Photograph shows the ship FIJI where she met her demise, in Wreck Bay, on the shipwreck coast of South West Victoria. The three-masted iron barque Fiji had been built in Belfast, Ireland, in 1875 by Harland and Wolfe for a Liverpool based shipping company. The ship departed Hamburg on 22nd May 1891 bound for Melbourne, under the command of Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25. The ship’s manifest shows that she was loaded with a cargo of 260 cases of dynamite, pig iron, steel goods, spirits (whisky, schnapps, gin, brandy), sailcloth, tobacco, coiled fencing wire, concrete, 400 German pianos (Sweet Hapsburg), concertinas and other musical instruments, artists supplies including brushes, porcelain, furniture, china, and general cargo including candles. There were also toys in anticipation for Christmas, including wooden rocking horses, miniature ships, dolls with china limbs and rubber balls. On September 5th, one hundred days out from Hamburg in squally and boisterous south west winds the Cape Otway light was sighted on a bearing differing from Captain Vickers’ calculation of his position. At about 2:30am, Sunday 6th September 1891 land was reported 4-5 miles off the port bow. The captain tried to put the ship on the other tack, but she would not respond. He then tried to turn her the other way but just as the manoeuvre was being completed the Fiji struck rock only 300 yards (274 metres) from shore. The place is known as Wreck Bay, Moonlight Head. Blue lights were burned and rockets fired whilst an effort was made to lower boats but all capsized or swamped and smashed to pieces. Two of the younger crewmen volunteered to swim for the shore, taking a line. One, a Russian named Daniel Carkland, drowned after he was swept away when the line broke. The other, 17 year old able seaman Julius Gebauhr, a German, reached shore safely on his second attempt but without the line, which he had cut lose with his sheath-knife when it become tangled in kelp. He rested on the beach a while then climbed the steep cliffs in search of help. At about 10am on the Sunday morning a party of land selectors - including F. J. Stansmore, Leslie Dickson (or Dixon) and Mott - found Gebauhr. They were near Ryans Den, on their travels on horseback from Princetown towards Moonlight Head, and about 5km from the wreck. Gebauhr was lying in the scrub in a poor state, bleeding and dressed only in singlet, socks and a belt with his sheath-knife, ready for all emergencies. At first they were concerned about his wild and shaggy looking state and what seemed to be gibberish speech, taking him to be an escaped lunatic. They were reassured after he threw his knife away and realised that he was speaking half-English, half-German. They gave him food and brandy and some clothing and were then able to gain information about the wreck. Some of the men took him to Rivernook, a nearby guest house owned by John Evans, where he was cared for. Stansmore and Dickson rode off to try and summon help. Others went down to the site of the wreck. Messages for rescuing the rest of the crew were sent both to Port Campbell for the rocket rescue crew and to Warrnambool for the lifeboat. The S.S. Casino sailed from Portland towards the scene. After travelling the 25 miles to the scene, half of the Port Campbell rocket crew and equipment arrived and set up the rocket tripod on the beach below the cliffs. By this time the crew of the Fiji had been clinging to the jib-boom for almost 15 hours, calling frantically for help. Mr Tregear from the Rocket Crew fired the line. The light line broke and the rocket was carried away. A second line was successfully fired across the ship and made fast. The anxious sailors then attempted to come ashore along the line but, with as many as five at a time, the line sagged considerably and some were washed off. Others, nearly exhausted, had to then make their way through masses of seaweed and were often smothered by waves. Only 14 of the 24 who had remained on the ship made it to shore. Many onlookers on the beach took it in turns to go into the surf and drag half-drowned seamen to safety. These rescuers included Bill (William James) Robe, Edwin Vinge, Hugh Cameron, Fenelon Mott, Arthur Wilkinson and Peter Carmody. (Peter Carmody was also involved in the rescue of men from the Newfield.) Arthur Wilkinson, a 29 year old land selector, swam out to the aid of one of the ship’s crewmen, a carpenter named John Plunken. Plunken was attempting to swim from the Fiji to the shore. Two or three times both men almost reached the shore but were washed back to the wreck. A line was thrown to them and they were both hauled aboard. It was thought that Wilkinson struck his head on the anchor before s they were brought up. He remained unconscious. The carpenter survived this ordeal but Wilkinson later died and his body was washed up the next day. It was 26 year old Bill Robe who hauled out the last man, the captain, who had become tangled in the kelp. The wreck of the Fiji was smashed apart within 20 minutes of the captain being brought ashore, and it settled in about 6m of water. Of the 26 men on the Fiji, 11 in total lost their lives. The remains of 7 bodies were washed onto the beach and their coffins were made from timbers from the wrecked Fiji. They were buried on the cliff top above the wreck. The survivors were warmed by fires on the beach then taken to Rivernook and cared for over the next few days. Funds were raised by local communities soon after the wreck in aid of the sufferers of the Fiji disaster. Captain Vickers was severely reprimanded for his mishandling of the ship. His Masters Certificate was suspended for 12 months. At the time there was also a great deal of public criticism at the slow and disorganised rescue attempt to save those on board. The important canvas ‘breech buoy’ or ‘bucket chair’ and the heavy line from the Rocket Rescue was in the half of the rocket outfit that didn’t make it in time for the rescue: they had been delayed at the Gellibrand River ferry. Communications to Warrnambool were down so the call for help didn’t get through on time and the two or three boats that had been notified of the wreck failed to reach it in time. Much looting occurred of the cargo that washed up on the shore, with nearly every visitor leaving the beach with bulky pockets. One looter was caught with a small load of red and white rubber balls, which were duly confiscated and he was ‘detained’ for 14 days. Essence of peppermint mysteriously turned up in many settlers homes. Sailcloth was salvaged and used for horse rugs and tent flies. Soon after the wreck “Fiji tobacco” was being advertised around Victoria. A Customs officer, trying to prevent some of the looting, was assaulted by looters and thrown over a steep cliff. He managed to cling to a bush lower down until rescued. In 1894 some coiled fencing wire was salvaged from the wreck. Hundreds of coils are still strewn over the site of the wreck, encrusted and solidified. The hull is broken but the vessel’s iron ribs can be seen along with some of the cargo of concrete and pig iron. Captain Vickers presented Bill Robe with his silver-cased pocket watch, the only possession that he still had, as a token for having saved his life and the lives of some of the crew. (The pocket watch came with 2 winding keys, one to wind it and one to change the hands.) Years later Bill passed the watch to his brother-in-law Gib (Gilbert) Hulands as payment of a debt and it has been passed down the family to Gilbert Hulands’ grandson, John Hulands. Seaman Julius Gebauhr later gave his knife, in its hand crafted leather sheath, to F. J. Stansmore for caring for him when he came ashore. The knife handle had a personal inscription on it. A marble headstone on the 200m high cliffs overlooking Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head, paying tribute to the men who lost their lives when Fiji ran aground. The scene of the wreck is marked by the anchor from the Fiji, erected by Warrnambool skin divers in 1967. Amongst the artefacts salvaged from the Fiji are china miniature animals, limbs from small china dolls, rubber balls, a slate pencil, a glass bottle, sample of rope from the distress rocket and a candlestick holder. These items are now part of the Fiji collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, along with Captain Vickers’ pocket watch and Julius Gebauhr’s sheath knife. Flagstaff Hill’s Fiji collection is of historical significance at a State level because of its association with the wreck Fiji, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register VHR S259. The Fiji is archaeologically significant as the wreck of a typical 19th century international sailing ship with cargo. It is educationally and recreationally significant as one of Victoria's most spectacular historic shipwreck dive sites with structural features and remains of the cargo evident. It also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The Fiji collection meets the following criteria for assessment: Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s cultural history. Black and White Photograph of the ship "Fiji" taken from Wreck Creek. warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, shipwrecked artefact, pocket watch, fob watch fiji, william vickers, william robe, bill robe, gebauhr, stansmore, carmody, wreck bay, moonlight head, fiji shipwreck 1891, port campbell rocket crew, wreck bay victoria

The photograph shows the wreck of La Bella in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, Australia. It was probably taken on 11th November 1905, the morning after she was wrecked. “Foyle” written on the photograph is the name of Foyle’s Photographic studio. At the time of the photograph the studio was owned by both Charles and Lilian Foyle (sometimes known as Lillian or Lily), either of whom could have taken this photograph. They also worked together at a later date on the photographs, sketches and paintings of the famous and historical Pioneers’ Honour Board, which is currently on view in the Warrnambool Library. Foyles Photography was the studio of James Charles Foyle. He owned “Foyle’s Photo Card Studios” in Liebig St , Warrnambool, which operated between 1889 – 1919 . A letter to the editor (by Mr Edward Vidler) in the Melbourne Argus, 3rd August, 1907, mentions that in that year Warrnambool would celebrate its 60th anniversary of its proclamation as a town, and that talented local artist Miss Lily Foyle would paint 200 portraits in watercolour of the pioneers who settled in the district prior to 1860. The Pioneer Honour Board can still be seen on display in the Warrnambool Library. In the Warrnambool Standard, Dec. 1917, “Mr Foyle’s studio was awarded contract to decorate rail cars on newly opened Trans-Continental railway, assisted by his sister, Miss Findlay.” The subject of the painting, La Bella, has its own tragic story. Read on for further details … On November 10th, 1905, the Norwegian-built barquentine La Bella approached Warrnambool at the end of her 37 day voyage. She was carrying a cargo of timber from Lyttleton, New Zealand, in heavy seas and evening mist. (On its only other visit to Warrnambool a year earlier the master had gone to shore to find a tow. He returned to the ship to find the crew drunk and unwilling to take up their posts, even though the ship was dragging its anchors and in a dangerous position.) As Captain Mylius steered La Bella to Lady Bay Channel the ship was tossed onto its side by heavy breakers and ran aground on what is now known as La Bella Reef. The sea was so rough that it wrenched a one-and-a- half ton anchor from the vessel. Several attempts were made by parties of volunteers in lifeboats to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boats to get close enough to the ship and the parties had to return to shore. The La Bella’s crew became exhausted and sailors were being washed overboard, one by one. By sunrise only five of the twelve crew still clung to the wreck. A local fisherman, 25 year old William Ferrier, rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the captain, whilst the volunteer lifeboat crew rescued a further three sailors, returning to shore. Ferrier made a final attempt at rescue and was able to reach its stern as the conditions eased slightly, saving the last remaining, terrified sailor just before the ship broke up and sank. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. He was awarded the Silver Medal for bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured by the Prime Minister and the Governor. He was presented with several other awards for his daring rescue. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. The wreck now lies in 13m of water and is home to an abundance of marine life. Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a rail holder from La Bella, a photograph of William Ferrier with four of the five men rescued, a rail holder from the ship and the letter from the Prime Minister and other Members of Parliament that was sent to William Ferrier to commend him for his bravery. La Bella has been protected under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976) as a Historic Shipwreck since 23 April 1982 (VHR S401). It is archaeologically significant as the remains of an international and inter-colonial passenger and cargo ship. Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from the La Bella is of historical and archaeological significance because of its association with the La Bella, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register, and because of the relationship between the objects. The collection represents aspects of Victorian history, and the letter to William Ferrier demonstrates how important his rescue efforts were to Victoria and Australia. Black and white photograph of the wreck of the sailing ship La Bella in the bay at Warrnambool. The photograph shows the ship lying on its side in rough sea, with mast and rope rigging hanging loosely. Several large rocks are also visible. The photograph is a rectangle shape, mounted on heavy card, with slightly ragged edges. The photographer’s name, a title for the photograph and the location are hand written in white along the bottom third of the photograph. The back of the photograph is blank. Printed in white hand writing “Foyle”, “WRECK OF “LA BELLA”, “W’Bool”foyle, la bella, william ferrier, lady bay, lifeboats, lilian foyle, lillian foyle, charles foyle, james foyle, royal humane society medal, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

