Growing tobacco has had a relatively long history in Australia, with the first successful farms recorded in New South Wales in 1820. This continued, with many ups and downs, until 2006, when Australian tobacco was deemed too expensive in a market dominated by Brazil, China, India and east African countries.
Myrtleford (and surrounding areas) had many tobacco farms, and attracted Italian migrants to the region in the 1950s. They came as labourers, then became share-farmers and eventually, owners of the farms.
This memorial in a park on the main street in Myrtleford honours these hard working migrants who played a vital role in the development of the region.
When tobacco leaves were picked, they had to be dried in specially designed kilns. A log kiln, typical of those built from the 1930s to the early 1960s and used on the farm of the Pizzini brothers, has been relocated to the Rotary Park.
Kilns made of corrugated iron replaced the log structures, and you can still see many of these as you drive through the attractive Alpine countryside.
As I worked on this post, a surprise popped up in my WordPress reader. Unbeknownst to me, I just had an anniversary. Where is the prosecco, WordPress?
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Hello Yvonne, The post after next I will be writing about a visit to Myrtleford. May I please link your post to mine? much obliged, Gwen
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Of course you may. I’ll be interested to read your post, Gwen.
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Thank you. I am writing the preceding one now.
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Happy Anniversary. Cool post. My favorite photo is the first one. Art – yes!
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Hello, Sartenada. Thank you for your visit. is it getting cool in your world?
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Happy 5th Blog-iversary & wish you many more! 🙂 ♥ ❤
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Happy Anniversary and a glass of Prosecco Yvonne. From Tobacco Road to Prosecco road up your way.
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Hah! I hadn’t thought of it that way. I prefer the Prosecco Road, how about you?
Thank you for following me, Francesca.
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Love a drop of King Valley Prosecco. Salute.
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Happy Anniversary, Yvonne. Interesting post, too.
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Thank you, Jane.
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I didn’t know tobacco had much of a history in Australia. It was interesting to find out about it.
Incidentally, “super-congratulations” on blogging for so long. Never mind a message, they should give you a silver pocket watch or something for your years of devoted service.
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It’s interesting what we find out about our own countries, Bun!
Yes, a nice watch would be a good idea, or maybe some licorice …
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It does look lovely there. And bright blue skies!
Congrats on your anniversary!!!
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It’s been quite warm for this time of year, no slow run up to a new season.
Those 5 years flew by. I must look and see when the first “Venice” entry appeared.
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very interesting post and, congratulations for your blog anniversary!
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Ciao, Marina, and thank you. It’s nice to hear from you.
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Wow five years! That’s amazing. Congrats!
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Some days, it seems longer than that, Sue.
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Big changes from Dismal Swamp! I am looking forward to seeing a new area of Oz through your observant eyes Y!
Those tobacco sheds remind me of my mother’s origins, in rural North Carolina. Lots of tobacco fields were there during her childhood.
It is always fun to see in what areas statues are rubbed! Such as the snout of the porcellino in your second favorite city, or Saint Peter’s toe in Rome, etc.
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I’m rather overcome with sloth right now, Susie, even though there’s a lot to get out and see.
Presently, my main concern is Minx, who used to have a big yard full of trees and shrubs to use as her personal domain (and toilet). Now, she heads over to the neighbours mulch as her preference. I guess I’ll be buying the same brand of mulch and spreading it in my yard …
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They are so good about communicating their needs to us. Oh, and their wants also.
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Our tobacco kilns look much the same, though some of the larger drying barns are different. Happy anniversary and thanks for showing the sculpture. It’s reminiscent of the 1930s.
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Hi, Lisa. That’s what I thought about the sculpture, Lisa.
I recently read a non-fiction book about the dust-bowl years in the USA, what a disaster that was. Some of the photos looked like this couple and their baby.
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Exactly. It made me think of a Farm Security Administration photo.
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If your book didn’t have them, try the photographs taken by Dorothea Lange. You can Google her and find them. I won’t mess up your blog with the link.
My dad and his family were some of the “Arkies” who made that journey to California during those years.
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Tough, tough times. There were a number of her photos in the book.
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Happy Anniversary! We owe much to our migrants of the past.
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We sure do, in so many countries.
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Congrats! The prosecco’s over here sorry. They sent it to the wrong address. Anyway, it’s all drunk!
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Oh well, since it went to you, that’s kind of OK then. I’m so gracious in defeat.
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Just have a nice Australia red instead!
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Now, that’s a darn good idea. And, I’ll do that, just because you said so.
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Great photo of the corrigated kiln. A material that is now used by one of Australia’s better known architect; Glenn Murcutt. or is it Morcutt? Anyway Glenn is his first name!
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I really like the use of this iron on (and in) homes in Australia, Gerard. It just seems to be the right thing for this country. (I do miss my iron clad house in Atherton, the place I’m renting is the ubiquitous brick veneer.)
Now, off to see what Google has to show me about that Glenn fellow.
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And, I found that Glenn fellow: http://www.ozetecture.org/glenn-murcutt-projects/
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5 years… nice! I’m still trailing behind you 🙂 Great photos too!
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You have youth on your side, Linda.
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Ha, not so much any more!!
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Is it warm enough there for snakes yet, Yvonne? Probably see fewer of them than you did in tropical Queensland.
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You couldn’t see the tongue in my cheek, Michelle.
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nor could you in mine;-)
But there will probably be fewer snakes there if the nature shows we get here are any indication.
Oh, watching a lovely show on CBC called Bondi Vet (yes, your Bondi). The animals are adorable and he’s not hard on the eyes either….the show starts with him on a surf board.
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Great, Now you have to duck down to Bright and get set up for Autumn. I loved the statues. We owe a lot to our migrants – I wish we had the same sympathy now as we had before.
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At least I’ve got a few months until autumn, John.
I do hope you realise you’re responsible for me trudging through dry weeds (was that a snake?) to get the photo of the iron drying kiln. 🙂
I think the previous migrants had a hard time, but nothing like they’re encountering now.
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But you have to take the bad with the good. There haven’t been too many snake bite deaths in the Myrleford area for a year or two now.
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You’re such a comfort.
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If you see this today – Thursday – just check out http://www.nagambielakesoperafestival.com.au/
It’s a fair way to go but there might be something.
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It does sound interesting! Thank you for thinking of me, John.
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I like the memorial . really a work of art.
The kilns recall me the dryer for hops I saw in kent (England ) .
Love ❤
Michel
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Hello, Michel. There was so much hard work involved in tobacco production. There are huge hop fields around here, and they’re expanding! There must be a lot of thirsty beer drinkers somewhere in the world. Amour! ❤
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I have seen many of those drying kilns…..they built them just like that around Asheville, North Carolina where I lived for seven years.
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Congratulations and many more years… . Your photos of Florence and Venice make my heart sing. I’m also enjoying learning more about your fair isle down under!
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Congrats
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