Summary

Photograph taken at the 2000 Yarra Valley (Healesville) Gathering. This photograph depicts attendees enjoying themselves at the Saturday night celebratory dinner, which was held at De Bortoli's Winery and featured local produce. During this dinner, television personality Bridget Adams spoke of her life on a cattle station in Central Queensland, as well as her experience of working as a television presenter for 'The Great Outdoors.' Women were also entertained by a performance of the song, 'Dare to Dream', which was written by Briony King to reflect the Gathering's theme, "Dare to Dream: Women Farming the New Millennium."
Part of Museums Victoria's Invisible Farmer Project Collection. The Invisible Farmer Project was the largest ever study of Australian women on the land, uncovering the histories and stories of Australian women in agriculture. It began as a pilot project (2015-2016) and evolved into a three year (2017-2020) nation-wide partnership between rural communities, academic, government and cultural organisations, funded by the Australian Research Council.the absence of rural women in mainstream histories and museums.

Description of Content

Attendees enjoying themselves at the Saturday night dinnery during the 2000 Yarra Valley Women on Farms Gathering. L-R Back row: Minnie Kee from Yarram; Megan Jenkinson from Warragul. Front: unknown; unknown; Joy Brand from Warragul.

Physical Description

Colour Digital Photograph

Significance

Celebratory dinners are a regular feature of the Victorian Women on Farms Gatherings. During these dinners women feast on local produce and wines and are also entertained with women's stories, speeches and performances, which have included songs, theatricals, fashion parades, comedy skits and dances. Often these performances have carried an underlying message about rural life from a woman's perspective, touching on a range of themes including farm succession, gender equality, community, work, and family life. The celebratory dinners provide an informal occasion for networking, sharing ideas and developing new friendships. They also allow women from across Victoria to relax, rejuvenate and recharge their batteries. Situated in the wider context of the rural women's movement in Australia, these dinners exemplify the importance of communication to the lives of rural women, as well as the varied ways in which women have networked, celebrated their lives and affirmed their rural identities

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