In 1878, the water-powered Barwon Paper Mill opened on the north bank of the Barwon River at Buckley's Falls in Fyansford; and an adjacent site saw the beginning of what became known as Button Hill.
The Paper Mill's raw materials were straw (oat, wheat and barley) and rags. Before the rags were treated to break down their composition, hard objects such as fasteners, buttons and the ribs from ladies' stays were removed and thrown onto a pile nearby. This led to the land rising to the Mill's east becoming known as Button Hill.
Up to 100 women and girls sorted the rags in a designated rag house. The work was hard and the conditions unpleasant:
"The work is performed by girls and women, and the occupation certainly does not give one a lofty idea of the rag picker, the work being anything but clean, and in no way agreeable."
"The Fyansford paper Mill." The Geelong Advertiser. 25 August 1880. No page number.
According to the Victorian Heritage Database, Button Hill consists of
hundreds of thousands of glass, ceramic, bone and metal buttons, beads
and other clips and fasteners. The site is owned privately and awaits
proper archeological investivation
Source:
“The Barwon Paper Mill.” Geelong Advertiser. 19 March
1878. No page numbers. http://barwonblogger.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
75,000 BC: Humans start using glass
Probably as early as 75,000 BC, humans used naturally-occurring glass to make articles such as knives and arrow-heads.
Our use of naturally-occurring glass pre-dates any written records of the practice (e.g. the ancient Egyptians' use of glass) and it
certainly pre-dates our ability to make glass.
The
most common form of naturally-occurring glass is obsidian, formed when the heat of volcanoes melts
rocks such as granite, which then become glassy upon cooling.
Other forms of naturally-occurring glass are:
Source: http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ge-Hy/Glass.html
Ancient glass on the Bellarine Peninsula?
We have yet to find any mention of naturally-occurring glass on the Bellarine. However, there is a chance that somewhere in Australia there is natural glass formed by an asteroid impact.
Asteroids have been cited as the origin of naturally-occurring yellow-green glass in the Sahara Desert in Egypt and black glass across South-East Asia. Scientists believe that the glass in the Sahara Desert was formed thirty million years ago, when an asteroid exploded just above the earth into a fireball 10,000 times more powerful than the first atomic bomb. The explosion created
surface temperatures of 1,800 degrees Celsius, melting the sand into thousands
of chunks of yellow-green glass.
The same scientists believe that 800,000 years ago, another asteroid exploded just above the earth into a series of fireballs that melted the ground into black glass in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and southern China.
What next for the Bellarine's glass-related history?
Australia has certainly been hit by asteroids; and it's likely that asteroids were implicated in forming natural glass. However, the scientists investigating the natural glass in Egypt and in S-E Asia note that in neither case is there a crater to serve as evidence of the asteroid's impact. Instead, they believe, the asteroids exploded above ground, leaving no crater, but nonetheless melting the ground under them into glass. So while it's possible that humans in what is now Australia used asteroid-formed glass in the past, proof awaits the first finding of natural glass.
 |
| Obsidian |
 |
| Obsidian spear-head |
Other forms of naturally-occurring glass are:
- pumice, a glassy foam produced from lava
- fulgurites, glass tubes formed by lightning striking sand or sandy soil
- tektites, lumps or beads of glass probably formed during meteoric impacts.
Ancient glass on the Bellarine Peninsula?
We have yet to find any mention of naturally-occurring glass on the Bellarine. However, there is a chance that somewhere in Australia there is natural glass formed by an asteroid impact.
Australia has 26 confirmed craters created by asteroids between five thousand and two billion years ago; and it has another 6 unconfirmed craters. (The confirmed
craters are listed in
the Earth Impact Datbase, maintained by the University of New Brunswick’s
Planetary and Space Science Centre.)
 |
| Natural glass in the Sahara |
The same scientists believe that 800,000 years ago, another asteroid exploded just above the earth into a series of fireballs that melted the ground into black glass in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and southern China.
Source:
“Tutankhamun’s Fireball”. Horizon series. BBC.
2006.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO61IKwRpis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO61IKwRpis
What next for the Bellarine's glass-related history?
 |
| Natural glass from the Sahara |
Australia has certainly been hit by asteroids; and it's likely that asteroids were implicated in forming natural glass. However, the scientists investigating the natural glass in Egypt and in S-E Asia note that in neither case is there a crater to serve as evidence of the asteroid's impact. Instead, they believe, the asteroids exploded above ground, leaving no crater, but nonetheless melting the ground under them into glass. So while it's possible that humans in what is now Australia used asteroid-formed glass in the past, proof awaits the first finding of natural glass.
