Fruit-growing in Doncaster and Templestowe - Newspaper Pictorials

The Doncaster and Templestowe area was once one of the major fruit-growing areas in Victoria.

Melburnians generally viewed the fruit-growing industry in Doncaster with great pride and appreciation, treating the district as both the city's primary fruit bowl and a highly popular scenic destination to see the blossoms at spring time. Newspapers frequently published full-page pictorials of the fruit-growing activities in the area.

Here are a few of these pictorials primarily from the 1920s and 1930s when fruit-growing in Doncaster and Templestowe was at its peak.

The pictorials have been taken from newspapers in the National Library of Australia (NLA) on-line newspaper resource TROVE. Newspaper details and the picture captions have been put against each pictorial.



Picking at Tully Orchard Doncaster

Wealth for the skillful grower and health for the eager consumer —such are peaches, and, throughout Victoria, trees bowed down with the luscious fruit arc yielding their bounty to the gatherers. Picking is in full swing at the orchard of Mr. J. J. Tully, Doncaster. 

These pictures were taken there yesterday -

  • Left - The secret out! This is why little Margaret Tully's cheeks are rouged with good health. She knows when to be on the spot when the biggest ones are being carted. 
  • Right - A task they like. Daisy and Laurence Tully busy in the fragrant orchard. A task to be envied by city kiddies who have never seen long aisles of peach trees in full bloom.

Source: 19260116 - 16 Jan 1926 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31218284



    Fruit Growing at Doncaster, Templestowe and Warrandyte

    1. Mr. Theile's Orchard, Doncaster. 
    2. Orchard Cultivation, Templestowe. 
    3. Warrandyte. 
    4. Spraying Fruit Trees 
    5. Mixing Spraying Solution. 
    6. Packing Peaches, Doncaster. 
    7. Picking French Beans, Templestowe. 
    8. Orchards at Templestowe. 
    9. Watering Fruit Trees, Doncaster

    Source: 19260116 - 16 Jan 1926 p39 - Weekly Times - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page23866384



    Spring Comes to Orchards Round Melbourne.


    Gorgeous blossom heralds the triumphant entry of spring in the orchards scattered around the outskirts of Melbourne. Abundant rain has made this season's display more than usually attractive, and hundreds of week-end car trippers have feasted their eyes on accents of floral magnificence within a short distance of the city. This splendid springtime study was photographed yesterday at Mr. F. Thiele's orchard at Doncaster. Miss Jean Roach, with baby Isobel Lawford and old Dobbie, are shown in a setting fit for fairies.

    Source: 19270914 - 14 Sept 1927 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31240477



      Victoria’s Fruit Crop Scenes at Doncaster

      • - Picking Peaches
      • - Cultivating to conserve moisture.
      • - A fine limb of fruit
      • - Loading for market at the cool stores
      • - A load for the cool chamber
      • - Packing pears
      • - Grading and packing
      • - Spraying the trees

      Source: 19280211 - 11 Feb 1928 P79 - The Australasian - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page12013983



      Peach Time at Doncaster and Everyone is Busy.

      Fruitgrowers packing fruit in orchard ready for the market All hands turn out when it’s peach time in Doncaster. Thousands of cases of peaches are now leaving the orchards each week for an eager market in the city. The season has been a bountiful one, and the trees are heavily-laden. This pretty little scene shows the picking in following. This pretty little scene shows the picking in full swing.

      Source: 19290112 - 12 January 1929 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31231654



      Doncaster Helps the City to Eat More Fruit.

      • - Pictures of fruit picking at Doncaster and Templestowe and children eating the fruits.
      • - Apricots are blooming in Templestowe. 
      • - A girl is one of an army busy relieving the trees of their burden, so that the city’s hunger for fresh fruit may be relieved.
      • - Ripened fruit is being gathered at express speed in the Doncaster district. 
      • - Thousands of cases such as peaches have been filled by some of the young pickers who hope people will eat more and more fruit, and are showing that they practice what they preach.

      Source: 19300114 - 14 Jan 1930 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31305590



      Fruit Picking on Mr. Thiele’s Orchard at Doncaster

      – Three young children picking fruit into buckets.

