The stump jump plough revolutionised Australian farming 150 years ago

Richard Smith and his brother Clarence Smith invented the stump jump plough in South Australia to solve a major agricultural obstacle.

Before 1876, farmers in the Mallee region struggled with scrub stumps that damaged traditional, inflexible ploughs. Richard Smith noticed that a broken plough part could be redesigned to move up and down, allowing the tool to ride over obstacles rather than breaking against them. The brothers showcased a prototype at the Moonta Agricultural Show in November 1876.

While some observers mocked the invention as a lazy design, the brothers remained committed to the idea. They successfully attached shears to the plough frame using a hinged joint and a weight system. This allowed the tool to till soil without requiring the removal of scrub remnants. The invention led to a massive increase in land use across Australia.

Sir Robert Ross, president of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA, noted that many farmers previously forfeited leased land because it was impossible to farm. After the plough became available, land purchases surged. In 1881, 285,670 acres were purchased in a record sale for the colony. Clarence Smith opened a factory in Ardrossan in 1880 to manufacture the ploughs. The factory employed up to 130 people and exported products to New Zealand.

Although Richard Smith did not become wealthy due to a lapsed patent, the state government awarded him £500 in 1882 for his ingenuity. The Royal Australian Mint recently included the plough in a coin collection celebrating decorated Australian inventions.