Historical information

This "homemade rake" is constructed from a branch of a tea tree. This item demonstrates that in the mid to late 1800's the isolation of the Kiewa Valley was more pronounced than during the early 1900's. The availability of gardening implements to the residences within the Kiewa Valley was scarce to non existence. with the upgrading of roads into the valley and the boost to the Valley's population (S.E.C. Kiewa Valley Hydro Electricity Scheme) transport into the valley, firstly via commercial Hawkers in their mobile caravans and later by commercial trucks.

Significance

This "home made" rake is very significant because it highlights the ingenuity of local farmers and graziers in overcoming the semi isolation of the Kiewa Valley and its regions from the commercial availability of gardening implements enjoyed by gardeners in the towns and cities of the 1800's and the early 1900's. This "home made" garden rake highlights the ingenuity of the "Australian" character per se. A slice of this ingenuity can be seen by the amount of inventions, per capita, produced within Australia throughout its history.

Physical description

Handle is a long, stripped branch of tea tree. The head of the rake is a 2.3 cm. wide piece of wood, compressed between two 0.5 cm. pieces of metal joined with bolts, nuts and rivets. The holes drilled into the wood hold metal tines 10.5 cms. high. There should be 16 tines but 4 are missing. This type of rake is/ was used in dairies