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

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