ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Tuesday, July 23, 2013
HERITAGE
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www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Off on a tangent with strange objects in the sky and the grass around it had been flattened. About the same time a couple in Harewood had a bright object hover above them in their car. It made a whistling sound before it too vanished into the sky. Even people in Hinds saw an object “flashing and moving at a fast pace” off the coast. The old “it was a weather balloon” explanation was used but, as others stated, the balloon, released about 5.30pm, would have been out of view by the time the sightings were reported and besides, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. What could it be? Probably most people in this area will have heard of the amazing “Ashburton Space Balls”, some of which are housed in Ashburton’s Aviation Museum. These unidentified objects that fell from the sky in 1972 were probably from a soviet satellite, but surely there would be no such celestial activity in the mid
By Kathleen Stringer
O
ne of the collections I have been working through is material relating to the Ashburton Permanent Building and Investment Society – which became CBS and is now Heartland. Amongst the material was a newspaper clipping from 1965 which described the opening of their new premises, on the corner of Tancred Street. It was a useful article. But what caught my eye and imagination was the article next to it entitled More Flying Objects. It recounts people throughout Canterbury seeing strange objects in the sky for over a week or so. A number of people saw a bright object rise into the sky ‘fairly fast’ above South Brighton. We know it was an object as one man went to see where the object had been sitting on the beach
1960s. From the beginning of time, it seems, people have been seeing glowing, flashing, rapidly moving lights. I myself saw something when I was a child that fitted all the criteria. But the article didn’t make me think of that occasion – weird and special though it was. It did, however, take me right back to the very first inquiry I was given as a volunteer at my local museum. While my other classmates chose work experience with vets, law firms and other such interesting, and potentially highly paid, positions, I chose the museum. Every week for a month I would go along and undertake all manner of tasks to see if I could make this my career. One day I was given an inquiry to answer! It was quite an acknowledgement of my skills and advancement, or so I thought. Firstly, the letter was in French, so the director couldn’t
read what the inquiry was about. When I translated it we both realised it had the potential to be a large project – but as he had nothing much else for me to do he decided that I could indeed give it a go. The request was for information on airships. Following earlier “outbreaks” of mysterious flying craft, or lights in the sky, New Zealand was visited in 1909. My task was to locate newspaper accounts of any activity in the North Otago area. And indeed North Otago was visited, as well as South Canterbury. In fact, it would appear that the 1909 flap (as such clusters are called) occurred during much of July that year and sightings were made throughout the country. While there are no reports from Ashburton itself, it is obvious from the Guardian that the townsfolk here were well aware of them. Many who saw something spoke of propellered objects or
very bright lights, with accompanying noises like music or humming. Some even said they saw people – some were human but spoke a foreign tongue (a few thought they were Japanese), other saw strange, “otherworldly” beings. The New Zealand incidents took place just after a three-month flap in England and immediately before a similar set of sightings in Australia. Was it hysteria, or something unexplained? A clever writer to the Guardian, using the pseudomon of “secrecy” hinted that on interviewing the captain of such a ship he learnt that such vessels steered clear of no-licence (prohibition) areas such as Ashburton! Reasons for the sightings include meteor showers (1898) St Elmo’s fire and even an impressive Aurora Australis (1921). The 1921 display sounded spectacular. The Guardian recorded it as a pink-hued shaft of light – to this was added “companion lights
which arose from other quarters, gradually ascending to the zenith and sweeping the sky like the beams of gigantic searchlights”. In this descriptive account, the reporter related that the explorer Scott on seeing a similar phenomena in the Pole questioned whether this was not some ‘golden writing’ from another planet (Mars) which we had yet to decipher. Overseas reports were full of the same stories of animal mutilation and attempted abductions as we still hear of today. Even the craft – silver and aluminium with strange writing and its occupants – tall and naked (or were they space suits?) – sound familiar. If it’s hysteria or practical jokes you have to admit the stories are consistent. While humans had built flying craft as early as the 1860s, the technology of some of these creations of the sky was far too advanced for earthlings. While it’s easy to believe that later sightings from pre-war and beyond
