The first Palais dance theatre in Warrnambool was established in the Hotel Mansions on the corner of Kepler and Koroit Streets. When the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1929 the Palais was moved to the Oddfellows Hall in Koroit Street operating as a cinema. In 1939 the area in the Oddfellows Hall was converted into a dance floor, a skating rink and a squash court. The Palais dance hall continued until 1974. It had been a major entertainment venue in Warrnambool featuring many well known bands and singers over the years.

This photograph is a fine memento of a most important entertainment venue in Warrnambool in the second half of the 20th century.

A colour photograph of the interior of a dance hall showing the dance space, the lighting and the alcoves. The photograph is in two sections placed together. It is mounted on a yellow cardboard mount with a cut-out, printed name in cursive script. The black frame is made of composite material. A glass covering is over the photograph. On the back is a wire attachment for the hanging of the frame. There are crease and scratch markings in the bottom of the photograph.

Palais de Danse

palais de danse warrnambool

This clock is believed to have come from the Warrnambool Railway Station. The Railway commenced in 1890 and the station was opened in 1897. The clock was made by Wilson Brothers, a prominent manufacturing watch and clock- making business in Timor Street, Warrnambool in the second half of the 19th Century.

This item is of considerable significance as an early Railway Clock in Warrnambool. Railway Clocks were important in the 19th century as prominent time pieces for the general community to use to establish the time of day.

This is a clock with a circular face behind glass enclosed in a metal frame with wood surrounds The wooden frame is attached to a wooden rectangular box with a curved bottom. The box has a metal clip for attachment to a wall or a board. The metal face is white with black painted Roman numerals, which are damaged, and black printing. Minute markers are indicated. The hands are metal. All the metal is rusted.

Wilson Bros Warrnambool

warrnambool railway station, wilson brothers warrnambool

This is a map of the Tarrone Soldier Settlement land divisions probably produced by the Soldier Settlement Commission. The map is incomplete with lots 48,49 and 50 missing. The Soldier Settlement Commission purchased 23,373 acres of Tarrone Station from the Boyd brothers in 1947 and the sub divided lots were occupied by soldier settlers commencing in 1949. Tarrone Station was established in 1840 by Doctors Kilgour and Bernard and the Boyd brothers secured the free hold in the 1890s and retained it until 1947. The map hung for many years in the Warrong school near Hawkesdale.

This map is of considerable interest as an original item from the establishment of the Tarrone Soldier Settlement..

The map is made of brown cloth and creased. The edges are tattered and there is a piece missing at the top. It is a map of allotments, hand drawn and with faded colours in red, blue and yellow. The names of localities and land holders are hand written in ink and chalk. The map is contained within two pieces of wood at the bottom and the top. There are two screws and a cord to hang on a wall. A scale of measurement is shown under the map.

tarrone soldiers settlement, boyd brothers tarrone

This framed photograph is of the Victoria Challenge Shield which was presented in 1888 by the Warrnambool firm of Cramond and Dickson for competition among the Victoria Garrison Artillery members in Victoria. There were 8 garrison groups in Victoria at that time. The shield was 22 inches wide and two feet six inches high.The quality of the shield can be gauged by that fact that it was exhibited at the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 and was one of the items inspected by Queen Victoria. The stipulation by the donors was that the competition had to be held in Warrnambool. The Warrnambool artillery group won the trophy in 1898 and this is noted in one of the newspaper cuttings included with the photograph of the shield. The Cramond and Dickson general store in Warrnambool was founded in 1855 by John Cramond and James Dickson and was a prominent business in Warrnambool until it closed in 1973.

This photograph is of considerable interest as it is a reminder of the Victoria Challenge Shield that was a competition prize for competing groups of the Victoria Garrison Artillery in the times when volunteer militia groups were strong in Victorian country towns ( from the 1860s to the beginning of the First World War).

