This small hand-held tool was used in the maize industry in Murrungowar (Orbost District) during 1900-1960s. Prior to machine harvesting coming about in the 1960s, each cob of maize had to picked by hand using this tool. Maize growing was a huge industry in the Orbost district and the job of picking the maize involved hand labour by many employees. This small hand-tool would have been common, but is now rare. This particular tool was owned and used by Nelson Northrope (Orbost) in the early 20th Century and used at Murrungowar by Frances Eilman (nee Somerville). A highly significant small hand tool associated with the maize industry. This item is rare. A small hand-held metal and leather tool. A metal 'knife' has a curved shape and is attached to 2 leather straps which are connected by a small buckle. maize growing, agriculture, orbost district

When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained bit by bit using hand tools. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize. Maize grew particularly well and became the main crop of the district. (info. from October 2006 ODHS Newsletter) The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia that was established in 1846 and closed in 1957. It was considered to be the general Australian newspaper of record for this period.Maize-growing has been an important agricultural industry in the Orbost district since early settlement. This item is associated with that history.A typed letter sent to a local maize farmer requesting information on maize growing. The letter has the "Argus" letter head. The name of the recipient is unknown.maize agriculture-orbost correspondence-argus

John Harding Nixon (Jack) was born in Orbost on July 16, 1905. He married Lydia May Trewin and had two boys, Max and Brian.He was a successful farmer, making the most of the land he owned, growing maize, seed and green beans and also dairying.This item is a pictorial record of early agriculture in the Orbost district.A disc of farming scenes of Max and Jack Nixon Snr on the Jarrahmond flats at Orbost.nixon-john-harding-jack agriculture jarrahmond

This is a photograph of Alice Swallow's hotel at Cabbage Tree. The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived in the valley in 1887 cutting a dray track from Marlo to the south-west. Several families cleared the alluvial flats, growing maize, peas and beans and raising pigs, cattle and sheep. Later the farmers milked cows, sending cream to Orbost. In the late 1890s, small quantities of alluvial gold were found in the creek. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. From the 1920s the Cabbage Tree Hotel catered to drivers on the improved Princes Highway. (info. from Victorian Places)This is a pictorial record of Cabbage Tree, East Gippsland in the late 20th century. It shows a building that no longer exists.A black / white photograph of a small, single - storey wooden building in a bush setting. There are people standing in front of the building with a horse and wagon nearby. In the foreground is a wagon with four horses hitched to it and the driver seated behind the horses.

The Cabbage Tree Creek township was originally established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived in the valley in 1887 cutting a dray track from Marlo to the south-west. Several families cleared the alluvial flats, growing maize, peas and beans and raising pigs, cattle and sheep. Later the farmers milked cows, sending cream to Orbost. In the late 1890s, small quantities of alluvial gold were found in the creek. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. From the 1920s the Cabbage Tree Hotel catered to drivers on the improved Princes Highway. (info. from Victorian Places)This is a pictorial record of Cabbage Tree, East Gippsland in the late 20th century. It shows a building that no longer exists.A small black / white photograph of a single storey timber building. On a sign below the roof is "Cabbage Tree Hotel". The hotel is surrounded by a wooden picket fence. A man and woman are standing on either side of a motor car parked on the roadway in front of the building.on back - on label - Cabbage Tree Hotelcabbage-tree-hotel

This photo shows Jas Lynn of Orbost driving a team of bullocks pulling a large cart of maize. They are taking it to the fisherman's Wharf in Lakes Entrance. Maize has been grown on the Orbost flats since the late 19th century. Transport was always an obstacle to economic sucess. For a few years prior to the First World War and the construction of the railway line from Bairnsdale to Orbost, a lot of maize was carted by horse and bullock teams to Lakes Entrance for transhipment to the Melbourne market. At that .time yields of 90 to 100 bushels of maize were quite a common occurrence. James Lynn, a member of the East Gippsland Maize Board, farmed at Jarrahmond.This photograph is associated with the large maize growing industry in the Orbost region. A black / white photograph of a bullock team pulling a large, loaded cart. It is being driven by a man standing on the side of the road, holding a whip. In the background are houses and a telegraph pole.on back - " Carting maize to Lakes Entrance in 1911."transport-bullocks maize-orbost lynn-james

