Mary nee Barrie Robinson (1907 –1999) writes c1980 about her father Charles Ernest Barrie of Darlingsford Melton (1871 – 1931) Extract copied from her handwritten story - My father was born in Ballarat in 1871. … commenced his working life with a team of bullocks and a chaffcutter in the St Arnaud district, a work the he became most success at and would continue in to the end of his life. He eventually became the owner of a chaff mill at Melton station with an access line to the railway. [1900] The Schutt & Barrie partnership Dad later became involved in a Chaff mill at West Footscray run by John Ralph Schutt who when he met Dad was a very sick man and had begged Dad to come into the business and help him. That began a very happy association, the business was put on its feet. An empty quarry across Geelong Road opposite the mill was purchased, the chaffcutters were set up in the quarry and that was the start of a very busy and prosperous period. A branch line was run into the mill. Dad spent some afternoons at the mill going by train, and spending some hours there at night, at the same time running the farm with full time help. Two full 8 horse teams were used to work the land, which meant early rising for the horses to be fed and harnessed ready for the men to commence the days work. Charlie Lowe and Murdock Davey were two of the men who worked for Dad in those years. The firm purchased a mill at Parwan and Dad spent a lot of time and energy getting it running to their satisfaction. Monday was the day he spent time there also round the district of Parwan and Balliang. He came to know many of the their names were well known in our household for many years. [1920] Later a flour mill was built beside the Chaff mill at West Footscray but it never thrived like the mill. The chaff mill had many loyal and good men employed there and there was never any trouble between men and management. Willie Walters and Miss Renyolds were some I remember, other names me, Joyce would be able to name them. [Sister of Mary born 1920] Schutt and Barrie Pty Ltd Chaff Cutting Mills Melton South sitelocal architecture, local identities, agriculture

Charles E “Ernie” Barrie started constructing a Chaff mill on the corner of Brooklyn and Station road in 1900. It soon became a thriving business and was ideally located close to the railway line. Ernie and his father William and other Barrie brothers had been operated travelling chaff cutters in the district of Melton and Werribee. Within a short time the mill expanded into two big sheds in partnership with his brother James E known as “Ted”. The eldest brother William was in the Manager living in Melton South. In 1906 Ernie applied for a railway crossing on Brooklyn Road to have direct access for railway trucks to be shunted to the mill to be loaded. The Mill was also had the first phone to be connected, No 1, and No’s 2, 3 were the Golden Fleece and Macs Hotels. In 1906 Ernie married Jessie Lang daughter of the Head Teacher at Melton State School No 430 (1896 –1917). The Barrie house on the north side of the mill was completed in August 1906. It survived for almost 60 years until demolition. Chaff mills were very susceptible to fires and often burnt down and would be rebuilt again ready for the peak of the harvesting season. The final demise of the Mill occurred in a spectacular blaze on the night of Friday 2nd December 1977, just before the earth tremor as reported in the local paper. Brian Dobson the local photographer lived close by and captured the night blaze. A video was also taken of the action by the fire brigade. My parents Bon and Edna Barrie were living at 19 First Avenue, and took colour slides of the smouldering ruins in the half -light. Ironically Bon had spent the first year of his life (born in April 1909 and sister Mary born October 1907) at the house beside the mill. Trethowan’s Chaff mill in Brooklyn road was also destroyed by fire, which stated in the evening on Tuesday April 28th 1987. It was established in 1910 by Dixon Brothers, followed by, Ebbot & Kebby, Robinson, Trethowan and Butler and was with the Trethowan family when it burnt down. Melton South was small a community referred to as Melton Railway Station. Member of the community raised the idea to have a public hall. In 1909 Cr Barrie, Mr Nesbitt and Delany formed a committee to build a community hall. Cr Barrie donated the land and The Exford Hall was completed in September 1910 later to be named Victoria Hall. It was demolished in 1992. Colour slide in Barrie archive. In April 1910 the Ernie sold the Mill to Glover Onians (HSK Ward) family moved away to a property in Trundle NSW. Ernie had acquired 640 acres (a square mile) and leased a further 1920 acres of adjoining land. It was the practise of the farmers in the area at the time to buy up or lease the surrounding land from the 640 acre crown land blocks to make up acerage for a viable wheat farm. His wife Jessie found the climate to be very hot and when the Darlingsford property at Melton was put up for sale in the latter part of 1910 and was passed in at the auction. My grandfather saw this an opportunity to return to Melton. The negotiations to Darlingsford were finalised on May 11th 1911. Barrie bothers with connections to Chaff mills and farming in Melton from the 1900s William Henry, Charles Ernest, James Edwin, Samuel John, Robert, Arthur Roger, Albert Walter. Three grandsons and a great-grandson are in business earthmoving and farming in Melton today. (2013) Memoirs by Wendy BarrieEmployees at Chaff Mill, it was located on the corner of Brooklyn and Station Road, Melton South. local identities, agriculture

