The article has a number of images of orchards at various stages of growth but they don’t reproduce well, so instead I have included relevant photos from the Harvey History Online Collection but have retained the photo of the Old Harvey Homestead as it is different from the ones we normally see. (Ed.)
Delegates from Australia and New Zealand to the Australasian Fruitgrowers’ Conference which was held in Perth in late October 1909 visited Harvey. In the following article, the writer paints a rosy picture of the citrus industry in Harvey.
This article appeared in the Western Mail on 25 December 1909.
The Harvey Citrus Industry.
NEARLY 80 years ago duty brought to the then infant settlement of the Swan River, which is now the big State of Western Australia, one Major Harvey, whose name is perpetuated in the Harvey River, some 80 odd miles south of Perth, and twenty-seven miles north of Bunbury, the second port of the State.[1] Little did the gallant soldier dream in those early days of small beginnings, when the wild Korijekup blackfellow was a peril, that after two generations his memory would be literally kept green by some twelve hundred acres of healthy orange groves, over which delegates to the Australasian Fruitgrowers’ Conference, representing every State in the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Dominion of New Zealand, would unitedly join in unqualified praise.
Even twenty years ago such a thing would have been considered as impossible as a hundred other of the practical realities of Western Australia of to-day. Nevertheless, at the period mentioned at the old homestead which formed the nucleus of the Harvey citrus colony there were a few thriving orange trees then some fifteen years old, and to the unknown hand that planted and tended them must be given the credit of founding what the aforementioned delegates considered the most compact, healthiest, and promising collection of orange groves in Australasia. The writer does not assert of his own knowledge that the statement is literally true : but such at least was the opinion of men who had travelled through every State and had come thousands of miles little expecting such a pleasant surprise.
The Old Harvey Homestead.
Before they visited the Harvey they accepted the statements of their Western Australian hosts about the quality of the oranges grown in the Golden West with that courteous deference which is expected of guests : but when they saw the trees – twelve hundred acres of them of the richest, healthiest green, and more free from pests and diseases than any other lot of citrus orchards in Australia they marvelled and admitted their hosts might say strong things and still keep within the bounds of truth. When it came to sampling Harvey oranges, one and all freely admitted that nowhere had they seen better or sampled more luscious fruit, literally globes of golden juice, sweet as nectar and free from pith, although it was several months past the best of the orange season. One gentleman announced his intention of taking a sample home, but was noticed to be handling it freely, and the chairman of the Citrus Association suggested that it would keep in better condition the less it was handled, whereat he remarked, “Oh, hang it all, I must look at it now and then for the first hour.”
In due course Korijekup Estate, on the Harvey River, now and for ever to be known as the Harvey, came into the hands of two doctors of medicine, Dr. Harvey, of Perth, and Dr. Hayward, of Adelaide, who were struck with the remarkable health, vigour and productiveness of the few old orange trees round the homestead. At other old homes in the same belt of country similar trees were to be found even older, and all gave proof, as they do to-day, of the suitability of the district for orange-growing. About 14 years ago Messrs. Harvey and Hayward had a central portion (2,600 acres) of the big estate surveyed into ten-acre lots, and offered them for sale on easy terms as a citrus colony. A few orchards were planted, but for some years many difficulties were encountered, and progress was slow. In the meantime the older groves came into bearing, and settlers began to understand the conditions better. No industry was ever established without its own troubles, and the Harvey citrus colony has been no exception. When a healthy man is being examined for life assurance, the medical officer invariably asks him with due formality, “Have you had measles, scarlatina, mumps,” and so forth, and it seems equally necessary in discussing the establishment of a fruit colony to inquire whether it has passed safely through its infantine troubles. Has it had detractors? Did novitiate growers have worthless nursery stock palmed off as the most approved varieties? Did they plant wrongly or carelessly? Did they under-estimate their resources and the time required to bring trees to a profit-yielding stage? Did “experts” start out to teach them what they had never done or attempted to do themselves?
Geoffrey Hayward in the orchard at Riverton, 1907. Photo: Harvey History Online Collection.
All these and other troubles, as surely associated with the establishment of an orchard industry as teething is with the development of a child, the Harvey settlement has gone through, and has not only survived, but has grown to lusty, vigorous progressive youth, increasing in size and productiveness with experience. The croakers still sound an occasional dismal cry, the novice still attempts to teach his paternal relative how to start and work an orchard, but the Harvey feels strong in its healthy vigour, smiles contentedly, and sells oranges.
