Black and white photograph Cr PJ Farley 1947-48 53-54 59-60 65-66belfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, cr.p.j.farley, shire of belfast

Cr J Ritchie came from Scotland at Hobart in 1833 having been 9 months on the outward journey. he took up land at South Esk and remained there for 6 years.later on advice of the Henry brothers he came to Victoria and after a preliminary inspection of the land charted the brig “William” and with all of his possessions, including 2000 sheep and two servants he arrived in Portland Bay in January 1840 and as he already held a squatting licence No 230 became a settler in the district. he moved along the coast toward Goose Lagoon but due to a drought the water had dried up and forced him to move further eastward to the Upeer Hopkins but the lack of any but brackish water he was forced to return to Aringa. Aringa comprised of 26,000 acres between the Shaw and Moyne Rivers, 640 acres became freehold at one pound and acre with the right to take up leasehold at a low rate according to the number of stock. At Aringa he designed and built his first home part of which still stands today. He married Sarah Elizabeth Davis in 1852 at Weerongurt Station (Mr John Cox’s property). Mrs Ritchie died in 1920. he was elected Shire of Belfast President for the periods of 1866-67 and 1869-70 John had originally chosen to practice law as his vocation in Scotland but abandoned law for the open air life and died at the age of 86 years in 1887 elected Shire of Belfast President for the periods of 1866-67 and 1869-70Black and white portrait photograph Cr J Ritchie 1866-67 1869-70belfast, president, council, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government

Councillor D Carroll was President of Belfast Shire Council in the Years 1907,1908,1909 and 1918-1919Black and white portraitbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government

James migrated from Scotland and was elected as a member of the Belfast Road Board in October 1857 and continued in office as Chairman of the Board until 1863 when the Shire was proclaimed. He was accordingly the first Belfast Shire President for 2 year. Cr Duffus was the original owner of the property Known as “Naringashern” (not sure of the spelling)Black and white portrait belfast, president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government, belfast district road board, narigashern

John McInerney was a native of Yambuk and represented the Yambuk Riding. He engaged in dairying and pastoral pursuits.Black and white portraitCr J McInerney 1905-06,1913-14belfast, president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government, j mcinerney

Councillor James Jellie came to Melbourne from Ireland in 1841 and moved to Belfast in 1843. he then relocated to Warrnambool in 1849 where he worked as a farmer. He later entered into business as an auctioneer, loan and estate agent and valuation and several large properties passed through his hands. He was one of the partners in the auctioneering firm that sold Atkinson’s Crown Special Survey. His municipal activities extended to the Shire of Warrnambool as well as the Borough of Belfast.Black and white portrait government, belfast, president, portrait, shire, municipal, local-government, auctioneer, james jellie

Councillor George Haynes a native of Staffordshire, England settled in Belfast in 1854 where he carried on the business of Draper and general merchant. George was also one of the original founders of the Mechanics Institute in Port Fairy. He was also a member of Belfast Municipal Council (later Borough of Port Fairy) for 18 years and was it’s first Mayor. he was President of the Hospital Benevolent Asylum Committee and for some years a member of the School Board of Advice.Black and white portraitbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government, george haynes, mechanics institute

He was chairman when the ill fated fire occurred at the Shire Office in Sackville Street, and which later led to the conviction of the Engineer, Mr D.J.Howes who was soon after reprieved, upon a potion by 758 ratepayers and residents of the district.Black and white portraitbelfast, meagher, president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government, howes

Councillor P.McGrath lived on the Koroit-Woolsthorpe Road and engaged in farming pursuits. He gained fame by his masterly handling of the subdivision of the Shire into 3 Ridings practically of equal valuation and they remained that way until the amalgamation of the shire and the Borough council.Black and white portraitgovernment, belfast, president, portrait, shire, council, municipal, local-government

Councillor J. Gibson on leaving to sail to Australia from Ireland was shipwrecked two days out and most of the passengers were lost. He owned the property at Clonlara, and bred horses. He was a native of Cavan Ireland. Black and white portrait belfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, clonlara

Councillor William Leddin resided at Yambuk.Black and white portraitbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, yambuk

Councillor William Boyd was the son of Alexander Boyd who emigrated from Scotland and purchased the property known as Tarrone station in 1884. William managed the station grazing cattle and sheep. The area was later to become part of the Soldier Settlement land after the Second World War.Black and white portraitbelfast, president, government, portrait, shire, council, municipal, local-government, tarrone

