eHive Object Details

Two men holding the commemorative plaque for Henty's plough.; GS-EV-41

Name/TitleTwo men holding the commemorative plaque for Henty's plough.

About this objectGlass slide of a photograph of two men holding the commemorative plaque of 'Henty's plough'. The plaque is in memory of the first soil ploughed in Victoria.

The ship’s manifest from Edward Henty's diary lists this simple single furrow plough. The plough was used to turn the first sod of soil in Victoria on December 6, 1834 when Henty’s workman Robert Cowley planted a crop of potatoes in the area we now know as “the ploughed field” on the cliff top in Bentinck Street.

The plough consists of a mouldboard and share. The iron work was made by John Wilkie of Uddingston, Scotland, and Henty added the beam of Australian hardwood.

On Edward Henty’s death in 1878, the plough was bequeathed to Hugh Lennon, a renowned plough-maker, in appreciation of the great improvements made to farm machinery by his plough manufacturing business.
[source : Plough Brochure https://www.glenelg.vic.gov.au/Files/plough_brochure.pdf]

One of many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

Permission to be obtained for reproduction and publication. For a high resolution copy of this image, contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Inscription and MarksInscription : "Henty's old plough. Turned first sod in Victoria 1834. Presented to Hugh Lennon by the late Mr. E. Henty in 1879. Acknowledgement of the vast strides made by this firm in ploughmaking in Victoria.

Measurements8.1 x 8.2 cm.

Object TypeGlass slide

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsHenty, Edward, 1810-1878.

Subject and Association KeywordsPortland (Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsFarmers and farming

Subject and Association KeywordsMonuments and memorials

Subject and Association KeywordsLennon, Hugh, 1833–1886.

Medium and MaterialsGlass slide, b&w.

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-EV-41

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved