Summary

Photograph taken at the 1993 Tallangatta Gathering during a performance of a theatrical play titled 'The Baton Change'. This play dealt with the serious and often distressing issue of farm succession, along with the difficulties that rural women face due to the ongoing practice of patrilineal farm inheritance. The scene depicts a family sitting around the kitchen table reading their wills. The hypothetical was created by the women who acted out the characters in the story, using experiences from their own family's situations. According to the 1993 Tallangatta Gathering Proceedings, 'the role play was so close to many of the audience's own experiences that emotions were heightened sharply'. The script was compiled by local woman Alana Johnson and is held in the Museum Victoria Heritage Collection archives.
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.

Description of Content

Audience members in the Tallangatta Memorial Hall watching a performance of the play, 'The Baton Change.'

Physical Description

Colour Digital Photograph.

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