According to the shipslist.com, the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand had 3 ships called Koranui. Koranui (1) 1883 1885 taken over with Black Diamond Line fleet, 1889 wrecked Blind Bay. 448 Koranui (2) 1914 ex- Cleopatra (A.Kirsten, Hamburg), 1920 war reparations and renamed, 1953 to J. Hagen, Noumea, renamed Neo Hebridais II. 1,266 Koranui (3) 1956 1976 sold to Maldives, renamed South Pacific. 3,722 The buoy is most likely coming from one of the last two on te list.The lifebuoy is a essential piece of equipment on a ship; as it has the name of the ship written on it it is often a memorabilia kept after the ship has changed name or has been broken up.Ring shaped life preserver from SS Koranui divided into four sections alternating between red and white colourings.Black writing on white sections of buoy: "S.S. KORANUI/MELBOURNE"buoy, safety wheel, lifebelt, water wheely, ring buoy, lifering, lifesaver, life donut, life preserver, perry buoy, mission to seafarers, seamen's mission, ss koranui, new zeaaland, union steam ship company of new zealand, rescue, life saving equipment

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

This Japanese ceramic vase was recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Casino (1882 – 1932) between the late 1960s to early 1970s. It is one of the shipwreck artefacts in the John Chance Collection. The design is an example of vintage basket weave pottery. The base of the vase is stamped ‘MADE IN JAPAN’ , which dates its probable manufacture to circa 1921-1932. The vase has side seams indicating that it was made by joining two moulded sides of the vase together, then adding the round base. The coastal trader SS Casino (1882–1932) had a run of almost 50 years along the coast of Western Victoria. She traded goods and food as well as carrying passengers from port to port on her many voyages. This vase may have been included in her cargo or could have been amongst the personal luggage of the people on board. The ceramic vase is an example of ceramic pottery in Victoria the 1930s. The vase is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Loch Ard in the 1960s-70s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The vase is also significant as it is associated with the S.S. Casino, which played an historical role in Western Victoria, providing transport, communication and trade along the coast between Melbourne and Portland in the late 19th and the early 20th century, visiting the ports at Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Belfast (Port Fairy). The S.S. Casino was the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast and the only Western District steamship that was in service between 1854 and 1939, and to be represented in the Victorian Heritage Shipwreck register, and to have been wrecked in the Western District, and to have the wreck located, and to be accessible to divers. The wreck of the S.S. Casino, and its associated relics, is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and is now protected as a Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Vase, round, cream coloured, unglazed ceramic, basket weave design. Wide mouth, short neck that tapers out to wide shoulders and straight down to round base. Seams on each side, mouth to base. Small handle on each side of vase between mouth and shoulder. Front and back of vase have a plain oval space bordered by a floral design. Inscription stamped onto base. Made in Japan. Stamped onto base in black ink "MADE IN / JAPAN"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, vase, japanese vase, s.s. casino, john chance, vintage pottery, newcastle and hunter river steam navigation company, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, west coast trader, apollo bay, captain middleton, basket weave, ceramic

This decorative hinge was recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Casino (1882 – 1932) in 1969. It is one of the shipwreck artefacts in the John Chance Collection. The hinge has round sections on the back that could have been mounting points. The coastal trader SS Casino (1882–1932) had a run of almost 50 years along the coast of Western Victoria. She traded goods and food as well as carrying passengers from port to port on her many voyages. This vase may have been included in her cargo or could have been amongst the personal luggage of the people on board.The hinge is historically significant as an example of hardware existing in Victoria the 1930s or even earlier. The hinge is also an example of artefacts recovered from a Victorian shipwreck in the 1960s. It was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the S.S. Casino in the 1960s-70s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The hinge has significance because of its association with the S.S. Casino, which played an historical role in Western Victoria, providing transport, communication and trade along the coast between Melbourne and Portland in the late 19th and the early 20th century, visiting the ports at Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Belfast (Port Fairy). The S.S. Casino was the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast and the only Western District steamship that was in service between 1854 and 1939, and to be represented in the Victorian Heritage Shipwreck register, and to have been wrecked in the Western District, and to have the wreck located, and to be accessible to divers. The wreck of the S.S. Casino, and its associated relics, is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and is now protected as a Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Hinge, arrow shaped, cast iron, decorative design. Hinge is wide at one end and tapers to a point at the other end. The top surface is textured with the design. The underside is flat. The metal is very fragile.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, s.s. casino, john chance, west coast trader, apollo bay, captain middleton, hinge, hardware

This sea urchin shell was recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Casino (1882 – 1932) between the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. It is part of the John Chance Collection. The coastal trader SS Casino (1882–1932) had a run of almost 50 years along the coast of Western Victoria. She traded goods and food as well as carrying passengers from port to port on her many voyages. This vase may have been included in her cargo or could have been amongst the personal luggage of the people on board.The sea urchin shell is significant as an example of underwater animal life existing in Victoria the 1960s. It was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the S.S. Casino in the 1960s-70s. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The urchin is connected with the S.S. Casino, which played an historical role in Western Victoria, providing transport, communication and trade along the coast between Melbourne and Portland in the late 19th and the early 20th century, visiting the ports at Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Belfast (Port Fairy). The S.S. Casino was the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast and the only Western District steamship that was in service between 1854 and 1939, and to be represented in the Victorian Heritage Shipwreck register, and to have been wrecked in the Western District, and to have the wreck located, and to be accessible to divers. The wreck of the S.S. Casino, and its associated relics, is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and is now protected as a Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Sea urchin, global shape, beige colour. Urchin has two naturally formed holes, the larger being the mouth. Ten segments radiate from top to bottom, each with a row of small white raised circles.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, s.s. casino, john chance, west coast trader, apollo bay, sea urchin, south west victoria, sea life

This historic bronze nail dates back to 1840s when the ship Grange was built. Nails such as this one were used for boat building, as deck fasteners and many other uses. This nail was made at a time when the shanks of nails were usually machine cut but the heads were hand formed by blacksmiths. The nail was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The nail is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The nail is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The nail also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The nail is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard.Nail, bronze, oval head, four-sided shank, tip flattened to a rounded wedge shape. The surface is pitted and rough. There is orange and blue concretion on the shank. The nail is bent. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, fastener, nail, square nail, machine cut mail, blacksmith, historic nail, bronze nail, carronade, mal brown

This oak wood sample is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The wood sample was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The wood sample is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The sample is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The sample is also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The sample is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard. Wood sample, oak wood fixed between plates and secured by a washer and bolt. There are five layers, each decreasing in size from base to the top. The bottom is a five-sided copper plate, above it is the oak sample that is crumbling and fragile, then a half-disc metal plate, then a square metal washer, then a round metal bolt head. The metal plate has unequal sides, the longest is parallel to the strait side of the half disc. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wood sample, wooden ship, oak timber, ship fitting

This metal bracket is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The bracket was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The bracket is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The bracket is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The bracket also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The bracket is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard.Bracket, brass, U shaped with rectangular flat ends. Both ends have a formed rectangular hole in them; the hole has rounded corners. The metal has corroded in places and has green concretion.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wooden ship, ship fitting, bracket

This metal sphere is part of the wooden barque, the Grange, built in 1840. The sphere was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The sphere is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The sphere is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The sphere also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The sphere is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard. Sphere; thin hollow copper, various shades of brown, dimpled or hammered surface with a sheen, no joins. Base has a small hole and is fitted with a hollow, cylindrical brass collar. The collar had a rim on top, inward curving sides and a narrower rim on the bottom. The sphere looks similar to a bed post knob.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wooden ship, ship fitting, sphere, knob, bed knob, post decoration

The ship's log part, called a fish, is likely to be from a mechanical taffrail log system. It was recovered from the wreck site of the barque, the 1840-1852 Grange. There are no marks on the fish to identify its maker or model. It is part of the John Chance Collection. This ‘fish’ is part of an early to mid-1800s ship's log. It would likely have been part of a taffrail log connected to a rotor (also called propeller, spinner) by a strong line, and the other end connected by a line to a dial mounted on the taffrail, or stern rail, at the stern of the vessel. As the propeller rotated through the water it would spin the log, which in turn would cause a number to register on the dial, showing the current speed in knots; one knot equals one nautical mile per hour. TAFFRAIL LOGS A taffrail log is a nautical instrument used for measuring the speed of a vessel, providing vital navigational information to be calculated, such as location and direction. A log has been used to measure the speed of a vessel since the 1500s. A simple piece of wood was tied to a long line and thrown into sea at the back of the vessel. The rope was knotted all along at equal distances apart. On a given signal the log line was pulled back into the vessels, the knots counted until the log came up, then the figures were calculated by a navigator In 1802 the first successful mechanical log available for general use was invented by Edward Massey. It had a rotor 'V' section connected to a recording mechanism. The water’s movement rotated the rotor, which intern sent the movement to the recorder. There are examples of this invention available to see in some of the maritime museums. Thomas Walker, nephew of Edward Massey, improved on Massey’s design, and Walker and his son took out a patent on the A1 Harpoon Log. In 1861. Both Massey and Walker continued to improve the designs of the taffrail log. New designs were still being introduced, even up to the 1950s. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown. The ship’s log is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The ship’s log is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The ship’s log also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The ship’s log is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard. Ship log fitting, called a fish; part of a brass navigational instrument, likely to be from a taffrail log. The metal is a tan colour and has rough surface with a sheen, and discolouration in places. Its basic shape is a hollow cylinder with ends tapering to a smaller size. In the centre there are opposing openings cut out, showing a rough texture inside. One end on the cylinder is closed with a ring and shank installed, fixed by an embedded screw through the end of the cylinder. There are no inscriptions.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, wooden ship, taffrail log, marine instrument, marine technology, navigation, nautical instrument, mechanical log, nautical navigation, navigation equipment, scientific instrument, ship log, ship log register, ship speed, taff rail log, patent log, towed log, taffrail log fish, edward massey, thomas walker

This historic bronze nail dates back to 1840s when the ship Grange was built. Nails such as this one were used for boat building, as deck fasteners and many other uses. This nail was made at a time when the shanks of nails were usually machine cut but the heads were hand formed by blacksmiths. The nail was recovered from the shipwreck of the Grange in around 1968, 110 years after the Grange was wrecked (see below for further details on the Grange). It is part of the John Chance Collection. THE GRANGE, 1840-1858- The wooden barque ’Grange’ was a three-masted ship built in Scotland in 1840 for international and coastal trade. On March 22, 1858, the Grange set sail from Melbourne under Captain A. Alexander, carrying a cargo of ballast. The barque had left the Heads of Phillip Bay and was heading west along the Victorian coast towards Cape Otway. The ship struck Little Haley’s Reef at Apollo Bay due to a navigational error and was stuck on the rocks. The crew left the ship carrying whatever they could onto the beach. Eventually, the remains of the hull, sails and fittings were salvaged before the wreck of the Grange broke up about a month later. About 110 years later, in 1968, the wreck of the Grange was found by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club of Victoria. They were amazed to find a unique, six to nine pound carronade (type of small cannon) and a cannonball on the site. There have been no other similar carronades recorded. In that same year the anchor of the Grange was recovered by diver John Chance and Mal Brown.The nail is significant historically as an example of hardware used when building wooden ships in the early to mid-19th century. The nail is historically significant as an example of the work and trade of blacksmith. The nail also has significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver from the wreck of the Grange in the 1968. Items that come from several wrecks along Victoria's coast have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. The nail is historically significant for its association with the 1840s wooden barque, the Grange. The Grange is an historical example of a Scottish built vessel used for international and coastal trader of both cargo and passengers in the mid-19th century. The Grange is an example of an early ship, designed with a wooden hull. It is significant as a ship still available to divers along the south coast of Victoria, for research and education purposes. The Grange is an example of a mid-19th century vessel that carried a weapon of defence onboard.Nail, bronze, round head, four-sided shank, tip flattened to a rounded wedge shape. The surface is pitted and rough. There is orange and blue concretion on the shank. The nail is bent. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, west coast trader, apollo bay, mid-19th century shipwreck, the grange, scottish barque, little henty reef, captain a alexander, underwater explorers club of victoria, 1840s carronade, vhr 5297, coastal trader, wooden shipwreck, john chance, fastener, nail, square nail, machine cut mail, blacksmith, historic nail, bronze nail, carronade, mal brown

