Trewhella Foundry

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Cover of an Early Trewhella Foundry Catalogue, 1915.
Trewhella Jack from an Early Trewhella Foundry Catalogue, 1915.
Trewhella Horse Grubber from an Early Trewhella Foundry Catalogue, 1915.
Wallaby Jacks from an Early Trewhella Foundry Catalogue, 1915.

Sometimes known as the Trewhalla Foundry, Trewhella Bros. Foundry or Trewhalla Bros. Foundry. The Trewhalla Foundry specialised in producing sawmilling and agricultural machinery. m23045-scan0020-wiki

Background

In 1888, brothers Benjamin Trewhella (1854-1910) and William Trewhella (1859-1951) became sawmillers. Their sawmilling work and their procurement of mill timber trees led to the design and manufacture of various jacks, winches and grubbers in their foundry. The machinery eventually became their main business, supplying a market both in Australia and overseas.[1]

History

The Trewhalla Foundry was established by Benjamin Trewhella (1854-1910) and William Trewhella (1859-1951) in 1888.[2]


The engineering company Trewhella Brothers Pty Ltd started c. 1894 at Trentham, and became the largest manufacturer of grubbers and jacks for industrial use in Australia, with a world-wide export trade. The first of the Trewhellas left Cornwall for the Trentham district around 1859 seeking gold. After the collapse of the mining boom, land was taken up for farming purposes. Two brothers, Benjamin Trewhella (1854-1910) and William Trewhella (1859-1951), sons of the original settler, founded the company. Their famous line of labour saving products resulted from personal experience of the difficulties of clearing bush country, and later as sawmillers.

The timber mill site was cut out by about 1893 and the brothers dissolved their partnership. William moved to Trentham and built the Sunnyside Ironworks to carry on the manufacture of his jacks, while Benjamin continued as a sawmiller on various sites until 1903, when they joined in partnership again. Benjamin took over a lot of the office work to give William more time for developing new ideas.[3]

In 1908, Benjamin Hosking Trewhella, the son of Benjamin Trewhella (1854-1910), was sent to England and set up the English branch of the business which exists to this day.[4]

In 1939 valuable contracts for the supply of equipment made by Trewhella Brothers were received from the British 'War Office, Colonial Office, and other Governmental departments throughout the world.

In 1941 there were approximately seventy men working at the foundry, making it the biggest employer in the district.

In 1952 they advertised "It's worth while to have a "Monkey" or "Wallaby" Jack about to assist with grubbing, root running, log rolling, lifting stones, pulling fences, raising waggon trucks or implements, etc. Their sphere of usefulness is unlimited." Sizes were 2 1/2, 4. 6, 8, and 10 tons capacity.

The business continued to expand, however in 1964 Trewhella descendants of the foundry founders were elderly and decided to retire. In 1967 the Trewhella Foundry closed.[5] Ronald Vale of Kew bought the business and continued to run it as before until 1973. Subsequent owners were Theodore Kordell (1973) and Colin Todd and Brian Lynch (1988). In the late 1990's the Todd and Lynch firm finished manufacturing cast iron reproduction Victorian balcony panels. In 2002 the building was converted to a warehouse and a second-hand building materials business was established to meet the needs of building renovators.[6]

This business finished in (?) and the building remained unoccupied. It is to be auctioned on 12 December 2015.

Site

Innovations

Trewhalla Jack

This milled-log working tool was invented by the brothers Benjamin Trewhalla and William Trewhalla, of Trentham, in 1893.[7]

Community Involvement

Works Produced

Caption, The Daylesford Gold-Field Bulletin No. 42, Geological Survey of Victoria, 1923.

"Monkey" or "Wallaby" Jack

Workplace Relations

The People

George Elliott

James Robson

Albert Tuck

Legacies

See also

Trentham

Trewhella Foundry Pattern Shop

Benjamin Trewhella (1854-1910)

William Trewhella (1859-1951)

Further Notes

TRENTHAM. — The firm of Messrs. Trewhella Bros., of the Sunnyside Ironworks, having been merged into a proprietary company, Mr William Trewhella on Monday night entertained the whole of the employees of the firm at a social in connection with his retirement from the business.[8]


