Provenance
Donated items
Purpose/Function
Display and storage
Arrangement
Arranged according to aesthetic appearance.
Content
Stone ware jars including: ink wells, demijohns, hot water bottles, cordial containers and other large containers.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the place now called Victoria, and all First Peoples living and working on this land. We celebrate the history and contemporary creativity of the world’s oldest living culture and pay respect to Elders — past, present and future.
Please be aware that this website may contain culturally sensitive material — images, voices and information provided by now deceased persons. Content also may include images and film of places that may cause sorrow.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain culturally sensitive material — images, voices and information provided by now deceased persons. Content also may include images and film of places that may cause sorrow.
Some material may contain terms that reflect authors’ views, or those of the period in which the item was written or recorded but may not be considered appropriate today. These views are not necessarily the views of Victorian Collections.
Users of this site should be aware that in many areas of Australia, reproduction of the names and photographs of deceased people is restricted during a period of mourning. The length of this time varies and is determined by the community.
Reuse of any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander material on this site may require cultural clearances. Users are advised to contact the source organisation to discuss appropriate reuse.
Donated items
Display and storage
Arranged according to aesthetic appearance.
Stone ware jars including: ink wells, demijohns, hot water bottles, cordial containers and other large containers.
This hand-held signalling lamp could have had a number of uses. It could have been used by groups such as the Boy Scouts or most likely was used by local air raid wardens and other military personnel in World War Two. Its large face and the reflecting mechanism would have made it useful over a long distance.
This lamp is of historical interest and is retained for display and research purposes.
This is a cylindrical metal lamp with a clear glass front attached to the lantern by metal screws. The lantern has been painted black. There is an electric bulb behind the glass and a reflector disc behind the bulb. A handle, attached to the metal body, has two strands of electrical wiring at its end. The handle includes a finger clip, which, when pressed, produces a signal inside the glass area.
signalling lamp, world war two military equipment
These two items have been linked together as a decorative pair but it is not clear why, as the sphere or bulb does not have an opening and cannot hold a light and there is nothing very attractive about the two items as they appear today. The stand may have been set in front of a coloured light to ensure reflection or the sphere may have been decorated in some way.
These items are kept as ornamental curiosities.
This is a clear glass sphere on a metal stand. The stand is painted light brown and has a fretwork decorative base, a moulded stem and an open top with a curved pattern edge.
vintage ornaments, glass ornaments
This lamp would have been attached to a coach, or even an early automobile, for lighting purposes. It could also have been used for outdoor purposes in a household or business setting. Lamps such as this were used in the 19th century and early 20th century and preceded or accompanied the use of oil lamps and were later superseded by electric and gas lighting.
This item is of historical interest and is retained for display purposes.
This is a rectangular-shaped lamp made of metal. It is painted black and has clear glass with bevelled edges on two sides and a small round red-coloured glass on another side. The lighting mechanism inside the glass appears to have held a candle. The body of the lamp is mounted on a solid round metal pipe. There is a metal handle at the top for attaching the lamp to a wall or stand.
vintage lighting, coach lamps
This lantern would have been attached to a horse-drawn coach for lighting purposes and local coaches and other large-size horse-drawn vehicles would have had similar lights. It is a heavy object and may also have been used on early model automobiles or other motorised vehicles.
This item has no known local provenance and is retained for display and research purposes.
This is cylindrical metal lantern painted black. It has a glass covering on the rounded face and glass inserts on the back and the side. It has a metal-covered candle that is inserted into the lantern through an opening at the base. There are hinged clips to open the main glass and the back glass.
vintage coach lighting, candle-lit lanterns
This glass chimney has been made to fit on the top of an oil lamp. It seems that the box has been used to house a different chimney as the glass is taller than the box and is not crimped. Lamps with chimneys such as this one were used for household lighting in the 19th century and early 20th century before gas lighting and later electric lighting became common.
These items are retained for display purposes as reminders of household lighting in the past. The box is a rare survivor.
This is a clear glass lamp chimney, mainly circular in shape and open at both ends. It is in a rectangular cardboard box with black printing on two sides. The box is open at the top.
