Agricultural Machines
p. 43 · Read in the full issue
Or Mining Equipment:
Australia Supplies It
The Australian agricultural machinery in dustry was built on a modest but solid base founded more than a century ago, until to day its overall output is valued at over £30,000,000. rpHIS figure includes the value of tractors as well as A of other agricultural machines and implements.
Factories making agricultural machinery are situated throughout Australia, with the State of Victoria as the main centre, accounting for nearly half the total output and half the employment in the industry.
About 500 different types of agricultural implements and machines are made, including models which have been, and are being used in the Pacific Islands.
The equipment includes ploughs and cultivators, ploughshares and discs, spraying machines and spare parts, tractors and parts, power driven lawn mowers and heavy duty land clearing equipment.
Other major agricultural implements produced in Australia include; • Cultivators and scarifiers to break up the land further after ploughing. • Harrows, seeding and planting drills. • Light and heavy tractors.
Today, the trend is towards power driven equipment for many of the smaller and simpler machines made in Australia for small land holdings, as well as for large machines.
The agricultural machinery industry uses Australian iron and steel for most of its products. Some special alloy steels and parts are imported, but, generally the local content is increasing all the time.
Australian-made farm machinery has been exported tor more than 50 years. In recent years, exports have been valued at more than £3 million.
Mining also means machinery—and Australia pro duces machines that enable the country’s mines to operate with an efficiency that is a byword in the in dustry.
Today there are comparatively few items of mining, ore dressing and metallurgical plant and equipment that are not made in Australia. i ThC ™. n u fa J cture of this equipment is based on a long-established technology that has developed and matured with the growth of the highly successful Aus indusff-ieT mmerals P roces sing and metallurgical Australia today has both the manufacturing and design capacity to produce a wide range of stock equipment and to meet specialised requirements.