This is a framed oval photograph of the Victoria Challenge Shield. The photograph is of poor production and fading. The shield details include images of War and Peace, Coat of Arms, militia figures and guns and a rifle match (in the centre). There are two newspaper cuttings included in the frame and a handwritten date. The photograph has a beige background and is under glass in a wooden frame

Victoria Challenge Shield inspected by Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen at the Glasgow International Exhibition 24th August 1888 presented by Messrs Cramond & Dickson Warrnambool

cramond & dickson warrnambool, victoria challenge shield, garrison artillery groups in victoria

This is a framed photograph of the men's pool at the Warrnambool Salt Water Baths. These Baths were originally built at the end of Gilles Street on the line of the present railway line in 1876 but were rebuilt in 1889 further north in Gilles Street when the railway line was opened. The water was pumped from the sea, initially by a windmill and later by a gas pump. The men's pool was 100 feet by 50 feet and the women's pool was 60 feet by 30 feet with bathing strictly segregated in the 19th century. A building nearby housed marble cubicles with hot spa baths with the water heated on the site and a caretaker's cottage completed the complex. Men's nude bathing was a feature of the early 20th century. Originally built by a local public company the Baths were taken over by the Warrnambool Council. These baths were superseded by the opening in 1961 of an Olympic Pool In Warrnambool. The site and the remaining buildings of the old sea water baths are now heritage-listed and today form part of the headquarters of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.

This photograph is of historical significance as a depiction of the Warrnambool Salt water Baths in the early 20th century. These Baths were the basis for promoting Warrnambool as a health and spa resort town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This is a framed black and white photograph of the men's pool at the Warrnambool Salt Water Baths. It depicts men and boys swimming in the circular pool and one male on the diving board. All these men are naked. There are other clothed males and clothed attendants wearing hats and waistcoats. The change rooms are on the right side of the photograph and there is a fence with trees behind. The photograph is mounted on cardboard with a gilt edge and is held in a wooden ridged frame behind glass.

warrnambool sea water baths

This is a Bible with a heavily embossed cover with pressed gold panels featuring gold lettering , scroll patterns and images of Biblical scenes and saints. The spine has scroll patterns and gold lettering. Inside the front cover the spine has been reinforced with blue adhesive tape. The spine and the front pages are partly detached. The pages are gilt-edged and contain printed text and black and white and colour illustrations and a handwritten name in black ink. A separate sheet contains black and red handwriting on both sides and some pencilled dates on the back.

non-fiction

Family Bible

conn family warrnambool, edward bryants, 19th century family bibles

This Bible has a brown leather cover with gold metal scrolls on the corners. There is gold print on the spine and front cover and a gold pattern on the front. The front cover is detached and very tattered. The pages are gilt edged and contain some torn pages, printed text and a Biblical Encyclopedia at the back. There are gold metal hinges with clips on the open edges of the cover to keep the book shut. All the illustrations have been cut out.

non-fiction

19th century Bible

antiquarian family bibles

This is an invoice sent to Messrs W.& J. Hall in September 1871 by the Committee of the Tower Hill Presbyterian Church. It refers to the annual church seat rental fee of three pounds, half of which had been paid in January of that year. The Tower Hill Presbyterian Church was under the auspices of the Koroit Presbyterian Church and services had been held in the Tower Hill area as early as 1845. The first permanent minister, Rev. Lachlan McGillivray. was appointed in 1849 and a wooden church was erected at Tower Hill in 1850. William and James Hall were early farmers in the Tower Hill district.

This invoice is of considerable interest as a rare memento of the 19th century Tower Hill Presbyterian Church and a record of the practice of charging an annual fee for a family's use of its own pews in a church.

This is a sheet of blue and cream mottled paper with ruled red lines, black printing and handwriting in ink. The sheet is creased, torn at the edges and faded.

Messrs W. & J. Hall 30 Sept. 1871 An Account with the Committee of the Tower Hill Presbyterian Church

tower hill presbyterian church, w.& j. hall koroit

This card was presented to George Davidson when he passed the Junior School examination held by St. John's Tonic Sol-Fa Association in 1877. The Tonic Sol-Fa was a technique used for teaching sight singing, invented in the 18th century and further developed, popularised and used extensively by singing teachers in the 19th century. The St. John's Tonic Sol-Fa Association was an extension of the choir of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Warrnambool and the conductor (and the teacher whose name is on this card) was T. L.Campbell. He was a well-known singing and music teacher in Warrnambool in the second half of the 19th century and specialized in the teaching of the viola, violin and violincello. George Davidson (1860-1941) was the son of John and Isobel Davidson, pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district.

This card is of some interest as a memento of the music scene in Warrnambool in the second half of the 19th century with references to T.L. Campbell, a music teacher, George Davidson, a pupil and a school of music, St. John's Tonic Sol-Fa Association

This is a small white card with a blue scroll border and blue printing on one side and printed information on the other side. The card has handwritten details in ink. It is stained, torn at one edge and has signs of silverfish damage.

