Historical information

This Gunter’s Chain, an old land surveying instrument, is named after its inventor, Edmund Gunter (1581-1626), an English mathematician and astronomer. It was first produced in 1620. The tool has 100 links and is 66 feet or one chain long. The links are marked off in groups of ten by metal rings or tags. A quarter chain (25 links) is called a rod or pole and ten chains make a furlong and 80 chains make a mile. The traditional cricket pitch is 22 yards or one chain long.

Significance

This Gunter’s Chain is of considerable significance because:
1. It is an early land measuring tool that was used for over 250 years and has great historical and mathematical significance. A Gunter’s Chain would have been used when forming and building local roads from the earliest days of settlement.
2. It has a possible local connection as it was given to the Historical Society by a local person in 1965 and possibly came from the property of ‘Rosehill’

Physical description

This is a metal tool which consists of 100 metal pieces or links joined together by loops at each end with two metal loops in between each link. The links joined together form a chain. The two ends of the chain have small metal handles attached At intervals along the chain there are additional rings or metal pieces attached. Some white and green rope material has been used to bundle up the chain. The metal is somewhat rusted.