"My great grandparents Karl and Maria Bauer first settled at Mount Sylvia in 1885. They were the first European settlers on their property. Their original 100 acre 'selection' has been owned by Bauer's ever since.
I'm the fourth generation Bauer to farm here; my son Phil is fifth, so my grandchildren Cooper, Bronte & Zahra are the sixth generation of Bauer's enjoying a farming lifestyle at Mt Sylvia. Incidentally, 'Bauer' means 'Farmer' in German so I guess it's in the genes!
My grandparents Henry and Norah built their first 'real house' in about 1900, which still stands today. Although extended, the front of the house has maintained the original look with the rest designed to blend in. The original 1885 dwelling would have been a traditional 'slab hut'.
My Grandmother Norah Bauer used to say that picking corn was her "relaxation", which I guess it would have been, in comparison with some of the other daily tasks like ploughing and carting water from the creek etc. In honour of Grandma we named our sweet corn "Grandma's Corn", winning a Gold Medal for it in the 2009 Vogue Produce Awards.
We are thankful that great-grandfather Karl really knew what he was doing. He chose a wonderful location with some of the best soil in the world, up out of flood reach but with the most permanent supply of very good quality water around."
Rob Bauer
Generations of History on the Farm
Above: Rob's great grandparents were amongst the first settlers at Mount Sylvia.
Below: Rob's Dad Herb Bauer ploughing the front paddock the old fashioned way.
Below A bit of 'Fun on the Farm'!!
Loading hay the old fashioned way with pitchfork and wagon.
A fully loaded Mack truck, over 40 years ago, about to leave the farm for the Northern Territory.