Councillor AF Molan owned land in Crossley close to where the Shamrock Hotel was built. The Council held it’s meetings at this hotel for some time.Black and white portraitgovernment, belfast, president, portrait, shire, municipal, local-government, cr af molan

Councillor Geoff Ritchie was the son of John Ritchie who had been one of the early Presidents. He lived on a station called “Boodcarra” and was engaged in pastoral pursuits.Black and white portraitbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, cr geoff ritchie

Councillor J Cruikshank. Owned “Terka” station near Kirkstall. The property had for some years sheltered and fed a number of kangaroos and he expressed the wish that they would be given a home there. The homestead is a bluestone building with a shingle roof, built by Robert Ireland of Port FairyBlack and white portrait of a male with a beard and moustachebelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, terka, kirkstall, cr j cruikshank

Councillor Riddell’s property on Riddells Lane, Kirkstall was mainly used for grazing. He was actively associated with all types of sport and was a judge at Kirkstall and Koroit race meetings.Black and white portraitportrait, belfast, president, shire, government, municipal, local-government, kirkstall, riddells lane

Councillor Samuel Baird’s residence was the property known as ‘Warrong Station” north of Kirkstall. During the last year of his presidency he played an important part in obtaining the severance of the Shire of Minhamite from the Belfast Shire. Councillor Baird was the first president of the Minhamite Shire.Black and white portrait president, portrait, government, shire, municipal, local-government, minhamite shire, shire of belfast

Black and white photograph of a page displaying 16 portraitsbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government, shire of belfast

Multiple Shire of Belfast Presidents from 1969 to 1989 5 photographs Photograph taken of a page president, belfast, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government

Cr MG Wortley President of the Shire of Belfast for the years 1975-76, 78-79Sepia coloured Photograph belfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government

Councillor Conheady occupied a farm at Rosebrook. Cr P Conheady Shire of Belfast President 1919-20 1928-29Black and white portraitpresident, government, belfast, portrait, shire, municipal, local-government, conheady

The Shire of Warrnambool operated toll gates from 1866 to 1869 as a means of revenue rai sing for road construction. There were three toll gate locations – on the main Belfast (Port Fairy) Road at Dennington Bridge, on the Woodford Road at Russells Creek and on the Geelong Road at the Allansford Bridge. The toll gates were unpopular and unprofitable for the lessees as travellers were able to avoid the tax by skirting around the gates. They had toll houses besides the gates. The printers of these tickets, Fairfax and Laurie were the lessees at the time of the Warrnambool Examiner newspaper. This paper, founded by Richard Osburne and John Wilkinson, and published with some gaps from 1851 to 1880, is a key source today of Warrnambool’s history at that time. These toll gates tickets are significant because:- 1. They date back to the 1860s and were only issued from 1866 to 1869. 2. They are the only artefacts we hold of the time when toll gates were operating in our local district 3. They are the best example of how the Shire of Warrnambool in its early history raised revenue for road building and maintenance This is a book of toll gate tickets for sale at the Main Belfast (Port Fairy) Road Toll Gate. The tickets (about 50) are yellow and in duplicate with provision to detach the outer ticket for the purchaser to keep. The tickets (two shillings and sixpence) are bound with an adhesive tape and the cover is mottled in pattern (brown and blue). There are also four loose tickets in blue (3 shillings). Back Cover: ‘136’ Tickets in book: ‘Shire of Warrnambool, Main Belfast Road, Toll Gate 2s 6d., Fairfax and Laurie, Printers’ Loose tickets: ‘Shire of Warrnambool, Main Belfast Road, Toll Gate, 3s.’ shire of warrnambool, toll gates

Belfast Shire Presidents Gallery from 1863 - 1979Black and white photographbelfast, president, portrait, government, shire, council, municipal, local-government

This ledger contains outward correspondence from the Shire of Warrnambool, Engineer from the period 1939-1941. It covers matters such as bridges, roads noxious weeds, drainage. It relates to areas of the shire such as Belfast, Allansford, Garvoc, Laang, Naringal, Peterborough and Penshurst. It mentions people by the names of Coleman, Brennan, Dyson, Hurley, Jordan, Gray, Sadler.This collection of letters provides a very good overview of issues and work covered in the period 1939-1941.Dark grey mottled card cover with light brown binding. Contains 5 letters to page, index. The copies of letters sent are on pink paper and numbered 1-500.Engineering Department is written in black on spine of journal.shire of warrnambool, letterbook, engineers letterbook, warrnambool

