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.