Growing Olives

Olive Oil

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Olive Oil in the Hunter Valley

The renaissance of the Hunter Valley as an olive producing area dates back to some trial plantings in the early 1990s. These trees were planted as very juvenile trees standing no more than a metre high and given sufficient time, love, attention, NPK, water and protection from rabbits, hares, wallabies and kangaroos the first crops started to be harvested in the late 1990s.

There was some foresight shown by a number of growers and a co-operative was formed to source and build a processing facility for the Co-op members to use. The Hunter Olive Co-operative was formed and its own brand, Hunter Grove was established.

The first Hunter Co-op crop was taken to Inverell for pressing on the high-tech press operated by Gwydir Grove in 2000, and in 2001 the Hunter Olive Co-operative opened its doors at a brand new facility with a capacity to crush 1 tonne per hour. The plant was established just outside Muswellbrook.
20 tonnes of olives from all round the Hunter were pressed in that first year and the resulting Hunter Grove Extra Virgin olive oil, was awarded a Silver Award at the Australian National Olive Show.

Shortly after the opening of the Co-op a number of other olive presses were set up in the Hunter:

Although the Hunter Olive Co-operative is no longer in operation, all of these later presses are now operating in the Hunter and can offer toll (contract) pressing services