Port Welshpool & District Maritime Museum
Preserving and Promoting the Port Welshpool Region
Books for Sale at the Museum
'Splendid Isolation' A History of the Yarram & District Health Service
by Peter Stone
The town didn't want a hospital - after all, the township of Sale was only a days trek on a horse. But persistence prevailed and in October 1914, the Yarram and District Hospital was opened. But someone forgot about the beds.
The first patients arrived in January 1917. From these, "Yes Minister!" days, the hospital had grown to provide one of the finest rural health services in Australia. The isolation of Yarram has resulted in its own problems, but also has led to the retention of the hospital amidst strict cost-cutting by the Victorian Government.
This is a splendid history, factual and yet written in an easily-read style with many anecdotes.
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Although of parochial concern, there is much of interest on early health practices in Australia, and the development of rural health services.
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ISBN 0-958-66571-0
Hard & Softcover, 292 pages, many mono photographs
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$20.00
'River to Bay' Victoria's Maritime History
by Carole Wilkinson and Prue Pittock
In 1802, the governor of New South Wales, Governor King sent to ship Lady Nelson to explore the south coast of Australia. The waterways the Europeans discovered were the same ones that were integral to the Kulin Nation. This was the beginning of the confrontational contact of First Nations peoples and Europeans in Victoria.
River to Bay, relates the European maritime history of Victoria from 1802 to today. The history is interesting. We discover that the early settlers were unable to discover fresh water. They resorted to filtering sea water by burying barrels with holes drilled into them before covering them in the sand. This allowed sea water to wash through the barrels and leave salty but still drinkable water.
The ‘Fever Ships’ of 1839 to 1852 were shocking as fleas, lice, cockroaches, and rats carrying typhoid were brought to the colony. A vaccine to combat typhoid was developed in 1896. There are so many interesting facts to uncover.
Prue Pittock provides imaginative and interesting details through her drawings. She illustrates what’s inside a fever ship. The map of Port Phillip provides context. The 1803-1804 map of the tents, settler huts, parade ground, gun battery, and all other aspects of settlement might send students into creative stories or more research. The settlement’s map filled with sheep make readers reflect on the history of sheep in Australia. There is so much to enjoy and learn.
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Suitable for ages 7+
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$20.00
River to Bay, Victoria's Maritime History is a welcome introduction to the development of Melbourne and Victoria. Maybe a follow up could be the maritime history of the other states. It is a welcome addition to school libraries, especially in Victoria.
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Kulin Nation country is abundant with waterways essential to the way the traditional owners who have lived there for more than 60,000 years.
'A Walk and a Talk in a Gippsland Gully'
by Susan Greenaway-Sedman
A compilation of Art, Verse and photos of events in Gippsland.
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$25.00