Farms In The Making (1959)

This 16mm film shows the activities of the War Service Land Settlement Scheme in Western Australia. Seen are methods of land clearing which by today's standards are considered to be extremely destructive environmentally and very wasteful of resources. The final preparation of partly-cleared land and the planting and harvesting of various crops is also outlined. Some cleared areas became wheat and sheep farms, others were set aside for dairy farming. orchards and viticulture. Few of today's young West Australians would be aware of this aspect of the State's development post-WW II. The way it was achieved is something we may nowadays be ashamed of, even though at the time it seemed the right thing to do. This documentary was produced in 1959 by the West Australian Government Film Unit.

[@benmurray8689]

A lot of comments saying this is a bad practice but how much land has been cleared to make way for cities and what is the difference? Also how can you farm any land productivity if it is covered in trees?

[@jamessouth4776]

I fully agree mate, no one cares when they turn hundreds of acres of prime farmland into housing estates do they.

[@helenhirst7378]

My parents inlaw had one of these farms in Jerramungup until 1979

[@lee-annebarrett366]

What would we have done for food if it wasnt for the planning and hard work of many thousands of men throughtout years. Its truly sad the lack of commonsense and knowledge todays young protesters have about the planning, hard physical work it has taken to farm and provide them with the food that they eat. Ingratitude, ignorance narrow minded thinking. Where do they think their vegetables, fruit, poultry and meat come from.

[@Terraceview]

If you can't see the obvious wastefulness in his particular video then you've obviously never farmed an acre in your life. Most of the land you see being destroyed is now riddled with salinity (and useless) just to start you off.

[@Buzzbox3rd]

Excellent video showing the development of the country.

[@Ecaldane]

Excellent video showing the stupidity of humans destroying the nature just to make money money money. Isn't there enough desert down there? Anyway you are experiencing the climate change, heard of the harsh droughts, good luck!

[@riververhoeven1098]

destruction of the country, they needed to leave at least 25% of native deep rooted species or over time replace them with deep rooted European trees its all going to salinity now its a shame. They thought they could farm like they have done in England and Europe for the past 2000 years, but Australian soil has been exposed to the elements for over 1.5 billion years not 10 thousand years like in Europe. So theirs allot of salt between the water table and the top soil and when you cut down all the trees the water table rises significantly bringing the salt to the surface rendering the ground a Barron wasteland that only salt bush can grow on. Also theirs a huge risk of damage to the water table by making it saline from fresh, and once this happens its extremely hard to reverse and would likely take 100 years or more to rehabilitate.

[@earthsskin]

For a handful of hard, dry seeds

[@tessmansfieldh]

Hi! Just wondering where you found/obtained this film? interested in using it for a project. Need to find owner for copyright.

[@alifeline22]

me too .. did you get an answer?

[@judithnewing123]

My grandfather Alfred James Christmass of Grass Valley via Northam was a Returned Serviceman felling trees in the Great Southern near Williams in 1953 sadly he was killed when a tree fell on him. He had survived France and being a Prisoner of War in Germany for some years, sadly he died after he returned home.

[@Ecaldane]

Nature took vengeance

[@Terraceview]

This is still happening in Queensland, Australia.

[@matts5105]

BarryEssex in WA we are now logging our temperate rainforest and Jarrah Forest. The worst part its that the forest isn't being turned into farmland or being logged for profit. Its being logged at a loss purely to keep the loggers employed. Virgin forest is being cut down for wood chips.

[@Terraceview]

Pisses me off to no end!

[@Terraceview]

Thanks so much for the upload, very informative and destructive look into the recent past. I hope people have learned from this and that we stop all land clearing very soon.

[@richardbird5697]

Goverment should be sued for the enviromental damage.with better practice way less land could be used to produce enough food to feed australia

[@Timeparadox101]

There actions where and still are unlawful. This was not sustainable at all. There's more vacant land then trees.. no more mycrorizae left

[@robertfoster7807]

To much land was cleared in the west australian wheatbelt only 50%of a given area should have been cleared and uncleared areas should have been interconnected

[@matts5105]

If only they knew what they were doing.

[@Terraceview]

They sorta knew, the pay check was more important.

[@forestofheavy]

Has Brazil seen this video? Someone might want to show them while they're burning the Amazon...

[@jimmurray2965]

The scale of the environmental destruction was truely shocking! It seems the world has learned very little from these times. No wonder the natural world is in such peril which ultimately will endanger humanity.

[@christopherescott6787]

Bloody wasteful....

[@codyharrison771]

Fools

[@bigears4014]

The problem is there are to many people that want food a place to build a house and so on , whats your answer