These images form part of one of the most significant collections of industrial heritage in Australia.
Based on collections held by Museum Victoria,
this website offers a rare insight into the history
and operations of the agricultural manufacturing
enterprise established by HV McKay in the 1880s.
The Sunshine Harvester Works was the largest industrial
enterprise in Australia in the 1920s. It had a
major impact on the social and economic development
of Australia, and was a significant contributor
to the mechanisation of agriculture around the
world. The company was gradually absorbed by various
global corporations (Massey Ferguson, Iseki and
Agco), and stopped manufacturing equipment in
the 1980s.
This is a story that has captured the imagination
of many Australians. The legend fostered by the
company is still alive in the images and memories
of those who were linked by land, work, city,
or machine to this enterprise.
