Old farm kitchen tool used for mincing meat manually.Used at Tawonga, in the Kiewa Valley, by resident Des WartonCast iron with dull smooth surface consisting of a tap to screw it onto a table, a barrel enclosing the auger that turns when the handle is wound around and forces the meat to spill out of a circular grinder. The hand crank is curved with a wooden knob . The outlet is oval shaped.Embossed on barrel: "Universal" Embossed on outlet "2" Embossed on handle "L.F. & c - New Britain Conn U.S.A."household tool, kitchen, meat mincer, grinder, universal no. 2

Used from the mid 1920s to mark timber so that it could be cut with a saw. It was an essential tool for carpenters.Used by Alan Tyers who worked for the State Electricity Commission of Victoria on the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme.Carpenter's essential equipment. Used for marking timber so it can be cut with a saw. Wooden screw on the side allows the square wooden block to slide along the length of wood which is almost square at the end but with 2 flat sides and 2 rounded sides. Plated with 2 strips of brass on the square block. Sold for 1/3 in the 1920s. There is a nail through one end. carpenter, cabinet maker, secv, tool, marples, marking gauge

This type of fork was used back in the days before electrical washing machines were invented. Ladies used to boil water in a 'copper' over a fire and wash the clothes and linen in it. The water was boiling hot. This wooden washing tool was used to retrieve the washing before hanging it on the line.This tool has been carved from wood. It is shaped like a two pronged fork and would have been used to lift washed clothes out of a copper (washing machine).washing clothes, 'copper' washing machine, domestic, laundry

The Stanley Works was founded by Frederick Trent Stanley in 1843 located in New Britain, Connecticut USA. The Stanley Rule and Level Company was founded by Frederick's cousin Henry Stanley in 1857. Stanley introduced the first steel tape, Stanley introduced utility knives in 1936. Stanely buildt the largest hand tool plant in the world in New Britain, CT (Connecticut). In 1920, the Rule and Level Co. merged with the Stanley Works, which in turn merged with Black and Decker in 2010.Owned by Kiewa valley resident, Lankey Higginson.Solid wooden plank with brass attached by screws. brass plates at each end, around the level 'window' and further along. Also with a 'badge'. This latter one is beside a ound hollow which has a level window to measure the vertical side. The horizontal level measure is in the centre on the narrower ledge of wood. On the centre wider edges is a groove to assist in hold in the spirit level steady. Above the glass levelAbove the glass level, inscribed on a brass plate is "Stanley / Rule and Level Co. / New Britain Conn. U.S.A. / Pat. 6 -2-91 and 6 -28 -96" Also, 2 small brass plaques / badges inscribed: "ADJ pat. Feb. 1890 / screw."stanley rule and level co., spirit level, higginson family

Very Old. Until the end of the 19th century the bodies of jack planes were predominantly wooden, typically made out of beech (wood). Wooden planes were largely superseded by iron-bodied planes.Used by carpenters and cabinet makers in the Kiewa Valley from the late 1800s and the early 1900s.A Jack Plane is a general purpose woodworking bench plane, used for dressing timber down to size in preparation for truing and/or edge jointing. It is usually the first plane used on rough stock, but for rougher work it can be preceded by the scrub plane. German Pattern Jack Plane. The smallest - 1.5 inches. Ref. Page 21 - Tools for all Trades Catalogue 1930s?"The Burgham Tools Company / Solingen Germany"woodworking tool, jack plane, plane

A spokeshave was made with a wooden (usually beech wood) body and metal cutting blade. With industrialisation metal bodies displaced wood in mass-produced tools. The name 'spokeshave' reflects the early use of the tool by wheelwrights.Used by carpenters and/or cabinet makers and/or wheelwrights in the Kiewa Valley in the 1800s and 1900s. The tool consists of a blade fixed into the body of the tool, which has a handle for each hand. It is a shaping and smoothing tool eg. curves and rounding and used after cutting with chisels or saws. Ref. Pg 28 Tools for all Trades Cataloguewoodworking tool, spokeshave tool

