The Macadamia: Australia’s Gift to the World

Description

The Macadamia: Australia’s Gift to the World is the story of a delicious nut and the first Australian plant to produce an international food.

Ian McConachie AM is a pioneer and leader of the Australian macadamia industry and an acknowledged authority on the macadamia. He draws on a wealth of material collected over decades to tell the story of the macadamia nut and the industry it supports.

After describing the evolution and habitat of macadamias, he considers the relationship of Australia’s Indigenous peoples with the species. He traces the discoveries and experiences of early European botanists and pioneering farmers in the nineteenth century through to the first attempts to establish commercial ventures. With a nut so hard that new machines had to be invented to crack them, many innovations have been needed to successfully grow macadamias as a horticultural crop. Ian records how increased investment by farmers, factory owners and marketers after World War II led to an expansion of macadamia plantings, with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company and the Australian Macadamia Society contributing significantly to the development of a modern industry. He describes how macadamias have spread to over 40 countries and offers ideas and insights for the future success of the growing macadamia industry.

‘This is a story with it all: heroes, villains, wrong turns and lost ways, new inventions, David and Goliath battles over international trade, and colourful characters – some with a utopian vision, others perhaps driven by the dream of a quick profit.’

     Jolyon Burnett, Former CEO Australian Macadamia Society