There are a few projects taking shape at work that suggest histories I need to research.
The first is learning about the varieties of late 19th Century horse carts and technologies that appear, such as pneumatic tyres. There's a display that's required to make sense of a collection of sulkies and buggies. I'll need to oversee the restoration of a some but it's little details like this foot-operated bell that are capturing my attention. Was it fitted to the buggy after sale?
Another area that I'm being directed to explore is the tractors distributed in Australia by International Harvester.
Pioneer Park Museum has recently been given a working T20 tractor, which is distinctive for the use of caterpillar tracks rather than oversized wheels. It would've been built in the mid-1930s and it was while looking at two others we have that I noticed this plate on an older tractor that I think was inspired by Clayton and Shuttleworth or Aveling and Porter.
It's surprising to see the leather belts on the older tractor are still intact, given it's displayed in the open air.
The final direction is to learn more about Warangesda Mission, which was started at Darlington Point in 1880 and marked a change in the treatment of indigenous Australians. Many of the remaining local Wiradjuri people have connections to this institution, which sought to protect Aborigines from exploitation by white Australians. While it was founded on Christian values, it's difficult not to see the beginning of the paternal attitude that led to the Stolen Generation.
I was surprised to find the font bowl from the Mission is on display in St James Church, which was moved from Hanwood to the Museum in the 1970s. The Church isn't open to the public, so it'd be good to put this somewhere where it can be seen by visitors.
Warangesda was mentioned by the younger Stan Grant recently.
