Grove Heritage Nursery

Preserving Australia’s largest collection of ‘heritage’ apple trees, while improving the lives of Tasmanians with disabilities

With a deep foundation in “sustainable service” (improving the lives of individuals while creating genuine value in the community), OAK Tasmania is consistently lead into new opportunities for growth and expansion.

In 2009, one such opportunity came with the arrival of the Grove Heritage Nursery to the OAK Tasmania family. Located on 28ha in the heart of  Tasmania’s apple growing mecca (the Huon Valley), Grove Heritage Nursery brings a very unique gift to the community — Australia’s largest collection of ‘heritage’ apple trees.

Approximately 850 varieties of pome fruit have been cultivated and maintained at Grove Heritage Nursery since its’ inception in 1951. In recent years research has extended into stonefruit, berries, floriculture and organics – with a focus on developing new cultivars, improving orchard systems and exploring alternative strategies for pest and disease management.

Now in partnership with our Tahune Fields Nursery (which already grows in excess of 200,000 apple trees and stone fruit trees for orchardists each year) Grove Heritage Nursery expands our horticulture offering while providing a whole new channel of meaningful employment and training opportunities for Tasmanians living with disability.

We love the fact that by empowering our supported staff with specialised skills, we are helping to maintain biodiversity through Australia’s heritage apple varieties. In truth, the whole concept of biodiversity sits at the very heart-centre of OAK Tasmania – by preserving the growing needs of the individual, we add to the possibilities of the whole.

Working closely with industry stakeholders such as Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT); Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TIAR), and Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (APAL), we are  committed to maintaining, preserving and expanding the Heritage Nursery as a centre of excellence – while aligning this offering with the special business model that makes OAK Tasmania such a unique resource for Tasmanians living with disability.

A selection of heritage Scionwood and cider varieties are now available for wholesale purchase, while retail sales of a selection of our varieities are available from a select group of Tasmanian nurseries, including:

• New Town Station Nursery, New Town
• Harmony Garden Centre, Lauderdale
• Allan’s Garden Centre, Prospect
• Legana Plants Plus, Legana
• Devonport Nursery, Devonport
• West Park Nursery, Burnie