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.
Used on wash days to scrub clothes by hand.
A significant item for cleaning clothes still in use today in many countries giving a snapshot into the domestic life of a housewife.
Washboard wooden rectangular with wood grid and two legs
None
non-fiction
Magazine with articles of historical interest
port phillip association, state library of victoria, exhibition, 1982, john helder wedge, michael connolly, john batman, charles swanston, joseph tice gellibrand, george mercer, william buckley
Early → late 60's School desk, Primary school?
Used for majority of 20th century
Two seat wooden school desk with metal frame, Top of each side of desk lifts to reveal storage space, two ceramic ink wells
education, school, furniture
Standard manual eggbeater with unusual stand to allow easier addition of ingredients while mixing.
Vintage metal eggbeater with cream enamel clamp made for purpose. Propert clamp Persinware beater
Clamp - Propert Pat. NO 28044/49 Beater - Persinware
domestic object, egg beater, propert, stand, persinware
Utensil used in kitchens when preparing coffee.
Black enamel Cast iron coffee grinder attach to table or bench. Long handle clamp
Rapide No.1 Beatrice Coffee grinder
domestic object, kitchen utensil, coffee, grinder, bench top, manual
Kitchen gadget used in the 1930s/1940s to be a labour saving device
Green metal domestic slicer with three blades on a wheel turned by handle, can be clamped to bench
Initials KBC, Cast iron
domestic object, kitchen, bean slicer, ken bowes & co ltd, labour saving
19/20th Century
Social Significance - Used at School
School Bell, Brass with Wooden Handle repaired cracks with segment welded into place
education, school
Early 20th Century, Late 60's Early 70's school Desk, Primary or Secondary School
Used for majority of 20th Century
Two Seat School Desk, Wooden with Metal Frame, Top of each side of desk lifts to reveal storage space. No Ink wells brass hinges on desktops
Non- Sensical Graffiti written on surface of desk flaps, and inside storage spaces, some engraving - again non- sense
education, school, furniture
This iron was used by women to press the clothes from the mid 19th century. Coal embers were put inside, heating the base of the iron. Small bellows could be used to fire up the embers in order to keep the iron hot.
This item is significant as it represents the appliances used by women from the mid 19th century until the advent of electricity.
Brass iron with hinged lid, curved funnel and wooden handle with asbestos stand
domestic object, iron, laundry, appliance
Hoover Steam or Dry Iron - vintage 1950s or 1960s. It is a compact and heavy iron with electric cable. Model 4554
This is an early electric stem iron, with a cloth covered power cable.
Old Hoover iron with different settings
The Hoover Iron trademark, model 4554, Ser No RF71510, 240V. 1000 watts A.C. only. Made at Meadowbank, Sydney, NSW, Hoover (Australia) Pty Limited
iron, steam iron, electric, hoover brand
This meat mincer was born in a period where hand operated mincing and blending machines were only available for household mincing meats and blending ingredients up to the 1960s. Electrical kitchen based whitegoods were rare in areas where the connection to electricity was intermittent or not at all.
This kitchen aid is a very significant item in the Kiewa Valley before suitable electrically operated mincers became available and constant reliable electrical connections were installed. The Kiewa Hydro Electricity Scheme provide the stable supply of electricity which made most of the hand operated mincing machines obsolete. However, large mincers for bulk supplies were still required, eg kitchens for SEC workers during the 50s and 60s.
Funnel type feed to a horizontal screw feed mechanism operated by a hand crank.
These wooden butter pats were used to shape butter into bricks; making butter ready for sale and use. The excess moisture would be squeezed out of the butter; which was then transferred to a wooden board. The butter maker would hold one of these pats in each hand and work the butter into shape. These wooden pats are thin; light and easy to hold. The inside face is serrated to grip the butter and squeeze out any further water. It was also used to make patterns on the finished butter.
Wooden butter pats with handle. One side is rubbed, the other smooth
butter pats, butter making
Halda typewriter made in Sweden, 1914. Introduced in Sweden by Halda Fickurfabriks in 1896. Originally owed and used by the Ferry Aviation company until the late 1960s. A plaque 'Sydney Pincombe Pty Ltd Sole Australian Agents'. They were Sydney based agents for typewriters. Founded by Sydney Pincombe c.1909. The company continued until 1981.
Forms part of the "Office Equipment Collection" which shows the progress of equipment used to assist in office work.
Manual Halda typewriter
Halda - Made in Sweden Sydney Pincombe Pty Ltd - Sale Australian Agents
manual typewriter, office equipment
Fairbanks weighing scales (to weigh 2 lb) - Fairbanks' most famous invention then became the platform scale for weighing heavy objects.
This item is significant as it demonstrates a by-gone method of weighing mail. It is also significant as it uses pre-metric measurements, placing its age before 1966.
Post office scales with two dishes and five weights ranging from 1 oz to 2 lb.
To weigh 2 lb - Fairbanks, Birmingham
scales, postage, mail
Electric portable heater with a bow pattern 1940's
Example of domestic electric heater
Portable heater with power cord, and a bow pattern on the front (1940's).
1940s, heater, electric, portable, radiator
Alexanderwerk Germany hand meat mincer/grinder
Used in most homes as a method of reducing waste, and for preparing meals using minced ingredients.
Funnel type feed to a horizontal screw feed mechanism operated by a hand crank.
