Stanley Steamer

Sue, from the Cataloguing Team, has been looking at the Stanley Steamer.

You can find her post on Old Gippstown's main blog.

What is our most Sigificant Item?

Members of the Cataloguing Team recently attended a Heritage Victoria Forum at Briagolong Mechanics' Institute on the subject of Significance.

Which has us thinking about the Historical and Cultural Significance of many of the items we hold. While it isn't a competition as to what is the "most significant", many people name the Emden whistle when asked what they consider the most important item in the collection.

Originally fitted to the S.M.S. EMDEN, a WWI German light cruiser (built 1908, 3,600tons). The Emden was disabled and beached on North Keeling Island on November 9th, 1914 after having engaged the Australian light cruiser HMAS SYDNEY (built 1912, 5,400tons) in a 1-1/2 hour battle.
In 1915, the whistle was salvaged from the Emden's wreck, and was obtained by Sir John Monash, first Chairman & General Manager of the S.E.C.V, during 1918 ( after Cessation of Hostilities). For many years it was sounded at Yallourn for the start and finish of work.

Old Gippstown also holds a model of the Emden, although its maker is not known.

Cataloguing in Dr Andrew's

The Cataloguing Team is currently at work in the Yallourn House - sometimes also referred to as "Dr Andrew's"

James Moore Andrew spent almost all his working life as a GP for the town of Yallourn. After his death, the family offered first his desk and chair, and then more items.

The house is not the one in which he lived in Yallourn -these two story houses were for Management. However it is the most appropriate place in which to recognise the work of Dr Andrew.

The building has been closed for a number of months for repainting some rooms - we hope it will reopen in the near future. The cataloguing team is currently reinstating the kitchen display.

This is Dr Andrew's desk - it still contains many of his original documents.