This portion of terracotta roof tile was salvaged from the wreck of the Antares by Flagstaff Hill diver, Peter Ronald. It has letters, numbers and symbols impressed into the clay by the manufacturer. The Italian barque Antares was an iron three-masted sailing clipper built in 1888 by Russell & Co of Port Glasgow originally named the “Sutlej” and renamed in 1907 the “Antares” when sold to the Semider Bros of Genoa Italy. The vessel left Marseilles on the 18th of December 1913 with its master captain Gazedo destined for Mullaly & Byrne of Melbourne with a cargo of roof tiles but failed to arrive. The wreckage was found near the Bay of Islands twenty-two miles east of Warrnambool after a body had washed ashore. Some of the timbers washed up were charred by fire, and a small boat's stern board with the name "Sutlej" led to the identification of the wreck as Antares which had been reported missing. According to later reports, the Antares wrecking was overshadowed by war news at the time. A young local boy had remarked that the Germans had arrived off the coast as he had seen them firing off shells and rockets, but his story was passed off as a joke. These rockets were most likely the distress signals from the stricken ship. The Italian barque/clipper Antares was sometime later reported as overdue. The wreck of the ship was later found at the base of a cliff at the Bay of Islands near Warrnambool in November 1914, there were no survivors.This tile is significant in its association with the wreck of Antares and is registered as a Shipwreck Artefact A/2. This tile is significant for its association with the sailing ship Antares, one of the last of the 'tall ships' to be lost along the southwest coast of Victoria, and the only wreck that took the lives of all people on board. The significance is recognised by its listing on the Victorian Heritage Register VHS S34. The Antares is significant as a sail trader carrying international inbound cargo. It is part of the Great Ocean Road Historic Shipwreck Trail.Roof tile; terracotta clay tile shaped for fitting together with other tiles. Inscriptions are impressed into the clay. It was recovered from the wreck of the Antares. Impressed text:”- E R I E S DE LA MEDITERRANEE” “ … T S – MI-LES BOU- R …..” Impressed symbol: (Sideways crown or tree) (could be TULLERIES DE LA MEDITERRANEE)flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, roofing tile, building materials, antares, peterborough, 1914 shipwreck, sutlej, antares rock., bay of islands, terracotta tile, clipper, roof tile, building material

This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. John Browning was particularly well known for his scientific advances in the fields of spectroscopy, astronomy, and optometry. Between 1856 and 1872, Browning acquired provisional patents for designs of numerous scientific instruments. He was also the recipient of an award at the 1862 International Exhibition held in London. Also recognised for his temperature-compensated aneroid barometer. Browning's scientific instruments were used in physics, chemistry, and biology. The products he designed and manufactured included spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmologist, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. John Browning was born around 1831 in Kent, England. His father, William Spencer Browning, was a maker of nautical instruments. John Browning's great-grandfather was also an instrument maker as well as John’s brother Samuel Browning of the firms Spencer & Browning and Spencer, Browning & Rust, who also manufactured navigational instruments. The latter firm was in operation in London from 1784 to 1840 and was succeeded by the firm of Spencer, Browning & Co. John Browning initially intended to follow the medical profession and entered Guy's Hospital, a teaching hospital and a school of medicine. Despite having passed the required examinations, however, he abandoned his plans. Instead, he apprenticed with his father, William Spencer Browning. At the same time, in the late 1840s, he was a student attending the Royal College of Chemistry several days per week. By the early 1870s, practical optics had become John Browning's primary interest, and he listed his occupation as an optician on the census records from 1871 to 1901. He was well known among London's ophthalmic surgeons for his various ophthalmic instruments. He had a large part in reforming the art of crafting spectacles. Other achievements were as an author of the book, How to Use Our Eyes and How to Preserve them by the Aid of Spectacles. Published in 1883, the book included thirty-seven illustrations, including a diagram demonstrating the anatomy of the eye. In 1895, he was one of the founders of the "British Ophthalmology" the first professional organisation for optometry. He was not only its first president but also registered as its first member so many considered him to be the first professional optometrist. Other professional organisations he belonged too was as a member of “The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain”. In 1871 constructing the first wind tunnel located at Greenwich Marine Engineering Works. He was also a member of other scientific organisations, such as the “Microscopical Society of London”, the “Meteorological Society”, and the “Royal”. Then in 1908 the company of W. Watson & Son, opticians and camera makers, took over John Browning's company since 1901 John Browning had been semi-retired but in 1908 he fully retired and moved to Bournemouth in Hampshire. He died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1925.The telescope is significant for its association with one of the world’s leading scientific instrument makers and inventor of the 19th and early 20th century. It is believed the donation came off a wreck either in Port Philip Bay or between Point Lonsdale and the Nepean Heads making it a significant maritime historical artefact. Its provenance is good given it was taken off a wreck in this area by the Point Lonsdale lighthouse caretaker. Examples of John Browning's telescopes because of their scientific and historical importance are highly valued by collectors.Marine style single draw brass telescope with a sunshade. The single draw has no split and the second cartridge is held in a long brass tube within the single draw, mounted from the objective end. The eyepiece is flat and at the end of the first draw in a very faded engraving that is believed to read "John Browning, 63 Strand, and should read London under the word strand but this is hard to establish given the engravings condition. This interpretation of the engraving has been arrived at by examination of other John Browning telescope engraving examples."John Browning, engraved to the first tube in copper plate style "63 STRAND" Engraved under in capital textflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, john browning, telescope, spectroscopy, optometry, scientific instruments, william spencer browning, optician, navigational instrument, microscopical society of london, aeronautical society, marine technology

This match safe was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The match safe was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. Pocket match safes or match safes were small portable boxes, or containers made in a great variety of forms and shapes, each with lids or covers to contain matches and retain their quality. Matches came into use around the 1830's and were produced extensively between the years 1890 and 1920. During this period everyone carried strike anywhere matches, so they could ignite stoves, lanterns and other devices. Early matches were unreliable and prone to ignite from rubbing on one another or spontaneously. Accordingly, most people carried a match safe to house their matches. Wealthy people had ‘match safes made of gold or silver, while common folk had ones made of tin or brass. They were made throughout the world including the United Kingdom, in the U.S.A., continental Europe and Australia. Significant English makers of cases were, Sampson Mordan and Asprey & Co. Significant American manufacturers of match safes include Wm. B. Kerr, Gorham, Unger Brothers,  Battin,  Blackington ,  Whiting, George Scheibler and Shreve & Co. Different patterns and types run into thousands as well as plain and decorative examples. They were also made in a wide range of materials, including pressed brass, pressed tin, gunmetal, nickel silver, gold, bone, ivory, the wood of varying types, early plastics like tortoiseshell and Bakelite, and ceramics. A distinguishing characteristic of match safes is that they have a ribbed surface, usually on the bottom, for lighting the matches. The item gives a snapshot into the social development through it's application in every day use match safes were used at a time when there were no safety matches and the early use of matches was a dangerous affair given they were easily combustive if rubbed together in a pocket for example. The item is also an example of the shipwreck artefacts gathered along the southwest coast of Victoria.Match Safe; hollow brass cylinder with ribbed match striker texture on base and screw thread around top. Fitted brass lid has an internal screw thread, and the top's flat surface has concentric circles design, with a twisted rope pattern grip around the edge. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, match container, match safe, matches, fire lighter, fire safety, heat, fire, portable match safe, 19th century

This telescope was amongst various items collected from a sea dive in Port Phillip Bay. The diver was the caretaker of the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse, who dived on various wrecks in the bay during the 1960's. After the caretaker's death, his son sold off many of the shipwreck artefacts. The telescope was purchased from the caretaker's son in the 1990's by a previous owner of the Marine Shop, Queenscliff, Victoria. Many companies were making scientific instruments in Liverpool. Between 1730 up too today, they manufactured spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, barometers, photometers, cameras, ophthalmoscopes, and electrical equipment such as electric lamps. Liverpool was a major centre for the production of scientific items rivaling Glasgow and London from 1850 to 1920. This telescope appears to be of quality manufacture but the origins can only be surmised at based on the gold embossing to the leather surrounding the main brass tube as being associated with Liverpool England. There is no maker or owners mark, so again there is no sure way to determine the year of manufacture or maker. There were many opticians and scientific instrument makers working in and around Liverpool from 1730 through too today. Also the possibility the telescope could have been made outside Liverpool overseas should not be overlooked and may have been made as a souvenir item from Liverpool from the mid to late 20th century. The size and type of telescope is a traditional type that was used for many sporting activities in the mid to late 19th century for deer stalking, bird watching, or used generally. I believe the item dates from sometime around the early to late part of the 20th century as the use of the liver bird mark became popular in 1911. It began appearing on many manufactured items of the period up too today, denoting that these items were made by companies operating in or around Liverpool England. If the item had been made by a notable firm it would have been engraved with the makers name city of origin, or owner as was the accepted practice for these items. The writer has been unable to determine if any specific company had had exclusive use of the liver bird logo as it was widely used and was not copyrighted until the Liverpool football club successfully won a court case giving them the sole rights to the trademark in 2012.The item is also an example of the shipwreck artefacts gathered along the southwest coast of Victoria. It is also a sample of scientific instruments used up to the mid 20th century.Victorian style gentleman's three draw brass telescope with machine milling surrounding the end of each tube and around the objective end. The three tube draw has no split and all three cartridges are held within the main brass tube wrapped in leather with rope bindings at both ends 5 cm in length and beginning 7 cm from the objective end. The last 2.8 cm makes up the remainder of the brass tube which has a sliding brass sunshade. The eyepiece is flat and has a protective slide over the lens aperture. Two relay lenses are missing on the ends of the second and third tube. Gold embossed into the leather an inscription “Trade the Liver Mark” also embossed in gold a depiction of the mythical liver bird, associated with the city seal of Liverpool England. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, shipwreck artefact, port phillip bay, port lonsdale lighthouse, wreck, 1960’s diver, queenscliff marine shop, liver bird, scientific instrument, telescope, three drawer telescope, liverpool, liver bird trade mark, trade mark