CRIMP TOP CHIMNEYS GUARANTEED FIRE-PROOF Size E
vintage glass lamps, glass chimneys for lamps
This lamp base would have had a glass chimney clipped to the burner. It is a portable kerosene lamp used in the 19th century and the early 20th century for household lighting before the advent of electricity.
This item is retained for display purposes as an example of household lighting a hundred years ago.
This is a clear glass lamp base with a metal burner attached to the top. The bottom of the base is hollow. The glass on the stem and bulb is patterned.
A BLIXTEN
vintage household lighting, kerosene lamps
This is a vintage item dating from the early 20th century. It is a hand-held lantern that could also have been hung from a ledge or wall. Lanterns of this type were often used by railway employees or ship's crew for signalling. The lighting was probably obtained by a candle as there is no evidence of an oil mechanism.
This item is of interest because of its age and its possible use locally over a hundred years ago.
This is a metal lantern painted black on the outside and silver-frosted inside. It has a rectangular-shaped body with bevelled glass, a semi-circular metal top and a metal handle. The hinged glass door on the side is missing.
vintage lighting, hand-held metal lanterns
This miniature cash tin was produced by Fry's Chocolate Company of England as a promotional giveaway and probably held some chocolate samples. It would then have been used in a household for keeping trinkets or other small items. The Fry's Chocolate Company was established in Bristol, England in the mid 18th century by Joseph Fry and in the mid 19th century it produced the first mass-produced chocolate bar (1866 - Chocolate Cream, 1913 Turkish Delight). The company merged with the Cadbury company in 1919 and the Tasmanian Cadbury factory which opened in 1921 was known as Cadbury-Fry-Pascall. Fry's chocolate bars were very popular in Australia.
This item is retained as a memento of Fry's Chocolate Company, the products of which featured in Australian life for many decades.
This is a rectangular metal tin painted black and light brown. It has a hinged lid and a metal handle held with clips inserted into slits on the top of the lid. There is printing on the lid and a label on the base.
Cash Fry's Chocolate
chocolate bars, fry's chocolate, miniature cash tin
This lamp was produced in 1922 as a lighting mechanism for a motor cycle. It is a Lucas lamp, with the trade name 'Chieftain'. The firm of Joseph Lucas Industries was established in 1860 in England, initially making scoops, buckets and plant holders. In 1875 it began making lamps for ships and after 1902 lamps and other components for motorised vehicles. Today, after merging with a North American company, it is a maker of components for both the automotive and the aerospace industries.
This item is retained as an example of motor cycle lighting that would have been used locally in the 1920s.
This is a metal lamp with a round base, a cylindrical body and a rounded lighting mechanism enclosed in glass. There is a screw lid on top of the oil container, a mechanism for attaching the lamp to the vehicle and two small round glass buttons on either side of the lighting area. The lamp has traces of silver colouring but is very rusty. There is an old card containing some handwriting attached to the lamp.
Lucas Chieftain 1922
motor cycle lamps, joseph lucas ltd, vintage vehicle parts
This lantern or lamp was used for lighting an automobile or motor cycle in the 1920s or 1930s. It could also have been used in a household or carried by a person. It was made by the English firm of Joseph Lucas Ltd., a business founded in 1860 which originally made scoops, buckets and plant holders. In 1875 it began the production of lamps and in the early 20th century made automotive components. Today after having merged with a North American company it makes components for the automotive and aerospace industries. The term 'King of the Road' was reserved for products that were regarded as the most prestigious and the ones commanding the highest price. This lamp was advertised as one that 'will not blow out in the toughest gale'.
This item is retained as an interesting example of the lighting used for cars and bicycles early in the 20th century.
This is a metal lantern which is much rusted but which may have been chrome or nickel plated. It has a lighting mechanism enclosed in glass, a handle on the top, a winding screw on the side, an oil container and a metal plaque on the base.
