Story: Rural workers

Thresher

Threshing machines were used in New Zealand for more than 80 years, finally declining in use in the mid-1940s. Forerunners of combine harvesters, they separated the grain of crops such as wheat and oats.

Listen to Jack Perkins in his radio show ‘From the Back Country’ interviewing Ron Gordon who recalls threshing mills before the Second World War.

Sound file from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero (From the back country: threshing the grain/ Reference number sa-97120-bc91-23-pm).

Using this item

Nelson Provincial Museum, Tyree Studio Collection
Reference: 180685/3

Permission must be sought from Nelson Provincial Museum before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Carl Walrond, 'Rural workers - Grain and crops', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/speech/17210/thresher (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Carl Walrond, published 24 Nov 2008