History

Fruit growing in Central Otago began during the early days of European settlement and the gold rush.

In the 1860s, French immigrant John Desiré Feraud established a small fruit orchard at Monte Christo near Clyde, while the Tamblyn brothers planted orchards at Coal Creek near Roxburgh.

The development of irrigation played an important role in making horticulture possible in what is naturally one of New Zealand’s driest regions.
Gold miners had constructed an extensive network of water races to supply their workings. As gold mining became less profitable, these water resources could instead be used to irrigate orchards and gardens.

Land that had been disturbed by mining could also be converted for horticultural use. What had once been a landscape shaped by gold mining gradually became one shaped by fruit trees.

The First Central Otago Cherries
Cherries were among the earliest fruit trees to be established in Central Otago.

Historical records from the New Zealand Department of Agriculture in the 1950s record that two cherry trees purchased from a “swagger” were reputed to have been among the first trees planted by pioneer fruit grower Joseph Tamblyn at Coal Creek around 1865. The trees apparently performed so well that cherries became a regular feature of subsequent plantings.

From these early beginnings, cherries became increasingly important alongside other Central Otago stone fruits such as apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums.

The Dawson Cherry
One of the fascinating stories from the early history of Central Otago cherries is that of John Dawson.

Dawson, a former gold miner, established an orchard at Conroys Gully near Alexandra. He worked with Chinese miners to develop and maintain the property and, together with his wife Ellen, developed what became known as the Dawson cherry.

The Dawson cherry became a recognised Central Otago variety and remains part of the region’s horticultural heritage.

Stories such as this highlight how closely the early fruit industry was connected with the people who came to Central Otago during the gold-mining era. Some miners eventually turned their attention from extracting gold from the ground to growing fruit from it.

The Rise of Cromwell’s Orchards
Cromwell gradually developed into one of the region’s major fruit-growing centres.

The area offered a combination of conditions that were particularly well suited to cherries and other stone fruit: cold winters, hot summers, low rainfall, free-draining soils and abundant sunshine.

The Cromwell Basin also has significant differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures. This large temperature range is considered beneficial for cherry production, helping contribute to the sweetness, firmness and flavour for which Central Otago cherries are known.

Orchard families began establishing properties that would eventually become multi-generational businesses.

The Webb family, for example, established their Cromwell orchard in 1914. More than a century later, the family continues to grow fruit, with multiple generations having been involved in the business.

The Cromwell Gorge Advantage
The Cromwell Gorge also played an important role in the region’s horticultural history.

The gorge had its own microclimate, with areas that were less susceptible to spring frosts than some of the surrounding valley floors. This made it particularly attractive to orchardists.

Fruit grown in the gorge could also ripen earlier than fruit from some other Central Otago growing areas, giving growers an important advantage when supplying early-season markets.

For generations, orchards were established along the Clutha River and in the gorge, producing cherries and other stone fruits.

Much of that historic growing country has since disappeared beneath Lake Dunstan following the construction of the Clyde Dam, but the legacy of those orchards remains part of the region’s horticultural story.

From Small Orchards to a Modern Industry
By the middle of the 20th century, Central Otago had established itself as New Zealand’s leading cherry-growing region.

A 1955 article published by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture recorded that Central Otago contained considerably more than half of New Zealand’s sweet cherry plantings and produced almost three-quarters of the country’s crop at the time.

The industry was already facing some of the same challenges growers know today.

Because Central Otago is a long way from New Zealand’s major population centres, getting fresh cherries to market quickly was important. Growers relied on road and rail transport, while air freight was also used for some fruit destined for distant markets.
Harvesting was labour intensive, varieties were selected for their ability to withstand handling and transport, and growers carefully managed the short harvest window.

The Beginning of the Export Industry
As horticultural techniques, transport, irrigation and fruit handling improved, the Central Otago cherry industry moved increasingly towards premium and export markets.

Modern commercial orchards began using improved varieties, better irrigation systems, sophisticated frost protection, advanced orchard design and specialised packing facilities.

One example is 45 South Cherries, which was established in Cromwell in 1984 and has grown into a major cherry-growing and packing operation. The company now works with orchards throughout Central Otago and exports cherries internationally.

The industry has continued to evolve, with growers increasingly focusing on fruit size, firmness, flavour, presentation and consistency rather than simply producing the largest possible crop.

Cromwell’s Cherry Industry Today
Modern Cromwell looks very different from the goldfields of the 1860s, but the connection between the two eras is still there.
The same combination of water, land and climate that helped early settlers establish orchards continues to underpin the industry today.

Technology has transformed how cherries are grown. Modern growers have access to improved weather forecasting, irrigation technology, soil science, new varieties and sophisticated orchard systems. Some orchards are experimenting with innovative growing systems designed to increase fruit size, quality and efficiency.

At the same time, many of the fundamentals have not changed.
Growers still have to deal with frost, drought, pests, disease and the unpredictable Central Otago weather. Trees still require careful pruning, irrigation and nutrition, and the fruit still has to be harvested at precisely the right time.

A Tradition Built Over Generations
Perhaps the most important part of Central Otago’s cherry story is the people behind the orchards.

Across Cromwell, Alexandra, Clyde, Earnscleugh and Roxburgh, fruit-growing knowledge has been passed from one generation to the next. Families have spent decades learning how particular blocks of land respond to the climate, which varieties perform best and how to produce fruit capable of travelling from Central Otago to consumers around the world.

The result is an industry that combines old-fashioned knowledge with modern horticultural science.

From the first cherry trees planted in the 1860s to today’s export orchards, the history of cherries in Central Otago is a story of adaptation, persistence and an ability to make something productive from a challenging landscape.

And every summer, when the first cherries begin appearing in Cromwell, that history continues – one harvest at a time.