Sunrise Butter Churn mounted on wooden milking stool

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Malleys Ltd

c. 1930 - 1950

Subcollections

Overview

This Sunrise 5 quart steel butter churn was used domestically to produce small amounts of butter. The steel bowl has a steel lid with rolled edges and a small moulded round knob handle. Underneath the bowl there is a red painted cast iron vertical standing gear which is powered by the operator turning the cast iron crank handle on the other side. Inside the bowl there is a vertical steel column with 2 steel blades which are rotated when the crank handle is turned. At the base of the bowl there is a small circular drain with a screw cap that was used to remove the butter milk produced in the process. The churn is designed to be mounted on a flat surface and this one has been attached to a small 4 legged wooden milking stool.

Historical information

Malleys Limited are known for manufacturing the popular "Sunrise" line of dairy utensils which included railway milk cans, milk measures, milk strainers, milk buckets, dairy boilers and cream coolers.

In 1884 Francis Malley began producing sheet metal products in James St, Sydney, for builders and plumbers. As the business expanded, new premises were acquired in Mountain St, Broadway and the company F Malleys and Sons Limited was formed. Rapid industrial expansion post WW1 led to the company being restructured into Malleys Ltd and larger works were acquired in Alexandria. In 1919 Malleys opened a chain of retail hardware stores in Sydney. During WW2 Malleys were actively engaged in the war effort producing food containers, ammunition racks, ammunition boxes and a many other items. By 1945 Malleys employed at least 500 people. In 1951 Malleys left the retail space and focused solely on manufacturing.

Today the company has manufacturing facilities at Auburn and Alexandria in Sydney, Woolloongabba in Queensland and selling branches in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle and Canberra. Agency arrangements exist in Western Australia and Tasmania

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2024.178

Item type

Objects

Material

Cast Iron

Steel

Width

25 cm

Height or length

40 cm

Depth

65 cm

Inscriptions and markings

On the base in raised letters

SUNRISE

On one side of the crank handle in raised letters

70 REVS PR MIN

On the other side of the crank handle in raised letters

SUNRISE

Contextual Information

This churn only produced a small quantity of butter and was typically used for household dairies and probably would have been attached to a flat surface in the farm Cream Room. On butter making day the stored cream was poured into the steel bowl and the operator would have turned the handle until the butter was formed.

Keywords

Butter Churn

Dairy

Place made

Sydney
NSW
Australia

50-52 Mountain Street

Year

c. 1930 - 1950

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Related Objects

Parent records