Oil on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the front.

Not far from my home is a grove of old beautiful olive trees. They are so old and gnarled and simply wonderful.

Olives have been grown in the Adelaide Parklands since 1837.

The grove near my place is in the Parklands at Mann Terrace and were planted in 1856. In 1862 olive trees were planted around the Old Adelaide Goal to provide employment 'of a suitable character' for the 'light-sentenced' prisoners and to generate some income. They are still producing abundant fruit today.

By 1875 it was reported that there were about 30,000 trees planted in the parklands surrounding Adelaide.

South Australian olive oil was exported to all states in Australia, New Zealand and London.

The Adelaide Parklands olives are considered unique on a global scale.
Nowhere else have olives been cultivated to such a large extent on public or community ground.

Some consider the historical presence of the olives in Adelaide today should be used for Adelaide to reclaim its title of the 'Olive capital of Australia'.