B18 Group Settlement Cow Shed
c. 1921This 2-stall Group Settlement milking shed was erected by the Busselton Historical Society as a museum exhibit in 1992, using original materials excepting for some second-hand corrugated iron. The open-fronted shed is timber framed with corrugated iron cladding and a skillion roof. It is unlined internally and has a concrete floor.
Each Group Settlement farm had a cow shed where the cows were brought to be milked. The cow shed usually had four bush timber uprights which supported a corrugated iron roof over a floor made of a mix of weak cement. There was generally at least one wall to protect from the weather and it was attached to a holding yard constructed from cut grass trees that were laid side by side in a corduroy system to hold back the mud.
The stock of a Group Settlement farm consisted of a Clydesdale horse, pigs, up to 15 cows and a bull provided for the use by the group. The quality of the milking cows was mixed. Those obtained under the Scheme were a mixture of breeds, including Jerseys, Guernseys, Shorthorns and Holsteins, but most were found to be unproductive due to their age. Settlers often resorted to sourcing cows from local farmers to guarantee a higher supply of milk.
Details
Details
Until the advent of milking machines post WW2, all cows were milked by hand in the cow shed or the paddock and the milk taken to the Cream room where the cream would be separated and stored until it was picked up by Butter Factory trucks.
WA
Australia
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