Farmers
See the database for the names and locations of farmers who hosted a farm apprentice.
It appears that many of these farmers were pioneers in their district and generally well-established. Many were members of their local Agricultural Bureau and consequently received promotional material about the scheme published by the South Australian Government in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture.
The Government sought an assessment of each applicant from the local police. The assessments addressed the following points but unfortunately have not been archived:
- The farmer's reputation as regards treatment of employees.
- Is he a married man and does he reside with his family on the land?
- Is he a man of temperate habits and of good moral character?
- Whether in your officer's opinion the boy will have an opportunity of gaining good all-round experience in farming operations.
- Whether the farm is sufficiently established to offer permanent employment.
- Whether accommodation provided for employees is satisfactory.
Approx. 89% of the state's arable land was used for cultivating wheat at this time and the photos below indicate the kind of technology that was used. Horses were heavily relied upon and in their letters to the Immigration Officer, apprentices occasionally boast that they were now able to drive a team of half a dozen or more horses.
Research is currently underway so that farmers' biographies can be added to the website. Contributions are also being sought from local history groups about the conditions in various South Australian agricultural regions in the early 1910s. Please contact me if you can assist with either task.
The South East Family History Group recently helped research their region's involvement in the scheme.
These photos were kindly supplied by Pat Seebohm (nee Fisk) from her father's album. Jack Fisk was a Barwell Boy who was sent to the West Coast in the 1920s. The photos are of Portana station, where apprentice Joseph John Sewell was sent in 1913.