THE FARM
100 Years of Oranges
in the Dooralong Valley
The first orange trees on this land were planted in 1907 by the Daley family, 260 trees across 164 acres. In 1914, the orchards were so productive they returned £100 per acre, a remarkable sum when a Sydney house cost around £2,500.
The Ditton family purchased the farm in 1918, arriving from the Tamworth district by ox cart. Three sons helped their father expand the orchards, felling timber on site to clear the land. The family became woven into the fabric of Dooralong life — four Ditton brothers played for the local cricket team, and Les Ditton famously caught Sir Donald Bradman on the boundary of the Dooralong oval when Bradman toured the valleys to raise money for charity.
from then to now
Our Story
Les Ditton took ownership from his parents and in 1953 won a statewide competition for the best orchards in his age group. A year later, he built the 4-million-gallon dam that still irrigates the trees today, sitting 200 metres to the west of the orchard.
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The Harris family purchased the farm 30 years ago, when it comprised 7,000 trees across 30 acres, navels, Valencias, lemons and grapefruit, supplying the Sydney markets via a packing shed at the end of Dittons Road.
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Jack and Kay Schlachter bought the 164 acres in 2011. Now the last citrus orchard in the valley, the trees are tended with genuine care. They're fertilised twice a year, pruned after each harvest, and never sprayed with chemicals. Some are believed to be over a century old and still bearing fruit.
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Seven years ago, roadside honesty-box stalls proved so popular that Jack and Kay launched the Pick Your Own experience in 2017. It's grown every year since, and we hope to see you here this season.
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More Than Just Oranges
A full day out for the whole family
A lot has changed in the Dooralong Valley since those first 260 trees were planted in 1907. The dairies are gone. The packing sheds are gone. The other orchards are gone. But this one is still here, still pruned by hand, still never sprayed, still producing fruit that tastes the way oranges are supposed to taste.
When you visit, you're not just picking fruit. You're walking through a living piece of local history, among trees that have been standing longer than most of us have been alive.
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We hope you'll come and experience it for yourself. Bring the kids, bring the dog, bring a picnic blanket and leave with a bag of oranges you'll be talking about long after they're gone.