This baker’s wagon or cart transported and delivered bread and other baked goods in the Warrnambool area. It currently has advertising for H.H. Smith & Co. Henry Huntington Smith (1857-1941) owned and operated his Warrnambool bakery in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, the design of the wagon is similar to those used by local bakers in the 1930s and 1940s and probably originated from Stephenson’s Bakery in Warrnambool, which operated around that time. The wagon’s original internal shelves were removed in the early days of Flagstaff Hill so that children could have rides around the village in a horse-driven cart. BAKERS’ HISTORY There were many bakeries in Warrnambool in the 19th to mid-20th century. Each bread bakery made horse and cart deliveries in its allocated zone. SMITH’S BAKERY; – as shown on the wagon’s signage. Henry Huntington Smith (1857-1941) was born and educated in Warrnambool. He worked at Davis’ steam biscuit factory in Timor Street before he began his own bakery business in 1885 near the corner of Fairy and Koroit Streets. A few years later Smith built a new bakery on the corner of Fairy and Lava Street where it still stands today (2025) as Monaghan’s Pharmacy. The building was designed by James McLeod in 1892 as a bakehouse, shop and residence for Smith The address was known locally as Smith’s Corner. Next door to the bakery, at 136 Fairy Street, were stables built by Jobbins and McLeod in 1886 for William Cust. A photograph in the archives of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society shows the 1892 building with four fancy horse-drawn wagons on the street with white-clad drivers and a promotional stand erected with 5 bakers in uniform and the signage “H H Smith & Co, Pastry Cooks and Confectioners”. One of the wagons appears to have “H H Smith” painted on the side. H.H. Smith & Co. placed an Advertisement in the Weekly Times in December 1896 promoting its business as bakers, confectioners and pastry cooks, praising their shop as an ‘ornament to the town’ with ‘neat appointments’ and ‘dainty decorations’. It also boasted of supplying a large number of customers within a twelve-mile radius of Warrnambool. In November 1919 The Warrnambool Standard announced the marriage of Henry H Smith, Mayor of Warrnambool, to Jeannie Samson-Goodman in East Adelaide. In the same newspaper was a notice that Frank Crossley was to open as baker and pastry cook in H.H. Smith’s premises. As well as being the proprietor of the H.H. Smith Bakery, Henry Huntington Smith was a Councillor for the Warrnambool Municipality from 1913 to 1937 and Mayer for two terms. In December 1919 during his first term as Mayor, he was honoured for the work he had done with returning soldiers after World War I, receiving a document in recognition of this work, presented by the Mothers, Wives and Sisters of returned soldiers. Smith was very interested and involved in the community in many roles, including being the Vice President of the first Warrnambool and District Historical Society. STEPHENSON’S BAKERY: – believed to be the past owner of the wagon. The last owner of the bakery was Harold Stephenson. Stephenson was enlisted in the A.I.F. and was invalided home in 1943 before the end of the Second World War. He also served as a Councillor from 1958 to 1976, during which time he served six terms as Mayor for the City of Warrnambool (1966-1973) while he had the bakery. He was very involved in many local organisations including the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club and the Road Race Committee. He died in 1985, lauded as being one of Warrnambool’s “most distinguished civic leaders”. It has been said that the baker injured in World War II invented a special contraption to enable him to get up into the wagon and that he alerted his customers that he was in their vicinity by blowing a whistle. The customers would come out and choose their bread from the back of his wagon then pay him for it. However, another account is given by a man who once earned pocket money by helping the baker on his rounds. He says that it was Stephenson, the owner and manager of the bakery, and not the delivery baker who received a significant injury during the war, making him unable to climb the stairs of his upstairs accommodation at the bakery, therefore causing him to sleep downstairs. At this time in the early to late 1940 Stephenson’s bakery had three wagons, one for each of the delivery rounds. The wagons were painted black and yellow. Two of the drivers were Stan Lake and Ali (Alec) Dean who both had wagons with the covered cabin design. The third driver was Bill Lake who had a flat wagon. Stan Lake delivered in the area around Lava and Koroit Streets, Ali Dean had another round and Bill Lake had the Dennington area. Bread continued to be delivered into the 1960s but by this time the delivery vehicles were motorised. The goods produced at Stephenson’s bakery included bread baked in different shaped tins such as High Tin, Sandwich and Vienna. Some shapes were easily divided into half by breaking them apart, therefore the baker could make two-quarter loaves from a half loaf, satisfying different needs. There was the option of white or brown bread, sweet buns, fruit buns and Boston buns. The baker’s assistant was known to take great delight in ‘trimming’ the broken halves of excess bread and crust, enjoying his treat. THE BAKERY PREMISES: – Southeast corner of Fairy and Lava Streets, Warrnambool. The building retains the original cast iron veranda. Above the veranda, a motif of a wheat sheaf in ornamental plaster can be seen. Inside the building, there are still some of the original fittings. The building was classified by the National Trust in August 1979. After the Second World War, an official system of zoning was introduced as a fair way for the baking industry to operate. In 1949 different