About this objectThe Kaesler Bros subterranean clover (sub. clover) thresher is an outstanding, well-provenanced and rare example of this type of agricultural machinery. The sole remaining example of only three that
were imported into NSW, and one of approximately seven extant in Australia (T. Pascoe, pers. comm.), this machine is an example of the equipment used during pioneering pasture improvement experiments during the 1930s by R.M. Mendham at Blayney.
A relatively late addition to Australian agriculture, sub. clover provided nutritious stock feed and was an effective soil improver. South Australian innovators had experimented with sub. clover seed harvesting from at least 1916, and, with the introduction of technology such as the Kaesler thresher in 1925 (Heinrich 1988), had achieved yield increases of between 140% and 160% by 1930 (Smith 2000: 97). The thresher derives aesthetic significance from the effectiveness of its design in response
to necessity. The Kaesler thresher highlights the relationship between necessity and innovation: the new thresher was invented as part of the solution to the difficult problem of harvesting sub. clover seed. An extremely rare artefact in NSW, only three were imported into NSW, testifying to the general lack of sub. clover research in NSW. That the only surviving thresher in NSW was used at Blayney highlights the importance of R.M. Mendham’s sub. clover work. Mendham invested approximately £2,700 in machinery and used this thresher to provide seed for the seven (in 1946) certified seed growers in the Blayney district (P. Whiley n.d.: 23). Together with the Hannaford sub. clover runner,
the thresher is provenanced to a specific individual and locality, thus providing evidence for agricultural innovation within the local district.
Furthermore, an original newspaper article highlighting Mr Mendham’s on-farm trials includes photographs of this thresher in use and is displayed adjacent to the item.
The thresher is in good condition and is currently powered by an electric motor which enables visitors to see the thresher in operation, thus providing an effective educational experience. Additionally, a tin water warmer, used for tea brewing, is displayed with the thresher and is thought to have been used at the Mendham property in association with threshing work. This object is probably of on-farm manufacture and provides evidence of work practices on the Mendham property.
The Kaesler thresher is historically significant as an instrumental element in the development of subterranean clover use as a pasture improvement crop. The thresher derives aesthetic significance as a well-designed and manufactured item of agricultural technology that shows a high degree of
technical accomplishment. This well-provenanced item is known to have been owned and used by R.M. Mendham during pioneering sub. clover tests at ‘Teasdale Park’, Blayney. Prior to ownership by Mendham, the thresher was manufactured by Kaesler Bros of Hahndorf, South Australia.
Of three threshers imported into NSW, only the GMM example remains. It is therefore unique in this state. The thresher is also rare at a National level, being one of only seven examples of its type in Australia (T.
Pascoe, pers. comm.). This item is well-preserved, being largely unrestored yet functional. The thresher is displayed attached to an electronic motor, thus enabling visitors to observe the machine in
operation. Together with a Hannaford sub. clover runner, the GMM sub. clover display interprets agricultural innovation in Central Western NSW. The Kaesler Bros subterranean clover thresher is important in the history of agriculture in both the local area and Australia as a whole.
Kim Tuovinen 2010
