The Historian September 2001 Page 20
50 YEARS IN HORTICULTURE AT ROWELLA.
In 1933 my father Claud came to Rowella from Koonya on Tasman Peninsular where he was involved in a family apple and pear growing business. With advice and finance from his father he purchased a 27-acre apple and pear orchard from Mr. Bearpark for 3000 pounds with a crop on the trees. With the 53 pounds he had in pocket he bought a draught horse from Birralee and a bag of chaff from the late Bob Beams of Flowery Gully. Claud married "Tommie" Mainwaring in 1935. I was born in 1937 and educated at the Richmond HillStateSchool and ScotchCollege in Launceston where I boarded.
In 1952 it was virtually mandatory for sons on the land to continue the family tradition so in the September school holidays I started work on the orchard. My first days were spent seated on a Petty plough (invented by James Petty from Victoria). Towed behind a tractor this amazing machine ploughed up to the base of fruit trees. With three hand levers for controls it was rather challenging for a novice.
Community packing sheds were the order of the day so Tasmanian Orchardists and Producers Clements and Marshall packed export fruit for the 11 commercial growers in Rowella and Kayena and also for closer communities like Deviot.
In 1954 my fruit season day consisted of picking fruit with my father and the orchard staff until 2.30 p.m. then I loaded the lend-lease Chevrolet truck that Father bought home with him after his army discharge at the end of World War 2. This lorry carried 156 picked cases of
fruit that were unloaded at the T.O.P. shed and reloaded with empty boxes for the next day's picking. I would have a quick tea, and for extra money would work 3 hours at night in the packing shed either making export cases or hand topping picked boxes into the hoppers for the hand-wrapping packers.
During the late fifties a modernising revolution took place within the industry, introducing power spraying, irrigation, bulk handling, improving cool storage and carting.
The majority of fruit was sold here (FOB) "free on board" which means the orchardist had access to the money prior to shipping. It was sent to markets mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe, however South East Asia was showing increased interest in the sweeter Delicious variety. In 1967 the Middle East 4-day war between Egypt and Israel saw the blocking of the Suez Canal with many boats terminally trapped. Many growers came close to financial ruin in this period because the shipping companies debited the growers with the freight component. Fortunately the "Act of God" clause in the insurance policies was challenged by big European importers and the monies eventually filtered back to the growers.
The best export season on the Tamar was 1968, which saw the valley export nearly 1,000,000 cases of fruit out of Beauty Point. Seventeen vessels were needed to cater for this over a four-month period. As you can imagine this created increased activity, revenue and prosperity for the whole area.
The Historian September 2001
Page 21
In the seventies, currency devaluation's, mainly in the U.K., coupled with rising costs, poor shipping, increased competition and natural disasters such as hail and frost saw the demise of the industry. The Federal Government introduced a tree-pull scheme that saw
many growers leave the scene, and others take advantage to upgrade orchards with new varieties to cater for the interstate and Asian markets.
There are no apple or pear orchards in the Rowella or Kayena districts now, however it is great to see old apple areas being confidently planted with grapes, walnuts and stone fruit.
After 50 years in Horticulture in Rowella, and with my wife and I being the last commercial growers in the area, I feel that perhaps it is time for a change of vocation. I intend to continue beef farming at Rowella and enjoy what I hope will be many active retirement years.
John Clark
Local fruit growers meet at the Clark orchard to inspect one of the first Turbo Mist
Power Sprayers on the Tamar