William Spencer and Samuel Browning's were in partnership from 1778 to 1781. When Ebenezer Rust joined the partnership of Spencer and Browning in 1784, the firm of Spencer, Browning & Rust was created. All of the original partners of Spencer, Browning & Rust had died by 1819. The firm was succeeded by Spencer, Browning & Co. in 1840, following the 1838 death of Ebenezer Rust, Junior, son of the original partner. The successor company was in business until 1870.A monocular telescope in a tapered brass tube, with the middle two thirds coved with dark-brown leather. The eye piece end in telescopic, and is probably an add on. 83 cm long, 6.5 cm diameter at large end, 4.0 cm diameter at eyepiece end. Probably magnification is 1 7/8 inch. 48 mm focal depth of c79cm.telescope, scientific instrument, observatory, ballarat observatory, james oddie, ballarat boys' telescope company, spencer browning and co., astronomy

This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. John Browning was particularly well known for his scientific advances in the fields of spectroscopy, astronomy, and optometry. Between 1856 and 1872, Browning acquired provisional patents for designs of numerous scientific instruments. He was also the recipient of an award at the 1862 International Exhibition held in London. Also recognised for his temperature-compensated aneroid barometer. Browning's scientific instruments were used in physics, chemistry, and biology. The products he designed and manufactured included spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmologist, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. John Browning was born around 1831 in Kent, England. His father, William Spencer Browning, was a maker of nautical instruments. John Browning's great-grandfather was also an instrument maker as well as John’s brother Samuel Browning of the firms Spencer & Browning and Spencer, Browning & Rust, who also manufactured navigational instruments. The latter firm was in operation in London from 1784 to 1840 and was succeeded by the firm of Spencer, Browning & Co. John Browning initially intended to follow the medical profession and entered Guy's Hospital, a teaching hospital and a school of medicine. Despite having passed the required examinations, however, he abandoned his plans. Instead, he apprenticed with his father, William Spencer Browning. At the same time, in the late 1840s, he was a student attending the Royal College of Chemistry several days per week. By the early 1870s, practical optics had become John Browning's primary interest, and he listed his occupation as an optician on the census records from 1871 to 1901. He was well known among London's ophthalmic surgeons for his various ophthalmic instruments. He had a large part in reforming the art of crafting spectacles. Other achievements were as an author of the book, How to Use Our Eyes and How to Preserve them by the Aid of Spectacles. Published in 1883, the book included thirty-seven illustrations, including a diagram demonstrating the anatomy of the eye. In 1895, he was one of the founders of the "British Ophthalmology" the first professional organisation for optometry. He was not only its first president but also registered as its first member so many considered him to be the first professional optometrist. Other professional organisations he belonged too was as a member of “The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain”. In 1871 constructing the first wind tunnel located at Greenwich Marine Engineering Works. He was also a member of other scientific organisations, such as the “Microscopical Society of London”, the “Meteorological Society”, and the “Royal”. Then in 1908 the company of W. Watson & Son, opticians and camera makers, took over John Browning's company since 1901 John Browning had been semi-retired but in 1908 he fully retired and moved to Bournemouth in Hampshire. He died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1925.The telescope is significant for its association with one of the world’s leading scientific instrument makers and inventor of the 19th and early 20th century. It is believed the donation came off a wreck either in Port Philip Bay or between Point Lonsdale and the Nepean Heads making it a significant maritime historical artefact. Its provenance is good given it was taken off a wreck in this area by the Point Lonsdale lighthouse caretaker. Examples of John Browning's telescopes because of their scientific and historical importance are highly valued by collectors.Marine style single draw brass telescope with a sunshade. The single draw has no split and the second cartridge is held in a long brass tube within the single draw, mounted from the objective end. The eyepiece is flat and at the end of the first draw in a very faded engraving that is believed to read "John Browning, 63 Strand, and should read London under the word strand but this is hard to establish given the engravings condition. This interpretation of the engraving has been arrived at by examination of other John Browning telescope engraving examples."John Browning, engraved to the first tube in copper plate style "63 STRAND" Engraved under in capital textflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, john browning, telescope, spectroscopy, optometry, scientific instruments, william spencer browning, optician, navigational instrument, microscopical society of london, aeronautical society, marine technology

Notes, 9 pages, has been pinned together, giving details, opening dates, terminals, depot entries, sheave pits, curves, for the Richmond line - Spencer St, Flinders St and Bridge Road. Items 2064 to 2075 within box 72.3 in a brown folder marked "MT&O Co." red pencil on the front cover.trams, tramways, mto co, cable trams, drawings, reports, surveys, richmond, spencer st, flinders st, bridge rd

Notes 10 pages, pinned together, giving details, opening dates, terminals, depot entries, sheave pits, curves, for the Bourke St to Nicholson St line, Brunswick East, including the connection into Spencer St. Includes 2 pages pinned together for the Gertrude, Smith St to Queens Parade line. Items 2064 to 2075 within box 72.3 in a brown folder marked "MT&O Co." red pencil on the front cover.trams, tramways, mto co, cable trams, drawings, reports, surveys, bourke st, nicholson st, gertrude st, smith st, queens parade

Notes 6 pages, pinned together, giving details, opening dates, terminals, depot entries, sheave pits, curves, for the Domain Road, Park St, Toorak Road and Chapel St lines. Second set of notes 4 pages for the Port Melbourne and South Melbourne beach lines via City Road and Victoria St respectively. Single page sketches for both the Flemington Road via North Melbourne and Spencer St to North Melbourne lines - no dimensions or survey notes. Items 2064 to 2075 within box 72.3 in a brown folder marked "MT&O Co." red pencil on the front cover.trams, tramways, mto co, cable trams, drawings, reports, surveys, toorak rd, chapel st, south melbourne beach, port melbourne, city rd, victoria st, north melbourne, flemington rd

Ticket, printed onto light weight brown card, pre-purchased type, 1 1/2d tramway city ticket good for use between Spencer and Spring or Flinders and Victoria St, but not on Sundays and Holidays. On the rear, ticket must be punched separately from other tickets. Has the name "W. G. Sprigg" as Secretary of MTOC on the rear.trams, tramways, cable trams, tickets, city section, mto co