historic passionfruit industry

In 1935 Manly Vale Fruit Products Ltd., a Sydney based company, began to purchase passionfruit from a number of local growers. Passionfruit had always been growing wild in the bush but by the mid 1930s organised commercial production was underway.

The company built a factory in Burnt Pine to process the fruit and many locals invested in the new industry, planting large numbers of vines. Unfortunately, the company ran into financial difficulties so stopped operations on Norfolk Island.

The islanders formed themselves into a cooperative, obtained a bank loan and negotiated a contract to supply their fruit to another Sydney firm, Cottees Ltd. Norfolk Island passionfruit pulp was then used to make the very popular Passiona drink that made Cottess famous. Cottees eventually closed during WWII and relocated to Papua New Guinea where labour and costs were cheaper.

DAA PAESHANFRUUT INDASTRI

Iin 1935 Maenli Viel Fruut Prodakts Ltd., wan Sidni biest kampni, begena bai de paeshanfruut fram sam o’ dem loekl groewas. Paeshanfruut orlwes bin groe wail iina bush bat bai daa mid 1930s orgaenais kohmershl prodakshan se andawieh.

Daa kampni bild wan dem faektri iin Ban Pain fe proeses dem fruut en plenti loekls invest iin daa nyuu indastri, planten plenti wains. Anfortyunetli, daa kampani ran iina fainaenshl trabl soe dem stopa oparieshans orn Norfuk Ailen.

Dem ailendas mek demsealv iintu wan koeopratiw, geten wan behnk loen en negoeshiyieten wan kohntraek fe saplai dems fruut gen wan nada Sidni ferm, Kotiis Ltd. Dem yuus dem Norfuk Ailen paeshanfruut palp fe mek dems popyula Paeshioena drink wathen bin mek Kotiis fiemas. Kotiis eventyuli lloes dyuuren WWII en shef gen Paepyua Nyuu Gini said dem lieba ena kohs es chiipa.