The coin was discovered by Julie Wilkins, a Victorian scuba diver who had already experienced more than 500 dives in Australia and overseas. She was holidaying in Peterborough, Victoria, and looking forward to discovering more about the famous Loch Ard ship, wrecked in June 1878 at Mutton Bird Island. The fast Glasgow-built clipper ship was only five years old when the tragedy occurred. There were 54 people on board the vessel and only two survived Julie's holiday photograph of Boat Bay reminds her of her most memorable dive. Submerged in the calm, flat sea, she was carefully scanning around the remains of the old wreck when, to her amazement, a gold coin and a small gold cross suddenly came up towards her. She excitedly cupped them in her hands, then stowed the treasures safely in her wetsuit and continued her dive. She soon discovered a group of brass carriage clock parts and some bottles of champagne. It was a day full of surprises. The items were easily recognisable, without any build-up of encrustations or concretion. Julie secretly enjoyed her treasures for twenty-four years then packed them up for the early morning train trip to Warrnambool. After a short walk to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, her photograph was taken as she handed over her precious find. She told her story to a local newspaper reporter, lunched a café in town then took the late afternoon train home. Her generous donation is now part of a vast collection of Loch Ard shipwreck artefacts, including the gold watch and the Minton Majolica model peacock. The coin is a British 1793 George III Gold Spade Guinea. It was already 83 years old when the Loch Ard had set sail. The loop and ring have been added, perhaps as a pendant, pocket watch accessory or similar purpose. It may have been worn for ‘good luck’ on the long journey to Australia, where ships had to carefully navigate the treacherous Bass’s Strait before arriving at their destination of Melbourne. Sadly, many met their fate on that short stretch of ocean aptly named the Shipwreck Coast. The coin is very recognisable even though it was exposed to the wrecking of the ship, its consequent movement, and the sea's turbulence. Its bent, scratched, buckled, split, dinted and worn condition is part of its story. The red-brown-black discolouration is similar to that found on other gold coins, sometimes called the ‘corrosion phenomena’. Studies suggest the possible cause is contaminants in the minting process reacting to the coins’ environment. The GEORGE III GOLD SPADE GUINEA: - The British Guinea was introduced in 1663 and was circulated until 1814. It was made of 22 carat gold, was 25 to 26 cm in diameter and weighed 8.35 grams. It had a value of 21 British shillings. The guinea coin ceased circulation after 1816 and was replaced by the one-pound note. However, the term ‘guinea’ continued to represent 21 shillings. King George (1738-1820) had six gold guinea designs minted during his reign from 1760 and 1820. Each of the six had different obverse portraits, all facing the right. There were three different reverse sides. The Spade Guinea was the fifth issue of the coin, introduced in 1787 and produced until 1799. The reverse shows a royal crown over a flat-topped shield with the Royal Arms of Great Britain, used in Scotland between 1714 and 1800. The shield images are, from left to right, top to bottom, the Arms of England and Scotland, the Arms of France, the Arms of Ireland, and the Arms of the House of Hanover. The Gold Guinea is also part of Australia’s history. It was the first coin mentioned in the announcement of Governor King of New South Wales his Australian Proclamation of a limited variety and denomination of coins accepted for use in the Australian Colony. The historic and decorative George III Spade Guinea has been reproduced for special collections of coins. However, replicas and imitations have also been made as souvenirs for tourists, as gaming tokens and chips for gamblers, and as ‘fake’ coins for profit. These coins differ in many ways; they may be only half the weight of the genuine coin. Often have a small stamp on the obverse with “COPY” or the manufacturer’s name or initials. Some have scalloped edges, some have dates that are different to the original dates of issue, and some even have text in Latin that translates as something very different to the original coin.The King George III Guinea was only produced from 1663 to 1814 and was the first English coin to be mechanically minted. The coin is the fifth edition of the King George III Guinea, the Spade Guinea, was only produced between 1787 and 1799. It is the only edition with this portrait of King George and the only one with the Royal Coat of Arms of Great Britain in Scotland on the reverse side. This edition was also the last guinea in circulation, because the sixth edition was reserved as the Military guinea. This edition of the Guinea is unique; This coin is the only guinea in our collection. It was minted in 1793, so it is now over 230 years old. The Gold Guinea is part of Australia’s history; it was the first coin in the list of coins for use in the Australian Colonies, mentioned by Governor King of New South Wales in his Australian Proclamation speech of 1800. The George III Spade Guinea was included in the Limited Edition Sherwood 12 Coin Collection of Notable Coinage of Australia. This coin is the only known guinea coin recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. It was already 85 years old when the ship was wrecked.Gold coin; British. 1793, King George III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820), Spade Guinea. Yellow gold coin with gold metal loop mount and a gold ring through the loop. The design is the fifth issue of the George III Gold Guinea. The obverse relief is a portrait of George III facing right. Reverse relief is a crown above the Coats of Arms (1801-1816) of flat top spade-shaped shield divided into four quadrants that depict crowned lions, fleur de lies, a harp. These images are identified as, from left to right, top to bottom, England and Scotland, France, Ireland and Hanover. Inscriptions are minted around the rims of each side. The coin is dated 1793. Its surface has dark areas on both sides and the reed edge and surfaces are well worn. The loop mount is bent and the ring is buckled. The coin was recovered from the wreck of the ship Loch Ard.Obverse text; 'GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA' (translates to George the Third, by the Grace of God) Obverse relief; (King George III bust, facing right, laurel wreath on head) Reverse text; 'M.B.E.ET.H.REX.F. D.B.ET.L.D. S.R.I.A.T.ET.E' '1793' (translates to: King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Arch-Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire) Reverse relief; a spade-shaped image i.e. (Crown with fleer de lies, above Shield with crowned lions in different postures, a harp, and other details)flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, royal mint, british coin, currency, guinea, military guinea, australian currency, british guinea, gold coin, spade guinea, king george iii, george iii, fifth portrait, arms of england and scotland, arms of france, arms of ireland, arms of the house of hanover, coins, gold coins, gold medallion, georgian era, 1793, numismatics, contamination phenomena, gold corrosion, good luck, lucky charm, pendant, lucky coin, trade, loch ard, wreck of the loch ard, 1878, mutton bird island, peterborough, scuba diver, 1980s, guinea coin, gold guinea, shipwreck artefact, relic, julie wilkins

The gold cross was discovered by Victorian scuba diver Julie Wilkins, who had already experienced more than 500 dives in Australia and overseas. She was holidaying in Peterborough, Victoria, and looking forward to discovering more about the famous Loch Ard ship, wrecked in June 1878 at Mutton Bird Island. The fast Glasgow-built clipper ship was only five years old when the tragedy occurred. There were 54 people on board the vessel and only two survived Julie's holiday photograph of Boat Bay reminds her of her most memorable dive. Submerged in the calm, flat sea, she was carefully scanning around the remains of the old wreck when, to her amazement, a gold coin and a small gold cross suddenly came up towards her. She excitedly cupped them in her hands, then stowed the treasures safely in her wetsuit and continued her dive. She soon discovered a group of brass carriage clock parts and some bottles of champagne. It was a day full of surprises. The items were easily recognisable, without any build-up of encrustations or concretion. Julie secretly enjoyed her treasures for twenty-four years then packed them up for the early morning train trip to Warrnambool. After a short walk to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, her photograph was taken as she handed over her precious find. She told her story to a local newspaper reporter, lunched a café in town then took the late afternoon train home. Her generous donation is now part of a vast collection of Loch Ard shipwreck artefacts, including the gold watch and the Minton Majolica model peacock. The small decorative cross dates back to on or before 1878, when the Loch Ard had set sail. The loop and ring have been added, perhaps as a pendant, pocket watch accessory or similar purpose. It may have been worn for ‘good luck’ or a ‘blessing’ on the long journey to Australia, where ships had to carefully navigate the treacherous Bass’s Strait before arriving at their destination of Melbourne. Sadly, many met their fate on that short stretch of ocean aptly named the Shipwreck Coast. The cross is very recognisable even though it was exposed to the wrecking of the ship, its consequent movement, and the sea's turbulence. Its scratched, pitted and worn condition, and the damage near the loop, is part of its story. The red-brown-black discolouration is similar to that found on other gold coins, sometimes called the ‘corrosion phenomena’. Studies suggest the possible cause is contaminants in the minting process reacting to the coins’ environment. Three edges of the cross have slightly raised narrow ridges of gold which could have been cause by the gold being cast liquid gold into a mould.This gold cross pendant is significant as a symbol of Christianity, a sign of hope and safety, and a sample of the religious following on board the Loch Ard, although not everyone wears a cross for this reason. This cross is a sample of jewellery owned by people migrating to Australia in the late 19th century. The cross and the guinea recovered together from the wreck of the Loch Ard are made of gold and help interpret the financial status of some of those on board.Gold cross; yellow gold with decorative hand engraved foliage design on the front, fitted loop and ring on top. The simple Latin or Roman variation of the cross, with an elongated vertical arm, has no figure on it and the reverse has no decoration. The right, left and base edges have sections of narrow, long slightly raised ridges. The top edge has remnants of red-black colour. Victorian era cross, ca. 1878. The cross was recovered from the wreck of the ship Loch Ard.Engraved foliage design. Slightly raised long ridges on sides and base edges. flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, gold cross, religious cross, religious trinket, religious jewellery, engraved cross, cross pendant, cross with ring, victorian era, 1878, antique cross, crucifix, religious symbol, christian symbol, christian jewellery, contamination phenomena, gold corrosion, good luck, lucky charm, blessing, pendant, loch ard, wreck of the loch ard, mutton bird island, peterborough, scuba diver, 1980s, shipwreck artefact, relic, latin cross, roman cross, pectoral cross, julie wilkins

The clock parts were discovered in 1980 by Julie Wilkins, a Victorian scuba diver who had already experienced more than 500 dives in Australia and overseas. She was holidaying in Peterborough, Victoria, and looking forward to discovering more about the famous Loch Ard ship, wrecked in June 1878 at Mutton Bird Island. The fast Glasgow-built clipper ship was only five years old when the tragedy occurred. There were 54 people on board the vessel and only two survived Julie's holiday photograph of Boat Bay reminds her of her most memorable dive. Submerged in the calm, flat sea, she was carefully scanning around the remains of the old wreck when, to her amazement, a gold coin and a small gold cross suddenly came up towards her. She excitedly cupped them in her hands and then stowed the treasures safely in her wetsuit and continued her dive. She soon discovered a group of brass carriage clock parts and some bottles of champagne. It was a day full of surprises. The items were easily recognisable, without any build-up of encrustations or concretion. Julie secretly enjoyed her treasures for twenty-four years then packed them up for the early morning train trip to Warrnambool. After a short walk to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, her photograph was taken as she handed over her precious find. She told her story to a local newspaper reporter, lunched a café in town then took the late afternoon train home. Her generous donation is now part of a vast collection of Loch Ard shipwreck artefacts, including the gold watch and the Minton Majolica model peacock. This group of brass clockwork parts is incomplete. The pieces were in the ocean for over 100 years before Julie recovered them from the Loch Ard wreck. Their size would suit the works of a carriage clock, with a mainspring and weight to power the clock movement, a pendulum to measure the clock's speed, arbours, posts, pillars and at least one other plate. They would have been mounted inside a protective case with a small door to easily access the clock face for setting the time and accessing the key's winding hole. The clock cases were usually made from decorative gilt brass with a glass front and a carrying handle. The parts include a weighted second hand with a decorative four-pronged finish at one end, a rounded weight at the other, and a hole for attaching it to the clock face. The gear teeth profiles are ‘cycloidal’, an arch shape with vertical sides, which is common for antique clocks. Modern clockworks have ‘involute’ teeth with sloping sides and a squared-off top. The brass carriage clock parts are an example of a mechanical clock produced in the 1870s. The clock's design is a part of the chain of technological improvements in methods for timekeeping. Its cycloidal gear teeth were the forerunner of the more modern involute gears. The group of clock parts includes a weighted hand or arm for signifying the seconds. This feature was uncommon in portable Victorian-era clocks. The clock parts are also significant for their association with the ill-fated sailing ship Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878. The travelling clock or officer’s clock may have been part of the cargo destined for the 1880 Melbourne Exhibition, or the personal possession of one of the people on board the vessel. Brass clockwork parts from a mechanical clock, sixteen pieces. Parts comprise a plate, large gears or wheels, small pinions or wheels with fine teeth, wheels with cogs, and a weighted second hand. The parts were from a carriage clock ca. 1878. They were recovered from the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, loch ard, wreck of the loch ard, 1878, mutton bird island, peterborough, scuba diver, 1980s, shipwreck artefact, relic, clock, mechanical, clock parts, time, timekeeper, horology, chronometry, cogs, time keeping device, scientific instrument, chronometer, john harrison, longitude, carriage clock, coach clock, portable clock, travelling clock, travel clock, traveller’s clock, officer’s clock, weighted second hand, victorian era, cycloidal gear teeth, brass clock, julie wilkins