Rath’s homestead ‘Rathalia’ and orangery, Harvey. Emilie ‘Girlie’ Rath in foreground c1904. Photo: Harvey History Online Collection.
The Harvey citrus colony is about 30deg. south of the Equator, and 15 miles from the sea on the coastal plain, but near the range of hills which extends north and south at about that distance from the west coast of the State. The climate is even and mild. The coldest months, and also the wettest, are July and August, but the air temperature never falls below the freezing point, although it is cold enough occasionally for frost on the grass and ice as thick as a penny occasionally forms on the ground. In summer, i.e., in December, January, and February, the thermometer occasionally reaches a little over 100deg. Fahr. in the shade, but with a dry atmosphere, and it is always cool in the early morning. Usually in the hot weather there are cool sea breezes every afternoon. The rainfall is about 37 inches a year, and almost all of this falls during eight months from the middle of March to November. During the remaining four months there are only irregular light showers. One of the curious features in connection with citrus-growing at the Harvey as elsewhere in Western Australia, is the fact that during these four (some-times it is five) dry months, the trees in well-tilled orchards retain their wonderful deep green colour and make growth without irrigation.
There are two classes of land at the Harvey. First a limited area of dark alluvial or semi-alluvial soil near the winding course of the river, and on this most of the older orchards are planted. Second, the red gum forest-land, consisting of a chocolate loam overlying a sandy clay subsoil, through which the water readily passes. Most of the younger blocks are on this red gum land, and many people forecasted failure, which has not arrived. ‘Twas ever thus in any new departure, and progress is always against opposition. Under arrangement with the settlers, the Government has constructed miles of open drains, from five to six feet deep, along all the roadways, so that there is a drain alongside each block, and these form outlets for the underground drains, which the settlers put down through their orchards.
One feature of the Harvey citrus colony is the number of blocks owned by absentees, the owners of the estate having specially catered for : (1) Those city men with moderate but regular incomes, who desire to establish orchards while continuing their ordinary avocations, with the object of retiring into rural life when they become profit-bearing ; and (2) professional men and others who care to adopt this means of investing capital. To this end they either sell blocks outright, or on easy and long terms with improvement conditions. They also undertake the work of clearing, planting, and caring for orchards at contract rates. Settlers who have their own teams also undertake the working of absentees’ orchards on contract terms and now that the colony is well established cultivation is thoroughly and regularly attended to. This was specially commented on by the visiting fruitgrowers.
It would be interesting to set out the easy way in which the first class of investors are able to secure the possession of a property on which they may reasonably expect to spend their declining years in peace and comfort, but space forbids. No more attractive prospect can be considered by city men longing for a country life ; but those contemplating it should not for one moment forget that they are not safe unless they allow for contingencies which do not show in the most conscientious estimates. It may, however, be worth while inserting the following statement supplied by a city man who has invested in Harvey, showing how the matter appeals to him after having had a number of years’ experience. The estimate is for a ten-acre block, the figures for several blocks being practically multiples : –
- 10 Acres land – £100
- Clearing – £100
- Fencing, preparing land, planting, etc – £120
- Upkeep for 8 years (cultivation by contract, £4 an acre, manure and drainage rates), at £56 – £448
- Contingencies – £32
Totalling at the end of eight years – £800
He continues : “A grove of 10 acres represents 860 trees, and at the eighth year the return would be at least £l per tree. Suppose we put the net returns at 10s. a tree, this would represent a return of £430, equal to an investment of £8,000 at 5 per cent. Surely these figures must appeal to those who can examine them closely – an orchard costing £800 yielding a return equal to 5 per cent, on £8,000. The owner can do all the work on a ten-acre block if he is willing to adapt himself to work of the kind.”
Spraying oranges, Charman’s orchard, Third Street, Harvey. Photo: Harvey History Online Collection.
It will be noticed that he has not allowed for interest on the money during the eight years, nor does he provide for a packing-shed or other necessary improvements, which would bring his capital cost up to fully £l,000. Estimates are always approximate ; but the writer has discussed the matter with absentee owners of single and multiple blocks, and they state that their expenditure has not exceeded £80 an acre for the orchard itself, the whole of the work having been done by contract, and anyone having several blocks and doing the work himself with his own team would do it for much less.
