Tide Gauge Clock - Used at Williamstown, J. Newman, London, England, circa 1850s

Summary

Pendulum clock, made by J. Newman, London. Used to drive the recording apparatus of a self-registering tide-gauge [registered as ST 29815], which was erected at Williamstown by the Harbour Department in 1858, and operated until the 1950s.

The tide gauge was located in a small bluestone house at the shore end of Breakwater Pier, Williamstown. The supervision of the gauge and recording of the data was variously done by the Harbour Department, Williamstown Observatory and Admiralty surveyors, before passing to the supervision of the Melbourne Observatory in 1874, until its closing in 1943. The equipment and responsibility then passed to the Melbourne Harbour Trust.

The movement of the tides was recorded on a calibrated strip of paper, which rotated on a drum driven by the clock.