Lighting was by gas before electricity was installed in houses. Before the 1800s most homes, workplaces and streets were lit by candles or oil lamps.The cities had gas before the country areas.Gas lighting was available in the Kiewa Valley before electricity was installed.Early 20th century. Gas light used indoors and made of copper tubing, brass, and bakelite.gas lights, home lighting

The ploughshare cuts grass and soil loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were drawn by oxen and horses. Now drawn by tractors.Farmers in the Kiewa Valley used ploughs before tractors became available.Formerly KV 060. Made of steel and a component of a plough. It is the cutting or leading edge of a mouldboard which closely follows the coulter wen ploughing. Attached picture shows the ploughshare as part of a plough. Ref. Farmyard Relics by Ken Arnold Page 49ploughshare, agriculture, farming crops

Used to move dirt or to dig shallow holes.Used by the residents of the Kiewa Valley and of Ben Valley.Formerly KV060. Steel ,wide with a worn middle edge 'bowl' which is slightly concave.tool, shovel

Miners' picks were commonly used in the nineteenth and early twentieth century for extracting gold from underground mine tunnels.Found in the Harrietville area. Similar to those used in the nearby Kiewa Valley where prospecting for gold was also an occupation.Formerly KV 071. Handmade - of steel with a wooden handle. It was used to break up rock and ore, making it easier to extract valuable minerals. The pointed end of the pickaxe was used to chip away at rock, while the flat end was used to strike the rock for breaking it apart. This one has a long handle.gold mining, miners' pick

Spanners are used to tighten nuts of different sizes. These spanners are large and were used on larger items eg. H.V. McKay machinery. Used by residents of the Kiewa Valley.Both spanners are straight and made of steel. The 'H.V. McKay' spanner has '824' on the back (at the 'knob' end) and has a 'knob' at one end. The other spanner has the same type of opening at each end (no knob) and has embossed '55A' on one side at one end.H. V. McKay embossed (at the knob end) on one spanner and 824 on the back of it. 55A embossed on one side of the other spannerspanners, h.v.mckay

A chain is a unit of length equal to 66 feet or 22 yards. This is a statute measure in the United Kingdom. One link is 100th part of a chain, which is 7.92 inches (20.1 cm). The chain and link became standard surveyors' units of length and crossed to the colonies from the United Kingdom. The chain is the unit of linear measurement for the survey of the public lands as prescribed by law. In Australia most building lots in the past were a quarter of an acre, measuring one chain by two and a half chains. Also street frontages, roads, laneways. The chain also survives as the length of a cricket pitch, being the distance between the stumps. Surveyors and residents of the Kiewa Valley used the Steel Band Surveyors Chain to measure distances when developing the land.Surveyors' steel band measuring tape, known as a 'standard band', or a 'steel band chain'.This chain consists of a long narrow strip of steel of uniform width of 3 mm and thickness of 0.3 to 0.6 mm. The chain itself is between 20 m and 30 m long.surveyors, surveyors chain, measurement of distance

See KVHS 1651A bundle of galvanised wire chains linked at each end to form a chain. Each link is 9 inches long. See KVHS 1651

This spike is designed for the purpose of securing wooden planks, beams, or railroad ties to create sturdy and durable bridges.This spike was used to secure wooden railway sleepers on the railways created for the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme.15cm steel bolt-like with a square shaft. Sharp at one end and enlarged steel head at the other end.railway sleeper spike, spike, bridge spike

Used for fastening two materials (eg. wood, steel) together.Used in the Kiewa Valley4 inches steel bolt with a nut. The bolt consists of a head and a cylindrical body with screw threads along a portion of its length. The nut is the female member of the pair, having internal threads to match those of the bolt.

Miners used pickaxes to break up rock and ore, making it easier to extract valuable minerals. The pointed end of the pickaxe was used to chip away at rock. The flat end was used to strike the rock for breaking it apart.Used in the Kiewa Valley by miners searching for gold.Cast steel 14 inches long with a sharp pointed end and a small flat end. There is a space for the handle which is missing and may have been made from wood.mining, miners' pick axe

A reamer is a type of rotary cutting tool used in metalworking. Precision reamers are designed to enlarge the size of a previously formed hole by a small amount but with a high degree of accuracy to leave smooth sides. Very oldUsed by metal workers in the Kiewa ValleyThis reamer is made of steel and is not tapered. It has a handle end and a serrated end. It has a three quarter inch diameter. reamer, metalworking tool

Used to tighten fasteners. This wrench is large so may have been used for fasteners on farm machinery or in the SECV workshop.Used by residents and workers in the Kiewa Valley.Cast iron or steel - 1 and three sixteenth of an inch embossed on one side and 8 and a quarter inches long on the other. This wrench has a square hollow (box ring) at one end which is used ro provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects - usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts - or keep them from turning.embossed measurement on the handlewrench, tool

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

The spur is used in many equestrian disciplines.Most equestrian disciplines have rules covering spur design and use. Spurs are usually held on by a leather spur strap that goes over the arch of the foot and under the sole in front of the boot heel. The stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a stirrup leather. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a horse.E. Fisher grew up and lived at Mongan's Bride in the Kiewa Valley. Horse riding was common in the Kiewa Valley especially before the introduction of motorised vehicles.A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots foe the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids and to back up the natural aids eg. the leg, seat, hands and voice. A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a stirrup leather. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a horse. The spurs and stirrups are made of steel and the straps of leather.horse riding, spurs for horse riders, stirrups for horse riders, e.fisher

