Summary
Nine typewritten copies of minutes of a meeting of employees of the Sunshine Harvester Works, Ballarat, dated 1st November 1905. The meeting was chaired by G. Bult and was called as a result of a letter to the "Argus" editor from former employee, J. C. Weickhardt, dated 30th October 1905.
The letter from J. C. Weickhardt accuses local agricultural manufacturers of not paying reasonable wages and profiting excessively from local farmers. The resolution at the meeting was "That this Meeting consisting of men who have worked beside and knew J.C. Weichardt [sic], declare that his behaviour while here was such as to forfeit our confidence and respect. We also declare his statement with reference to the "Sunshine Harvester" Works appearing in this morning's "Argus" to be entirely untrue." The resolution was carried unanimously and signed on behalf of the workmen of various departments by their representatives: R. Rodgers (carpenters), W. Reynolds (blacksmiths), W. Bannister (painters), P. Hore (tinsmiths), J. Cairns (fitters), J. Aubrey (machinists) and R. Clark (wood machinists).
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
18 typewritten sheets of off-white, watermarked, translucent paper, printed in black or blue ink.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
Working Life & Trades, Public Life & Institutions, Sustainable Futures
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mrs. Cecil Newton McKay (nee Shaw), University of Melbourne Archives (The), circa 1970
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Organisation Named
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Inscriptions
First page (of each copy), handwritten: ' 5/1 Series B ' First page, typewritten: ' BALLARAT, NOV. 1st. 1905. / MINUTES OF INDIGNATION MEETING OF EMPLOYEES HELD THIS DAY / AT THE "SUNSHINE" HARVESTER WORKS BALLARAT. / MR GEO BULT IN THE CHAIR. / The following letter which appeared in this day's "Argus" was / read to the Meeting by the Chairman / MOVED BY MR.J. McDOWELL / SECONDED BY MR. W.BANNISTER. / "That this Meeting consisting of men who have worked beside and know J.C.Weichardt [sic] declare that his behaviour while here was such as to forfeit our confidence and respect. ' [Further extensive text]
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Agricultural & horticultural equipment, Workers
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
212 mm (Width), 340 mm (Height)
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Keywords
Agricultural Equipment, Manufacturing, Royal Commissions, Import Tariffs, Taxes, Protectionism, Meetings
