At the Heart of Spreyton’s Apple Orchards is a deep connection to the land.
In the cool morning air, the sweet smell of ripening apples drifted under the warming Tasmanian sun. The leaves rustled softly, as if sharing soft whispers of old stories from long ago.
From the early days of exporting Tasmanian apples around the globe to the lively apple festivals that united the community, Spreyton’s orchards have always been about more than just apples. They embody a shared heritage and a deep connection to the land, rooted in generations of resilience and hard work.
Families from all over Australia arrived in the 1900s to carve out a future in the rugged bush. Orchards soon became a way of life -fathers taught their children who grew up to become orchardists themselves. Over 70 generational families have since worked this soil, continuing a tradition of dedication and unity by passing down their knowledge like a treasured heirloom.
By the early 20th century, Tasmania was competing with Victoria for the title of the state with the most apple orchards. At its peak, Tasmania boasted over 25,000 acres of apple trees.
The Spreyton Cooperative Packing Shed opened in 1914 and soon united local growers to grade and pack apples for export. From Spreyton, apples travelled as far as London, Liverpool, and Scandinavia, cementing the town’s place in Tasmania’s golden age of apple exports.
By the 1950s, Spreyton was a key player, contributing to Tasmania’s peak export year of nearly seven million boxes.
Local pride flourished in events like the Mersey Valley Apple Festivals which celebrated this legacy through parades, competitions, crowning of an Apple Queen and contributing to community projects such as the development of Maidstone Park.
Today, Spreyton’s founding families continue to nurture the orchards. Two of Tasmania’s famous exports – Spreyton Fresh Apple Juice and Spreyton Cider, continue to carry the sweet taste of history and tradition.
The trains early morning whistle echoed through the valley.
It was the rough, muddy roads that made transport in Tasmania’s northwest difficult, especially in winter. To overcome this, a network of tramways and railways soon connected the backcountry to the main towns and cities.
After hauling their apples to Tarleton by horse and cart, local farmers then loaded their produce onto trains bound for ports like Hobart and Beauty Point. By 1908, most of Spreyton’s apples were shipped overseas from Beauty Point.
Once built, the first Spreyton Railway Station sat opposite the Ovaltine factory. It was then moved to the main junction of Stony Rise and Devonport Roads.
With the co-operative packing shed built next door, it streamlined the process of grading and packing fruit for rail to shipment.
In 1933 alone, 125,000 cases of fruit were exported from the Mersey district, with 93,000 of those railed to Hobart. Despite the cost—7 shillings and 1 penny per case—this system allowed Spreyton’s orchards to thrive, connecting their apples to markets far beyond Tasmania’s shores.