William Ferguson was a watchmaker, jeweller and oculist-optician in Warrnambool in the early part of the 20th century. He was also the Mayor of Warrnambool in 1901-2. James Bostock, a grazier, was a member of the prominent Bostock family who were pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district, coming from Tasmania in the mid 1840s. This docket is of interest because both parties, James Bostock and William Ferguson were prominent in Warrnambool’s historyThis is a docket issued to James Bostock in 1908 by William Ferguson, watchmaker and oculist. It has printed red lines and other blue printed matter on a cream-coloured paper. It has information inserted on the printed lines in black ink. It also has some star-shaped ornamentation at the top and scattered throughout. The paper is slightly torn at the bottom edge and discoloured in several places. ‘Jas. Bostock Esq., Oct 1-1908, June 16/08, To Amt. of A/C rend. £- 7-6’james bostock, william ferguson, warrnambool, william ferguson watchmaker

This watch key is inscribed with the name of ‘T. Ferguson’, a watchmaker and jeweller from Warrnambool. He may have been the maker of the key or the distributor. No information has been found on ‘T. Ferguson’ but he may have been related to William Ferguson, a well-known Warrnambool watchmaker, jeweller and oculist in the early 1900s. William Ferguson was a Warrnambool Councillor and Mayor. His shop was in Timor Street.This watch key is of minor interest as one with some provenance. It is of Warrnambool origin. It also has some social significance as an example of the type of pocket watch and key used in the early 20th century. This is a small watch key with a metal mechanism for winding a pocket watch, a circular metal section, gilded over, with the name of the watchmaker and a small top section with a ring for hanging the item on a chain etc. On one side of the circular section: ‘T.Ferguson, Warnambool’(sic) On the reverse side: ‘Watch Maker & Jeweller’ ferguson, watchmaker and jeweller, t.ferguson, watchmaker, jeweller, oculist, warrnambool, william ferguson

This item was supplied by William Ferguson, a jeweller, watchmaker and optician in Timor Street, Warrnambool in the early part of the 20th century. He was Mayor of Warrnambool in 1901-2. It is not known to whom the spectacles belonged. This item has no specific provenance but it is of importance as an example of the type of object supplied by William Ferguson, a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the early 1900s. This is a spectacles case made of stiffened leather with a leather handle at the top that slides back to allow the case to be opened. The top of the case lifts up to allow the spectacles to be removed. The case has the name of the supplier (W.Ferguson) stamped in gold print on the side. The case is much scuffed and the leather is worn in places. It is empty.‘W. Ferguson, Oculist, Optician, Warrnambool’spectacles case, william ferguson, jeweller and oculist., warrnambool