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28-860: In response to the need to unite all farm lobby groups, the VFF was founded in 1979 as the Victorian Farmers and Graziers Association (VFGA) – the merger of three organisations: the Victorian Farmers Union (VFU), the Graziers Association of Victoria (GAV) and the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV). In 1840, the Australia Felix Pastoral and Agricultural Society was founded in Melbourne. It held its first agricultural show in 1842, which

56-645: A shearing turmoil, the Pastoralists Union of Victoria and Southern Riverina was formed. The main concern at that time was the strength of the Amalgamated Shearers Union and it became apparent that pastoralists had to unite as a counter measure. In 1907 the Riverina farmers split to form a separate organisation and some 18 years later, in 1925, the Pastoral Association of Victoria became known as

84-754: A straight line drawn from Cape Howe to the nearest source of the River Murray, and thence the course of that River to the Eastern boundary of the Province of South Australia." In January 1843, it was announced that the Town of Melbourne would have 1 representative in the soon-to-be formed NSW Parliament , while the remainder of the District of Port Phillip would have 5. The polling places were to be in Melbourne, Geelong and Portland. On 28 February 1843, Governor Gipps proclaimed that

112-906: The Victorian Country Party in 1927. Despite the contribution these organisations made to representing farmers' interests in Victoria, they are not considered as forerunners to the modern VFF. Instead, today's VFF traces its roots back to the VFU established in 1968 following the merger of the Victorian Wheat and Woolgrowers Association (VWWA) established in 1938, and the Victorian Branch of the Australian Primary Producers Union (APUV) established in 1940. The Graziers Association of Victoria's roots went as far back as 1890, when during

140-509: The "Southern or Port Phillip District" for land disposal would now be defined as being the Counties of Bourke (Melbourne), Grant (Geelong) and Normanby (Portland). These were the places within La Trobe's territory adjacent to the existing European settlement, and the location of any Crown Land to be sold. On 1 July 1843, Governor Gipps proclaimed that La Trobe's jurisdiction was now the same as

168-668: The Chairs of its sub-committees: Water Council, Farm Business & Regional Development Committee, Ag Vet Chemicals Committee and the VFFIA. The Victorian Farmers Federation Industrial Association (VFFIA) is a registered organisation under the Fair Work Act and represents members of the VFF in employment matters. Since its foundation the headquarters of the VFF has been located at 24-28 Collins Street, Melbourne , in close proximity to Victoria's Parliament House and other government offices. In 1949

196-534: The Graziers Association of Victoria (GAV). The Victorian Dairy Farmers Association was founded in the late 1800s. It merged with the dairy division of the VFU in 1976 to form the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV). In 1979 the VFU, GAV and UDV merged to form the Victorian Farmers and Graziers Association (VFGA), In 1986 the VFGA changed its name to the Victorian Farmers Federation to come into line with

224-549: The Port Phillip group founded the "Agricultural Club" to discuss agricultural matters, and this served as a think-tank which influenced farmers across the state. In 1866, a short lived Victorian Farmers' Association was established. By 1870 there was no Victoria-wide farming group, and the National Agricultural Society of Victoria was founded in that year to represent farmers' interests. This organisation took over

252-537: The VFF became instrumental in the formation of Landcare . Landcare was created in 1986 and grew from groups of Victorian farmers coming together to tackle natural resource management issues on a district and regional basis. The VFF retains a very a close link with the Victorian Landcare network. There are now about 1,000 Landcare groups and over 20,000 Landcare members in Victoria, most of whom are also VFF members. The VFF has approximately 200 branches spread across

280-405: The VFGA fought hard for its members. Farmers gained access to subsidies for fodder and also for transport of livestock and fodder. Victorian farmers were becoming increasingly restless and frustrated. They believed that neither the government nor the general public understood their plight. An enormous rally, organised by Benalla farmer Ian Cuming and involving about 40,000 farmers, paraded through

308-547: The Victorian Farmers' Association in 1891 before also fading away. The similar Victorian Chamber of Agriculture then existed from 1899 to 1900. The second VFU existed under that name from 1914 to 1927. In 1926, a large number of Mallee wheat farmer VFU branches broke away from this body to become the Primary Producer's Union , (with some additional support in other parts of the state). The VFU broadened its membership to include non-farmers who lived in country areas, and became

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336-551: The Victorian Wheat and Woolgrowers Association (VWWA) purchased a 4-storey building at 26-28 Collins Street. In 1951 the VWWA resolved to name the building 'Farrer House' in honour of the pioneering Australian agronomist and plant breeder William Farrer . In 1967 the VWWA purchased the remaining terrace building at 24 Collins Street and works began to demolish the buildings to be replaced with the present multi-storey office building. Port Phillip District The Port Phillip District

364-562: The bounds of the district that should be administered from Melbourne were retracted south to follow the Murray River alone. On 30 July 1842, "An Act for the Government of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land" was passed, which defined electorates within those colonies. It included "that for the purposes of this Act the boundary of the District of Port Phillip on the North and North-east shall be