The Shire of Warrnambool operated toll gates from 1866 to 1869 as a means of raising revenue for road construction. There were three toll gate locations – on the main Belfast (Port Fairy) Road at Dennington Bridge, on the Woodford Road at Russells Creek and on the Geelong Road at the Allansford Bridge. The toll gates were unpopular and unprofitable for the lessees as travellers were able to avoid the tax by skirting around the gates. They had toll houses besides the tollgates. The printers of these tickets, William Fairfax and Henry Laurie, were the lessees at the time of the Warrnambool Examiner newspaper. This paper, founded by Richard Osburne and John Wilkinson, and published with some gaps from 1851 to 1880, is a key source today of Warrnambool’s history at the time. These toll gate tickets are significant because:- 1. They date back to the 1860s and were only issued from 1866 to 1869 2. They are the only artefacts we hold of the time when toll gates were operating in our local district 3. They are the best example of how the Shire of Warrnambool in its early history raised revenue for road building and maintenance. These are eleven toll gate tickets, ten for the Belfast (Port Fairy) Road toll gate and one for the Woodford Road toll gate. One is mounted on a Swintons store label (6 pence) and four are mounted on cardboard (2 shillings, sixpence, and two shillings and sixpence) and six are loose (three shillings, two shillings and sixpence and threepence). The Belfast Road tickets are yellow, green, blue and cream and the Woodford Road one is white. All have black printing. There is also an undated newspaper cutting with information on the toll gate tickets. Belfast Tickets: Shire of Warrnambool, Main Belfast Road, Toll Gate and the price Woodford Road: Shire of Warrnambool, Woodford Road, Toll Gate, 1s 6d Six of the eleven tickets also have ‘Fairfax and Laurie, Printers’ The sixpence ticket on card has the name R P Christian in ink written on the back of the card. shire of warrnambool, toll gates, r p christian, woodford road, main belfast road, swintons pty ltd

This book is a black and white facsimile of the coloured, commemorate album presented to Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee in June, 1897, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of her reign on the British throne. The Municipalities also received original copies, each numbered as limited editions. The first two pages of the album are an address to Queen Victoria from the Municipalities of the Colony of Victoria, Australia, written in fancy Old English calligraphy. The remaining twenty-three pages display images representing each of the 208 municipalities as in 1897 and include a medallion of their Coat of Arms and statistics such as population, size and valuation, signatures of the Shire Presidents and Secretaries. The album’s publisher, Sands & Mc Dougall Limited, was first established in Sydney. This book was published by the Melbourne Branch. Local areas mentioned in the album include – Town of Warrnambool, page 5, Borough of Portland, page 7 Borough of Port Fairy, page 9 Borough of Koroit, page 9 Shire of Belfast, page 10 Shire of Portland, page 10 Shire of Warrnambool, page 10 Shire of Mortlake, page 12 TRANSCRIPTION OF THE ADDRESS TO QUEEN VICTORIA – “May it please Your Majesty, We Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the representatives of the Municipal Government of the entire Colony of Victoria, humbly approach Your Majesty with earnest assurances of our attachment and devotion to Your Majesty’s Throne and person. We beg to offer to Your Majesty respectful and heartfelt congratulations on completion of the 60th Year of Your Majesty’s reign and to express our grateful recognition of the beneficent influence exercised by You as our Queen during that long period. We are proud of the honour that united, we form the Colony which bears Your Majesty’s name and the unity of this, our expression of congratulation and thankfulness, is truly typical of the united love of the people of this Colony for You as our Queen and for our Nation. With devout thankfulness to our Almighty God for wisdom, guidance and strength vouchsafed in You as our Sovereign, and for unexampled blessings bestowed upon us Your people, we offer earnest prayer that the continuance of Your Majesty’s reign may be a season of peace amongst the Nations of the World and of closer and still happier kinship between the many and wide unretruding sections of our Empire. As witness, the Corporate Seals of the 208 Municipalities of the Colony of Victoria. This 21st day of June 1897.”This facsimile album is significant for its association with early Australian history, the influence of the British Monarch over its Colony, and the establishment, growth and extent of the Colony of Victoria. The album gives a summary of a set year and the statistics of each Municipality. This gives added significance to the history of South-West Victoria, including Warrnambool, allowing a comparison of then and now. The album's inclusion of the Address to Your Majesty shows the respect of the people of Victoria towards the British Monarchy.Book, hard cover, bound in black leather with gold embossed title and border on the front cover, gold lines top and bottom of spine and gilt edged pages. Inside covers are lined in white embossed fabric. Twenty-five pages are all thick, cream coloured card with a rectangular border in the centre of each page. Attached inside the boarders are black and white copies of illustrations and text. A green printed label is attached inside the back cover.“SANDS & Mc DOUGALL LIMITEDN/Manufacturers/MELBOURNE”flagstaff hil, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, queen victoria, diamond jubilee, 60th anniversary, album, municipalities of victoria, colony of victoria, 1897 statistics of victoria, sands & mcdougal, facsimile album, australian history, victorian history, historical document, address to your majesty, address to queen victoria, victoria queen of britain, queen of the united kingdom, 60th anniversary of reign, 1819-1901, jubilee 1897, 208 municipalities, seals of victoria, statistics in victoria 1897, presentation album, british monarchy

