It has been 75 years since the first trees were planted at Grampians Olive Co’s plantation at Laharum. 

Now home to 28,000 trees, the grove boasts the title of being the largest family-owned, single estate and certified organic olive plantation in Australia.

Current owner Greg Mathews said his family had owned the grove since 2008.

“We wanted to mark the occasion in some special way,” he said. 

“Not only is it 75 since the first trees were planted, but we are also celebrating a decade with the grove under our ownership.”

The first trees were planted by Jacob Friedman in 1943, with the business then known as the Grampian Olive Plantations Co.

“Olive trees obviously take a long time mature, so it took a long time for the original owners to get their first good batch,” Mr Mathews said.

“In the last 10 to 15 years, olive oil – and especially organic olive oil – has become a lot more popular. So the plantation and the property has really come into its own.”

In the 90s, the grove became home to the country’s first Pieralisi olive processing plant.

“Olive groves from about a 150 kilometre radius will bring their olives here to be pressed; then they take the oil away for their own bottling processes,” he said.

Mr Mathews said it was important that the original trees were kept the same.

“Old trees produce a more complex oil and have more complex flavours, which seems to be doing well in the awards,” he said.

“These are some of the oldest trees in the country; it’s pretty remarkable that they have been here for so long and are still producing such good quality olive oil.

“We have undergone a huge pruning program to make the olives machine harvestable. Prior to that they were handpicked, and that method was not really giving us the quality that we wanted.

“It’s all now done at about one minute per tree, so in about an hour they will have been picked, pressed and turned into oil.

“The time between picking and pressing was too long and the olives were getting damaged.”

There are six main olive varieties grown at the plantation, including Verdale, Bouquettier and Benito.

“There are said to be 27 varieties in the grove and a lot of them remain unidentified to this day. They all go in to form our signature flavour oil that we’re known for,” Mr Mathews said.

The Grampians Olive Co has won numerous awards. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, it won Best Oil from Heritage Trees at the Australian Golden Olive Awards.

It also took home a Silver Medal at the Australian National Extra Olive Oil Competition in 2017, and a Gold Medal in 2016.

Besides from the grove’s signature oil, it also sells a range of infused oils, vinegar, honey, jam and olives at its Farm Shop – all of which is produced at the property.

The grove will mark its 75 years on Sunday, October 7 from 10am.

The free birthday celebration will include tasting platters and the planting of 75 commemorative olive trees, propagated from the grove’s original heritage trees.

For more information about the grove, head to its website.