Royce tip cart

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Howard Maxwell Royce

c. 1930

Overview

wooden wheel spokes and hubs, hubs steel strapped 370mm wide, 280mm across. 14 spokes/wheel. Wheels 155mm wide, 1630mm high, steel tyre. Shafts cut from trees, 2000mm long, 70mm dia. Large wooden main bearer between wheels with steel support belted below.

Historical information

The cart was made by Howard Maxwell Royce at "Koobabby", near Moora in 1930 using adze, broad axe and cross-cut saw. It was a spare time job, that took over a year to complete. Local timbers from Coorow and Moora were used for the wheels and the steel tyres were forged at the local blacksmith at Coorow. The Depression forced the Royce family to move to Greenough in 1936. The cart was sent by rail to Georgina, where the Royce's horse Prince was then harnessed to it. The cart was used on the farm for picking up rocks in the paddocks.
It was donated to this museum c1966 and displayed outside in the Machinery Yard.
The cart was taken to the Greenough Regional Prison on 11 November 2015, for restoration under the supervision of Max Royce (grandson of Howard Maxwell Royce). The restored cart was returned to the museum on 13 May 2016.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-72-0130

Themes

People
Social History

Material

Steel

Wood

Width

1400 mm

Height or length

1600 mm

Depth

3730 mm

Inscriptions and markings

A small metal plate was placed on the front of the cart in 2016 to record it's restoration.

Contextual Information

The Royce tip dray is an example of the tenacity of rural people during the Depression in ‘making-do.’ It is also an example of a now lost skill – wheel-wrighting. Two wheeled carts are fairly common in museum collections; however this could be one of the last horse-drawn carts of its size made in Western Australia (further research is required).

Keywords

Royce, cart, Moora

Place made

Moora
Western Australia
Australia

Year

c. 1930

Statement of significance

The object 'Tip-cart' (GMOB0130) is a rare example and has very high aesthetic significance, given its (form, colour, texture). The item has low scientific significance, although being representative of the class TRANSPORT/Horse in good condition. The item has high historic significance for the local community and possibly for the State and has high interpretive potential. This item has very high social significance given it was made by HOWARD MAXWELL ROYCE(c1930), used at Corringle Fmr. Woodburn & Adlam Cottage(1936),

Primary significance criteria

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

Greenough Museum and Gardens

Organisation Details
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