It’s been said that the people who made their fortunes during the gold rushes of the 1850s were those selling the shovels, not the ones digging. These scales were used in the store of Edmund Webb at Bathurst, whose general warehouse business prospered when the gold find at the Ophir goldfields was proclaimed in May […]
Although this engine generated less output than a modern ride-on mower, its life story reveals part of the agricultural, industrial and mining history of Rockley. The engine was installed in the western end of J.C. Stanger’s newly built flour mill in Rockley which started operation in 1862. This engine was powered by steam generated by […]
Drawn by Albert Cooke (1836-1902) and engraved by George Collingridge de Tourcey (1847-1931), this magnificently detailed scene was created in 1891. Deft eyes, steady hands, a kit of assorted tools, and experience, were critical to its making. Albert and George also collaborated on a similar view of Sydney a year earlier, and Cooke made a […]
If you saw this boldly decorated car among the ranks of vehicles in the National Motor Racing Museum in Bathurst, you would be correct in thinking it was a very fast car that won an important race. But its story goes well beyond its General Motors V8 engine and bright livery paint scheme and sticker […]
Throughout the month of January 1939, the weather in Bathurst vacillated from a daytime high of 40.6°C on the 11th to a nighttime low of 8.6°C on the 29th. Smoke haze filled the sky, rain was only recorded on six days, and the Macquarie River ceased flowing. This is only part of the information that […]
When the NSW Government established the system of Experiment Farms, the aim was to turn out practical farmers in order to improve agricultural capacity. To achieve this, the Bathurst Experiment Farm School was established in 1897 and would train over 850 students until the school closed in 1941. This register of students enrolled at the […]
Keeping warm during cold winter mornings was a constant consideration when working in the orchard and fields of the Bathurst Experiment Farm. This hand-drawn fire cart, which was made on the Farm from a forty-four-gallon rolled steel drum and welded frame, provided workers with a source of warmth on frosty winter mornings. Along with providing […]
To students of the history of animal husbandry, the lecture notes contained within this book are of great interest. In elegant copperplate script we learn that even the best food will not produce good returns unless the cows are properly handled and their surroundings are comfortable and warm. Although such information has a value in […]
Most of us, supposedly like Pavlov’s Dog, react to the ringing of a bell. Whether the bell rings out an alarm or calls us together we are programmed to respond to its call. The tolling of this brass bell alerted students at the Bathurst Experiment Farm to changes in their day. It called students to […]
Most people if asked to name an old sewing machine would automatically name Singer. Yet it was the Willcox and Gibbs chainstitch machine, such as this one, that dominated the market until the late nineteenth century. These very elegant machines, advertised as the Silent Automatic, were cheap to buy and run. The lack of a […]
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