fruitcratelabels.com
Australian and Tasmanian
Apple, Pear & Citrus (and Can) Labels
Crate Labels were used around the world for most of the past century. This is especially true in Australia and Tasmania.
In Australia, a great many commercial orchards labelled their fruits and vegetables packed in crates, just as in America. There are several serious collectors in Tasmania and in Aussie proper. Perhaps the leading collector was Ray Harrison of Franklin Tasmania (rest his soul), whose collection of Aussie labels numbers in the thousands (so does his global collection). I had the good fortune to meet Ray in 1984, and we have been trading ever since. Australian / Tasmanian labels are plentiful, beautiful, and feature Australian themes, like wildlife, geography, local culture and hundreds of other subjects. There is even a book about to be published on the subject, featuring pictures and great historical information. Today, collectors in Washington, Oregon, California and Europe, actively collect Aussie labels. As collecting interest broadens, so do the numbers of label types people are starting to collect. Among the newest types of labels to gain recent popularity, are apple, pear and citrus labels from "down under."
Label production and use have in many ways parallelled that of American labeling practices. Prior to 1986, very little was known in the U.S., about Australian fruit labels. Australia and Tasmania have long standing fruit growing and wine industries in several regions. They have labels for many other agricultural products as well. Surprisingly, many labels date back to the late 1910s and 1920s and are very similar to American labels, in many ways. At present a book is being ompleted about "Aussie" labels, which may illustrate many hundreds. Currently there are over 2,000 labels known from Australia and Tasmania for apples, oranges, pears and lemons alone. Some are quite rare, others are easily available.
A number of printers and lithographers created these labels throughout the decades. Most of the labels making up the "body of collectible material" from "down under" are relatively inexpensive, and worth having in any good label collection or stock.
AUSTRALIA Proper -- Fruit growing has been centered around several regions of Australia. These are the southern reaches of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, near Perth.
TASMANIA (the island) -- Tasmania has been renowned for its fruit crops since the turn of the century. In the early 1900s, the British market was opened and a great deal of attention was devoted to the industry. In 1905, there were over 18,000 acres under production for apples, pears, apricots, plums, cherries and peaches. The crop for apples in that year was 1.1 million bushels of apples, and 75,000 bushels of pears alone.
There is now (2006) a new color book available about Australian labels!! To learn about it visit: www.applesfromoz.com or click this link <aussie book>
"Apples","big label w/ 2-grn, 2-red apples","8"
"Beautiful Isle","ocean cove w/ sailboat, orchard, roof","","12"
"Beautiful Isle","ocean cove w/ sailboat, orchard, roof","","15"
"Blue Ribbon","title in long blue ribbon","Murrabit","4"
"Boomerang","boomerang w/ title spinning over apple","h","20"
"Bright Star","orange star ulhc;oran ribbon; 2 orans","Melbourne","10"
"C.P. & Co.","red/wht/blu flag on pole; clouds","Hobart","8"
"Calvert Pack","ylo script title over 2 golden pears","South Arm","5"
"Cock","black rooster standing on fruit crate","Hobart","9"
"Ercot","blk title in center 2 pears on left","Hobart","8"
"Fancy Apples","block lettering in two colors on white","Red Hill","6"
"Haven","blue title above water,pier,boat,bldg, aps","","15"
"Ideal","Crate of pears w/ label repeating","","10"
"Illawarra","tall yellow label w/ bird in apple tree","Karragullen","50"
"It's A Geest Product","map of Tasmaina on ocean; 4 apples","","14"
"J.G.S.","title in shield; apples/leaves; ribbon top","Huonville","15"
"Jeftomson","man in map of Aussie; 6 oranges above","","8"
"Jeftomson","4 red, 3 grn apples above title on green","Hobart, etc...","6"
"John Peel","Man in riding clothes in front of orchard","Cygnet","14"
"K","red title on left of apple/leaves; box","Castle Forbes Bay","12"
"Mountain Maid","limb w/ apples over orchard, hills, clouds","Batlow","10"
"Murray Valley","rolling orchards, trucks on road; crate","Tocumwal","38"
"Orient","map of orient; white passenger ship, ocean","Hobart","10"
"P.H.F.","title in ylo shield on blu, starry sky","Hobart","7"
"Page","Smiling page boy w/ tray of apples","Huonville","45"
"Peacock","peacock pearched on grn pear on white","Hobart","7"
"Pinnacle","ship in port; bldgs; hills; mtn behind; ap","Hobart","16"
"Pinnacle","sailboats off Salamanca pier; hills; mtn","Hobart","35"
"Poppy","Flowers on left; fruit and leaves centre","","12"
"Port Huon","ylo title on dark blue label; limb, apple","","8"
"Red Moon","red title & moon above ylo ribbon/pears","Hobart","8"
"Red Moon","red title & moon below 2 apples/leaves","Hobart","14"
"Red Ribbon","red ribbon over thin gold bowl of citrus","Hobart","14"
"Red Ribbon","title on long red ribbon over 2 red apples","Hobart","12"
"Rivasun","yellow label w/ quality seal, 6 oranges","Adelaide","6"
"Rivsam","map of Aussie, 5.5 oranges, red on blue","Berri","5"
"Rostrevor Estate","pears in center of blk/blu target on grn","Triabunna","22"
"Samor","grn label w/ map of Aussie; oranges","Berri","5"
"Soccer","kangaroo and Emu kick fruit; blue ribbon","Perth","24"
"Southoss","orange title over map-Aussie; or/pr/ap","Adelaide","15"
"Star","17 big stars on blue sky background","","10"
"Stoneleigh Apples","home; sign post; lawn; apple above","Geeveston","38"
"Stork","white stork flying w/ basket of apples","","8"
"Sunny South","title above brn mtn, w/ 2 red apples/lvs","Hobart","15"
"Tasman","ylo title on red; ship on waves; 2 oranges","","15"
"TOP","title over map of Tasmania in circle; aps","Hobart","10"
"White Swan","white swan w/ 4 cygnets on pond. Great!","Cygnet","35"
"YVL","ylo title on map of Tasmania; 4 pears","Sidmouth","15"
Page last updated jan 06