Maize,has been grown on the Orbost flats for at least 70 years. When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained, bit by bit, by men with short handled shovels and working in mud and water. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize, the latter grew particularly well and became the main crop of district. The problem then was to thresh and deliver the product to the market. A small single cob machine was brought here and one man turned the handle, while the boy or Mum fed the cobs singly into the machine. A good day’s work would thresh about 50 bushels or about 12 bags (4 bushels). The task then was to cart the maize to market. For a few years this was done by horses and dray carrying about 60 bushels to Mossiface, where it was loaded onto river boats to Lakes Entrance, and then by ocean boats to Melbourne. Later it was taken to Bairnsdale by foot and loaded onto the trains to Melbourne. (more information in Newsletter October 2006) This crib, measuring seven chains, sixteen feet, contained 10,000 bags of maize cobs which were grown by Linc Timmons on Peter Irvine's farm (Fairlea?) in Orbost, East Gippsland. The growing of maize in the Orbost district contributed significantly to the economy of the township for many years, The many maize cribs once seen on the surrounding farms have now disappeared and this photograph is a pictorial record of that significance.A black / white photograph of a large maize crib full of maize in a paddock. There is a large framed copy of the original.agriculture-orbost farming-maize-orbost maize-crib-orbost

This food flask belonged to P C Toby and Grace Nixon of "Macclesfield", Jarrahmond. It was used for carrying food for bean and maize pickers and maize threshing crews during the period 1945-1950.The Orbost area was once a large bean growing area as the fertile snowy River flats produced good quality beans. Maize is still grown in the area.A large blue metal food flask. It has a screw off lid and a red vacuum seal top. It has a thin metal handle with a black plug in the base.On base-Made in Hong Kong Freezenhot Bottle Co.flask food-preservation macclesfield nixon-toby agriculture

Maize,has been grown on the Orbost flats for at least 70 years. When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained, bit by bit, by men with short handled shovels and working in mud and water. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize, the latter grew particularly well and became the main crop of district. The problem then was to thresh and deliver the product to the market. A small single cob machine was brought here and one man turned the handle, while the boy or Mum fed the cobs singly into the machine. A good day’s work would thresh about 50 bushels or about 12 bags (4 bushels). The task then was to cart the maize to market. For a few years this was done by horses and dray carrying about 60 bushels to Mossiface, where it was loaded onto river boats to Lakes Entrance, and then by ocean boats to Melbourne. Later it was taken to Bairnsdale by foot and loaded onto the trains to Melbourne. (more information in Newsletter October 2006)The growing of maize in the Orbost district contributed significantly to the economy of the township for many years, The many maize cribs once seen on the surrounding farms have now disappeared and this photograph is a pictorial record of that significance.A black / white photograph of a man unloading maize from a horse-drawn wagon into a maize crib. Another man is standing by the horse.maize-crib-orbost agriculture maize-corn-orbost

Many farmers on the flats at Orbost used to grow a lot of maize and harvest the maize by putting the pigs in to eat the maize.. Maize and pumpkins fed in conjunction were largely used for fattening pigs. The photographer was Warren, Helena (1871-1962) who was a self-taught photographer who became both the local press correspondent and a producer of humorous trompe l'oeil postcard images. Helena Warren was a thirty-two year old settler living on a small mixed farm with her husband, William, at Newmerella, near Orbost in Gippsland, Victoria, when she bought her first camera, an Austral Box quarter-plate. Her family says she was entirely self-taught, like many women photographers who started out with nothing but the instructions on the packets of film and chemicals. In over fifty years practice she graduated from the total novice, who opened all her first mail order plates in bright sunlight and ruined them, to a competent photographer who became both the local press correspondent and an inveterate producer of humorous trompe l’oeil postcard images.This item is a pictorial record of farming in Orbost in the early 20th century. It is also associated with Helena Warren. a well-known photographer born in Orbost.a black / white photographagriculture farming-orbost pumpkins maize pigs warren-helena

