Historical information

These two bottles were found by workmen building a new retaining wall on the north side of the Les O’Callaghan History House building in Gilles Street Warrnambool. The wall replaced one damaged beyond repair following a car accident in 2019. The building was erected in 1889 as the caretaker’s cottage in the Warrnambool Sea Baths complex (for most of its existence it had two swimming pools, a hot sea water baths building and a caretaker’s cottage). The water in the baths were pumped up from the ocean and, for the hot baths, heated on site. These baths were the municipal baths until the mid 1950s. The bottles may have originated from the one of the families residing in the cottage or from passers-by in the adjoining Merri Street or from patrons of the baths. They appear to be over 100 years old but there is no way the ownership of the bottles can be established.

Significance

These bottles are of interest as archeological finds after repair works to the Les O’Callaghan History House.

Physical description

.1 A dark green (or black?) glass bottle with a hollowed out concave base, no stopper and a slightly chipped rim on the top. The bottle is stained inside.
.2 A green glass bottle with a hollowed out concave base, a moulded top with no stopper and an elongated neck. The bottle is stained inside.