The Shipwreck Board is a feature of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village/ its subject is explained briefly in the Museum's handbook, The Flagstaff Hill Navigator, published in 2008: - "Known as the ‘Eye of the Needle’ the treacherous entrance to Bass Strait is littered with the wreckage of large international vessels and smaller sail and steam craft used in coastal trade. The vessels bringing emigrants and cargo to Australia found the western entrance to Bass Strait the most dangerous part of their voyage. They had to thread their way between the southern point of Victoria (Cape Otway) and the northern point of King Island, a stretch of water less than 90 km wide. Many smaller coastal vessels were lost at Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Apollo Bay which are not safe harbours in certain weather conditions. "The Shipwreck Board shows shipwrecks, strandings and collisions which occurred in this area up to the year 1940. Wrecks are identified by a yellow light and collisions/strandings by a green light. These lights also identify the decade the wreck occurred by lighting up when the relevant decade button is pushed. Interesting happenings of the decades are listed next to the buttons." The Shipwreck Board's demonstration of The Eye of the Needle is an interactive visual display that helps teach the perils and dangers faced by early settlers in Victoria. It tells of the vast number of lives lost. It lists the names of many infamous shipwrecks and significant events.The large stained and lacquered timber board is mounted in a timber, frame. It is painted with a small sketch of Australia, and an enlarged outline of the southern coast of Victoria, King Island and the North West coast of Tasmania. The interactive display highlights the shipwrecks, standings and collisions suffered by many vessels as they navigated the 'Eye of the Needle', a narrow stretch of Bass Strait. The locations of the Lighthouses are pinpointed. Lists of groups of ships are below the coastlines. A painted scroll shows eight major shipwrecks with the number of lives lost for each one. A table shows historical facts associated with the decades from pre-1830 to 1940. A system of coloured lights compares the decades with the vessels that suffered damage. The board was created by artist and signwriter, Alex O'Flynn Computer Signs.flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, shipwreck coast, eye of the needle, shipwreck locations, bass strait, basses strait, king island, north west tasmania, south coast of victoria, cape otway, victorian lighthouse, king island lighthouse, strandings, coastal tracers, emigrant ships, sea trade, 1930s-1940s, shipwreck board, the eye of the needle, collosions, alex o'flynn, alex o’flynn computer signs, shipwrecks of western victoria

This photograph was one of ten photographs donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village by Fred Trewartha. Frederick John Fox Trewartha (Fred) was a well-known Warrnambool businessman. He was born in Beeac near Geelong in 1920 and came to Warrnambool with his family as a very young child. He was apprenticed to his father John, as a saddler and later opened his own shop on Raglan Parade. He then moved into working with tarpaulins and canvases for the trucking industry. Fred was keenly interested in photography (and was a member of the Warrnambool Cine Club), yachting and boat building. He kept his yacht moored at Port Fairy for many years and participated in sailing events locally and interstate. He also built boats with his sons. He had the opportunity to meet many older sailors and it's thought this photo (and others in the set) may have been given to him by one of these men. Fred Trewartha died in 2016 in Warrnambool. The three identifiable ships in this picture are the "Speculant", the "S. S. Barrabool" and the "S. S. Flinders" - coastal trading vessels that regularly came and went from Warrnambool. The steamer on the left hasn't been identified. The barquentine SPECULANT was a steel, three-masted sailing ship built in 1895 in Inverkeithing, Scotland, registered in Warrnambool, Victoria and wrecked at Cape Paton, Victoria, 10th February 1911. The SPECULANT had been involved in the timber trade between the United Kingdom and Russia, until sold to its Warrnambool owners and timber merchants Messrs. P.J. McGennan & Co. (Peter John McGennan) in 1902 for 3000 pounds and had her sailed to Warrnambool as her new port. Peter John McGennan was born in 1844 and worked as a builder and cooper in Holyhead, Anglesea, Wales. He immigrated to Australia in 1869 as a free settler and arrived in Warrnambool in 1871 and undertook management of a property in Grassmere for Mr. Palmer. Peter met his wife Emily in South Melbourne and they married in 1873. They had ten children including Harry who lived to 1965, and Andrew who lived until 1958. (The other children were their four brothers - John who was killed in the Dardenalles aged 35, Frederick who died aged 8, Peter who died aged 28, Frank who died aged 5 weeks - and four sisters - Beatrice who died age 89, Edith who died aged 49, Blanche who died aged 89 and Eveline who died aged 48.) In 1874 Peter starting a boating establishment on the Hopkins River. In 1875 he opened up a Coopers business in Kepler Street next to what was Bateman, Smith and Co., moving to Liebig Street, next to the Victoria Hotel, in 1877. In 1882 he then moved to Lava Street (which in later years was the site of Chandlers Hardware Store). He was associated with the establishment of the Butter Factory at Allansford. He started making Butter Boxes to his own design and cheese batts for the Butter Factory. In 1896 established a Box Factory in Davis Street Merrivale, employing 24 people at its peak, (it was burnt down in 1923); and in Pertobe Road from 1912 (now the Army Barracks building). Peter was a Borough Councillor for Albert Ward from 1885 to 1891, he commenced the Foreshore Trust (including the camping grounds along Pertobe Road), and he was an inaugural Director of the Woollen Mill in Harris Street, buying an extensive share-holding in 1908 from the share trader Edward Vidler. They lobbied the Town Hall to have a formal ‘Cutting’ for the waters of the Merri River to be redirected from its natural opening south of Dennington, to its existing opening near Viaduct Road, in order to have the scourings from the wool at the Woollen Mill discharged into the sea. He sold Butter Boxes around the state, and had to ship them to Melbourne by rail. Peter’s purchase of the SPECULANT in 1902 enabled him to back-load white pine from Kaipara, New Zealand to Warrnambool to make his butter boxes then, to gain profitability, buy and ship potatoes and other primary produce bound to Melbourne. (McGennan & Co. had also owned the LA BELLA, which had traded in timber as well, until she was tragically wrecked with the loss of seven lives, after missing the entrance channel to Warrnambool harbour in 1905. It appears that the SPECULANT was bought to replace the LA BELLA.) In 1911 the SPECULANT had been attempting to depart Warrnambool for almost the entire month of January to undergo docking and overhaul in Melbourne. A month of east and south-easterly winds had forced her to remain sheltered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool apart from one morning of northerlies, when an attempt was made to round Cape Otway; she had to return to shelter in Portland after failing to make any headway. With only 140 tons of sand ballast aboard, the ship would not have been easy to handle. Captain Jacobsen and his crew of nine, mainly Swedes, decided to make for Melbourne, leaving Portland Harbour on 5th February 1911. By the 9th they had reached Cape Otway, where they encountered a moonless night, constant heavy rain, and a heavy sea with a south-easterly wind blowing. After safely rounding Cape Otway the course was changed to east, then north-east to take the vessel to a point six miles off Cape Patton, following the orders of Captain Jacobsen, who told the crew to be very careful with the steering, as the wind and sea was running to leeward. The patent log (used to measure speed) had been out of order for the last four months as no-one in Warrnambool was able to fix it: it was intended to have it repaired in Melbourne. In the meantime the crew measured the vessel's speed by looking over the side and estimating wind strength. This compounded the difficulties of imprecise positioning, as the strong cross wind and sea were acting on the lightly laden vessel to steadily drive it towards the shore. At 3.30am on Friday 10 February 1911 Captain Jacobsen and the first mate were looking over the side of the vessel when they heard the sound of breakers and suddenly struck the rocks. The crew immediately knew they had no chance of getting the SPECULANT off, and attempted to rescue themselves by launching the lifeboat, which was instantly smashed to pieces. One of the crew then volunteered to take a line ashore, and the rest of the crew were all able to drag themselves to shore, some suffering hand lacerations from the rocks. Once ashore they began to walk along the coast towards Lorne, believing it was the nearest settlement. Realising their mistake as dawn broke they returned westwards to Cape Patton, and found a farm belonging to Mr C. Ramsden, who took them in and gave them a change of clothes and food. After resting for a day and returning to the wreck to salvage some of their personal possessions, at 10am on Saturday they set out for Apollo Bay, a voyage that took six hours, sometimes wading through flooded creeks up to their necks. The Age described the wreck as "listed to starboard. All the cabin is gutted and the ballast gone. There is a big rock right through the bottom of her, and there is not the slightest hope of getting her off". A Board of Marine inquiry found that Captain Jacobson was guilty of careless navigation by not taking steps to accurately verify the position of the vessel with respect to Cape Otway when the light was visible and by not setting a safe and proper course with respect to the wind and sea. It suspended his certificate for 6 months and ordered him to pay costs. The location of the wreck site was marked for a long time by two anchors on the shoreline, until in 1970 the larger of the two anchors was recovered by the Underwater Explorers' Club and mounted on the foreshore at Apollo Bay. The bell from the wreck was also donated to the Apollo Bay Surf Lifesaving Club but is recorded to have been stolen. Rusting remains of the wreck can still be found on the shoreline on the southern side of, and directly below Cape Patton. Parts of the SPECULANT site have been buried by rubble from construction and maintenance works to the Great Ocean Road, as well as by naturally occurring landslides. Peter J McGennan passed away in 1920. The Gates in the western wall of the Anglican Church in Henna Street/Koroit St are dedicated to him for his time of community work, which is matched with other prominent Warrnambool citizens; Fletcher Jones, John Younger, J.D.E (Tag) Walter, and Edward Vidler. After Peter J McGennan's death Harry, Andrew and Edith continued to operate the family business until July 11th 1923 when the company was wound up. (Andrew lived in Ryot Street Warrnambool, near Lava Street.) Harry McGennan (Peter and Emily’s son) owned the Criterion Hotel in Kepler Street Warrnambool (now demolished). His son Sid and wife Dot lived in 28 Howard Street (corner of Nelson Street) and Sid managed the Criterion until it was decided by the family to sell, and for he remained Manager for the new owners until he retired. Harry commenced the Foreshore Trust in Warrnambool around 1950. The McGennan Carpark in Pertobe Road is named after Harry and there are Memorial-Stone Gates in his memory. (The Gates were once the original entrance to the carpark but are now the exit.). The Patent Log (also called a Taffrail log) from the SPECULANT, mentioned above, and a number of photographs, are now part of the Collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village.. The S. S. Flinders was built by A. J. Inglis, Ltd, Pointhouse, Glasgow in 1878 for the "Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company', Hobart which merged with the "Union Steamship Company" of New Zealand and it was later sold to the firm "McIlwraith, McEacham and Company". It was built of iron and was 1000 tons and 227 feet, 1 inch long. It was described as "splendidly fitted up for the carriage of passengers and her cargo space was also very large". In the saloon about 130 passengers could be accommodated while the second class had sufficient room for one hundred passengers. In 1890, the S. S. Flinders would leave Melbourne on Mondays and Thursdays at 5 pm and reach Warrnambool the following morning at 8 am. On the return it would leave Warrnambool on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 5 pm and reach Melbourne the following morning. In 1896, the Weekly Times described the "steamer Flinders (otherwise known as "the Warrnambool mailboat") as "as good a sample of a seagoing steamer as there is trading on the Victorian Coast at the present time". In April 1896 newspaper reports noted the S. S. Flinders took 2915 bags of potatoes from Warrnambool to Melbourne (the largest shipment of that season) as well as 50 tons of tinned rabbits from the Hamilton Preserving Factory. It was also noted that particularly during the Christmas period, there were excessive demands for berths from holiday makers wanting to enjoy a holiday in Warrnambool. In May 1903, the S. S. Flinders narrowly escaped destruction when an explosion and subsequent fire occurred during the passage from Melbourne to Warrnambool. A drum (which apparently contained carbide of calcium) exploded and blew off a hatch cover. As the steamer got to within a mile or two of Warrnambool, smoke was seen coming out of the hold and (unknown to the passengers) flames had taken hold. The crew quickly got to work - closing down all the hatches and pumping water into the hold through a hole in the saloon floor. There were 30 or 40 cases of kerosene on board. The Flinders continued on to Warrnambool and berthed at the Breakwater. The passengers all went ashore - many unaware of the danger they had been in. A telephone message was sent to the local Fire Brigade Station however the fire was extinguished before the firemen and their equipment arrived. After the hold was checked, the Flinders was certified as seaworthy and left for Portland. The Flinders continued to transport Western District produce as well as passengers from Warrnambool to Melbourne until 1906 when (due to a decrease in shipping trade during the Winter and the availability of train services) the Flinders was replaced by the smaller steamer "Dawn" and in 1907 when it was sold to the "Adelaide Steamship Company" for use in the Western Australia coastal trade, it was replaced by the "S. S. Barrabool". The S. S. Barrabool was a coastal steamer built by "Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited" in Jarrow, Durham in 1874. It was bought by "Howard Smith Ltd" who was a pioneer in the coal trade between Melbourne and Newcastle. Howards Smith's early fleet contained ships named after local hills and mountains -"You Yangs", "Macedon", "Dandenongs" and "Barrabool". Later they extended their fleet to include ships that were well known in Warrnambool including the "Dawn" and the "Edina". The S. S. Barrabool had a chequered start and was nicknamed the "Great Australian Ram" because of the numerous accidents it was involved in. Between 1875 and 1883 it collided with three other vessels - sinking the "Queensland" on August 3rd, 1876, near Wilson's Promontory and sinking the "Bonnie Dundee" on 10th March 1879 off Lake Macquarie, New South Wales (with the loss of five lives). In August 1884 the Barrabool collided with the steamer "Birksgate" in Port Jackson causing considerable damage to "Birksgate". However in a newspaper article published in the "Truth" in March 1899 the S. S. Barrabool was described as "one of the fine old type of vessels" and "still a stout a craft as ever". The article was describing the practice of a "two-mate" system on board many ships (the Barrabool being one) whereby the company only employs two men (a first and second mate who must alternate watches of four hours each) rather than three mates who work four hours on and eight hours off. It was suggested that ships employing the "two-mate" system may find their insurance policies "null and void" should an accident occur. However the writer did note that the Barrabool was "officered by a captain and first and second mates .. whom it would be impossible to find more capable officers amongst the maritime fleet of the colonies". Between 1900 and 1909 the Barrabool was making regular trips along the east coast of Australia, carrying coal to Hobsons Bay (Melbourne) from Newcastle, Bellambi and Sydney. In 1907 it was brought in as a temporary replacement on the Melbourne to Warrnambool route for the S.S. Flinders. In 1912 the S. S. Barrabool ran aground off the Fitzroy River in Queensland and was found to be uneconomic to repair. It was brought back to Sydney and converted into a hulk. In August 1952 it was towed 17 miles off Sydney and scuttled. “Foyle” written on the photograph is the name of Foyle’s Photographic studio - originally owned by James Charles Foyle. He owned “Foyle’s Photo Card Studios” in Liebig St, Warrnambool, which operated between 1889 – 1919 At the time of the photograph the studio was owned by both Charles and Lilian Foyle (sometimes known as Lillian or Lily), either of whom could have taken this photograph. They also worked together at a later date on the photographs, sketches and paintings of the famous and historical Pioneers’ Honour Board.This photograph is a significant record of three of the well-known coastal traders (the "Speculant", the "S. S. Barrabool" and the "S. S. Flinders") that sailed along the southwest coast of Victoria for many years - transporting goods and passengers between Melbourne and Warrnambool.A black and white photograph titled "Breakwater Pier, Warrnambool". A line of coal trucks on rails are on the Breakwater. There are three ships (one sailing ship and two steamers) moored at the pier. In the left side of the picture is another ship. The name of the photographer is printed in the lower right corner. On the back of the photograph are the handwritten names of the moored ships written in blue pen. It also has the handwritten name, town and telephone number of the donor. In the bottom right hand corner is an upside down stamped number in black ink.Front of photograph - "BREAKWATER PIER, WARRNAMBOOL." "FOYLE PHOTO" Back of photograph - "Sailing Ship" "Speculant sail ship" "Barrabool coal ship" "Flinders Passenger ship" Name of donor W'Bool (and telephone number) "K-7148 M" (stamped upside down)flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, speculant, barque speculant, p. j. mcgennan, peter john mcgennan, speculant wreck, captain jacobsen, s. s. flinders, steamer flinders, a. j. inglis ltd, tasmanian steam navigation company, mcilwraith mceacham and company, warrnambool mailboat, coastal steamer, s. s. barrabool, howard smith ltd, two-mate system, coal ship, dawn, edina, lady bay, breakwater, warrnambool breakwater, foyle, foyle photographic studio warrnambool