were indeed domestic or enemy prototypes, it is unlikely to be the case for the sightings of the 1800s. Over the school holidays I spent almost three whole days extracting information from the local newspapers on airships and mysterious lights. I’m unsure if the man in France ever used the material I gathered, perhaps it ended up condensed as a single footnote in his book. The latest local sighting was in July, 2011, in Allenton. After all this research however, one thing was sure, I was going to continue working in museums. Footnote: For those who are interested, the New Zealand Department of Defence have recently released their UFO files (began in 1952) and placed them online www.stuff. co.nz/national/4486327/Originalfiles-NZs-UFO-sightings. Also, a list of sightings, up to the present day can be viewed at http://www.ufocusnz.org.nz/
GUEST SPOT Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club
The Sunshine header harvester’s beginnings By Gilmour Blee
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innowing machines were introduced to Britain from Europe after 1710. These were hand powered, then driven by horsepower and later with a steam or oil engine. Winnowing is the removal of chaff from grain by a strong current of air after it has been stripped from the seed head. The first threshing machine incorporating a beating cylinder as used in modern headerharvesters, was invented by a Scottish millwright, Andrew Meikle in 1786, and was patented in 1788. Many were in use by 1820. Threshing, separating and winnowing combined was achieved by Hiram and John Pitts of Maine, US, in 1837. These machines, with a lot of wood in their construction, were powered by a horse treadmill. Steam power took over in the 1850s, then with portable steam engines until the arrival of the headerharvester. That is how the separation of grain from straw began, after centuries in which the flail or other devices were used to thresh it. In 1880 Hugh Victor McKay of Drummartin, Victoria, Australia, a 16-year-old, built a prototype stripper harvester and sold the first one in 1885 which grew to 60 machines being sold in1888. The first Sunshine harvesters were built in 1895. Now located at Ballarat, 1926 harvesters had been produced by1905. By 1910, in premises covering 30 acres near Melbourne and a staff of 1300, he had become the largest farm equipment manufacturer in Australia. He went on to produce the Sunshine Horseless Harvester in the 1920s which, at that time, was the greatest harvesting machine ever built. A stripper front designed by Headlie Shipard Taylor, who also designed the ‘straight through’ straw walkers, were features incorporated into the Sunshine header-harvesters, which were being imported to New Zealand
by Andrews & Beaven by 1930. The first Sunshine Header Harvester in New Zealand was assembled in the yard of Albert Amos at Wakanui by Andrews & Beaven, Ltd on January 15, 1928. With a six-foot ‘stripper front’, it was used to harvest peas in February and was the first machine to direct head wheat in February. It was a horse-drawn machine in which the cutting, threshing and separating mechanism was driven off the main wheel. This was the model HST which were produced with six, eight or 10-foot fronts and a 33 bushel bulk bin, necessitating ‘bagging off’ being done in the corner of the paddock. Subsequently they were equipped with a bagging platform on which the bags were filled and sewn. The weakness with the horsedrawn machine lay in the fact that as the horses got tired and slowed down, so too did the threshing and separating mechanism. These headers were shown to be too heavy a load for a fourhorse team and tractors were then used to tow them. The next model, the No.2 could be driven by a power take off from a tractor or engine function driven by a Fordson or Morris Commercial motor. Header Harvesters which made an appearance two or three years after the first Sunshine Headerharvesters, had fans, a reciprocating sickle knife and canvasses to convey the grain and straw to the threshing cylinder, whilst the Sunshine retained a ‘stripper front’ comprising a ‘roller-overcomb’ which was adjustable up or down, forward or backward, allowing minimal straw to be taken with the seed head. Once cut, a serrated revolving auger moved the grain and straw back to a second auger which moved it to an elevator which lifted it all to the rasp bar cylinder for threshing. Crop lifters could be used in tangled or lying grain crops or for mown peas or grass seed. Although in their infancy, buyers of these machines praised the
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ARIES (Mar 21st Apr 20th) Mars continues to connect with Jupiter, adding extra steam to your engine. You may find you have the passion and desire to take on a project or plan of action that is very important to you. Success may be all the more likely because you’re powered by the intensity of your emotions. It seems you’re firing on all cylinders and up for life’s challenges.
