "Wreck of the ship Eric the Red, Cape Otway: rescue of the crew by the Dawn".The Eric the Red is historically significant as one of Victoria's major 19th century shipwrecks. (Heritage Victoria Eric the Red; HV ID 239) The wreck led to the provision of an additional warning light placed below the Cape Otway lighthouse to alert mariners to the location of Otway Reef. The site is archaeologically significant for its remains of a large and varied cargo and ship's fittings being scattered over a wide area. The site is recreationally and aesthetically significant as it is one of the few sites along this coast where tourists can visit identifiable remains of a large wooden shipwreck, and for its location set against the background of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, and the Cape Otway lighthouse. (Victorian Heritage Database Registration Number S239, Official Number 8745 USA)This carved wooden sword, recovered from the Eric the Red, is possibly the only portion of the figurehead recovered after the wreck. There are spirals carved from the base of the handle to the top of the sword. The hilt of the sword is a lion’s head holding its tail in its mouth, the tail forming the handle. The blade of the sword has engraved patterns on it. Tiny particles of gold leaf and dark blue paint fragments can be seen between the carving marks. There are remnants of yellowish-orange and crimson paint on the handle. At some time after the sword was salvaged the name of the ship was hand painted on the blade in black paint. The tip of the sword has broken or split and the remaining part is charcoal in appearance. On both the tip and the base of the handle are parts made where the sword could have been joined onto the figurehead There is a white coating over some areas of the sword, similar to white lead putty used in traditional shipbuilding. The words “ERIC the RED” have been hand painted on the blade of the sword in black paint sometime after it was salvaged.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, sword, wooden sword, eric the red, carved sword, figurehead, snake head on sword -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Pioneer Dinner 1912, 1912
Black and white photograph, mounted on cardboard. Group of people with row of flags in background. Bluestone building on left, with large lamp. Brick and timber building at rear.Front: Pioner Dinner 1912 hosted by Mayor and Mayoress, Cr. & Mrs. W.J. Williamson. Bottom - Old Pioneers Dinner given by Mayor and Mayoress, Cr. & Mrs. W.J. Williamson, 1912. Back: Date 1914 approx. Back row from left: 7th Willie Tulloh, 8th Jo Porter. Gathering of Old Pioneers Dinner given by Mayor and Mayoress, Cr. & Mrs. W.J. Williamson.pioneer dinner, 1912, portland -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Opalotype photograph - William Pile, 1880-1920
... mayor of Portland... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road William Thomas Pile mayor ...Frame - Golden timber/mottled. Inner frame - Gold embossed. Mount - brown flecked cardboard. Painting (on glass?) Male - High button jacket (black). White shirt. Black tie. Short beard. Full head hair. Grey background. Facing right.Front: W.T. Pile. Esq. 1880-86-87william thomas pile, mayor of portland, 1880s -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Book, Henry Smith William, LLD, Historians History of the World. Vol I-XXV, 1908
Leather bound black spine and cover corners with green cloth-covered board covers. Gold lettering and gold graphics on spine. Set contains volumes I-XXV, catalogued as 438.1 - 438.25. Vol I: Egypt & Mesopotamia (438.1); Vol II: Israel-Persia India-Pheonicia Asia-Minor (438.2); Vol III: Greece to the Peloponnesian War (438.3); Vol IV: Greece to the Roman Conquest (438.4); Vol V: The Roman Republic (438.5); Vol VI: Early Roman Empire (438.6); Vol VII: The Later Roman (438.7); Vol VIII: Arabs Crusades Papacy (438.8); Vol IX: Italy (438.9); Vol XI: France 843-1715 (438.11); Vol XII: France 1715-1815 (438.12); Vol XIII: France since 1815. Netherlands (438.13); Vol XIV: Netherlands. Germany (438.14); Vol XV: Germany (continued) (438.15); Vol. XXIII. The United States. Spanish America (438.23); Vol. XXIV. Turkey. Minor Eastern States. China. Japan (438.24).history, world history -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Print - Print - Lawrence Rocks and Point Danger from Crumpets, Paula Tsernjavski, Lawrence Rocks and Point Danger from Crumpets, 1985
... Danger from Crumpets (lower centre, pencil) Mayor of Portland... centre, pencil) Mayor of Portland (lower left, blue stamp) Back ...Gannet in flight over seascape. Blue and white checks form an abstract background in a little over half the top area of image.Front: 7/25 (lower left, pencil) Lawrence Rocks and Point Danger from Crumpets (lower centre, pencil) Mayor of Portland (lower left, blue stamp) Back: Portland Proclaimed a City October 28th 1985 (lower centre, blue stamp) Minister for Local Government (lower right, blue stamp) -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Letter - letter - Letter from Governor of Victoria to His Worship, The Mayor, Borough of Portland, 1934
... , The Mayor, Borough of Portland... Governor of Victoria to His Worship, The Mayor, Borough of Portland ...On display in frame with 1391.2 in History House. Portland Centenary Celebrations. Portland Town Council.Letter with gold crest top centre. Addressed to His Worship the Major. Framed -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Letter - Letter - Letter from Governor of Victoria to His Worship, The Mayor, Borough of Portland, 1934
... , The Mayor, Borough of Portland... of Victoria to His Worship, The Mayor, Borough of Portland ...On display in frame with 1391.1 in History House Portland Centenary Celebrations Portland Town CouncilLetter with gold crest top centre. Addressed to His Worship the Mayor. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Souvenir - Souvenir - Presentation of the Mayoral Chain, 17th December 1955. Official dinner, 1955
... Cliff Street Portland great-ocean-road Town of Portland souvenir ...Town of PortlandTwo-page cream card souvenir, folded in centre. Title, date and coat of arms on front page, historical details and toast list on centre pages, autograph page on back. Presentation of the Mayoral Chain, 17th December 1955. Official dinner.souvenir, mayoral chain, presentation -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Souvenir - Souvenir Card, 1955
... mayoral chain Portland Twp-sided cream card. On front is title ...Town of PortlandTwp-sided cream card. On front is title, town coat of arms and date (17th December 1955). On back are further details of event and a listing of mayors from 1856-1955. Souvenir of the Mayoral Chain to the Town of Portland on the occasion of the Centenary of Municipal Governmentsouvenir, mayoral chain, portland -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Councillor Hill, 1926-1929
Displayed in History House. Borough of Portland (1864-1949)Large black and white photograph of a man with receding grey hair and a neat rounded white beard and moustache. He is wearing a three-piece suit with a dark tie and white shirt, and holding folded white paper in his left hand. Mounted in a wood veneer matt in a wide wooden frame, under glass.Front: Cr Hill/August 1920-1932/Mayor 1926-27, 1928-29 (engraved on plawue, lower centre frame)civic photography, portrait, councillor, city of portland -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Prince Charles and Princess Diana Visiting Portland, n.d
Glenelg Shire Council RecordsColour photograph of Prince Charles and Princess Diana examining navy cadets in company of Cr. Robert Halliday (Mayor).royal visit, prince charles, princess diana, princess of wales, robert halliday