Guildo Fabbro, Falkiner Street, Eltham with Clydesdale horse with harness in field. The site of the Fabbro farm (Diamond Creek side land) is now called Barrack Bushlands. It is doubtful that Fabbro's farm holding was ever called Barrak Park, This title is fairly recent after the Shire of Eltham purchased the land, including the last section in 1993/94. About this time the area on the west side of Falkiner Street was purchased by a private developer and developed as housing. The area in Bell Street opposite the Eltham High School was purchased by the State Government is recent years and is called Fabbro Fields. The Fabbro Family operated their farm in Bell Street, Eltham. 1 black and white photographfabbro's farm, guido fabbro, bell street, clydesdale horse

Horsedrawn team of two Clydesdale horses and workmen at Cumberland River 1921g.o.r. clydesdale horse team cumberland river 1921

This wagon was used in towns across south-west Victoria during the first half of the twentieth century by Pooran Singh, an Indian-born immigrant. Singh arrived in Australia alone in 1899 at the age of 30. The following year, at the Colac Licensing Court in western Victoria, he was one of 78 hawkers granted a Hawker’s Licence. According to the Colac Herald, all but two of the applicants appeared to be Asian. While some hawkers registered horse-drawn carts, Singh was one of nineteen licensed to trade on foot, selling door to door. Applicants were encouraged to contribute to a collection for the Colac Hospital. Over time, Pooran Singh progressed to owning his own wagon—a top-of-the-range light delivery vehicle—and a horse named Prince. His work often took him along rough country roads. In September 1909, near Thowgla in the Corryong district of north-eastern Victoria, he was thrown from his wagon while navigating a deep rut and was run over by one of its wheels. Although he suffered bruising to his chest, his injuries were not serious. The following year he was granted a Hawker’s Licence in Corryong. By 1916, while living and working at Garvoc in western Victoria, he advertised in The Standard after losing his paper license on Cooramook Road. In 1918, at the Warrnambool Petty Sessions Court, he was one of four applicants granted renewal of their hawkers’ licenses, and each donated ten shillings to Warrnambool Hospital. Throughout these years, Singh was known to farmers and their families as he travelled across Victoria’s Western District, living and working from his covered wagon. In his later years, Pooran Singh formed a close friendship with John Jandes Moore and his wife, Vera, of Russells Creek, Warrnambool. They offered him the use of their property as a base for his travels and cared for him during his final illness. John Moore was later appointed one of the two executors of Singh’s will. Pooran Singh died in Warrnambool on 8 June 1947, aged 77. His final wish was to be cremated and for his ashes to be returned to India for immersion in the Ganges. The cremation was arranged by Guyett’s Funerals in Warrnambool. Having never married, Singh left his estate to his four nephews, enabling them to buy land and build homes; one later installed a memorial plaque in his honour. In the late 1980s, Guyett’s Funerals placed his ashes in the niche wall at Warrnambool Cemetery as a memorial, while continuing to hope that family instructions might eventually arrive. Nearly 63 years after his death, renewed enquiries brought public attention to the long and respectful care given to his ashes. As a result, the renowned Indian cricketer Kapil Dev travelled to Warrnambool to collect them and escort them to India, helping to fulfil Singh’s final wish. He was joined by one of Singh’s grand-nephews, Harmel Uppal, who had travelled from England. At a formal ceremony on 25 July 2010 commemorating Singh’s life, the ashes were handed to Dev and Uppal, and local resident Avis Quarrell, who had known Singh as a child, read a poem she had written in his memory. She still owned a shell necklace that Singh had made for her mother. Some Warrnambool locals who had been closely involved also travelled to India, where they joined Uppal’s family from the village of Uppal Bhopa, near Jalandhar. On 31 July 2010, Pooran Singh’s ashes were immersed in the Ganges, fulfilling the wish he had expressed more than six decades earlier. After Pooran Singh’s death, his horse and wagon remained on John Moore’s property. When Prince died, he was buried on the beach at Warrnambool. The wagon stayed with the Moore family and was at times used as a cubby house. In about 1997, John Moore, the son of John Jandes Moore, donated it to Flagstaff Hill. After restoration, the wagon became an attraction in the village, where volunteer Pat and his Clydesdale horse, Duke, offered visitors rides around Flagstaff Hill’s lake. This wagon is significant for its association with an Indian emigrant who used it to earn an income in Australia. It also reflects the vital role of hawkers, who travelled through rural and regional communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, supplying food, goods and news. The wagon is also historically significant as a former Flagstaff Hill attraction, offering visitors the experience of horse-drawn rides around the lake.Wagon: a light delivery vehicle once used as a hawker's wagon. It is a four-wheel, horse-drawn vehicle with iron tyres, brakes, spoked wheels painted red with decorative yellow strips on the hubs, a timber shaft, and springs on the undercarriage. It was once a covered wagon, fitted with green, wooden sideboards, a front seat with leather-padded backrest and mounting steps. The late-19th to early-20th-century wagon was once owned by Pooran Singh, a local Indian hawker. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, southwest victoria, northwest victoria, western district, colac, colac hospital, colac licensing court, thowgla, corryong, garvoc, cooramook road, warrnambool petty sessions court, warrnambool hospital, russells creek road, ganges, warrnambool cemetery, uppal bhopa, jalandhar, hawker’s licence, covered wagon, wagon, hawker's wagon, horse-drawn cart, hawker's cart, light delivery vehicle, hawker, travelling salesman, travelling hawker, door-to-door sales, rural salesman, rural commerce, prince, duke, clydesdale horse, 1997, pooran singh, indian immigrant, pat, john james moore, vera moore, john and vera moore, john moore, guyatt’s funerals, kapil dev, harmel uppal, avis quarrell

