Wayville - Plaque at the Ridley Memorial Gate to the Showgrounds. Ridley invented the Reaping Machine and asked no recompense, so making the machine available to all agriculturists. South Australia
Ridley Memorial
Erected by public subscription
John Ridley, National Benefactor 1806 –1887
The reaping machine invented by John Ridley in 1843 so reduced the cost of harvesting as to make available immense areas of land for agriculture. Thus increasing the industry, commerce and wealth of Australia. In declining to patent his invention Ridley manifested great unselfishness and noble patriotism.
Opening Ceremony
The Gates of this Memorial were formally opened on 1st September 1933 by His Excellency the Governor of South Australia Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven VC KCMG GB DSC. Ref: Gate Plaque - transcription.
What John Ridley did for South Australia
By Stephen Parsons
Memorial Gate to be erected
This dignified and ornate structure is to be known as the Ridley memorial entrance. Messrs Lawson & Cheeseman, of Adelaide, are the architects, and a tender has been accepted for the work, which will be completed before the date of the next September Show. This will serve to perpetuate the memory of Ridley and his work to succeeding generations.
By a happy coincidence, the Showgrounds at Wayville is directly opposite the scene of the first public trial of the reaping machine, made in December, 1843. Ref: Chronicle (Adelaide) 4-5-1933.
John Ridley brought from England one of Watt’s beam steam engines. It was installed at Hindmarsh and there the first flour was ground from South Australian wheat. His connection with farmers resulted in his wondering whether it would not be possible to invent a machine which would materially simplify harvesting. Other people talked, but he concentrated on the problem and eventually, to the astonishment of everybody, solved it.
When the first trial took place we can in imagination see the harvest field and hear the farmers discussing Mr Ridley and his wonderful machine. But we have more than imagination to go on. Mr F S Dutton, in his book on the early days of this State, gives a most interesting account of what he saw “One afternoon during the summer of 1843-4," he says, "some friends met me in Adelaide and asked me to join them in their ride to a neighbouring farm, where Mr Ridley's reaping machine, which they said both reaped and threshed the corn at the same time, was successfully at work. It was not generally known at that time what the machine was, and, although we were all incredulous, we started to see with our own eyes how far the reports we had heard were correct. By the time we reached the farm a large field had mustered to witness the proceedings: and there, sure enough, was the machine at work, by the agency of two horses and two men, one to guide the horses, the other the machine. There was no mistake about it—the heads of the corn were threshed off perfectly clean: and a winnowing machine being at hand, the corn was transferred out of the reaper into the latter machine, and carts were ready to convey the cleaned wheat to the mill two miles off where the wheat, which an hour before was waving in the fields in all the lustre of gold tints, was by Mr Ridley's steam engine ground into flour."
Governor's Tribute
A little later the first show of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held, when a special prize of 10 guineas was offered for a reaping machine and was, of course, won by Mr Ridley. In presenting the prize, the Governor, Sir George Grey, said—"l am peculiarly gratified in having this opportunity of expressing my opinion of the value of Mr Ridley's machine, which I have very carefully inspected. I am firmly convinced that it will be of the utmost importance to the agriculturists of this country, as it will enable them successfully to compete in corn with any part of the world."
The members of the Society did not content themselves with the presentation of a prize to Mr Ridley, but when the machine had been in successful operation for ten years they carried the following resolution, which is certainly a splendid tribute and one most richly deserved: —"Resolved that, in the opinion of this Society, the introduction of the reaping machine invented by John Ridley, of Hindmarsh, has been of the utmost importance to the practical development of the agricultural capabilities of South Australia, and this meeting believes that it expresses the unanimous sense of the colonists of the great and lasting benefits which Mr Ridley has thereby conferred upon the community. The gracious manner in which Mr Ridley contributed to the public his admirable machine by refusing to secure for himself either a monopoly of or a money profit by its manufacture, deserves to be recorded by this society. It presents for his acceptance its hearty and grateful thanks, with every good wish, for his further prosperous career."
I cannot refrain from quoting from a letter by Governor Grey to Miss Ridley. Here are his words:—"It was then that your father showed himself the greatest benefactor of the country by inventing the first reaping machine which was peculiarly adapted to the climate and soil of South Australia. He often conversed with me while he was constructing his machine, for I ever regarded him as a friend, and as one of those eminent men whom South Australia was so fortunate in numbering among its first settlers. He gave his invention to all his fellow citizens, to be a free blessing to the entire colony. May his name ever be held in reverence for this noble act." Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide) 2-9-1933.
