Martini-Henry Artillery Carbin rifles were made by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, Britain, from 1877 until 1900. Many were distributed to the British Colonies, including this pair, which was allocated to the Woodford Police, Victoria Police District of Warrnambool, Southwest Victoria. The Carbine model rifles were shorter than the standard rifles and more suited to mounted police and troopers. It is likely that in the early 20th century, Victoria Police replaced the two carbines with more modern firearms, and the outdated guns were stored in the stables. The rifles were left there and likely forgotten about due to changes in police staff. In 1915, police authorities announced that they would be replacing patrol horses with bicycles and would also close some smaller police stations. This affected Woodford Police Station, which closed in 1917. The forgotten firearms remained in the stables and were noticed by schoolboy Robert Jellie in 1940 and seen again in 1946. In 1995, the property was sold by the Education Department to a private owner. The Woodford Community donated the pair of Martini-Henry Carbines to the Victoria Police Museum in the late 1990s for mounting and display, which was funded by the Victoria Police Historical Society Inc. The decorative wood and glass display case and frame were designed to preserve the significant history of the guns. On November 1st 1999, the display was presented to Warrnambool Police and the local community due to the historical significance of the Woodford Police Station. In 2025, these items were formally deaccessioned by the Victoria Police Museum, and ownership was transferred to the Warrnambool Police Station. On March 10th, 2025, the display was transferred to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, where the historical story of the Martini-Henry Carbines could continue to be preserved and accessed by local families, the community, visitors to the area, and online visitors. WOODFORD POLICE: - The small settlement at Woodford was established in the 1840s around the Merri River where there was a ford across the water and a bridge from 1848 to 1851. The area was settled very early in Victoria’s history, and the river crossing provided travellers with access to the early route between Port Fairy (named Belfast at that time), Warrnambool and Melbourne. Occasionally, a Warrnambool police trooper would ride through Woodford and the district. In December 1854, Woodford Police barracks and stables were built on the hill by the Merri River on Bridge Road east, where Jubilee Park now stands. A local mounted trooper kept law and order in the area. In 1856, a lock-up was installed, and the first Woodford Police Station was in action in 1857. By 1871, the police station had been moved from the hill to land across the Merri River bridge, on the southern side of Bridge Road west, near Mill Street. In 1890, the police residence there was replaced by a stone Edwardian-style building with the stables and lock-up behind it and the old police station at the rear. The police continued to have a presence in Woodford until it was closed by the Police Commissioner in July 1917 for economic reasons. The residence was used for government housing until 1923, when it was taken over by the Education Department for the school teacher’s home. In 1995, it became privately owned. THE MARTINI-HENRY ARTILLERY CARBINE: - The Martini-Henry rifles were made in Britain from 1871 at the Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield and were stamped with the symbol of the Royal Cipher (Crown over VR) over ENFIELD to identify their origin. They were named after two of several people who helped design this method: Swiss Friederich von Martini and Scotsman Alexander Henry. The design was breech-loaded, and the inner barrel was rifled. A thumb rest was incorporated into the top right of the bullet receiver’s chamber. The small teardrop lever on the right side of the rifle showed whether the rifle was ready to be shot. In 1877, the shorter, lighter-weight Carbine version of the firearm was produced for mounted troops and artillery. Its official name was “Carbine, B.L., Rifled, Martini-Henry.” The bullets were slightly lighter in weight than those used for the longer rifle. The sight position was adjusted for the shorter gun, and wings were added to the sight on the tip, making it easier to slide the rifle back into a saddle bag. Some of the later Carbines also had leather sight covers screwed to the stock to prevent them from catching on the saddle bags. The Carbines had accessories available, such as barrel extensions with bayonets and swivels for adding slings. The Martini-Henry Carbine designs were later modified to fire the British .303 ammunition. Eventually, by 1900, the Martini-Henry Carbines were replaced by the Lee Enfield gun design. The pair of Martini-Henry Carbine firearms represents policing in the early pre-1900 days of colonial settlement; Woodford was one of the first townships settled in Victoria, and it had a police presence from 1854 until 1917. The rifles and display provide a historic connection between the location of Woodford and relatives and associates. The carbine rifles show a stage in the evolution of weapon design, adapted to suit mounted troops, and adding features to streamline use and storage. The ammunition was also improved during this progression. The carbines are important for their connection to policing law and order in a remote area. They are significant for their association with the township of Woodford, which was important to travel in the southwest Victoria district, providing access across a river for a road between Port Fairy and Melbourne, and later Warrnambool, and supplying food, goods and accommodation for the travellers. A pair of mounted rifles is mounted behind glass in a timer case, accompanied by a framed display of two photographs and an account of the rifles’ history. The case and display each have a horizontal board with a gently curved edge and carved decorations added. The identical firearms are British-made Martini Henry Carbine breach-loaded rifled guns, supplied by Britain to its Colonial troops from around 1877. The rifles are lever-action, single-shot .500 calibre weapons. They have a teardrop lever on their right side. They were used by Victoria Police mounted troops at the Woodford Police Station, Victoria. The black and white photographs were taken in 1946. The left photograph has a circled area; the right photograph is an enlarged view of the circled area, showing the Woodford Police Station in detail. The printed text is on textured paper with the Victoria Police watermark. It gives a summary of the rifle’s history. There is an inscription on the left photograph. Left photograph, handwritten in white pen: “WOODFORD” Document’s print: “During the late 1840s the small town of Woodford grew around the crossing of the Merri River on the Melbourne/Port Fairy Rad. Woodford was proclaimed a township in 1854 and a police quarters was established there in 1857. The police station remained until 1917 when it was closed and police service from then on was provided from Warrnambool. The building was then used as a school residence and is now privately owned. In !940 Robert JELLIE, then a schoolboy, observed two rifles mounted on the wall of the disused stable at the rear of the old police building. Following the devastating flood of 1946 (see photograph above) the rifles were again seen in the room next to the stable but were not seen again until the building was sold by the Education Department many years later. It was a recognition of the historical value of the rifles which led to their donation to the Warrnambool Police Complex. The rifles have been authenticated by the Victoria Police Armoury as being Victoria Police issue some time before 1900. The rifles are an identical pair of the famous British-made Martini Henry, a .500 inch calibre military weapon widely used by British Colonial troops. Victoria Police and the wider community of Warrnambool are indebted to the members of the Woodford community for their fine gesture in donating the rifles for mounting so that their historical importance can be preserved and they can be displayed for generations to come. This display was funded by the Victoria Police Historical Society Incorporated, and presented on the first day of November, 1999.”flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, martini henry, victoria police, woodford police station, rifle, carbine, display case, british, martini henry carbine, breech-loaded, rifled, colonial, single-shot, .500 calibre, weapon, gun, 1877, troops, mounted troops, merri river, victoria police woodford, victoria police warrnambool, victoria police melbourne, police quarters, robert jellie, school residence, stable, 1946 flood, victoria police armoury, identical pair, british colonial troops, victoria police historical society incorporated, woodford, bicycles, found by a schoolboy, edwardian-style building, victoria police museum, warrnambool police station