The bit helps to control the horse eg in droving cattle, pulling carts. Bits vary a lot and offer varying degrees of control and communication between the rider and the horse depending upon their design and on the skill of the rider.Horses were used as the main means of transport and as labour on the farms in the Kiewa Valley and in particular for driving the cattle up on to the High Plains during the summer. The bit consists of two basic components, the bit mouthpiece that goes inside the horse's mouth, and the bit ring of a snaffle bit or shanks of a curb bit, to which the bridle and reins attach. Sidepieces and the leverage these rings or shanks use to act on a horse's mouth that determines whether a bit is the curb or snaffle family, and has a great impact on the severity of the mouthpiece.horse bit, pack horses, working horses, horse equipment

Horse Shoes of Pony "Peter" ...These shoes are old with larger holes than those used today (2024).Shoes of Pony 'Peter' owned by Miss E. Fisher, Mongan's Bridge. First shoe 1917, Last shoe 1944Two steel horse shoes with large holes for nailing the shoe onto the pony.e. fisher, mongan's bridge, horse shoes

Axes and Adze are hand-held tool used for shaping and carving wood. Axes are designed for chopping and cutting, while adzes are designed for smoothing and shaping. Both tools have a similar shape and consist of a head attached to a handle. An adze is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel.Used by woodworkers in the Kiewa ValleyA cast steel tool similar to an axe, with an arched blade at right angles to the handle, used for cutting or shaping large pieces of wood.adze, hand tool for woodwork, axe

Used to hang up meat or the carcasses of animals such as pigs and cattle.See KVHS 1511Used by farmers and butchers in the Kiewa Valley.An S-shaped steel hook.meat hook, butcher, beef, pork

Possibly used for cleaning out animal pens.eg. horses and pigs. Used like a hoe but heavier and stronger.Used by residents of the Kiewa ValleyThick steel tool head with hole at one end for the handle and two parallel points. Possibly hand made.pick, double tyne prong pick, farming equipment, hand tool

Part of a dray or wagon that go on the axle.Wagons and drays were used on the farms in the Kiewa Valley.Heavy steel rings that go on the axle hub of a wagon or a dray.dray equipment, wagon equipment

A last is the solid form around which a shoe is moulded. The fit of a shoe depends on the design, shape, and volume of the last. Used by boot makers and shoe makers to construct a pair of boots or shoes or to mend them.Used by residents of the Kiewa ValleyCast iron with three foot sizes on each and each facing different directions.boot last, shoe last, bootmaker

Flies are plentiful and a problem especially in Australia's summer. Farms were a breeding ground for flies that bred in cow manure. Fly-wire was used to keep flies away from food as well as light cloth covers. Farmers could use this sieve to fill with sand etc. to sort the sizes and also to use for eg. wheat to sort the grain. Yabbies are trapped in the creek or river by leaving food in the net for the yabby to crawl into.Food covers were used by residents of the Kiewa Valley especially as many of them were dairy farmers. Farmers often made their own tools for a purpose such as sieving or for the family catching yabbies to eat or for fun.Tall triangular steel fly wire cover with a steel handle and frame. or The frame can be held in order to fill the sieve or to empty it. or the frame can hold bait for yabbiesfood cover, fly-wire, flies, sieve, handmade tool

'Deming versatile end-suction pumps are heavy duty, general purpose centrifugal pumps with heavy wall casting suitable for many commercial, industrial and municipal needs. 1914 The Deming Co. Salem, Ohio. 'Universal Success' Garden SprayerUsed by residents of the Kiewa Valleygarden sprayer, pump spray

Rabbits are recognised as a pest in Australia. They were often trapped and eaten especially during the depression years of the 1890s and 1930s but also the 1950s and 1960s. Steel-jaw traps work by snapping shut on the leg of an animal, holding it until a trapper arrives, or until the animal dies or wrings its paw off. They became illegal in Australia during the 1980s on animal cruelty grounds. Some old rabbit traps are valuable.Used by residents in the Kiewa ValleyA steel jaw trap has jaws that are designed to spring together. It is illegal to use them in Australia. 2 of the rabbit traps are 'S. Griffiths 3 stars IXL Ref. "one of the pioneers, well known among long-experienced trappers' Page 21 Farmyard Relics by Ken Arnold. The other trap ha a picture of a bird engrave on it.rabbit traps, steel-jaw traps

Exported to Australia for the trapping of dingoes. Banned in Australia for the trapping of dingoes and dogs due to animal cruelty.Dingoes are now protected as native animals and wild dogs are killed with bait.Used by residents in the Kiewa Valley to protect young stock.A well made old English trap with strong folding springs., made by H. Lane in Wednesfield, His brand is Li-Lo.. It has got large 7 and a half inch round topped flat jaws. Its overall length is 22 and a half inches, excluding its original swivelled chain.Ref. Auction sheet Embossed "Li-Lo" on the plate and "Made in England" and a Ministry Broad Arrow mark, indicating its official governmental use or trial.dingo trap, li-lo brand

There was some gold mining in the Kiewa Valley and these buckets may have been used.Two small rusty looking steel buckets that are usually connected to a chain with many such buckets. They rotate to form a continuous chain scooping up loose rock and dumping it when mining. 20 cm x 12 cm x 9.5 cm deepgold mining

Drays were used to transport heavy materials such as farm products, building supplies, food. They were pulled by horses or bullocks. Drays were important for transportation in the Kiewa Valley.Made of timber and steel. The piece of wood contacts the axle hub to brake the dray. Part of a brake for a dray. It is missing the actuator that is needed for tightening the band to operate as a brake.drays, horses, bullocks