In 1878, J H Abbott bought the Edinburgh tannery from Mr Lambert and Mr Sibley in 1878 and set about expanding and modernising it. Soon it consisted of the necessary sheds surrounded by cottages built for the workers. The tannery buidings and processes consisted of :- 1. Hide shed that held 400-500 salted hides 2. Salt pots where the salted hides were soaked to remove all salt 3. Lime water pits where the hides were soaked to remove hair and all adherent flesh. 4.Beam shed where hides were hung so they could be scraped clean with double handled knives 5. Water baths that soaked the hides to remove the lime 6. Tan yard where there were 10 pits containing tanning liquid made from ground wattle bark. The entire process could take up to 9 months depending on the type of leather required. A forward thinking initiative of this tannery was the lack of waste. The left over flesh was boiled down to make tallow, trimmings from the hides was used to make glue, hair was washed and used by saddlers and upholsterers and the lime was mixed with tanning liquid to produce fertilizer. The tannery was producing about 240 sides of leather a week, with about two thirds of this being sent to England where it was in great demand because of its quality. In December 1894 the plant was destroyed by a fire believed to have started in the engine room. The plant was quickly rebuilt at an estimated cost of ten thousand pounds. The plant at 145 Tannery Lane operated until 1906.Sepia photograph: 13 workmen, shed at rear. Brick, timber, corrugated iron buildings in back ground. Interesting industrial site of the time. Photo of workmen taken in front of open sheds. Brick chimney and pile on L.H.S. Suggests Edinburgh Tannery, Sheepwash. J.H Abbott & Co. On back on small piece of paper 1127 Bgo. New registration No. rather indistinct. James Lerk 26.11.1999, ' Edinburgh Tannery - Sheepwash?' Ken Arnold Book 'Bendigo A History in Bottles & Stoneware 1852-1930 p10. This photograph labelled 'Workers at Sheepwash Tannery,' C. 1880-1890 with section about J.H. Abbott & Co. See book 'Bendigo A History in Bottles & Stoneware 1852-1930 by Ken Arnold, p.10RHSV 1127, Bgoorganization, business, edinburgh tannery, sheepwash creek.

Photocopies and original of 'Back to Mandurang' Souvenir. Celebration 1938. Contains the history of Mandurang and many of the local residents, the industries and agricultural pursuits. Names mentioned are: Mrs Thomas, Les Nankervis, Geo McGuire, Pinche, Mr Coghill, Mr Fenton, Atkinson's Station, John T Deravin, Wine Hall, Church, Kerr's Hotel, Tannery, Mr Panton, John Billman, Sheepwash Creek, Emu Creek, Port Phillip District (Victoria), Mr Charlesworth, Sam Snowden, Mr Grant, Grant's Land Act, Mr Montgomery, Mr McEncroe, Mr Wyeland, John Smith, Mr Adams, Geo Kofoed, Monti, Mr Ewing, Wm Ewing, Geo Green, Jim Green, Green Bros, Wm Keating, Mandurang Hotel, J B Loridan, Mr Lansell, 'General Grant', August Heine, Mr Myers, Mr Barth, Phylloxeria, Mr Jones, Mr McGuire, James Hargreaves, Mr Bounty, E Huillier, Sam Martin, Mr Oldworth, Dr Backhaus, Andrew Monti, W Wenwright, Mr Munroe, Mr Eldridge, Wm Wright, W Thomas Lowe, Taylor, Sam Lowe, George Lowe, Wm Hargreaves, Albert E Pearce, Piccaninny Creek, G Sherriff, Mr Stein, Albert Stein, John Theodore Deravin, Robins, Phylloxera vastrix, Mr Grosse, Board of Health, Chateau Dore, House of Assembly, Dr Hugh Deravin, Mrs Deravin, John Adolphus Deravin, Education Department, Bendigo High School, St Andrew's College, Stock Exchange, Relief Funds, L Dungey, Mr Crawford, A W McCauley, Schillerio, Cleghorn, Goudge and Sibley, Sibley and Lambert, R H S Abbott, Protestant Church, Miss E Wright, W Stephenson, Geo Lowe, J Hargreaves, Theo Deravin, Wm Pearce, Mrs A Deravin, St John's Roman Catholic Church, Father O'Connell, Father McKnab, Post Office, I Witworth, W Casey, Franz Steilow, Geo Billman, R Brennan, F Osborne, Mr Webster, Wm Hughes, Mr Raymond, One Tree Hill, Jerry Ryan, Bendigo City, Shire of Strathfieldsaye. Original copies are very dilapidated and pages 6, 7, and 8 are missing. (In 5 pockets).ephemera, mementoes, back to mandurang, john jones collection - back to mandurang souvenir 1938, mrs thomas, les nankervis, geo mcguire, pinche, mr coghill, mr fenton, atkinson's station, john t deravin, wine hall, church, kerr's hotel, tannery, mr panton, john billman, sheepwash creek, emu creek, port phillip district (victoria), mr charlesworth, sam snowden, mr grant, grant's land act, mr montgomery, mr mcencroe, mr wyeland, john smith, mr adams, geo kofoed, monti, mr ewing, wm ewing, geo green, jim green, green bros, wm keating, mandurang hotel, j b loridan, mr lansell, 'general grant', august heine, mr myers, mr barth, phylloxeria, mr jones, mr mcguire, james hargreaves, mr bounty, e huillier, sam martin, mr oldworth, dr backhaus, andrew monti, w wenwright, mr munroe, mr eldridge, wm wright, w thomas lowe, taylor, sam lowe, george lowe, wm hargreaves, albert e pearce, piccaninny creek, g sherriff, mr stein, albert stein, john theodore deravin, robins, phtlloxera vastrix, mr grosse, board of health, chateau dore, house of assembly, dr hugh deravin, mrs deravin, john adolphus deravin, education department, bendigo high school, st andrew's college, stock exchange, relief funds, l dungey, mr crawford, a w mccauley, schillerio, cleghorn, goudge and sibley, sibley and lambert, r h s abbott, protestant church, miss e wright, w stephenson, geo lowe, j hargreaves, theo deravin, wm peatce, mrs a deravin, st john's roman catholic church, father o'connell, father mcknab, post office, i witworth, w casey, franz steilow, geo billman, r brennan, f osborne, mr webster, wm hughes, mr raymond, one tree hill, jerry ryan, bendigo city, shire of strathfieldsaye