A Freshwater Mussel Shell

At a Country Buttonfest a few years ago, I was working in the Club’s Display area, sharing and discussing information with the public. One particular lady was very interested in the shell and pearl button display. After talking with her for some time, she removed from around her neck a leather thong with a mussel shell attached. The lady was Rhyll Plant who has had a long and varied career with Museums Victoria. (Google to see what this woman has done!)
The mussel shell is well over 100 years old and had been used to make buttons in the early days of European colonisation.
This freshwater mussel is Velesunio Unionidae, native to Australia and is now considered vulnerable. They are important for maintaining water quality. These mussels have a unique life cycle that includes a parasitic/symbiotic larval stage. The larvae attach to the gills and fins of fish, where they develop before detaching and spreading throughout the water ways.
Very little has been written about the freshwater shell button industry in Australia, the history is dominated by the oyster shell industries. If you have any information on the freshwater shell industry, please contact a member of The Victorian Button Collectors Club.