Summary
Model of "Sunflower" one way disc cultivator with 13 discs. This model was made by H. V. McKay, before 1915. The cultivator was manufactured by H. V. McKay, Sunshine, Victoria, from 1906-1917.
Display label : one-way disc cultivator this "one-way" type of cultivator was manufactured at the Sunshine Harvester Works in 8, 10 & 13 disc sizes, from 1906 to 1917, when it was superseded by the form having the discs set with "undercut" (instead of upright), which gives better tilth and reduces the draught. The "one-way" type was an Australian invention, but it is not known to whom the credit for it is due. It was, however, first made in large numbers at the Sunshine Works. In it, the discs are mounted on a single "gang-bolt" in a line, while the "two-way" or "double gang" type has two sets of discs with their "gang bolts" set at an angle to one another. Prior to 1906 and back to about 1885, the disc cultivator used in Australia was of the "two-way" type, which was manufactured in Australia and largely employed, particularly in the mallee and other light soil districts. Its great fault was that it tended to produce undesirable ridges and hollows, so that the "one-way" was preferred because it left a level surface, and was almost equally light in draught.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from H.V. McKay, Sunshine Harvester Works, 10 May 1915
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Manufacturer
H.V. McKay Pty Ltd, Sunshine, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1906-1917
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Modelmaker
H.V. McKay, Sunshine Harvester Works, Sunshine, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, pre 1915
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Brand Names
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Classification
Agriculture & rural life, Crop management - cultivation, Model disc cultivators
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
110 cm (Length), 51.5 cm (Width), 38 cm (Height)
Measurements taken for Australia Gallery redevelopment.
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References
[Link 1] viewed 12.05.2008 LDH
[Article] Dale-Hallett, Liza, et al. 'The McKay Collection', in Rasmussen, Carolyn. A Museum for the People: A History of Museum Victoria and its predecesors, 1854-2000. pp.271-273., 2001
[Article] 2003. "Resurrecting the Sunshine Harvester Works: Re-presenting and Reinterpreting the Experience of Industrial Work in Twentieth-Century Australia", Labour History., 2003
[Article] Dale-Hallett, Liza. 2004. "Collecting by Stealth: the HV McKay Collection", Museum Victoria Magazine., 2004
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Keywords
Agriculture, Cultivation, Industrial Design, Innovation & Design