Tramway on Explosives Loading Pier. The Clydesdale horse was one of many working at the Reserve.

The Horse Drawn Tram service began 1888. It was initially for taking passengers from the Ballarat Railway Station to the Lake and Gardens. Gradually more tracks were laid and it became a regular transport service.Coloured photograph, laminated, showing two Clydesdale horses pulling a tram. Signs displayed on the tramNumber 1 in gold on front of tram. horse tram, transport service, railway station, lake, gardens, 1888

Black and white copy of original photograph showing a man standing between four Clydesdale horses in harness.farming, horses, 1925, w. j. kerr

The unidentified man has decorated his wagon to take part in the Easter Carnival of the Australian Native's Association. The Australian Natives Association was formed in Melbourne in 1871 and originally known as the Victorian Natives Association. The association was a friendly society and membership was restricted to white people born in Australia. Friendly society membership required a small fortnightly contribution and, in return, members received free medical care for their whole family, a funeral benefit to avoid a pauper’s grave and sick pay if they were unable to work. The ANA, as it became known, did not admit women members until the 1960s.A man in a bowler hat is holding the reins of a Clydesdale horse that is attached to a decorated wagon which is stacked with produce. Handwritten in red ink on reverse of image: A26 / 71% Handwritten in pencil: A26 / Chap 3market gardens, friendly societies, australian natives association, welfare, horse, horse drawn wagon

This leather horse blinker is an example of the equipment used on working horses in the clonial era and is similar to modern day horse leatherwork.Harness blinker or winker; head harness for a draught horse.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, draught horse, clydesdale, horse harness, winker, blinker, working horse

The Melton & District Historical Society complied a selection of photographs from their districtMelton: Yesterday & Today Volume 1 November 2005melton, clydesdale horse, chaff mill, high street, city of melton council, electricty, exford weir, jongebloed family, melton reservoir, arch bridge, pinkerton family, railways, viaduct, the willows

Colour photograph of a single-furrow plough used at Kangaroo Ground to plough heavy black soil, pulled by four Clydesdale horses.heritage week, eltham, courthouse, single furrow plough, sign, activities

Two colour photographs (same view) of a single furrow plough used at Kangaroo Ground to plough heavy black soil, pulled by four Clydesdale horsesheritage week, eltham, courthouse, single furrow plough, sign, activities

The photograph was taken on the property owned by the Beer family, situated on Lancefield Road. When Europeans first settled the area and the property was acquired by Michael Coolaton in the 1850s, it straddled either side of the Emu Creek. After the death of Michael Coolaton in 1896 and until the Beer family purchased it in 1953, the property was leased to a number of tenants who concentrated on a variety of grazing and cereal growing pursuits. The Beer family have raised cattle and a Clydesdale stud. Today there are remains of drystone fences and some stone buildings on the property.The Clydesdale Stud raised on this property is of significance in the former Shire of Bulla.A non-digital black and white photograph with a narrow cream border of a man driving a team of three Clydesdale horses pulling a wagon loaded with hay along a pathway . A row of gum trees is in the background.beer family, lancefield road, clydesdale stud, horses, cattle, emu creek

Of significant interest as depicting farming practices and machinery.Good for a laser copy of old photographs.straw stacks., farm tractor steel wheels., clydesdale horses., horse-drawn plough and reaper., harness details., tractor is possibly a case.

