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Charles MullenPrint Page 
The monument commemorates Charles Mullen, a pioneer of the district who developed a system of clearing land known as `mullenising`. Mullen, one of the earliest settlers in the `Mudla Wirra Forest,` emigrated from Ireland in the 1860`s.
Instead of grubbing out the tree roots, Mullen felled the trees and sowed his crops over and around the stumps working the land with a single furrow plough wherever possible. He then developed the idea of using a V-shaped log which was hitched to a team of horses at the pointed end of the V. This was dragged over the stump-covered field before planting seed by hand. This system of farming in scrub country quickly spread throughout Australia and was known as `mullenising`.
However the process which was repeated annually had a devastating effect on the soil, a problem which was overcome with the introduction of superphosphates in the 1890s. The stump-jump plough was eventually designed to overcome similar problems.
Location
| Address: | Mudla Wirra Road, Wasleys, 5400 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.476122 Long: 138.678411 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 7th October, 1973 |
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Plaque :
This plaque erected to the memory of
Charles Mullen
was unveiled by
Mr. Tom Casey
Minister for Agriculture
7th October,1973
Plaque :
Mullenising Is A System Of Farming Introduced
On This Land In The Late 1800s By Charles
Mullen. Previously Scrub Land Was Cut Down
And Then The Stumps Were Grubbed Out Before
The land Was Cultivated. With Mullenising A
Forked Log With Spikes Was Used To Cultivate
The Ground Between The Stumps Bringing The
Land Into Production Much Earlier Than
Previous Methods. The Original Forked Log Worked
Around The Stumps But Became The Forerunner
Of The Stump Jump Implements Used Today.