Monday, December 1, 2014
1890: Future destination of Bellarine shell grit opens in Melbourne
In 1890, the glass-making company Australian Glass Manufacturers (AGM) opened a factory at Spotswood, moving from the South Melbourne site that it had occupied since 1873.
AGM's move is (just!) part of the glass-related history of the Bellarine Peninsula because in 1959, AGM started to take delivery of up to 1,000 tons of shell grit a week from the Laker's processing plant near Point Lonsdale.
The Melbourne Glass Bottle Works
AGM's new Spotswood factory was known as the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works. In its first decade, the Bottle Works grew rapidly, until it employed five hundred staff and occupied five acres.
The site was serviced by a railway line that led from the Spotswood railway station to the Spotswood Pumping Station. From there it curved to the east, running directly into the AGM site via a purpose-built railway siding. It was at this siding that, between 1959 and 1973, trains carrying shell grit from the Bellarine would terminate their journey. (See "1959: Shell grit for Melbourne glass works re-opens Bellarine rail line". 27 November 2014 on this blog.)
In 1973, the Spotswood siding ceased to receive shipments of shell grit from the Bellarine, as AGM changed its suppliers for a company in New South wales. In 1998, the Spotswood siding fell into disuse altogether, as railway shipments of sand from Nyora, South Gippsland (via the Koala siding) ceased.
The Spotswood siding was decommissioned in August 2001, but parts of it remain in place, buried under concrete driveways and hardstand on what is now private land.
AGM in Sydney
 | |
| Westgate Bridge & AGM, Spotswood |
The Melbourne Glass Bottle Works
AGM's new Spotswood factory was known as the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works. In its first decade, the Bottle Works grew rapidly, until it employed five hundred staff and occupied five acres.
 |
| AGM worker & milk bottles, 1958. |
In 1973, the Spotswood siding ceased to receive shipments of shell grit from the Bellarine, as AGM changed its suppliers for a company in New South wales. In 1998, the Spotswood siding fell into disuse altogether, as railway shipments of sand from Nyora, South Gippsland (via the Koala siding) ceased.
The Spotswood siding was decommissioned in August 2001, but parts of it remain in place, buried under concrete driveways and hardstand on what is now private land.
AGM in Sydney
By the late 19th century, glass production had become one of South Sydney’s main
industries. Glassworks were established at
Redfern and Alexandria and the Australian Glass Manufacturers opened a glass
works on South Dowling Street, Waterloo.
AGM's Waterloo plant manufactured bottles for the pharmacy,
brewing, distilling and winemaking industries; and jars for domestic preserving and
pickling fruit and vegetables. By the 1920s, AGM had a monopoly on glassmaking in
Sydney.
 |
| AGM display vehicle, Sydney, 1930s |
In 1926, AGM launched a subsidiary company - Crown Crystal Glass Pty.
Ltd. - to produce crystal, cut, pressed and blown glassware (including pyrex) for
industrial and domestic use. By the late 1930s, the company was producing 9,634
different types of glass bottles and containers.
In 1968 Crown Crystal Glass became partners with American
company Corning Ltd., becoming Crown Corning Ltd. The partnership ended in
1988.
Sources
http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/australian-glass-manufacturers/
Thursday, November 27, 2014
1959: Shellgrit for Melbourne glass works re-opens Bellarine rail line
On November 16 1959, the Geelong – Queenscliff line re-opened, heralding a new chapter in the glass-related history of the Bellarine Peninsula.
The re-opened line (which branched off at South Geelong) connected the Laker family's shell grit plant near Queenscliff with the Australian Glass Manufacturers (AGM) plant at Spotswood.
At what was known as Laker's siding, just west of point Lonsdale, a concrete platform and elevated loading bins were provided. From there, up to 1,000 tons of shellgrit was despatched each week to AGM's plant at Spotswood, for use in glassmaking. A train ran weekly to Laker's Siding until 1973, when AGM changed suppliers. In 1976, Lakers siding closed.
How did AGM use Bellarine shellgrit?
