Special Council Meeting - City of Burnside

Landmarks of Burnside
Olive growing
Burnside’s fi rst olive
truncheons were planted
by Samuel Davenport
in Beaumont after being
imported from France in the
1840’s. Davenport took his
knowledge and applied it to
similar soil upon his arrival
in South Australia in 1843.
About 25 years later,
Beaumont became home to
Australia’s fi rst commercial
olive oil production. ‘Sir
Samuel Davenport’s Virgin
Olive Oil’ was sold interstate
and was included in many
international exhibitions,
winning medals in France
and India.
In 1873 another olive plantation emerged as The
Stonyfell Olive Company began business. The
Stonyfell foothills plantation gradually increased in
size to boast over 10,000 trees of over 15 varieties.
Despite the demand for the plantations’ high
quality oil in Australia and internationally, olive oil
production was never very profi table. Eventually
cheaper imported oils rendered the local plantations
unprofi table and production ceased at Stonyfell in
1958 and at Beaumont in 1962.
Stonyfell Olive Mill c1910, showing the screw presses which soon after were
replaced by hydraulic presses.
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