Tonic Sol-Fa Method of Teaching to Sing - Mr George Davidson has passed the examination for the Junior School Certificate. Teacher or Assistant: T.L. Campbell A.C. School or Class: St. John's Tonic Sol-Fa Association. Date: 30th November 1877 No. 52

st john's warrnambool tonic sol-fa association, t.l.campbell warrnambool music teacher, george davidson warrnambool

This is a booklet of 16 pages. The cover is buff-coloured and has ornamental patterns and brown printing on the front cover. The pages contain printed text and 24 black and white photographs. Some pages have handwritten annotations.

non-fiction

Souvenir Booklet of Warrnambool

warrnambool tourism, walter davies bookseller warrnambool

This is a book of 16 pages. The cover is green and has black printing and an image of ship on the front cover. The back cover has some pencilled scribble. The pages contain printed text.

non-fiction

Information on the Mahogany Ship

mahogany ship

These verses are handwritten and this suggests they originated locally but they were published in a Melbourne paper in 1874 and the writer is unknown.The verses refer to the cricket match in Warrnambool in January 1874 when a team of 22 players representing the Western District played the touring All-England Eleven captained by William Gilbert Grace, the famous English cricketer. The match in Warrnambool, one of 15 matches played in Australia, was won easily by the English team after one and a half days in a scheduled three day match but W.G.Grace did not star, making only 18 runs in the first innings and not required to bat in the second innings. Frank Allan of Allansford,who played for Victoria and Australia and was later called 'the bowler of the century.' took 6 for 28 in the first innings. Grace made a bad impression in Warrnambool with his brusque and insolent tone, refusing to attend the local Ball put on for the English team because the 'professional' players would be in attendance. The poem echoes the lack of goodwill and condescension shown in Warrnambool by Grace and refers to 'the greatest bat in all the world' making only 18 and sends a message to the English team - 'Don't quarrel and don't blow!'

This poem is of considerable interest because it shows the ill-feeling in Warrnambool engendered by the attitude taken by W.G.Grace when his English Eleven was playing in Warrnambool in January in 1874. It is a reminder also of one of the 19th century highlights in Warrnambool's sporting history.

These are two sheets of blue paper with 15 stanzas of poetry in black handwriting. The paper has ruled red lines and probably came from a ledger. It is torn at the edges in places where it has been folded.

all england cricket team in warrnambool 1874, w.g.grace in warrnambool

This item is a cookery book home-produced about 1900. The handwritten recipes include Stewed Salt Cod, Potato Soufflets, Indian Meat Curry and Maizena Cakes. The writer of the recipes is unknown. The cookery booklet inserted into the exercise book contain the recipes of Mrs Wicken's Cookery Class in Warrnambool. Harriet Wicken, a graduate of the London School of Cookery, came to Warrnambool in April 1888 and gave a series of demonstration and lessons to groups of Warrnambool women. Fifty copies of the recipes used in the lectures were printed and sold locally for sixpence a copy and so this is a comparatively rare item.

This item is of considerable interest, firstly as a fine example of an old family cookery book, showing us what recipes were in vogue locally over a 100 years ago and secondly because of the inclusion of Mrs Wicken's Warrnambool cookery book, adding to our information of a local social event in the 1880s.

This is an exercise book with a black cloth cover with gold edging. The spine is missing. The pages have faint ruled lines and contain cooking recipes handwritten in black ink. Pasted into the inside front cover is a copy of a stapled recipe booklet

mrs wicken's warrnambool cookery classes, vintage warrnambool cookery book

This is booklet of 32 pages. It has a buff-coloured cover with some ornamental scroll patterns and blue and gold printing. The pages contain printed text and black and white photographs. The pages have been bound with staples and tied with yellow cord but the staples have been removed.

non-fiction

History of the first 60 years of the Warrnambool Baptist Church

warrnambool baptist church, baptist church 60 years warrnambool

This is a booklet of 16 pages with a cream-coloured cover with blue printing and images of the Australian States' Coat of Arms and a Royal Coach. The page contain sketches in colour and black and white of costumes, regalia, furniture and other items used in the coronation of King George VI. The pages are tied together with a yellow ribbon. The front cover and the first page have some silverfish damage

non-fiction

Souvenir Booklet of Exhibition of Coronation Robes in Australia 1938

king george vi coronation, english coronation booklet

These two 1897 dockets are from the Warrnambool auctioneers, John Hyland and Archibald Macfarlane. They refer to the sale by auction of the material from the demolition of the temporary buildings erected at the corner of Timor and Liebig Streets in Warrnambool as part of the staging of the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition, 1896-7. This exhibition, a major event in Warrnambool's history, ran from December 1896 to March 1897 and according to the press reports at the time attracted over 70,000 people to its many exhibitions, competitions and entertainments. Despite its popularity the Exhibition ran at a financial loss and the sale of the material from the temporary buildings was an attempt to recoup some of the losses. The sale of the timber, iron, glass etc from the temporary buildings returned about one-third of the original cost of the buildings. A feature of the John Hyland docket is the payment of seven shillings and sixpence to Ballis the bellman for ringing his bell and vocally advertising the sale in the town.

