Summary
Typewritten letter to H. V. McKay Pty. Ltd. from Robert Anderson of Pine Grove, via Moama, NSW, dated 1 August 1928. An original photograph of this letter confirms the date as 1 August 1928.
The letter makes the offer of one of the first harvesters built by H. V. McKay in the original 'smithy' at Drummartin to be used in conjunction with the planned re-erection of the smithy at Sunshine in 25 September1928.
It is unlikely that the machine referred to in this letter was made in the McKay smithy at Drummartin. McKay created his prototype in this smithy in January 1885, this was tried in the field and then patented for 'Improvements in and connected with harvesting machines' on 24 March 1885. He contracted the ploughmakers McCalman, Garde & Company of North Melbourne to manufacture five machines, one which was exhibited at the National Agricultural Society Show in August 1885; all were sold for the 1885 harvest. In 1886 a small public company, the McKay Harvester Company, was formed to manage contracts to a number of companies (in Melbourne, Bendigo and Ballarat) for the production of the first machines.
This is part of the H.V. McKay Sunshine Collection which includes archives, photographs, films, objects, trade literature, company publications and oral histories.
Physical Description
Light brown, stained sheet of paper attached to a cardboard mount with adhesive tape. Single sheet of white backing card. The edges of the letter on left side and top left corner have been damaged (eaten by snails) and hence date and year of letter are absent. Typewritten text and handwritten signature in black ink.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Councillor Don McKay, Nov 1973
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Addressed To
H.V. McKay Pty Ltd, Sunshine, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1 Aug 1927-1 Aug 1928
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Author
Mr R. Anderson, New South Wales, Australia, 1 Aug 1927-1 Aug 1928
The letter is most likely to have been written in 1927, as the smithy was opened in 1928. -
Person Named
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Inscriptions
Letter: 'Pine Grove, / Via MOAMA N[missing] / [missing]t August [missing] / H. V. McKay Pty. Ltd., / SUNSHINE. Vic. / Dear Sirs, / I understand that you are re-erecting at Sunshine / the old smithy in which the late Hugh Victor McKay made his fir[missing] / Harvester, with a view to its being conserved as an object of / historic interest, and I have much pleasure in presenting to yo[missing] / for the same purpose, one of the very first harvesters made in / that little workshop. It was purchased 43 years ago by my fat[missing] / er, Mr. William Anderson, of "Pine HIll", and I often used it / when I was a boy working on my father's farm. When I started / farming myself, I acquired it from my father, and used it for a / great number of years; and I think I should be quite safe in sa[missing] / ing that I myself took off not less than 12,000 bags of wheat wi[missing] / the machine. / Yours truly, / [signature of Robert Anderson] '
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Agricultural & horticultural equipment, Correspondence
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
210 mm (Width), 305 mm (Height)
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Keywords
Agricultural Machinery, Correspondence, Harvesters, Agriculture, Innovations, Farming Methods, Agriculture, Innovation & Design