The promissory note issued at Belfast, now Port Fairy, Victoria by the “Bank of Victoria” is an early example of currency issued by a private bank. This note was issued in 1853 the same year that the bank commenced business in Belfast. Details of the first production of a banknote backed by the Australian Government occurred on 1 May 1913 following the "Australian Notes Act of 1910" (Australian National Museum). The first building the Bank of Victoria purchased in Belfast was of timber and later sold. Smith & Watts Architects advertised for tenders in the Melbourne Argus on Thursday 29/4/1869 for the erection of a substantial building that is now occupied by Moyne Shire Council in Cox Street. A meeting of the Directors of the Bank of Victoria elected on 1 October 1852. A ballot took place for four directors resulting in Wm. Highett Esq. Wm F. Splatt, Esq. M.L.C., Alex. Wilson, Esq. and W.H. Tuckett” elected as Directors. It was reported from a later meeting in “The Argus” Melbourne on 3 August 1853 that a branch had opened in Swanston Street, Melbourne on 3rd January 1852 with Henry Miller as Chairman of the Board and J. Matheson as the Manager; followed by Geelong on 12 August 1852. Then at the request of “influential inhabitants”, the Belfast branch commenced on 11 May 1853, which had “already met with very general support and encouragement”. This was a colonial bank at the time of vast pastoral runs and gold speculation – how "Mr Thomas [....ton?]" came by his fortune of One Hundred and Twenty-Seven Pound and five shillings can only be wondered at until further research reveals the story. This promissory note records the early colonial system of banking and reflects the economic growth and entrepreneurship of the South West Region of Victoria.Banknote of fine paper. There is a fold multi-crease down the centre top to bottom, lighter creasing across the top and angular creasing to the bottom left and right-hand corners. Yellow spotting is visible across the object breaking through the grey blue colour of the paper. A dark ink blot appears near the top right-hand corner. The left-hand side of the banknote is uneven. The back of the document has darker spotting, a used dirty look patina and some insect spotting. Horizontal crease markings can be seen creating quarter marks. The front of the banknote reads: "No.41/ Exch.ge for £127.57- Bank of Victoria/Issued at 1% prem/Thirty days after Sight of this Third of Exchange/First and Second of the same tenor and date being unpaid pay to the order of/Mr. Thomas [Raliston?]/One hundred and twenty seven pounds five shillings Sterling silver received/To the Manager of the London Westminister Bank London/for the Bank of Victoria [signed?] Manager/Ent.d [?] Robertson Account.t. The blue printed Bank of Victoria logo features a world globe, sailing ships, wool bails, sheep, colonial building and mining tools. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, promissory notes, bank notes, bank of victoria, smith & watts, smith & watts architects, 1853, william highett, william f. splatt, alex wilson, w.h. tuckett, henry miller, money miller, belfast (now port fairy), banknote