Very old. Beech is the best wood for moulding planes since the early 1700s when other woods were passed over in preference for the straight-grained non-problematic beech wood. The blades are made of steel.Used by carpenters and / or cabinet makers in the Kiewa Valley.Shaping wooden (possibly beech or maple wood) planes bundled up. Each makes a different shape eg. nose, tail, concave. Ref. Pages 20 and 21 Tools For All Trades Catalogue.wooden planes, woodworking, shaping plane

Used by turning the auger around to create a round hole.Used by residents of the Kiewa ValleySmall steel hand auger tools with a wooden handle. Used for digging more shallow holes eg. gathering soil samples and making post holes

Used to drill a two inch diameter hole by turning it around and pressing it into wood. Used by residents of the Kiewa Valley. A steel auger used to drill into wood. It is handheld and drills a hole two inches in diameter.wooden auger, woodworking tool

A bucksaw is a hand powered frame saw similar to bow saw and generally used with a sawbuck to cut logs or firewood to length (bucking).Used by residents of the Kiewa Valley for clearing land, chopping firewood, cutting lumber. Also used while camping because it is portableFormerly UKV 239. Buck Saw with Lightning Tooth Blade. Operated by two men.Ref. Page 10 Tools for all Trade Catalogue. It consists of 3 horizontal bars, the top one being twisted wire and the bottom one being the metal blade with a wood bar in between. They are attached at each end to curved wooden bars. tool for wood, saw, buck saw

Very old. Ref. Pages 6 and 7 Tools for all Trades Catalogue. The braces vary in quality (strength) depending on what materials are used to make them.The brace is a hand operated tool for boring holes in wood, consisting of a crank-shaped turning device. The brace that grips and rotates the hole-cutting tool, the bit.Used by woodworkers in the Kiewa Valley.Vintage hand drill braces. All different and not all complete. Made of cast iron, steel with wooden handles. The drills fit into one end of the brace which is turned to make a drilling motion. A brace is a hand tool used with a bit (drill bit or auger) to drill holes, usually in wood. Pressure is applied to the top while the handle is rotated.brace and bit, woodwork, hand drilling

Very old. A drawknife is used to remove large slices of wood for flat faceted work, to debark trees, or to create roughly rounded edges. Can be used to shape the curve of a cricket bat. Used by woodworkers in the Kiewa Valley.Steel frame with wooden handles at each end and a sharp steel blade attached in the middle.Ref. Page 83 Tools for all Trades Catalogue.The drawknife / drawing knife,/ draw shave, / shaving knife is a traditional woodworking hand tool used to shape wood by removing shavings. The blade is much longer (along the cutting edge) than it is deep. It is pulled towards the user. woodworking tool, drawing knife, hand tool

A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering. It supplies heat to melt solder so that it can flow into the joint between two workpieces. The iron was heated over a fire or in a charcoal brazier. Soldering irons were primarily used by tinsmiths and coppersmiths to work with thin sheet metal. These hand soldering irons have been replaced by electric ones.Used by coppersmiths and tinsmiths and workers in the Kiewa Valley.The soldering irons have a wooden handle, an iron rod and are made of copper at the pointy end (the bit).shaped like a pyramid.soldering iron, hand tool, coppersmith, tinsmith

Formerly KV 071. It was used to break up rock and ore, making it easier to extract valuable minerals. The pointed end of the pick axe was used to chip away rock, while the flat end was used to strike the rock for breaking it apart. This one has a short handle. Miners picks were commonly used in the the 19th and early 20th centuries for extracting gold from underground mine tunnels.Used in the Kiewa Valley where prospecting for gold occurred.Formerly KV 071. Cast iron symmetrical pick tool on cast iron with a wooden handle. It has a pointed end and a flat end. It is 12 inches long.gold mining, miners' pick axe, hand tool

Used as an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. It is historically used to cut down or reap edible grains, before the process of threshing. Replaced by horse drawn and then tractor machinery. Used by the early farmers in the Kiewa Valley.The steel blade is curved with a pointy end. It is attached to a long, slim wooden shaft with a slight S curve. It has 2 handles, one about half way along the shaft and another near the top both at right angles to the shaft. This results in the handles being on slightly different planes and makes it comfortable for the user when working. scythe, hand tool, mowing, harvesting

