History – Wheels of industry roll through time

In a family history held in the archives of the Warkworth & Districts Museum can be found this description of a farming scene, circa 1920:“On one side of the barn was the engine room which housed a fearsome looking machine. Long belts from the motor could be attached to the chaff cutter or the saw as the need arose.

“When the chaff cutter was operating there was a great sense of urgency, as one man fed the sheaves of oats into the mouth of the machine while others replaced each bag as it filled with an empty one and heaved the full sack away to be sewn up with a sack needle. The noise was considerable and dust rose, faces grew red and mouths dry.
“A break was taken for morning tea. The children brought a basket of freshly baked scones from the house, also a billy of tea, milk, sugar and enamel mugs. Wiping the straw and sweat from their hair and mustaches, the men would sit on a full bag of chaff and drink the hot tea, seeming to revive with every swallow.”

At this time in our history, when the process of applying machinery to previously laborious farming tasks became more widespread, many items of interest emerged and were found worthy of preserving.

At the Warkworth & Districts Museum, such relics, if too large to be stored in the museum building, are housed in the workshop or ‘Big Shed’, as it is usually called.

The objects range in size from a Case bulldozer with a three cylinder Perkins engine, down to a range of hand tools, such as chainsaws, two-man crosscut saws, and just about everything in between. Whilst many of the items have no provenance against them, they are kept because they are good examples of items used by the early settlers of the district.

Workers in the ‘Big Shed’ have a love of all things historical. They come from a variety of backgrounds and use their considerable skills not only to repair and restore the exhibits, but also they are the maintenance men frequently called upon to assist in the many display areas throughout the museum. Their skills include engineers, mechanics, fitters, turners, sheet metal and welding, carpentry and cabinet making, auto and electrical and more.

Although not equipped with up to date machinery, most tasks can be accomplished, sometimes resorting to use of the artifacts themselves.

On any Wednesday, a visitor to the museum will find up to a dozen volunteers, most clad in overalls, gainfully employed among the exhibits. The great satisfaction that comes from restoring heritage items is apparent, as is the enjoyment of showing the restored artifacts to visitors.