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Stories of Castlemaine

The Foundry

Max remembers Castlemaine as a working town which was run by the Foundry whistle.

7.30 work started, 9.30 was Smoko, 12.05 lunch, knock off at 4.30. At this time the main street was occupied by a cavalcade of young men on bikes cycling home from their apprenticeships at either the Foundry or the Woollen Mill. There were fitters and turners, boilermakers.

Wood powered the boilers at the Foundry and the Woollen Mill, the Bakers Ovens and everyone’s homes, which usually had a wood fire stove and wood heaters. Wood had to be cut into 5 ft lengths. Jo Faletti was apparently so accurate with an axe he could split a match stick in 4, it was claimed. Gordon Barassi, (Uncle of football hero, Ron Barassi ) cut wood in the Guildford Bush. Two Polish blokes on motor bikes did the Muckleford Bush.

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