LUCAS No. 636 KING of the ROAD JOS.LUCAS LTD. B'HAM
car components, automobile lighting, lucas industries,
This is a book of 794 pages. It has a brown cover with gold printing on the front and the spine. The front cover is completely detached. The pages contain printed text.
non-fiction
Dictionary of facts, places and people of British Colonies in the Southern Ocean
british colonial history, australian history, warrnambool history
An item of this type would have been used for lighting purposes by householders both within and around the house in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It may have originally been attached to a wall or ledge.
This item has no known local provenance but is retained as an example of a lighting mechanism some 100 years ago.
This is the main body of a kerosene lamp. It is made of metal and the base and back stand have been painted green. It has a mantle, an oil container and a round reflector plate (which has been originally painted silver). The glass bulb is missing.
N (?) 23 Victor
vintage lighting, kerosene lamps
Thes two documents deal with the purchase and sale of land near Warrnambool by Thomas Simpson. The first document, called a Grant by Purchase, is dated 1852 and shows that Thomas Simpson purchased from the Crown, Allotment 146 (22 acres two roods) adjoining the property of Wollaston on the Merri River and the Mortlake Road, north of Warrnambool. The cost was 90 pounds. The second document is dated 1853 and shows that Thomas Simpson sold this Merri River allotment of 22 acres to Eliza Bromfield, in conjunction with her husband, John Davenport Bromfield, for the sum of 110 pounds. The property of Wollaston was owned by the Manifold family and in the 1850s was leased to William Simpson, the brother of Thomas who had an adjoining property called Wooramoota. John Davenport Bromfield was a Colac farmer who played a prominent part in the early history of that town. His brother James Astley Bromfield, an early chemist in Warrnambool is important in Warrnambool's history.
These two items are of considerable significance because they are amongst the earliest legal documents we have connected to Warrnambool's history and because they concern three early pioneers of the district. They also have a connection to Wollaston, an important early property in the Warrnambool district.
.1 A piece of light parchment paper, stained with age and folded in three places. It contains printed and handwritten material, a copy of a signature and a white seal. .2 A piece of parchment paper folded in half and then folded again in two places. It contains ruled red lines, handwritten material in black ink and the remains of a red seal. The top of the first page has a cut-out fluted pattern.
wollaston, john davenport bromfield, thomas simpson, eliza bromfield, george barber solicitor
This is a book of 732 pages. It has a yellow cloth cover with black printing and pages edged in red. The contents contain an index and pages of black and white sketches and text.
non-fiction
Catalogue from American company of malleable hardware items
carriage and wagon hardware, eberhard manufacturing company
This framed copy of a sketch of John Ruskin comes from the original steel plate engraving dating from about 1845. John Ruskin (1819-1900) was a notable English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath in the Victorian era. He was the first Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University and was a prolific writer interested in the connection between nature, art and society, anticipating the more modern interest in environmental and sustainability issues. This framed item is from the collection of the old Warrnambool Museum which was first established in 1871 by the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute under the curatorship of a local policeman, Joseph Archibald. This first museum faded away but was revived in 1883 by Joseph Archibald in his retirement years. The Museum continued as part of the Mechanics' Institute until 1963 as an important and much-admired institution. Most of the collection was lost over the years but some items remain, housed at the Warrnambool Art Gallery, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and the Warrnambool and District Historical Society, with the John Ruskin item being part of the latter group's collection.
This item is of considerable interest, firstly because it comes from the collection of the old Warrnambool Museum and secondly because it shows the local interest in the 19th century of the notable English writer and philosopher, John Ruskin.
This is a copy of a steel plate engraving, a black and white sketch of the head and upper body of John Ruskin. It is enclosed in a cut glass frame with a red cardboard backing attached by metal clips. A section of the backing is torn off and there is damage to the bottom part of the glass frame.
J. Ruskin
old warrnambool museum, warrnambool art gallery, flagstaff hill maritime museum, warrnambool & district historical society, joseph archibald, john ruskin portrait
This item is an example of Carnival Ware glass. Carnival Ware is pressed glass to which an iridescent surface shimmer has been applied using metallic salts. The trade name of the colour is 'Marigold'. Carnival Ware was first produced in U.S.A in 1908 and production in both U.S. A. and other countries continued until the 1940s, with the 1920s being the decade when it was most popular. It was a cheaper version of a decorative item for the household as well as having a utilitarian purpose and is a collectable glass today.
