Starting Out

Merlin's Grove is situated in a beautiful little valley west of York, in Western Australia. York was named by the earliest explorers after the city of York in England, as the rolling hills and rocky outcrops reminded them of home. York was the first inland town settled in WA (in 1831), and was needed to supply food for the growing Swan River Colony.

The land on which the grove is now situated was mainly used for sheep and cropping - mostly wheat and hay. 25 acres of land had been cleared and there was 75 acres of bush.

There are many varieties of native birds here, and kangaroos roam the natural bush and sometimes over the olive grove too, nibbling here and there, or knocking over the odd tree in passing! We have a strict NO GUNS policy, and are learning to share our olives with the local fauna.

The picture on the left shows the grove in winter 2002 prior to preparation work for planting of the trees.