On the left front wall of the Eungai Rail general store you will see an end plate from a Furphy water cart.

The water cart was the most distinctive product to carry the Furphy brand. The presence of the cart in military camps in Australia and overseas during the First World War led to the name of Furphy becoming an indelible part of our language and idiom. It was used extensively in Europe and the Middle East to carry water to the troops and the drivers of the cart were notorious sources of information and gossip for the men as they were moved from camp to camp. As could be expected, not all their news was reliable and so it was that the word Furphy rapidly became a synonym for suspect information or rumour.

The first water cart was made between 1878 and 1880, with the establishment of the foundry. The growing demand for agricultural implements prompted the facilities for casting components rather than the time consuming work of forging.

The water cart was in itself a complete invention of John Furphy. No similar article was at that time used in Australia or overseas. The method of carting water in those days was confined to horsedrawn arrangements of wooden casks or barrels placed ona skid or sled. Water had to be transported for stock and domestic use. Few homes of the times were designed to collect rain water from the roof and water had to be taken to horses working in the field.

John Furphy was an experienced wheelright and he employed a similar method of construction for the water tank It conisted of shrinking an iron band on to the end castings to hold and tightly seal the cylinder or body of the tank, just as the iron band was fitted to the wooden body of the wagon wheel. The tanks were made of cast iron and were 4' long. All the iron for the foundry was imported from England and Europe. Galvanised sheets were imported when they became available and when John Lysaght began galvanising in Australia the body sheets were obtained from Melbourne.

The first carts were avialable in 180 and 250 gallon capacities. The 180 gallon unit proved most popular because when filled it weighed about a ton and was a fair load for a good horse. The tank was carefully balanced over the axle to give good weight distribution for the horse whether the tank was empty or full.

The cart frame was made from wood and was fitted with 30 inch cast wheels.Rubber tyred wheels and steel chassis were introduced about 1945 and the mobility of the cart was greatly improved.

The first carts found a ready market in Victoria and the Riverina and eventually found their way into all states.

The first end castings had the simple inscription "Furphy" in a small square at the top end of the casting and in 1890 this was changed to read "J. Furphy, maker, Shepparton". The value of the advertising was recognised and raised lettering listing the products of John Furphy was added. In 1895, John added a short rhyme with a strong message. It read "Good, better, best - never let it rest - till your good is better - and your better best."

John's son, William, added a Pitman's shorthand inscription in 1910, which translated tells the reader that "Water is the gift of God, but beer and whisky are concoctions of the devil, come and have a drink of water." William also added a modified version of a saying attributed to W.M. Hughes, the prime minister of Australia, together with an illustration of a stork holding a baby in traditional fashion. The statement, also in shorthand, read "Produce and populate or perish."

In 1925 a slight change was made in the casting of the ends and the metal was poured from the middle right side of the mould. A keen eye can spot the pouring points and guage the approximate era of manufacture. The land grader was added to the list of products in 1930 and the date "1942" was added to the original inscription "Born about 1880, still going strong, in that year. The date was dropped from the mould in 1960 and some of the products were deleted from the list in 1965.

The demand for new water tanks is still strong and during dry seasons many old units are brought in for reconditioning. This simply involves the fitting of a new galvanised cylinder to the original cast ends. The shrink fitting of ends is still a simple and efficient method for a perfect seal. Today's tanks are designed for more modern methods of transport, and are a hot dipped galvanised fabrication for convenience and hygiene.

- information courtesy of:

J. Furphy & Sons Pty. Ltd.