Horse Treadmill

Interviewee: Peter Smith
Location: Lockhart
Theme: Power

Horses were the chief source of power on the Australian farm from the 1850s until after the First World War. Draught horses pulled wagons loaded with produce from the farm to the rail head, hauled ploughs, seed-drills and harvesters, and powered winnowers and animal feed preparation machines by walking on an endlessly revolving treadmill. This film overviews the use of Horse Treddles for power generation as well as discussing the role of a museum in preserving this history.

Stage 5 Education Resource: Horse Treadmill - Lockhart (PDF, 210.6 KB)

Museum: Greens Gunyah Museum