| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | 123086 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Maker |
Cullen, Hedley Keith |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
BARMERA, SA 1943-11-23. NO. 14 CAMP GARDENS, LOVEDAY INTERNMENT GROUP. A SPECIALLY ADAPTED ...
Description
BARMERA, SA 1943-11-23. NO. 14 CAMP GARDENS, LOVEDAY INTERNMENT GROUP. A SPECIALLY ADAPTED HARVESTER BEING TOWED INTO THE FIFTY ACRE CROP OF OPIUM POPPIES (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM) SOWN IN 1943-03. STANDING ON THE HARVESTER ON THE FAR LEFT IS SX28480 LIEUTENANT E. G. JONES, ONE OF THE PROJECT SUPERVISORS. THE CROP FLOWERED IN 1943-10 AND WAS HARVESTED IN 1943-11 BUT DROUGHT CAUSED A LOW YIELD. HOWEVER BY 1945 THE ANNUAL HARVEST AMOUNTED TO APPROXIMATELY THIRTY FIVE TONS OF POPPY HEADS WHICH MADE THE BARMERA AREA THE PRINCIPLE SOURCE OF POPPY STRAW IN AUSTRALIA. THIS IN TURN ENABLED THE COMMONWEALTH TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OF OVERSEAS SOURCES OF MORPHINE AND OTHER OPIUM DERIVATIVES. (PHOTOGRAPHER SGT H. K. CULLEN)