Battle to Farm

Daniel Wilksch is coordinator, Digital Projects at the Public Record Office of Victoria.  His recent focus has been to manage PROV's digitization program, i.e. to record in electronic many of those old paper records from archives.  Moreover he has been heavily involved in developing PROV's online exhibitions, including the recent “Battle to Farm” website.

One area of record retrieval and analysis is the history of Soldier Settlements. This is a fascinating account of how returned service men first in WWI were able to lease small (typical 640 acres) from the State and how they fared in establishing and maintaining an existence as farmers.

Sadly the stories of the farms and families told of a generally tough life, and worse a high level of long term failure arising from weather (many farms were set up in regions where good seasons were limited to about 1 in 7),  the onset of the depression and poor prices for product.   Commonly, the “farmer ex soldier” needed paid employment to exist.