This ornate, Victorian-era automatic weighing machine was made in England around 1884-1909, by George Salter and Co. of West Bromwich, UK, makers of scales since 1760. It is protected by Queen Victoria’s Royal Letters Patent, signed in 1900. The scale stood outside the Warrnambool Post Office in Timor Street from around 1909 to 1966, as shown on postcards and photographs held at the State Library of Victoria. The scale is identified by the Serial Number '665', and was installed by the distributors, the Australasian Automatic Weighing Machine Co. Ltd.. The scale’s weight measurements were in Imperial stones and pounds up to 20 stone (127 kg). The scale’s face included charts of average weights, for men, women, boys and girls, by various heights, in feet and inches. The coin slot and its face were converted to metric measurements by the Eastern Scale Company Pty. Ltd; that firm was registered on October 2, 1974. The Australasian Automatic Weighing Machine Co. Ltd was a large supplier of weighing scales in Australia and held the Royal Letters patent for their machines, distributing them in prominent locations. In 1902, the firm was listed under the Import Entries Passed at His Majesty’s Customs, importing into Sydney, NSW, eight cases of scales. In 1911, the company asked permission from the Port Pirie Corporation to install a machine in Alexander Street. In 1913, the company applied to the City of Sydney to install machines around the city, including at the tram depot. One application mentions “… three machines in three places for three pounds per year”. In 1923, the firm tendered for the right to place Automatic Weighing Machines on railway and tram premises throughout New South Wales, subsequently for five-year terms, in return for a fixed payment per machine and a portion of the revenue to the NSW Government. In 1928, the Sydney Harbour Trust gave the firm the right to place the weighing machines on various ferry jetties. The firm was still operating in 1941, advertising for two boys aged 14-16 for the workshop and messages, at the Rialto building, 497 Collins St., Melbourne. On December 21, 1946, the Commonwealth government invited offers to tender for the right to place automatic weighing machines on postal premises throughout the six states; the successful company then made arrangements with the federal Postmaster General's Department to place machines outside post offices across the country. A few years later, on September 11, 1950, the firm's Adelaide branch ceased trading. From 11th July 1950, the Australian and Eastern Engineering Company Pty. Ltd took over at the same premises, at 179 Pirie Street, Adelaide. The Perth branch ceased business in WA on July 6th, 1950. Percival Everitt invented and patented the automatic, coin-operated personal scale design. Everitt was a Norfolk-born engineer and regarded as the father of the coin-operated industry. As a young man in 1877, he invented a hay and corn pitcher, a turnip thinner in 1878 and an Automatic Travelling Anchor in 1880. But his fame came in 1883 with the first postcard-vending machine, over a hundred of which he distributed around London. In 1884, he patented one of his many inventions, the coin-operated scales for use in public places; for many people, it was their first exposure to coin-operated machines. His success prompted the formation of the Weighing Machine Company in 1885. Further inventions followed: a blow tester in 1887, the machine for testing a person's grip in 1888, and in 1889, the dispensing machine for hiring out opera glasses, and a device for shutting down the coin entry slot if the machine was empty. In 1890, he invented a fortune-telling machine. Everitt sadly did not make his fortune; he died suddenly in February 1893, in his late forties, with £71 to his name. George Salter & Co., West Bromwich, England, produced automatic weighing scale machines from Everitt’s patented design, and advertised them as suitable for hotels, pleasure gardens, theatres, exhibition halls, clubs, baths and places of public resort. The company was established in 1760 by brothers Richard and William Salter, and manufactured springs and pocket steelyards (spring balances). After several generations, the company was taken over in 1855 by a nephew, George, and renamed George Salter & Co. In 1884, Salter registered the trademark of a Staffordshire knot pierced by an arrow. The company's expanded range of products included the first coin-operated public weighing machines in the 1880s and, in 1895, the first English-made typewriter. In 1915, Salter became a limited company, Geo. Salter & Co. Ltd. When the last George Salter died in 1917, the company passed into the hands of other relatives, but continued to grow before being bought out by Staveley Industries in 1973. Despite several subsequent mergers, the Salter name continues to be seen on household products such as digital scales. This patented, coin-operated weight machine is significant for its association with Percival Everitt, the inventor of the world’s first slot machine, with the renowned maker of scales, G. Salter & Co., which began operating in 1760, and also with the Australasian Automatic Weighing Scale Co., which imported and widely distributed the scales throughout Australia from the early-to-mid 20th century. It is a rare example of an early vending machine used in public places from the late 19th through to the mid-20th century. These machines were the early step in the evolution of coin-in-the-slot machines, which are still used today. The scales give a glimpse into our history; they became quickly popular with the public, which, until then, had little access to weight scales apart from those at medical services. They also provided inexpensive entertainment for families, especially while waiting for trains or visiting the post office. The machines were also attractive and lucrative to the distributors; once installed, they required very little maintenance, and their low cost to customers kept the money coming in. This automatic weighing machine is also significant for its decades of service to the local and regional community of Warrnambool, for personal and commercial purposes. A public coin-operated weighing scale, also called a penny scale. It is a large, silver-painted cast metal stand with a square top on a pedestal that flares outwards to join a rectangular platform base with posts on the side and corners that may have had fitted wheels. The round, white face on top has red and black measurements and inscriptions. A slim indicator with a point at one end and an arc at the other is attached to the face’s centre. The coin slot is above the face, on the left, and the scale’s identification number is engraved on an oval plate on the right. Moulded motifs decorate the pedestal’s front and are repeated on its sides; they depict a tall, narrow urn with a bowl on top and fancy scrolls on either side. There is a decorative panel across the front top of the stand. The top of the pedestal has a small keyhole. The size of the coin slot fitted a penny coin, and the weight measurements on the face were in Imperial stones and pounds. Quite some time after 1966, when Australia introduced new decimal weights, measurements and currency, the scale was updated; the coin slot size was changed, and a new face with metric measurements was installed. The scale now accepts a $1 coin (one dollar) and the scale measures weight in kilograms and grams, from 0 to 125 kg.. The rear of the scale has a small, rectangular metal plate with printed text. The scale was made by G Salter & Co. of West Bromwich, UK, distributed by the Australasian Automatic Weighing Platform Co., and updated to metric measurements by Eastern Scale Co. Pty Ltd. It was previously installed at the Warrnambool Post Office. Engraved on an oval plate on the right: "665" Top centre of the face, in red: "$1 coin" Top of face: "EASTERN SCALE CO. PTY LTD" Base of face, in red: "[Royal Coat of Arms of Britain]" with words, below in red: "BY ROYAL LETTERS PATENT" Around the face, in black: "[numbers 0 to 125, in increments 5, and makes between the numbers for each 500g]" "kg" Below the face, moulded letters within a shield: "AUSTRALASIAN AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINES CO. LTD." At the back of the weighing platform: "G SALTER & CO. / WEST BROMWICH", remnants of logo “[Staffordshire knot pierced by an arrow]” Plate on rear: THIS SCALE REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF EASTERN SCALE CO. PTY. LTD., 8 GEORGE COURT, GREENSBOROUGH, VIC, 3088. PHONE (03 ) _ 34 _ _ 33” (434 9333 ?_flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, scale, weighing scale, salter, australasian, 1 dollar, $1 coin, 1p, 1 penny coin, penny scale, coin in slot scale, eastern scale co. pty. ltd., british royal coat of arms, royal letters patent, letters patent, health, ending machine, coin-operated machine, percival everett, weighing machine co., george salter & co., g salter & co, west bromwich, vending machine, weights & balances, measurements, slot machine, coin operated machine, penny-in-the-slot, coin fed, coin op scale, weights & measures, australasian automatic weighing machine co. ltd., warrnambool post office, machine 665, no. 665, blalnce technology, scales and weights, weights and measures, penny weight scales, vintage, weighing machine, coin in the slot, coin operated, public scale, public weighing machine, penny-weighing machines, penny weighing machines, penny scales, coin operated weighing machine, scale weighing machine

