With family roots extending back four generations, Olea Nurseries has been at the forefront of horticultural innovation since 1966. Specialising in the supply of premium fruit tree varietals, its reach not only extends across the nation but also saw more than 100,000 trees supplied into the Goulburn Valley this season alone.
Founded by Luigi and Angelina Bazzani, the business is now carried forward by their son David, along with his children, Daniel and Laura. Operating across 800 acres in Manjimup, WA, Olea Nurseries is now one of the largest fruit tree nurseries in the country, budding around 350,000 trees a year. It has also been instrumental in supplying the Goulburn Valley through its deep integration with national breeding programs and horticultural networks.
A founding member of the Australian Nurserymen’s Fruit Improvement Company (ANFIC) and a licensee with Fruit West, David has seen the family business evolve throughout its history, initially supplying olive trees and bare-rooted roses, through to standard deciduous fruit trees: peaches, plums, apricots, pears and apples.
Predominantly selling apple trees now, reflecting the ever-evolving shifts and turns of the market, Olea Nurseries was the first commercial nursery in the world to grow Pink Lady apples trees in 1986.
“Since this time, we’ve led the development of higher-colour Pink Lady strains, including Lady in Red, the best high-colour variety, which we first released in the Goulburn Valley in 2011,” David said, adding:
“We’ve also supplied key rootstocks to the region. One standout is CG202, from the USA, which supports any apple variety and can be replanted in old orchard sites without fumigation. It’s disease-resistant and helps reduce chemical use. We recently delivered 50,000 trees on CG202 rootstock to a corporate orchard around Tatura.”
As Olea Nurseries enters its sixth decade of operation, David is unequivocal about the solidity of his family enterprise, remarking that while he has witnessed numerous other horticultural businesses come and go, it has been Olea’s longevity as well as legacy that has enabled it to thrive.
“Farming is a long-term investment. When you build infrastructure, dams, irrigation and planting, you’re planning 20 years ahead. You can’t commit to that without someone to carry it forward,” David said.
