Orbost & District Historical Society
nails on board, 1885
... Mundy-Walter hand-made-nails... gippsland These nails were made for Walter John Mundy (1868-1944 ...
These nails were made for Walter John Mundy (1868-1944). Often imported nails made for the softer English and North American timbers bent when hammered against the harder colonial woods and so
The Mundy family were farmers / settlers in the Snowy River area since c. 1880s. The original Mundy family moved to a land "selection" at Betebolong in the early 1880's from Buchan. It's only over the past century or so that the mass-produced nail has become an inexpensive and common way to join materials.
These three iron nails were hand made by an early Orbost settler or blacksmith in the 1880's, using iron, forge and anvil. They are examples of the types of nails used in the 19th century. A rectangular, wooden(athel pine?) board with three hand-made nails glued in fan design to top left corner of section of floorboard. There is a short length of yellow cord attached for hanging. To the right of the nails is hand-written text in black.
the nails have irregular shanks and hammer marks on both shanks and heads.right of nails - " Flooring & nails from Walter Mundy's house at Jarrahmond built C.1885. Still in use to this day."mundy-walter hand-made-nails