Historical information

Tobacco farming began circa 1960 in the Kiewa Valley and consequently became one of its major industries. Many of the Italian families were involved in tobacco farming.

Significance

Historical: This equipment was used on one of the first tobacco farms in the Kiewa Valley at Mongans Bridge. The frame holding the thermometers was home-made showing the resourcefulness of farmers living in the Kiewa Valley.
Provenance: This tobacco farmer came from Italy and was sponsored to visit a tobacco farmer in Myrtleford to learn how to grow tobacco so that he could transfer those skills to his own farm in the Kiewa Valley.

Physical description

Used for monitoring the temperature and humidity in the kiln during the drying process of the tobacco leaf (the thermometer is missing the water holder)
2 thermometers attached to a steel attached to an old rusty tin frame with handle at the top enabling it to be hung, using wire, to hook on the wall. Tin frame has cap on it coming out to protect the thermometers and a base for standing the frame up. 1 thermometer has a hollow piece of material (or cord) strip (125 mm long) attached to the bottom of it.

Inscriptions & markings

Beside the thermometers is inscribed on steel - the lines for measuring and numbers from 40, 60 (by 20s) up to 240.