Here’s My Photo Collection Of A Town Called Merbein (13 Pics)

My family came from a small farming town called Merbein in Victoria, Australia. My great-grandfather was a farmer (as were most of the family) who mostly grew grapes and citrus but diversified when needed and tried his hand at anything in order to make a profit or improve growing conditions. This is a hot, dry part of the state, known as the Mallee. When it became populated by farmers, there were large Malle trees which were cut down and then the huge root systems had to be removed. These photos are ones taken by my family from around the 1920s onwards.

#1 Picking Grapes

#2 Carting Fruit

#3 Carting Fruit

#4 Packing Lemons

#5 Digging Irrigation Channels

#6 My Grandfather With His Pony

#7 Collecting Grapes For Dipping (Ethyl Oleate Solution) Prior To Drying

#8 Hot Dipping Gordo Grapes

#9 Loading Sweat Boxes (Of Grapes). Grapes Were Dried On The Long Pieces Of Hessian

#10 My Pop Holding The Reins While My Grandfather Rode The Pony

#11 Tending Goats

#12 Parade Commercial St Merbein 1920s

#13 Parade Commercial St Merbein 1920s