Farms

A series of 17 articles describing the major farms of K.I. in 1910, from the Kangaroo Island Courier, 21 May 1910 to 25 Feb 1911. At that time a Commission had been appointed to look into the economic feasibility of a railway on Kangaroo Island, and there were a lot of detractors on the mainland, including those on the Commission, arguing that farming on Kangaroo Island could not be profitable. The articles unapologetically set out to show that this was not correct

As a background, read Kangaroo Island. - Not a Paradise (1909, April 10). Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail (SA : 1898 - 1918), p. 3. a disparaging letter from Mr. Harry Jackson M.P., a member of the Kangaroo Island Railway Commission.

See also

I Bark Hut

II Highgrove

III Pulcara

IV The Glen

V Adavale

VII Arranmoor

VI Geisler and Schulz

VIII Richard Chapman, Point Marsden

IX Kaiwarra

X Karatta

XI Vivonne Park

XII Samuel Buck, North Cape

XIII The Springs

XIV Turner Brothers, Smith's Bay

XV Hawk's Nest Nelson and Daw

XVI Redlands

XVII Smith's Bay F.W. Jacka

See also Mr Sidney Osborne Smith, Hd MacGillivray and Wisanger 1908

See also Register articles 1908 - 15 articles which include inspection of farms, especially The Agricultural Awakening.

See also History of Agriculture in SA - Farming Systems


An additional 1906 article on the Rocky River District and its potential - featuring George Luckett and Charles May.

His Excellency the Governor, who opened the new Kingscote Jetty on Monday, was given every opportunity by the residents to obtain some idea of the productiveness of the settled portions of Kangaroo Island.

The farming community resent keenly the suggestions of the Premier that the country does not merit a develop-mental policy, and were determined that His Excellency should have occular demonstration that the land is capable of great things in an agricultural sense. The new jetty on Monday bore some resemblance to the orthodox country show, for it was lined on both sides for a considerable distance with the products of the district of Kingscote. The yacca gum industry, which is so much prized that the Nord Deutscher Lloyd has erected a large shed for the storage of the product, was represented by large yacca trees. Magni-ficent sheaves of wheat, barley and oats, taken from growing crops, testi-fied to the capabilities of the land. Mr J. Turner, a well-known farmer of Smith's Bay, 16 miles out from Kingscote, exhibited some wheat standing over six feet high, magnificent samples of barley, oats and rape, and some of the barley (grain) with which he beat all-comers in an inter-national show in Great Britain. Mr S. Buck had a display of wheat, barley and oats grown at Shoal Bay. Mr A. C. Burgess, of the Hundred of MacGillivray, exhibited 'Gallant Hybrid' wheat going 25 bushels to the acre, Algerian oats which had cut 4 tons to the acre, and Federation wheat which promises to yield 25 bushels.

Other exhibitors of cereal crops were Messrs M. Chirgwin, of the Bay of Shoals, O. S. Smith, and R. Chapman. The latter has a pad-dock of 60 acres under barley which is expected to yield 50 bushels per acre. Vegetables — huge cabbages, beans, and onions — were shown by Messrs W. Bates, of Emu Bay ; J. N. Davis, of Highgrove ; and M. Chirgwin. During the afternoon His Excellency was driven to Smith's Bay, 16 miles from Kingscote, where he saw a crop of barley, level as a billiard table, giving promise of 50 bushels to the acre. This crop, grown by Mr J. Turner, was put in only last August, and its remarkable growth is attri-buted to its having escaped the heavy rains which spoilt some of the earlier sown crops. On the whole fanners at Kangaroo Island will not realise such good returns as they have done in past seasons. The rainfall this year has been phenomenal, with a record of 38 in., or just about double the average. Several times crops were flooded, and many never recovered from the excessive dampness.— ' Register.'

Kangaroo Island Productiveness. (1910, December 3). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191631384
Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 11 August 1928, page 19

KANGAROO ISLAND.

The Speaker Dreams Dreams A Wonderful Future.

I.—By G. R. Laffer.

. . . Mr. Ayliffe's farm stands out clearly, a thousand acres of clearing surrounded by a wall of scrub. This is in the typical ironstone country of which there is so much on Kangaroo Island and indicates the profitable use to which this country can he put. When the Commissioner of Crown Lands visited here at the end of last summer he saw no finer sheep nor any in better condition, than on the farm, on any part of the island.