These two dockets are of considerable interest as they add to our knowledge of the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition, an important event in our local 19th century history

.1 and .2 These are two dockets printed on white paper with ruled red lines.The headings are printed and the details of sales are handwritten in black ink.

19th century warrnambool auctioneers, warrnambool industrial and art exhibition 1896-7

This is a programme of 16 pages. The cover has a colour image of a seascape and a ship and black printing. The pages contain printed text, black and white sketches and photographs and advertisements. The pages have been stapled but the staples have been removed.

non-fiction

This is a programme of the opera performance of the Wreck of the Loch Ard

wreck of the loch ard, warrnambool theatre company

This is a booklet of eleven pages . The cover has two black and white photographs and black printing. The pages contain printed text and black and white photographs. The pages have been stapled but the staples have been removed

non-fiction

Information on Eugen Sandow's lifestyle theories

sandow system of physical culture, warrnambool physical culture club 1903

Red soft cover A5 size booklet with hand-drawn image of a windmill, lookout tower and tank on the front cover; the back cover has text relating to Bruce & McClure's engineering works in Warrnambool.

non-fiction

A catalogue of agricultural and engineering items manufactured and sold by Bruce and McLure

agriculture, windmills, engineering, bruce & mcclure

The royal blue front hard cover has gold scroll work around the edges and an embossed image of two flying angels representing the arts and literature. It also has an image of a quill and a paint brush and gold printing. The cover is stained and is frayed around the edges. The spine has embossed symbols and printing and has been mended with adhesive tape on the inside. The title on the spine is _The Graphic Illustrated Newspaper Vol 35 Jany to June 1887 London 90 Strand. The pages are gilt edged and contain copies of the weekly paper commencing January first. There are black and white and coloured illustrations. The frontispiece has a covering piece of badly torn tissue.

fiction

A bound copy of a British magazine which was published weekly

vintage magazines, the graphic, the graphic 1887, warrnambool

The book has black leather covers which are heavily embossed with an Australian Coat of Arms and featuring gold printing, scroll work and patterns. The title of the book is on the spine which also has gold patterns. The cover is torn at the top left hand corner. The inside cover is water damaged. The gilt edged pages contain printed text, black and white and tinted illustrations and coloured maps. There is a narrow ribbon book mark , a pressed leaf and a cut out card flower inserted in the pages.

non-fiction

A history of Australasia written in late 18oo's

australasian history, alice gamble, a history of australasia 1870, warrnambool

The cloth cover is heavily patterned and slightly embossed with gold lettering. It is partly detached from the spine. On the spine is gold lettering and an image of a saint. The pages contain text, over ninety reproductions of engravings and the calligraphy initials are printed at the start of each chapter.

non-fiction

This is a family bible

religious education, family bible, illustrated family bible, bible 19th century, warrnambool

Through the address on the box, this dress has a local connection. Miss Mavis Hedrick operated a dress salon at 162 Liebig St Warrnambool in the 1940's. Her parents lived at various houses in Warrnambool, including Skene, Spence and Princess Sts. She married John William Freeman in 1942 and left Warrnambool some time after that date. From wedding reports of the day it doesn't seem that this is Miss Hedrick's wedding dress. It seems more likely that it was purchased from her frock salon in Liebig St Warrnambool.

While the owner and original wearer of this dress has eluded us, the dress has a strong link to Warrnambool through the original box with its identifying labels. The dress is very much in the style of the era of Miss Hedrick's dress shop..

On the Box : Miss Hedrick Frock Salon Warrnambool On Label in top RH corner: Mollard & Williams 238 Flinders Lane Melbourne. Stamp: Victorian Railways Parcel stamp 8d Melbourne

warrnambool, 1940's wedding dress, mavis hedrick, mollard and williams, 238 flinders lane melbourne, miss hedricks frock salon