Horses were frequently used to assist in the manual labour of farming right up to the mid twentieth century. This image was taken while ploughing market garden fields in Moorabbin.Black and white image of two Clydesdale horses attached to harness and pulling a plough. Two men are behind the horses, one is holding the handles of the plough and the other is standing next to him with his hands on his hips.Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 70% Printed in black text on white round sticker adhered to reverse: 41horses, manual labour, farming, moorabbin

Amatuer photograph, Clydesdale horses drawing boat ride with moon in foreground, with entrance and Scenic Railway in the background Luna Park, St Kildablack and white photograph, unmounted, copy, fair condition

Members of the Marriott family arrived in Port Phillip in 1857. However it was John and Jane Marriott who in 1876, (after toiling hard since their arrival in1871, for very little gain), first leased, then purchased in 1882, 30 acres with a four-roomed house in East Boundary Road, in the area then called East Brighton. (Now known as East Bentleigh). The land they purchased had previously been a part of the 1841 Dendy Survey. Over the following years, John and his four sons with hard work and determination became prosperous vegetable growers and purchased further land in the area. Following John's retirement and subsequent death in 1903, the land was passed to his sons, and then onto the Marriott grandchildren. The family continued to remain very prosperous and successful vegetable growers. This lovely photo of Geoff Marriott bears testament to just one of the many families steeped in the tradition of vegetable growing which significantly contributed to the prosperity of the Shire, and its subsequent development into the City of Moorabbin. The photograph of Geoff Marriott of the Marriott family represents a typical example of the MANY early market gardening families, some names less prominent, but who with their labours contributed to the prosperity and the development of the community of the Shire of Moorabbin. This group of early pioneers, over many years, were a singularly important group responsible for the growth of schools, churches, the Mechanic's Hall, and were active in local government. Large coloured photograph, taken in 1969, showing Mr Geoff Marriott with his horse-drawn plough pulled by "Duke" the Clydesdale horse, and accompanied by "Smoky", his dog, working in his market garden, Brady Road, East Bentleighhorse, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, settlers, fruit, markets, vegetables, plough, mayors, moorabbin shire, moorabbin roads board, marriott geoff, marriott john, marriott jane, market gardens, horse drawn plough, city of moorabbin

Date made 27 March 1988Colour photograph of a four wheeled horse drawn vehicle in front of the Central Hotel, showing a concrete finished building with arched doorway, five arched windows, red metal painted roof. Colin Campbell standing at head of Clydesdale horse pulling the wagon containing two beer kegs. Lakes Entrance Victoriaanimals, transport, retail trade, people

Percival White was a blacksmith who set up shop in South Road, Moorabbin. The advertising on the front of the shop indicates he also made and repaired buggies, wagons, etc.Percival White opened his blacksmith shop in 1853. The business continued until 1973.Black and white image of a group of men, standing either side of a Clydesdale horse, in front of Percival White's shop in South Road, Moorabbin. The man to the far right appears to be in a military or police uniform. The man immediately next to him is wearing a long apron. There are two more men standing in a row and then the Clydesdale. There is a man sitting sideways on the horse. Another man is holding the horse by the reins. Another man is standing next to him, with his hands on his hips and another man, or boy, is seated. In the background there is another man with a long white beard.Handwritten in blue ink on reverse: 124 Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 55%moorabbin, blacksmith, repair

