FROM: THE ADVOCATE, Wednesday 7 November, 1956, page 17
“Preolenna land being restored to production”

The article says that much of the land in the Preolenna district was scrubbed half a century ago, but like many other back-country areas, was never properly developed. The district was known in its early days for potatoes and timber.

“As the timber was cut out, the cleared land cropped out and the mine closed, the district went back rapidly, and was virtually lost. But there were some residents who were not prepared to let Preolenna die. They believed in the future of the district as a farming centre, and in the past 10 years they have seen their beliefs materialise.”

Mr Lloyd Hunt, 31 year old son of pioneer, Mr C F Hunt, tackled a 110 acre property 13 years ago with “10/- in the bank, a horse and a swing plough”. The property which originally could not run 3 cows and a horse, is today (1956) carrying 30 milking cows, 22 head of young stock and 100 breeding ewes. In addition it is growing 10 to 12 acres of certified seed potatoes annually.

The logs left from the initial clearing by his father Lloyd, sold for firewood: an estimated 7,000 tons of mainly myrtle wood.

In the rejuvenation of the farm Lloyd attributes his success to the application of lime, molybdate super and plain super in the development of his pasture. He rotates pastures every 5 years, breaking them up and planting a potato crop which yields an average of 15 tons to the acre. The paddocks are resown to pasture with rape as a cover crop. Strip grazing has been introduced on the farm and for winter feed Lloyd relies on hay: last season he cut 1,335 bales from 15 acres. An indication of what the district can produce.

[The full article can be viewed in the Burnie Reference Library on microfilm. The library holds the complete run of The Advocate and other NW newspapers in its microfilm collection.]