Digital copy of one of 7 slides depicting photographs of police from 1858 to 1930s. This image is of an officer on traffic duty at the Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, with the Toorak tram in background.Digital copy of black and white slide.victoria police, melbourne town hall

USB flash drive containing miscellaneous digitised Victorian publications including Chronicles of early Melbourne, histories of Bendigo and Ballarat, Victorian Yearbooks 1873-1878, and 4 volumes of Victoria and its metropolis.USB Flash Drive containing miscellaneous [Victorian] publications archives in plastic storage boxvictoria police, melbourne - history, victoria - history

Due to repair costs of $40,00 for the Port Melbourne Police Station in Bay Street was slated for closure in 1991. Part of the roof of the century old building had collapsed and the building was in a bad state of repair. Local pharmacist, Tony DICKSON, objected to the closure becaus eof the high concentration of criminals in the area. A small newspaper cutting regarding the possible closure of the Port Melbourne Police Station.victoria police, port melbourne police station, tony dickson

Confidential Melbourne CI Air Raid warning message.1,2,3,) Foolscap paper, black writing marked CONFIDENTIAL.1, Victoria Police Air Raid Precautions scheme. 2., & 3. ) Victoria police schedule of air raid warning messages.document, air raid

This police manual is bound as a binder, connecting upwards of 420 pages with metal rods inserted through the loose-leaf paper to form the spine. The outer hardcover, enclosing the book, its inner covers, and the metal binder mechanism, is brown board with leatherette spine binding. The inner cover is card with a bluje and yellow pattern decorating it; the inside of the outer cover also has a decorative pattern, in pink, blue, and white, which is peeling slightly on the front cover.non-fictionThis copy of the 1957 Police Manual was purchased from collectibles shop in Olinda by a previous manager of the Fernlea Shop of Opportunities. Fernlea was on the site of the original Emerald Police Station, so this police manual was acquired as a relevant tie to that history. It was in turn donated to the Emerald and District Museum when the Fernlea Shop of Opportunities closed in 2025. The manual was designed as a binder such that new pages could be added if regulations were updated or amended after publication - for example, one page was inserted with greater detail on radioactive materials. The book has five sections, labelled with tabs protruding from the fore-edge: 'Regulations', 'Determinations', 'Standing Orders', 'Index', and 'List of Amendments'. The index is a short section near the end using a different paper to the rest of the book, and the List of Amendments is an unmarked table, intended to catalogue amendments to the manual. The Regulations and Determinations sections are both sizeable, containing a significant number of various guidelines, but by far the largest section is 'Standing Orders'.1950s, policing

