Honey was scarce throughout the nation in the early years and the market open to corruption as reported in 1889: ‘The Prahan Police Court, Victoria; “Charge of Selling Adulterated Honey” - a jam factory owner was accused of mixing large quantities of ‘grape sugar’ into the honey to increase its weight.’
The majority of honey used in the early years in Tasmania was both imported and important. Newspapers detailed the arrival of every vessel and her cargo; and most cargos included honey. Only small amounts of honey were actually produced within the State. Some small producers attempted to gain export markets, with quantities as small as ‘1 tin’ being exported in 1891. Neither help nor encouragement came from the government in these years; a bulletin from the Department of Agriculture referred ‘regretfully to bees and honey being left almost entirely to chance, and the honey is badly got up for sale, kerosene tins being the common means of package.’
In 1895 four cases of honey left on the ‘Orizaba’ destined for the London market. The Wellington Times and Agricultural and Mining Gazette reported ‘it is estimated that trial shipments of honey will realise £30 per ton in London, and it is expected about 50 tons will be shipped during the next three months. The estimated price will be cheering to the enterprising Leven farmer, Mr Bingham, who recently sent a trial shipment of 5cwt.’ This optimism was short lived as in the same year ‘The Premier had received a letter from Messrs. Fallach and Son of London enclosing account sales of the honey forwarded by the Orizaba. The firm state their regret that the proceeds of the shipment were not more satisfactory to shippers, attributing the low prices realised to the fact that British consumers have not as yet become accustomed to the distinctive flavour of Australian honey.’ Whether this was Leatherwood or not, we will never know. Tasmanian beekeepers were informed that they would be better advised to produce beeswax for the London market and not honey.
Conditions were no better on the mainland; in 1898 ‘Australian honey exported to London was deficient in flavour and dark in colour’. Although beekeeping appeared to be a difficult occupation some mainland beekeepers were surging ahead and advertising in Tasmanian newspapers. In 1894: ‘Mr. Thomas Bolton, proprietor of celebrated Grampian Apiaries, Victoria, announces that he is prepared to supply “Queen bees for business”, unsurpassed for work and beauty of progeny, at prices ranging from 4/6 each (today $28.92), posted free with full directions.’ At this time honey was five pence wholesale and six pence retail (today $2.75) per pound.
While beekeepers in the more settled areas of Hobart and the North West Coast were attempting to establish markets in London, bees were steadily spreading themselves throughout the State. In 1886 ‘The Linda Goldfields on the West Coast was a wonderful place to holiday - magnificent scenery, so many places of interest, good fishing, shooting, and an unlimited quantity of wild honey.’
Residents of the West Coast soon began to take advantage of the available bees. In 1892 Mr. E. J. Peever of Zeehan advertised that he could supply ‘luxury in the shape of section-boxed honey’; and in 1893 at the West Coast Horticultural and Floricultural Society’s second show, the first prize for the best bottle of honey mead went to J. Johnson, with E.J. Peever gaining second prize. Both gardening and farming were becoming popular on the West Coast; in 1897 ‘there are signs of farming enterprise already on the Coast, and it is not unlikely that the example being set by a few far-seeing men will be followed by many, as there is now a large and profitable market here for vegetables, eggs, fruit, butter, honey and milk, and the demand for these necessaries is rapidly increasing.’
The locals were indeed showing enterprise in these areas. ‘A farmer in Strahan, with about 30 hives, has for several years been marketing honey that is preferred to that which is brought here from other parts.’ The local product was sought after in the area, as well as by crews of visiting ships; with ‘The Cash Grocery, No. 3 Branch’ advertising in 1902 that they had 2lb tins of Tasmanian Honey for 1s. (No price increase from 1894). Over the next few years the largest beekeeper in the area seems to have been A. Cairns of Lowana. He advertised in 1914 that he had 60lb tins of honey for sale at 17s 6d each. (three and a half pence per pound; today $91.38 per tin.)