Three colour photographs of a Chaff Cutter. Registered on May 19th 1852heritage week, eltham, courthouse, chaff cutter, activities

Three colour photographs of a Chaff Cutter. Registered on May 19th 1852heritage week, eltham, courthouse, chaff cutter, activities

Three colour photographs of a Chaff Cutter. Registered on May 19th 1852heritage week, eltham, courthouse, chaff cutter, activities

Framed limited edition lithograph of three men working a chaff cutter. Donated through the Australian Gifts Programme by Katherine Littlewood.printmaking, brian dunlop, harvest, chaff cutter, farming, cultural gifts

-1 Forking Hay into Chaff Cutter. Bill Cunningham is child c.1940 -2 Little Boy Bill Cunningham with Grandfather Herbert Wettenhall Carrs Plains about to feed sheep c.1940 during drought. -3 Bill Cunningham walking towards chaff cutter powered by motor. -4 Bill Cunningham with Chaff Cutter in background at Carrs Plains. Shows Hay being brought in Hay and Conveyor Four Farming photographsfarming

Buildings - "Hay Stack, Chaff Cutter" People - "Ward, Betty (Mrs.)"

Young & Co Chaff Mills was located in Main Road, Ballarat East.young & co, mills, ballarat east, commerical, main road

D. Telford Chaff Mill and D. Telford Produce Dealer & Grocer Main Street from P.C. News Supplement 1888stawell businesses

In the early 1900’s Charles Ernest Barrie and his brother Ted were in partnership in a Chaff cutting and Ha y processing Mill on the corner of Station and Brooklyn road Melton South. By 1906 Charles Ernest and James Edwin were in partnership in the Station Road mill when a connecting rail line across Brooklyn Road for a siding was constructed to the Melton Railway Station. In 1911 the Mill’s letterhead shows C.E. BARRIE Hay Pressing and Chaff Cutting Mills. This Mill as sold to H S K Ward in 1916 and stood until 1977 when it burnt down in a spectacular fire.Owned by C.E Barrie. Buildings were on the west side of Station Road in Melton South, 100 metres north of Brooklyn Roadlocal identities, pioneer families, agriculture

Churchill Island has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows the extensive work and volunteering conducted on site by workers after it was turned into a heritage siteColour photograph of a working historical chaff cutter emitting a spray of chaff. Probably taken at the Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/03/2013Catalogue number on reverse in pencil. Written on reverse in pen: "Old chaff cutter and cut chaff. Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/3/2013" churchill island, photograph

Churchill Island has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows the extensive work and volunteering conducted on site by workers after it was turned into a heritage siteColour photograph of a working historical chaff cutter emitting a spray of chaff. Probably taken at the Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/03/2013Catalogue number on reverse in pencil. Written on reverse in pen: "Old chaff cutter in action. CI Easter Festival 30/3/2013" churchill island, photograph

Jim Clancy, Sid Stewart and John Hunter sit of 'sleeping quarters' for workers on threshing machines on a farm at Millbrook.jim clancy, sid stewart, john hunter, millbrook, farm work, agriculture, people

millbrook, farm work, manufacturing, vehicle

farm work, vehicle, persons

In 1915, Barrie built a new mill at Melton Railway Station situated between Exford Hall and Dixon’s mill. It will be 40ft by 80ft with 18ft walls. Partnership with John Ralph Schutt–West Footscray Schutt & Barrie in 1916 1916 February Ernie Barrie has sold his recently erected chaff mill at Melton South Railway Station to Messrs Dixon at a satisfactory price. The mill recently purchased from Mr Barrie to be re-erected along side their present millPurchases for the Schutt & Barrie Chaff Mills, Meltonagriculture, local identities

