The item is an end panel from the box section of a "SUN' Seed & Fertilizer Drill. It was manufactured by H.V. McKay Pty. Ltd. at their agricultural machinery manufacturing plant in Sunshine Victoria. The date of manufacture is estimated to be somewhere between 1921 and 1930 because of the imprint H.V. McKay Pty. Ltd. According to the Museum Metadata Exchange (http://museumex.org/oai/mv/2749) the Sunshine Harvester Works was reformed as H.V. McKay Pty. Ltd. in 1921 and in 1930 it became H.V. McKay Massey Harris Pty. Ltd after a merger with the Canadian farm machinery manufacturer Massey Harris. The two events in 1921 and in 1930 are also confirmed by Churchward, M. (2006) at (http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/2010).This early 20th century item is a relic of the agricultural machinery manufacturing past of Sunshine Victoria. The company started by H. V. McKay no longer exists and neither do the subsequent manufacturing companies H.V. McKay Massey Harris Pty. Ltd., and the later Massey Ferguson (Aust.) Limited. Manufacturing has disappeared from this site being replaced by a shopping centre and other retail outlets, high rise apartments, law courts, police station, Vic Roads, and soon will house the new Brimbank Council offices and library.Brown rusty cast iron end panel from a Seed & Fertilizer Drill"SUN" / SEED & FERTILIZER DRILL / H.V. McKAY PTY. LTD / MAKERS / SUNSHINE / D879 agricultural machinery, sun, "sun" seed & fertilizer drill, h.v. mckay pty. ltd., d879, 1921, 1930, sunshine

Colour photograph of farm machinery in paddock near Goornong. Machinery is in a dilapidated condition. Written on back : '29.3.96' farm machinery (seed drill) near Goornong Victoria 14.30 hrs, 29.3.1996 by Roy J Mitchell, Bendigo'Roy J Mitchellagriculture, machinery, seed drill

1. Handmade seed drill - square wooden base with wooden hand, 80 brass posts (80 seed holes at once). 2. Handmade wooden Tamper with wooden handle - used to tamp down soil media, same size as the seed drill.tool, seeds, planting, nursery

Collection of 39 black and white photographs. Some photographs with handwritten annotations in what looks like the handwriting of J.L. Provan. Mostly at Burnley, some at Moorabbin. (1) "Opium Poppy 1942 Burnley. Publicity Branch Department of Agriculture." Negative in envelope marked, "Prints 1 of No. 398 Department of Agriculture 'McP.' " (2) Grape vine and cabbages. (3) Rows of seedlings in the Orchard. (4) Orange tree? unpruned. (5) Flowers. (6) "Double and single rows of French Beans." (7) "Sage & marjoram." (8) Hydrangeas. (9)Sprinkler on newly planted cabbages. (10a)"Lettuce Iceberg 1/1/43." Seeds on soil surface. (10b) "Lettuce Iceberg 1/1/43." Seedlings emerging. (11)? planted in terracotta pipes. (12) Rows of seedlings in the Orchard. (13) "A student sowing Parsnip seed in a drill row. School of Horticulture Burnley Gardens." (14) Student distributing fertilizer? (15) Similar. (16) Similar. (17a) Flowers. (17b) Flowers. (18)"Beetroot Crimson Globe." (19) A seed drill. (20)Canna. (21a) Vegetable rows. (21b) ? (22) Student hoeing. (23) Student hoeing. (24) Similar. (26) "Cabbage Burbees Allhead 2/2/43," seedlings. (27) Water, manure, etc. (28) "Celery beds Ray Marriott Moorabbin April 2nd 1943." (29-37) Also at Moorabbin probably: (29) Vegetables. (30) Onions. (31) Vegetables. (32) Planting seedlings. (33) Vegetables. (34) Celery, carrots, turnips on display. (35) Carrots growing and just pulled up. (36) Peas. (37) Ploughing with horse. (38) Student spraying vegetables at Burnley. (39) House?j.l. provan, burnley, moorabbin, opium poppy, grape vine, cabbages, seedlings, orchards, orange trees, flowers, french beans, sage, marjoram, hydrangea, sprinkler, lettuce iceberg, seeds, students sowing, parsnips, school of horticulture burnley gardens, beetroot, hoeing, water, manure, celery, vegetables beds, ray marriott, onions, carrots, turnips, peas, ploughing, horse, spraying

A 'BUCKEYE" grape and cider press, manufactured by P.P. Mast & Co. of Springfield, Ohio, USA and distributed by P. Rohs, Sandhurst (Bendigo). The PP Mast Company was established in 1854. Their Buckeye drills, seeders and other implements played an important role in the development of American farm machinery, being sold in every American state, Europe and Australia. This press was used by the Gaasch family of Harcourt over several generations from 1898 to crush grapes for wine and vinegar making, subsequently to crush apples and then press the pulp to make apple vinegar and cider. The crushing was accompanied by lusty singing of songs and hymns such as 'Ein Feste Burg ist unter Gott'. The press was designed to be hand-operated but was later used by Harcourt Coolstores to press apples. It was then belt-driven by an electric motor. The press was restored (timber cleaned and varnished, metal shoes on base of wooden uprights, which had rotted ) by Mr. Howard Carr, 2001-An early application of mechanics to the crushing of grapes. Hand-driven, geared drive metal crushing parts, with metal flywheel, wooden feed hopper in vertical arrangement, wooden frame, tray and vat, with metal pressing screw installed in heavy metal yoke at front. Metal crushing section carries cast-in maker's name and patent details'BUCKEYE" manufactured by P.P. Mast & Co. of Springfield, Ohio, USA distributed by P. Rohs, Sandhurst (Bendigo).