Shellgrit consists mostly of seashells, which are made of Calcium Carbonate (also known as ‘lime’, ‘quicklime’, ‘limestone’, ‘calcite). When mixed with an acid, Calcium Carbonate becomes Calcium Oxide, giving off Carbon Dioxide; and Calcium Oxide is used in making glass, steel and paper.
The re-opened line (which branched off at South Geelong) connected the Laker family's shell grit plant near Queenscliff with the Australian Glass Manufacturers (AGM) plant at Spotswood.
At what was known as Laker's siding, just west of point Lonsdale, a concrete platform and elevated loading bins were provided. From there, up to 1,000 tons of shellgrit was despatched each week to AGM's plant at Spotswood, for use in glassmaking. A train ran weekly to Laker's Siding until 1973, when AGM changed suppliers. In 1976, Lakers siding closed.
How did AGM use Bellarine shellgrit?
Shellgrit consists mostly of seashells, which are made of Calcium Carbonate (also known as ‘lime’, ‘quicklime’, ‘limestone’, ‘calcite). When mixed with an acid, Calcium Carbonate becomes Calcium Oxide, giving off Carbon Dioxide; and Calcium Oxide is used in making glass, steel and paper.
The
basic ingredient of glass is Silica (sand) and glass-makers
generally add Calcium Carbonate and Sodium Carbonate to Silica to lower its melting point and to
make it more malleable and easy to work with. (Pure
Silica can produce excellent glass, but it takes very high temperatures to melt [1,723 degrees Centigrade, or 3,133 degrees Fahrenheit] and, when molten, is so viscous that it is difficult to handle.)
Prior history of the Geelong - Queenscliff line
The Geelong – Queenscliff line (branching off at South Geelong) had opened in 1879 carrying passengers and freight. Passenger services ceased in 1931, mainly due to bus competition. However, freight trains operated twice weekly on the line between 1931 and 1934, reduced to weekly in 1934.
After the war, the weekly goods run was reduced to fortnightly;
and after further declines in traffic, the line closed on May 13 1959 - only to re-open six months later.
Sources:
http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide/queenscliff
http://bellarinerailway.com.au/lakers-siding/attachment/8
http://highriser.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/easter-2.html
The Geelong – Queenscliff line (branching off at South Geelong) had opened in 1879 carrying passengers and freight. Passenger services ceased in 1931, mainly due to bus competition. However, freight trains operated twice weekly on the line between 1931 and 1934, reduced to weekly in 1934.
 |
| Laker's siding (1960?) |
 |
| Laker's siding 2011 |
Laker's siding revived!
 | |||||
| The 'new' Laker's station |
In 1979, the Bellarine Railway
re-opened the siding and in 2003 the company built a passenger station, using
an original VR Portable building and the Marshalltown post office hut. In 2007,
the Bellarine Railway started the “Lakers Project”, which will upgrade the
platform, enable steam trains to take on water and create a 150 metre long
rolling stock shed. Later on, workshops will be built, creating Lakers as the
Bellarine Railway’s maintenance base.
Sources:
http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide/queenscliff
http://bellarinerailway.com.au/lakers-siding/attachment/8
http://highriser.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/easter-2.html
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
How exciting is the 2015 Festival of Glass going to be? We have not approached the workshops scenario in the past as we have this year, and we are very pleased to have Mark Eliott from Sydney in attendance at the Festival, and also to conduct 2 different workshops in the days following. Already we have 4 people confirmed as attending his 3 day session, so we are very pleased about this as well.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
The Glass Trail
About
The
Glass Trail links twelve glass artists, craftspeople and businesses in
the Geelong area of Australia via a brochure for locals and visitors to
follow.
People who follow The Glass Trail will see a wide variety of glass goods, including jewellery, sculpture and household items, most of them hand-made locally. They can learn something about how these items are made and may see demonstrations of glass workers’ various intricate techniques.
The Glass Trail is an initiative of the Festival of Glass. Promoting the twelve participants in The Glass Trail - and encouraging them to promote each other - furthers the Festival's aim of promoting the Geelong area as a centre of glass activity.
People who follow The Glass Trail will see a wide variety of glass goods, including jewellery, sculpture and household items, most of them hand-made locally. They can learn something about how these items are made and may see demonstrations of glass workers’ various intricate techniques.
The Glass Trail is an initiative of the Festival of Glass. Promoting the twelve participants in The Glass Trail - and encouraging them to promote each other - furthers the Festival's aim of promoting the Geelong area as a centre of glass activity.
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