Bob Rust was born in Poplar, London in 1823. He became a merchant seaman and all of his "Certificates of Discharge" (except the first one) show him working out of the London docks. The certificates document his career as an "Able Seaman" between the years 1845 to 1852. He worked on the following ships - Jan 25th - March 22nd, 1845 - schooner "Sisters" out of Hull. 14th July - 30th Nov 1845 - "Caleb Angus" - Port of London to West India Dock, London. 12th Dec 1845 - 14th June 1846 - "Caleb Angus" - Port of London to West India Dock, London. April - 16th Oct 1847 - barque "James Turcan" - discharged at Antwerp. It was noted by Mr Mills (Master) "his conduct was to my entire satisfaction. He is a sober, steady man" 25th Oct - 18th Dec 1847 - Brig "Eclipse" - Port of London. Dec 1847 - Nov 1848 - "Cecrops" - London to Cardiff to Cuba and discharged at West India Dock, London. 2nd Dec 1848 - 9th Feb 1850 (15 months) - "Enterprise" - discharged London. Nb - this was not the "Enterprise" used by John Pascoe Fawkner to enter the Yarra in 1835 or the "Enterprise" that sank in Lady Bay, Warrnambool in 1850 and it was not the "Enterprise" belonging to the British Navy which was used to search for Sir John Franklin's lost expedition and later made two Arctic voyages. It is not noted where Bob Rust sailed to on this voyage, but his Master noted on his certificate that "the bearer is an excellent seaman and a good sail maker". 3rd April - 20th Oct 1850 - brig "Thames" - London to London via Trieste. 30th Oct 1850 - 10th May 1851 - "Elizabeth". 9th June - 10th Nov 1851 - "Lady Rowena" - to Alexandria. 23rd Nov 1851 - 17th May 1852 - "Thames" - Mediterranean voyage to Trieste. Bob Rust was an early settler in Warrnambool. He came to Warrnambool, Australia sometime between May 1852 and 1856 where he was recorded in the Electoral Roll, as a labourer, living in Henna Street. According to family history, he "jumped ship" at Port Fairy (then Belfast) as there are no records of him officially arriving in Australia. His picture and details are recorded in "The Pioneers' Register, Warrnambool Township and Shire 1839-1900 Volume Two". He married Sarah Ann Twaits in 1865 and they had seven children. His wife died in 1876 following the birth of their last child. He doesn't appear to have ever worked as a seafarer once he arrived in Warrnambool but is only recorded as working as a labourer and chimney sweep and (in the 1880's) operating as a "General Storekeeper" and "Produce Merchant" (frequently advertising in the Warrnambool Standard for items such as potatoes, oats and dairy produce from his Henna Street premises). He continued to live in Henna Street until his death on 15th January 1906 aged 82 years. English maritime discharge certificates evolved from simple proof of release in the 1700's to become official service records in the mid 1800's. They were issued at the end of a voyage to confirm a sailor had been released from duty and paid. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1835 introduced the formal registration of British seamen, to allow the Government (Board of Trade) to identify individual seamen for the Royal Naval Reserve. Seafarers who registered were issued with tickets which contained some personal details including name, date and place of birth. As the registration system evolved over time, each merchant seafarer was allocated a unique number which would be retained during their time of service at sea. Bob Rust's number was 27914. It also documented the name of the ship (for each voyage), its tonnage, master and date and place of discharge. Early certificates had separate notes re the seaman's conduct or character but after the early 1850's, these became part of the discharge certificate. This collection of "Certificates of Discharge" include those from the late 1840's (which were smaller in size), several handwritten character references as well as some examples of the newer forms of the early 1850's.Theses certificates are significant examples of the legal paperwork generated by the British government in the day-to-day regulation of working seamen in the late 19th century. They are also significant as they document the career of a working seaman at that time.This is a set of twelve "Certificates of Discharge", two handwritten character descriptions and two "Certificates of Character" issued to Able Seaman Bob Rust primarily between the years 1845 and 1852. They have been issued by the Masters of the ships Bob Rust had sailed on, at the completion of each voyage. They differ slightly in size and layout but most follow a similar format in documenting the name of the seaman (Bob Rust), his ticket number (24696), the name of the ship and its tonnage, the port of departure and discharge (e.g. West India Docks London) and the date of the voyage. Some later certificates also describe the destination of the voyage (e.g. Mediterranean). Two of the documents are handwritten notes by the master of the ship certifying as to the conduct of the seaman and two later documents (from 1851 and 1852) are "Certificates of Character" - completed and signed by the Master on the termination of the voyage. Example of Certificate from 1845 - 1850 - "Certificate of Discharge. Schedule E, 7 & 8 Victoria, c.112. This is to certify, that Robert Rust/ whose Register Ticket is numbered 24696 served as Able Seaman/ on Board the Caleb Angus of the Port of London / of the Burden of 303 Tons, from the 14th day of July to the 30th / day of Nov 1845 and that he was discharged from the said ship on 30th /Nov 1845 at West India Docks London Dated this 3 day of December 1845" Mr Whittle MASTER. Example of handwritten character note - "This is to certify that the/ bearer Robert Rust sailor in the barque/ James Turcan, under my command as able / seaman six months during which time / his conduct was to my entire satisfaction / he is a sober steady man. W B. Mills Antwerp 20th October 1847"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, warrnambool, certificate of discharge, certificate of character, robert rust, bob rust, seaman's certificate of discharge, sisters, caleb angus, james turcan, eclipse, cecrops, enterprise, brig thames, elizabeth, lady rowena, warrnambool pioneer, sarah ann twaits