The book was compiled for the proprietor, L Oertling (Ludwig Oertling), who established his firm of precision scientific instruments in 1849 and went on to become well-known in Britain for its manufacture of precision instruments, particularly its balance scales. In 1865 Ludwig Oertling and business partner Edward Wilds Laad at 27 Moorgate Street London were granted Patent 75 for the invention of improvements in hydrometers. The firm was situated at Turnmill Street, London, in 1922, when it advertised its products including hydrometers, petroleumeters, saccharometers, balances and weights, and automatic coin weighing machines in the British Industries Fair catalogue. In 1925 the firm became part of the Avery group of companies, which acquired Stanton Instruments in 1968 and about two years later Stantons merged into L. Oertling Ltd. Joseph Long has been mentioned by some sources as the author of this book, written for the proprietor of L. Oertling Ltd.The book has been recognised as being culturally important as a basis for our current civilization. It was of great importance to the Board of Revenue for the collectors of taxes and duties Customs Offices, and used in the calculation of alcohol levels in wine and spirits.Reference book, hardcover, burgundy with gold text and lines. Cloth cover with embossed design. Title: Tables for Ascertaining The Strength of Spirits for ascertaining the strengths of spirits with Sike's Hydrometer; Compiled for L. Oetlihg, by appointment, sole manufacturer of Hydrometers & Saccharometers to the Board of Inland Revenue. [some sources say the author is Joseph Long] Published in Turnmill Street, London, near Farringdon Street Station Printer: Printed in London, England by George Berridge and Co, Eastcheap Works, ECflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, l. oertling, ludwig oertling., precision balances, edward wilds ladd, patent 75, improvements in hydrometers, hydrometer, automatic balance for weighing sovereigns, hydrometers, petroleometers, saccharometers, balances and weights, automatic coin-weighing machines, avery group, stanton instruments, l. oertling ltd, testing machine, tables for hydrometers, strength of spirits, alcohol content, alcohol measurement, board of revenue, joseph long

