Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Pears are from the rosaceae family, close cousins to apples and quinces, and also related to almonds, a simpatico familial member. They’re an ancient fruit with references in Greek mythology, linked to Venus the Roman goddess of love, were one of the first fruits to be cultivated in Britain, and were grown in Australia upon the arrival of the First Fleet.

They are a diverse group, with many types of sub-species, but the main distinction is between the European and Asian pears. It’s thought that both developed along parallel time lines but in different parts of the world. European pears tend to have an elongated shape and are usually buttery, soft fleshed, sweet and subtle. Asian pears, including nashis, are often more rounded in shape, with a crunchy texture and a sweetness that’s balanced with a hint of tart acidity; they also have a different cell

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Story of Apple Growing in the Stanthorpe District

The fact that men on the land once established on their holdings, can cope with rural diseases, pestilence, and adverse climatic conditions, and still emerge triumphant, was inferred in an informative address on the apple industry delivered by Mr. J. E Smith to the Rotary Club yesterday.
Mr. Smith was speaking on the apple industry of the granite belt, and based his instructive remarks upon experiences in the Stanthorpe district. He said that apple growing in that centre was first tried about 1870 by an Italian priest who observed that the land and conditions were somewhat similar to those that prevailed in the fruit growing districts of Italy.

Old Mining Town
In those days Stanthorpe was a flourishing tin mining town, whose population was intent on its industrial occupation, and not on the future destiny of the place. The hobby of

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Sun-kissed peaches, picked straight from the tree – the best way to enjoy this delicious fruit. An Australian classic is ‘Peach Melba’, fragrant, juicy peaches, gently poached in wine and vanilla bean and served with a thick raspberry sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream. A French chef invented this dish in the 1890s to honour the Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba.

The peach tree originated in China and peaches were mentioned in Chinese literature as early as 550 BC. Eventually, peaches were introduced to Europe by Alexander the Great who found them growing in Persia (Iran). The ancient Romans cultivated peaches in the 1st century AD and there are depictions of peach trees in paintings found in towns destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Spanish explorers introduced peaches to the Americas in the 16th century and they appeared in France and England sometime in the

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The Queensland apple industry is based solely on the so-called Granite Belt around Stanthorpe, on the Queensland/New South Wales border. The region is well named with clearly visible large granite outcrops and balancing boulders from the Triassic age (251-205 million years old). Stanthorpe in Southern Queensland is known for producing crunchy apples.

Stanthorpe holds the record for the lowest temperature recorded in Queensland at -11°C in July 1895. In winter Stanthorpe is frequently the coldest town in the state with sleet and light snowfalls recorded from time to time. The Granite Belt is therefore one of the few areas in Queensland with a climate suitable for pome fruit production. The area’s elevation of 800-1000 metres above sea level results in a cool summer climate, which is brilliant for growing large and juicy apples and pears.

In 2017 there were approximately 32 apple growers in Queensland, many of

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Apples (Malus domestica) are one of the most widely grown tree fruits in the world and have been cultivated in Asia and Europe for thousands of years. The apple tree originated from Central Asia where its wild ancestor Malus sieversii, can still be found.

Apple trees are deciduous and can be grown as large trees (if grown from seed) or as smaller trees (if grown using clonal rootstock). There are more than 7,500 cultivated varieties of apples with a range of characteristics. Different varieties are grown for various tastes and uses, including eating fresh, cooking and juicing. Apples are also referred to as a pome fruit which is characterised by a core of several small seeds surrounded by a tough membrane. All pome fruits are members of the plant family Rosaceae which includes pears and quinces.

Australians consume around 8.9 kilograms of fresh apples per person per

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Rich in vitamins A, C and E and a great source of dietary fibre and potassium, Australian peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots are some of the world’s best eating fruit thanks to Australia’s leading horticultural practices.

Australia’s warm climate and hot, dry summers promote sweeter, juicier summer stonefruit, and its proximity to Asia enables lower freight costs and better access to fresh markets in the region.

Originating in China where it has been cultivated for thousands of years and regarded as the tree of life, the peach has been produced in Australia since the 19th century.

Peaches bruise easily so look for smooth, unblemished fruit and handle them with care. Peaches will generally arrive in the market in a firm condition and will have flesh that crunches when eaten. As the fruit ripens it will begin to soften and become more juicy.

Peaches are a fantastic any-time snack and

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King of the Pippins or Reine de Reinettes (French) is an old cultivar of domesticated apple originating from France, and is still used in its original form as well as in many derivative cultivars that have been bred from it. It was also formerly known as Golden Winter Pearmain, because of its ripening period at late fall. Unlike most apple cultivars it is slightly self-fertile.

Description source: Wikipedia

Image source: Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 27199

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Lisbon Lemon trees have more thorns than other lemon tree species. The trees, which will grow up to 8 metres, are somewhat frost hardy.

The lemons are smaller than other lemon species and have thick, smooth skin with barely discernible pits in them. There will be a nipple on the end opposite where the stem was.

Lisbon Lemons are very juicy and quite tart, with few or no seeds. Each lemon will have an average of 10 segments in it.

These lemons are very popular with home gardeners in Australia.

Lisbon Lemons originated in Portugal. They were introduced into Australia by 1824, and into California by 1849.

Description source: Cook’s Info

Image source: Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 27246

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The Cavendish Banana

The popular Cavendish variety was named after Englishman William Spencer Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire. The original Cavendish plants were brought to Mauritius from southern China in about 1826 before being taken to England where they were propagated by the good Duke’s gardener. In the 1840s, plants were taken to Samoa, Tonga and Fiji and eventually, in the 1850s, down under to Australia.

Our Industry Today

Today in Australia, bananas are grown in both tropical and subtropical regions. This ensures the industry is diverse in terms of the geographical location of banans farms, farming practices, the size and type of farms that grow bananas, the varieties of bananas grown and their flavour.

Growing Regions

The tropical banana-growing regions of northern Queensland, mainly around Tully and Innisfail, produce more than 90% of Australia’s bananas. Other tropical production areas are in the Northern Territory and norther Western Australia,

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How The Banana Got Its Name

The original bananas from south-east Asia were small, about as long as an adult’s finger. This led to Arabian traders giving them their name, based on the Arabic word for finger, “banan”. True story!

The First Plantations

Traders from Arabia, Persia, India and Indonesia distributed banana suckers around coastal regions of the Indian Ocean (but not Australia) between the 5th and 15th centuries. In the 15th century, Portuguese sailors established plantations in the Canary Islands and between the 16th and 19th centuries, suckers were traded in the Americas and plantations were established in Latin America and the Caribbean. Banana plants first arrived in Australia in the 1800s.

The First Australian Bananas

We have the Chinese migrant communities to thank for introducing bananas to Australia way back in the mid 1800s. The lucky citizens of Carnarvon in Western Australia were first to taste bananas before

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