In the Middle Ages double-acting bellows was introduced. It had 2 parts, one operated by hand or foot, the other took air from it and was weighted so it forced air out while the part was filling. Blacksmithing is the shaping of hot iron and steel, usually by hammering. Very hot fires were produced by 1.a hot air blast. 2. burning charcoal (not wood). Bellows were used to make tools, fix equipment including machinery, drays, carriages, harnesses etc. Farmers in the Kiewa Valley often had their blacksmith forge. They made their own tools, were able to mend equipment, drays etc., gates, and most items that were made of iron and steel.Large Double Acting bellow with wooden top and bottom, shaped like a 'water drop' - narrow at one end and broad at the other. The wood is held by strips of wood and leather bound and placed around the perimeter. The wood on the top side has inscriptions (illegible). The wood on the bottom side has a rectangular hole. The narrow end feeds into a pipe to enable the fire to receive a hot blast of air. When the bellow is squeezed it allows both pieces of wood to be pushed together.Illegibleblackmiths, bellows, double acting bellow

The sickle was used to cut crops and grass and vegetable matter. It has been in use for a very long time but has probably been superceded by electric tools in developed countries.This sickle was used by a resident of the Kiewa Valley.A curved steel edged blade fixed to a short wooden handle. It is used for harvesting the crops, grass and cutting other vegetative matters. The previous KVHS committee referred to it as a '"Hand Craft Cutter".sickle, farm tool, garden tool

This item wasused before diesel, electric and battery drilling apparatus were used by farmers, and other trades requiring a portable yet reliable method of drilling holes. As this item is a 3/4 inch hole drill it would be suitable for fencing and providing holes for structural studs. As with all outdoor farm equipment, man power was required (be it the farmer or farm hands). Fitness of the operator was at a high standard but protective gloves were not highly thought of as it was before occupational, health and safety regulations became mandatory over all manual handling activities, be they on rural properties or town/city factories. This period was one where the male ego was at its pinnacle i.e. the harder the tasks the more of a man was required. Hard manual work was not only the "way to go" but also a necessity. Evolution of cheap portable electric/battery powered tools opened up a more efficient method available, especially to those with less muscle strength. This item personifies the rugged environment of the rural workplace. The Kiewa Valley with its main emphasis on farming and grazing provided ample opportunity to use this construction implement. The manufacturer being a Scottish tool company is very significant in the era when this hole maker was in high demand. British steel products were of high grade and had a good record of reliability. The reliability of any tool was a solid factor for farmers and tradesmen in this semi-isolated region (Circa early 1900s) within the Kiewa Valley and its regional area. This factor,although not as crucial, post 1960s, when Asian manufacturers entered the market place and produced cheaper tools and transportation and supplies was more frequent and reliable, the need for the more expensive British made tools diminished considerably. After the influx of tradesmen from war torn Europe (post 1945) and the increased availability of tradesmen in the Kiewa Valley and its region the price of tools was and still is not as crucial and the cost of all required tools has become a minimal part of the equation. It is only with the emerging younger trades person, farmer and grazier, who have more, "one eye on production costs" and no "old ties to the motherland" inert mind set that quality tools such as this auger and other hand tools "must be made to last a life time" is no longer part of the modern work environment.This cast iron, hand operated Auger has a short barrel shaped cylinder at one end (known as the "Eye") and at the other end a Helical screw blade (screws the cutting edge into wooden material, thereby creating a hole 3/4 inch diameter in the wood) . The barrel section at the top permits a metal or wooden leverage plank to be inserted. The main rod has a 180mm long cutting/screw blade running from the bottom up towards the "eye" end. From the end of the screw blade to the handle is 380mm and cylindrical, but this changes at 550mm from the "eye" end to a 14mm x 10mm rectangular shape shaft.This shaft end is welded to the "Eye".On the shaft below the "eye" is stamped " MATHESON GLASGOW" on the front side and a spade (cards) symbol on the back.auger, hand drill, fencing, tool, rural trades, brace & bit

J.E. Bleckmann were German Blade makers, registry shows Bleckmann (1899, No. 37190):J.E.Bleckmann, Solingen, registry class 9b). As well as blades for wood working tools they were also sword makers (used in American Civil War), Bayonet makers 1871-1918 and also pocket cutlery (pocket knives) as per advertisement 1907.This wood plane holds historical importance as carpentry tools such as this would have been used in the construction of local homes, outbuildings, furniture. It represents an era before power tools. Investigation is ongoing as to ownership and specific use in the area. Hand made wooden hand plane with metal blade. Carpentry tool from 19th century1/38 / 34 mm stamped into wood on front edge of plane. Metal Blade inscribed "J.E. BLECKMANN/ WARRANTED / CAST STEEL / SOLINGEN/GERMANY"tool, blade makers, hand plane, woodworking.