The subject item was made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broaden the renown of the Avery brand and transform the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix.An item used by grocers and merchants throughout the then British colonies of England to weigh store-bought goods around the mid to late 19th century. This item gives an insight into the daily lives of early colonial settlers and is a significant part of the era’s social history of the time.Balance scale and weights with removable dish, two round weights glued to tray 4oz and 8oz. Scales 'to weigh up to 28lb. Printed in gold on black labels each side "W & T AVERY LTD", "BIRMINGHAM" warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, scale and weights, food preparation equipment, w t avery ltd, balance scale, grocers scales, james ford, william & thomas avery, birmingham uk

A Large Rare mid 19th Century Balance Scale (also called a Beam Scale) Made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into a specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs.Then from 1931 to 1973 the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail scales and industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. Item made and used possibly around the 1850s by Victorian colonial government to check weights of goods being sold by early shop keepers on the gold fields item is very rare.James McEwan & Co were the retailers of W & T Avery scales in Victoria from 1852. A very rare item used probably to check weights used by merchants during colonial times by government inspectors in Victoria. A similar example exist in a NSW museum, the item is believed to have been made before W & T Avery expansion to the Soho foundry in Birmingham in 1885 and after 1818.Beam balance scale suspended from a wooden tripod, with metal trays suspended by three chain lengths. embossed on the balance beam W T Avery, Birmingham,flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, scale, avery

