Various artifacts from the steamship 'Wattle'. The Steam Tug Wattle, a steel ship, was built as a harbor tug in 1933. Steam is supplied from a two-furnace Scotch Marine wet-back boiler which was originally fired with dewatered and filtered waste oil but has recently been converted to burn distillate for environmental and maintenance reasons. It was launched at Cockatoo Island on 27 June 1933 by Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co. Ltd. (CODECO) on order from the Commonwealth Shipping Board. Now fully restored it operates excursions in Port Phillip and the Yarra.

Solar Reflector with spirit level in wooden box

Various artifacts from the steamship 'Wattle'. The Steam Tug Wattle, a steel ship, was built as a harbor tug in 1933. Steam is supplied from a two-furnace Scotch Marine wet-back boiler which was originally fired with dewatered and filtered waste oil but has recently been converted to burn distillate for environmental and maintenance reasons. It was launched at Cockatoo Island on 27 June 1933 by Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co. Ltd. (CODECO) on order from the Commonwealth Shipping Board. Now fully restored it operates excursions in Port Phillip and the Yarra.

One of a very few still operating steam tugs.

Brass inclinator mounted on timber plate.

steam tug wattle, harbour tugs

Coin and other metal objects retrieved from the ocean floor

Multiple coin and other metal objects collected by a diver from local waters.

A collection of various coin and other metal objects retrieved from the ocean floor showing corrosion and encrustation.

salvage, diving, ship relics

Navigational equipment

Navigational equipment

A timber and brass parallel ruler and brass dividers

parallel ruler, dividers, navigation, chart reading

A conical timing mechanism with Shell Timing Mechanism and cone cover.

ordnance, shell timing mechanism

A round hand held navigational engineer compass

Engineer Compass

navigation, compass

The light was powered by a kerosene lantern that had to be kept alight by the keepers until the introduction of bottled acetylene gas in 1925. The light operated for 111 years until 1985 when it was turned off for a trial period. It was never turned back on. A sun valve is a flow control activated by sunlight heat which automatically shuts off gas during daylight hours.

Relic from the Hovell light run on acetylene from 1925 to 1985

Sun valve from the Hovell Pile Light

hovell pile light, south channel, port phillip

A hand driven echo roller reader.

echo sounding, hydrography

The ship was built in 1953 by Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow, Scotland for the Port Phillip Sea Pilots organisation as a pilot cutter. Her role as a pilot cutter was to sail with pilots on board to meet ships entering Port Phillip Bay. Pilots would be transferred by the Wyuna's workboat to the vessel requiring pilotage while it was stopped dead in the water, with shelter provided by the vessel itself.

Brass Deck Light with globe

mv wyuna, port phillip pilot service

Prior to the launch of the motor powered Queenscliffe, three row boats were in service as lifeboats. This lantern was part of the equipment of the third lifeboat up to 1926.

A brass lamp which was part of the safety equipment on board the Third Queenscliff Lifeboat

Brass Lantern with interchangeable port and starboard glass filters run of kerosene.

Brandt Bros Melbourne Manufacturers 422 Elizabeth Street

light, navigational safety

8 cm compass Pattern 9628 in wooden box

Compass Patt 9628S Delicate instrument handle with care 287A/62

compass, navigation

Formerly of Station Works, Wakering Road, Barking, Essex, Henry Browne & Son were important British compass makers. The company was founded in the nineteenth century in Barking and London. They were respected English instrument makers who made fine quality compasses, ships clocks, inclinometers, sextants and chandlery items for over 140 years. Their "Dead Beat" compass, which was well dampened to reduce oscillation, was fitted to many Allied ships during the Second World War. Sestrel was their famous Trade Mark brand. The company was sold to John Lilley & Gillie Ltd and SIRS Navigation, both UK companies, in 1993.

Example of a hand held compass used in WWII

A Sestrel hand held bearing compass with wooden handle in own glass fronted, wooden container.

