Agriculture
12 January, 2024
Summer reading: Reaping show success
By KEN ARNOLD JOHN Monkhouse Bousfield was born in Stockton, Durham, England emigrated to Australia with his parents Hodgson and Elizabeth around 1857. By 1874 H. Bousfield & Son were conducting the Laanecoorie Iron Works and at Laanecoorie...
By KEN ARNOLD
JOHN Monkhouse Bousfield was born in Stockton, Durham, England emigrated to Australia with his parents Hodgson and Elizabeth around 1857.
By 1874 H. Bousfield & Son were conducting the Laanecoorie Iron Works and at Laanecoorie Bridge and would enjoy success at competitions in the next few years.
The business exhibited a reaper and mower at the Sandhurst show in November 1875.
A Bousfield plough had to be retired at the North Western Agricultural Society ploughing match, held midway between Bridgewater and Inglewood, in July 1877.
J Bousfield, also recorded as Bousfield & Co., Laanecoorie had a combined reaper and mower that was second the next year at Sandhurst and also Inglewood whilst at the Bendigo show they exhibited three reapers and double furrow plough.
Bousfield’s double furrow ploughs used at the Central Loddon Ploughing Club match in August 1878 and again the following year when it was second in class E, first class D and at both the Bridgewater and Marong Ploughing matches.
Bousfield’s stump and tree extractor was exhibited in August 1883. Mrs. Grissold of Laanecoorie also exhibited one at the ploughing match held at Woodstock on Loddon.
Bousefild & Co, was about to erect a new foundry at corner of Victoria and Panton streets, Eaglehawk in January 1891, however at that time it was only doing work associated with mining although undertaking work at the Laaanecoorie weir.
Bousefield, local foundry Eaglehawk, made a road roller for that borough council in November 1895.
John married Mary Elizabeth Robertson during 1876 and to them were born 13 sons. Bousfield sold his business soon after the death of his wife in 1908. He moved to Western Australia during 1915 where he died on September 1, 1924.
JAMES Leslie established his blacksmith in Marong during 1873. Leslie discovered water at a depth of five feet close by to his blacksmith shop at Marong in February 1875. Several Leslie manufactured ploughs were used at the Raywood and Sebastian ploughing match held on the O’Connor property at Campbells Forest and at the North Western Agricultural Society’s match on Dr Crosland’s farm near the Inglewood racecourse both in August 1876. Leslie ploughs were often used at a number of ploughing matches.
Although the blacksmith shop was a hive of activity in December 1875 a snake decided to pay a visit. Mr. Leslie chanced to see the snake just as Henry Winzar was about to step on it.
An improved roller for crushing clods was manufactured by Leslie, described as our local Vulcan, for Mr. Tassel, the station manager of Finlay Campbell’s, Auchmore, in May 1877.
The following month Leslie was fitting the new Lennon patent “bush” to the wheel of ploughs. Leslie sought permission from the Marong Shire Council to sink a well in High street, Marong in July 1878 he having built a boring drill that was capable of boring down twenty feet ,it making a hole more than seven inches in diameter.
The annual Bendigo Champion Ploughing Match was held in Holme’s paddock, Strathfieldsaye, on August 14, 1878, T. E. Poynting winning, he using a Leslie plough.
Poynting, of Melbourne also used a Leslie plough when he won the Champions Cup at the Sebastian, Raywood and Campbell’s Forest ploughing match held on Mr Simmon’s paddock in August 1879 however the Leslie plough was found not suitable for the land of Edward Stone, at Laanecoorie, when the sixth annual Central Loddon Farmers’ Club ploughing match was held, however the luncheon provided by George Cousins, of Cousin’s hotel, Woodstock was appreciated by many of 1000 people in attendance.
Leslie was awarded second prize for a set of harrows whilst his two ploughs got a worthy mention at the North Western Agricultural Show held at Inglewood in October 1878 whilst the following year he was awarded first prize for his swing plough and drag harrows along with best collection of farming implements.
It was also during that month that Leslie exhibited at the Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society show where he was awarded second prize for his swing plough.
James Leslie, Marong Iron Works, was awarded first prize plough shares off the hammer at the Bendigo show in April 1879.
During their leisure hours the apprentices at the works were manufacturing their own plough for competition, it to be used by Arthur Wallis at a forthcoming friendly ploughing match.
Arthur Wallis soon left Marong bound for Yanipy where he established his own blacksmith.
Leslie won a silver medal for the best collection of agricultural implements at the Sandhurst Industrial Exhibition in 1879.
Two apprentices in the employment of Leslie manufactured their own model ploughs for the Melbourne Juvenile Exhibition, viz: James Nicholls built a single furrow plough whilst George Parkinson built a double furrow plough.
Both models, being fitted with the most recent improvements, were described as perfect models as it is possible to conceive or execute.
The cases or frames in which they were exhibited were also of local construction having been made by Mr. John Thompson in December 1879.
The following month Leslie was awarded a silver medal for the best collection of farm implements and for his plough shares at the Sandhurst Exhibition.
Leslie won more than his fair share of prizes during the 1880s including two silver medals for his horse hoe and drill and in total 15 gold, 22 silver and two bronze medals whilst in business at Marong.
The Leslie manufactured ploughs were quickly making a name for themselves they being used as far afield as Barnadown and at the Bungaree, Dean and Warrenheip ploughing match.
Leslie ploughs were used at the North Western Agricultural Society plough match at Bridgewater in July 1880 and then at the paddock of H Wilson, Marong in August when six Marong made ploughs were used.
Leslie was awarded first prize for his combined double furrow plough with sub soiler, a horse hay rake and best collection of implements at the North Western Agricultural Society held in Inglewood in October 1880. The following year he took all the prizes for single and double furrow ploughs along with harrows.
A number of Leslie ploughs were used, along with Hugh Lennon (Melbourne), Gardner & Co (Kyneton), McCalman & Garde (Melbourne) at the Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society 20th ploughing match held on the property of T. Woods in August 1881.
Leslie later ran his business in Bendigo and later to moved to Western Australia where he died in 1903.