This photograph was one of ten photographs donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village by Fred Trewartha. Frederick John Fox Trewartha (Fred) was a well-known Warrnambool businessman. He was born in Beeac near Geelong in 1920 and came to Warrnambool with his family as a very young child. He was apprenticed to his father John, as a saddler and later opened his own shop on Raglan Parade. He then moved into working with tarpaulins and canvases for the trucking industry. Fred was keenly interested in photography (and was a member of the Warrnambool Cine Club), yachting and boat building. He kept his yacht moored at Port Fairy for many years and participated in sailing events locally and interstate. He also built boats with his sons. He had the opportunity to meet many older sailors and it's thought this photo (and others in the set) may have been given to him by one of these men. Fred Trewartha died in 2016 in Warrnambool. The S.S. Casino was a passenger and freight steamer built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1882 for the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company of N.S.W. She weighed 425 tons gross with a length of 160.4 feet, beam of 24.1 feet and a depth of 10.2 feet. She had saloon accommodation for 35 people, a fore cabin for 25 more people, and she carried 300 tons of cargo. While on her delivery journey on May 30th 1882, the S.S. Casino called in at the Port of Warrnambool for coal, narrowly escaping going ashore in gale force winds due to the quick action of the pilot. At that time, still at anchor, she impressed the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company so much that they bought her immediately; she was ideal for trade along the West Coast of Victoria. (The Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company was first managed by Messers. Saltau and Osburne and after the passing of Mr. Osburne, by produce merchants Messers H. Sautau and Sons, who had a hay and corn store and shipping agency on the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in Warrnambool. ) The S.S. Casino became “the most famous steamer to operate in Victorian waters along the West Coast” by author Jack Loney. Captain Boyd was her first Master, followed by Captain Chapman, who stayed with her from 1890 until 1924. Captain W. Robertson followed for a short term, and then Captain Middleton then took command from 1925 - 1932. An article published on Monday 11th June 1932 in The Sun News Pictorial (Melbourne) giving a detailed history of S. S. Casino said "owned by Port Fairy interests, she was an integral part of the town's development ... for a long time, her arrival in Port Fairy was an event, the townspeople going down to the wharf to see her come in". It also said "Except when the weather was bad, the Casino hugged the coast on her trips and passengers obtained wonderful views of the sandstone terraces and caves. A little time ago every member of her regular crew except one, was a Scotsman." This particular photograph of the S.S. Casino shows it decorated with numerous flags in "holiday rigging". During the years between 1884 and 1915, the Casino would take locals and holiday makers on excursions around the Port Fairy Bay. Local towns such as Terang, Penshurst and Mortlake held their Picnic Days in Port Fairy and excursions on the Casino would be available for them and in 1906 Terang and District Schools held an excursion to Port Fairy (where the Casino was organised to provide a series of trips around the Bay.) In 1916 new regulations introduced by the Marine Board requiring the Casino to carry enough lifebelts for every passenger on board, prevented the steamer from making trips around the Bay on excursion days. The S.S. Casino had several mishaps during her life. One was on 3rd January 1898 when she collided with the S.S. Flinders in Apollo Bay with minor damage. Another was on 24th October 1924 when she grounded on a reef at Point Hawdon near Grey River and most of her cargo (of Christmas goods) had to be dumped into the sea. Then in February 1929 she was ‘holed’ when she struck a submerged object as she entered Lady Bay, Warrnambool. In the years following the turn of the century, the S.S. Casino remained the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast. From 1882 she had made at least 2,500 voyages on the one run. On the morning of 10th July 1932, after attempting to berth at Apollo Bay jetty in heavy seas, Captain Middleton decided to take her out into the bay and wait until the seas abated. It was not realised that the anchor used to steady her as she manoeuvred to her berth had pierced her hull. She put about and headed for the beach but sank. Captain Middleton and nine others lost their lives; nine people were rescued including the two female passengers. Captain Middleton had been in charge of the S.S. Casino for seven years. He was the first ship’s Master to lose his life in a shipwreck in the West Coast trade. In June 1932, the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company had proposed to celebrate the completion of fifty years of trading by the steamer Casino in August, but tragically the Casino was wrecked only one month later (and "was only one month off completing its fifty years of valuable service between Melbourne and Portland.") Flagstaff Hill’s collection has a photograph of a portrait of Captain Chapman, a ship model of the S.S. Casino that shows both forms of power under which she sailed, steam and sail. The ship is painted green and flies three flags. The inscription across the case of the ship model, incorrectly dated, tells the sad story of the wreck of the ship and the loss of lives on July 10th 1932 at Apollo Bay. A print in the Collection shows S.S. Casino underway in the heavy sea off Point Lonsdale, another two photographs show her at the Port of Warrnambool, leaving from the Breakwater in Lady Bay and another identifies the S.S. Casino as a ship from the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company. (Belfast is the original name for the township of Port Fairy).This photograph is significant because of its association with the coastal trader S.S. Casino and its significance to trade along Victoria's West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wreck of the S.S. Casino is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and as such has been declared and protected as an Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976).A black and white photograph showing a small steamer with decorative flags on both masts, coming into up a river towards a pier where a small crowd is waiting. The pier on the left of the photograph has several buildings and a bell on it. Three small boats are tied up to the dock. Low lying land with several buildings scattered on it can be seen on the right hand side. On the back of the photograph are handwritten labels. One is printed in dark blue ink and one is written in cursive writing in biro. There is also the number 6944 stamped in the centre of the photograph.Back - Donors name, address and telephone number 6944 "CASINO IN HOLIDAY RIG" "at Port Fairy"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, s. s. casino, steamer casino, casino, port fairy, captain chapman, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, saltau and osburne, captain middleton, apollo bay, apollo bay shipwreck, lady bay