Sestrel Henry Browne & Son Ltd Barking London

compass, navigation

Title: The romance of the "Edina" : the world's oldest screw-steamship : with chapters on the auxiliary steamship :Great Britain", and the Port Phillip Bay steamers past and present / by C. Dickson Gregory Author: Gregory, C. Dickson (Charles Dickson) Publication Information: Melbourne : Robertson & Mullens, 1935 Physical Description: xii, 84 p., [24] p. of plates : ill. ; 23 cm Series Link: Queenscliffe Maritime Museum General Note: Item no. Corporate Subject: Edina (Ship) Great Britain (Ship) Subject Term: Shipping -- Victoria Geographic Term: Port Phillip Bay Region (Vic.) -- History Format: Books Holds: 0 Copies: 2

This iron hull single screw steamer had a long and distinguished carrier operating between 1853 and 1938. She served in the Crimean war carrying stores and horses to the Black Sea and later trading in the Mediterranean, and carrying cotton for the Confederate States in the American Civil War. Edina arrived in Melbourne under sail in March 1863 and was purchased by Stephen Henty for use from ports in western Victoria and later carried gold prospectors across the Tasman to New Zealand. After a refit in 1870 she was used in the coastal trade along the Queensland coast for Howard Smith until returning to Victoria and the Melbourne-Geelong trade as a cargo-passenger vessel. The Edina had two narrow escapes from destruction in 1898 and 1899 when she collided with other steamers, both being sunk. A further refit in 1917 altered her appearance with a new mast, funnel, bridge and promenade deck. By 1924 Edina had made over 12,000 Melbourne-Geelong passages and carried over one million people on the service. A further collision in July 1931 which sank the tug Hovell forced Edina onto a mudbank on Port Phillip Bay. She was taken out of service in 1938 but was later renamed Dinah and used as a lighter until 1958 when she was broken up and her remains used as land-fill.

Extract from the book 'The Romance of the Edina' showing signatures of her last voyage crew in 1938.

'The Romance of the Edina'

ss edina, port phillip, steam ships

For over 45 years, Richard has used Wendy regularly for recreational fishing and occasional sailing out of Queenscliff. He has the original cotton canvas sails that were fitted on the boat when she was built, and which still are in working condition. Richard says that one of his favourite pastimes has been trolling for pike around Swan Island, close by Queenscliff, ensuring that the heritage of this Lacco-built boat fishing boat is preserved. In about 2015, Wendy underwent a rebuild including: a new centre-case, ribs and deck, and a new Yanmar engine. The works were done by Bryon Miller of Peninsula Wooden Boats. Wendy remains berthed, fore and aft, at Number 12 pile in front of Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club.

Well known couta boat in Queenscliffe

Australian made Kopsen vortex bilge pump.

Kopsen Vortex

couta boats, 'wendy", bilge pump

The cash box was used at the Williamstown Customs House.

Cash box in use by the Port Phillip Sea Pilot Service for many years.

a tin cash box inscribed with Port Phillip Sea Pilots on front side

Chubb's Patent: Makers to her Majesty: 1456475: 28 Queen Victoria St: London. Port Phillip Sea Pilots on the outside.

ppsp, sea pilot service, cash box

Six items of memorabilia; ships' plaques, liner souvenirs, school book

ships' plaques, ocean liner souvenirs, school book

In the evening of 20 November 1940, while en route from Queenscliff to Portsea in Port Phillip Bay where she intended to anchor for the evening, she collided with the 10,364 ton, outward bound passenger liner, MV Duntroon, which struck her amidships on the port side. Duntroon’s captain had believed that she was on a parallel course to Goorangai and overtaking her. By the time he realised Goorangai’s true course, with Duntroon travelling at more than 17 knots, it was too late to avoid the collision. Goorangai was cut in two and sank in less than a minute with the loss of her entire crew of 24. Just six bodies were recovered in subsequent salvage operations. She was the first ship lost by the RAN in World War II.

This event is still remembered by the community at an annual ceremony in Queenscliffe. The hat band holds Victorian Heritage Register number S294 / 151982

A hat band of Signalman Jack Herbert RAN mounted on a display board containing a copy of a signed photograph of the HMAS Goorangai ships company and an extract of his service record.

hmas goorangai, mv duntroon, wwii, royal australian navy, port phillip

This smock was hand sewn by Florence Kelly for her husband Reuben Kelly to be used as protective clothing when catching couta in Port Fairy 1948.

