One Bag In Six: Onion Growing In Gippsland 1900-2007
Australian History Agricultural History Rural Studies Local History Memoir Social History Regional Geography
One Bag in Six: Onion Growing in Gippsland 1900-2007 is the only detailed, first-hand chronicle of how a single crop shaped an entire region of rural Australia. In 97 richly illustrated pages, local historian and grower John Murphy traces seven decades of family diaries, cooperative ledgers and newspaper clippings to show why the red volcanic soil around Leongatha produced up to one-sixth of the nation’s onions—hence the quirky title. Readers discover the evolution from horse-drawn ploughs to laser-graded paddocks, the boom years when “bagging sheds” lined the rail sidings, and the survival tactics that kept small growers competitive against global imports.
What makes this paperback special is its rare combination of memoir, technical manual and social history. Murphy’s own voice—honest, humorous and quietly proud—recalls 12-hour days on the tractor, the smell of curing onions in autumn sheds, and the neighbourly “bag pool” that shared labour at harvest time. Alongside these personal stories he embeds practical details: seed-bed preparation schedules, disease-control recipes, and rainfall charts that still guide today’s farmers. Archival photographs, many never before published, show teams of sorters in head-scarves, 1950s Bedford trucks stacked high with hessian bags, and aerial shots of the distinctive “strip” paddocks that still dot the South Gippsland landscape.
For family historians, vintage-machinery enthusiasts, agribusiness students or anyone seeking an authentic slice of Australian country life, this Leongatha District Historical Society publication is a compact treasure. The 2007 first edition is becoming harder to find in pristine, smoke-free condition, yet its insights remain surprisingly current as consumers rediscover the value of locally grown produce. Tuck this like-new copy into your regional collection and you hold a tangible piece of Gippsland’s identity—an inspiring reminder of how determination, community and a humble onion can flavour the history of a place.
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