Beekeeping however, was definitely on the ‘up-and-up’ in the State, with a report of a ‘honey tank’ being imported in 1900 and two reports in 1906 and 1907 of honey extractors being imported into the State from Sydney.
Although ‘Smith of Catamaran, Calway at Strahan, Stephens of Mole Creek, and Jones at Sheffield were reported to be working the Leatherwood’ in the 1920’s, the industry was only slowly improving. In 1922 the total number of hives in the State was recorded as 6,590, a small increase on the last year, however well below the average since 1914. The total yield of honey for 1922 was 84,000 lbs, somewhat below the average. The yield per hive was only 12½lbs, 11lbs from box -hives and 15 from frame-hives. ‘The municipality which produces the most honey is (as usual, but rather surprisingly) Strahan, with one-seventh of the whole Tasmanian production. Esperance comes next, Leven, which is generally a large producer, has this year a poor yield.’
An advertisement in 1929 for ‘W.J.Rennie, High-class Grocer, Liverpool street, Hobart - we have just received from the West Coast our first shipment of New Season’s Honey. This has the true Leatherwood flavour and is greatly appreciated by connoisseurs of Pure Honey.’ And in 1930: “Honey produced on the West Coast finds a ready sale in other parts of the State, and on the mainland. Much of it is sent away in petrol tins, while a fair quantity is bottled. It may be stated that the industry of honey production in Tasmania is as yet in its infancy.”
In 1930 a report on the state of the honey industry based in Strahan: ‘Strahan, Honey Production, Need for Legislation - Statistics published recently by the Government Statistician show that the bee-keeping industry is making very slow progress. In fact, there are fewer hives in the State to-day than there were ten years ago, while production, although a little more than in 1919, is much less than in the year 1924.
There are no doubt a number of causes contributing to this, and in the opinion of several well-known apiarists the principal factor is the spread of the disease known as foul brood, which they fear will eventually ruin the industry unless steps are taken, through legislation, to eradicate it. The following figures provide a comparison of hives and the production in the years 1919 and 1928-29:
In the year 1922 there were 6,590 hives in the State, and the production was 82.920 lbs. In 1925-26 the production was 116,392 lbs from 5,295 hives. The record year, however, was 1923-24, when, from 5,681 hives, 133,330 lbs of honey was produced.’
In the 1930s and 1940s Helmer Henry Hastings Huxley, commonly known as ‘Taffy the Beeman’ was working 100 hives off the Lyell highway on the edge of Mt. Arrowsmith. Taffy, lived at Lower Longley but took his bees all over the southern regions of the State, living the life of an itinerant while they foraged.
A comment from the Mercury on the honey industry: “In the larger states during the last two years an effort has been made to form a voluntary pool, and organise the export of honey to England. The effort has been successful and a large blending and bottling plant is at work on Australian honey at Mitcham, in England, about 20 miles south of London. Tasmania was not invited to join in - there is practically no surplus yield in this State. Generally speaking retailers report an increased demand for all Australian products with the exception of honey.’ There was still a long way to go for Tasmanian Leatherwood honey.
Honey production was a favoured topic for newspapers in 1930, the Advocate continuing with: “During the past few years there has been a considerable development in the honey industry on the West Coast, particularly in the Strahan municipality. Beekeeping has been carried on a fairly extensive scale for many years, particularly by Mr. Alex Cairns at Lowana, three miles from Strahan on the Mt. Lyell railway, and by Mr. Clark in the town of Strahan. More recently Mr. Calway (Strahan) and Mr. Hartwell Conder (Lowana), have been building up their apiaries, until Mr. Calway has over 100 hives, and Mr. Conder has about 200.