TAURUS (Apr 21st May 21st) An idea may take hold, mainly because it feels good. Today may hold personal rewards for you, especially if you’re willing to consider a challenge that can be linked with a creative opportunity. You also get to use your skills and talents on the home front where cooking or entertaining guests could start to bring out the best in you.
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GEMINI (May 22nd Jun 21st) This week’s positive link in your personal financial zone might encourage a degree of confidence over the weeks and months ahead. Shrewd handling of money matters might enable you to save up for something special. Meanwhile the Sun, now in Leo, makes this an excellent time to step up several gears on the mental and communication fronts.
labour and cost-saving potential that these machines demonstrated was possible. Self-propelled Sunshine headers were on the market by 1934. This was the WT model with two forward speeds, the fastest being 2½m/h. The KT model soon followed with three forward speeds, each with reverse and with the fastest ground speed, a little over 3m/h. They were capable of harvesting in excess of 4½ acres per hour. Available with a 12ft or 14ft cutting width, they were powered by a four cylinder Wisconsin motor. By changing the driving cog, the rasp bar cylinder had three different speeds, depending on which crop was being harvested. This 1938 Model KT Auto Sunshine Header harvester, serial number 20949, with a 12ft front, owned by Neil Mackenzie of Ashburton, is one of a few survivors still in working order. It is seen on display at Barrhill in February 2008.
Besides the driver, two or three men were required on the bag platform – depending on how the crop was yielding – to sew the bags as they filled. These machines were also equipped with a revolving screen which took out the ‘seconds’. There were 34 Auto Sunshine Header Harvesters in New Zealand by 1935. Although looked upon mainly as a contractors machine, many were also in use by farmers in Canterbury. A 1939 Massey Harris price list shows the model WT costing £730-0-0 and the KT£825-0-0. With the outbreak of World War
Two imports of these machines to New Zealand stopped, and by the time production ceased at the end of the war, 7356 of these machines had been produced. The 1938 Model KT Auto Sunshine Header harvester in the photograph with a 12ft front, is owned by Neil Mackenzie, of Ashburton and has 20949 as a serial number. One of a few survivors still in working order, it came into the Mackenzie ownership in 1948 from an unknown source. Looking back, whether operated by contractor or farmer, these machines played a large
part in the revolution in harvesting methods from the reaper and binder and wooden or tin mills which operated parallel with the Sunshine header-harvester, to the entire harvest threshing operation being carried out by header-harvesters. The McKay Company amalgamated with Massey Harris in the early 1930s and ultimately the Sunshine name was lost in the mid 1950s. C.E.Bailey Ltd. in Ashburton, Massey Harris agents, serviced the Sunshine Auto header-harvesters as local agents for John Chambers Ltd at the time. Some of the owners and a few details of these machines of yesteryear are of interest. In 1930 Rankin Bros, Pendarves, procured an 8ft machine with the serial No 193116, the 15th in New Zealand and was an engine function model. They had an18/36 Hart Parr tractor to tow it. By then Col. John Findlay, Eiffelton, had a horse drawn 8ft wheel driven model No.25 in New Zealand. J. F. McGeagh, Tinwald, was another early owner of a No.2, who in 1936 procured his first auto, No 76 in New Zealand and contract-
ed with two autos. In 1931 Fred Butterick, Wakanui, bought the first engine function, tow behind Model No.2 – the 27th Sunshine sold in New Zealand that season. It was used until the end of the 1963 harvest. B. T. Clemens, Barrhill, bought the last Model No.2 produced from C. E. Bailey in 1941. It had an 8ft front and was an engine function machine. J. H. Grigg, Longbeach, bought an auto in 1934 and may have had a second machine as well. In 1931, A. K. Hopkins, Huntingdon, purchased an 8ft engine function tow-behind model which created great interest amongst the local farmers when heading wheat and peas. It was the first header-harvester in that area. He was contracting with an Auto Sunshine in the late 1930s. In 1934 E. J. Croy, Seafield, bought a Model WT Auto, the 69th sold in New Zealand and the third sold that season. At that point Andrews & Beavan were still the importers. Quantock’s at Anama contracted with a Model KT which had a 14ft front. C. F. Long, Pendarves, bought the second to last auto sold in New Zealand.
