Published book (processed, comb bound) "The Beet Sugar Industry 1894 to 1948"

sugarbeet, harvesting methods, maffra

Frank Pywell was manager of the Maffra Sugar Beet Factory

The Sugar Beet industry was highly significant in the Maffra area for just under 50 years, and led to the construction of the Glenmaggie Weir and the consequent Macalister Irrigation District. This book is one of a number from the private library of the factory manager, and the entire collection of them provides a unique insight into information available at the time of manufacture. It is unlikely a collection of this breadth on sugarbeet is held anywhere else in Australia.

Hardcover book "Cattle Feeding with Sugar Beets, Sugar, Molasses and Sugar Beet Residuum", 1902, 390 pages illus.

"F.J.Pywell" inside front cover "R.J. Shingles" page preceding title page. Stamp "Technical Library / Department of Agriculture / Melbourne" in several places

sugarbeet

A tangible reminder of how important the sugar beet factory and the sugar beet industry was to Maffra, is the production of souvenir-ware with images of the factory. The Sugar Beet industry was highly significant in the Maffra area for just under 50 years, and led to the construction of the Glenmaggie Weir and the consequent Macalister Irrigation District. The item lacks detailed provenance, but is obviously local.

Oblong cream and tan souvenir plate with photograph of "Sugar Factory, Maffra" printed in centre. The ends are extended to form handles, each pierced with two holes.

Sugar Factory Maffra [crown] / Victoria / China / Czechoslovakia

sugarbeet

Apart from around Maffra, the only other area where sugarbeet was grown was Lindenow. It was carted to Maffra by special beet trains.

Copy photograph of Lindenow sugar beet ready for transport by rail to Maffra. In the photograph are two horses ready to pull a dray with a man standing nearby and another horse ready to pull a dray, with a woman standing nearby.

sugarbeet

Possibly the work of W.O. Fulton, Maffra blacksmith and machinery maker. Ken Roberts says that Harry Roberts (his father), had an earlier model from Bill Fulton. (possibly six pounds ten shillings, and he was able to pay it off). pers com. 5/12/2010

Blacksmith-made single sugarbeet lifter, painted with rust-proofing paint.

sugarbeet

This filter cloth is one of many used in the sugar production process.

A length of loosely woven white cotton material 80cm wide, and cut to 174cm in length, with frayed ends.

sugarbeet

These knives were used during beet harvesting. The beets were mechanically lifted, with workers following to pick up each beet, removing the tops with these knives.

A beet knife with a long blade which has a pointed end. The handle is short and brown with four rivets in it that have one black dot in the centre of each.

"Joseph ---- & Sons, Endure, Sheffield" on the knife blade

sugarbeet

These hoes were the standard thinning tool for sugarbeet, and allowed a standard space between seedlings. Thinning was back-breaking work, usually carried out by a transient work force.

These hoes are probably still commonly in the possession of old gardeners. They are important as the only tool required of a large, transient workforce that worked under extremely difficult conditions.

A metal thinning hoe of four piece construction, with a turned wooden handle attached to the tool by a nail. The blade is welded onto a bent holder, which is in turn welded to the metal extension of the handle. There is cloth inside the ferrule.

sugarbeet

Owned by Mervin Buckram (of Rochester), used for private use on the farm at Mewburn Park. Used approx 1940s.

An important survivor from the early dairy industry. Maffra has always held a leading role in Herd testing, so it has considerable community significance. An earlier example is held at Stratford, with another, between the two, and less intact, at Old Gippstown.

A round, black herd-testing centrifuge with a flat top and bottom. It has a hinged flap that opens and stands on three legs. There is a smaller round piece on top of the centrifuge which has a thick cylindrical shaped piece of metal in the centre. An apparatus at the top allows water to be driven through an impeller and there is an internal carrier to hold bottles for centrifuging.

"Grand prize St. Louise 1904" on side,"Wizard Tester" on top."The creamery package MFG. company Chicago. U.S.A. No. 3785" on brass plaque.

herd testing

The WWI war memorial has since been moved to the front of the RSL Rooms/Maffra Memorial Hall. It is now in front of the Library.