This soldering iron is a hand tool that would have been heated before use by a gas torch or fire and then used to melt solder, which is used to join two pieces of metal. Circa early 20th century.Unknown donor but assumed to have been used locally.Soldering iron with a round wooden handle, iron shank and copper head with pointed tip. The handle has two round holes, possibly for hanging the tool from a hook.No inscriptionssoldering iron, tools

This plough plane is a hand tool that was used to cut grooves or rabbets into wood, for example for furniture construction. It was manufactured in Birmingham by Jenkins & Clark and imported or taken to Australia most likely in the nineteenth century. The several names imprinted into the tool imply that it may have been used by several unique owners at different points in time - J.O. Hart, Micl (likely Michael) Orgill, and D. Brown. Names may have been imprinted in the tool to prevent confusion in settings with many workers supplying their own tools.Unknown donor but assumed to have been used locally.Wooden plough plane with brass fittings. Includes adjustable wooden clamp and removable wooden blade clamp. The blade slot cuts diagonally through the object. There are inscriptions on both shorter ends of the object.On side opposite blade slot: 'JENKINS/&/CLARK/J.O.HART/MICL ORGILL/J.O.HART/D. BROWN' On side near blade slot: 'D. BROWN/[upside-down] J.O.HART/MICL ORGILL/[upside-down] J.O.HART'plough plane, tools, jenkins & clark

This Floating Dairy Thermometer was used on the A’Vard farm between 1930 and 1964. It is designed to enable the easy measuring of the temperature of liquids. In particular it facilitates checking whether dairy is at the right temperature for cheesemaking, churning and freezing. It was made to remain at the surface of the liquid, allowing workers to accurately take temperature readings with relative ease. Similar models of floating thermometers were used to measure the temperature of bath water in hospitals; these functioned identically but had different markers for their different use case.This was a specialised tool used historically in the local dairy farming industry.A glass vial thermometer housed in a wooden case. The glass thermometer has temperature markings visible from 20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. There are long gaps with rounded ends on the front and rear of the wooden casing, allowing a user to see the temperature markings and labels. There is also a round hole in the front and rear of the wooden casing near the bottom, exposing the tip of the thermometer. At the top of the wooden casing is a handle, with string passed through a small hole allowing for the suspension of the thermometer from the string.Front side of glass vial, middle: "Made / in Germany" Front side of glass vial, upper: "FLOATING DAIRY THERMOMETER" Rear side of glass vial, 85 degrees: "85 Cheese" Rear side of glass vial, 62 degrees: "62 Churning" Rear side of glass vial, 32 degrees: "32 Freezing"a’vard family, farming, tools, 20th century, a’vard dairy farm, dairy

The 1950's saw a revolution in small appliances for use in the average household. This hand held wrench was provided exclusively for the Coleman self heating kerosene (KVHS 0347A) iron and used for the regular changing the kerosene used in it. The iron was used before and during the electricity supplies available from the Kiewa Hydro Electricity Scheme. These irons remained in use within regional rural areas that had limited or unreliable electrical reticulation. Kerosene supplies were cheaper than electricity but also more inconvenient than electric. Electrical appliances become cheaper to buy and maintain in the later part of the 1900's and the now older kerosene iron was faded out.This wrench was required to open the fuel container which stored kerosene in the Coleman hand iron(see KVHS 0347A). This item was part of the maintenance requirement of this particular hand iron. In the 1950s and later the Kiewa Valley was still a relatively isolated region which was home to rural properties and small settlements. The availability of electricity and or the financial means to afford new types of electric hand irons ensured that older and sometimes less efficient ironing remained for an extended period covering the 1960s to 1970s. Kerosene products, such as this kerosene iron was a cheaper method for farm based domestic and other rural activities requiring a heat source. The use of kerosene as a heat/light source was able to be supplied in bulk and able to be used when floods severed vital roads into this region. The supply of electricity was in summer time subject to interruption from bush fire damaged wooden poles carrying the electrical cables. Self sufficiency by rural populations was the backbone of survival(use of this wrench was a part of rural life). The ability to store energy sources "on the farm" was a prerequisite of isolated regions, such as the Kiewa Valley, circa 1950s.This item is a flat cast iron wrench, which has been specifically made for KVHS 0347A (kerosene iron). The wrench has four specific forms cut into the steel which fit firmly around their targeted nut and other fixtures. Also see See KVHS 0347B- Instruction sheet; and KVHS 0347D Fuel can.ironing, iron maintenance tool, domestic appliances, household