      Source: 19300215 - 15 Feb 1930 p61 - The Australasian Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page12057834



      Scenes in the Orchard in the Fruit Season at Doncaster

      • - A charming setting for the children with two girls in a fruit tree; 
      • - A spray of Pump seedling peaches; 
      • - Two men packing peaches on Mr. Webb's orchard; 
      • - A fruit picker among pear trees.

      Source: 19300216 - 15 Feb 1930 p65 - The Australasian - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page12057838



      500,000 Cases of Fruit Off to Doncaster Cool Stores

      Within nine miles of Melbourne, orchards are laden with fruit that will supply 500,000 cases to Doncaster Cool Stores for winter release. Shortly, 60,000 cases of Doncaster mixed fruit will be exported to help meet our overseas obligations. 

      - Left: Mr. R. T. Gedye, owner of a 50-acre orchard, examining his fine pear crop. 

      - Above: Wagon load of fruit in boxes off to the packing shed. 

      - Mr. Gedye’s children eating fruit and cannot complain about the freshness of the fruit.

      Source: 19310306 - 6 Mar 1931 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31311391



      Peach Blossom and Sunshine at Doncaster. 

      An orchard idyll at East Doncaster, where peach blossom transforms the spring landscape. Belle, the old mare on Mr. M. Fitzgerald’s fruit farm, plods along with a load of laughing children down an avenue of dazzling bloom.

      Source: 19350911 - 11 Sept 1935 p1 - The Sun News-Pictorial-  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page31314919



      Harvesting Peaches at Doncaster

      • - Mr H. Ormond (Aumann) (centre) with Messrs R. and A. Ormond. having morning tea.
      • - Mr W. A Thiele's sons, Peter and Michael, with their cousin, Betty.
      • - A fine sample of Wiggins peaches.
      • - Preparing fruit for the market at Mr H Ormond’s (Aumann) orchard.
      • - Gathering the fruit.
      • - Picking fruit at Mr H Ormond’s (Aumann) orchard.
      • - A fine cluster of peaches
      • - Mr and Mrs A. R. Toogood with their sons, Maxwell, Leonard and Jimmy, and their daughter, Edna.
      • - Watering the trees after hot weather.
      • - Grading and packing.

      Source: 19380205 - 5 Feb 1938 p34 - Weekly Times - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24230717



      Doncaster Near Melbourne - A Progressive Orchard District 


      • - Miss Joan Barnes leaving her canoe at the swimming pool at "Hilltop."
      • - Spraying pear trees at Mr J. J. Tully's "Clyde Grange."
      • - The home of Mr L. Webb.
      • - Mr and Mrs R. J. Tully and Wendy at "Hilldene," East Doncaster.
      • - Watering pear trees at Mr. L Bullen's Orchard. "Locklen".
      • - Misses Marjory Barnes and Betty Dunkley at "Hilltop," East Don-caster. 
      • - Mr and Mrs A. J. Bullen packing peaches at Glen dale.
      • - Lorrie, Jack and Margaret Tully picking peaches on their father's property, "Clyde Grange."
      • - Mr Bert Laner ploughing in his lemon groves.
      • - Orchardists Cool Stores, said to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
      • - Mr R. T. Gedye's family on the water lily pond.
      • - Mr W. E. Crampton mixing spray at R. E. Petty's.

      Source: 19390204 - 4 Feb 1939 p6 - Weekly Times - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24118439



      Fruit Picking at Templestowe

      • - Jim Hodgson cultivating the peach trees at their father's orchard at Templestowe
      • - A case of prime peaches 
      • - Right: Mrs S. Jenkins picking lemons in her husband's grove. 
      • - Right: Barry Jenkins with his dog "Bluey" in Mr R.S. Jenkin's orchard.
      • - R.S. Jenkins and A. Tenderson carting fruit to the packing shed at Mr. R.S. Jenkins orchard at Templestowe.
      • - Below: Mr Mundy loading his truck for the early market.
      • - Left: H Scott irrigating peach trees in Mr J. Hodgson's orchard at Templestowe.
      • - Below: Ron Lyons, Jack King and Jim Davies picking the peach crop of Mr. R.W. Mundy's "Stella Park" Templestowe.

      Source: 19490119 - 19 Jan 1949 p23 - Weekly Times - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24112294


      Source: The pictorials have been taken from newspapers in the National Library of Australia (NLA) on-line newspaper resource TROVE - https://trove.nla.gov.au.  Prepared by: Ian Schafter DTHS October 2026


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