There has long been a sense of pride associated with our land and working that land to provide fresh produce for our State and the rest of our country. Apple production is one of the many agricultural industries that thrive on Western Australian soil.
Regions, such as the South West, and the small towns within were built around horticulture and the region’s ability to produce superior fresh produce through the cooler night temperatures and warm summer days.
Many of the orchardists still operating within WA are fifth or sixth generation with each generation inheriting the farm from their elder relatives after retirement.
Horticulture in Western Australia is celebrated and with the recent creation of a Producer Committee, Fruit West, there are hopes that greater unity will emerge amongst the Pome producers of WA, taking the industry further forward.
This region is located approximately 220 kilometres south of Perth. The area was settled somewhere around 1842 by Irish settlers but wasn’t until 1900 that the first Granny Smith apple tree was planted.
Now this region is the largest apple producing area in Western Australia with 1,015 hectares of apple production in the Manjimup and Donnybrook region alone.
The ‘Cripps Pink;’ (sold as Pink Lady™) apple originated from this region and holds a special place in many of the grower’s hearts, an apple to call their-own. Some growers believe the cooler night temperatures in the Southern regions enable a brighter red shade for their fruit, making their apples truly appetising to the consumer.
During the season the area comes alive with stunning picturesque vistas created by the apple tree blossoms and festivals held to honour the humble apple and those who take pride in growing it.
This region is located, on average, only a short 30-minute drive from the suburbs of Perth and provides a great scenic day out for the metropolitan population.
Thanks to warmer temperatures enjoyed by the northern region Perth Hills are generally able to extend their season by several weeks outside that of the South West.
Whilst the area of production in this region is small (151.8 hectares) in comparison to the Donnybrook / Manjimup region, the growers are no less passionate. The Perth Hills are known for their artistic residents, many making gourmet culinary products from their produce as a side avenue of sale.
There has been a slight shift within the Perth Hills region towards biodynamic production, with some of the largest biodynamic orchards in the state residing within this area. Whether this trend continues to grow remains to be seen.
Owner of Newton Brothers Orchards, Manjimup, Western Australia
Introduction to Newtons...
Newton Brothers Orchards is situated in Manjimup, in the heart of Western Australia’s beautiful Southern Forests region. A family owned and operated business for over 80-years, Newton Brothers Orchards has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most progressive and respected pome and stone fruit producers Australia-wide.
Combined, the four Manjimup properties comprise one of the largest orchard and pack-house facilities in WA, providing employment for 35 permanent and up to 70 casual or seasonal staff.
Brothers George and Harold Newton were just 16 and 15 years old when they left their family behind in England and set out to make a new life in Australia. Their 1927 crossing cost £10 each, sponsored by the Young Australia League on the condition the pair worked for two years on allotted farms in the Margaret River area.
In 1929, the intrepid Newton boys travelled to Manjimup and bought 100 acres for £400, building their first house on the property from bits of corrugated iron, hessian sacks and boards hand-hewn from the native karri trees. Through the hard and lean years of depression and war the brothers held onto their land, cleared the timber, planted vegetable and then fruit crops, purchased more land and slowly developed their trade.
By the 1950s, Newton Brothers Orchards was beginning to develop its present-day reputation for premium quality fruit, innovative growing methods and cool storage for outside growers. While George’s six children – Carole, Valmai, Rosalie, Lynette, Maureen and Barry – and 12 grandchildren all worked in the orchards or pack-house at some stage, for several years the business has been owned and run solely by George’s son-in-law, Harvey Giblett.
Harvey Giblett works full time as NBO’s Managing Director. The past two years have seen the third generation begin working alongside him. His eldest daughter Nicole lives on farm and assists a Board of Management member; Nicole’s partner Paul Good is both Finance Officer and Organic Orchard Manager; his son Michael Giblett is now assisting in the capacity of Off-Farm Investment Manager; and his youngest daughter Lucinda Giblett is HR and Communications Manager.
Harvey’s favourite apple...
“That’s a really hard question! But it is probably the Cripps Pink (sold as Pink Lady™).” Lucinda says it’s hard to beat the very first Royal Gala of the season in late February.
Favourite apple recipes...
Harvey’s wife Maureen is no longer with us, but her apple pie recipe remains one of our family’s all-time favourites. Simple and rustic, made with Granny Smith apples, Harvey says it can’t be beaten served with a dollop of custard, pouring cream, and a scoop of ice-cream.
Maureen’s Apple Pie
1/3 – ½ cup sugar
6 ounces SR flour
3 oz plain flour
6 oz softened butter
1 large egg
3 tblsp milk
extra milk, egg and
sugar
Thinly slice pot full of apples and cook ‘til just soft with a bit of extra sugar and water, set aside to cool.
Fork butter through flour and add liquid, stir and knead lightly. Divide into two, one half slightly bigger, wrap smaller half in gladwrap and put in fridge. Roll out bigger half and line pie dish, cook at 350F (180C) until fairly dry.
Cool, then fill with apple, roll out pastry lid, baste top with extra milk and egg mix, sprinkle with sugar and prick with fork. Cook 375F until golden brown. Serve warm to great acclaim with custard, pouring cream and icecream!
What do you love about growing apples?
“I love the challenge of producing a premium product, an apple that looks good, and is really crunchy, crisp, and sweet. The challenge is to get it right; that’s what I enjoy most.”
What would you say to OZ consumer?
“I believe that we live in the lucky country, because our food is produced in one of the cleanest and greenest growing environments in the world. Everyone should appreciate how lucky we are to be able to enjoy that. Consumers should consider where their food is grown when they purchase it. We produce their food in such a pristine environment; we’d hope that local produce would be the automatic first choice over imported fruit.”
Our markets...
Our markets can be approximately represented as five percent international, 30 per cent eastern seaboard and the remainder Perth domestic. Internationally we supply major supermarket chains in the UK such as Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda. In 2010, we will be trying a new contract with Coles that will see us selling around 60% of our fruit direct to Coles WA.
In the Australian eastern states, our major customer is N and A Fruit Distributors, major operators at Sydney’s Flemington Markets. We also supply direct to major supermarket chains Coles, Woolworths, Independents and Aldi. In the Western Australian market we supply to Coles and other independents through the Canning Vale Markets, for example Herdsman Fresh.
Two of the ‘stand out’ events in WA for the Pome industry are;
