Mitch Matters: You just can’t beat a Red Hill apple
A study once concluded that there was no evidence to support the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
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A study once concluded that there was no evidence to support the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
But there’s no doubt it’s a healthy choice.
And it only gets better for Mornington Peninsula residents because of a place called Red Hill.
A short drive up that famous road and you will find the finest apples money can buy.
Put your coins in the tin at any number of farm gates, and you won’t be disappointed.
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Firm, crisp and juicy, they run rings around their supermarket colleagues.
They also pass a rigorous test to prove they are a quality item — I know teenagers who love to eat them!
Red Hill is now so much more than a trendy destination for day trippers and wine buffs.
The region has a rich and deep agricultural history and much of its produce has ended up on the dining tables of lucky Melburnians.
The story goes back to the severe depression in Victoria during the 1890s.
In an attempt to provide employment for impoverished Melbourne families, the State Government introduced the Village Settlement Scheme.
In various parts of the state, deserving families were given a small acreage of Crown Land and were expected to become self-sufficient on their own farm.
In 1893 at Red Hill, 194 acres of dense forest was given to ten married couples and their fifteen children. They had the use of eleven bullocks, several cows, nine horses, three pigs and 160 fowls.
They built huts of wattle and daub or split slabs roofed with bark in true pioneer style and used sheets of hessian for ceilings and had floors of earth.
The families had to clear the land before they planted orchards. This lifestyle was clearly not for the faint hearted.
An 1890s map shows Red Hill’s orchard and other farming properties clustered around a tiny township with a post office building.
While many of the Village Settlements throughout Victoria failed dismally due to a combination of reasons, the Red Hill example was a stunning success.
Although none of the first houses or other structures survive today, not one of the blocks of land were returned to the Crown.
Many properties are still farmed by descendants of the 1890s settlers.
Subdivision of rural land in the 1960s and 1970s carved up former orchards and nurseries.
Apart from the still functioning orchard properties, there are many reminders of this major land use from the past, including former coolstores, farm buildings, remnant fruit trees and orchardists’ homes.
While Red Hill was a particularly strong orchardist area, Somerville, Tyabb and Baxter weren’t far behind.
In 1960, orchards provided the main source of income on the Mornington Peninsula, where 380,000 cases of apples and 30,000 cases of pears were produced in that year.
Aside from the Christmas tradition of providing a magnificent bowlful of cherries, Red Hill’s agricultural heritage isn’t too hard to find.
You can head to the local showgrounds for the famous Red Hill Community Market on the first Saturday of every month between September and May, or for a deeper dive, put a ring around Saturday, March 9th on your calendar, to start the coming Labour Day long weekend.
You can’t call yourself a true Mornington Peninsula resident without a visit to the annual Red Hill Show.
There’s something for everyone and loads of fun for all ages.
You can even return home with a bag of delicious apples!
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