Australian Subtropical Coffee Association

Australian Subtropical Coffee Association on Australia’s home-grown history

“You grow coffee in Australia?” I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve been asked this question.  For the record, yes, we do. The first coffee seed arrived with the First Fleet around 1788, but it did not survive in the harsh climate of Port Jackson in Sydney Harbour. However, there were many efforts to establish coffee in the warmer climates of the northern rivers of New South Wales and Queensland. Back in 1889, almost 130 years ago, the North Coast of NSW actually exported 83,066 pounds or 37.71 tonnes of raw and prepared coffee, all picked by hand.
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