In estimating the cost it is usual to state that an orangery will pay for working in the fifth year, and under favourable conditions, especially when a man is working it himself, it will ; but no one should go into work of this kind without allowing for those contingencies which experience teaches may have to be faced. The returns depend upon the market prices obtained as well as the crop. Harvey settlers point to such concrete examples as Mr. A. T. Smith, who has 11½ acres planted, comprising five acres of Washington Navels, three acres of Mediterranean Sweets, and two and a half acres of Valencias. The trees are from six to seven years old, and last year produced 656 cases (averaging 4l lb.) of marketable oranges, which averaged 10s. ld. per case on the Harvey station. This equalled 7s. per tree, or £28 an acre for six and seven year old trees. On the homestead are four acres of mixed varieties, some of which are of inferior quality, yet the produce returned the owners £300 net, or £75 an acre.
The writer is of opinion that much harm may be, and often is done by making too optimistic estimates with regard to the profits to be derived from fruitgrowing. Marvellous but perfectly accurate statements might be recorded showing the big profits which have been obtained, and are being obtained from fruitgrowing in Western Australia. For example, there is at Pinjarrah, in the same district as the Harvey, a group of 19 orange trees planted over 40 years ago as seedlings on an area which should only be devoted to about half a dozen. They are huge trees, probably 35 feet high, growing one into another and form probably the finest group of orange trees in Australia. These and a few younger trees, the whole not occupying more than half an acre, produced fruit which was sold for £300 a few years since.
People going into orange-growing must not base their calculations on exceptions, but on averages ; not on the past, but on the probabilities of the future. There will always be fat and lean years ; there will always be examples of remarkable success, and often alongside equally striking illustrations of non-success. Those going into the industry should base their calculations on moderate averages, and all that comes above is then a source of extra pleasure. It must also be remembered that fruit is a necessary article of food, and the supply in Western Australia has been far below the demand, and prices have been, and are, such as to make it a luxury not available for the bulk of the population. There will always be a big inland population in the State, which must be supplied with fruit from the coastal districts, and even the manual labouring classes earn and are likely to earn wages which permit them to pay prices which will give a profitable return to the grower.
Monty packing oranges at Harvey. Photo: Harvey History Online Collection.
The orange tree in Western Australia, including the Harvey colony, is a heavy and consistent cropper, and probable the following is a reasonable way to put the matter of probable profit : -A well-cared-for orange grove in full bearing should yield from 400 to 600 cases per acre. Take the lower figure, which is only five cases for a tree in full bearing, and from ten acres we get 4,000 cases. Take these at 2s. a case on the tree – a price which growers look upon as absurd, and it is certainly about half of what growers have had to accept in South Australia. At this price we have an income of £400 a year on a capital of, say, a thousand pounds, including a packing-shed and an annual outlay for cultivation of, say £60 a year. That many will do this at Harvey may be taken as certain : but it is equally sure that some will not, because there are blanks in citrus-growing, as in every industry and the personal factor counts for much.
So much disappointment is caused by the uninitiated accepting perfectly truthful but one-sided pictures of success that it is necessary in an article of this kind to write with caution. Where one can quote the practically unanimous opinions of some twenty odd practical fruitgrowers from all the States, including several official experts, it is not necessary to say anything about the suitability of the Harvey colony for citrusgrowing. A few words should be added about the prospects of the industry and possible over-production. Ever since the writer first took an interest in fruitgrowing —and that is from boyhood— the cry of over-production has been in the air : but while temporary depressions occur, the average demand the world over is still ahead of the average production. Those who fear that fruitgrowing will be overdone should keep out of it and find avenues for their enterprise, if they can where there is no such imaginary danger, and depressions do not occur. The present settlers in the increasingly pretty citrus colony have no such fear, if one may judge by the way the values of orange orchards have advanced during the past few years. So tree is being planted by tree, orchard is being added to orchard, with such results as we have shown.[2]
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[1] The origin of the name ‘Harvey’ is somewhat obscure. Respected historian AC Staples wrote in his book, They made their destiny, history of settlement, Shire of Harvey, 1829 – 1929, p. 23:
It is quite reasonable to suggest that [Governor James] Stirling selected the name and that the person so honoured was one whom Stirling remembered with great respect. Such a person was the commanding officer of West Indian Station of the Royal Navy under whom Stirling served while in charge of the HMS Brazen in 1817. That commanding officer became Admiral Sir John Harvey.
[2] 1909 ‘The Harvey Citrus Industry.’, Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 – 1954), 25 December, p. 132. , viewed 05 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37401463