Gatekeepers Cottage, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart

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Following the resignation of Dr Story in 1845 after a mere twelve months as superintendent (Secretary Manager), the Royal Society decided to build a separate house for the Superintendent, possibly to make up for the relatively low salary. Designed by the Colonial Architect, Porden Kay, it was situated near the northern end of the Arthur Wall, and initially had two rooms and kitchen downstairs, with a (very) steep stairway to a small attic.

The Gardens and Government House are fortunate in lying on top of a delta-shaped deposit of fine sandstone, easily cut and shaped, whilst the remainder of the Domain is largely dolerite, a hard igneous rock much more difficult to work. Building was completed the same year it was begun, but appears never to have been occupied by any of the Superintendents, though it was certainly well-used. In its time it was home to an Overseer / gatekeeper, served as a porter’s Lodge and Tea Rooms: this last was not a success.
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

Right: Guide to cottage layout (not to scale)


Room 1 to right. Room 2 to left.

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Central Deborah Mine, Bendigo – above ground

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At its peak, Central Deborah Gold Mine reached a depth of 412 metres. It has 17 separate levels and 15 kilometres of drives and cross cuts (tunnels). The Central Deborah was very much a hands-on mine and the conditions that the miners worked in would be considered shocking by today's standards – being lowered underground in a cage with only two sides, often working ankle to knee deep in water, filling up to 32 ore trucks a shift by hand which were then pushed a mile or more along rails in the drives, working by carbide lamp, breathing in the fumes and rock dust and communication by bells. Geez, they were ironmen. However, at the time working conditions were considered to be among the best on the goldfields at Central Deborah, after all it was one of the only mines that had hot showers. From website

Underground.

 


"Robert's Double Drum Haulage Winch"



Partly crushed quartz containing gold was fed into the back of these battery boxes along with a steady flow of water. In operation, the large stampers, which life and drop about 90 times a minutes, crushed the quartz into a fine sad. Mercury, or quicksilver as it was called, was placed in the bottom of the battery box to take up most of the gold.

As the finely crushed material washed through the sieves, or screens, in the front of the battery box, gold that escaped was caught on a mercury-coated copper plate. Any fine gold that happened to get past the plate was caught in the blanket material on the lower end of the plate table.  All the finally crushed material was then washed onto the Wilfey[?] shaking table. The shaking action of the table separated minerals such as iron pyrites, and others, away form the quartz.


CARBIDE LIGHT ROOM
Carbide lights were used extensively underground by miners. Refillings lights with carbide was done in this room, which was equipped with special light fittings and switches to prevent sparks. By combining carbide and water acetylene, a flammable gas was produced to create a flame. The carbide was stored in air tight drums to ensure that no dangerous explosives were generated.


FIRST AID ROOM


Safe

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Jennings of 278 Post Office Place advertised safes for sale from 1891 to 1917. (Just prior to that, their address is 272 Post Office Place/Little Bourke Street.


Advocate (Melbourne), 24 November 1917

Western Electric Film Projector

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Located in Neil Pitt's Menswear in Launceston, which was formerly the Majestic Theatre, Launceston.

 


WESTERN ELECTRIC
FILM PROJECTOR
1929
This carbon arc projector was one of two main projectors used in the Majestic Theatre between 1929 and the early 60's. It was most recently kept as part of the collection of Geoff Scholes who regularly screened 35 mm films to friends and family. It's partner projector can be seen the George Town museum.

Prime Minister’s Suite, Old Parliament House, Canberra

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Main Post: Old Parliament House
The Prime Minister’s suite of rooms is situated in the northeast corner of Old Parliament House, an area that was occupied by the Prime Minister and his staff throughout the life span of the building.
. . .
The suite as it exists today was occupied by three Prime Ministers: Gough Whitlam (occupied it between 1972 to 1975), Malcolm Fraser (occupied it between 1975 to 1983) and Bob Hawke (occupied it between 1983 – 1988), and included offices (for the Prime Minister and his staff), an anteroom for press conferences (also used as a waiting room) and bathrooms.
. . .
Positions that worked in this suite included the principal private secretary, private secretaries, stenographers, senior advisors, advisors, ministerial officers, telephonists and secretarial staff. By the end of the 1980s more than 30 people, with others coming and going at busy times, filled every available corner of this maze of offices.
Museum of Australia Democracy

Photos are presented are in the order they were taken.

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Senate Opposition Party Room, Old Parliament House, Canberra

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Main post: Old Parliament House, Canberra

The Senate Opposition Party Room was known as the Senate Club Room from the opening of Provisional Parliament House in 1927 to 1937. It was a place for Senators from all political parties to congregate in a relaxed atmosphere to converse, write letters, read, or to enjoy film nights. Use of the Senate Club Room was later restricted to opposition Senators, who had lost the use of their former party room after the 1929 election, since which time it has been known as the Senate Opposition Party Room.

The room featured comfortable club style lounges and easy chairs, tables, mail boxes, large glass-fronted bookcases and (a later addition) sound proof telephone boxes for Senators without their own office space.
Museum of Australia Democracy

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Cellar, Woolmers

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At Woolmers Estate, near Longford. The steps down to the cellar are at the end there, on the other side of the railing.


At the top is an information panel that says:

CELLARS
Part of the original construction of the weatherboard homestead. The Cellar rooms are paved in sandstone flags and have a ceiling height of 2700mm (9 feet). Drainage pits in the floors of each room appear to maintain a steady level. Pin in room 4 remains constantly empty. Vaulted storage bins added in 1840s. Possibly to house the cider barrels.

Original entrance to the cellar was through a trap door from inside the house. Present entrance down timber topped brick steps install in the 1840s.


Look up


Through first doorway.


Through second doorway.


Now heading back


Back through here


And there's another room to the side

And out!

Tram

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Larger version.

Restored tram, belonging to Hobart City Council.


First paragraph:
TRAM NO. 39
Built in 1917 as a two-man tram.
No. 39 was originally operated by both a driver and a conductor. In 1926 it was converted to a one-man tram on which the driver was also required to collect the fares. After about 1946, when No. 39 was taken out of service, it served for a number of years as the meal room at the Moonah tram depot. It 1949 a former tramways inspector purchased No. 39 for £10 and kept it in his backyard in New Town for almost 40 years.

Lower deck, P.S. Gem

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Larger image

Lower deck on P.S. Gem, at the Swan River Pioneer Settlement.

From information panel on post:

ENGINE ROOM
Following her conversion from barge to paddle steamer in 1877, this space would have been filled with the large, wood fired boiler which provided the steam for the engine. That was linked directly to the paddles through shafts either side. As can be seen in the photograph, the wood used as fuel took up a great deal of space here too. In 1891/92 that original engines was supplemented with a second set of pistons, increasing both power and efficiency.

To Middle Deck.

To Middle Deck