Five Victoria Police officers on motorcycles escort Cardinal Shehan in Melbourne for the 40th International Eucharistic Congress, February 1973Motorcycle police riding five abreast along a city road.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles

Police pulling over a Volkswagon without any registration plates on the front. There are two uniformed police standing at the driver's window of the Volkswagon with the police car being a Ford Customline. There are two large trucks in the background hauling houses. Circa 1954. The Policeman are wearing a "Sam Browne" belt and equipment, apparently as a trial.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford customline car

Police motorcycles leading a parade through the main street of Ararat. Circa 1960BMW R60 and R69 early 60spolice vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle

Police BMW motorcycle with Ian Taylor riding it on a suburban road. Registration number DG-725. Circa 1964police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle; taylor, ian

Police BMW motorcycle with rider, registration number DD-078. Circa 1964police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle

Police Moto Guzzi motorcycle with Ian Taylor as rider with a garden in the background. Circa 1964police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; moto guzzi motorcycle

Klaus Mueller on a Kawasaki 650 wearing full uniform including helmet, jacket and tie, long riding gloves, jodphurs and riding boots. Circa 1965police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; kawasaki motorcycle; mueller, klaus

Falcon V8, registration number KRE-042, with Max Oates as driver and Bill Calvert as passenger. There is a Kawasaki W650 beside the car, registration number GL-834, with Harvey Haig riding. Circa 1970police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; police vehicles; ford falcon car; kawasaki motorcycle; oates, max; calvert, william; haig, harvey

Kawasaki W650 registration number DV-238. Front view. Circa 1968police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; kawasaki motorcycle

Les Townsend riding a Honda 750 Four, wearing full uniform including helmet, leather jacket, gloves, riding pants and boots. Side view. Circa 1980.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle; townsend, leslie george

Honda, registration number KD-575, in a garage/workshop in Collingwood. Circa 1975police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle

Blue Honda CB 900 F, registration number MP-146. Front and side view. Circa 1980police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle

Kawasaki W650. Rider in full wet weather gear including helmet and gloves. Circa 1960police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; kawasaki motorcycle

Graeme Rust standing beside BMW 1100 in open parkland. Circa 1998S/C Graeme Rust Knox TOGpolice vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle

Russell Street garage with motorcycles in the foreground and cars in the background. There is an unidentified person in the foreground working on the motorcycles. Circa 1974police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; russell street

Honda CB750, registration number KF-433. Circa 1971Transport Branch, No. 2 Division, Police Workshops, 119-193 Wellington St., Collingwood 3066police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle

Triumph Saint, registration number JS-776. Circa 1966Transport Branch, No. 2 Division, Police Workshops, 119-193 Wellington St., Collingwood 3066police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; triumph saint motorcycle

Two Honda CB900F motorcycles being ridden along a winding country road. Registration numbers LY-134 and LY-125. Circa 1980police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle

Two Honda CB900F motorcycles riding along a winding country road - front view. Registration numbers LY-134 and LY-125. Circa 1980police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle

Honda CB900F ridden by Robert Hardy during an exhibition. The motorcycle has a red headlight and flag. Side view. Circa 1980police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle; hardy, robert

Honda CB900F motorcycles being ridden in exhibition formation. Riders are L to R Tony Borg, Paul Martin, Dave Rogers, Barry Olsen and John Hall. Circa 1980police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; honda motorcycle; borg, anthony; martin, paul; rogers, martin; olsen, barry; hall, john

Mal Wesson sitting on a Kawasaki in front of a house. Circa 1975police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; kawasaki motorcycle, wesson, malcolm

G Rust and R Francis sitting on BMW1100s in uniform but without helmet or gloves - front and side view. Circa 1991police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle; rust, graeme douglas; francis, robert charles

G Rust and R Francis sitting on BMW1100s in uniform but without helmet or gloves - front view with car in background. Circa 1991police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; motor cycle patrol; police motorcycles; bmw motorcycle; rust, graeme douglas; francis, robert charles