LEO (Jul 24th - Aug 23rd) The Sun, in your sign, suggests that it’s time to let your brilliance shine forth. Put your ideas on the table and, most of all, with the inventive Aquarian Moon on parade, don’t be afraid to share them with key people. Today, an intimate relationship may fare better than group get-togethers. A quiet dinner for two may be just what you need.
VIRGO (Aug 24th Sep 23rd) Though life may be hectic at work, pleasant conversation with good friends may be just what you need to relax and feel better about things. With Venus newly in your sign you may have a great desire to relate to others and be willing to make whatever personal compromises are necessary. You might consider an image change too.
LIBRA (Sep 24th Oct 23rd) Your attention may be drawn towards life goals and social status, so you may be keen to move ahead in these areas. In this instance, although Jupiter’s presence can bring fortune, it does reward effort. The more action you take in your worldly moves, the more you’ll be helped along by opportunities which may seem to arise at just the right time.
My thanks to Neil Mackenzie, Chas. Eaden, Gilbert Donaldson, Chris. Sheppard, Mrs Jennifer Stewart, Tom Clemens, John Bayne and Peter Butterick for their assistance in putting this story together.
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CANCER (Jun 22nd - Jul 23rd) Upbeat influences may have you in a charitable mood. If you are one of those Cancers who prides themselves on being caring this may come as no surprise, except that in this instance the good you give out may come back many times over. Though this may not be your intention, in time your deeds could be recognized and rewarded.
It was one of two unloaded at Chertsey. Some uncertainty exists as to whether this was prewar or post-war. It was sold to Chris Sheppard in 1969 for $90 and was used for several seasons before going to Ferrymead Heritage Park and is now at the Plains Railway Museum, Tinwald. F. R. Eaden, Ashburton, was contracting with three autos prewar. Because two of these were mounted on steel wheels they were mounted on to a large trailer and towed by a fast-moving tractor from property to property. The third machine, modified, was on pneumatic tyres and was fast on the road. It changed to farm ownership in1968. When timed, it could fill a three-bushel bag of grain in 28 seconds or fill one hundred bags per hour constantly. Pamphlets and other information have been used in this item.
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SCORPIO (Oct 24th - Nov 22nd) It may be time to turn your attention to your role or purpose in life and perhaps to decide if you’re going in the direction you want. A solar influence in Leo might also put you in the limelight, whether on a larger or smaller scale. Perhaps you’ll have the option to direct a project or task which may constitute a challenge worth taking on.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23rd - Dec 21st) You may be inclined to expand your horizons in any way you can Sagittarius, and this might happen through study, travel, unusual experiences or by connecting with people from other backgrounds and cultures. Learning something new, whether for practical purposes or for fun, may give you a broader perspective on life and living.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22nd - Jan 20th) A positive connection between Mars and Jupiter continues to have resonance today. This link seems to enhance associations and partnerships of all kinds. You may encounter people who are willing to help you out, even when you least expect it. Whatever plans you have in mind, involve others for best results.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21st - Feb 19th) Today’s connection between the Moon and Uranus may bring a feeling of restlessness that invokes your natural curiosity. You’ll probably enjoy the company of stimulating companions, yet may find that you lack concentration when trying to follow your usual routine. Plan something exciting for the evening as a way to overcome this.
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PISCES (Feb 20th Mar 20th) With Venus now in your relationship zone you may find it easier to express your feelings, hold intimate conversations and connect with others on a harmonious and peaceful basis. Even if you should need to voice a criticism, your partner or friend will likely take it in good spirits. Thankfully, a social event may make for a fun diversion.