Summary
Overview of the Sunshine Harvester Works factory
The Sunshine Harvester Works' factory site was initially home to the Braybrook Implement Works established in 1889-1890. Sunshine Harvester Works founder H.V McKay bought the site in 1904 and began moving his company from Ballarat.
Initially a small area consisting of a few buildings in 1906 the factory grew to accommodate 114 buildings by 1954, making it one of the largest manufacturing plants in Australia. By 1954, the total ground area covered by the factory's buildings was 1,651,928 sq. ft. The site was so large that factory foremen rode bicycles between the various departments.
The Sunshine Harvester Works' factory dominated the Sunshine landscape. From the rows of saw-tooth buildings to smoke billowing from its chimneys, the factory could not be missed. A notable sound coming from the site was the factory whistle which could be heard throughout Sunshine.
The site transformed as additional factory departments were created or enlarged and production expanded. Perhaps the most ambitious and expensive factory upgrade took place when Massey-Ferguson took over the company in 1955. Between 1964 and 1969, the company spent £500,000 on improving the site. This included updating machine tools and equipment which were nearly 50 years old and general repairs and maintenance on buildings.
Despite the marked improvement of the factory, it could not be saved from the company's dire financial situation. From 1969, Massey-Ferguson (Australia)'s local sales and profits began to decline, as did the workforce. Despite a temporary recovery in the mid-1970s, the company's profits contracted thereafter. In 1986, the Sunshine factory ceased production after nearly 80 years.
A few elements of the factory site and company offices still survive. They include the Bulk Store, Russell Street gate, clock tower (built in the 1950s), the original 1909 Head Office and offices from the 1930s.
- References
- Ford, O 2001. Harvester Town: The Making of Sunshine, 1890-1925, Sunshine and District Historical Society, Sunshine.
- H.V. McKay, Factory Plan, 1954. Held in Museum Victoria's H.V McKay Sunshine Collection, registration no. HT 9495.
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- Industrial Chaplaincy at Sunshine Harvester Works
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