This is a photograph printed onto a postcard of Ethel Lynn. She is competing in the Orbost Show, sometime during World War I. She is wearing the uniform of women who engaged in fundraising for the War. Ethel was the only child of Samuel J Lynn and Elizabeth Jane Lynn (nee Warren) who farmed at Jarrahmond and bred Clydesdale horses. After the War, Ethel trained as a nurse in Melbourne at the Royal Victorian Nurses' Association. She later worked as a nurse in England and also in Orbost. The Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) was formed just after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, originally as a branch of the the British Red Cross. It came into being as a branch of the British Red Cross Society on August 13th 1914 to succour the wounded in the First World War.This photograph is significant because it is of a local Orbost district person, Ethel Lynn. Her uniform shows that she is involved with fundraising for the First World War. A sepia coloured photograph on a postcard. A woman in a white dress, with a white cap on her head, and a red cross on her front is sitting in a buggy pulled by one horse. The background shows trees and a fence.W C RICE photo on front right Ethel Lynn, Ist Prize Lady Driver, Old Show Ground is written in pencil on the back. ethel lynn, world war i fundraising, orbost show, australian red cross

This photograph shows Sam Lynn with his team of Clydesdales. Samuel James Lynn was born in 1865 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. His father was James Lynn and his mother was Mary Jane Keith. Sam, as he was known, was the second of three brothers, his older brother being William and his younger brother was John Wilson Lynn. (info. Margaret Hollands) Samuel Lynn was a well-known Orbost pioneer. He owned much property throughout the district , bred Clydesdale horses and fattened about 600 cattle. He was in great demand as a judge of both cattle and horses at agricultural shows in Victoria and interstate. He was a shire councillor for 30 years and president several times. He took a great interest in the sporting clubs of the town and played cricket until late in life. He was goal umpire for the local football team for many years, judged for the Orbost Racing Club and was the first president of the Orbost Bowls Club. He was also a member of the first municipal band. Sam Lynn was a well-known Orbost pioneer. The Lynn family has a long historic connection with the Orbost agricultural history.A small black / white photograph of four men, two standing and two sitting, in a horse draw buggy. Four large horses are harnessed to it.lynn-sam transport-horse-drawn clydesdale-horses

This is a photograph of Dave Hawkless crossing the Snowy River at Bete Bolong with a wagon load of maize from the farm of Sam Lynn. David Hawkless was married to Mary Downey in 1906. They had five children. Samuel James Lynn was born in 1865 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. His father was James Lynn and his mother was Mary Jane Keith. Sam, as he was known, was the second of three brothers, his older brother being William and his younger brother was John Wilson Lynn. (info. Margaret Hollands) Samuel Lynn was a well-known Orbost pioneer. He owned much property throughout the district , bred Clydesdale horses and fattened about 600 cattle. He was in great demand as a judge of both cattle and horses at agricultural shows in Victoria and interstate. He was a shire councillor for 30 years and president several times. He took a great interest in the sporting clubs of the town and played cricket until late in life. He was goal umpire for the local football team for many years, judged for the Orbost Racing Club and was the first president of the Orbost Bowls Club. He was also a member of the first municipal band.This is a pictorial record of the transporting of maize in the Orbost district in th late 19th century. It is associated with Sam Lynn, a prominent citizen of early Orbost.A small black / white photograph of wagons crossing a river. There is a man on a horse beside what appears to be a team of bullocks pulling a loaded wagon.hawkless-david agriculture-maize transport

Horse collar worn around neck of Horse as part of equipment used to help pull heavy loads handmade leather filled with straw, inside covered with soft hide to prevent chaffing on horses neck. would have been for a clydesdale or draught horse.No visible signs

Has a strong association with the ESCo shed staff and later tram crews, c1910? Shows the nature of the clothing worn by the depot staff, and one of the crew and the interior detail of the one of the tramcars at the time. Provides details of names of some of the men photographed.Black and White copy photograph of the ESCo power station and tramway staff outside the front of the ESCo Power Station, View Point, Wendouree Parade, Ballarat c1915. Standing on the ground are 26 men and on the tower truck a further 14 men. Shows details of the clothing the men were wearing at the time, depending on the age and company position, details of the horse drawn tower truck, and of the power station and office brickwork. Tower wagon drawn by one Clydesdale horse. See page 53 of The Golden City and its Tramways and for the photo itself. Gives some names of the people in the photograph. From the photo caption in the book: Extreme left Harry Foy, depot Foreman, second from left Mr Knox the accountant; third from left is Walter J.K. Dunstan, office manager, 7th from left Alan Todd, 3rd from right standing is Bob Tregaskis ("Rickety Bob), at left, kneeling is Albert Mitchell, at right kneeling is George Laurens - overhead wire maintenance, standing at base of the tower at right is Tom Richardson, painter, next to him on the left is Sy Barker and at the reins Teddy Hewitt and Harry Weston.tramways, trams, esco, staff, power station, tower wagon

