Events/Attractions

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THE RAM PAVILION

Or as most locals know this building as  "The Sheep Show Pavilion",“The Old Machinery Shed”, or “The Ram Shed".
In the early 1900's Gnowangerup was a booming town providing services to the developing agricultural industry.
When the first sheep show was initiated there were 38 sheep pens. For the comfort and convenience of both spectators and judging a circular ring with 3 tiered seating and timber flooring was constructed.
Roofing was deemed necessary and when first constructed consisted of ten saw tooth design bays. The building measured 223 foot by 56 foot, the area remaining today is only six saw tooth roof sections.
 

 

After the war, efforts were made to revive as a separate event again but numbers dropped to 122 sheep and ended up with no entries for the October show. After a meeting where only seven breeders attended it was decided that as there was no support for sheep or cattie that the Gnowangerup Ag. Society would be wound up and any surplus funds "had in trust" by the Gnowangerup Shire Council for the purpose of storage and preservation of museum items In recent years this money was transferred to the Gnowangerup Heritage Group that along with fundraising has seen this project plus others achieved.

Most information sourced from “on the Land” published in the West Australian, also the Albany Advertiser Gnowangerup Star and Tambellup-Ongerup Gazette".

Glen Oliver: “The Sheep Show Pavilion was designed by Robert Formby to maximize light and ventilation - important when judging sheep.
Originally built by James McKenna and his offsider Tom Miniter in 1937. The Gnowangerup Heritage Group raised enough money to replace the entire roof and gutters, repair sections of damaged timber and install new security fences. There are now two fenced walkways through the building”
 

GENERAL VIEW OF THE RAM PAVILION                #1
 

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Steam Tractor: The W.A. Government bought three of these tractors – 2 of the size shown and one smaller one – from England in 1908. They were assembled in Albany and driven from there to Pallinup where they were used for clearing the mallee country and taken to Ongerup (30 miles east of Gnowangerup) It took about half an acre to turn this machine.


 

     FOWLER STEAM TRACTOR            #43
 

Horse works. 4 wood poles turned by horses to operate chaff cutters and other farm equipment. Made by “Barrett Exall” c1870-1880


 

   REMAINER OF HORSE WORKS TURNTANLE              #5
 


 

 REMAINER OF HORSE WORKS TURNTANLE                 #6
 

Melting pots: Used for rendering whale blubber to oil


 

        MELTING POT       #7
 

A Sunshine Header; one of the first self propelled headers used in this district in 1927


 

   SUNSHINE SELF-PROPELLED HEADER          #8
 

 SUNSHINE SELF-PROPELLED HEADER          #9
 

  SUNSHINE SELF-PROPELLED HEADER          #10
 

 SUNSHINE SELF-PROPELLED HEADER          #11
 

  SUNSHINE SELF-PROPELLED HEADER          #12
 

Stump Jump Plough
Originall purchased by the late A. G. Godfrey of Toompup and donated to the museum by his son Tom Godfrey of Gnowangerup.


 

 STUMP JUMP PLOUGH          #43
 

Harvester: Made by May Bros. South Australia, horse drawn  implement with a 6 foot cut


 

    MAY BROTHERS HARVESTER            #13
 

MAY BROTHERS HARVESTER            #14
 

 MAY BROTHERS HARVESTER            #15
 

MAY BROTHERS HARVESTER            #16
 

 MAY BROTHERS HARVESTER            #17
 

Stripper: Made by May Bros., South Australia, horse drawn  implement that was used before the harvester had been invented


 

 MAY BROTHERS STRIPPER            #18
 

MAY BROTHERS STRIPPER            #19
 

 MAY BROTHERS STRIPPER            #20
 

Winnower or Seed Grader: This horse drawn implement treated the grain after the stripper had harvested the crop.


 

 WINNOWER OR SEED GRADER            #21
 

 WINNOWER OR SEED GRADER            #22
 

  WINNOWER OR SEED GRADER            #23
 

A 1912 Massey Harris Hay Binder


 

  MASSEY HARRIS HAY BINDER                 #24
 

Chaff Cutter


 

   CHAFF CUTTER              #25
 

CHAFF CUTTER              #26
 

 CHAFF CUTTER              #27
 

Massey Harris Baler


 

 MASSEY HARRIS BALER             #28
 

Wool Baler. Used on the original “Jerramungup” homestead by the Hassell family


 

 WOOL BALER              #29
 

Overhead Moffat Virtue shearing plant and sundry handpieces


 

 OVERHEAD MOFFAT VIRTUE SHEARING PLANT              #30
 

Pair of Blacksmith’s bellows


 

 BLACKSMITHS BELLOWS              #31
 

Roller for rolling mallee or scrub country – horse drawn


 

 MALLEE OR SCRUB ROLLER              #32
 

MALLEE OR SCRUB ROLLER              #33
 

 MALLEE OR SCRUB ROLLER              #34
 

Clothes Wringer


 

 CLOTHES WRINGER              #35
 

CLOTHES WRINGER              #36
 

 

 
 

GENERAL VIEW OF THE RAM PAVILION                #37
 

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Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

 

References:                 Article:      

                                  Image:    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21,
                                                 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43       ,Merilyn Stewart

 


Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024