Russell Hodges, from left, Jim Reynolds, Lance Pritchard, Martin Sharkey and Peter Langdon look at old photos of the Werribee State Research Farm. 88419 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By XAVIER SMERDON
FOR more than 50 years Werribee was seen as a ground breaking leader of industry and a place where people would look to see what the future held.
In 1912 the Werribee State Research Farm was established to investigate ways of improving agricultural production in Victoria.
Dr Martin Sharket was one of the scientists based at the farm, spending 30 years there from 1959 to 1989, the last nine years as Director.
Dr Sharkey said the first scientists recruited to work at the farm 100 years ago were plant breeders.
“They had a desperate need to breed better cereal varieties to replace those bred in England which were unsuited to our drier climate and shorter growing season,” Dr Sharkie said.
“Werribee succeeded, scientists like Hugh Gordon, Alan Raw, Leo Bartels and others bred the varieties needed, and released them to the great delight and benefit of farmers.”
This year marks a century since the research farm was established, although Lance Pritchard, Secretary of the Werribee District Historical Society, said it had been in decline since the 1960s.
“The stuff they were doing there was really ground breaking stuff,” Mr Pritchard said.
“They were developing different strains of wheat that were fungus and disease resistant. They were experimenting with artificial cattle insemination in the late 1940s.
“It was a huge thing for the day and a lot of the things they developed are still being used today.”
Werribee was chosen as the site of the research farm because of its ideal climate and the ability to implement discoveries made there to other parts of Victoria and Australia.
The scientists were also heavily involved in dairy technology.
The Werribee District Historical Society has been holding an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the research farm and Mr Pritchard said overwhelming interest had ensured it would continue to be on display.
“We still have people rolling up wanting especially to look at the exhibition so as long as that continues to happen we’ll keep showing it,” he said.
The Werribee District Historical Society is located on the corner of Watton St and Duncans Rd and is open on Tuesdays from 10am to 3pm and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.