From 1870 onwards discussions took place in Wodonga concerning the best location for a building to house and reorganise the holdings of the Wodonga Literary Institute and Free Library. The Literary Institute, originally the Belvoir Literary Group, had been formed prior to 1861 and changed its name with the renaming of the town in 1869. In 1873 a meeting was held to consider the re-organising of the Wodonga Literary Institute and Free Library as “there were a goodly number of valuable books and other property belonging to the Institution but they were not used, and it was a pity to see such valuable works and sketches shut up in a back store getting spoiled”. In October 1885 the Wodonga and Towong Sentinel reported that the Wodonga Athenaeum and Free Library committee were seeking a grant of £200 to add to the £200 already paid to purchase Hellerman’s buildings. In October 1886 the Wodonga Athenaeum in Hume Street was officially opened. It was designed by Gordon and Gordon, architects, and built by Stewart Bros. This building continued to house the Atheneum and its collection until 1915 when the new library in High Street was built. In 1916 the Athenaeum building was moved on drays drawn by Clydesdale horses, to 153 Lawrence Street and used as a private home since. The building is heritage listed. This image is one of a collection of glass negatives taken by Robert Prentice. The negatives are clearly identified as he inscribed in the glass a back-to-front capital R (Я) on to which was joined a capital P creating his mark ЯР. On the glass he would also scratch the name Prentice where he could, in this case along the bottom of the picket fence.This image is significant because it housed the Wodonga Literary Group and Free Library, the first library building in Wodonga.Black and white image of old wooden house with tin roof. Trees and a picket fence are at the front of the house.Written below picket fence: Atheneum Wodonga, Prenticewodonga literary institute and free library, atheneum wodonga, belvoir literary group, robert prentice

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

Samuel Lynn (1865-1949) was a farmer and grazier at Jarrahmond. He bred Clydesdales. The 13th Light Horse Regiment was formed at Broadmeadows in Victoria in March 1915; it was the third light horse regiment to have been raised in that state. Its regimental number quickly led to it becoming known as the "Devil's Own" regiment. It left Australia on 28 May and disembarked in Egypt on 29 June 1915. Horses have always been an important part of Orbost's history.A laminated set of photographs on cardboard. it is an arrangement of black / white photocopies posibly for a magazine or display. The photos are of local horses, local people and include Mr S. Lynn, A. Mosely and Orbost No 2 troop 13th Light Horse.photographs-horses lynn-samuel mosely 13th-light-horse

Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5" Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), Tuesday 15 August 1933 MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 16, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Published title: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA Published Caption: Age Tue 15 Aug 1933 Caption: Unloading Mahogany Logs brought from Manila, Philippine Islands, by the steamer Taiping, which berthed yesterday at Victoria Dock. The vessel discharged twenty logs, each weighing three tons, the first shipment of this type of timber landed in Melbourne. Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: This photograph in many ways epitomises Melbourne in the 1930s. It is a time of enormous growth, development and change. But before delving into that, the photo itself is very powerful. The huge mahogany logs being unloaded appear to be so heavy that the ship itself seems to list to port as they are craned over the side. They are being levered into a cart to which two large and sturdy Clydesdale horses are hitched. In contrast to the traditional horses, the wharf is crisscrossed with modern railway tracks. Unloading is both mechanical and manual, and the scene is one of intense interest to a young boy bystander. The ship appears to be squat and solid, but the whole image also gives a feeling of movement and intensity. The mahogany being delivered to Melbourne would be intended for high quality furniture. In the 1930s Australia actually had a growing timber industry, but much of the eucalyptus wood was being utilised for mass produced furniture, and much of this furniture would then have had a veneer applied to it. The fact that it was economic to import this timber from the “Philippine Islands” – not a traditional trading market for Australia – reflects a Victorian economy that was strong enough to support a growing demand for good quality furniture Mahogany was described as a classic, strong hardwood, often used for dark opulent furniture. In the 1930s the importation of timber from Manila (Philippines) to Australia was a notable trade, particularly in Philippine Lauan (often referred to as Philippine Mahogany), which was used as a cheaper alternative to other hardwoods. 1930s furniture, dominated by the art deco style, used a mix of luxurious exotic woods like mahogany, macassar and ebony for high-end pieces, often veneered over less expensive woods such as walnut, birch and poplar, and with plywood, chrome and lacquer also popular for more practical, streamlined designs during the Depression era. By the mid 1930s timber mills were being relocated away from the immediate dock area, but the fact that these logs were being transported by horse-drawn cart implies that the load would not have had to be taken too far for milling. 1885 the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners had decided that land in or near the city was far too valuable to be used as timber yards. Furthermore, large stacks of timber posed a fire risk. The Trust asked the Victorian Government to reserve a site on the east side of the Yarra River opposite Yarraville and Spotswood. Here, in 1889, the Trust began building six jetties and a wharf specifically for the landing of timber. Clydesdale horses were initially brought to Victoria from Tasmania in the 1830s, and with the 1850s gold rush they were imported direct from Scotland. Melbourne was from its earliest years an important centre of horse-breeding from both imported and colonial-bred stock, providing the well-built draught horse for pulling heavily loaded wagons, the harness horse for delivery work and drawing coaches, and the saddle-horse used for riding. Stud breeding facilities were advertised from the early 1840s. By the 1870s the horse export trade was thriving, and the Port of Melbourne was the country's busiest exporter of horses to Indian, Asian and New Zealand markets. Kirk's Melbourne Horse and Carriage Bazaar in Bourke Street first advertised for business in 1840, and by the 1850s Bourke Street West was famed for its horse bazaars and saleyards. The Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society reports that Clydesdale working horses were a vital part of Melbourne's infrastructure and agricultural industry in the 1930s, when they reached the peak of their popularity despite the increasing competition from mechanization. Their main roles and usage at this time were: • City Delivery: Clydesdales were a common sight for metropolitan deliveries, particularly for breweries (such as Carlton & United Breweries), milk runs, and bread deliveries. • Industrial Work: They were heavily used for hauling cargo at the docks, in construction, and at specialized sites like the Truganina Explosives Reserve, where they pulled wagons. • Agriculture: In surrounding rural areas, they were the primary power source for ploughing and agricultural machinery. • Specialization: By the 1930s, the Clydesdale was smaller and more compact than the Shire or Percheron breeds, making them ideal for navigation in urban environments. After the 1930s their numbers decreased due to the onset of WWI and mechanisation. Wartime petrol rationing led to a brief revival for the working horse, as suburban tradesmen, now used to motor delivery, took their old jinkers out of mothballs. By 1947, however, only 1.5% of city traffic was horse-drawn. In 1952 the large horse cartage company A. Kellet Pty Ltd sold its 250 horses and converted its Richmond stables to storage. In the 1950s at Station and Princes piers, wharf labourers refused to work with the six draught horses still being used to haul trolleys and which were soon superseded by the fork lift, semi-trailer and mobile crane. Where carefully trained horses had once shunted trains in city goods yards, a few hundred a week were now being killed at the abattoirs for pet and human consumption. The last MCC dray horse was withdrawn from service in 1958, but some of the few remaining working animals are used by the mounted police for crowd control at demonstrations and football games. The death knell had also sounded for the associated trades of farrier, saddler and blacksmith. Our photo, therefore, showing the wharf with both the haulage Clydesdales and the rail lines, is a strong visual summary of the social and economic changes experienced in Victoria in the 1930s and on towards the 1950s. Our photo is located at Victoria Dock (also known as Victoria Harbour) which is still an active component of Melbourne’s port system. In 1892 the West Melbourne Dock (later Victoria Dock) was opened, downstream and immediately west of the Spencer Street railway shunting yards. It contained a swing basin for ships, replacing the one which had been provided on the south side of the river, later to be the Duke and Orr dry dock, west of the Charles Grimes Bridge. Further west was the South Wharf along the river bank. The history of Victoria Dock is extremely well described by Ashley Smith in his 2 March 2022 article in Docklands News, and its accompanying aerial photo of the Dock taken in 1934. He writes: "In the early 1930s Victoria Dock was one of the biggest sites for trade and export in Melbourne. A constant queue of ships sailed in, unloaded their cargo, recharged and reloaded, then left for the next port. Around the time this photo was taken (found in a 1934 photo book), the trapezium-shaped basin had been through some changes since its construction in the 1890s. The 497-metre-long Central Pier, finished in 1919, now featured