Wayville - Plaque at the Ridley Memorial Gate to the Showgrounds. Ridley invented the Reaping Machine and asked no recompense, so making the machine available to all agriculturists. South Australia
Ridley Memorial
Erected by public subscription
John Ridley, National Benefactor 1806 –1887
The reaping machine invented by John Ridley in 1843 so reduced the cost of harvesting as to make available immense areas of land for agriculture. Thus increasing the industry, commerce and wealth of Australia. In declining to patent his invention Ridley manifested great unselfishness and noble patriotism.
Opening Ceremony
The Gates of this Memorial were formally opened on 1st September 1933 by His Excellency the Governor of South Australia Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven VC KCMG GB DSC. Ref: Gate Plaque - transcription.
What John Ridley did for South Australia
By Stephen Parsons
Memorial Gate to be erected
This dignified and ornate structure is to be known as the Ridley memorial entrance. Messrs Lawson & Cheeseman, of Adelaide, are the architects, and a tender has been accepted for the work, which will be completed before the date of the next September Show. This will serve to perpetuate the memory of Ridley and his work to succeeding generations.
By a happy coincidence, the Showgrounds at Wayville is directly opposite the scene of the first public trial of the reaping machine, made in December, 1843. Ref: Chronicle (Adelaide) 4-5-1933.
John Ridley brought from England one of Watt’s beam steam engines. It was installed at Hindmarsh and there the first flour was ground from South Australian wheat. His connection with farmers resulted in his wondering whether it would not be possible to invent a machine which would materially simplify harvesting. Other people talked, but he concentrated on the problem and eventually, to the astonishment of everybody, solved it.
When the first trial took place we can in imagination see the harvest field and hear the farmers discussing Mr Ridley and his wonderful machine. But we have more than imagination to go on. Mr F S Dutton, in his book on the early days of this State, gives a most interesting account of what he saw “One afternoon during the summer of 1843-4," he says, "some friends met me in Adelaide and asked me to join them in their ride to a neighbouring farm, where Mr Ridley's reaping machine, which they said both reaped and threshed the corn at the same time, was successfully at work. It was not generally known at that time what the machine was, and, although we were all incredulous, we started to see with our own eyes how far the reports we had heard were correct. By the time we reached the farm a large field had mustered to witness the proceedings: and there, sure enough, was the machine at work, by the agency of two horses and two men, one to guide the horses, the other the machine. There was no mistake about it—the heads of the corn were threshed off perfectly clean: and a winnowing machine being at hand, the corn was transferred out of the reaper into the latter machine, and carts were ready to convey the cleaned wheat to the mill two miles off where the wheat, which an hour before was waving in the fields in all the lustre of gold tints, was by Mr Ridley's steam engine ground into flour."
Governor's Tribute
A little later the first show of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held, when a special prize of 10 guineas was offered for a reaping machine and was, of course, won by Mr Ridley. In presenting the prize, the Governor, Sir George Grey, said—"l am peculiarly gratified in having this opportunity of expressing my opinion of the value of Mr Ridley's machine, which I have very carefully inspected. I am firmly convinced that it will be of the utmost importance to the agriculturists of this country, as it will enable them successfully to compete in corn with any part of the world."
The members of the Society did not content themselves with the presentation of a prize to Mr Ridley, but when the machine had been in successful operation for ten years they carried the following resolution, which is certainly a splendid tribute and one most richly deserved: —"Resolved that, in the opinion of this Society, the introduction of the reaping machine invented by John Ridley, of Hindmarsh, has been of the utmost importance to the practical development of the agricultural capabilities of South Australia, and this meeting believes that it expresses the unanimous sense of the colonists of the great and lasting benefits which Mr Ridley has thereby conferred upon the community. The gracious manner in which Mr Ridley contributed to the public his admirable machine by refusing to secure for himself either a monopoly of or a money profit by its manufacture, deserves to be recorded by this society. It presents for his acceptance its hearty and grateful thanks, with every good wish, for his further prosperous career."
I cannot refrain from quoting from a letter by Governor Grey to Miss Ridley. Here are his words:—"It was then that your father showed himself the greatest benefactor of the country by inventing the first reaping machine which was peculiarly adapted to the climate and soil of South Australia. He often conversed with me while he was constructing his machine, for I ever regarded him as a friend, and as one of those eminent men whom South Australia was so fortunate in numbering among its first settlers. He gave his invention to all his fellow citizens, to be a free blessing to the entire colony. May his name ever be held in reverence for this noble act." Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide) 2-9-1933.