Manningham’s fascinating orcharding history has been captured in a brand new brochure, available now from the civic centre. Heritage Orchards of Manningham showcases photos, descriptions and addresses of pioneering orchards, some of which are still in operation today. It also contains a large, fold-out map to help people recognise where previous orchards and cool stores were, and locate fruit trees that are still alive today.

Manningham Mayor, Cr Geoff Gough, said Manningham had once been the heart of Victoria’s fruit growing industry.“ This area, you could say, was very close to being the apple and pear capital of Australia for more than 100 years.Orchardists planted the first fruit trees on prime land in the 1860s, and by the 1920s there were 15,000 acres of orchards.”

“The Doncaster and Templestowe growers proved very versatile, and grew plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, loquats, quinces, and lemons.While the fruits of their labour were served in jars and bowls across the country, orchardists also exported apples and pears to the UK and Europe during the first 50 years of the 20th century.It is a proud history, and one that linked many families to the area as orchards passed down from generation to generation,” he said.

The brochure explains how local orchardists helped to pioneer Australia’s fruit growing industry with clever innovations. By the turn of the century, growers had developed an irrigation system which facilitated the use of storage water during summer months. They used horse drawn scoops to create gully dams and connected pumps to deliver the water to higher dams, where it trickled through underground pipes and moistened the entire orchard.

In 1905, local orchardists successfully convinced the Victorian Government to build a cool store so that fresh fruit could be stored safely for longer. And in 1932, Herb and Frank Petty developed the Petty plough which helped orchardists plough very close to the butts of fruit trees. The chair of Council’s Tourism Advisory Committee, Heide Ward Cr Grace La Vella, said that many residents would treasure the pictures contained within the Heritage Orchards of Manningham brochure.

Heritage Orchards of Manningham is funded through the State Government’s Victorian heritage grants program, and has been produced in partnership with Heritage Victoria, Pettys Orchard and Parks Victoria, Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society, and the Wonga Park and District Residents’ Association.

Residents may pick up a free copy of the brochure during business hours at the civic centre, 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, or by calling 9840 9333.