six sheds to house the ever-increasing volume of cargo. The entrance had also been widened in the 1920s to allow better access. Some of the berths featured three-ton jib electric cranes to help with loading cargo and a rail network connected to the State Railway service. By the time construction was completed, the dock was 39 hectares and hailed as the second-largest dock in the world (behind Cavendish Dock, Barrow-in-Furness). To further save costs, excavations were dug to a more reasonable seven metres below low water, instead of British engineer Sir John Coode’s recommended 8.3 metres. Even then, the costs were still around £900,000. It was envisaged, with the extra wharfage, that around thirty 90-metre ships could berth inside. On March 22, 1892, Victoria Dock was opened by Victoria’s Governor, the Earl of Hopetoun (later Australia’s first Governor-General) who opened the sluice to let the Yarra in. It took six days to fill the basin with The Leader newspaper estimating that it would take another six months to completely fill (March 26, 1892). In the end, it took nearly a year before the first ship was allowed to enter on February 20, 1893, when the steamer Hubbuck sailed in to unload 1200 tonnes of cargo in 15 hours. The Argus (February 23, 1893) reported that the ship’s captain, J. R. Brodie, called the Yarra “better than the Thames”, and compared Victoria Dock favourably to the Albert Dock (Liverpool)." This would be a good time to move our focus on to the Taiping, which is the transporter of these giant mahogany logs. The Taiping was a steel-hulled, single-screw passenger-cargo Chinese steamer, which today has the dubious legacy of being involved in a collision headlined as “The Chinese Titanic”. It was constructed by the Hong Kong and Shampoa Dock Company at its facility in Hong Kong, with completion in 1926 for service under the Australia Oriental Line. Her gross register tonnage measured 4,324 tons, reflecting her design for inter-island and coastal trade routes, accommodating both passengers and freight. She operated routes connecting Australian ports with East Asian destinations. As World War II approached, Taiping continued predominantly working the trade routes between China and Australia, until December 1941, when she evacuated women and children from Hong Kong to Manila just before Japanese forces overran the region. She then safely reached Australia despite enemy air raids. Taiping was then requisitioned by the Royal Navy and repurposed as a victualling stores issuing ship for the Eastern Fleet, supporting logistical needs in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Returned to the Australian Oriental Line in 1947, she underwent refitting and by mid-1948 was chartered to the Shanghai Shipping Company, and modified for greater passenger accommodation – approximately 500 passengers. In 1948/49 the Chinese Civil War took place. The Taiping departed Shanghai on 26 January 1949 as one of the final vessels evacuating civilians from to Keelung Harbour in Taiwan. Reports indicate that the Taiping carried double the rated capacity of passengers i.e. 1000. The ship carried families, military personnel, civilians, carrying personal belongings, gold and valuables in hope of resettlement in Nationalist Taiwan. It also held heavy cargo in the form of silver and gold bullion loaded by the Central Bank of China. Because of the risk of patrols, and to conserve fuel, the Captain took the ship away from the usual open-sea passage, and instead navigated along the coast. He also extinguished navigation lights to avoid detection. Shortly after midnight on 27 January 1949 the Taiping collided with the smaller cargo steamer Chien Yuan in the East China Sea near the Zhoushan Archipelago. The Chien Yuan was also operating in darkness. The subsequent collision was catastrophic. The Chien Yuan sank with in 5 minutes, with the loss of 72 of its 74 crew. The Taiping sustained severe structural compromise from the broadside strike and initially remained afloat, then made a swift descent into the freezing water, with no attempt at an organised evacuation. No formal recovery process was instigated, however a distress signal went out. 32 survivors were picked up by the Australian destroyer HMAS Warramunga (on patrol nearby), a passing US vessel found 2 more, and local Zhoushan fishermen retrieved others. In the end, only 37 people survived. The event is remembered as a poignant moment in the mass migration to Taiwan, with families tragically separated. A memorial to the disaster exists at the Keelung Harbour naval base on Taiwan. With its total of over 1,500 deaths, it constituted one of the worst peacetime maritime losses. It is sometimes referred to as the “Oriental Titanic” because of the similarly large loss of life and speed of demise with the RMS Titanic in 1912. A fictional depiction of this event appears in the John Woo movies “The Crossing (Part 1) (2014), and The Crossing II (2015), known in Chinese as “Taiping Wheel”. The narrative weaves a story around pre-disaster romances and wartime turmoil among passengers, culminating in the ship’s rapid sinking. “The production, a high-budget Sino-Taiwanese-Hong Kong co-effort, portrays the event as a microcosm of the 1940s Sino-Japanese and civil war legacies, though critics noted the melodramatic style prioritizing spectacle over historical precision.” In conclusion, it is nice to return to our photo, and observe the people involved in this moment. The dockworkers are, so typical of the 1930s, dressed in what looks to us like formal clothing – dark suits or coats, white shirts, and black hats. I am particularly drawn to the young boy, bare-headed, arms crossed, and so intent on the unloading process. He too is wearing a white shirt, black trousers and jacket, and black shoes. This is 1933 Melbourne – but the haircut he is sporting is now very “hipster” and modern in 2026 Melbourne. References: MAHOGANY FROM MANILA. (1933, August 15). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204377024 Wikipedia, Taiping steamer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_(steamer) Wikipedia, Victoria Dock, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Dock_(Melbourne) Docklands News, Ashley Smith, 2 Mar 2022, https://www.docklandsnews.com.au/victoria-dock/ Living Histories: Heritage Council of Victoria, Jill Barnard, 2008, Jetties and Piers, https://livinghistories.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Jetties-ONL-intro_Part-1.pdf eMelbourne, Wharves and Docks, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01612b.htm Australian Academy of Technological Sciences – Harvesting Wood, https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/225.html Old Treasury Building, On the Water – The Docks, https://tinyurl.com/3wkbk66m Old Treasury Building, On The Road, https://tinyurl.com/dw44yr3t Port of Melbourne, Victorian Places, https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/port-of-melbourne Docklands Heritage Study - Environmental History, https://mvga-prod-files.s3.ap-southeast-4.amazonaws.com/public/2024-05/docklands-heritage-review-thematic-environmental-history-1991.pdf eMelbourne, Horses, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00723b.htm Victorian Clydesdale Horse Society, https://www.clydesdalesvic.org.au/history The Crossing, https://letterboxd.com/film/the-crossing-i/Photographer notations on slide: "Unloading Timber at Wharves 1933 Age B5"ships, shipping, timber industry, shipwrecks, horses, docks, wharves, 1930-1939, wars, docklands

