Berger family. Berger family. Berger Family.
1968-current
Written by Fiona Berger
The Bergers came to Australia from Eldoret, Kenya in 1962 after departing from Aden aboard the “Oriana“, and settled into Gnowangerup. Here they purchased the International Harvester Machinery dealership from Jim Keasey.
SS Oriana
The call of the land
Felix, Gill, and the boys John and Paul, wanted to farm so, in 1968, they bought ‘Greengables’ a 2045 acre (827 ha) piece of land on Batt Road. Farming was only done on the weekends and, eventually, an old school bus was purchased from Gordon Owens. This old bus was driven out to the farm and used as accommodation.
On the school holidays John and Paul would camp in the old school bus (which can still be seen today). They would clear the paddocks using second hand machinery from the dealership. As a result, both John and Paul became excellent mechanics.
There was only a single dirt road back some 55 kms to Gnowangerup and, as there was no way of getting back into town, they learnt to improvise. The machinery was such, being second hand, that it was in need of repair before they could use it. It was often better after they had used it than when they received it. The boys were adapt at fixing punctures (there was lots of mallee roots) and spent hours ploughing, raking and seeding the paddocks.
Felix would drive out once a week with their rations, usually of Bully Beef, and not a lot of fruit and vegetables. Washing was an open-air affair. The boys would wash their clothes in the copper under the trees and heat a brick to warm their feet at night. John told me one night his sleeping bag started to smoulder as the brick he had put into was too hot!
In 1969, John left school and alternated between farming and the second dealership down in Jerramungup. With the help of an apprentice, and an aboriginal man called Joe Wood, John started farming seriously in 1971. John continued to use the bus through the day, driving back to Gnowangerup for an evening meal and a shower. In 1972, a farm close by came up for sale which was owned by Bob Norrish. John borrowed some money from his grandmother and bought his first farm called ‘Stumpy Lodge’.
There is a ‘house’, which is still standing, where John lived with various workers. Stumpy Lodge is made of sleepers with chicken wire overlaid with plaster. It is a three bedroom – one bathroom affair, with a lighting shed and outhouse. At this time John also entered into an agreement with his parents to share farm 300 acres (121.4 ha) of wheat and 20 acres (8 ha) of rape (Canola). While share farming Greengables John also managed the House’s farm in Gnowangerup when Mr House (Robert House’s father) died suddenly.
IH Dealership Sold
1976 saw the Berger’s purchase another farm and, subsequently, the dealership in Gnowangerup was sold. Felix and Gill moved out to Greengables, to a transportable house. Paul, who had finished university, came back to the farm or the ‘Firm’ as Gill called it, married and settled on to “Weenjel”.
John told lots of happy stories of his time living at the ‘Lodge’, of getting kicked out of the lighting shed. When the handle on the lighting plant kicked back around it would throw whoever was the ‘unfortunate’ out on their bottoms. It was always the first job in the morning and the last job at night.
There are a few stories of those early times; John and Toddy Blight were ploughing late one night and they were convinced that they were seeing UFO’s. Although they were tired, the objects looked so real and couldn’t be explained away, that it was decided the only sensible thing to do was to go to bed.
Stumpy Lodge caught fire one day and Eric Juren wouldn’t come out of the building so John and Toddy were forced to put the fire out, to save Eric. John was cross as the house was well insured and he could have used the money to build something a little more comfortable. These were exciting times, despite difficult conditions, contending with floods and drought, poor roads and long hours.
Machinery wasn’t as comfortable as it is now. Open air cabs were filled with dust and straw. Drivers spent many hours in the heat/cold, with the endless ploughing and raking to bring up the mallee roots. There was always the job of picking them up! OATS, Toddy told me he used to go home at the end of the day and, after a shower, he would cover himself in talc powder to stop the itch. He swore by it.
When I first came to the farm in 1980, the boys were still using bags of seed and super. this was rapidly replaced by going to bulk – making it easier and quicker to fill machinery, and less demanding on their bodies.
When Darryl Wood died in 1986, we bought ‘Dalivan’, joining ‘Stumpy Lodge’, ‘The Block’ with ‘Greengables’. When the last of Greengables was cleared the Pigsty paddock was covered in some tall, mature Salmon Gum trees. I recall the ‘dozers having a difficult time clearing the land.
John always regretted the fact he took no photos, especially of the equipment that was used to open up the land. There was the root rake, plough, combine, header, and a myriad of different events.
Can anyone provide any photos of the Berger family or of their time in Nyabing please?
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