Summary

Comprehensive product catalogue that features the full range of Sunshine products each with its own image and accompanying text.

Some text gives quite detailed history of the products, for example the Sunshine Stripper Harvester section outlines when H.V McKay 'invented' the machine as well as details of the product. The historical context given in the catalogue highlights the achievements and prestige of the company by emphasising its origins and development. This is also evident from the image on the inside front cover of the catalogue which shows "the farm smithy at Drummartin where the first Sunshine Harvester was made by Hugh Victor McKay in the year 1884". It also goes on to say that a separate catalogue with a brief history of the company could be sent to any address on request.

The images and etchings thoughout the publication give an important insight into farming and rural life from the period. The images are not all concerned with the agriculture - the section for the Sunduo engine is accompanied by an image of a Vehicular Ferry on the Clarence River in New South Wales that was powered by the engine.

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.

Title

'SUNSHINE FARM IMPLEMENTS' Title Page: 'H.V. McKay Massey Harris Pty. Ltd., Sunshine Harvester Works, SUNSHINE, (Near Melbourne), AUSTRALIA. Maufacturers of Farm Machinery.'

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