Ransome Potato Spinner

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c. 1890 - 1900

Overview

This is a horse-drawn Potato Spinner thought to have been made in the 1890s and used in the Busselton area between 1918-1930.

A potato spinner is a machine designed to lift (dig) potatoes out of the ground. The early spinners were horse drawn, and were powered by a land drive wheel connected by a gear box to the spinner mechanism. These machines were often adapted to be pulled by a tractor drawbar when farms obtained a tractor. The biggest problem with the potato spinner was the potatoes still had to be retrieved from the ground by hand but it was still a huge improvement from digging them out with a fork by hand. In some areas the children had time off school to harvest the potato crop in the autumn.

Historical information

This potato Spinner was made by British manufacturer Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies which was founded as Ransomes in 1789 by Robert Ransome, an Iron founder in Norwich. He received patents for improvements to ploughs before diversifying into making other agricultural equipment.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2022.4

Inscriptions and markings

RANSOMES DIGGER
PPD 115

Contextual Information

Potatoes have been farmed in the Busselton area since the establishment of the Vasse settlement. The early settlers used to sell their excess potatoes to the whaling ships that plied the coast.

Nowadays Western Australia has a bustling potato industry in the south west with production standing at nearly 100,000 ton per year and many of the farmers are 2nd or 3rd generation farmers

Place made

Norwich
Norfolk
United Kingdom

Year

c. 1890 - 1900

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Related Objects

Parent records

The Old Butter Factory Precinct

Busselton Historical Society

Organisation Details
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