The leather bag is a Railway Cash Bag. It was used to transfer cash between the the railway stations of Merino and Casterton. The Casterton Railway Station was Merino's banking station. This Cash Bag is an example of the connection between people in the remote areas of Victoria. The railway system was used to transfer people, goods and cash between the districts of western Victoria.Railway Cash Bag; a rectangular leather bag with rounded bottom corners, stitched, with brass peg for securing opening. Has stitched leather rectangle frame and brass nameplate with inscription."MERINO"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cash bag, railway cash bag, merino railway station, casterton railway station, banking station, rural banking, finances

The leather bag is a Pay Cash Bag. It was used to transfer cash between the the railway stations of Grassdale and Merino.This Pay Cash Bag is an example of the connection between people in the remote areas of Victoria. The railway system was used to transfer people, goods and cash between districts in western Victoria. Pay Cash Bag; a rectangular leather bag with rounded bottom corners, stitched, with brass peg for securing opening. Has stitched leather rectangle nameplate with hand written inscription.Handwritten; “GRASSDALE PAY CASH BAG” “To be returned to MERINO when empty”flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, cash bag, merino railway station, rural banking, finances, grassdale railway station

The courier bag was once government property, as indicated by the broad arrow symbol. The flap has the name 'Boronia' - an area near Melbourne - overstamped with the town name 'Merino', and on the other side of the flap is the town 'Casterton'. Merino and Casterton are renowned for large sheep farming properties in Victoria's western district. Perhaps the courier bag was originally used between Melbourne and Boronia. During the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, a government-operated railway service was active in in the western district of Victoria. It served remote properties, including a line between Merino and Casterton. The train delivered mail, cash, supplies documents, business records and people between the sheep farm properties and the township of Casterton.This courier bag is an example of the connections and business between people in the remote areas of western Victoria. It was likely used by Victoria's railway system that transported people, goods, documents and cash between the districts of western Victoria.Courier bag; beige canvas rectangular bag with triangular black canvas flaps and a leather strap and buckle closure. The bag has stencilled stamps of three towns - Casterton, Merino and Boronia. It also has the government property symbol of a broad arrow.White stencilled paint "CASTERTON" Black stencilled paint "BORONIA" [barely visible] White over-stamped stencilled paint "MERINO"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, bag, pouch, document pouch, courier bag, western district, western victoria, 19th century, 20th century, railway, rural business, rural trade, boronia, casterton, merino, sheep farm, sheep property, canvas bag, canvas courier bag, government courier bag, broad arrow

The black imitation leather or leatherette bag or pouch could have been used by a courier to transfer documents, letters or business records between offices or from business to customer. Imitation leather was invented in the late 1800s and improved as time went on. The manufacture of synthetic leather began around the 1930s. The courier bag may have been used for a s similar purpose as the cash bags in our collection. Those cash bags transported money between the railway stations of Grassdale and Merino in Victoria's western district in the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries. Perhaps the bag was used by the coastal trading vessels that operated in southwest Victoria until around the 1940s.This courier bag is an example of the connections made between people in the remote areas of Victoria. It could have been used by the railway system or the coastal trader vessels that shipped people, goods, documents and cash between the districts in western Victoria.Courier bag; black imitation leather pouch, square with wide seams and a flap with sttud closure at the top. Made by British Products Pty Ltd. "British Products Pty Ltd"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, bag, pouch, imitation leather, artificial leather, faux leather, synthetic leather, british products pty ltd, document pouch, courier bag, western district, western victoria, 19th century, 20th century, railway, rural business, rural trade, coastal trader, southwest victoria

Leather Cash Bags were generally used to transport wages and other cash between two locations. Each would have a brass plate fitted engraved with the home station or a from & to location. Cash would have been transferred from country stations to Melbourne. The lock was self-locking. Duplicate keys to the bags were held in the cashiers office Melbourne.Used at local railway station Portland for transference of cash and cheques back to the Melbourne office. The bag is an example of the how people in the remote areas of Victoria used railways and trains to transfer money, banking and other items. The railway system was used to transfer people, goods and cash between the districts of western Victoria.Brown Leather oblong shaped cash bag. Reinforced leather panel on the front with a brass name plant that has been stamped with the word 'PORTLAND'. Leather buckle at the top with eye holes for threading. Brass lock shaped like teddy bear attached. Brass tag plate. Two keys and a tag attached to a key ring that is hanging and secured with tie wire.Orange Tag - 'TRAVELLING CASH BAGS' / 'S.M. PORTLAND' Larger Key - 'HUBBAIL' 'MELBOURNE' ' P37' Smaller Key - 'PANTANT' 'LONDON' Metal Tag - 'PORTLAND' (Worn off) Lock - 'S205' ' PATANT' '120 QUEEN VICTORIA ST LONDON' ' MAKERS HER MAJESTY' '1202998' Front bottom under the plaque hand written 'MELB'portland railway, melbourne railway, trains, banking

These bags were used for transference of cash and cheques from country railway stations to Melbourne in self-locking steel cash safes on passenger trains. Duplicate keys to the bags were held in the cashiers office Melbourne.Used at local railway station Portland for transference of cash and cheques back to the Melbourne office.Dark brown Leather oblong shaped cash bag. Reinforced leather panel on the front with a brass name plant that has been stamped with the word 'PORTLAND'. Leather buckle at the top with eye holes for threading. Brass lock shaped like teddy bear attached. Front plaque stamped with 'PORTLAND' Lock - 'J HUBBALL MELBOURNE' 'P37portland railway, melbourne railway