This flexible measuring tape was used by the SEC Victoria in the mid to late 1900's. It was in a period before digital measuring instruments were in use. This is a 33ft long tape measure and would have been used by the construction workers when building the Kiewa Valley Hydro System. The warning details (embossed into the leather covering) was to warn users to be careful not to use the tape near live electricity terminals or linkages. This tape was produced mainly for wooden structures and not electricity conductive material. This was during the 1950's to 1960's.This imperial tape measure is very significant to the Kiewa Valley as it was used in the construction of the Kiewa Valley Hydro Scheme of the 1950's-1960's. It provides evidence that small measuring equipment used in the construction and the continuing maintenance of the scheme was of the imperial measure and used by construction workers who remained and settled in the town of Mount Beauty and Kiewa Valley long after the construction period. This flexible metallic measuring tape (33 ft in length) is contained in a round circular leather bound container. It has brass fittings (winder and tape guide) and is stitched with heavy grade twine. The tape measure is graduated in feet and inches on one side and yards on the other. Embossed in the leather casing"MADE IN ENGLAND" and around the inner circle "HOCKLEY ABBEY" and "JOHN RABONE & SONS"imperial tape measure, distance measures, imperial tools

This pair of fire fighters beaters were donated by the Emerald Fire Brigade which was established on 14 March 1941 as the Emerald Bush Brigade. Originally its equipment was stored at Madigan's butcher's shop near the corner of Monbulk Road. The Brigade's first fire station was built around 1945. In 1966, this station was recorded as containing the fire truck and a Land rover pumper, three radio sets, 40 knapsacks, six lengths of hose, helmets, rake hoes and other hand tools. In 2010, the Brigade moved into a new purpose-built building in Monbulk Road. These beaters date from the 1950s to 1960s.These fire fighters beaters were used by members of a crucial volunteer fire fighting service operating in the Emerald district since 1941.Two Firefighter Beaters each consisting of a long round, red wooden pole with wide heavy-duty textile straps attached to the bottom of the pole. One has wire attached at the top of the pole for hanging purposes. Nonefire fighting, emerald fire brigade, cfa

This Fire Fighting Backpack was donated by the Emerald Fire Brigade which was established on 14 March 1941 as the Emerald Bush Brigade. Originally its equipment was stored at Madigan's butcher's shop near the corner of Monbulk Road. The Brigade's first fire station was built around 1945. In 1966, this station was recorded as containing the fire truck and a Land Rover pumper, three radio sets, 40 knapsacks, six lengths of hose, helmets, rake hoes and other hand tools. In 2010, the Brigade moved into a new purpose-built building in Monbulk Road. This Fire Fighting Backpack dates from around c.1960s.This Fire Fighting Backpack Extinguisher was used for mopping-up and combating small fires by members of a crucial volunteer fire fighting service operating in the Emerald district since 1941.This galvanised metal Rega Fire Fighting Backpack Sprayer was used by Emerald CFA (formerly RFB) from 1960's. The main body of the spray tank is orange and has woven canvas shoulder straps with buckles for carrying on your back. On top of the oval tank is a lid with a chain which has "REGA SPRAYER" embossed onto it. It has a metal handle over the top of the lid, which is hinged and has two clips for docking the wooden handle of the sprayer hose when not in use. The wooden sprayer handle with a brass pump assembly is attached to the tank with a piece of hosing allowing for pressurized spraying. The backpack tank has the brand name "REGA" and "CFA" embossed on the front of the tank's well worn patina from many years of use. "Emerald RFB" on the side of the tank. "OK 1/97" on the top near the lidfire fighting, emerald fire brigade, cfa, rega firefighting brand

