Hans Jorgenson jumped ship in England arriving in Sydney in 1879. He was a sailor from Norway. He settled in Robertson and married Harriett Mansfield in 1883, they had 8 children, 4 of each. His son Bert went to school with William Miller. perhaps that is why Bert came to Berry.

He established a bullock team and picked up and delivered cedar logs to saw mills. He was a character and played both Rugby Union and Rugby league around WWI. His son Norman settled in Bomaderry and worked at Nowra Milk factory for 50 years.

His son Ian is engaged for this episode. Ian reflects on his history, his milk factory memories and his career servicing dairies as a refrigeration electrician from Albion Park to Milton.

Pearl Biggs (Nee: Pheeney) was born in 1944 to parents Rita & Eric Pheeney. The Pheeney's are related to the Devitts by marriage and the Vaughan's. Pearl's mother was a Rutledge. William Vaughan travelled up from Bega to secure land for sale from the Berry Estate. William farmed at Bolong til death in 1932 and was Pearls Great Grandfather. on her maternal side. Her grandparents Evelyn Vaughan and Fredrick Pheeney came up from Bega a bit later and secured some land near Fletchers lane. Evelyn came up in a horse and carriage with 3 kids and pregnant with son Eric and a wheel came off the cart on a river bed. Her husband Fredrick drove cattle up on horseback and she had to wait for him to arrive to assist her.

Fredrick sold his parcel of land (or swapped it with Fletchers) then bought Maylands, Meroo Rd in early 20th century. Evelyn travelled from Bega by horse and sulky, pregnant with Pearl's father Eric. Fredrick drove cattle up on horesback.

Pearl covers a lot of social and agricultural history in this episode and makes an invaluable contribution to Meroo villages podcast Season 1. I love the Travelling Circus coined by the locals as they all travelled up the highway on their 7 tractors to bale on farms in the district.

The Devitt family date back to 1857 when the patriach John Devitt migrated from Donegral Ireland to Woodhill Mountain indentured to Adam & Mary Boyd.

His grandson Albert Devitt moved to Sunnyside, Devitts Lane when marrying Grace Shepherd whose father William originally owned the property in 1911. Their daughter Valerie married Reg Radford andassisted running the farm from 1950. They dairy farmed on the 140 acres. Their son Arthur provided Therese Sweeney with insight as to life on the property during mid 20th century and this is covered in the introductory narration. They were never mechanised, poor and had to sell the property in 1963.

Today John martin has resided on the land raising beef cattle after his parents purchased it in 1964. This is his journey from fairview on the south side of the princes hwy opposite devitts lane to eventually building a house and settling on the land.