Oral history interview, Jesse Clarke
Production date
22 Jun 2023
About this object
Jesse Clarke was interviewed by Bryce Doudle on Wonnarua Country at Phoenix Park Farm, Phoenix Park, NSW, on the 22nd of June 2023. The aim of this project was to record oral history interviews from a diverse cross-section of the Maitland community impacted by recent flooding events.
Jesse was born and raised in Phoenix Park, Maitland where both of his parents worked as farmers. Jesse details his experiences growing up on the Phoenix Park flood plain, and his memories of minor and major flooding events. He recalls the storm and flooding of the family farm and surround areas in 2007, 2015 and 2022 and reflects differing experiences of these events.
Severely impacted by the flooding event of June 2022, Jesse describes this most recent flooding experience and the work that he and his partner Carly undertook to prepare their property, which included sandbagging and blocking doorways and drains, and managing the care and wellbeing of the animals on his property.
Jesse further reflects on the work required after a flood to clean up the property and repair damage, including assessing the condition of their fresh vegetable produce, what had survived the flood and what impacts the flood had made on their business. After the 2022 flood Jesse and his wife Carly took a break from farming. The flooding prompted Jesse and Carly to reassess their business model and prompted them to diversify their business away from fresh produce to focus on education.
Jesse discussed how his education and training as a scientist informs his understanding of flood events, tracking how the water moves and the importance of flooding to the ecosystem. He describes how the river soil deposits have resulted in deep, rich soil for farming which is intrinsically linked to the regions long agricultural history.
Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of Maitland City Council. If you have concerns about material made available on this website, please contact us at opened.minds@maitland.nsw.gov.au.
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