Season 1: The Dairy Lane Project
Podcast Description
Berry N.S.W Australia is the No. 1 favourite town for tourists. Most don't know the history of the region. It was a vital centre of the dairying industry in Australia throughout the 20th century. Twin brothers Ted & Tom Walsh from Far Meadow (Berry) who moved to Jamberoo and perfected a new dairy breed-'The Australian Illawarra Shorthorn" in the early 20th century. It led in milk production for many years and it's bulls and later AI (Artificial insemination) were in great demand. An AI Centre was established in Berry in the 50s with visitors learning the technology & breeds from all around the world.Farmers travelled to Berry, Jaspers Brush & Meroo Meadow from all over the State and the nation to attend stud sales when rail was introduced. These villages form a 14km strip down the Princes Hwy. The lanes off to the left and right named after the pioneering dairy farmers from the 1850s onwards. Season 1 engages the descendants of those pioneers, Therese visits the farms they are still on, some 5 generations later and records their stories. To honour their contributions to the industry and innovations.Therese Sweeney has been producing digital history since the '90s: with camera's, sound, video & digitising residents private collections to archive and exhibit in our major cultural institutions in NSW. She has applied her formula to this project.This is an engagement with residents, Berry Museum & Shoalhaven Historical Society.10 episodes in Season 1 explore the dairying history from Berry to Bomaderry, major fresh milk producers for the Sydney market, Berry being the oldest milk Co-operative in the nation. Farmers transporting milk to local factories via rivers, carriers with horse & sulky, then with the introduction of mechanisation; via post war vehicles, steamers at ports, then railway to milk trucks.theresesweeney.com.ausweeney.lib.uts.edu
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Explores the agricultural heritage of the Berry area with specific episodes detailing the contributions of pioneer families, the evolution of farming techniques, and the significance of the Illawarra Shorthorn breed, emphasizing topics like the development of local dairy farms and innovations such as artificial insemination technology.

Berry N.S.W Australia is the No. 1 favourite town for tourists. Most don’t know the history of the region. It was a vital centre of the dairying industry in Australia throughout the 20th century. Twin brothers Ted & Tom Walsh from Far Meadow (Berry) who moved to Jamberoo and perfected a new dairy breed-‘The Australian Illawarra Shorthorn” in the early 20th century. It led in milk production for many years and it’s bulls and later AI (Artificial insemination) were in great demand. An AI Centre was established in Berry in the 50s with visitors learning the technology & breeds from all around the world.
Farmers travelled to Berry, Jaspers Brush & Meroo Meadow from all over the State and the nation to attend stud sales when rail was introduced. These villages form a 14km strip down the Princes Hwy. The lanes off to the left and right named after the pioneering dairy farmers from the 1850s onwards. Season 1 engages the descendants of those pioneers, Therese visits the farms they are still on, some 5 generations later and records their stories. To honour their contributions to the industry and innovations.
Therese Sweeney has been producing digital history since the ’90s: with camera’s, sound, video & digitising residents private collections to archive and exhibit in our major cultural institutions in NSW. She has applied her formula to this project.This is an engagement with residents, Berry Museum & Shoalhaven Historical Society.
10 episodes in Season 1 explore the dairying history from Berry to Bomaderry, major fresh milk producers for the Sydney market, Berry being the oldest milk Co-operative in the nation. Farmers transporting milk to local factories via rivers, carriers with horse & sulky, then with the introduction of mechanisation; via post war vehicles, steamers at ports, then railway to milk trucks.

Hans Jorgenson jumped ship in England arriving in Sydney in 1879. He was a sailor from Norway. He settled in Robertson and married Harriett Mansfield in 1883, they had 7 children, 2 boys & 5 girls. His son Bert went to school with William Miller. Perhaps that is why Bert came to Berry.
Bert established a bullock team and picked up and delivered cedar logs to saw mills. He was a character and played both Rugby Union and Rugby league around WWI. His nephew Norman settled in Bomaderry and worked at Nowra Milk factory for 50 years. Norms father William, was Berts brother.
Norm’s son Ian is engaged for this episode. Ian reflects on his history, his milk factory memories and his career servicing dairies as a refrigeration electrician from Albion Park to Milton. His great-uncle Bert features front and centre in the memories of many men in Berry.
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