Mobile Cook's Galley, Museum of the Riverina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mobile Cook's Galley, Museum of the Riverina |
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Mobile Cook's Galley located at the Museum of the Riverina
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| Location | Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, Baden Powell Drive, Wagga Wagga, City of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Jim McGilvray and Harold Fife |
| Owner | City of Wagga Wagga |
| Official name: Mobile Cook's Galley, Museum of the Riverina; Chaff cutting train | |
| Type | State heritage (movable / collection) |
| Designated | 24 December 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1722 |
| Type | Kitchen |
| Category | Farming and Grazing |
| Builders | Jim McGilvray and Harold Fife |
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The Mobile Cook's Galley is a special mobile kitchen from the past. It's now part of the Museum of the Riverina in Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, New South Wales, Australia. This unique kitchen on wheels was built in 1934 by Jim McGilvray and Harold Fife. It was used to feed workers who cut chaff, which is chopped-up hay used as animal feed. This important piece of history is also known as the Chaff cutting train and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
Contents
A Kitchen on Wheels: The Mobile Cook's Galley
The Cook's Galley was a moving kitchen. It prepared meals for the Fife family's chaff cutting team in the 1930s and 1940s. Jim McGilvray, a carpenter, and Harold Fife built it in 1934. They used recycled materials to create this clever kitchen.
The galley is built on a carriage with four steel wheels. It has a drawbar, which is like a tow hitch, to connect it to a large engine. This engine would pull the kitchen from one farm to another. On top of the carriage is a rectangular cabin. It has two full-length doors and a small window at one end. Inside, you'd find a coal stove for cooking. There's also a wooden cupboard for storing food and preparing meals. Other items included wooden boxes, food bins, cooking tools, and fire tools.
The Fife Family's Chaff Cutting Business
The Fife family's story in Australia began when five children of William Fife moved from Ireland to New South Wales between 1859 and 1865. They left Ireland because of the Great Famine and hoped for a better life in Australia.
Harold Fife's great-grandfather, Nixon, started working with bullock teams. Later, he bought land near Goulburn. His son, William (Harold's grandfather), was the first in the family to start a chaff cutting business. He also bred horses and worked as a farmer.
Growing the Business in Wagga Wagga
Around 1919, Harold's father, William Clyde, moved to Wagga Wagga. He worked for another chaff cutting business. His younger brother, James Nixon (Harold's uncle), joined him. They lived in a jockey's room at the pony racecourse. This site later became their own Chaff Mill and Bulk Store.
Harold and his mother joined them in Wagga Wagga. The family saw a good future in the chaff industry. In 1925, they bought their own chaff cutting plant and started "Fife Bros." For nearly 30 years, their family business traveled across rural New South Wales. They cut hay for many companies.
Chaff cutting was a huge industry back then. This was because motor trucks were not common yet. Horses were still widely used for transport in cities like Sydney and Brisbane. They were also used in coal mines. The Fife family bought their first modern chaff cutter in 1927.
Tough Times and New Ventures
Times became hard during crop failures, worker strikes, and the Great Depression. The chaff cutting plant sat unused for many years. Harold's father took on other jobs, like working on roads or railways. Harold's mother even made soap from the fat collected from the galley to earn money. Around 1940, the brothers bought the Swan Bakery. Soon, they owned and ran four shops.
Harold's aunt, Irene Wealand, remembered his mother making warm "Wagga rugs." These were made from chaff bags filled with old wool clothes. They were sewn together and covered with heavy fabric.
In 1949, the brothers split their business. Harold and his father kept the chaff cutting plant and a produce store. His uncle James took over the bakeries. The bakery business grew and became the Riverina Baking Co. The family also opened chaff mills in other towns.
Harold's Journey and Family Legacy
Harold joined his father in the chaff cutting plant when he was just 13. His father said, "If he won't go to school, he might as well go to work!" Harold started as a "lunch boy." By 14, he was learning to operate the chaff cutter. At 18, he was in charge of a second plant. He served in World War II for three years. After the war, he returned to the chaff cutter. Later, Harold became a City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Wagga Wagga for 21 years. His younger brother, Wallace Clyde Fife, became a politician in the Australian Parliament.
The Chaff Cutting Industry
Chaff was like fuel for horses. Horses were the main source of power on farms and for transport in the Riverina region. This was true from the late 1800s until after World War II. In 1919, there were two million horses in Australia. That's one horse for every two people! Tractors slowly replaced them over the next 30 years.
Working horses needed to eat three times a day to stay healthy. Cutting hay into chaff and mixing it with grains like oats was the easiest way to feed them. One horse could eat about 5 tonnes of feed each year. Farmers often kept some of their crops for feed. Chaff was also stored for droughts to feed cattle and sheep. People in towns who used horses for transport also needed chaff. Because of this, chaff cutting became a very profitable business.
