Bill Cahill in conversation at Victoria Hall Melton South July 1974 Chaff Mills Melton’s hey day, as I call it in the days when more hay was grown in Melton and Rockbank than, I’d say in any where in Victoria. We had two chaff mills. If I can remember rightly I’m sure of this, that in one month the amount of hay and chaff that went from Melton to Melbourne was about 1800 tons, that’s hay and chaff. There was a lot of hay went from the Melton Railway Station. I have often seen whole train load going down the Schutt and Barrie, that’s Bonnie’s father’s mill at West Footscray. The mills in those days employed up to from 18- 20 men in each, that was before electricity when the mills were run on steam then, there was no power. At times those chaff mills they got a lot of shipping orders, to the Philipines and other Asian countries. They’d work shifts at night on the second shift at night time they would have an old hurricane lamp hanging above from the ceiling just over the chaff cutter, you could hardly see yourself, or see the anything. Well they worked through the whole night they might have an order come in for perhaps 100tons up 500 tons of chaff to go a boat would be in and be waiting to be loaded in Melbourne and they’d have to go and work two shifts. Then they brought in casual labour to help them through and get the order cut and get it down by rail to ship board to send it away. Talking about the hay I’ve seen wagons of hay in the farmers carting to both mills and also hay going down to West Footscray. There would be a quarter of a mile without exaggeration wagons and teams would be waiting to get into the mill, they would come down at the weighbridge at about 3-4- o’clock, 2 o’clock waiting for the bridge to open to weigh their loads, the ones that would be running late would be there at the weighbridge about half past 7 - 8 o’clock. They would be lucky to get away by night before getting their load off. A funny episode I remember well was a farmer from up, Alan Hurley you would remember him, Sam McCorkell he would put on his load in the afternoon or evening leave it up the yard, and would leave Toolern Vale about 12 or 1 o’clock in the morning and he would get down to the weighbridge and when it was breaking day he would bring half of his fowl yard down with him. The fowls would hop up on top of the load and have a ride down and when it came daylight they’d hop off and away they’d go, and I suppose everybody had some of McCorkells poultry. [laughter from the audience] That always tickled my fancy and everybody would be laughing about the fowls getting off his load of hay. I reckon that was about one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard of. The Victoria Hall, where we are tonight was originally known as the Exford Hall. I believe Bonnie’s father was the original builder and owner of the chaff mills here round the corner which is known as Wards today. Later on I understand that his father had a chaff mill here were this hall is, then Dixon Bros were just a bit on the other side. I believe Bonnie’s father sold it to Dixon Bros, and they shifted this part of the mill here and took it over and joined it up. That’s the history of the early chaff mills. Is that right Bonnie? You might like to correct, I’m about right am I? Bonnie answers yes. The original audio tape was recorded on the reel to reel tape recorder by Bon Barrie using his own tape recorder. Transferred to CD by Tom Wood using computer technology capable of adjusting the recording to a legible speed for reproduction to compact disk. Bill Cahill article featured in the The Mail Expresslocal identities

It was used as a bedroom lamp by Valmae (Colling) Gaudion in various railway houses lived in around Victoria in the days before electricity.A bedroom oil lamp with a light amber coloured glass bowl with a ring holder and blue oil inside. It has a green glass handle, a metal burner, cotton wick and a knob to adjust the flame. The chimney is clear glass with a decorated edge on the top.lamps, oil lamps

The leather satchel with printed information and equipment including instruction manuals, report sheets, rubber stamps and books was issued to Barry Ryan when he started working as a guard for Victorian Railways in Wodonga in 1972. It was in use until he became a locomotive train driver in 1987, when guards no longer worked on the trains.The leather satchel has local significance as it was used by a guard on the Victorian Railways in Wodonga and the railway was an important factor in the development of Wodonga. It also has state significance as part of the Victorian railways equipment for train guards, and is representative given that it's a complete kit with the green signal flag, lamp and the instruction manuals, report sheets, rubber stamps and books in the satchel.Brown leather Victorian Railways guard's satchel, with a leather handle and shoulder strap. There is a rolled up green signal flag attached behind the handle on the top and a dark blue metal lamp attached to the front of the satchel. The lamp has a green filter in front of the bulb, so it would emit green light. The raised letters "V.R." are located on the front and top surfaces of the blue metal lamp, and the number "2749" is engraved on the back surface. The name "B. RYAN" is engraved in the front surface of the lamp. The number "2544' is stamped into a brass plate on the front of the satchel. There is a semi-circular red painted iron disk hinged to the front of leather satchel with a cut out area in the centre to show the number on the brass plate. The lamp is attached to lower rim of the semi-circular red painted iron disk. Inside the leather satchel there are instruction manuals, report sheets, rubber stamps and books relating to the work as a guard on the Victorian railways, as the satchel was used by the donor Barry Ryan when he started working as a guard for Victorian Railways in Wodonga in 1972. "V.R." in raised letters on the front and top surfaces of the metal torch. "B. RYAN" engraved in the front surface of the torch. "2749" engraved into the back surface of the metal torch. "2544" stamped into the surface of the brass plate on the front of the leather satchel. victorian railways, v.r., victorian trains, trains, train guards, leather satchel, satchel, wodonga