Alexanderwerk Germany (8)
kitchen, mincer, home use
Burroughs Adding Machines Ltd of Detroit Michigan was the first company to occupy a factory at Strathleven. During the European reconstruction in the late 1940's Burroughs built a major new factory at Strathleven in Scotland, initially to assemble machines from US-made parts and later to manufacture the full product range for the British and Commonwealth markets. Most of the post-war calculators and portables found in Australia are from the Strathleven factory.
This manually operated calculator predates the rise of the modern computer.
A manually operated Burrough's adding machine. It is a greyish green plastic and has a silver handle. It has 8 columns to add manually and has decimal currency. There is a roll of white (slightly yellowed) paper inserted in the top section.
Burroughs Machine Limited, Strathleven, Scotland Made in Great Britain
burroughs adding machine, office, calculator, detroit, michigan
Tin box (1 of 4), for 'Ayrton's Sulphur & Yeast Tablets', metal, Ayrton, Saunders and Co Ltd, Liverpool, England, 1910-1940
A small Ayrton's Sulphur and Yeast tablets with seven red dots showing usage features of these tablets.
Ayrton's Sulphur and Yeast Tablets Ayrton's, Saunders & Co Ltd, Hanover Street, Liverpool
ayrton's sulphur & yeast tablets, remedy, sulphur, yeast, tablets
The product Sucrets lozenges were used as a treatment for a sore throat. It was introduced in Baltimore, Maryland, by Sharp & Dohme in 1932.
An example of over-the-counter treatment for common ailments.
Blue and cream tin. Cream lid with blue printed text. Blue base with cream square containing blue printed text.
'Sucrets' Antiseptic throat lozenges tested for germicidal activity
sucrets antiseptic throat lozenges, container, tin
John Thomas Raw, Broadmeadows School, Education
Presented to the outgoing headmaster of the Broadmeadows School.
Two piece bureau style desk (third piece missing). Top is a bureau style with velvet (reconditioned) writing pad and pigeon holes of various sizes Bottom piece is a two door cabinet with a top drawer. All lock with a key.
White metal plaque enscribed: Presented to / J. T. Raw esq: / By his friends in the Broadmeadows district / As a mark of respect / Feb 24th 1888. Locks engraved: Mobbs & Co London / Lever / Machine made.
education, presentation
Frederick A. Lewis; Rene A Lewis; Len Ricketts
Communication between donor's acent and BHS
2x letters covering donation and item list. A4 size sheets
lewis & whitty, frederick a. lewis, tea set, silver, presentation
Commemorative spoon 125th anniversary.
Commemorative Spoon
White metal commemorative spoon, with enameled City of Broadmeadows logo.
Enameled City of Broadmeadows logo with "City of Broadmeadows 125th Anniversary" around logo.
city of broadmeadows, anniversary
F. A Lewis, Irene A. Lewis
Provides provenance and history of the coffee/tea set item BHS- 00001-2024
A 2 Page Handwritten letter
f.a. lewis, irene a. lewis, lewis & whitty, richmond, tea set, silver
A significant household item used in the process of washing clothes by Melvin Newton Lovell who had started in 1869, as a young carpenter and later he became a successful businessman and manufacturer of household items.
Small home appliance.
A mangle or wringer is a mechanical laundry aid consisting of two rollers in a sturdy frame, connected by cogs and powered by a hand crank.
domestic object, laundry, melton newton lovell
Larus and Brother Company (1877-1968) was a diversified tobacco company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company manufactured pipe tobacco, cigarettes and charcoal.
Relates to historic past times and habits.
Vintage Edgeworth extra high grade pipe tobacco tin - features a blue lid with old style font.
Edgeworth extra high grade sliced pipe tobacco Larus & Bro Co, Richmond, VA USA
smoking, tobacco, container
Tobacco Tin, Murray Sons & Co Ltd, Erinmore Flake Pipe Tobacco, Estimated date: 1930's Rectangular metal tin with fitted lid. Yellow painted lid with red print in centre on lid. Murray's trademark pineapple at lower centre on lid. Yellow top. Red writing. Dark grey base.
Relates to historic past-time and habits
Rectangular metal tin with fitted lid. Yellow painted lid with red print in centre on lid. Murray's trademark pineapple at lower centre on lid. Yellow top. Red writing. Dark grey base.
Murray's Erinmore Flake Made in Northern Ireland by Murray Sons & Co Ltd, Belfast
smoking, tobacco, container
This cast iron kitchen appliance was made in England in the early 1900's and shipped to the "colony" Australia. This was before World War II and the "growing up" of a colony to an independent member of "the British Commonwealth". It was a period when most appliances (be they household) where manufactured in England and shipped to Australian ports. It was not until the late 1960's that the Asian manufacturing giant woke up and started to dominate the marketplace.
This domestic kitchen appliance is very significant to the Kiewa Valley because it highlights the "made at home" period when food processing was made "in house" due to inability to source food from specialised shops. It was a period before mass food processing factories were established and roads constructed up to the standard for distribution to semi remote regions such as Kiewa Valley was in the beginning of the 1900's.
This cast iron (malleable iron) mincer for meat products has a large "funnel" to direct "chunks" of meat to the grinding "wheels". These "star" shaped wheels with "teeth" of three different cutting surfaces (fine, medium and coarse) provide for texture types of the final meat product. The meat is placed into the "loading" funnel and push downwards(gravity feed) through the mincing chamber and out through the front side. There is a long "screw worm" which is rotated by turning the handle. The appliance is table mounted by a vice "G" screw on clamp (hand operated).
Beatrice - Made in England (No. 3)
kitchen, mincer, home use
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.
