Riverland voices recorded in new citrus industry oral history project

A NEW podcast series is documenting the people and stories behind South Australia’s citrus industry, capturing memories and experiences that might otherwise be lost.

Riverland Citrus Stories features growers, family businesses and industry contributors reflecting on how citrus growing has evolved across generations – from early irrigation settlements through to modern orchard systems and changing markets.

The project is produced by Riverland podcaster Kerrie Lush, of The Podcast Station, for the SA Citrus Improvement Society, and is hosted on The Citrus Segment, the podcast of Citrus SA.

Kerrie said the aim was to preserve knowledge held by individuals who have lived through major changes in the industry.

“Many of these stories have never been formally recorded and so many have been lost in the past,” she said.

“While this series is not a complete history of the development of the citrus industry in South Australia, it’s a way of capturing a snapshot and the stories of those who are still with us so they can be preserved for generations to come.”

The series includes perspectives from growers, packers, processors and researchers, highlighting both technological change and personal experience - from hand-worked orchards to modern production systems.

Some of the stories captured so far include a tribute to the late Andrew Weigall, who established Yandilla Park, the stories behind the development of businesses including Nippy’s, Venus Fruits, and Ingy’s Citrus, and many more.

Funding from the Rex Andrew Trust, which is administered by the South Australian Citrus Improvement Society, made the project possible.

Episodes are released weekly and are available through The Citrus Segment podcast on major podcast platforms or on Citrus SA’s website (www.citrussa.com.au/podcast).

Riverland Citrus Stories episode summaries

Episode 1

Barry Philp and the development of SA’s citrus industry

Barry Philp, from PIRSA’s Agricultural History Group, provides a broad historical overview of how South Australia’s citrus industry developed - from early Adelaide plantings to Murray River irrigation, export expansion and structural adjustment.

Episode 2

David Ingerson: Four generations of citrus growth

David Ingerson shares the story of his family’s citrus business, Ingy’s, established in Berri in 1930 and now spanning multiple sites across South Australia and Victoria. David discusses the evolution of packing, irrigation and varietal selection, as well as the strategic move toward exporting around 80 per cent of production. He also reflects on the role of industry leadership, research partnerships and technology adoption in driving long term growth.

Episode 3

Jeff Knispel: From the family kitchen to a national brand

Jeff Knispel traces the evolution of his family’s Moorook citrus operation from a small vertically integrated packing business to a diversified enterprise spanning fresh juice, long life processing and citrus packing at Waikerie. The episode covers regulatory change, the development of the Nippy’s brand, food safety lessons and the ongoing importance of water security and scale in the citrus sector.

Episode 4

John Plush and more than a century of citrus growing at Winkie

John Plush’s family began growing citrus at Winkie in 1915, and later established their own packing shed, marketing fruit across Australia and into export markets. In this episode, he reflects on irrigation changes, bulk handling, pest management including red scale, and the increasing scale required for modern packing and export.

Episode 5

The Yandilla Park story: Recognising Andrew Weigall

This episode explores the Yandilla Park story and pays tribute to founder Andrew Weigall. Through interviews with former employees Phil Binder, and Steve Burdette, the episode looks at how Andrew helped grow Yandilla Park from a small citrus property into a major horticultural business, while also influencing the broader industry through grower collaboration, marketing, export development, new varieties and staff development.