On the West Coast the ‘surplus’ which is taken from the bees by their owners, comes mainly from the small bush tree known as the leatherwood. Its botanical name is Eucryphia billadieri, and in autumn, from the butt to the topmost bough, it is covered with a bloom like white apple blossom which is heavily charged with nectar. This bloom yields a honey which is very popular, and was ranked with the best honeys of the world by the Haymarket Stores of London. It is worthwhile putting up with the handicaps of weather and isolation to be able to produce an article which meets with ready sale and appreciation. The honey harvest of New Zealand is worth some £100,000 per year to the Dominion. The bee enthusiasts of our West Coast believe they could so develop their industry as to rival and exceed that of New Zealand.”
Leatherwood honey was now being sent to London from the West Coast. ‘Strahan, Honey Export - Probably the largest single consignment of honey from the West Coast went forward to Hobart by the SS Kakariki yesterday from Mr. H. Conder, who is working up quite an industry at Lowana, in the vicinity of Strahan. There were 29 cases in the consignment, weighing approximately 1½ tons. On arrival at Hobart, one ton will be forwarded to a leading London store, which took a quarter of a ton last year, and also advised that they would take what could be spared this year. The balance is on account of Mr. W. O. Rennie, of Hobart. In discussing the matter Mr. Conder informed an “Examiner” representative that there was unlimited scope for the expansion in this industry on the West Coast, but so far its progress had been blocked completely by the action of the Government in not helping to check the spread of foul brood, which is undoubtedly the worst bee disease. It was over three years since the Minister of Agriculture promised legislation on the lines followed in New Zealand, and Mr. Conder spent much time and trouble in drafting a bill on these lines. Proceedings were still at that stage. It remained to be seen whether the present Government would find time to give some real assistance to the promising little industry.’
Mr. Hartwell Conder, employed as the State Mining Engineer, had been living on the West Coast for a number of years. Born in England, he had kept bees there for a short while before employment in different areas of the world prior to arriving in Tasmania. Living at Lowana, Hartwell became an ardent advocate for the beekeeping industry of Tasmania. His letters to newspapers were both frequent and eloquent in pushing for reform to help the beekeeping industry in its battle against foul brood. Conder had closely watched the developing beekeeping industry in New Zealand and campaigned heavily for Tasmania to follow their example. Years previously they had passed an apiary bill forbidding bees to be kept in any hive that did not have removable frames. Conder prepared his own Apiary Act along the same lines as New Zealand and pushed to have this accepted into legislation in Tasmania.
In a letter to the Mercury in 1928 he said: ‘Your able and instructive article on the progress of New Zealand in the production of honey should bring to all your readers the realisation of what the application of science and wise organisation can do in any industry. The “Beeman” in Australia has been familiar with the progress of N.Z. in this respect for a good many years, and strong efforts are now being made across the straits by Victoria and N.S.W. to emulate their success. The writer is pegging away on his own on the same lines. He is quite satisfied with the progress he is making personally, but at present rate it would be about 50 years before the output would materially help Tasmania. Meantime Tasmania, with a climate and fl ora most suited to honey production, provides a useful market for much of the second and third-class stuff which is unsalable (sic) in other States. The writer cannot understand why with our conditions we cannot equal New Zealand and develop a solid export trade in the commodity.’
He attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade the government to make cheap loans available for beekeepers to enable them to build up their hive numbers in an effort to export their honey.
The Apiaries Bill was put through Tasmania’s House of Assembly in 1928, only to be defeated in the Legislative Council ‘on the voices’ for two reasons: they felt the minimum annual registration fee of 5s (Conder had asked for 2s) was too high; and they feared ‘this would lead to a further addition to an army of inspectors, already somewhat large.’ In 1929 Conder reported ‘that on the 19th December came the information that New Zealand, not content with capturing the English market for its honey, was successfully exploiting the markets on the Continent of Europe. The progress of the honey industry in N.Z., until the production now is worth over £100,000, and the export trade alone, some £50,000, dates without question to the bringing in of legislation some 20 years ago to control the spread of disease. There is no scientific bee-keeper - I would say no scientific agriculturalist - who would not at once declare protective legislation was essential to profitable beekeeping. To the writer the blow comes the more severely since he had visions of extending the industry on this West Coast - where the sweetness of our honey counters many disabilities - until a few years it could be nursed up to rival the produce of New Zealand. With help from the Government it could have been worked in with any settlement scheme. Those visions are ended now. No man with any sense - now that hope of protective legislation is killed - would choose to keep bees on a large scale in Tasmania, when New Zealand is only a few days further on.’
