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Historic Engineering Marker - Furphy Water CartPrint Page Print this page

04-May-2023
04-May-2023

Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown

The plaque recognises the Furphy Water Cart as a Historic Engineering Marker. 

The Institution of Engineers Australia, through its Heritage Committees, established the Australian Historic Engineering Plaquing Program to acknowledge past engineering achievements and to draw public attention to the significant contributions they have made to society. The Plaquing Program is a means of bringing public recognition to significant historic engineering works and the engineers who created them. The Program is intended to contribute to the conservation of Australian engineering heritage.

Location

Address:7723 Goulburn Valley Highway, Museum of Vehicle Evolution , Kialla , 3631
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.438397
Long: 145.388727
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Technology
Sub-Theme:Industry

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:1985
Front Inscription

Historic Engineering Marker

The Furphy Water Cart

In 1878 John Furphy invented the Furphy Water Tank with the cast iron ends sealed by heat shrunk iron bands.  These outstanding examples of early agricultural engineering ingenuity were widely used throughout rural Australia.

The term "Furphy" became a synonym for suspect information & rumour during World War I when drivers of horse drawn water carts servicing Australian troops. carried information & gossip between camps. 

The tanks are still manufactured at the Shepparton works.

Dedicated by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1985.

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au