This vase has no known local significance but is retained as an example of an item likely to be found in many local households of the 20th century.
This is an orange-coloured pressed glass vase. It is on a stand of three legs and has a fluted patterned top rim. The body of the vase has raised decorations of butterflies and berries.
carnival ware, vintage glass ware, carnival ware glass vase
These two orange-coloured dishes are made of pressed glass to which an iridiscent surface shimmer has been added by the application of metallic salts. They are examples of Carnival Ware and the orange colour is known in the trade world as 'marigold'. Carnival Ware was first produced in 1908 as a relatively cheap version of decorative glassware in U.S.A. and this country was the main producer up to the 1940s, with the 1920s being the decade when it was most popular. Carnival Ware was also produced in other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom and is a collectable item today.
These two dishes have no known local provenance and are retained as examples of vintage household items serving both a utilitarian and a decorative purpose.
.1 An oval shaped shallow glass dish with pressed patterns and handles at either end. The item is orange-coloured. .2 as above
carnival ware, orange glass dishes, vintage decorative items
This salt cellar is typical of the ones used extensively for cooking or for table use at mealtime in households of the 19th and 20th centuries (popular up to about the 1970s). These were the times when salt was used more so than today in households to preserve and to add to the flavour of food. Today an item such as this may still be in a domestic kitchen cupboard but the salt would be used more sparingly.
This item is retained as an example of a domestic item used extensively in the past.
This is a clear glass salt cellar with a round moulded bowl with fluted edges. The bowl is on a glass stand, also with fluted edges.
vintage domestic items, glass salt cellar
Glass ware for domestic use as crockery was popular in Australia in the 1960s. In our local area, the Warrnambool district, glass cups such as this one were provided at supper time at local dances for the dancers to have a cup of tea. The over heating of the handle was a draw back to the use of glass cups and so they went out of fashion.
This item has social significance.
This is a moulded glass cup with vertical ridges on the body and a curved handle.
glass cups, vintage domestic item, supper items at 1960s local dances.
Tea has always been a common drink in Australia and before the introduction of tea bags a teapot such as this was used to infuse the tea leaves. This item is a decorative piece and would have been used for special occasions. The use of tea bags in both teapots and cups became widespread in the 1960s in Australia. Tea bags are the popular choice today for tea drinkers.
This item has no known local provenance but is retained as a fine example of a vintage tea pot.
This is a white china teapot with a lid which contains a steam hole and a handle. The spout has gold patterning. The handle is painted yellow with a gold strip. The lid has a yellow and blue decorative band and is decorated with flowers and gold pattern. The body of the teapot has the same decoration as the lid. The name of the country of origin and a number are on the base.
Made in Japan
tea pot, vintage domestic item, tea making in australia
This cup has been produced as a promotional item by the makers of Bovril, a meat extract paste usually used in cooking or stirred in hot water for a hot drink. It was developed in Britain in the 1870s and widely used during the depression of the 1930s and the World Wars when meat was scarce and expensive. Similar products such as Marmite (Britain) and Vegemite (Australia) have a vegetable rather than a meat base.
This item is a memento of the times past when hot drinks made from meat or vegetable paste were very popular and it is retained for display purposes.
This is a cream-coloured china cup with gold edgings and three gold-coloured Bovril logos (the name 'Bovril' inside a shield outline). The cup is mounted on a china base.
Bovril Made in England
meat extract products, bovril, vintage china, bovril cup
This glass dish would have been used for holding sweets or savouries or small cakes or biscuits.
This item, highly collectable Carnival -Ware, is kept for display purposes.
This is a Dugan marigold Carnival- ware glass bowl. It is made of iridescent pressed glass.It has an pressed image of a horse's head in the centre surrounded by a patterned rim and fluted edges.
vintage household item., glass dish, carnival ware
This is a vintage item from the early 20th century. It could have been used in a house hold context or by farmers in the paddocks, by hikers, family picnickers, campers or by workers in factories.
This item has no known provenance and is kept as an interesting vintage domestic object..