In 1885 Julius Pitrat of Gallipolis, Ohio, patented the first computing scale. Six years later, Edward Canby and Orange Ozias of Dayton, Ohio, purchased Pitrat's patents and incorporated The Computing Scale Company as the world's first computing scale vendor. And four years after that, The Computing Scale Company introduced the first automatic computing scale In 1911. the Computing Scale Company merged with the International Time Recording Company and Tabulating Machine Company to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, a business that was renamed IBM in 1924. An early example of a hanging clock face scale patented in October 1897 and made by a company that pioneered the first computing scales used in retail businesses. This company went on to become incorporated with IBM that late became an international computer manufacturer.Scale, patented Oct 12, 1897. Measures in pounds and ounces, up to 10lb. Red indicator needle. Two adjustment screws. Ring on the top for mounting. Marked "The Computing Scale Co Dayton Ohio"Marked "The Computing Scale Co Dayton Ohio"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, scale, computing scale, computing scale company, weighing instrument

A weight made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. An item used used by grocers and merchants to weigh store bought goods around the 1950s. This item gives an insight into social history of the time.Weights, metal, silver electroplated, 1 x 2lb, 2 x 4lb, 1 x 7lb. (4) all government stamped, made by Avery Ltd.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, weight, imperial weight, imperial standard weights and measures, imperial standard weight

A weight made in England by W&T Avery a British manufacturer of weights and weighing machines. The company was founded in the early 18th century and took the name W & T Avery in 1818. The undocumented origin of the company goes back to 1730 when James Ford established the business in the town of Digbeth. On Joseph Balden, the then company’s owner’s death in 1813 William and Thomas Avery took over his scale making business and in 1818 renamed it W & T Avery. The business rapidly expanded and in 1885 they owned three factories: the Atlas Works in West Bromwich, the Mill Lane Works in Birmingham and the Moat Lane Works in Digbeth. In 1891 the business became a limited company with a board of directors and in 1894 the shares were quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1895 the company bought the legendary Soho Foundry in Smethwick, a former steam engine factory owned by James Watt & Co. In 1897 the move was complete and the steam engine business was gradually converted to pure manufacture of weighing machines. The turn of the century was marked by managing director William Hipkins who was determined to broadening the renown of the Avery brand and transforming the business into specialist manufacture of weighing machines. By 1914 the company occupied an area of 32,000m² and had some 3000 employees. In the inter-war period, the growth continued with the addition of specialized shops for cast parts, enamel paints and weighbridge assembly and the product range diversified into counting machines, testing machines, automatic packing machines and petrol pumps. During the second world war, the company also produced various types of heavy guns. At that time the site underwent severe damage from parachute mines and incendiary bombs. Then from 1931 to 1973, the company occupied the 18th-century Middlesex Sessions House in Clerkenwell as its headquarters. Changes in weighing machine technology after World War II led to the closure of the foundry, the introduction of electronic weighing with the simultaneous gradual disappearance of purely mechanical devices. The continued expansion was partly achieved through a series of acquisitions of other companies. After almost a century of national and international expansion, the company was taken over by GEC in 1979. Keith Hodgkinson, managing director at the time, completed the turn-around from mechanical to electronic weighing with a complete overhaul of the product range of retail sales of industrial platform scales. In 1993 GEC took over the Dutch-based company Berkel and the Avery-Berkel name was introduced. In 2000 the business was in turn acquired by the US-American company Weigh-Tronix, who already owned Salter, and is today operating as Avery Weigh-Tronix. An item used used by grocers and merchants to weigh store bought goods around the 1950s. This item gives an insight into social history of the time.Weight, brass, Stamped F27, 2lb.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, weight, brass weight

