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Retired farmers putting WA’s agricultural heritage on show

Zach RelphCountryman
Royal Agricultural Society of WA honorary councillor and retired Bindoon farmer Dudley Preston, rear, with RASWA heritage steward and retired Latham farmer Murrice Bryant.
Camera IconRoyal Agricultural Society of WA honorary councillor and retired Bindoon farmer Dudley Preston, rear, with RASWA heritage steward and retired Latham farmer Murrice Bryant. Credit: Zach Relph

Retired farmer Murrice Bryant wants to showcase WA’s agricultural roots to city dwellers and bridge the rural-urban divide.

The former Latham-based farmer, who ran sheep and grew grain, now lives in the city and is among volunteers at this year’s Perth Royal Show.

A loyal Royal Agricultural Society of WA servant of 18 years, Mr Bryant is the heritage steward at the historic event’s Heritage Hall to promote the State’s rich farming history to the city attendees.

With old farming machinery on display, such as a 1927 model Massey Wallis 30 PTO HP tractor, Mr Bryant said it was important to champion agricultural heritage.

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“We have a role to play in reducing the gap between the city and the country,” he said.

“Some children don’t know where milk comes from and think it comes from a carton, so we have to show more people our farming heritage.”

Among artefacts on display were a collection of Countryman extracts dating back to the 1980s.

A “flashback” page, taken from the Countryman edition on March 22 in 1990, detailed the history of South West farming towns Mumballup and Noggerup through photos from the 1920s.

Mr Bryant said the newspaper clippings, alongside the old farming equipment, provided the older generations with a trip down memory lane. “A lot of people have been coming through and saying, ‘Oh, I remember that’, which has been great,” he said.

Royal Agricultural Society of WA honorary councillor and retired Bindoon farmer Dudley Preston said the Heritage Hall was an eye-catching exhibit at this year’s show.

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