Historical information

This folding ruler is a promotional item produced by the H.V. McKay Sunshine Harvester Works, Australia’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturer in the early 20th century. The ruler advertises the company’s global success, particularly their major export of harvesters to large-scale farms in South America. Such rulers were distributed to farmers, machinery agents, and agricultural shows as a practical advertising tool and are now collectible items representing Australia’s industrial and rural heritage.
The ruler was used in a farm in Natimuk. The decorated side served as advertising for the McKay harvesting machines used in large farms in La Pampa, a fertile agricultural land in Argentina.
In Australian Dictionary of Biography: "'Sunshine' harvesters were dispatched to South Africa, and in 1901 Sam and three Ballarat experts went to the Argentine where they demonstrated 'La Australiana' on a variety of crops so effectively that they soon threatened the trade in North American reaper-binders and headers."

Physical description

A folding wooden ruler, measuring one foot (12 inches) in length when fully extended. The ruler is hinged at the centre and printed with both imperial measurements and advertising text and images on the reverse. One side is marked with inch measurements and the branding "H.V. McKay Sunshine Harvester Works". The reverse features printed promotional material:
"H.V. McKay’s 'Sunshine' Harvesters harvest the grain on the largest wheat farm in the world."
It refers to a wheat farm in Argentina, operated by the Compañía Bunge y Born, where fifty Sunshine harvesters were used to farm over 100,000 acres.
A small photograph on the back shows the row of Sunshine harvesters at work. The object highlights both the scale of the farm and the international reach of Australian agricultural machinery.

Inscriptions & markings

Front: Inch measurements, hinge join at centre
Reverse:
“H.V. McKay’s ‘Sunshine’ Harvesters harvest the grain on the largest wheat farm in the world.”
“The Estancia of the Compañia Beni Bunge (Sociedad Argentina), Cuchara, Argentina, South America.”
“Fifty 'Sunshine' Harvesters, 65 H.P. each, were purchased.”
Printed photograph of machines at work.