John Giumelli interviewed by Karen George in the Apples and pears oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 4852758
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Giumelli, John, 1942-2010, interviewee
- Online Access:
- National Library of Australia digital collection item.
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 2010
- 3 sound files (ca. 283 min.)
- Series:
- Apples and pears oral history project.
- Summary:
-
John Giumelli talks about his family background; the property, Pickering Brook; Italian migration; his father's life; mother's life, their marriage; WWII; the Repertory Club, St Georges Terrace; clearing land; steam machinery; developing the orchard, apple varieties grown, apple grading; fruit fly; structures on the property; his childhood home; siblings; advent of the train line and transporting fertilisers; irrigation; poultry farming; orchard labourers; building of commercial cool store (1951); father's involvement in machinery sales; planting; land acquisition; father handling fruit for export from cool store, sourcing fruit from growers and preparing it for shipment; growing stone fruit in 1952; procuring fruit for export; installation of phones in early 1950s; developing big cool storage business; apple labels; fruit inspection; transporting fruit; War Service land settlement; tractors; dam clearing; cultivating; spraying; picking, grading; pruning; drainage; attending University; working as a chemist in Perth for two years; convincing father to let him come home; shed building; a land holding with small orchard at Carmel, draining swamp land; Blue Moon Cool Stores; fertilisation; pear growing; the Black Knight brand name; Wesfarmers; building the cool store (1966), changes in sizes of cool rooms with advent of forklifts; cold storage, European methods; export of fruit, containerisation.
Giumelli doscusses establishing the new cool store business; selling chemicals, fuel and equipment; Affron cherry pickers; selling materials for trellising and other equipment; pruning, spraying; Department of Agriculture; his marriage (1966), his children; impact of collapse of export to Britain; the introduction of the Tree Pull scheme; growth of trade in stone fruit and stone fruit export; overseas travel; involvement with Sumich; supplying fruit to mining camps in the North west of W.A.; export to SE Asia; his father's death; his involvement with Australian Apple and Pear Growers Association (from 1973); standardising boxes, pricing, shipping; applying for export Development grant; ice storage for Christmas celebrations as extra income earner; loading and storing fruit for export; introduction of forklifts; taking up new orchards at Pickering Brook and Karragullen; personal illness (1990); selling off part of properties; Controlled Atmosphere Storage; Smart fresh; reflects on career; the success of merchandise and machinery part of business; personal fulfilment.
- Notes:
- Recorded on 18 May 2010 in Carmel, W.A.
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (13 p.)
- Subject:
- Occupation:
- Farmers
- Other authors/contributors:
- George, Karen, 1962-, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Apples and pears oral history project.
This collection contains 14 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2080 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 2010
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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