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Four of these machines were set up in the Rongotea area by Mr Holben. The first four farmers were Samuel Knight, Fred Richmond, Carl Anderson and A Broadbelt. These four Rongotea farmers were the first in New Zealand to install milking machines. The installations were made by Mr E R B Holben of Palmerston North on behalf of the Cunnington Pulsator Milking Machine Company, Christchurch. This was before the introduction of oil engines and so one was driven by man power, two by treadmills and one by a steam engine. It was not long afterwards that suitable internal combustion engines were introduced and mechanical milking became accepted practice. The body of one of these machines was used as a water trough on T G Gloyn's farm (Avalon Banks Line) until it rusted out about 1960.

Identification

Object type
Image
Digitisation ID
2014P_Rng62_007662
Title
Mr Holben with the First Milking Machine in New Zealand
Relation
Public Photograph Collection Rng 62
Held In
Coolstore

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Creation

Created By
Place
Rongotea
Date
1897

Object rights

Credit Line
Palmerston North City Library

Taxonomy

Tags
cows,
dairy,
milking,
rongotea,
rural towns and life,
technology,
Community Tags

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Related items

Doris and old cow shed
Lorna Parker in the cowshed
Stumping with Bullocks, Rowe's Line, Rongotea
Milking Shed at 'Springfield', Banks Road
Sledging Milk from cowshed
Woman Holding Milking Pails
Hand operated butter churn
Cheese Factory, Whakarongo
Edison electric trucks outside Rongotea Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd
Butter churns at the Rongotea Butter Factory
Grazing cattle, near Shannon
Rongotea Saleyards

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