• Major projects
  • R6132 Laying pipes across the Darling Ranges, c1902
  • R8135 Across the Trans-Continental Railway, c1917: Laying the railway line
• Primary industry
  • R8006 Pacific Islander labourers clearing land, c1895
  • R8179 Chinese farm workers planting cane, Cairns, 1890s
  • R3951 Maize silo stack, Hilltop, Tilba Tilba, c1895
  • R8118 Wheat Harvesting with Reaper and Binder at Jimbour, Qld, 1899
  • M002600 Three men on horseback, droving sheep with dogs, c1910
  • R3595 Shearing by machinery, 1890-1917
• Small business
  • R9150 Living Hawthorn, 1906: Businesses and street life, Hawthorn
  • R6154 Scenes in Hamilton, c1915 - asset 2
• The clothing industry
  • R7338 For Love or Money, 1983: First women's union
• The post office
  • R2997 Telephonists at the Brisbane telephone exchange, 1910
  • R2418 Yorketown Post Office technology
• Newspaper production
  • R2078 Carting paper to the stores
  • R7073 The Sydney Morning Herald, 1911: Stereotyping at Fairfax
  • R7074 The Sydney Morning Herald, 1911: Preparing the printing machine
  • R2080 Newspaper printing press in action
  • R7075 The Sydney Morning Herald, 1911: Folding mechanism of print machine
• Working with haulage animals
  • M000437 Wagon loaded with wheat, 1880-1900
  • M000808 Bullock team moving a road roller, 1880-1900
  • R6160 Scenes in Hamilton, c1915 - asset 8
• Mining
  • R4735 Dryblowing in Coolgardie, c1894
• Logging
  • R3208 'Geeveston Saw Mills and wagon load', 1890s
• Working at home
  • R3222 Washing clothes in an iron tub, c1890s
  • R3377 'Kitchen at the old King Street bakery'

M002600 Three men on horseback, droving sheep with dogs, c1910

Educational value

The landscape around the drovers in the photograph shows evidence of fire. Whether this was the result of a bushfire or of burning for land clearing is not known.

Dr Sydney Pern and John O'Connor were friends and business partners, raising sheep and cattle. For a time they leased St Margaret Island as a place to graze their cattle over summer, and the O'Connors stayed on the island in its only residence, while Pern lived in Yarram. Pern and O'Connor often drove their livestock from the island to the Gippsland mainland, where this photograph was taken.

St Margaret Island is in Corner Inlet, Victoria, close to Ninety Mile Beach. During low tide it was possible to walk the livestock over from the mainland. As the tide rose, sheep such as those shown in the photograph could not cross. Only the cattle and horses were able to swim the short distance across the tidal flats.

According to the donors of the photograph: 'Livestock were very cheap. When World War I broke out, the price of stock went up and they [John O'Connor and Sydney Pern] made a lot of money'.

The donors also say: 'Because JJ knew the area so well, he was sent into the hills during World War I to look out for the German "invasion" which was rumoured to be planned from the coast'.

This image is one of several in the Melbourne's Biggest Family Album project that centre on the lives of the O'Connors and Dr Pern. Many of them were taken by Pern, who was a keen amateur photographer. This image was donated by his family.

Photographs such as this one provide a resource for exploring the history of communities, places and events, including the changes in landscape and farming practices.

Topics

Agriculture

Livestock

Sheep

Rights

© Museum Victoria and Curriculum Corporation 2009 (except where otherwise indicated). You may view, display, print out, copy and modify this material for non-commercial educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material.