At Clyde Embling Hardy engaged in dairying. He also
for a time conducted a small grocery store there.
His dairy herd consisted of "Short Horn" cows. They were
large framed cows and heavy producers. In the early days most of the
dairy cows were descended from dairy stock imported from England and
comprised mainly of Short Horn and Ayrshire.
All milk was "set" in milk dishes placed upon shelves in
a dairy made of "Wattle and Daub'. The same material was used
to build their houses. This type of building was very cool.The cream
was "skimmed" from the milk set in the dishes, and churned
into butter which was salted and packed into small wooden barrels.
These were collected at regular intervals by a carrier who took them
to Prahran to be sold.
His return load consisted of goods ordered by the farmers, such as
flour, groceries etc.
The prices by today's standards were very low, 4 pence and 5 pence
per pound for butter was about the common price. Eggs were low in
price also.
4. Dairying at Clyde
Dairying at Clyde, as elsewhere, in the 1890-1900 period was not a
job for faint-hearted people. Production of whole milk for Melbourne
gradually became the main industry.
Milk had to be produced all the year round, and prices were low. Five
pence per gallon was quite common and freight had to be paid. Milking
had to be finished, and milk at Berwick Railway station by 7:30am.
Five miles of bad road had to be traversed to get there.
Milk Products Prices 1895 to early 1900s
A comparison of prices at that time as compared with today's prices
(1972) is interesting. To illustrate this, one has only to look at
some of the old account books from years back.
In 1895 the price of whole milk, freight paid to Melbourne, ranged
from 5 pence to 6 pence per gallon. This continued except for short
seasonal adjustments until 1900.
By 1902, 8 pence per gallon was being paid for autumn and winter production
with lower rate for spring.
The prices of butter in 1895 was 5 pence per pound and with slight
seasonable variations remained about the same until well into the
1900's.
Prices and Wages
Livestock
Livestock prices were likewise low. A few typical entries were :-
| |
Fat cows |
4-5 pounds |
| |
Choppers |
1 pound to l pound 10 shillings and as low as 15 shillings. |
| |
Dairy cows |
4 pounds |
| |
Fat lambs |
8 shillings and sixpence |
| |
fat sheep |
5 shilling to 8 shillings |
| |
Grazing |
6 pence per week for cows. |
|
Wages
Wages were also low being 7 shillings and sixpence to 10 shillings
per week and keep, as late as 1900. Very occasionally fifteen shillings.
|
|
Clothing
Cothing requirements were much as follows-
| |
Watertight working boots |
8 shilling and sixpence per pair. |
| |
Shoes |
-four shillings |
| |
Light boots |
-four shillings |
| |
Lady's shoes |
-five shillings |
| |
Lady's hat |
-10 shilling to fifteen shillings |
| |
Moleskin trousers |
-five shillings |
| |
Shirt |
-two shillings |
| |
A plug of tobacco |
-10 pence |
| |
Socks |
-9 pence |
| |
A pipe |
-one and a halfpenny |
| |
Matches |
-3 shilling per dozen boxes. |
| |
Hair cut |
-six pence. |
| |
25 Cartridges |
-two and sixpence |
| |
Postage |
-one penny. |
Introduction of Farm Machinery
Cultivation and harvesting were slow and heavy jobs.
Oats and maize were the main crops. Seed and fertiliser (usually bone
dust) were sown by hand. Crops first were cut by scythe and tied into
sheaves by hand. Later mowers were introduced but tying by hand still
had to be done.
William Hardy and William Cadd purchased
between them, the first reaper and binder to come into the district.
The machine was a Deering (International Harvester). They also purchased
the first seed drill, as far as I know.
William Hardy also had the first power driven separator. This was
driven by a "horse works".The horse works were also used
to drive a chaff-cutter.
The Gates family bought a steam driven separator.
This was very effective but could be heard working two miles away.
It used to be said that more work was entailed cutting wood, to raise
steam than to turn the separator by hand.
In 1908 my father purchased an oil engine to replace the horse works,
and in 1910 purchased a L.K.G milking plant. This milked each cow
into an enclosed heavy bucket. These have for many years been replaced
by the present very efficient milkers.
The Railway Made a Difference
After the South Gippsland Railway was built transport problems were
greatly reduced. Practically all produce and stock were carried by
rail, and the railway station became busier as the years advanced.
At one period there was a staff of Station Master, assistant Station
Master, Operating Porter and Porter.
The main produce was, of course, whole milk and cream, also potatoes,
onions, oaten chaff, building sand and live stock.
Road transport has now replaced the railway and outward freight is
now almost non-existent.
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