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Busselton Historical Society > Records

Bucket Yokes

c. 1840 - 1930
Overview

The Yokes on display were used from the 1840’s to 1930’s by local farming families to carry buckets of milk from the cow to the dairy, when cows were either milked in the paddock or in a milking shed.

Mainly carried by the women, the homemade beam was made from lightweight timber such as willow or pine. The beam was concave at the centre to fit comfortably around the shoulders, with a recess to fit around the neck. Chains were then hung from the ends with hooks to fix onto the buckets or cans.

Historical information

Early farmers in the region would keep one or two cows to provide for their dairy needs. The cows would be milked twice a day and the two heavy buckets full of milk, with the combined weight of 15 kilograms, could be carried up to ½ kilometre back to the dairy. Although the milk buckets were more easily transported with the extra support from the Yoke, the work was still laborious and repetitive. And that was no Yoke!!

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-124-2021:75
Item type
Objects
Material
Pine (Wood)
Willow (Wood)
Wood
Year
c. 1840 - 1930
Primary significance criteria
Historic significance
Related Objects

Related Objects

Parent records
ROOM 1.18 Dairy
Busselton Historical Society

Busselton Historical Society

Organisation Details
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Bucket yokes
Paddock milking with yokes
Dupre print c1894 of a 19th Victorian Milkmaid Milking Cow on Holstein Farm showing paddock milking and the yoke in use.
Milkmaid with yoke
Milkmaid with yoke, source unknown

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