Harvesting Memories

Heritage Farming in Australia
Produced by and available from Alexander and Ann Sloane
Box 77, Yarrawonga, Vic 3730

This video consists of original film and commentary by the late Ian Sloane.  It describes farming experiences in the southern Riverina in the 1930s.  My grandfather farmer who left school in 1929 and who now lives mainly in the past found it fascinating.

In the 1930s he had a lot to learn about farming, but even more about government guidance.  In 1930 his letters were cancelled with a "Grow More Wheat" stamp.  So he did, and the price of wheat fell steadily and disastrously between sowing the wheat crop and reaping it.  This warped his belief in the wisdom of governments.

The video starts off with still pictures;  then in the 1930s Sloane bought a movie camera and started taking moving pictures of the way people actually farmed in those days.  Later he added voice descriptions explaining what they were doing and why.

He shows a team of six horses ploughing with a three-furrow mouldboard plough and says how pleasantly quiet it all was -- only a bit of rattle from the harness.  He should have mentioned the skylarks, which were wonderful.  I used a 10-horse team to pull a six-furrow stumpjump mouldboard plough.  It used to chatter a bit.  My grandfather was in love about then so his horses used to hear some romantic poetry, but they never let on.  Once you had taught the furrow horse her proper place, it wasn't hard work.

ROUGH GOING:

My grandfather had a steel-wheeled Fordson tractor similar to the one Sloane's neighbour worked.  It was rough going if the ground was hard.  He used to stop every hour to give it a spell as he had been trained to do with horses.

Sloane gives a clear picture of reaping wheat in the 1930s.  Cripes, it was really hard work -- none of this business of swanning around in air-conditioned comfort!  Sewing the bags while being savaged by flies, you slogged away to finish 200 a day for a pound in real money.  My grandfather will never forget the great day when he could afford a portable radio.  He particularly liked listening if there was a test match on.

The best part of the video is Sloane's description of expert haystack building.  My grandfather would like to be able to brag about his stacks, but they were notorious.  People said that they always seemed to lean a bit to the left.  Sloane shows an immense haystack with its thatch neatly trimmed with sheep shears and with proper galvanised iron mouse guards.  It stood there for 10 years and then opened up splendidly during the drought when it was really needed.  And I bet the Sloanes didn't ask for government help either.

So, get the video if you can.  If you are an old bloke like my grandfather it will revive many poignant memories and it will give you the chance to tell your progeny how hard you used to work in those days.  I doubt if they will be properly impressed;  more likely they will say, "Yes, the poor old chaps certainly worked hard with their hands, but what about their heads?"

The best thing Sloane's family did with his film was to put it in the tin trunk to let it mature.  Videos are a bit like diaries:  they get better as they get older.  Perhaps even my diary will mature with age.