Historical information

The floor tile is one of a group of artefacts in the McCulloch Collection that were recovered from the shipwreck Victoria Tower and were donated together. The tile could have been from the ship's cargo or amongst the ship’s fittings. It was made by Maw & Co., of Broseley, England, makers of earthenware encaustic and geometric floor tiles. In 1850, George Maw and his brother Arthur began their first factory in Worcester, and in 1862, the company moved to Broseley, Shropshire.

The object is now one of the shipwreck artefacts in Flagstaff Hill’s McCulloch Collection, which includes other items recovered from the Victoria Tower, built in Liverpool by Evans in 1969, and wrecked the same year near Torquay, Victoria, on its maiden voyage. A diver salvaged the objects in the early 1970s while working along the southwest coast of Victoria.

Advanced marine technology had enabled divers to explore the depths of the ocean and gather its treasures before the Government introduced protective legislation. The artefacts were donated to the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) by a passionate shipwreck lover. Bruce McCulloch verified their locations. In 2017, the Department repatriated them to Flagstaff Hill, where they joined our vast collection of artefacts from Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast.

The Victoria Tower: -
The three-masted iron clipper ship was built in 1869 in Liverpool, England, as a passenger and cargo ship for the Australian trade. It was named after one of the two towers of the British Houses of Parliament and owned by the White Star line. The Victoria Tower sailed under the command of Captain Kerr from Liverpool towards Melbourne on its maiden voyage with 4 passengers and 16 crew plus a general cargo including bottled beer, slates, iron pipes and hardware. It was almost at her destination when, on 17th October 1869, it was wrecked at Point Impossible, west of Thompsons Creek, Breamlea, near Torquay. The shipwreck is a very popular dive site.

Significance

The artefact is an example of cargo or personal items on board a ship in 1869. It provides a reference point for classifying and dating similar items.
This artefact is significant for its association with the British-built, iron clipper ship Victoria Tower, a commercial and immigrant sailing ship constructed to carry cargo and passengers to colonial Australia. The vessel is recorded on the Victoria Heritage Database, VHR S698.

Physical description

Ceramic tile, square, with star or compass design. The brown floor tile has a cream design of a pointed star with a circle in its centre and between, and on the end of, each point. The side profile of the tile shows the division between the top layer and the base, with a groove between the two. The back of the tile has parallel ridges and is embossed with an inscription. The tile was made by MAW & Co. of Broseley, England, and was recovered from the wrecked ship Victoria Tower.

Inscriptions & markings

Inscribed "MAW & CO BROSELEY"