Historical information

This type of wrench or spanner was used as a service tool for H. V. McKay Pty. Ltd. manufactured agricultural machinery.

This specific tool belonged to Albert (Bert) Montgomery of 11 Kamarooka St, Albion. Bert Montgomery was born in Sunshine and in 1910 was apprenticed as a carpenter with Sunshine Harvester Works, where he worked as a wood machinist. On 19 August 1914, while still an apprentice, he enlisted in the First AIF. He left McKay's and started business as a builder probably just prior to WW2. After the war he joined the Shire of Braybrook as Assistant Building Surveyor until he retired.

In 1962 Bert and his friend Jack Causon (proprietor of an Anderson Road second hand store that previously was Les James grocery) were on a fishing trip to Lake Tooliorook (aka Ettrick) near Lismore, Victoria. Their boat capsized and both fishermen were drowned. Bert was a Past President of Sunshine RSL and at that time it was reported that his funeral was the largest that Sunshine had seen.

The information about Bert Montgomery was supplied by a Committee member of the Sunshine & District Historical Society Inc. who spoke to Montgomery's daughter, who also donated the tool.

Significance

This tool serves as a reminder of the large H. V. McKay agricultural manufacturing works that once existed in Sunshine. The tool is associated with the works, and the design is significant enough for images of the tool to be used in an artistic mural, which is painted on the Eastern Pillar of the new H. V. McKay Footbridge in Sunshine, Victoria 3020.

Physical description

Curved double ended rusty cast iron wrench with 4 open slots plus 2 closed slots

Inscriptions & markings

'H V McKAY' on one side and 'D324' on the reverse side