TREWHELLA BROS. PTY. LTD., TRENTHAM, VIC.
Whilst, watching the thousands or people passing here and there, the man from the outlying productive areas of the State may feel undecided as to where to go, and what to do next. He neither understands nor appreciates the hustling crowds of the city, and is not interested in the modern methods of lighting, heating, etc. He looks for something useful lie can take to his outlying home.
There is a stand at 110 Smith-street that will suit, this particular person right down to the ground. It is well equipped with land clearing and sawmilling implements. The exhibitors are Messrs. Trewhella Bros. Pty. Ltd., of Trentham, who for some years have been engaged in designing and perfecting the aforementioned tools. Be fore entering into the manufacturing business, they were engaged in sawmilling and agricultural pursuits, and the experience thus acquired showed them exactly what was needed in this particular line.
Numerous and various are the tools, but nevertheless each plays its own part in saving the labourer much backaching work. The " Monkey " and " Wallaby " jacks cannot easily be done without on the farm. They will pull stumps, roll the logs, and do all those odd jobs that for so long have taken up valuable time. The " Monkey " hand and horse grubbers are perfectly equipped wire rope machines, for rooting our large stumps and trees, and hauling and hoisting heavy loads. The right and left hand bench gauges, logging snatch blocks, and fellers' wedges, are highly spoken of, and have given satisfaction to many of the largest sawmillers of Victoria and the sister States.
Owing to the restrictions on imports since the outbreak of the war, Messrs. Trewhella Bros. Pty. Ltd. have recently patented and manufactured an improved type of what was formerly called the "German" jack.
Messrs. Trewhella Bros.' Pty. Ltd. advertisement. appears elsewhere in this paper. All interested in rural pursuits are cordially invited to Inspect Stand 110, Smith-street, Show Grounds, where catalogues are available, and full particulars are readily supplied. Don't miss this![9]


An example of the development of a large Industrial enterprise la the engineering foundry and workshops of Trewhella Bros. Pty. Ltd., at Trentham. Its situation, more than 50 miles from Mel bourne, in the centre of a potato-growing district, would appear to be an insurmountable obstacle to progress and development. However, this has not been the case, and to-day we find that this company, which began business over 45 years ago, is the largest manufacturer of grubbers and jacks for industrial use in Australia. It is an all-Australian company which has developed a world-wide export trade. Valuable contracts for the supply of equipment have been, received from the British 'War Office. Colonial Office, and other Governmental departments throughout the world. The story of the founding of this organisation is truly a romance of industry. The lure of gold attracted the first of the Trewhellas from Cornwall to the Trentham district more than 80 years ago. After the collapse of the mining boom, land was taken up for farming purposes. Two brothers, Benjamin and William Trewhella, sons of the original settler, were the founders of the present company. Personal experience of the difficulties of clearing virgin bush country, and later as sawmillers, prompted them to devise machinery and equipment to lighten the labour in- volved in these occupations. The manufacture and sale of such equipment established the fortunes of the present company.[10]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/56.php, accessed 14/11/2014.
  2. ↑ http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CORNISH-GEN/2001-01/0979286454
  3. ↑ http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1PV9M_bill-ben-the-old-foundrymen?guid=44d75e76-074a-4a6d-9c42-4463a08bd341, accessed 14/11/2014.
  4. ↑ http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/56.php, accessed 14/11/2014.
  5. ↑ http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/56.php, accessed 14/11/2014.
  6. ↑ The Trewhella Brothers, From Cornwall to Victoria, Margaret Scala, 2003
  7. ↑ http://www.australiantraveller.com/post/trentham-falls/
  8. ↑ The Argus, 10 January 1913.
  9. ↑ Coleraine Albion and Western Advertiser, 17 September 1917.
  10. ↑ The Argus, 8 July 1939.


Further Reading

External Links

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/771409/negative-operating-a-milling-machine-trewhella-bros-trentham-victoria-circa-1900

http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/singleViewer.do?dvs=1415919857563~160&locale=en_US&metadata_object_ratio=10&show_metadata=true&preferred_usage_type=VIEW_MAIN&frameId=1&usePid1=true&usePid2=true

Pictures depicted on this page - http://victoriancollections.net.au:8013/items/57a41518d0cde90920f3bda0

--Beth Kicinski 14:10, 11 February 2013 (EST); --Clare K.Gervasoni 10:05, 14 November 2014 (EST); --Clare K.Gervasoni 15:24, 5 August 2016 (AEST)

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