Farmers on the Orbost flats and nearby districts used to grow a lot of maize and harvest the maize by putting the pigs in to eat the maize. They had to get the pigs to Bairnsdale with other chaps, droving about 600 pigs. It would take them 12 days. A wagonette would go in front and dribble out the maize. When they reached Swan Reach, the drovers would often go over to the old grog shanty and got drunk while one man would stay to keep the 600 pigs together. It was a difficult job. The pigs were ferried across the rivers. This is a pictorial record of early farming in East Gippsland.A black / white photograph of men on horseback droving pigs from the Cann River district to market along a dirt road.pigs agriculture farming-orbost-cann river

This book records the minutes of th Orbost Maize Growers' Association from December 10 1926. Meetings appear to have been held monthly.This item is an example of the hand - written records of an early Orbost agricultural association. It is associated with the large maize growing industry in the Orbost region 1880s - 1950s.A black covered exercise book containing hand - written minutes for the Orbost Maize Growers' Association.orbost maize agriculture orbost-maize-growers-association

A hand-operated maize planted used in the maize industry, possibly used prior tothe introduction of larger horse-drawn planters which could plant two rows at a time. Associated with the large maize growing industry in the Orbost region 1880s - 1950s.A metal and wooden maize planter, a square seed reservoir, wooden handle on the top, a swing door at the bottom which is manouvered by two wires connected to the door.maize-corn-planter agricultural-implement

Maize has been grown on the Orbost flats for at least 70 years. When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained, bit by bit, with short handled shovels working in mud and water. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize which grew particularly well and became the main crop of district. The problem then was to thresh and deliver the product to the market. A small single cob machine was brought here and one man turned the handle, while the boy or Mum fed the cobs singly into the machine. A good day’s work would thresh about 50 bushels or about 12 bags (4 bushels). The task then was to cart the maize to market. For a few years this was done by horses and dray carrying about 60 bushels to Mossiface, where it was loaded onto river boats to Lakes Entrance, and then by ocean boats to Melbourne. (information from NEWSLETTER OCTOBER, 2006)The growing of maize in the Orbost district contributed significantly to the economy of the township for many years, The many maize cribs once seen on the surrounding farms have now disappeared and this photograph is a pictorial record of that significance.A small sepia photograph with six men in front of a wooden barn. They are bagging maize. In the foreground are two rows of filled bags. On the right is a lifting machine to take the bags to the top storey. On the far right is a water tank on a stand"on back - "Thrashing Maize"maize-orbost agriculture-maize industry

Photograph made by A.P. Winzenried for, "Green Grows Our Garden," p73Colour photograph. Copy of newspaper article, made by A.P. Winzenried. Caption reads, "Down on the Farm-at Burnley. New recruits at Burnley Horticultural School drove in rustic state to gather the maize crop yesterday. So popular has the school course become that there are no more vacancies for students this season. These beginners tackled a tall job, for the maize produced in the school paddock is 10 to 11 feet high." Horse drawn cart with 6 female students seated on it and one astride the horse.a.p. winzenried, green grows our gardern, maize crop, students, students working outside, west orchard, horse-drawn cart, draught horse

Donated by Noelle Kendall (née Vaughan) for the 1991 Centenary. She graduated in 1919.45 photographs. Cardboard pages tied with ribbon to make an album. Most photographs labelled. Some loose photographs. Burnley scenes, mainly students working outside, garden views, visit to Rippon Lea. Some photographs appear in other collections. Also 2 pages of proofs. Many of these photographs were included in A. P. Winzenried, "Green Grows Our Garden."noelle kendall (née vaughan), centenary, 1919, 1991, students working outside, pavilion, luffmann ponds, orchard, horses, bees, potting shed, vegetables, poultry, summer house, orchard border, oak lawn, pruning demonstration, garden scene, luffman ponds, ripponlea excursion, ponds, planting out annuals, garden views, lily pond, steps, beehives, draught horses, vegetable rows, plum block, cherry block, planting plums, bird proof cage, pruning, pruning pear tree, winter, plant frames, maize, vegetable garden, single testing pens, public day, p j carmody, rock garden, principal's residence, pruning apple tree, noelle kendall, noelle vaughan, shelter shed