Windback Wednesday - Davenport Olive Groves

Davenport Olive Reserve is a small reserve in Beaumont containing approximately 20 mature olive trees, part of Sir Samuel Davenport's original olive plantations which at their peak held over 14,000 trees.

The trees within this reserve were planted in 1864 and as the plaque at the reserve states "are retained as a memorial to the founding of the Olive Oil industry in South Australia". Samuel Davenport and Luther Scammel of Faulding's Pharmaceutical Company were energetic promoters of the olive oil industry.

Davenport's plantations were the largest and covered a wide area of the eastern foothills of Burnside. Along with the wine industry, the olive oil industry was a major area of growth within Burnside during the 19th century.