The HMAT A18 Wiltshire (1912-1922) weighed 10,390 tons with an average cruise speed of 13.5 knots or 25.00 kmph. Described as a refrigerated steamship it was b uilt 1912 by John Brown, Clydebank for the Federal S N Co Ltd, London and was propelled by a twin screw, quadruple expansion engine 2 x 4 cylinders each 6500 hp. Owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd, London, it was leased by the Commonwealth until 2 October 1917. It embarked from Egypt on 2 February 1918. On 18 October 1914 at Melbourne embarked the 4th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria) A, B & C squadron & their Machine Gun Section, the 2nd Field Ambulance (Victoria) First Division. The disembarked the 4th Light Horse Regiment in Egypt on 10 December 1914. On 01 November 1914 The Wiltshire assembled with the first convoy at King George's Sound, Albany Western Australia in transporting the first detachment of the Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces. It completed nine transport voyages from Australia commencing 18 October 1914 until final voyage from Sydney 9th November 1918. During that time The Wiltshire carried the 4th Field Artillery Brigade (Victoria) 2nd Division Artillery and their 1st Reinforcements, 1st Division Ammunition Column 1st Division Artillery 4th Reinforcements, thirty-four Infantry Battalion Reinforcements, the 10th, 11th & 12th Field Artillery Battery (Victoria) 4th Field Artillery Brigades, the 4th Brigade Ammunition Column 4th Field Artillery Brigade, the 1st Siege Artillery Brigade 15th Reinforcements, the 4th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria) A, B & C squadron & their Machine Gun Section, six Light Horse Brigade Reinforcements, the 1st Veterinary Section (New South Wales) 11th Reinforcements, the 1st Mobile Veterinary Section (New South Wales) 1st Division 11th Reinforcements, the 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section (Victoria, New South Wales) 2nd Division 11th Reinforcements, the 1st Cyclist Battalion (New South Wales and Queensland) 3rd Reinforcements, the 2nd Field Ambulance (Victoria) First Division & Medical Officers. After the conclusion of World War One is was wrecked Rosalie Bay, Great Barrier Island New Zealand 31 May 1922 on passage London for Dunedin. Onboard was a crew of 103 plus 1 stowaway, and 10,000 ton of general cargo. No lives lost and is now a well frequented 'Dive' wrecksite. (http://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmat.htm#A18)Photographic postcard of the troopship Wiltshire out at sea.world war one, world war, wiltshire, troop ship, mmm

Part of an album of photo cards - cigarette card size - that depicted various country towns c1920. Has photos of the Fernery, Botanic Gardens, Sturt St, Eureka Stockade, and the garden gates with a weighing machine. Possibly published by the Rose Stereograph Co.Demonstrates photo albums and collector type photo cards.Grey card photo album cardboard sheet with teal coloured right hand edge titled "Ballarat" containing 8 small printed photos and "Daylesford" on the other side, though no photos were with the sheet when obtained. See Reg Items 4083 for the bottom left hand corner - from a Rose Stereograph Co. postcard. Each photo has a title on the sheet, though some of them are not correctly located.ballarat, tramways, trams, esco, sturt st, gardens, eureka stockade

Singer was first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Merritt Singer with New York lawyer Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, then the Singer Company in 1963. The Singer company began to market its machines internationally in 1855 and won first prize at the Paris world's fair that year. They had offices established in both Sydney and Melbourne by the mid-1960s. The company demonstrated the first workable electric sewing machine in 1910. Singer was also a marketing innovator and a pioneer in promoting the use of instalment payment plans, making their machines more affordable for many people. According to its serial number, this machine was manufactured in 1950 and was one of the new models designed to be more portable as it only weighed about 10 KG.This sewing machine is of local, national and international significance as it represents developments in technology and the impact this had upon the work of women.The Singer 99 was a sturdy and reliable machine that was easy to use. Lighter than other machines of its time, this machine weighed only 10 Kgs. It is mounted on a wooden base with a small compartment under the balance wheel to store accessories and bobbins. It has a 'Bentwood' (polished plywood) cover which also provided some room for storage. The machine is driven by a small electric motor and a light to illuminate the work area. It is decorated with gold decals and a filigree pattern. It includes a knee control which is inserted in a hole at the front of the machine. The serial number EG045782 indicates it was manufactured in 1950.Across the top in gold script: "The Singer Manufacturing Co. / Made in Great Britain" On light cover: "SINGER" Plate with specifications also attached. On front of machine in oval badge: A CENTURY OF SEWING SERVICE/ THE SINGER MANFG. CO. 1851 - 1951singer sewing macnine, domestic appliances, women's work, technology