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.
Season 1: Supported by Turf Co Jaspers Brush https://turfco.com.au/
John Miller, 6th generation dairy farmer farms on Rawlings Lane Berry, running parallel to the Princes Hwy. Rawlings Lane as a road, was created when the Bypass was built and 16 acres were taken from John’s farm Broughton Mill toward the upgrade. Rawlings -the name-is unknown historically, at the moment.
Robert Miller was born in 1795, Erskine Scotland & migrated on the ship Othelo, arriving in Sydney August 1834 with his wife Elizabeth Muir, born 1799. They had married in Paisley Middle Church Renfrew Scotland in 1829. They arrived in Australia with 6 children Mary, William, James, Elizabeth, Robert & John.
A further 3 were to be born in Australia; Ann, George & Sara. Robert’s occupation was a dairy farmer. They came down to Gerringong from Sydney in 1837.
Their 2nd son William, b1823 at Paisley Scotland married Jane Miller b 1832 in 1856, Gerringong. They had 9 children, 8 boys 1 girl. Robert, John Ritchie, William H, Henry, James, George, Jane, Thomas & William Hill.
William died in 1907 at Renfrew Park, their property in Gerringong.
Their second eldest son John Ritchie b1859 married Margaret Bailey in Nov 1880, Gerringong. They purchased land at Robertson & had 5 children there. Then returned to Gerringong and had another 4 children. John died in 1940 at Gerringong.
His 4th son William.b 1882 in Robertson was their eldest child. William married Winni Chisolm.
Their son Keith J Chisolm Miller b 1923 married Nancy Morrison b 1929 -they had 4 children-3 girls and a boy. That boy is John Miller who is the participant in the recording, a 6th generation dairy farmer. Whose farm on Rawlings Lane, is a new lane built as an entry point to their property when the ByPass was built. Having lost 16 acres of their land, to the highway upgrade.
The other family farm is located on Wharf Rd. Berry where the dairy operates today.
Season 2 : Sponsored by Ian Zandstra from Pyree. A leader in dairying & advocacy in the Shoalhaven.
Website: theresesweeney.com.au
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