This photograph was one of ten photographs donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village by Fred Trewartha. Frederick John Fox Trewartha (Fred) was a well-known Warrnambool businessman. He was born in Beeac near Geelong in 1920 and came to Warrnambool with his family as a very young child. He was apprenticed to his father John, as a saddler and later opened his own shop on Raglan Parade. He then moved into working with tarpaulins and canvases for the trucking industry. Fred was keenly interested in photography (and was a member of the Warrnambool Cine Club), yachting and boat building. He kept his yacht moored at Port Fairy for many years and participated in sailing events locally and interstate. He also built boats with his sons. He had the opportunity to meet many older sailors and it's thought this photo (and others in the set) may have been given to him by one of these men. Fred Trewartha died in 2016 in Warrnambool. Warrnambool by the 1920's and 1930's had become a popular holiday destination with visitors arriving by steamer and train. It was during these decades that a "Surf Bathers Association" began in Warrnambool in response to the growing popularity of local sea bathing. They worked with the local council to develop a "Beach Improvement Fund" and a comprehensive plan of "Beach Improvement" which included erecting and maintaining beach boxes, building a kiosk, improving paths and roads to the beach, planting marram grass on the sand dunes, building new enclosures for vehicles and horses and generally making the beach more attractive for visitors and townspeople. The 1930's was also an era when free "Herald" Learn-to-Swim classes were being held throughout Victoria. In 1931 it was reported in "The Age" newspaper that "over the past week in Warrnambool, 250 pupils had passed through the hands of the local life saving club swimming instructors". The Port of Warrnambool - In the early years the Port of Warrnambool was a busy port. Steamships and sailing ships were frequent visitors to the port. Steam navigation companies were plentiful, carrying passengers and freighting cargo such as coal, timber, food, livestock, furniture, hardware and haberdashery between Melbourne and the ports along the southwest coast of Victoria, including Warrnambool. The carts would take their loads into the township for distribution. The Breakwater was built (using 32 ton blocks of concrete) between 1874 and 1890 to provide ships with greater protection from the Southern Ocean. The Lifeboat and Rocket House - The coastline of South West Victoria has had over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it, followed in 1864 by a rocket house to safely store the Rocket Rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost one hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain and improve their skills, summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. The S.S. Casino was a passenger and freight steamer built in Dundee, Scotland, in 1882 for the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company of N.S.W. She weighed 425 tons gross with a length of 160.4 feet, beam of 24.1 feet and a depth of 10.2 feet. She had saloon accommodation for 35 people, a fore cabin for 25 more people, and she carried 300 tons of cargo. While on her delivery journey on May 30th 1882, the S.S. Casino called in at the Port of Warrnambool for coal, narrowly escaping going ashore in gale force winds due to the quick action of the pilot. At that time, still at anchor, she impressed the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company so much that they bought her immediately; she was ideal for trade along the West Coast of Victoria. (The Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company was first managed by Messers. Saltau and Osburne and after the passing of Mr. Osburne, by produce merchants Messers H. Sautau and Sons, who had a hay and corn store and shipping agency on the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets in Warrnambool. ) The S.S. Casino became “the most famous steamer to operate in Victorian waters along the West Coast” by author Jack Loney. Captain Boyd was her first Master, followed by Captain Chapman, who stayed with her from 1890 until 1924. Captain W. Robertson followed for a short term, and then Captain Middleton then took command from 1925 - 1932. An article published on Monday 11th June 1932 in The Sun News Pictorial (Melbourne) giving a detailed history of S. S. Casino said "owned by Port Fairy interests, she was an integral part of the town's development ... for a long time, her arrival in Port Fairy was an event, the townspeople going down to the wharf to see her come in". It also said "Except when the weather was bad, the Casino hugged the coast on her trips and passengers obtained wonderful views of the sandstone terraces and caves. A little time ago every member of her regular crew except one, was a Scotsman." The S.S. Casino had several mishaps during her life. One was on 3rd January 1898 when she collided with the S.S. Flinders in Apollo Bay with minor damage. Another was on 24th October 1924 when she grounded on a reef at Point Hawdon near Grey River and most of her cargo (of Christmas goods) had to be dumped into the sea. Then in February 1929 she was ‘holed’ when she struck a submerged object as she entered Lady Bay, Warrnambool. In the years following the turn of the century, the S.S. Casino remained the only regular trader with normal passenger accommodation along the West Coast. From 1882 she had made at least 2,500 voyages on the one run. On the morning of 10th July 1932, after attempting to berth at Apollo Bay jetty in heavy seas, Captain Middleton decided to take her out into the bay and wait until the seas abated. It was not realised that the anchor used to steady her as she manoeuvred to her berth had pierced her hull. She put about and headed for the beach but sank. Captain Middleton and nine others lost their lives; nine people were rescued including the two female passengers. Captain Middleton had been in charge of the S.S. Casino for seven years. He was the first ship’s Master to lose his life in a shipwreck in the West Coast trade. In June 1932, the directors of the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company had proposed to celebrate the completion of fifty years of trading by the steamer Casino in August, but tragically the Casino was wrecked only one month later (and "was only one month off completing its fifty years of valuable service between Melbourne and Portland.") Flagstaff Hill’s collection has a photograph of a portrait of Captain Chapman, a ship model of the S.S. Casino that shows both forms of power under which she sailed, steam and sail. The ship is painted green and flies three flags. The inscription across the case of the ship model, incorrectly dated, tells the sad story of the wreck of the ship and the loss of lives on July 10th 1932 at Apollo Bay. A print in the Collection shows S.S. Casino underway in the heavy sea off Point Lonsdale, another two photographs show her at the Port of Warrnambool, leaving from the Breakwater in Lady Bay and another identifies the S.S. Casino as a ship from the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company. (Belfast is the original name for the township of Port Fairy).This photograph is significant because of its association with the coastal trader S.S. Casino and its significance to trade along Victoria's West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wreck of the S.S. Casino is considered an important part of Victorian and Australian cultural heritage and as such has been declared and protected as an Historic Shipwreck under State and Commonwealth Law in the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). It is also significant as it shows the early years of tourism in Warrnambool and the important role the beach played in the lives of residents and visitors.A black and white photograph (with colour tinting) showing Lady Bay in Warrnambool with the Breakwater in the background. The S. S. Casino is moored at the Breakwater and the lifeboat shed and a coal train can be seen on the Breakwater. Six swimmers are standing in the water. On the back of the photograph are the donor's name and telephone number (written in black biro) and the name of the S. S. Casino and its tonnage written in blue ink. A blurred number has been stamped on plus a "M' written in pencil.Donor's name, address and phone number / "S. S. Casino" / "500 TONS" / "REG" "- - - 09 " (blurred numbers) / "M"warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, lady bay, breakwater, fred trewartha, frederick john fox trewartha, surf bathers association, sea bathing, swimming, warrnambool beach, beach improvement fund, port of warrnambool, steamships, lifeboat house, rocket house, lifeboat crew, s. s. casino, belfast and koroit steam navigation company, saltau and osburne, captain middleton, apollo bay, apollo bay shipwreck

The rocket line faking box with lid has a frame inside with a specifically designed perimeter of faking pegs. The rocket shot line has been faked, or skilful wound, around these pegs to prevent it from tangling. The line is stored in the box, ready for attaching to the line throwing rocket. Some line faking boxes have a false base that is removed before firing the line-throwing pistol, leaving the line to feed out from the box when the rocket is fired. After the line is attached to the rocket the box tilted slightly and faced towards the wreck to allow it to be freely dispatched. The equipment often includes more that one faking box to make allowance for possible errors, broken lines or the need for a heavier line. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This rocket line faking box is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Rocket line faking box with loose fitting lid, painted blue on the outside. Rectangular box has two rope handles within wooden rope holders fixed onto each long side and one at each end. The box has a hook and ring at the base each end for releasing the top from the inserted faking frame. The line faking frame is inside the box. It has seventeen wooden pegs along each long side of the frame and three pegs along each short side. A continuous length of rocket line has been faked around the pegs in a specific pattern.flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, beach rescue set, traveller, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, shore to ship, italian hemp, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, welsh hand barrow, rocket set, rocket line faking box, faking frame

The rocket line faking box has a frame inside with a specifically designed perimeter of faking pegs. The rocket shot line has been faked, or skilful wound, around these pegs to prevent it from tangling. The line is stored in the box, ready for attaching to the line throwing rocket. Some line faking boxes have a false base that is removed before firing the line-throwing pistol, leaving the line to feed out from the box when the rocket is fired. After the line is attached to the rocket the box tilted slightly and faced towards the wreck to allow it to be freely dispatched. The equipment often includes more that one faking box to make allowance for possible errors, broken lines or the need for a heavier line. Saving lives in Warrnambool – The coastline of South West Victoria is the site of over 600 shipwrecks and many lost lives; even in Warrnambool’s Lady Bay there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905, with eight lives lost. In 1859 the first Government-built lifeboat arrived at Warrnambool Harbour and a shed was soon built to house it. In 1858 the provision of rocket and mortar apparatus was approved for lifeboat stations in Victoria, and in 1864 a rocket house was built to safely store the rocket rescue equipment. In 1878 the buildings were moved to the Breakwater area, and in 1910 the new Lifeboat Warrnambool arrived with its ‘self-righting’ design. For almost a hundred years the lifeboat and rocket crews, mostly local volunteers, trained regularly to maintain their rescue skills. They were summoned when needed by alarms, gunshots, ringing bells and foghorns. Some became local heroes but all served an important role. By the end of the 1950s the lifeboat and rescue equipment had become obsolete. Rocket Rescue Method - The Government of Victoria adopted lifesaving methods based on Her Majesty’s Coast Guard in Great Britain. It authorised the first line-throwing rescue system in 1858. Captain Manby’s mortar powered a projectile connected to rope, invented in 1808. The equipment was updated to John Dennett’s 8-foot shaft and rocket method that had a longer range of about 250 yards. From the 1860s the breeches buoy and traveller block rocket rescue apparatus was in use. It was suspended on a hawser line and manually pulled to and from the distressed vessel carrying passengers and items. In the early 1870s Colonel Boxer’s rocket rescue method became the standard in Victoria. His two-stage rockets, charged by a gunpowder composition, could fire the line up to 500-600 yards, although 1000 yards range was possible. Boxer’s rocket carried the light line, which was faked, or coiled, in a particular way between pegs in a faking box to prevent twists and tangles when fired. The angle of firing the rocket to the vessel in distress was measured by a quadrant-type instrument on the side of the rocket machine. Decades later, in about 1920, Schermuly invented the line-throwing pistol that used a small cartridge to fire the rocket. The British Board of Trade published instructions for both the beach rescue crew and ship’s crew. It involved setting up the rocket launcher on shore at a particular angle measured by the quadrant, inserting a rocket that had a light-weight line threaded through its shaft, and then firing it across the stranded vessel, the line issuing freely from the faking board. A tally board was then sent out to the ship with instructions in four languages. The ship’s crew would haul on the line to bring out the heavier, continuous whip line, then secure the attached whip block to the mast or other sturdy part the ship. The rescue crew on shore then hauled out a stronger hawser line, which the ship’s crew fixed above the whip block. The hawser was then tightened using the block on the shore end of the whip. The breeches buoy and endless whip are then attached to the traveller block on the hawser, allowing the shore crew to haul the breeches buoy to and from the vessel, rescuing the stranded crew one at a time. This rocket line faking box is significant for its connection with local history, maritime history and marine technology. Lifesaving has been an important part of the services performed from Warrnambool's very early days, supported by State and Local Government, and based on the methods and experience of Great Britain. Hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast are evidence of the rough weather and rugged coastline. Ordinary citizens, the Harbour employees, and the volunteer boat and rescue crew, saved lives in adverse circumstances. Some were recognised as heroes, others went unrecognised. In Lady Bay, Warrnambool, there were around 16 known shipwrecks between 1850 and 1905. Many lives were saved but tragically, eight lives were lost.Rocket line faking box with loose fitting lid, painted black on the outside. Rectangular box has two rope handles within wooden rope holders fixed onto each long side and one at each end. The box has a hook and ring at the base each end for releasing the top from the inserted faking frame. The line faking frame is inside the box. It has seventeen wooden pegs along each long side of the frame and three pegs along each short side. A continuous length of rocket line has been faked around the pegs in a specific pattern.flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck, life-saving, lifesaving, rescue crew, rescue, rocket rescue, maritime accidents, rocket crew, beach rescue, line rescue, rescue equipment, rocket firing equipment, rocket rescue equipment, rocket apparatus, beach apparatus, petticoat breeches, breeches buoy, rocket house, rocket shed, lifeboat men, rocket equipment, rocket machine, rocket head, rocket launcher, rocket line, marine technology, line-firing pistol, line throwing gun, beach rescue set, traveller, hawser, faking, faking box, faked line, lady bay, warrnambool harbour, port of warrnambool, volunteer lifesavers, volunteer crew, breakwater, lifeboat warrnambool, rocket rescue method, rocket rescue apparatus, shore to ship, italian hemp, line-throwing pistol, line throwing cartridge, rocket apparatus rescue, stranded vessel, tally board, light line, whip line, endless whip, petticoat buoy, traveller chair, traveller block, her majesty’s coast guard, harbour board, line thrower, line throwing, beach cart, hand barrow, sand anchor, hawser cutter, life jacket, faking board, welsh hand barrow, rocket set, rocket line faking box, faking frame

