Introduction
With the changing of the Government Archives to a National Archives in 2010 the National Archivist started collecting records from the private sector and individuals which fit within the accession policy of the new Archives. One sector of major importance is the farming industry.
Up until the establishment of an Interim Fishery Conservation Zone in 1987 farming was the dominant industry in the Falkland Islands during the 19th and 20th Centuries. The Falkland Islands used to have a concentrated pattern of land ownership and by 1950; not counting the outlying islands, the agricultural land of East and West Falkland was split between only 17 owners. With the breakup of the large stations into smaller farms from the late 1970s to the early 1990s many of the farm records were taken away overseas or destroyed. A large percentage of the surviving records that had been kept in the Islands have since been donated to the National Archives. In recent years a small number of those records that were taken overseas have been returned to the Islands and lodged in the National Archives.
Farm records are a valuable social history of how farming evolved over the years, the immigrant and local workers and their contribution to the growth and development of the Islands as well as giving a glimpse of the day-to-day running of the sheep stations and the lives of the people who lived and often died on them.
Agriculture - Farm Records (Non-Govt) Database
This database contains a listing of the various non-government farming files and documents held. For ease of use the records have been sorted into categories: FARM RECORDS (NON-GOVT) and then into sub-categories. These farm records are mainly from the 20th Century but with some that start as early as 1861. The database will be updated from time to time as new accessions are added.
NB: The Falkland Islands Company Limited records form a substantial collection in their own right and are under the separate heading FALKLAND ISLANDS COMPANY LTD COLLECTION.
List of holdings - non-government farm records.pdf 541.57 KB
Agriculture- Farm Diaries (Non-Govt)
The following are those records that don’t necessarily fit under one of the larger farms or are such a small collection that they have not been given their own sub-category.
Duncan Farm Diaries and Log Books
Duncan Farm Diaries Shag Harbour WF - Mar 1871 to Dec 1876.pdf 14.29 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Nov 1877 to May 1880.pdf 18.73 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - May 1880 to Nov 1881.pdf 14.83 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Nov 1881 to Jan 1885.pdf 14.75 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Jan 1885 to Jan 1888.pdf 18.1 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Aug 1877 to Apr 1889.pdf 15.74 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Nov 1877 to Jun 1889 and May 1891 to Feb 1893.pdf 14.52 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Log Books May 1877 to Mar 1889.pdf 5.5 MB
Duncan Farm Diaries Beaver Island - Sermon Book Dec 1879 to May 1881.pdf 2.78 MB
Disclaimer
While every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy the Jane Cameron National Archives does not accept responsibility for any errors in these records.
Copyright guide
Copies of government records may be used freely for private research and educational purposes. If material is to be used for commercial publication, exhibition or broadcast the written permission of the Jane Cameron National Archives must first be obtained. Whenever material from the Jane Cameron National Archives is reproduced in any form or in any medium, the user must acknowledge the Jane Cameron National Archives as the source and give all document references. For non-government records it is your responsibility as the user to ensure that copyright is not infringed and any infringement that does occur is your responsibility.