The Dairy Lane Project

Podcast: Season 1: The Dairy Lane Project
Host: Therese Sweeney
Category: Society & Culture
Sub-Category: History, Local News & Stories, Universities & GLAM
First Episode: 2025

Berry N.S.W Australia is No. 1 favourite town for tourists. Most don’t know the history. It was the centre of the dairying industry in Australia throughout the 20th century. Twin brothers Ted and Tom Walsh from Far Meadow (Berry) who then moved to Jamberoo where they developed the breed-‘The Australian Illawarra Shorthorn” in the early 20th century. It led in milk production for many years and it’s bulls and later AI (Artificial insemination) were in great demand. An AI Centre was established in Berry in the 50s with visitors from all around the world. Farmers travelled to Berry, Jaspers Brush and Meroo Meadow from all over the State and the nation to attend stud sales. These villages form a 14km strip down the Princes Hwy. The lanes off to the left and right named after the pioneering dairy farmers from the 1850s onwards. Season 1 engages the descendants of those pioneers, Therese visits the farms they are still on, some 5 generations later and records their stories. To honour their contributions to the industry and innovations. Therese Sweeney has been producing history since the 90s, with camera’s sound, video and collecting private archives to archive and exhibit in our major cultural institutions in NSW. This is a collaboration with Berry Museum and Shoalhaven Historical Society. 10 episodes explore the dairying history from Berry to Bomaderry, major milk producers for the Sydney market with the oldest milk Co-operative in the nation. Leading milk factories and transport innovation via steamers, then railway to milk trucks.

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