Summary

Photograph is located in an album: Volume No. 10: "Portraits, Sundry Machines, Royal Show 1945-51", page 345. This is one of 25 albums that provide detailed visual documentation of the activities of the H.V. McKay enterprise.

This image forms part of the extensive H.V. McKay Sunshine Collection, which includes images, film, objects, trade publications and oral histories relating to the Sunshine Harvester Works.
Founded by Hugh V. McKay at Ballarat in the 1894, the business relocated to the suburb of Braybrook (later known as Sunshine) on Melbourne's western outskirts in 1904-1907, were it rapidly developed into one of Australia's largest industrial entreprises, with a peak worforce of over 2,500. The business focused on the design, manufacture, importation, distribution and sales of a wide range of argricultural equipment through an extensive Australia-wide network of agents (and later dealers). The company became known as H.V. McKay Pty Ltd in 1921, then in 1930 merged with Australian operations of the Canadian-based firm Massey Harris Ltd, becoming H.V. McKay Massey Harris Pty Ltd. In 1955, remaining members of the McKay family and other local shareholers sold out to their Canadian partners, with the Australian operations then fully absorbed into the Massey-Ferguson global entity, and renamed Massey Ferguson (Aust.) Limited in 1958.

Description of Content

'Sunshine' & 'Massey Harris' machinery agents Mr W.R. 'Bill' Sloane (at left) and his son, William 'Bruce' Sloane (at right), standing outside their store in Alma Street(?), St. Arnaud, Victoria. W.R. Sloane's father, the late Robert Sloane (1869-1926), signed an agency agreement with Hugh Victor McKay in 1902, becoming one of the firm's earliest and longest serving dealers.

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