The following information was researched from the Furphy website in Shepparton Victoria. For further information press the "Furphy Logo" below
The most distinctive product to carry the Furphy brand was the Water Cart.
The "Furphy" Water Cart was first made between 1878 ? 1880 in Shepparton Victoria, an invention of John Furphy.
During this time, few houses were designed to collect rainwater from the roof and therefore, water needed to be collected elsewhere and transported for stock and domestic use. The method of carting water was then confined to horse drawn skids or sleds with mounted wooden barrels or casks.
At the same time the growing demand for agricultural implements, led to the establishment of a foundry with a furnace to cast components rather than the time consuming task of forging. This became the catalyst for the efficient production of the robust and mobile water carrier known then, and now, as the Furphy Farm Water Cart.
The presence of the Water Cart in military camps in Australia and overseas during the First World War led to the name of "Furphy" becoming an established word in our language. The Furphy Water Cart was used extensively in Europe and the Middle East by the Australian Imperial Forces to carry water to the troops.
The drivers of the carts were notorious sources of information and gossip for the men as they 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.