How a Chaff Cutting Team Worked
The hay season usually lasted from early November to late January. Hay was cut and tied into bundles called "sheaves." These sheaves were then grouped into "stooks" and left to dry. The stooks were collected and taken to a spot to build a haystack. Chaff cutting teams would then cut the hay into chaff.
The Fife family's plant included several parts:
- A large steam engine (Roden or McLaren).
- The Mobile Cook's Galley.
- A chaff cutting machine.
- A "dobbin" (a wagon).
- A steam box.
- A water cart.
These parts were linked together like a train. They moved from one farm to another. At each farm, the plant was set up next to the haystacks. The farmer provided wood and water for the steam engine.
Workers called "stackmen" used pitching forks to pass the hay sheaves to a man at the steam box. He would cut the twine and feed the hay into the steam box. Steaming the hay made it softer. This prevented it from breaking and improved its quality. The steam came from the engine. After steaming, the hay went into the Chaff Cutter. It was cut and then moved up an elevator into bags.
Two "bag sewers" filled and sewed the bags. The machine could cut one or two bags of chaff per minute. The sewn bags were loaded straight onto a truck. The blades of the cutter had to be sharpened often. Harold was proud that he could change and set six knives in just three minutes!
The steam engine powered the cutter and supplied steam to the steam box. A long, wide belt connected the engine to the cutter. This belt could even create static electricity, making your hair stand up! The dobbin carried new bags, tarpaulins, sleeping gear, and spare parts. A horse-drawn cart brought water from dams for the engine. Drinking and cooking water was stored in tanks and drums on the galley.
Daily Life and Pay
A team might stay on a farm for a day or up to a week. On average, the plant cut 40 tonnes of chaff a day. They could cut up to 60 tonnes if they worked very hard.
A normal workday was 11 hours, starting at 7:00 AM. They had short breaks for smoke and tea. Dinner was between 12 noon and 1:00 PM. The day usually ended around 6:00 PM. The business operated for all but two weeks of the year. In good times, the Fife family ran two plants.
The cook's routine started early. The wood stove was lit at 5:45 AM for a 6:30 AM breakfast. This allowed the team to start work at 7:00 AM. Because the work was so hard, breakfast was big. It included a pound of sausage per man, toast, and tea. Dinner was roast meat with vegetables and a dessert. The evening meal was usually cold meats and salads. Scones, jam tarts, and biscuits were served during breaks. Tea was served with all meals.
When the chaff cutting plant was busy, 16 men were fed from the galley. Food was usually delivered on Mondays. Fresh bread and meat came on Wednesdays because there was no refrigeration.
Workers were paid different rates, plus food:
- Water Joey: 4 pence
- Stackmen: 4 pence
- Steam Box Feeder: 4 pence
- Cutter/Feeder: 5 pence
- Bag Sewers: 6 pence
- Cook: 2 pounds, 1 shilling per week, plus three pence per ton
- Driver: A special payment (not publicly shared)
The cook and engine driver slept in hammocks under the galley. The other men made beds from hay bales. "Wagga Rugs" kept them warm.
The Mobile Cook's Galley Today
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The Mobile Cook's Galley is still in good condition. It was used until 1954. Most of it is still original, which makes it very valuable. It's believed to be one of only two mobile farm kitchens left in New South Wales.
Why the Cook's Galley is Important
The Cook's Galley is a significant piece of history. It shows us how grain was harvested in the Riverina region in the past. It represents a time from the 1880s to the 1940s when horses were essential for farm work and transport across New South Wales.
Chaff cutting provided food for horses. These horses were the main power source on farms and in cities. They pulled wagons, helped with planting and harvesting crops, and delivered goods.
The rest of the Fife family's chaff cutting plant has been taken apart. But the Cook's Galley remains. It's a real example of the Fife family's business and the men who worked these machines. The Fife family, who came from Ireland, played a big part in the economy and politics of the Riverina.
The Mobile Galley was part of a "train" of machines. This train included the steam engine, the kitchen, the chaff cutter, a wagon, a steam box, and a water cart. Together, they showed how clever people were at adapting vehicles for farming needs. The mobile galley was built by hand from an old wagon. It was designed to cook and store food in remote farm areas. It had to be self-contained and provide three meals a day for up to a week. The fact that it survived in its original form shows the skill of its builders, Jim McGilvray and Harold Fife.
Life in the chaff cutting industry was hard work. The mobile kitchen played an important role in supporting the workers by providing meals and refreshments. The galley is now a key exhibit at the Museum of the Riverina. It offers a unique chance to learn about a past way of rural life. It shows how important the chaff industry was when horses were so vital to New South Wales. This industry faded away after World War II as machines powered by fuel became common.