The failure of the Apiary Bill was not the end for Conder; he kept campaigning for it. In 1930 it was reported ‘Marked increase of attention to honey producing is to be looked for as the result of the visit to the West Coast’s honey-yielding areas by Mr. A. E. Powell, poultry husbandry-man and extension officer of the Department of Agriculture. The West Coast, said Mr. Powell, has been regarded essentially as a mining province, and the townships that have sprung up at Waratah for the Mount Bischoff mine, at Queenstown for the Mount Lyell mine, at Zeehan, Tullah and Rosebery for their silver-lead and zinc mines, are none of them communicated with by roads, and in some cases not even by bush tracks. The climate is wet and boisterous, and medium and good land is clothed with dense timber and undergrowth, while the plain country is waterlogged and sour. Hence from the many square miles of country the yield is small as far as agricultural statistics are concerned.
One little industry, however, had established itself in spite of climate and other difficulties. The honey production of the West Coast a few years ago amounted to one-half of that of the whole of Tasmania. It is in connection with this enterprise that he has been commissioned by the Department of Agriculture to investigate the position and see what development is possible. First, as to those to whose credit stands the pioneer work already accomplished. The late Mr. Alex Cairns had over 100 hives at Lowana, near Strahan for many years. Mr. J. Klemes had more than 100 about fi ve miles north of Zeehan, and there were many others who in past years had smaller apiaries both at Zeehan and Strahan.
In recent years Mr. Calway added effective hives to the number of over 100, whilst Mr. Hartwell Conder, at Lowana, last year totalled over 241 hives. By reason of the introduction of disease and on account of other difficulties, the industry has not, however, progressed so satisfactorily. With a view to investigating the position locally, Mr. Powell spent fi ve days at Mr. Conder’s apiaries. This beekeeper kept bees scientifically in England a good many years ago, so did not come new to the industry in Tasmania.
Adopting accepted practices, Mr. Conder is a successful beekeeper, and is familiar with the best methods practised by the large beekeepers in America and Australia. Just now, Mr. Conder, along with others, is giving the honey-bee much time, and has produced honey which convinced me after a thorough inspection that it is possible to offer a high quality product, which, when properly extracted, will compare favourably with honey produced at other centres. The main honey crop was derived from the Leatherwood tree. The honey obtained from this tree has a very special fl avour, which in London ranks with the best honeys in the world.’
Conder achieved his desire with The Apiaries Act passed in 1932. After 31st October 1933 it became illegal to keep bees in any but frame hives: a very unpopular act with the majority of Tasmanian beekeepers; the act was ‘way too drastic, designed by the bigger beekeepers with sinister intent towards the small man.’
In 1934 ‘Mr. Conder was able to attend a meeting of the Increased Production Committee, whose chairman is Mr. Alan Wardlaw, and laid before them a scheme for developing the honey industry of Tasmania on the same lines as those adopted in New Zealand.’ Letters to the newspapers from Mr. Conder now became scarce; perhaps he lost interest, or perhaps he was seeing the fruits of his efforts. Either way, Leatherwood honey was now becoming something of value and interest. In 1936: ‘Famous Honey: Noted for remarkably fine flavour, honey made by bees feeding on the leatherwood tree on the North-West Coast, particularly near Wynyard, is proving popular in Melbourne. Mr. Critchley Parker, of Melbourne, at present visiting Launceston, says he has sampled honey from the hives of Mr. Hartwell Conder, of Wynyard, and its flavour is wonderfully attractive. He is instituting a strong campaign for marketing the product on a larger scale, and sales are being increased. Evidence was not wanting, he said, that honey from Tasmanian leatherwood would develop into the principal variety marketed in Australia.’ And from the Australasian in Melbourne in 1937: ‘This herb shop is also going to develop a line in real kitchen herbs, so as to give the housewife more variety in her choice of seasoning, and will stock home-made mint jelly, and a special brand of “one-flower honey” from the Tasmanian leatherwood forests.’