The sale of stock in Wodonga goes back to its earliest history with yards being operated on the site now occupied by Elgin's Hotel and the Centro Shopping Centre, located close to the railways. Horse sales were an important part of the history of the Wodonga Saleyards. Horses were bred in north-east Victoria for the Indian Market, and records show that a truck load of horses left Wodonga Station in 1875. Campbell & Sons commenced selling horses at the Elgin Street site in 1895 and they conducted regular sales in association with Younghusband Ltd. Campbell & Sons was a Melbourne-based company, which eventually merged with Wright Stephenson & Co. Wodonga and Towong Sentinel of Friday 3rd March 1899 reported “Buyers attended from Bendigo, Ballarat, Calcutta, Madras, Singapore, The Islands, Gippsland, Dandenong, and Melbourne. Indian remounts brought up to £32 10s, draughts to £25, medium draughts to £18, town hacks and harness horses to £32, buggy pairs to £65, and light weedy sorts to £5.” After World War II, large numbers of mainly Clydesdale working horse teams were driven to Wodonga for sale. The March horse sale was the biggest and most important event of the year with overall yardings of 1,000 horses sold over two or even three days. It was a very busy period. All the horses were put through the ring singly, usually by Felix Grundy and generally caught and mouthed by Harold Boon, Andy Elliot or Toy Mulqueeney. The majority of the horses sold were trucked by rail from Wodonga. With developments in technology and the changing role of the horse in modern society, the sale of horses dwindled although horse sales at Wodonga continued until the early 1980s.These items are significant because they represent an important industry in Wodonga's past as a major centre of livestock sales in Victoria.Photographic images of horses on sale at Wodonga Saleyards.wodonga saleyards, horse sales wodonga