Summary

Sepia-toned catalogue detailing implements manufactured by Sunshine Harvester Works. It was produced for the Tasmanian market, with the address of both H.V. McKay's Launceston office & showrooms, and the name and address of the Hobart agents printed on the front page. The selection of products included, such as smaller implements and general farm equipment, reflects the type of products that McKay would typically have been selling into the Tasmanian market at this time to orchardists, horticulturalist and market gardners working on small acreages. The Sunshine petrol engine and Sunshine harvester are mentioned briefly on the back page. By October 1916, only about 100 Sunshine haarvesters in total had been sold into the Tasmanian market, largely because climatic conditions made this type of equipment less suitable for cereals grown in Tasmania.

In reporting on the offical openning of H.V. McKay's new Tasmanian headquarters at the corner of York & St John Streets, Launceston, in July 1918, the Launceston 'Examiner' commented that Mr D. Ferguson, general manager of H.V. McKay's Sunshine Harvester Works "expressed his thanks to the old-established and widely respected firm of W. Hart and Sons, which had introduced the [Sunshine] Harvester into Tasmania, and whose decision to relinquish the agency was the reason of the extension of the enterprise to Tasmania. It had been deemed advisable to circularise farmers, and he had ordered some 4000 or 5000 circulars. These had been found to be altogether inadequate, and the number would reach something like 10,000, indicating the existence of a very extensive farming community in Tasmania." It is likely that this publication is the circular referred to in this report.

Part of a collection of photographs, negatives, moving film, artefacts, documents and trade literature belonging to the H. V. McKay Sunshine Collection. The McKay collection is regarded as one of the most significant industrial heritage collections in Australia. The collection relates to the agricultural manufacturing firm, the Sunshine Harvester Works. The Australian operations of this company were originally founded by Hugh V. McKay in the 1890s in Ballarat. Between 1906 and 1907, McKay moved production to Sunshine where the firm became one of the largest industrial businesses in Australia. Change in ownership is a recurring theme in the company's history. In 1930, it merged with Massey-Harris to become H.V McKay Massey Harris. In the mid-1950s, the company was absorbed by Canadian agricultural firm Massey-Ferguson. Production in Sunshine ceased in the mid-1980s, following almost 100 years of manufacturing agricultural equipment.

Physical Description

Soft-bound volume containing seven identical copies of H.V. McKay 8 page catalogue of implements & general farm machinery. Staple-bound at spline with woven fabric adhesive tape over binding and soft buff-brown cardboard covers.

Title

'A Few of the Implements / MADE BY / H.V.McKAY / Sunshine Harvester Works, SUNSHINE' 'Tasmanian Headquarters: Corner of York and St. John Streets, Launceston' 'AGENTS: / H.C. BUCHANAN & CO. LTD., 7 Murray Street, HOBART' 'Complete Illustrated Catalogues and Quotations sent post free on request.'

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