This photograph depicts a large group of men in their work clothing situated in front of a large bank of earth. They are identified as miners working in an unidentified location in Australia. This photograph was taken by photographer Walter Thwaites sometime during the period of 1865-1908, likely c.1870. It is unsure where this image was taken since Thwaites travelled a lot over his photography career and the photograph is not annotated with this information. In addition, the identities of the men in the photograph are also unknown. These men are photographed in front of a large bank of earth where they had presumably been mining for gold or other precious metals. The men, with the exception of four, are wearing wide brimmed hats to protect their faces from the sun. They are also wearing loose fitting white shirts which are often worn beneath a darker coloured vest. They wear pale coloured work pants and boots. The men are mostly clean shaven with the exception of the moustache and a couple of beards. Two of the men have pipes in their mouth. Their clothing is basic and much less dramatic than the outfits worn by the gold diggers of the 1852 gold rush. These men, by wearing similar outfits, are expressing a sense of comradery or equality between them. It is likely that they are from the same, or similar, social status. They have an air of independence and share social equality in their stance and clothing. Walter William McLean Thwaites (1840-1908) was a professional photographer born in Sydney, Australia. He learnt the craft in his father's Hobart studio, but later embarked on his own solo career and toured every existing Australian colony between 1860 to 1888. The Thwaites family were a long line of photographers and artists with Thwaites' father Walter WIlliam Thwaites Sr working as an artist and photographer in Australia after moving from England in 1834. Walter Thwaites Sr's father, also named Walter Thwaites, was a British miniature portrait artist.Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts over 30 diggers standing in front of a bank of earth and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and mounted on board.Reverse: 1997.208 / MINERS. / W. Thwaites / Photography /australia, australian photography, photography, miners, gold rush, australian landscape, diggers, walter thwaites, thwaites photography, w. thwaites photography, social history

In 1891​ The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) was formed and became responsible for Melbourne's water supply. Melbourne had grown to a city of half a million people. To provide water to this rapidly growing city (especially the eastern suburbs), and to supplement the 1857 Yan Yean Reservoir, Melbourne's first water supply, the Watts River (near Healesville) was tapped. It supplied water to Melbourne, via the Maroondah aqueduct.​ In May 1892 the MMBW's first engineer-in-chief, Mr William Thwaites began construction on Melbourne's sewerage system. A treatment farm was built at Werribee and a pumping station was built at Spotswood (now the site of the Scienceworks Museum) to send the city's waste to Werribee. The first Melbourne homes were connected to the sewerage system in 1897. This book showcases the MMBW's infrastructure achievements and documents costs, requirements and key personnel involved in the development of the water supply and sewerage schemes.The introduction states "The water supply sources and headworks are in many cases situated in remote places and the sewerage works are chiefly underground. The Board has therefore resolved that these photographs of some of the scenes and works should be collected and bound for general information. August 1908" This book is in excellent condition and provides a detailed insight into the previous 17 years of work and the Board personnel of the MMBW leading up to 1908. It is of historical importance to the history of Melbourne for the photographic documents of places that were not generally open to the public, and for Melbourne Water in its detailed history of the MMBW in the early twentieth century. Photographic view book with hard khaki coloured cardboard cover and blue fabric binding. 120 Pages. Glossy paper with black and white plates and text about the MMBW, and scenic views and places of interest in association with the MMBW. The Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works - Water Supply, Sewerage etc. ...Photographic Views...mmbw, board members, sewerage, water supply, historic views, photographs

Prize awarded to William Michael Urquhart Armstrong in 1944. Light blue cloth bound book with black leather sine; spine divided into 6 sections with raised bands and gold decoration; red leather behind title section; Ballarat College crest printed in gold on front cover; book plate on flyleaf.Book plate: Ballarat College crest / Sixth Form / Librarian Prize / Presented by Major Mc N Symons / Awarded to / W M U Armstrong / R E Thwaites / December 1944 / Principalw-m-u-armstrong

Prize awarded to William Michael Urquhart Armstrong in 1944.Dark maroon cloth bound cover with gold printing and border on front cover and spine; Ballarat College crest printed on front cover; book plate on flyleaf;coloured frontispiece.Book plate: Ballarat College crest / Ballarat College / Sixth form / French Prize / Awarded to / W M U Armstrong / R E Thwaites / December 1944 / Principalw-m-u-armstrong