Geelong Advertiser news story

Geelong Advertiser 23 May 2022

Read the story, A snapshot of farm life in the Geelong Advertiser, or on Noel’s website, Wasting away down on the farm

Very grateful for the marvellous spread from Noel Murphy in the Geelong Advertiser about the Metropolitan Sewerage Farm and my upcoming book, The faraway land of the house and two cows. Noel wrote:

Schott has catalogued in microscopic fashion a thriving, rambunctious troupe of labourers, stockmen, housewives, kids, cricketers, footballers, tennis players and bosses on this giant government farm. She paints an environment peppered by everything from schoolyard snake bites to boozy romantic interludes, all of it underscored by the pungent odour of ordure.

She immerses readers in things like mulberry jam, roast duck, beer, sherry and whiskey. And the grim stuff, too – 38 million gallons of it a day. And that was the best part of a century ago. Lord knows how much Melbourne’s producing these days.

For this old Werribee scion, forever defensive to critics, there was always one more thing the farm hosted: “The best part of you, mate.”

Cocoroc West School pupils, date unknown. Photo courtesy of the Warfe family.

Bachelor quarters, 1911. Photo courtesy of the Ryan family.