392-537: The couple ran a pharmacy and a number of farms. From 1956 to 1966, she served as regional president for the local Red Cross , and from 1966 to 1974 as regional commandant. She was also a life governor for the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (1960) and Corrong Retirement Village (1979). She served as president of the local high school council and on the board of Wimmera Base Hospital . From 1969 to 1974 she

420-548: The meridian of Greenwich; on the south by the waters of Bass's Straits and the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by the one hundred and forty-first degree of east longitude, from the said meridian of Greenwich." ( 141°E was the border with South Australia.) Between August 1840 and August 1841, the Port Phillip District Special Surveys occurred, granting large parcels of land. In December 1840, for

448-634: The newly formed electorate. On 1 July 1851, the District was separated from New South Wales under provisions of the Australian Colonies Government Act 1850 , and became the Colony of Victoria. This day would be celebrated for many years as "Separation Day." This Australian geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Heather Mitchell (farmer) Heather Mary Mitchell OBE AM , nee Hutchieson (25 September 1917 – 12 November 1999)

476-446: The other national and state farming organisations. During the 1980s, the introduction of wide combs for shearing caused enormous unrest in the pastoral industry as did the so-called ' Mudginberri dispute ' which became a landmark in terms of challenging the labour efficiency in abattoirs. The VFGA was very proactive and lobbied hard on both these issues. A crippling drought in 1982/83 caused enormous hardship for Victorian farmers. Again

504-648: The purposes of government land sales, the northern border of the "Southern or Port Phillip District" was defined to follow the course of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers, and from its source to the mouth of the Moruya River . In February 1841, it was announced that this did not change the boundaries of La Trobe's jurisdiction. After extensive opposition in Sydney , including from the Legislative Council , thoughts about

532-415: The running of Melbourne's main agricultural show in 1871, and continues to do so to this day, and this has been its main purpose for most of its existence. The first Victorian Farmers Union (VFU) was founded in 1879, in response to 1878 Victorian closer settlement legislation. It ceased in 1880. Its role was taken up by the Victorian Farmers' Protectionist Association, founded in 1887, and becoming known as

560-684: The state to which all its members belong. All members are part of a Commodity Group which have their own Policy Councils and representation on the VFF Board of Directors. The VFF consists of seven Commodity Groups The President and vice-president of the Federation are democratically elected by members every two years at the VFF Annual Conference. The Policy Council is chaired by the President and includes representatives from each Commodity Group and

588-701: The streets of Melbourne in June 1985 under the banner of 'Farmers Fighting for a Fair Go'. This display of unity and determination established a firm base from which to lobby both state and federal governments and helped bridge the gap between city and country people. The Melbourne rally was followed by a national farmer rally in Canberra which led to the establishment of the NFF's 'Farmers Fighting Fund'. This fund has helped finance various significant campaigns waged by Australian farmers. Under its first female president Heather Mitchell OBE ,

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616-589: Was a failure. It disbanded soon after. The Moonee Ponds Farmers' Society began in 1848, and within months had expanded its scope and became the Port Phillip Farmers' Society, aiming to serve the Port Phillip District . (This group held the first events now considered to be the Melbourne Show .) Further independent agricultural associations formed in various parts of the District soon after. In 1856,

644-636: Was also the inaugural president of the Public Land Council of Victoria in 1987, and in 1989, the year her term as VFF president ended, she was elected the first female vice-president of the National Farmers' Federation . Lester died in 1989. Mitchell was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991 and in 1992 became a life member of the VFF. Her service to the Red Cross was recognised in 1995 with

672-532: Was an Australian farmer, community leader and conservationist. From 1986 to 1989, she served as the first female president of the Victorian Farmers Federation , and played a central role in the establishment of Landcare . Born in Sydney , she grew up in Albury and in the 1930s went to Melbourne to study nursing. She married Lester Clarence Mitchell, a pharmacist, in 1941 and moved to Hopetoun , where

700-527: Was an administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales from 9 September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria . In September 1836, NSW Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay declared Captain William Lonsdale the "Police Magistrate" of "the location of Settlers on the vacant Crown Lands adjacent to the shores of Port Phillip." This position

728-509: Was someone "of which all persons concerned are hereby required to take notice." In May 1839, Governor George Gipps defined the "Port Phillip District" as "The whole of the Lands comprised in the District lying to the south of the main range, between the Rivers Ovens and Goulburn, and adjacent to Port Phillip." In July that year, Colonial Secretary E Deas Thomson announced that Charles La Trobe

756-468: Was the District's "Superintendent", (which was later said by Governor Gipps "to have the powers of a Lieutenant Governor" ). On 10 September, the District was announced in a government notice to be "all that part of the Territory of New South Wales which is bounded on the north by the thirty-sixth degree of south latitude; on the east by the one hundred and forty-sixth degree of east longitude, measuring from

784-551: Was the country's vice-president of the Liberal Party in Victoria. In 1979 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire . In the 1980s Mitchell and her husband moved to Horsham , where she became closely involved in the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF). She was elected the organisation's first female president in 1986, and in that year she and Joan Kirner were the inaugural chairs of Landcare Victoria. She

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