A first generation black and white photographic print of the Maffra Sugarbeet Factory in more recent years. It shows the front of the factory from the road, with a fence and some telephone lines and the World War I memorial in the photograph. The sugar store, which is still on site, appears to the nearer end.

world war 1914-1918, sugarbeet

Foundation Stone from the Maffra Sugar Beet Factory, mounted on two blocks of stone that originated from the footings of the Bushy Park railway bridge. It reads: Maffra Sugar Beet Company Limited / Memorial Stone /Laid by Mrs A.M. Foster on 19 June 1897 / Directors / Allan McLean MLA Chairman / A.M. Foster F.H. Forrest C.G. Glassford / F. Horstman J.Mills J.McDonald / J.W. Allen Treasuer's Representative / J.Salatnay C.E. Engineer Fred C. Barley Secretary / Waring & Rowden Builders.

sugarbeet

Presented to Mrs A.M. Foster (husband a director, may have been major shareholder) on occasion of laying of foundation stone at Maffra Sugarbeet Factory in 1897. Representatives of Frederick Barley, who visited the museum in September 2009 believe they have an identical trowel

A silver presentation trowel with handle of unknown white compound, in an oblong case. The case is covered in black leatherette/paper, with green satin lining in the lid and black velvet inner base. Engraved to mark the laying of the foundation stone at the Maffra Sugarbeet Factory in 1897 by Mrs A.M. Foster. Much embellished with hand engraving. Box edged inside with ruched satin around edges.

"Presented to Mrs A.M. Foster on the occasion of laying the memorial stone for the Beet Sugar Factory at Maffra on June 19th 1897 by Waring and Howden [Bowden?] builders.

sugarbeet

An example of the packaging used for Maffra sugar until the 1948.

A 70 pounds Maffra sugar bag of hessian, light brown in colour.

Maffra. Grown in Australia 70 lbs. Sugar, Maffra Victoria

sugarbeet

This mechanism was used to weigh sugarbeet at the Maffra Sugarbeet Factory. This is a Full Capacity Steelyard Weighbridge. It is accompanied, on the wall, by a diagram of a Proportional Steelyard, with weights on the bar. This one weighs to 10,000 kg.

A Boemer weighbridge mechanism. It has a series of cogs on the left with a handle that when turned lifts a large weight. Across the top is the weighing bar, with a moving weight. On the right side is a handle that when turned moves the weighing bar up or down. It has modern green paint on it.

sugarbeet, instruments

These special cane baskets were lined with a canvas filter cloth. They held three or four beets and were selected at random from a load. The beet were taken to determine the dirt content after weighing. Dirt and vegetable matter were scraped away and weighed, as was the cleaned beet. The dirt to beet ratio so determined was then applied to the whole load. Only clean beet were paid for. The dirt content averaged eight to fourteen percent, but was higher in wet weather.

A cane beet basket, grey colour. It is large, round and woven. There are two arch shaped handles at the top, one on the opposite side to the other. It is strengthened in four places with wire.

sugarbeet

These samples were displayed at the Sugarbeet factory. A glass jar of seeds from the same series has also been catalogued.

A set of 15 clear glass jars with samples from the sugar making process. They are labelled in order; Cossettes, Pulp, Diffusion Juice, First Carbonator Juice, Lime Scum, Second Carbonator Juice, Thin Juice, Thick Juice, Standard Syrup, Green Syrup, Raw Massceute, Raw Sugar and Molasses.

sugarbeet

Allan McLean was a stock and station agent from Maffra. He was elected to local government, served as Shire President and was the first chairman of the Maffra Sugarbeet Factory. He became Premier of Victoria and first member for Gippsland in the Commonwealth Government. Vincenzo Brun was a prominant society painter in Melbourne in the 1890s. The portrait appears to have been commissioned by the Maffra Shire Council, and probably hung in their chambers for many years.

Framed oil painting by Vincenzo Brun of Allan McLean, local, state and federal parliamentarian, in thick, gold frame. McLean faces towards the left, is wearing a black suit and bow tie, and has a beard.

"V.Brun" as signature, bottom right

parliamentary representatives

Miniature white china teapot, with lid, printed with photograph of Maffra Sugarbeet Factory.

[Crown] / Victoria / Czechoslovakia / HU

sugarbeet

An ornament made from seven cow's horns and several small hooves, on a wooden base.