camilo olives

From an apartment in Port Melbourne to transforming a grazing property near Teesdale into an olive grove: it seems an unlikely path, but it is precisely the route that Joan and Peter McGovern took when they created Camilo Olives. Their leap was all the greater as they had no previous involvement with the olive industry. Conversations with a friend who had connections to the industry provided the inspiration for Joan and Peter’s brave decision to establish an olive grove and produce their own olive oil.

Joan and Peter’s blank canvas was a 54 hectare grazing property with water from the Leigh River used to irrigate the trees. After initially planting Taggiasca, Koroneiki, Pendolino, Kalamata and Corregiola tree varieties, it took a further six years before the trees started producing fruit. From planting those first trees in 2002, they have developed a business producing award-winning olive oil and exporting internationally, including to high-end restaurants and providores in Japan.

In establishing Camilo Olives, the McGoverns were clear that they wanted to produce a world-class product and focus on developing export markets. Joan identified the difficulties in focusing solely on the domestic market, including the limited scale and a substantial number of competing brands.