Churchill Island has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows the extensive work and volunteering conducted on site by workers after it was turned into a heritage siteColour photograph of Ash bending in front of a chaff cutter and a pile of hay in the background. Probably taken at the Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/03/2013Catalogue number on reverse in pencil. Written on reverse in pen "Ash working with old chaff cutter. C.I.Easter Festival 30/3/2013"churchill island, photograph

Large caste iron wheel on which two knife cutters are fitted - hand rotated - material to be cut is fed through a canter-levered wooden box - reduction gears are used to ease the effort for the person operating it. All of this is mounted on a caste iron frame. Capable of cutting 'I/2 . 1/2 Chaff'|Similar one sold by Welch, Perrin & Co P/L in 1929 for 8 pound .The 'Bentall' Chaff Cutter moulded on the reduction gear cover. 'Bentall Improved (or Patented?) Chaff Cutter 913 Heybridge, Maldon, England' - on the body and wheel.rural industry, livestock

Churchill Island has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows the extensive work and volunteering conducted on site by workers after it was turned into a heritage siteColour photograph of Ash feeding oat into the chaff cutter Probably taken at the Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/03/2013Catalogue number on reverse in pencil. Written on reverse in pen "Ash feeding his oat crop through the old chaff cutter. C.I.Easter Festival 30/3/2013"churchill island, photograph

Churchill Island has a large photographic collection dating from the nineteenth century. This series shows the extensive work and volunteering conducted on site by workers after it was turned into a heritage siteColour photograph of farm manager Trevor Heywood standing among chaff, shovelling some material into a large hessian bag Probably taken at the Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/03/2013Catalogue number on reverse in pencil. Written on reverse in pen: "Farm Manager Trevor Heywood filling chaff bag, Churchill Island Easter Festival 30/3/2013" churchill island, photograph

Arthur Henry Schutt. Born 18th July 1912 at Spotswood He was the third child of John Ralph and Mary Jane Schutt. His grandfather was the first librarian of the Victorian Law Courts and his uncle, William Schutt, was a lawyer who later became the Chief Justice Sir William Schutt. His mother was born a Clutha House, stony Creek Yarraville, a was one of ten children. John Schutt opened a chaff mill at the corner of Williamstown and Geelong Roads at West Footscray. The mill was placed on in an old quarry below the ground which saved much of the backbreaking labour of heaving sheaves of hay up into the machinery, the below ground location enable the hay to be fed directly into the railway trucks into the cutters. An elevator then carried the chaff up from the ground directly into the waiting transport, at a great saving in manpower. The chaff mill became on of the largest in Victoria employing more than forty men, and later moved into flour milling.Schutt and Barrie Flour Mills, Melton South site. Opposite this Mill was a Public Weighbridge. A rail siding crossed Brooklyn road to serve chaff mill. The rail line crossed west of the Methodist Churchlocal identities, agriculture

Pallett and Wiseman operated out of "Coopers Timber Yard", Bridge St., Bendigo. They operated a steam chaff and corn crushing mill. They also supplied firewood, coal and coke.Sepia coloured photograph. Five men standing in front of a horse and cart. The cart is full of sacks of some produce. A building in the background with a sign on the top "Pallett & Wiseman steam chaff & corn crushing ma... Date and location unknown. Part of the Barker"s family collection.bendigo businesses, pallett & wiseman

This iron chaff cutter was a vital piece of rural machinery especial for cattle in areas subjected to limited grass growing seasons. The Kiewa Valley and Alpine regions were up to the 21st century "snowed" in. The conditions requiring summer crops and fodder to be prolonged for the harsh winter climate are now becoming less and less and may confirm the precursor of "global warming". The Kiewa Valley is still a strong base for dairy cattle and other stock requiring all year access to hay/grass supplies. The use of, now defunct, Tobacco drying sheds for the storage of hay and other fodder is typical of the Australian farmer/grazier's adaptability to utilise anything available. To think outside the square.Black Iron Chaff Cutter. The wheel has a single piece inside with 4 curved spokes with adjustable blades attached by 4 screws & 3 rivets. The wheel has a wooden handle. Operated by cogs. HOCKING GREASE BALLARAT COGS FREELYagriculture, farm machinery, stock feeding, grazier, farm animals

Item was handed to Society members in the late 1970s by Mr. Davey.Green painted metal four legged stand to which is attached a large red painted wheel with two cutting blades and a handle.A green wooden chute extends out and two large cog wheels are at the start of this. See NA1416 for comments.The 'Bentall' CPB chaff cutter.rural industry, livestock, farm machinery