About ASHBOLT Farm.

A lifetime commitment

ASHBOLT Farm has been in the ASHBOLT family since 1906, when Robert’s maternal great grandfather Cecil Walker fell in love with its special beauty and set up a family retreat and apple farm there. Read an excerpt from Cecil's diary (part of his extraordinary travels and adventures).

Since 1980, we (Robert and Anne Ashbolt) have been managing our 375 hectare mixed farm which lies in Tasmania’s picturesque Derwent Valley, 50 km upstream from Hobart.

Originally farming cattle, sheep, goats, cereal and potato crops, concern for the soil saw us switch our focus from sheep and cropping to a high-value, low-impact sustainable agricultural system of farming.

We wanted to cause minimal disturbance to our soils and were fascinated by the opportunity to develop the farm into one based on heritage trees with an historical connection to health.

In the late 1990’s we started planting our first olive grove, followed by an elderflower grove. We already had a micro orchard of heritage fruit trees which we now use to produce a range of fruit wines.

2007 Slow Food Shared Harvest Day

Anne and Doggins in the first olive grove

Elderflowers in flower

Summer in the Derwent Valley

Ashbolt Olive Oil

Albert the gum tree bathed in the setting sun

2006 Slow Food Shared Harvest Day

Olives in the new grove

The view north west across the new grove to the hills

Hand Harvesting Olives

View north from the verandah after a day spent harvesting

About ASHBOLT Farm.

A lifetime commitment