Agricultural History

From Wool to Wallaby Skins

In the early days, as farmers battled to clear the land, their livelihood was principally derived from the bush. They felled and sold timber, snared possums, kangaroos and wallabies for their skins, collected yacca gum and distilled eucalyptus oil.

At the end of the 19th century, the Island's pastoral industry was growing around sheep farming (wool was easily shipped to the mainland) and grain. After World War II, this was consolidated when the government established a war service land settlement scheme. Please see below for more information on the Soldier Settlement Scheme. 

The Ligurian Bee

In the early 1880s August Fiebig brought 12 hives from the Italian province of Liguria, and established an apiary near Penneshaw. Since then, no other breeds of bee have been introduced to Kangaroo Island. Because of the Island's isolation, all present-day honeybees are descendants of those 12 hives. These bees are pure Ligurian and, as such, are unique in the world.
Ligurian bees are renowned for their gentle nature and productivity. These characteristics, and the purity of the strain, make them a valuable genetic pool for breeding purposes. Mated queen bees are regularly exported interstate and overseas. In recognition of the bee sanctuary status legislation was introduced in 1931 prohibiting the importation of bees and second-hand bee-keeping equipment to the Island. Since then, the identification of Foul Brood Disease in mainland hives has necessitated the banning of all bee products to the Island, to ensure that the Ligurian bee remains disease free.

Visit Cliffords Honey Farm or Island Beehive to learn more about the Ligurian bee and to sample some of the honey delicacies.

Soldiers Became Farmers

Ex-soldiers were to farm the undeveloped land on the Island's central plateau: 174 soldier settlers and their families came to the Island and were each allocated 1,200 acres with boundary fencing, two dams, a small house and implement shed, and were required to clear and develop 800 acres for pasture. The cost of the house, shed and fencing had to be paid back over 30 years.

The Parndana Soldier Settlement Museum provides an excellent insight into these times.