Agriculture - Historical background
DAIRY
FARMING
Dairy cattle were part of the livestock
that arrived with the First Fleet. Little pasture land was available around
Sydney and Parramatta and most of the land was cleared and cultivated for crops.
Dairy farming was an important industry in the following districts: Campbelltown,
Camden, Liverpool, the Hawkesbury and Badgery's Creek. Co-operatives and butter
factories were also set up in these areas to process the milk and by-products.
Smaller dairies operated in most other areas in Western Sydney. Camden was
renowned for the breeding of quality dairy cattle.
Co-operatives and butter factories were
set up in dairy farming areas in Western and South Western Sydney. View shows
the Menangle Butter factory in the 1930s. Photo acknowledgement : Campbelltown
City Library.
ORCHARDS
Plants and seeds of various fruit were
sent with the First Fleet in 1788. The climate was well suited for fruit
growing and by the 1800s most types of fruit were being grown and flourishing.
Parramatta and Baulkham Hills were the first areas successful in the citrus
industry. The Hawkesbury district was also well known for fruit production.
By 1821, 484 hectares of orchards and gardens were recorded in and around
Sydney. In the Blue Mountains areas orchards were established at Shipley,
North Springwood and Mt Riverview. In conjunction with orchards in the Blacktown
area, Walter Lamb established the Woodstock Fruit Company at Plumpton in
1887. He grew fruit for canning purposes but unfortunately competition form
Victorian fruit canneries and the 1890s economic depression led to his bankruptcy
in 1893. The cannery closed soon after and was demolished in 1920. The Parramatta
to Castle Hill Tramway carried both fruit and passengers from 1902 until
1923. Fruitgrowing remains an important industry in the Hawkesbury however
in areas such as Baulkham Hills, the industry has declined and many of the
orchards were subdivided for housing.