The
history of olive farming in Australia dates back to the early
1800's. Olives were probably first planted in groves around
1805 in Parramatta near Sydney. Olives and olive
oil have been traded among the civilizations throughout the world
for centuries, so it seems probable that many of the ships arriving
on our shores would have carried some olive trees for planting.
All
the states and territories, excluding Tasmania were planted with
some varieties of olive trees during the 1800s. During this
period, South Australia and Victoria were the states where most
of the planting was going on and they were considered the
leaders at that time.South Australia began to lead the charge
of the olive industry back in the 1830s. Between 1830 and 1850
trees had come in from France, Rio de Janeiro and Sicily. One
company took delivery of five varieties from Marseilles. These
trees went on to produce oil which won honourable mention at the
London Exhibition of 1851.
Also,
the Stonyfell Olive Oil Company of South Australia won Gold
Export Medals in 1911 for its oil exported to Italy.Dr
Michael Burr in his book "Australian Olives" details
how by 1875 there were over 3,000 trees in the parklands around
Adelaide.
By
1873 there was a grove of some 10,000 trees in the foothills
of the Mount Lofty ranges. Groves continued to be planted
around the Adelaide area until suburban housing took over
the land in the 1920s. After World War II the southern European
migrants planted groves in the northern suburbs and in the Riverland
area.From South Australia, olives spread across the border to
Victoria. There were plantings at Dookie, Sunbury, Wangaratta
and Longerenong Agricultural College near Horsham. In 1943
a Mr Jacob Friedman started planting what is still today the largest
plantation in Australia. The plantation is located at the foot
of the northern end of the Grampians near Horsham.
By
1956 there were 38,000 trees in the grove.Olives were also
planted at Mount Zero, Edenhope, and Dimboola. These were mostly
dryland plantings but a company at Robinvale did plant 700
acres of irrigated trees and also had processing equipment on
the farm. Most of these trees were pulled out in the 1970's
when the Mediterranean labour and production costs were low and
olive products were being imported at unbeatable prices. It is
interesting to note that the current owners are looking
at planting large numbers of olives on the same property.
At
the New Norcia Monastery in Western Australia, olives have
been growing mainly for oil since the 1860's. Dr Burr notes
that the monastery's oil won a silver medal at the Franco-British
Exhibition of 1908. Parliament house in Perth also has
some very old trees in its front garden - some believe that they
are the oldest in Australia.
Olives
have been considered as a commercial industry quite a few times
in Australia's history. In 1883 a paper was written
under the heading "Cultural Industries for Queensland."
One of the topics covered was the growing of olives in Queensland,
primarily the Brisbane area. The author gives some insight
into the way of thinking and the location of the nearest grove
at the time in this quote from the paper.
"I
think that in our early operations we shall do well to plant those
kinds which have been proved by the nearest of our neighbours,
(Camden Park, the estate of the late Sir W. Macarthur, in
the county of Cumberland, N.S.W is the nearest locality
to Brisbane where the olive has been grown to an extent sufficient
for the manufacture of oil and for testing different varieties
of the tree.) who have grown olives to be early and abundant
bearers. After that, we may with great advantage avail of the
experiences of South Australia, although with further experience
we shall probably, sooner or later, select some kinds as
better adapted to our warmer climates."
The
journal concludes that "The olive has fruited well on the
coast near Brisbane and gives good promise on the Darling Downs."It
is interesting to note that the penal settlement on the tiny St
Helena Island in Moreton Bay had a commercial grove
of olive trees early in this century. Being a self funding
settlement, the prisoners had to grow much of their own food and
sell produce for the purchase of other goods and equipment. One
of their saleable products was olive oil which they grew
and processed on the island itself. The oil was then sold
to, of all places, Italy!
The
average daily temperature in July for the island is approximately
16 degrees Celsius! No wonder people retire to Queensland.Things
have changed dramatically since those days and we are establishing
an industry under completely different circumstances than 100
years ago.
Our
Anglo Saxon population is discovering what Australia's southern
European migrants knew all the time. That is, that we do have
large areas of well priced land with the perfect climate
to grow olives, and that olive oil is a very healthy and
necessary part of our diet. The olive oil that was produced back
in those pioneering days didn't have a market (other than
for medicine), and consequently the price received for the product
was very low. Now the demand in this country far exceeds the supply
and technology along with modern orchard practices and suitable
varieties is seeing the establishment of an internationally
competitive industry.
