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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
From the collection of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
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Container - Earthenware jar, Bailey & Co, circa 1869

  • Earthenware jar in brown clay has wide mouth and thick neck, short shoulders and slightly inward tapering body.

    Side view of jar

  • Surface has uneven textures and blotches of dark brown. there is a lump of different material on the lip.

    Side profile of jar

  • Lip has a chip, colouring us uneven orange-brown colour

    Side profile of jar

  • Surface is worn around the shoulder and has several chips

    Side profile of jar

  • Lip of mouth is thick, neck tapers in and out slightly, shoulder is narrow, bottom edge is rounded to meet base

    Jar laying on bench, view from mouth to base at an angle

  • Base has rounded edges, uneven texture and a large chip

    Base facing viewer

  • Inscription is impressed into the clay in two lines. There is a large chip above the inscription

    Close up of inscription on bottom edge

  • Earthenware jar in brown clay has wide mouth and thick neck, short shoulders and slightly inward tapering body.
  • Surface has uneven textures and blotches of dark brown. there is a lump of different material on the lip.
  • Lip has a chip, colouring us uneven orange-brown colour
  • Surface is worn around the shoulder and has several chips
  • Lip of mouth is thick, neck tapers in and out slightly, shoulder is narrow, bottom edge is rounded to meet base
  • Base has rounded edges, uneven texture and a large chip
  • Inscription is impressed into the clay in two lines. There is a large chip above the inscription

Historical information

The handmade earthenware jar, made by Bailey & Co. of England, was one of a group of artefacts in the McCulloch Collection that were recovered from the shipwreck Victoria Tower. The jar could have been from the ship's cargo or amongst the passengers' personal effects.

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.

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

Container, round brown earthenware jar with a wide mouth, thick lip, a wide neck that tapers slightly inwards towards the shoulder, and a body that tapers slightly inward towards the base. The glazed surface is rough. The variegated colours of the clay also have small dark speckles. There are several chips and dents on the jar. The inscription is stamped into the lower edge. Made by Bailey & Co., England. Recovered from the wreck of the Victoria Tower.

Inscriptions & markings

Inscription “Bailey [&] Co / ENGLAND”

Subjects

References

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