Mallee Roller

Interviewees: Bill Browne
Location: Weethalle
Themes: People

Bill Browne is a farmer and donor of ‘The Bill Browne Vintage Machinery Collection’, to the Weethalle Museum. Long after other farmers had given up their horses for tractors, Bill continued using huge teams of up to 14 horses to pull his farm machinery. Hear about Bill’s life working with horses and why he persisted in farming with horses into the age of mechanisation. In this clip, Bill talks about clearing the land with the community built Mallee Roller (built in 1925) – a great demonstration of Australian farming ingenuity, the impact of Australians on the landscape and change and continuity in rural areas.

Stage 1 Education Resource: Mallee Roller- Weethalle (PDF, 242.5 KB)

Stage 2 Education Resource: Mallee Roller- Weethalle (PDF, 242.0 KB)

Stage 5 Education Resource: Mallee Roller- Weethalle (PDF, 211.2 KB)

Museum: Weethalle Whistlestop Museum