Sheep and Fodders

Almost straight ahead can be seen Mr. Wheaton's farm. Mr. Wheaton comes from a farming family at Redhill, and armed with a training at Roseworthy Agricultural College, he has done much to show what can he accomplished by hard work and intelligence. The whole farm displays an air of prosperity, there is a beautiful home with almost every comfort; good farm buildings and surroundings. A feature of the work on the farm that appeals strongly to me is the turnips, annually sown for sheep feed. The practice is to sow them in the summer, and if favoured with a fall or two of rain they provide a large amount of succulent feed for sheep just when feed is often most wanted.

Beyond can be seen the farm of Mr. Lade, an Englishman, who came to the island and then settled. Like many other settlers he had a struggle, and as with others, it resulted largely from a lack of knowledge as to what use the land could be most profitably put. Men were groping in the dark. They were attempting to grow crops when it should have been fodders, and keeping stock. It was a question of the variation of fodders, and of manures. Men like Mr. Lade can now see the light. They certainly know what to grow and the tractor has come to their aid, and they now know how to sub-due the scrub. Visiting this farm last summer I was much impressed with what I saw.

A Modern Farm.

Hawk's Nest, the farm of the Seager brothers, is straight ahead. This is a beautiful farm, bought by the Repatriation Department. As I was responsible for settling these two splendid fellows upon this farm, it has been a great pleasure to watch their work and success, and they have worked, making great improvements in clearing, and extending their cultivation and are now carrying in addition to cropping a fine flock of sheep. Method and law and order are here to be seen in every direction. On this farm the tractor is doing wonderful work in subduing the scrub. With the tractor and hard work and fodders and sheep, I dream dreams and see a wonderful future for the island. . . .


Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), Saturday 11 August 1928, page 55

KANGAROO ISLAND.

Some Fine Farms. A Splendid Season.

II. By G. R. Laffer.

. . .

The Turner Family.

Apart from the fact that you pass some of the best farms and farmland on Kangaroo Island on the way to Smith's Bay. I was particularly pleased that the doctor took that route because I met an old friend in Mr. George Turner, a son of one of the most respected pioneers on the island, Mr. George Turner, sen. The Turners are held in the very highest esteem by a range of friends far wider than the island. John and George Turner, now nearing the evening of a long and splendid pioneering life have done much to make the island what it is. Mr. George Turner, jun., was busy putting up a fence on his farm on the roadside. Like all the successful farmers here he works hard, and the result is to be seen in the general condition of the property. "A splendid season; we have never had a better," was his comment. This was borne out by the capital condition of the crops. They are of course much later than on the mainland. One of the features of farming on the island is the way they have dropped barley for wheat during the last two years. One of the agents told me that about equal quantities of wheat and barley were shipped last year. The reason is that wheat prices are more staple, and do not fluctuate so much as barley prices.

. . .

Splendid Farmers.

In descending one of the Wisanger Hills a glorious vista of Shoal Bay opens out with the Spit and the Mainland, and the Penneshaw Hills clearly before one. At this angle one looks straight through Backstairs Passage. North Cape, which is the most northerly point on the island is here clearly seen. This was the property of the late Mr. Richard Chapman, one of the pioneer settlers of the island. It is now divided between Mr. Noske and Mr. William Chapman, both splendid farmers. Mr. Chapman also works land at Shoal Bay, and has recently taken up a fairly large holding on the Upper Cygnet, and is sparing neither labour nor money upon its development. It was here that I saw in October, 1928, ten months after he had taken the land up, subterranean clover equal to any I have seen in any part of the State. Mr. Chapman goes in largely for sheep, and it does one good to have a talk with him. His wonderful faith in the island land and the way he backs bhis in opinion with money and hard work make one feel that he is sure to succeed. The flocks on the island are yearly increasing. I understand there are now over 60,000 sheep, all held by farmers who are fully alive to the value of new blood. I met a number who are coming up to the ram sales which are held during show week.

Thrift and Hard Work.

When one sees what is being accomplished by thrift, determination and hard work, and realizing the possibility of ex-tension, it seems a thousand pities that so many young men should be wasting their time tramping the city streets singing "Solidarity" and suchlike rubbish. However, time is a great revealer, and the lesson has to be learnt, and the day in which it is learnt is the day on which prosperity will again set in to the State. They are having a splendid season on the island, considered the best for years. For this time of the year, feed is good, and the crops look excellent. Lambs are to be seen in every direction. Altogether the people are full of confidence. It is hoped that the spring rains will be sufficient; if so, it should be a wonderful year.

. . .