Deep blue enamel vacuum flask or thermos with a rusted metal handle and a lid which serves as a cup. There are rust patches on the base, sides and cup. The central section is round.
vintage domestic item, vintage vacuum flask, vintage thermos
This salt cellar is typical of those used extensively in households in Australia in the 19th and early 20th centuries at a time when salt was used on a liberal basis to flavour and preserve the food served. While a similar item may be used today in the main it has been superseded by smaller salt and pepper shakers.
This item has no known local significance and is retained for display purposes.
This is an oval-shaped clear glass container with a ridged incised base and lower sides. The upper side area has a pattern of dome-shaped pieces of glass. The container has an open top with no lid.
vintage domestic items, glass salt cellars
Amateur Radio Cards sent to William Douglas VK3GA
For the owner to preserve the cards as a record of radio contacts made and today to preserve the collection as an historical record.
Items kept in two plastic tubs.
Several thousand amateur radio cards and 32 log books.
amateur radio cards, bill douglas vk3ga, amateur radio, radio hams
amateur radio cards, bill douglas vk3ga, amateur radio, radio hams
This jug and bowl set is a household item dating from the early to mid 20th century. They would have held perhaps sugar and milk or cream and used on special occasions for family gatherings or the arrival of visitors for afternoon tea or at an "At Home" occasion.
This set has no known provenance but is retained as an attractive example of a household item used when dining on special occasions by the more affluent families in the district.
.1 A circular clear glass bowl hand-painted around the top area with an engraved band of blue, white and gold decoration, white decoration on the lower section of the bowl and gold bands around the middle section and the rim. .2 A jug of clear glass with hand-painting similar to that on the bowl.
jug and bowl set, vintage household item, kitchenware, warrnambool, glass jug and bowl, glass jug, vintage glass jug and bowl, vintage glass, warrnambool history
This album contains cigarette cards dating from the early 20th Century. The cards include Australian and English cricketers, Australian footballers, animals, racehorses, ships, Pacific Islanders, jockeys, actors and other famous people. The cards come from a variety of Australian and English cigarette companies. The album comes from the Edwards family who lived on the MORVEN property situated about 11 kilometres west of Branxholme in the Western District of Victoria. This property was sub divided in 1911 into 25 farms. There was once a Morven School and today there is a road of that name in the area..
This album is of considerable significance as it has historical value as an early collection of cigarette cards. Collecting of cigarette cards was a major social activity amongst young people, particularly in the first half of the 20th Century. It was a profitable advertising ploy for cigarette companies. Card and small object collecting by children today is still popular and used as an advertising mechanism.
This album has a worn cover in faded green and fawn colours with a blue spine almost wholly detached. The back cover is stained. The cover has text. There are eighteen double sided pages with cut spaces for holding seven cigarette cards on each. Most of the pages contain black and white, sepia or coloured cigarette cards. There is an inscription on the first page.
To Bennie from Auntie Lou. Xmas 1908
cigarette cards, morven, edwards family morven, album
These are two vintage small cups, probably dating from early in the 20th century. They may have originally had saucers to match. Both cups have different inscriptions, and were likely given as a present to indicate friendship or love and other examples of the same type of cup have similar inscriptions such as 'Remember me' and 'Forget-Me-Not'. The cup may not have been used but kept for decorative purposes.
This cup has no known provenance and is kept for display purposes as an attractive vintage household item
These are two small china cups with a light greenish yellow and white body and a white handles. The white section has some gold lettering on it. The cup is decorated with s raised pattern of a gold chain and blue and gold flowers. The country of origin is stamped on the base.
.1 A Present .2 Remember me. Made in Germany
small china cup, vintage china, household decorative items
This is a leather covered book of 801 pages. The cover is decorated with gold panels of fruit and has gold lettering on the spine. The pages have gilt edges. It contains text, sketches, lithographs, maps and five loose maps.
non-fiction
A contemporary and geographical record of Australasia in the 19th century
australasian history, antiquarian books, picturesque atlas of australasia, warrnambool, picturesque atlas of australasia volume 2
Victorian Collections acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.