pricing was introduced by the Government for either delivered or retail purchased bread. Many of the small local bakeries went out of business after the Government banned zoning. The way was made open for the larger bread manufacturers to enter the local market with cheaper prices. Some of those companies were Mc Queens, Tip Top, Twisties, and Sunicrust, (Mc Queens ‘new’ bakery building was where the current Toyworld shop now stands, is, in the Ozone carpark.) O’Grady’s Bakery, later changing hands and known as Burkes Bakery, was on Fairy Street near the Timor Street intersection, on the North West side. There was also a bakery named Almay. The baker’s wagon is significant because of its association with H.H. Smith’s Bakery in Warrnambool.. The H.H. Smith’s Bakery building on the corner of Fairy and Lava Streets, built in 1892, is classified by the National Trust, August 1979. Smith Street Warrnambool was named after Henry Huntington Smith, who was a Warrnambool Councillor 1913 – 1937 and Mayor 1919 – 1921. Baker’s wagon, often referred to as a baker’s cart. Four wheeled horse-drawn delivery wagon, front wheels smaller than rear wheels. Wagon is clad with metal sheets and lined with varnished timber panels. Wheels have metal rims, wooden spokes and rear wheels have wooden brake pads. Horse shaft is timber with metal fittings. Front has a metal lamp holder, brake lever, metal hand grips and decorative metal foot plates. The wagon has suspension leaves on back and sides and double suspension leaves on the front. Driver’s area at front has a roof, glass side windows and wooden box seat with hinged compartment accessing wagon storage area. Door above back of seat has buckled leather handgrip strap attached, door slides open for access to wagon area. Back of wagon has a wooden step and a split door; top door has ventilation louvers, both doors have metal latches. Wagon is painted cream with brown trim and signage and green step. Remnants of red and green paint are visible; underside of seat panel is painted grey. Wagon advertises H.H. Smith & Co. Baker, a Warrnambool business established in 1885, but is of a more modern design seen around 1930’s and 1940’s and most likely belonging to Stephenson's bakery. Brown signwriting on sides of wagon “H.R. SMITH & CO. / BAKER” Brown signwriting across front of wagon “BAKER” warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, great ocean road, baker’s wagon, h.h. smith baker, warrnambool, henry h smith, jeannie samson-goodman, frank crossley, mayor of city of warrnambool, vice president of warrnambool and district historical society, stephenson’s bakery warrnambool, harold stephenson, warrnambool surf life saving club, road race committee, national trust building, stan lake, bill lake, ali dean, 19th and 20th century bakers, davies steam biscuit factory warrnambool, james mcleod building designer, jobbins and mcleod, william cust, h h smith & co, pastry cooks and confectioners, bakery trade, bread delivery wagon

A spring cart is a two-wheeled, one-horse cart, often with the driver standing up to drive it, and otherwise seated on a simple seat. Carts like this one had springs to make the ride smoother. It is a lighter version of a farm dray and is sometimes called a spring dray. Spring carts were often used on farms for carrying loads. In the towns, some businesses used a spring cart for deliveries of bread, milk and other goods. The carts would be used for travel and for families going on outings and picnics. Visitors to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village from 1986 to 1992 would enjoy watching a Clydesdale horse named Duke as he worked around the village with his driver Pat McGowan. He would be hitched to a wagon or to this lightweight spring cart or sometimes he would pull the wagon with the cart attached as a trailer. The cart was used for maintenance, carting loads of timber or stone around the site or from town to Flagstaff Hill. Sometimes Duke and the cart would take visitors for cart rides around the Village. Pat McGowan was known for his restoration of horse-drawn vehicles including this spring cart. He already had 40 years of horse handling experience when he began looking after Duke, feeding and harnessing him and driving the horse and cart around the Village. Pat’s dog ‘Yabbie’ would often join them. In August 1992 Duke had to be put down. Warrnambool Veterinary Clinic and other fund-raisers began well-supported appeals and the beloved horse was replaced by a Clydesdale also named Duke (the second), who began work in late October 1992. He, like his predecessor, had a quiet temperament and was comfortable in the traffic. The spring card is an example of vehicles used on farms, for business delivery and for domestic transport in the late-19th and early-20th century. This cart is of note for being associated with the Clydesdale horse Duke which pulled the cart around Flagstaff Hills in the 1980s and 1990s, representing transport of that period.Spring cart; two-wheeled cart with shallow box tray and plank seat bolted across the front. Wheels have metal rims and fourteen (14) wooden spokes. A plank is bolted from side to side. A decorative metal step is on the cart's left and has acorn cut-out shapes in the plate. Both wheels have a brake block that is operated by a lever on the cart's right. The cart has eight-leaf suspension from front to back. The box tray is painted blue and has decorative pale yellow detail. Each shaft pole has has a handle fitting on it. (Horse equipment with the cart is a leather covered, straw filled collar.) flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, springcart, spring cart, jingle, horse-drawn cart, one horse cart, two-wheeled cart, dray, spring dray, wagon, transportation, travel, cart, duke, clydesdale, pat mcgowan, delivery cart, yabbie, cartwright, horse-drawn vehicle, transport, horse cart