Fishing industry from Queenscliffe to Port Fairy up to the 1950s /60s.

A hand sewn fishermen's smock used by the maker's husband as protective clothing when fishing for couta.

couta fishing, protective clothing, fishing industry, port fairy, fishermen's smock

The donor's husband served in the navy and used this mattress on a hammock during war years.

A single mattress stuffed with wadding

Essanjay Mfg. Co. Sydney 1941

palliasse, hammock

Started way back in the mid sixties, Malcolm Barlow first started to build BARLOW winches in a small garage in Sydney. Even though, or maybe because of the uncanny resemblance of those early winches to the American manufactured BARIENT winches, they have stood the test of time.

Australian made yachting winch equipment made in the 1960s

A wooden box containing 3 winches

Barlow, Australia

yachting, barlow winches, winches

As the White Ensign was reserved entirely for the use of the Royal Navy, the Admiral decided to approve of a new ensign for the Victorian Navy and this was flown for the first time from Nelson on 9th March 1870. The new ensign was very similar to the present day national flag and incorporated the Union flag with five white stars on a blue field.

Following upon a series of ‘Russian scares’ in the 1870s, Nelson presumably by permission of the Admiralty, was converted into a fighting ship for the Victorian Navy; she was cut down to a single- decker, the fore and mizzen masts were removed, and the armament modified by the landing of several of the old muzzle-loaders and the addition of a number of new breech-loading guns. This conversion was carried out in the new drydock in 1881.

A framed copy of an engraving entitled: 'Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstown'.

Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstown

hmvs nelson, alfred graving dock, williamstown

This sextant was used by Captain J Menzies, Harbour Master in Warrnambool who testified in the Victorian Royal Commission of 1925 on the development of Warrnambool Harbour.

A maritime instrument with links to Victorian Harbour Development history of the early twentieth century.

A brass sextant in wooden box

'J Menzies' hand written on box lid.

sextant, capt. j. menzies

Flashlights where a vital tool for night time map reading, signaling with coloured lenses and many other uses. The blackout during the war also meant for a extended popularity of flashlights. Many carried them onto the streets to see as the streetlights where very rare and to top that of mostly blacked out. Most flashlights where fitted with blinds or coloured lenses to hide the bright light they produced. These coloured lenses where also used to signal between individual soldiers.

Mostly used in the 1940s by the military and civilians alike.

A small metal light signal box or flashlight.

Petrix No. 678

signal box, flashlight, petrix 678

A telescope in its own timber box.

Turn this to change power

telescope, navigation

Two brass fire hose nozzles and a fire hydrant lever.

fire fighting, fire hose fittings

A hand held tool used for vigorously shaping timber with a blade horizontal to users grip

2 Gill Pin....gis? Mill Warranted FAI 27

tools, adze, boat building

McIlwraith McEacharn Line Pty.Ltd., reg. Melbourne. 1918: Commandeered as a troopship. 1919: Returned to owners. 1920: Resumed Australian coastal service. 1941: Commandeered as a troopship. 1942 Aug 4: Fired upon in the Great Australian Bight (WA) by a Japanese submarine. 1946: Returned to owners & sold to Compania Maritima del Este, reg. Panama. Refitted at Genoa and sailed under Greek Line flag. 1947: Chartered to French Line for Caribbean service. 1949: Refitted at Genoa & placed on Europe-Canada run. 1954: Neptunia Shipping Co. 1957: Laid up at Bremerhaven. 1958: Laid up at Piraeus. 1959 Sept.29: Arrived at Nagasaki, Japan having been sold to shipbreakers.

Served with SS Duntroon leaving Melbourne on 12 February 1942, to join convoy MS5 to Colombo escorted by aircraft carrier HMS Enterprise. She then embarked 640 Second AIF troops to be redeployed to the South West Pacific after serving in the middle east.

Brass name plate 'SS Katoomba'

SS KATOOMBA

wwi, wwii, passenger steamships, ss katoomba

Harpoon belonged to Cappy Felman, one of several fishermen from Barwon Heads post WWII

Metal Harpoon tip missing handle

fishing, harpoon