This fire fighter's scythe was donated by the Emerald Fire Brigade which was established on 14 March 1941 as the Emerald Bush Brigade. Originally its equipment was stored at Madigan's butcher's shop near the corner of Monbulk Road. The Brigade's first fire station was built around 1945. In 1966, this station was recorded as containing the fire truck and a Land rover pumper, three radio sets, 40 knapsacks, six lengths of hose, helmets, rake hoes and other hand tools. In 2010, the Brigade moved into a new purpose-built building in Monbulk Road. This scythe, also known as a fern hook, dates from the 1950s to 1960s.This fire fighter's scythe was used by members of a crucial volunteer fire fighting service operating in the Emerald district since 1941.One Firefighter scythe (Fern Hook) consisting of a long wooden pole with curved blade attached at the end. The blade has a canvas protective sleeve.Nonefire fighting, emerald fire brigade, cfa

This lacemaker was owned by Kallista woman, Beryl Collett (1925-2018) who was a skilled lacemaker from her youth and who used this lacemaker most of her life. It may have first belonged to her mother (Hettie Collett nee Thorn) who was a very talented milliner and from whom Beryl first learnt her handicraft skills. This lacemaker is part of a large and varied range of objects relating to Beryl which has been donated to the Museum. The Dandenongs have been the chosen home of many creative people who, like Beryl, have found inspiration in the natural beauty of the area. Much of Beryl's own handiwork held by the Museum was created by her following her retirement from her accountancy job in 1980 and so epitomises the potential of the retirement phase of people's lives.This hand operated lacemaker enabled women like Beryl and her mother to create beautiful lacework.This lacemaker consists of twelve bobbins which are a tool for carrying the thread which gradually uncoils from the bobbin as it is handled and is then interlocked manually with surrounding threads to create a lacy structure. The bobbins are thin wooden cylinders. At their top, the shaft has been carved away to leave an even thinner cylinder where thread can be stored to be gradually unwound.Inside bodice opening, hand-written: 'H. Collett' which has had a line struck through it. Underneath that inscription is hand-written 'Thorn' beryl collett, 1900s, hettie collett, lacemaker

This photograph is believed to have been taken at the Bosisto's distillery on Woori Yallock Creek at what is now Butterfield Reserve, Emerald. Chemist and later parliamentarian Joseph Bosisto (1824-98) established a number of distilleries in the area through the 1860s and 70s; the Butterfield Reserve still is believed to have been established in 1876. This photo may have been taken around 1916, when Australia was still the world's leading supplier of eucalyptus oil - by this time a globally popular product. By the 1920s, Joby Brady and his son were running the distillery business.Bosisto's eucalyptus distillery was an early Emerald industry with global significance; eucalyptus oil was believed to be the first distinctively Australian product exported overseas. This photograph is a very clear representation of the industry - to the extent that it is even used repeatedly in Euca's webpages discussing the history of the industry.Captured in black and white, a working eucalyptus distillery processes large quantities of eucalyptus leaves into eucalyptus oil. Two men stand holding tools, one under the tin roof of the distillery and another on a horsecart carrying a new pile of leaves. Another stands behind the distillery, carrying more leaves. The largest pile of leaves is in front of the still. The still is sheltered by a tin roofed structure with open walls, wooden support beams, and a chimney in the background. Further in the background, trees can be barely seen. This photograph is a scanned copy, glossy on the obverse and with normal paper texture and handwritten notes on the reverse.Reverse: "Distilling Eucalyptus / Bosistoes. Woori Yallock creek Emerald / or Clematis. 1916? / Joby Brady carried on Bosistoes during 1920s / with his son on Woori Yallock Creek"emerald, native plants, 1910s

Chain link saw with eyelet ends, also two wooden handles complete with leather carry pouchSE Norris, 1939military equipment, saw, folding saw