Redmond Barry Fellow 2006

Kathleen Fennessy
Ploughing with one heifer: colonial Victorians learning the land

Dr Kathleen Fennessy was awarded the third Redmond Barry Fellowship for her historical research project, 'Ploughing with One Heifer: Colonial Victorians Learning the Land'. The project focused on the way settlers, who were often inexperienced, learned about the land and learned to use it productively during the period when the Colony of Victoria's Selection Acts attempted to establish an independent yeomanry. It was not primarily concerned with the way the Land Acts worked or with the development of agricultural production or with the establishment of formal agricultural education. Rather, it aimed to understand informal agricultural learning during the 1860s and 1870s, and the movement towards more structured agricultural education.

Research for the project was undertaken at the State Library of Victoria, and principally focused on rare books, manuscripts and newspapers in the Heritage Collection. 

The following broad areas were investigated:

  • Colonists' experiences and their reflections as they learned to manage the land.
  • The way the press advised people about the land and promoted agricultural learning.
  • The efforts made by agricultural and horticultural societies to provide for informal learning through regular meetings and shows.The Board of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture and their roles in disseminating information and encouraging agricultural education.

The Fellowship provided a wonderful opportunity to undertake a sustained period of research for a proposed book manuscript. The State Library is not only a remarkable storehouse of learning but also a convivial place. The Fellowship allowed for the solitariness of research to be relieved by the stimulating companionship of the Library's Creative Fellows and by the thoughtful assistance of the staff.