Yields information about the appearance of Bendigo Birney trams during the 1950's, possibly during enthusiast tour.Black and White Photograph of Bendigo steam tram motor No. 2 and bogie trailer No. 5, 1890's?, photographed with a building marked "Dining Rooms" in the background. Has the driver in the steam tram motor and the conductor standing alongside. Trailer marked "B.T.Co. Ltd", possibly around the turn of the century. Earlier photos have the full company name. Trailer has roof advertisement "Buy your Lamps at Faull's" - oil? or electric? Taken from a postcard or a magazine - has the caption "Street Railway Train in Bendigo, Victoria", possibly North American origin given the language. Peter Duckett Collection.On the front, top left hand corner of the print "26" in ink within a circle. On rear, stamped in black ink "Photo supplied from P.W. Duckett Collection, All Rights Reserved, 69 Howitt Rd. Nth Caulfield 3161." On rear in ink "Motor 6 and Trailer 5" and a "William F Scott" address label.trams, tramways, bendigo, steam tram motors, trailers, tram 6, tram 5

From research from PROV, maker could be Arthur Apps, a Victorian Railways employee (Head Office liftman), who was making those lamps to sell for his "favourite" charity, the Children's Hospital where he was a Life Governor. (Victorian Railways newsletter April 1948, p 11)The lighthouse is the symbol of hope and security for seafarers.Lighthouse shaped lamp with art deco lamp shade. Base is mallee wood, lighthouse is kauri wood.lighthouse, lamp, maritime art, art deco

Photograph of tram 37 shows the Victorian Railways colour scheme, the oil lamp that was provided on VR trams on the St Kilda to Brighton, Electric Street Railway. Has 3 Robur Tea roof advertisements. The tram is shunting at the depot or waiting to run to St Kilda Railway Station, possibly after the closure of section south of the depot. Original Victorian Railways Photograph. Yields information about the location, the streetscape and the trams in use at the time. Black and white photograph of Victorian Railways tram 37 outside Elwood Depot in St Kilda St, possibly in the early 1950s. Original Victorian Railways Photograph.tramways, trams, vr trams, elwood tram depot, st kilda st, tram 37, victorian railways

Photograph of tram 53, shows the Victorian Railways colour scheme, the oil lamp that was provided on VR trams on the St Kilda to Brighton, Electric Street Railway. The tram is shunting at the depot or waiting to run to St Kilda Railway Station possibly after the closure of section south of the depot. Photographer not recorded. Yields information about the location, the streetscape and the trams in use at the time. Black and white photograph of Victorian Railways tram 53 outside Elwood Depot in St Kilda St, possibly in the late 1950s.tramways, trams, vr trams, elwood tram depot, st kilda st, victorian railways, tram 53

Photograph of one of the three Victorian Railways "Luxury" cars that were sold to the MMTB following the closure of the final section of the St Kilda - Brighton tramway on 28-2-1959. The tramcar has been placed on No. 15 trucks to enable movement around the workshops. Two of the trams, No. 52 and 53 were modified with longer running boards, full driver's bulkheads to replace the blackout blinds, route number boxes, removal of the red oil lamps above the headlight, conversion to from Broad gauge (5'3") to standard gauge, changes to destination boxes, seating and many other changes. Reference Destination City, Edition 5, page 103.Yields information about the former VR "Luxury" trams sold to the MMTB in 1959.Black and white photograph of one of the three Victorian Railways Trams sold to the MMTB at Preston Workshops.tramways, mmtb, trams, victorian railways, st kilda brighton electric tramway, preston workshops, vr class

Photo shows Victorian Railways tramcar No. 42 and 33 at Elwood depot. Bogies or trucks are of the Brill 77E type. Note the oil lamp on the driver's dash panel - all VR trams carried them.Yields information about the Victorian Railways bogie trams.Photograph - Black and White - VR 42 and 33 at Elwoodtramways, trams, victorian railways, vr trams, elwood depot, brill 77e, tram 42, tram 33

Photo shows a tramcar maintainer or pitman inspecting the underside of a bogie tram at Elwood Depot using an electrical lead lamp.Yields information about the maintenance and inspection of tramcars.Photograph from the Victorian Railways Magazine June 1930 showing a Tramcar maintainer.In ink of rear of prints "Photo Victorian Railways"tramways, trams, st kilda brighton electric tramway, vr trams, victorian railways, tramcar maintenance staff, elwood tram depot, pitman