In the years proceeding World War 1, there was a push towards the primary industries and farming, with governments encouraging growers to market produce in a unified and effective method. The establishment of associations and boards, as well as the pooling of goods was part of this push, and one which had already proven to have major benefits for the Batlow growers.

Batlow Growers had already achieved the benefits of a unified group, in area such as transport and purchasing. There was more support of a unified marketing and pooling of fruit as the number of orchards steadily grew in the district, with the eventual result being the establishment of The Batlow Co-operative Cool Stores Company.

20,000 shares were issued for the Cool Stores Company at a cost of 15 shillings each with the original shareholders: H.V Smith, A.J Arnot, A.E Herring, Charles Smith, G.M Arnot, J.H.G Hubbard, and E.M Herring.

A separate cooperative, the Batlow Co-operative Packing Company was formed in 1923.

In 1927, the Cool Stores and Pack House amalgamated to form the Batlow Packing House and Cool Stores Rural Co-operative Limited. The name was shortened to become the Batlow Packing House Co-operative Ltd in 1939 later to be renamed in 1967 Mountain Maid Foods Co-operative. It was November 2 1978 that Mountain Maid Foods Co-operative was officially renamed the Batlow Fruit Co-operative Ltd.

The Batlow Fruit Co-operative now represents 50 Australian growers who produce one million boxes of apples for market each year.

Historical Profiles

Oliver Courtland-Barberie
In the early 1900’s while teaching at Upper Adelong, O.C. Barberie noticed that the apple, pear, plum and cherry trees the miners had planted had been thriving without any attention.

Barberie wrote several articles to Sydney and Melbourne newspapers praising the high market value of Batlow apples, which he claimed had their own delectable flavour. It was through this promotion of the area that orchardists started to converge in Batlow in search of their fortune.

During his spare time, Barberie set about the arduous task of clearing and improving the land. He experimented with growing various fruits including fifty different varieties of apple and discovered that the varieties best suited to commercial growing were the Jonathans, Red Delicious and Granny Smiths. It was these varieties that Batlow was to become famous for growing in years to come.

Herbert Velvin Smith
Another influential newcomer to Batlow in the early 1900's was Herbert Velvin Smith.

Smith first came to Batlow in 1910 while attending Hawkesbury Agricultural College where he specialised in sheep and wool, no doubt inspired by his grandfather, who was for many years, the regional manager for a wool and wheat carrying and supply company.

Smith was in Batlow to visit fellow students, the Arnot boys and Courtland Barberie, son of Oliver, and liked Batlow so much that he accepted the offer of employment from the Arnot family. He established his first forty-five acre orchard “Velvin”, and in 1913 bought a property at Peel's Creek for £200, going into partnership with another Hawkesbury Agricultural College student, Sam Morse.

In 1914, he bought his second orchard, named Mount View. Within ten years he become a major force in the fruit industry, undertaking elements such as bulk transporting by rail to market, co-operative marketing management, establishment of cool stores in the district and the exporting of Batlow fruit to England and Europe.