This set of pairs of pintles and gudgeons was recovered from the wreck of the sailing ship Schomberg and was part of its rudder steering system. A reconstruction that includes four pairs is currently on display at Flagstaff Hill. The rudder installation of the Schomberg was almost seven metres tall. A pintle and gudgeon pair is a mechanical fitting that works like a pair of door hinges. One of the uses for this type of fitting is for ships’ rudders. On a ship, one or several gudgeons would be attached to the vertical rudder stempost on the rear of the ship’s hull. On the ship's rudder, an equal number of pintles would be fitted onto it. The rudder assembly would then fit down into the gudgeons on the ship and would be connected to its steering mechanism, allowing it to be moved from side to side and steer the vessel. The SCHOMBERG- The three-masted clipper ship Schomberg was built in 1855 by Alexander Hall and Co in Aberdeen, Scotland, for James Baines' famous Black Ball line. It measured 288 feet (88 meters) in length, with a beam of 45 feet (14 meters), a depth of 29.5 feet (8.99 meters) and 2,284 tons. The mainmast was 210 feet (64 meters) high and the ship carried 3.3 acres of sail. The wooden vessel was constructed with three skins; one planked fore and aft, and two diagonally planked. All skins were fastened together with screw-threaded trunnels (wooden rails). The Schomberg was one of only three clippers wrecked in Victorian waters that operated the England-to-Australia run. It was built to outrun Donald MacKay’s two American-built ships, the Empress of the Sea and the Lightning. It was hoped that Schomberg would make Liverpool to Melbourne voyage in sixty days, setting a record for the voyage. The Schomberg sailed from Liverpool on 6 October 1855 on her maiden voyage, under the command of Captain James Forbes. Her general cargo for Australia included jewellery, spirits, machinery, and 2,000 tons of iron rails and equipment for building the Melbourne to Geelong Railway and a bridge over the Yarra from Melbourne to Hawthorn, and17,000 letters and 31,800 newspapers. She also carried a cow for fresh milk, pens for fowls and pigs, plus 90,000 gallons of water for washing and drinking on board. There were approximately 473 passengers, including migrants for Australia, and a crew of 105. Light winds encountered at the equator dashed the expectations of a record-breaking voyage. On Christmas day the ship sighted Moonlight Head in southwest Victoria and even though there was a deadly combination of wind, currents and unmarked sand spits, the vessel continued on. Then the next day, December 26th 1855, the huge ship gently ran aground on a spit that juts into Newfield Bay, east of Curdies Inlet and the present town of Peterborough. Fortunately, the coastal trader, SS Queen, was nearby and managed to save all passengers and crew. In 1975 Flagstaff Hill’s former Director Peter Ronald and the team of divers recovered many objects and artefacts from the wreck of the Schomberg such as the ship’s fittings, equipment and personal effects including a diamond hidden for years in a communion set. This set of pintles and gudgeons is an example of steering equipment used on ships over 150 years ago, equipment that is still in use in today's shipping industry as well as many other everyday hardware applications.. The equipment is significant for its association with the ill-fated vessel Schomberg, which was wrecked in the local water in 1855 on its maiden voyage. The ship was built for speed and luxury, to sail on journeys with passengers, including migrants, travelling from Liverpool to Melbourne.Pintles and gudgeons, six pairs, plus one single pintle, from the wreck of the SCHOMBERG. Cast iron horse-shoe-shaped fittings with tapered ends. each with metal bars between the long sides. One piece of each pair has a round hollow cylinder and the other has a round solid shank. The single pintle has a tall shank with a pintle hook through it. Some pieces have remnants of grey paint.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, schomberg, shipwreck, pintles, gudgeons, ship's rudder, ship's steering, clipper ship, james bain, black ball line, alexander hall and co., capt. james bully forbes, rudder pintles and gudgeons, rudder steering, pintles and braces, immigrant ship, maiden voyage, peterborough, 1855, marine technology

The photograph of William Ferrier was given to Avis Quarrell by Lewis Ferrier, 3rd youngest son of William during the centenary of the wreck of the La Bella. The photograph was framed by the Henna Street Picture Framers, Warrnambool in 2005. The photograph is of William Ferrier, the 25-year-old fisherman from South Warrnambool, whose rescue of two sailors from the wrecked La Bella made him an overnight national hero. The La Bella was wrecked on 10th November 1905,and the remains of the vessel now lie on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Several attempts were made by the Warrnambool lifeboat crew to rescue the stricken sailors on the La Bella, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. A another rescue attempt was made by Ferrier who rowed a small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain George Mylius, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he swam towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the ropes and debris that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues, he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor-General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history.This photograph is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast and demonstrates the bravery of ordinary Australians like William Ferrier who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. Moreover, the photograph has an association with the sailing ship ‘La Bella’, as it is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks known to have been wrecked in the bay.Framed sepia photograph, mounted behind glass. Portrait of a man seated on a log. He is wearing a brimmed hat, dark coloured jacket and trousers, and a light coloured collarless shirt with buttons. The figure in the photograph is William Ferrier.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, la bella, william ferrier, rescue, hero william ferrier

These rectangular slates of 'beautiful, unusual, expensive, green' American roof tiles were recovered from the wreck of the Falls of Halladale. Salvaging began in 1974 by volunteer divers, using local cray-fishing boats. An efficient system was devised to recover up to 4,000 of the still neatly packed slates a day. Many of the 22,000 salvaged slates can be seen on the roofs of eight Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village buildings. The iron-hulled, four-masted barque, the Falls of Halladale (1886 - 1908), was a bulk carrier of general cargo. She left New York in August 1908 on her way to Melbourne and Sydney. In her hold, along with 56,763 tiles of unusual beautiful green American slates (roof tiles), 5,673 coils of barbed wire, 600 stoves, 500 sewing machines, 6500 gallons of oil, 14400 gallons of benzene, and many other manufactured items, were 117 cases of crockery and glassware. Three months later and close to her destination, a navigational error caused the Falls of Halladale to be wrecked, grounded on a reef at Wreck Point, midway between Peterborough and the Bay of Islands, during the night of 14th November 1908. The captain and 29 crew members all survived, but her valuable cargo was largely lost, despite two salvage attempts in 1908-09 and 1910. The ship stayed in full sail on the rocky shelf for nearly two months, attracting hundreds of sightseers who watched her slowly disintegrate until the pounding seas and dynamiting by salvagers finally broke her back, and her remains disappeared back into deeper water. The shipwreck is a popular site for divers, about 300m offshore and in 3 – 15m of water. Some of the original cargo can be seen at the site, including pieces of roof slate and coils of barbed wire.The American slate tiles are significant as an example of cargo imported for use as building materials in Australia. The Falls of Halladale shipwreck is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (No. S255). She was one of the last ships to sail the Trade Routes. She is one of the first vessels to have fore and aft lifting bridges. She is an example of the remains of an International Cargo Ship and also represents aspects of Victoria’s shipping industry The wreck is protected as a Historic Shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976).Bundle of slate roof tiles (18); rectangular, green American slate roof tiles, some with red-brown stains. Two tiles both have two holes drilled through them. Two different tiles are thicker than the others. The tiles were salvaged from the wreck of Falls of Halladale. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, cargo, slate, slate tile, green american slates, building material, wreck point, peterborough, bay of islands, russell & co., 1908 shipwreck, salvage, recover

This chart shows a possible site for the fabled wreck called the 'Mahogany Ship'. Flagstaff Hill’s collection includes other objects that some say could be relics from this Ancient Wreck, (also called the Gold Ship, or the Ancient Vessel). The chart shows the coordinates for the Summits of Griffith Island and of Middle Island. It also has the depths of the sea at various intervals and shows the shore and sand dunes, lighthouses and other reference points. The mystery of the Mahogany Ship began in 1836 when two shipwrecked sealers discovered the remains of an “ancient vessel” in the sand dunes about four miles west of Warrnambool. Since the last recorded sightings in the 1880’s the true origin of the Mahogany Ship has remained one of Australia’s most famous historical mysteries or fables. One of the more recent theories is that the vessel was one of the Portuguese ships exploring the Australian coast in 1522. For over one hundred years searchers have attempted to locate and identify the wreck. The search continues for the tangible evidence which will once and for all establish the Mahogany Ship’s place in Australia’s History.The chart represents the worldwide interest in locating the wreck of the Mahogany Ship. Locating the actual wreck or proving the existence of a Portuguese ship's wreck could change the history of the discovery of Australia. A Mahogany Ship committee was formed to gather and research information about the discovery of the wrecked ship. A large amount of money was offered as a prize for finding the wreck or parts of it. People have written books, painted images, made videos and told tales of the ship but it continues to remain a mystery or even a fable. The chart is significant for its possible link to one of Victoria’s and Australia’s maritime mysteries, the Mahogany Ship (also known as the Ancient Wreck). It is one of very few known relics that could give evidence of the existence and history of the vessel. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register S438 as it is one of Victoria’s oldest recorded shipwrecks. The identity of the vessel has the potential to change Australia’s history.A chart in a wooden frame, behind glass. The chart shows the approximate position of the mystery Ancient Wreck, later called the "Mahogany Ship". The chart is a copy and is based on the Admiralty Chart by Lieut. Stanley, dated 1872. Lower left: "THE MAHOGANY SHIP" "LOCALITY PLAN, ENLARGED FROM LIEUT. STANLEY'S ADMIRALTY CHART 1872" "APPROXIMATE POSITION OF WRECK MARKED [symbol of a Portuguese cross]" Other labels on chart: "BELFAST" "PORT FIARY" "GRIFFITHS I" "RIVER MOYNE" "RIVER MERRI" "ARMSTRONG BAY" " GORMANS LANE" "TOWER HILL" "KOROIT" "HELEN ROCK" "WARRNAMBOOL" "LADY BAY" "MIDDLE I" "LIGHT HO." Lower right: "G 410 B" Label on the back; "This chart presented to the Mahogany Ship Committee and Flagstaff Hill by Avis Quarrell, April 2007"warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, mahogany ship, ancient vessel, ancient wreck, portuguese ship, coastal reserve, fabled wreck, gold ship, griffiths island, belfast (now port fairy), koroit, location plan, leuit. stanley, admiralty chart 1872, tower hill, merri river, moyne river, middle island, helen rock, armstrong bay, griffiths land