Iole Poli standing in her family's market garden on Pearson Street in Woodlands in 1968

This photograph, and the story below, were entered into the 2018 History and Heritage Awards.

Mrs Iole Poli pictured standing amongst her family's onion crop in their Pearson Street (formerly Herdsman Parade) market garden.

Having arrived in Australia from Italy, as a proxy bride in 1939, Mrs Poli quickly settled into life as an immigrant market gardener's wife, helping her husband Alberto tend to their 17 acre property located on the swampy lands surrounding Herdsman Lake. This area today forms part of Floreat Waters Estate in Churchlands.

The couple cultivated their property for nearly thirty years, growing onions, rhubarb, cauliflowers, cabbages, beans and carrots in the sandy soils of the property. In its swampy areas, which were only farmed in the hotter summer months, the family grew sweet potatoes, pumpkins, rock melons and honey dews. This area dried out around September, which was when planting was undertaken and the area was worked for a short period annually until April, at which time the last of the crops were harvested before the winter rains set in and the land returned to swamp.

Sold to developers in the mid-1960s, Mrs Poli and her husband remained on this land, continuing to cultivate it, until relocating in 1969 to their newly constructed home, built by La Cava Builders, in the neighbouring and newly established suburb of Woodlands. This photograph, taken in September 1968, reflects what would have been the last onion crop grown on that site before harvesting took place in November.