Treasure Sisters of Dargo explores the lives of Pam and Rita, two sisters living alone on their respective farms, in the foothills of the Dargo High Plains, at either end of one of Victoria’s most remote towns, Dargo. Through interviews, Pam and Rita discuss topics around 145 years of family connection to the area, farming, the bush, community, and what it means to be older generation farmers in such a remote area. I follow them as they go about their day at home, on the farm, and within the community, while also visiting places connected to their past
The strong characters who inhabit the Victorian high country, especially the older generation who have lived and worked a better part of their lives in this beautiful, sometimes unforgiving region, hold a huge amount of knowledge, both passed down and lived. History, people, events, and country, knowledge earned by hard work, attentive listening, observation, making mistakes, and having small successes. Unfortunately, all too often this valuable knowledge is sometimes lost when there is no one to pass it on to, or it is dismissed by people who place little value on local knowledge.
This project is the beginning of a long-term project that will see me continue to return to Pam and Rita over time. I will discuss this project with local organisations and individuals to identify other older generation farmers still living or working in the high-country who will be suitable to add to this project.