Windback Wednesday - Going to the sawmill

The slow, lumbering bullock dray would have been a familiar sight in the early 1900s. Bullock teams, consisting of as many as 20 oxen, were used to transport goods or passengers over distances of up to 15 kilometres a day. While not as quick as a horse, oxen were cheaper to purchase and care for, and also less excitable. The person driving the team was known as a ‘bullocky’ and walked on the left of the bullocks and used a whip to guide them forward.

For those interested in discovering more local history, visit the Local History Room at Burnside Library.

Photograph: A bullock team pulling a large tree trunk in Glen Osmond, circa 1922.