Guide to the Almond and apple farming and processing industries, Balranald and Batlow, New South Wales, 2021

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PIC/21185/1-16

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: May 2023

Collection Summary

Creator
Clark, Darren, 1967-
Title
Almond and apple farming and processing industries, Balranald and Batlow, New South Wales, 2021
Date Range
2021
Collection Number
PIC/21185/1-16
Extent
16 items
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Pictures)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

Collection of photographs documenting the almond and apple farming and processing industries of Balranald and Batlow, New South Wales. The two companies depicted are Cadell Almond Orchard in Balranald, New South Wales, and Batlow Fruit Co-operative in Batlow, New South Wales. The images capture the agricultural practices of two of Australia's most important crops and provide insight into the daily lives of those involved in their cultivation.

Conditions Governing Use

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8813695).

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as [Title or description of item], Almond and apple farming and processing industries, Balranald and Batlow, New South Wales, 2021 / by Darren Clark, National Library of Australia, PIC/21185, [item number(s)].

Source of description

Titles devised by cataloguer based on information provided by photographer.

Item Descriptions

Two nursery workers taping the new chip-buds into place on the rootstock with grafting tape, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/1)

Workers can graft up to 1,000 plants a day. Growtek supply trees that are one or two years old, as well as rootstock, for both almond and walnut varieties.

Almond kernels coming out of the sorting machine into plastic-lined bins, ready to be shipped-out, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/2)

The sorting machines fill 300 bins a day for 6 months of the year.

Palaki Vea, cleaning up almonds that spilt during loading, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/3)

A field-elevator truck unloading almonds, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/4)

The dam at Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/5)

The dam holds 720 megalitres of water which is drawn straight from the Murrumbidgee River. The process involves drawing water from the river to the dam and out to the almond trees via pumps, filters and fertigation.

Shockwave-machine shaking almonds from trees at Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/6)

The shockwave-machine has three different settings for different size trees.

Staff applying traps to protect the almond harvest from an approaching storm, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/7)

Sin Ying Ling and Long Zheng de-shelling almonds before being tested for moisture levels, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/8)

This process is repeated up to 20 times a day during harvest.

Anne-Maree Wardk sampling almonds from each block, preparing for moisture testing, assessing mould content and analysing for insect damage, chips and scratches, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/9)

These samples are Non-Pareil almonds which are the first variety to be harvested and which make up 50 percent of the orchard. Quality assurance, onsite sampling and recording allows Cardell Almond Orchard to have an informed picture of the quality of almonds.

Maata Ng Lui taking samples from a block before harvest, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/10)

Samples are taken from each block before and during the harvest in the orchard. The most accurate samples come from the middle of the trees in the centre of each block where the almond trees are most protected from the elements.

Worker applying fertiliser to a vat of warm water, Cadell Almond Orchard, Balranald, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/11)

Australian Farming Services were the first to use this technique which results in the fertiliser dissolving faster. Standard pool pumps are used to heat the water from 10 degrees celcius up to 40 degrees celcius.

An apple orchard covered in netting, Batlow, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/12)

The netting is designed to save the crop from hail damage, birds and other wildlife.

A fruit picker filling large boxes with Royal Gala apples for Batlow Fruit Co-operative, Batlow, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/13)

Sapana Pun picking fruit in an apple orchard for Batlow Fruit Co-operative, Batlow New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/14)

Workers packing apples alongside sorting and labelling machinery, Batlow Fruit Co-operative, Batlow, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/15)

Tourists and locals in the streets during the Batlow CiderFest, Batlow, New South Wales, 2021 (Item PIC/21185/16)

Batlow CiderFest is a celebration of the end of the apple harvest, featuring boutique ciders from around Australia as well as those brewed locally.


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