Historical information
These net floats are handmade from lightweight cork wood and are used for suspending fishing nets in the water. Newspaper articles dated from 1848 to 1916 mention net fishing in Warrnambool's Hopkins and Merri rivers and Lady Bay.
The Melbourne Argus dated January 11, 1848, published a quote from Captain Theobald of the vessels ELLEN and ELIZABETH, made on his first visit to Warrnambool "“…Fish are very plentiful here; on Christmas day a net was thrown into the Hopkins, and, after two or three draws, a boat load of beautiful fish was obtained…”
The Argus, Melbourne, Sat. 29 May 1858, forwarded from The Examiner newspaper; "Extraordinary Fish. We have been presented with a very singular fish, caught by Mr. Meek in the Hopkins [Hopkins River, Warrnambool] last week. It is about three inches long, with a slate-coloured body, and a beautiful wing on each side. It was caught with other fish at night, in a net, and its eyes shone as bright as diamonds."
A method for making cork net floats mentioned, in a 15th-century book, advised cutting the corks and then burning a hole through the centre of each one with a hot iron. The prepared corks were then joined together with a horsehair line. The cork's size and the line's thickness depended on the net's weight.
Significance
The net floats are an example of fishing equipment used for many centuries and still in use today. In Warrnambool net fishing was a common practice from 1848 and became a livelihood for many fishermen.
Physical description
Net floats; cylindrical blocks of 18 corks of various sizes threaded onto string.
Subjects
- warrnambool,
- shipwreck coast,
- flagstaff hill,
- flagstaff hill maritime museum,
- flagstaff hill maritime village,
- net floats,
- cork net floats,
- fishing,
- fisheries,
- fishing equipment,
- handmade,
- net fishing,
- fisheries act,
- andrew ferrier,
- william flett,
- warrnambool breakwater,
- merri river,
- hopkins river,
- captain theobald,
- ellen,
- elizabeth
References
- A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, by Juliana Berners Facsimile of the first book on the subject of fishing. Printed in England by Wynkyn de Worde at Westminster in 1496
- The Fishing Museum A short history of the float
- Trove: The Age, Melbourne, Wed. 7 June, 1916, Warrnambool Warrnambool, fishing net stolen on the Breakwater
- Trove; The Age, Melbourne, Fri 29 May, 1903, Warrnambool Local fishermen request Warrnambool Town Council to remove the restriction on net fishing in Lady Bay from July to October
- Trove: The Argus, Melbourne, Sat 29 May 1858 Extraordinary Fish, caught in a net at night in the Hopkins River, Warrnambool
