With the visit of the American Fleet to Melbourne in early September 1908, volunteers from the the Automobile Club of Victoria took 100 officers on an excursion to the Black Spur past Yarra Glen on the 4th September 1908. (The area we know today as the Yarra Valley). The convoy travelled through Eltham, Research and Kangaroo Ground, where a group of women gathered to wave to them. This was one of the first motor vehicles to pass through Research. The visit of the American Fleet was a big deal at the time. A Program of activites was compiled. City buidlings were illuminated, a State reception was given and a concert was held. The Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne at that time. This photo was made using a home-made camera constructed by the photographer Tom Prior (brother of Mrs E.R. Reynolds). Reproduced on p86 of 'Pioneers & Painters'This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negsepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, research (vic.), u.s.a. fleet, automobile club of victoria, drive, excursion, visitors, welcome, usa fleet, us fleet, waving, tom prior, pioneers and painters, reynolds prior collection, u.s fleet

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of the American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, on station with the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Tonkin Gulf, North Vietnam. Aircraft from the carrier maintained round the clock bombing raids on North Vietnam.photograph, uss enterprise, tonkin gulf, aircraft carrier, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, u.s. 7th fleet, bombing raids, north vietnam

Chelsea Clock Company History: The Chelsea Clock Company is an American clock manufacturing company that started before 1880 with Joseph Henry Eastman who founded the Harvard Clock Company and produced 800 clocks of marine, carriage, shelf and banjo types. He went on to change the company name to the Boston Clock Company in 1884. After several name changes in 1897, the Chelsea Clock Company was finally founded. Clocks produced by Chelsea Clock Company have been found in the White House, on US Naval Ships, and in homes and offices around the world. After the company first began life as the Harvard Clock Company, it was named the Boston Clock Company, the Eastman Clock Company before finally becoming the Chelsea Clock Company in July of 1897. The company had developed many patents and innervations over these years and between 1939 and 1946 during World War II they were awarded contracts by the U.S Maritime Commission and produced vast numbers of clocks for both merchant and naval ships. U.S Maritime Commission History: The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, and replaced the United States Shipping Board which had existed since World War I. It was intended to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and build five hundred modern merchant cargo ships to replace the World War I vintage vessels that comprised the bulk of the United States Merchant Marine, and to administer a subsidy system authorized by the Act to offset the cost differential between building in the U.S. and operating ships under the American flag. It also formed the United States Maritime Service for the training of seagoing ship's officers to man the new fleet. The purpose of the Maritime Commission was to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and then have built over a ten-year period 900 modern fast merchant cargo ships which would replace the World War I-vintage vessels Those ships were intended to be then leased to U.S. shipping companies for their use in the foreign seagoing trades the aim was to offer better and more economical freight services. The ships were also intended to serve as a reserve naval auxiliary force in the event of armed conflict which was a duty the U.S. merchant fleet had often filled throughout the years since the Revolutionary War. From 1939 through the end of World War II, the Maritime Commission funded and administered the largest and most successful merchant shipbuilding effort in world history, producing ships for both navy and merchant marine. By the end of the war, U.S. shipyards working under Maritime Commission contracts had built a total of 5,777 ocean-going merchant and naval ships. In early 1942 both the training and licensing was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard for administration, then later to the Maritime Service final responsibility was conveyed to the newly created War Shipping Administration which was created to oversee the operation of merchant ships being built by the Emergency Program to meet the needs of the U.S. Armed Services. With the end of World War II, both the Emergency and Long Range shipbuilding programs were terminated as there were far too many merchant vessels now for the Nation's peacetime needs. In 1946, the Merchant Ship Sales Act was passed to sell off a large portion of the ships built during the war to commercial buyers, both domestic and foreign. The U.S Maritime Commission was officially disbanded on May 24th 1950. These clocks were to be found on all ships made in American for the war effort between 1939 and 1946. They are a significant reminder of the sacrifice by those who served in the merchant marine and the navy’s during the Second World War. The item is a part of our social history that reminds us of these dark times. The loses of family members, along with the trauma that many sailors had endured and had to live with for the rest of their lives once they were released from service and allowed to go home.American Clock is an 8-day marine clock made by the Chelsea clock Co for the “US Maritime Commission” . There is a second smaller dial for the seconds and 24-hour markings. Also a fast-slow adjuster to the top of the dial. The clock is an 8 day marine clock with US Maritime Commission inscribed on face in black lettering. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, clock, us maritime commission, chelsea clock company, horology, maratime clock

U.S. Navy Welcome Souvenir Medal: Badge with Australian and United States flags which is inscribed 2*9*08 above and underneath Bendigo Souvenir. Hanging on a rod with white, green and read ribbon with gold bars. The bars are inscribed 'Welcome above and U.S.A Navy below. Box 325numismatics, medals-commemorative, 1908 visit of the american fleet to australia. bendigo welcome.

On Saturday 29 August 1908, over 100 years ago, 16 American battleships along with 5 various escorts entered Port Phillips Bay. Thousands flocked with excitement along the coast and to Port Melbourne to see the white painted ships and their sailors disembarked. The Fleet’s Mission, ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt, was to make friendly courtesy visits to countries while obviously displaying new U.S. naval power. Invited by Alfred Deakin to the young federation, who was feeling isolated and vulnerable after the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the visit was a first step in the shaping of the relationship between the US and Australia. And also an impetus to create the Australian Navy in 1911.A photograph of an original photograph depicting the Queenscliff fishing fleet out welcoming the incoming American fleet on Saturday 29 August 1908.Queenscliff fishing boats welcoming the American Fleetthe americcan fleet, the great white fleet, theodore roosevelt, alfred duncan, australian navy 1911

“Yarram Park” Willaura Visited by American Seamen. Gentleman is Mr William Jennings Kinsella. The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was to make friendly courtesy visits to numerous countries while displaying new U.S. naval power to the world. One goal was to deter a threatened war with Japan since tensions were high in 1907. It familiarized the 14,500 officers and men with the logistical and planning needs for extended fleet action far from home. Hulls were painted a stark white, giving the armada its nickname. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various small escorts.[1][2] Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.willaura simmons

“Yarram Park” Willaura Hunting Trip with American Seamen. Gentleman at top center back is William Jennings Kinsella. The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was to make friendly courtesy visits to numerous countries while displaying new U.S. naval power to the world. One goal was to deter a threatened war with Japan since tensions were high in 1907. It familiarized the 14,500 officers and men with the logistical and planning needs for extended fleet action far from home. Hulls were painted a stark white, giving the armada its nickname. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various small escorts.[1][2] Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.willaura simmons