Summary

Part of a large collection of glass plate and film negatives, transparencies, photo albums, product catalogues, videos, motion picture films, company journals, advertisements and newspaper cuttings relating to the operations of the International Harvester Company and its subsidiaries in Australia.

The International Harvester Company of America was formed in 1902 by the merger of five leading American agricultural machinery manufacturers. An Australian subsidiary was established in 1904 to manage Australian distribution and sales and over subsequent decades International Harvester became a major competitor to local manufacturers like H.V. McKay's Sunshine Harvester Works.

Later International Harvester established its own Australian manufacturing works, producing agricultural equipment (and later tractors) at Geelong from 1939, motor trucks at Dandenong from 1952 and earthmoving and construction equipment at Port Melbourne from 1958.

Description of Content

Taken at Sunshine on 6 April 1940. Women's Auxiliary Training League members learning to drive tractors with towed implements. The WATL members were to provide a reserve of qualified machinery operators on farms as males left to join the armed services during the World War II. This training at Sunshine was sponsored by the Power Farming Association and 18 drivers were trained with tractors donated by seven agricultural equipment suppliers including International Harvester. A crop of wheat was sown as part of their training.

Physical Description

Black & white cellulose acetate photographic negative.

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