Famous cold climate fruit town noted for its apples and cherries
Batlow is a charming, small and sleepy, town which is famous for its apples (Batlow apples are a byword for quality) and cherries. It has always lived in the shadow of the larger, and more prosperous, town of Tumut which is only 32 km to the north. Batlow was once a thriving centre when the local packing house, a place where the fruit from the local orchards was processed, canned and distributed under the Mountain Maid label, was central to the town's prosperity. Today it is a small service centre set in the beautiful low-lying mountains of the New South Wales south-west slopes and surrounded by cold climate orchards which produce apples, pears, cherries, berries and stone fruits.
Location
Batlow is located 446 km south west of Sydney via Tumut and 725m above sea level.
^ TOPOrigin of Name
Is it a perk of surveying that you get to leave your name on the places you survey? In the case of Batlow it was originally Reedy Creek but when a surveyor named Mr. Batlow laid out the town's street plan he also gave the settlement his surname.
^ TOPThings to See and Do
Batlow - Famous for Apples Brochure
There is a very useful, and downloadable, brochure at http://www.visitbatlow.com.au/f.ashx/2012101101-BatlowBrochure.pdf. It includes extensive information on the town as well as a useful map.
The Big Apple Peeler
The Big Apple Peeler stands in Wirrilla Park next to the town’s Literary Institute on Pioneer Street. It was created by Viktor Cebergs, whose company Site Specific Art, creates art for public spaces. His work includes the sculpture at the entry to Sale in Victoria, a room carved in ice at the IceHotel in Sweden, a snakes and ladders mural at Geelong and a series of metal seabirds on poles at the Sale Wetlands.
The Big Apple Peeler was created in 2004 using a 1.5 tonne piece of cypress pine which was cut with a chainsaw. The inspiration was Batlow’s long association with apples. The sculpture was damaged in 2006 and repaired by Cebergs shortly afterwards.
Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail
The Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail is a public collection of over 35 sculptures in seven locations across the Snowy Valleys. Sculptures by artists from across Australia and the world are being installed in the towns of Adelong, Batlow, Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma and the Tumbarumba wine region cellar doors at Courabyra Wines, Johansen Wines and Obsession Wines. The sculptures will be installed in three phases: 5 May, 2022, late 2022 and April 2023.
Over 20 sculptures were installed by 5 May, 2022 including:
• Adelong Creek Walk – ten sculptures
• Batlow – four sculptures and two shop art projects on Pioneer Street
• Courabyra Wines – two sculptures
• Johansen Wines – two sculptures
• Tumbarumba – six sculptures (including three sculptures installed in December 2021 gifted by the Friendship Society of Denmark, Australia and New Zealand) and one shop art project on The Parade
• Obsession Wines – one sculpture
• Tooma – one sculpture
The sculptures to be installed in phases two and three are being made specifically for the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail following visits to the area by artists.
The two interesting sculptures in Batlow are "Camel Country 14" by Japanese artist Koichi Ogino which is outside the Library in Pioneer Street and the amusing "The Kiss" by Danish sculptor Keld Moseholm which is near the Literary Institute in Pioneer Street.
Weemala Lookout and Flora and Fauna Reserve
Cherry Lane is located on the edge of town. It runs off the road to Tumbarumba and leads to Weemala Lookout which provides excellent views over the township and across the hills and valleys to the northern end of the Snowy Mountains.
Cascades Nursery
Located at 1 Forsters Road to the east of the town centre, the Cascades Nursery specializes in cold climate trees and shrubs. The nursery is open by appointment. Their excellent website notes: "Our extensive range varies in size from the smallest through to the biggest of trees. We start at some Maples or the perfumed Wintersweet which grows to only 2 or 3 metres tall. We also offer Lilacs and other Maples reaching 3 to 4 metres tall, and 'Kiwi Sunset' Zelkova and the exquisite Filicifolium Maple at 5 to 6 metres. At 8 to 9 metres, we can provide the ever hardy Robinia and Gleditsia - both perfect shade trees. Our largest are Elms, Oaks and Sequoias for the ultimate 'Big Tree'." For more details contact (02) 6949 1268 or check out http://www.cascadesnursery.com.au.
Goulds Nursery
Located in Kurrajong Avenue, Goulds Nursery specialises in Australian natives for cool climate gardens. Tel: (02) 6949 1098.
