The Loch Ard was an iron hulled clipper, built in Scotland in 1873 and wrecked on the southwest coast of Victoria in 1878 at what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge, near Port Campbell. Fifty two crew and passengers died and only Tom Pierce and Eva Carmichael survived. The Loch Ard was the last sailing ship to lose emigrants' lives when negotiating the entrance to Bass Strait. 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. The Victorian History Advisory Council decided 1978 was an appropriate year to mark, not only the centenary of the sinking of the Loch Ard in 1878, but also commemorate the large part played by sailing ships in immigration, and through this, the development of Australia. The Victorian Government authorised the commemoration and a "Loch Ard Centenary Committee" was formed. It was established to create public interest and awareness for the 100th anniversary of the tragic Loch Ard shipwreck. Activities and events included student essays, exhibitions, videos, publications, competitions and historical information. A booklet called "Settlers Under Sail" by Don Charlwood was commissioned to be made available to all school children. The anchor of the Loch Ard was raised from the wreck and displayed at Port Campbell, a memorial plaque (erected by The National Park) was unveiled at Loch Ard Gorge, a special "Loch Ard Shipwreck Centennial Port Campbell" postmark was issued by the Post Office and a model ship competition was held. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, together with other local towns and shires along the south-west coast participated in many of these commemorative activities. This letter is a significant reminder (and recognition) of the importance the Loch Ard (and other immigrant ships) played in the settling of Victoria and the dangers faced by the settlers who came to Australia in these ships. 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.Single page letter typed in blue ink, on behalf of Koroit Council, written on 14th March 1978 and addressed to the Chairman, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Advisory Board, in recognition of the "Loch Ard Centenary Commemoration 1878 - 1978". It has the "Borough of Koroit" stamp at the top of the page and a red "Borough of Koroit" seal on the bottom right-hand corner of the page. It is signed by the Mayor (Allan R. Waterson), a councillor (J. W. Smith) and the Town Clerk (Jim Macdonald). The letter is in a plain buff manilla folder labelled in blue type.Top left corner - "Address correspondence to:/TOWN CLERK / P.O. BOX 5/KOROIT, 3282" Top Centre - blue circular ink stamp of "BOROUGH OF KOROIT 1870" with coat of arms in the center Top right - "TOWN HALL,KOROIT/ PHONE KOROIT (055) 658230/After Hours (055) 658490" The letter is addressed to - "CR. J. S. Lindsay, /Chairman,/ Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Advisory Board,/ WARRNAMBOOL. 3280" "LOCH ARD CENTENARY COMMEMORATION 1878 - 1978" (underlined) The letter begins - "It is with much pleasure that the Council of the Borough of Koroit, join with neighbouring municipalities, civic leaders and other organisations on this day, in commemorating the "Loch Ard" Shipwreck centenary. The "Loch Ard" operated as a cargo and passenger vessel for immigrants, for a period of five years, from 1873 to 1878. Its last voyage was from England to Melbourne, and the ship was sunk on the 1st June 1878, with only two survivors from passengers and crew of fifty-four. The celebrations being conducted throughout our district this day will help us all to remember and appreciate the determination and spirit shown by these people, for they had the faith to realise that their endeavours would be successful, even against great odds in comparison to present day standards and techniques, and their imprint on our history is record of this fact. This commemoration acknowledges the important role undertaken by sailing ships such as the "Loch Ard" and the vital role this ship played in the early settlement of the State of Victoria." The letter ends with -" the Common Seal of the Mayor, Councillors and Burgesses of the Borough of Koroit was hereunto affixed this 18th day of March, 1978." The letter is signed "Allan J. Waterson Mayor/J. W. Smith Councillor/ Jim Macdonald Town Clerk and a large red seal of the Borough of Koroit (with their coat of arms) is in the bottom right-hand corner. Front of manilla folder - "BOROUGH OF KOROIT / LOCH ARD CENTENARY COMMEMORATION/ 1878 - 1978" "4050" written in black ink top right-hand corner next to a scribbled out numberflagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, loch ard, port cambell, shipwreck, commemorative committee, loch ard centenary, koroit council, commemorative letter, loch ard commemorative committee

Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records. Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Requests for support from older bendigo Residents This item includes the following documents: 8672.32a Letter outlining her PHD research and seeking input from older Bendigo Residents - Letter folder with sticky note attached 8672.32b The document is a letter written in January 2004 by Michele S. Matthews, a PhD student, inviting members of the Bendigo community to participate in her doctoral research. Her study focuses on the economic depressions of the 1890s and the 1930s in Bendigo and the surrounding district, with particular emphasis on understanding how these events affected the everyday lives of ordinary people. Matthews explains that, because the 1930s Depression occurred within living memory, she hopes to interview elderly residents who can recall the years 1929–1935. She outlines several criteria for participants, including being born between 1918 and 1925 (or earlier if they have clear memories), having lived in Bendigo or within a 50-kilometre radius during the Depression, and having parents who held a home or business loan with the Bendigo, Sandhurst, or Star Building Societies. To establish her credibility, Matthews describes herself as a Bendigo local and experienced historian who had worked in the field for approximately twenty years. She highlights her previous research on Bendigo’s contributions to Federation and Sir John Quick, as well as her employment as an in-house historian for both the Bendigo City Council and Bendigo Bank. She also notes her contributions to the Interpretive Centre and the Making a Nation exhibition. The letter concludes by stating that the history of the two depressions in Bendigo has never been thoroughly examined and that the memories of older residents would be invaluable to the project. Matthews encourages interested individuals to contact her by telephone, expressing her hope that their personal experiences will help preserve an important part of Bendigo’s history. 8672.32c The handwritten letter asks a newspaper or advertiser to help find interview participants for PhD research on Bendigo during the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s. The researcher wants to study how those periods affected ordinary people’s daily lives, especially because the 1930s Depression had not previously been examined in detail locally. Proposed interviewees should: Have been born roughly between 1918 and 1923. Have a clear memory of the period. Have lived in Bendigo, or within about 50 km, during the Depression. Have had parents who owned a home or business in areas including Bendigo, Sandhurst, or nearby districts. The writer also notes strong personal and professional ties to Bendigo, including years of residence, research on Sir John Quick, and work connected with the Bendigo City Council and Bendigo Bank. Marginal notes suggest revisions to the date range and wording before publication. 8672.32d Letter to the newspaper editor based on the above. 8672.32e The two page type written document is a PhD thesis proposal titled “How Depressing?: The Impact of the 1890s and Great Depressions on Bendigo and District.” It outlines a comparative historical study of how the economic depressions of the 1890s and the 1930s affected the Bendigo region, with a focus on their social, economic, and community impacts. The research seeks to determine whether the effects of the two depressions were similar or different, identify the factors that shaped those experiences, and explore what local people remembered about the 1930s Depression. 8672.32f The three page type-written document outlines a proposed thesis examining the social, economic, and political impacts of the Great Depression in Bendigo between 1925 and 1935. It is organised into nine chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of life during the Depression, with a particular emphasis on the role of the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum and the experiences of ordinary people. 8672.32g Photo of Floppy Disk 3.5 inches possibly an outline of Michele's PHD bendigo, michele matthews collection, ywca