With the rest of the nation sitting up and taking notice, another move is made overseas: ‘Although the Australian pavilion at the Empire Exhibition at Glasgow in 1938 is designed to show in general the produce of the Dominion - the method adopted is that such articles as fruit, meat and other primary products are drawn from all States without any indication of origin - Tasmania has its own special exhibit of Tasmanian timbers. This is in accordance with the decision that where a State possesses any distinctive export it can be shown separately. Coloured photographs of Tasmanian beauty scenes which have already been exhibited in the Agency-General are given prominence in the Commonwealth section devoted to attracting tourists, in which are also included two of the magnificent specimens of Tasmanian game fi sh which are in the possession of the Tasmanian Office in London. Tasmanian pottery and Leatherwood honey are also shown. The Agent General in London, Mr. C.E.W. James said “I was able to arrange for Tasmanian Leatherwood flower honey to be on sale to the public at the grocer’s shop in the pavilion. The exhibition has been visited by millions of people, and the Australian pavilion is proving a very popular section of the Dominions’ exhibits.”
Although leatherwood was now an established honey in many areas it was still not being worked to capacity. Beekeepers such as Robert Stephens of Mole Creek were defeated in their efforts to obtain this honey through bad roads, poor transportation and World War II. During the 1930’s and 1940’s leatherwood was still being advertised locally; in 1935 a 60lb tin for 60s; in 1945 1s per lb; in 1947 a 60lb tin for £2; and in 1950 in the same 60lb tin was down to 35s.
The leatherwood honey industry began to move forward during the 1950s, with more producers, more markets and more recognition. Today leatherwood honey is known and loved the world over. This description of Leatherwood honey is from the United Kingdom: ‘Honey that deserves a second look- this is what Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey is. After mentioning this honey in a previous post, I thought it was worth another glance as there is more to this exceptional honey than meets the eye. Originating from the flowering parts of Tasmanian Leatherwood trees, this resplendently unique tasting honey may be the last of its kind. I never anticipated that such superlatives could be used in describing, of all foods honey, but this one is certainly worth every adjective it is embellished with. You might say this is a saccharine romance, and indeed it is. With a honey so rare and so irreplaceable, I would even go as far as to say that this needs to be on your list of flavours to try before you die. Yes, put this on your list alongside truffles, Pierre Hermé desserts and possibly, purely out of interest the durian fruit, but nonetheless, this honey is a must.’
And in 2018 from ‘Atlas Obscura’: “The word Australia tends to bring to mind hot, dry land - quite possibly the furthest thing from a rainforest. But in Tasmania, Australia’s island state, temperate rainforests foster an unusually spiced honey. Leatherwood honey has a savoury profi le that catches tasters by surprise. It’s the flowering leatherwood tree that gives this honey it’s unique taste. It’s sharp, musky flavour was once considered too strong to be desirable, but tastes have changed.
In 2015, the Apimondia International Congress named a leatherwood honey the best tasting honey in the world. Demand for leatherwood honey is high, with around 1,000 tons produced each year. A big portion heads to Asia, where it’s considered antibacterial and an immune system booster, much like it’s other antipodean counterpart, manuka honey. But some years, there’s simply not enough of the product to export. After all, even as leatherwood honey’s profile is rising, the leatherwood trees themselves are falling.’
Editors Note: Leatherwood is one of the truly iconic Australian honeys, known throughout the world, and ranking with the mainland Yellow box and Red gum for popularity. The ABK thanks Liz Douglas for permission to reprint this fascinating account of not only the struggle to export Leatherwood honey to the world, but also the development of the apiary industry in Tasmania.)