Fruit Picking Seasons and the Apple Blossom Festival
Between November and May, the Batlow area is alive with fruit pickers and it is possible to buy fresh fruit from roadside stalls and local packing sheds. Cherries are picked in November - December; berries from December to April; peaches in January and February; pears between February and March; and apples from March to May. It is worth noting that the Batlow Apple Blossom Festival is held in the third week of October. Check out http://www.visitbatlow.com.au/batlow-apple-blossom-festival.aspx for details
Other Attractions in the Area
Bago State Forest and Blowering Dam
An obvious starting point for any exploration of Bago State Forest is to download the map provided by the Forestry Corporation at http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/556764/bago-state-forest-map.pdf. It includes a comprehensive list of all the visitor-recreation sites, a clear indication of where the Hume and Hovell Walking Track passes through the area, and lists of all the toilet and camping areas. The Bago State Forest, a 43,000 ha forest of soft and hard wood with stands of alpine ash and radiata pine, lies to the south and east of Batlow and dates back to the 1920s. There are a number of pleasant walks and drives through the forest including the Hume and Hovell Lookout (on the Yellowin access road) which has views over the Blowering Valley and Blowering Reservoir. It also clearly identifies the locations of the Sugar Pine Walk and Pilot Hill Arboretum as well as the parks that line the western shore of the Blowering Reservoir. The roads in the State Forest are all unsealed and therefore more suitable in dry weather and for 4WD vehicles.
Pilot Hill Arboretum
Located less than 30 minutes drive from Batlow near the village of Laurel Hill, this arboretum features over fifty different species of hardwood and conifers from around the world, which were planted in the 1920s and 1930s. There are two walking tracks which traverse the arboretum and a forest of alpine ash. The trees are marked with their common and botanical names. There are picnic, barbecue and toilet facilities. Access is via the Bago Forest Way. For more information check out http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visit/forests/bago.
Sugar Pine Walk
Batlow declares this one of its best kept secrets. Sugar pines are hugely valuable native trees of North America which were planted in the area in 1928. They are the largest of all the pine trees. There is an excellent stand about 300 metres up Kopsens Road at Laurel Hill on the Batlow to Tumbarumba Road.
History
* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the Wiradjuri First Nations peoples had lived in the area for tens of thousands of years.
* In 1824 the explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell travelled through the area on their journey to Port Phillip Bay.
* By the early 1830s Thomas Boyd had settled at Windowie, a property north of the town.
* Gold was discovered at Adelong in the early 1850s. It was discovered in the Batlow Valley shortly afterwards and by 1854 a small goldmining settlement appeared. It was known as Reedy Creek .
* Reedy Creek was renamed after a Mr. Batlow, the surveyor who laid out the town's street plan. The primary function of the settlement was to service the surrounding gold mining area.
* By 1855 the first orchards had been planted in the district.
* In 1873 Reedy Creek Post Office opened for business.
* In 1880 a timber mill had opened.
* By 1900 more than 5,000 trees both for orchards and for timber milling had been planted in the district.
* The town was officially proclaimed in 1910.
* The railway (a branch line from Tumut) reached the town in 1923. That year also saw the establishment of the state's first cool stores in the town and the establishment of the Batlow Co-operative Packing Company.
* In 1927 the town's co-operative packing sheds and cool stores amalgamated to form the Batlow Packing House and Cool Stores Rural Co-operative Limited. This organisation was formed by district growers.
* The area continued to prosper through the 1930s with the introduction of cider manufacturing.
* The Batlow Packing Company provided both U.S. and Australian armed forces with dehydrated fruit and vegetables during World War II.
* In 1942 the first Apple Blossom Festival was held.
* By the 1950s the town had become a major centre for both the soft wood plantations and orchards. There were also experiments with asparagus and sweet corn.
* In 1967 the co-op was renamed Mountain Maid Foods Co-operative.
* By 1978 the co-op was known as the Batlow Fruit Co-operative Ltd.
* Today Batlow is considered the most important apple growing area in New South Wales.
^ TOPVisitor Information
There is no information centre in the town. The closest is the Tumut Region Visitor Centre, Old Butter Factory, corner of Gocup and Adelong Roads, tel: (02) 6947 7025.
^ TOPUseful Websites
There is a useful local website with information about the town, accommodation and eating. Check out http://www.visitbatlow.com.au.
^ TOP
The chainsaw fruit bowl was carved by my dad Fred Alwahan. Check out http://www.fredalwahan.com
For 7 years now we have had CiderFest a day long street party 3rd Saturday in May. On Friday Cider manufacturers and those interested come to Batlow for the Cider Conference. The Day after CiderFest we now have a ‘Living Food’ Conference.
We passed through Batlow last week and stopped at the cafe in town for a coffee. Blow me down, the lady made the best coffee I’ve had in ages. Unique pouring style and great cups were totally unexpected in what looked to be “just another country town cafe”. I’m from Canberra and no stranger to coffee too.
We are looking to organise a daytrip for the Cootamundra Combined Probus Club to Batlow.
Our outings are usually on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. We are thinking of 13th April. What attractions etc would be open on a Tuesday for a group of about 15-20 people?
Sugar pines have all been destroyed by bushfires.
In the late 1950s My Uncle Max Wagstaff spent many months, if not years, working as a Sydney based accountant, trying to drag the co op out of the mire. From all accounts, he succeeded, but not for long. Nevertheless, he formed lifelong friendships with members of the Batlow community. He also developed a love of fly fishing. Max was a better man for his experience, as was the extended family, who still retain a special fondness for Batlow.