Domestic Spaces and School Places: Vocational Education and Gender in Mid-Twentieth Century Australia

In 1924, an extraordinary experiment in outreach education was launched in Australia when the Better Farming Train undertook its first tour of country towns across the state of Victoria. An engine towed 15 carriages, all painted bright orange, carrying livestock, pasture plots, fertilizers, farm equipment and various displays. The train also transported 80 staff, including experts across a range of areas to provide lectures and demonstrations and teach classes to adults and youth. The Better Farming Train was described by an enthusiastic press as a novel ‘college on wheels’ (‘Better Farming Train’ 1925: 2) or, as the Hobart Mercury put it, ‘like a big rolling stone, going around the country increasing efficiency amongst primary producers’ (‘Work and Production’ 1925: 5).