From Adversity to Prosperity Decades of Change in the Katandra District 1930 – 1960

The Katandra and District History Group have compiled “From Adversity to Prosperity, Decades of Change in the Katandra District 1930 – 1960” from submissions from all the local families – it is true community history with a comprehensive picture emerging of an active farming community just to the NW of Shepparton in the dairying and orchards belt.

This book follows Katandra and District History Group’s first major publication, Hope and Hardship, which documented the lives of nearly 160 Soldier and Closer Settlers in the Katandra District. As described in the this first book, a great percentage of original allotment holders did not succeed. The Closer Settlement Scheme had a similar failure rate and, in 1940, only 60% of the Australian settlers and 20% of the overseas settlers were still farming in Katandra. Hope and Hardship is also available from the RHSV bookshop.

By 1936 changes were happening – the effects of the depression were easing and those settlers still farming were allotted more land. Social recovery also began with organisations becoming more active with greater memberships. Hand-milking had given way to machine-milking which allowed for an increase in herd numbers. After WWII electricity was extended to the region which saw the demise of the noisy diesel engines which had powered the milking machines. The 1950s saw big gains in production with the introduction of more productive pasture species, improved irrigation layouts and more water being allocated with the building of “Big Eildon”.

234 pages

With many b&w plus coloured illustrations and maps

ISBN 978-0-9808560-3-3

$39.00

2 in stock