Red Hill Cherry Farm

The Holmes family originally came from Sussex England on the ship “William Hammond” in 1859. They lived in Naracoorte, South Australia for a short period of time where my Great, Great, Grand father worked as a bricklayer. The Family then travelled from South Australia to Red Hill by a horse drawn wagon in the late 1890’s. The Family settled in three valleys at the head of Stoney Creek in Red Hill. As they cleared the land of gum trees, they milled the logs with saw mills powered by a waterwheel on the creek line in what is now Endeavour Gully. The milled timber was then shipped from Dromana to the growing city of Melbourne. They planted apple trees and strawberries which were taken to sell at Melbourne Market by horse drawn wagon which took three days there and back. Once they reached St. Kilda on the return trip they slept on the back of the wagon and allowed the horse to make its way home. In 1900 the rail line was constructed to Bittern near Hastings, this allowed the farmers to deliver fruit to the Melbourne Markets easier. They only needed to take the fruit by horse drawn wagon to Bittern. In 1920 the rail line was extended to Red Hill this allowed the fruit to be shipped by rail direct to Melbourne. My Father Harold and Mother Betty, with the help of my Grandfather Rob Holmes bought the Prossors Lane farm in 1945. There were some young apples trees already growing on the property. They then prepared more ground and planted 100 cherry trees and more apple trees. Back in 1969 cherry prices at the Melbourne Market were so low that my Father Harold decided it was not worth picking the crop and left it to fall to the ground. As teenagers Trevor and his sister painted a bright orange sign “Pick Your Own Cherries” and nailed it onto an old rickety ladder and placed it at the bottom of the hill on Nepean Highway. They sold out of cherries over the weekend. Thus began the oldest Pick Your Own Cherry Farm in Victoria. Trevor went into partnership with his Father in 1971. The apple trees were gradually replaced by cherry trees. We started with 100 cherry trees which included the varieties of Burgstorf, Bedford and Eagle. (See the picture of the old orchard (top of the page). Due to a serious accident to his Father, Trevor and his wife took over the farm management. We now grow about 4500 cherry trees which includes twenty five varieties.