TASMANIAN LAVENDER FARM FACTS - Bridestowe Lavender Farm Tasmania Half Day Tour - Also Cradle Mt & Caves - Winery Tours - Wildlife - Tamar & Pipers Valleys - Bushwalkers Connections

French Lavender is produced at the Bridestowe Estate Lavender Farm at Nabowla in Northern Tasmania.
The Bridestowe Lavender Farm is one of the largest single plantations of true perfumery grade lavender in the world. It is the largest and oldest lavender plantation in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 80 years of botanical research and technical development in a pristine area of Tasmania has produced one of the world's finest true lavender oils.
Oil is obtained by the steam distillation of the fresh flowers of over half a million Lavandula Angustifolia plants (harvested once a year in January).
Is grown, harvested, distilled, bottled and despatched from the farm after a period of maturation.
Set the Australian Standard for True Lavender Oil (and is still the only true lavender oil grown and produced in Australia to meet that standard.) Standard Number 2114-1977.
Is virtually camphor free (camphor is an irritant and very strong note, not desired in an oil used in perfumery /cosmetic industries.) This characteristic also makes Bridestowe lavender a good flavouring (very small quantities give a subtle flavour with no unpleasant after taste).
Has many therapeutic applications (especially useful for skin conditions, as there is no camphor irritation). Research conducted around this country and overseas is examining the properties of lavender oil and its uses. Much of this acknowledges and substantiates that which has been known for centuries but aims to provide guidance in quantities and qualities for specific applications.
Is very strong and very pure, "a little goes a long way". Matures and improves over time (like a fine wine).
Does not "expire" if kept in coloured, (amber) glass or aluminium canisters, sealed from the air, out of direct sunlight and away from contamination with moisture.
Is always bottled/presented as "Bridestowe Lavender Oil". Be wary as there are oils on the market described as "Tasmanian Lavender Oil" which are not from Bridestowe. These oils are usually imported and bottled in Tasmania or derived from small, back yard distillation operations and are of varying quality and composition.

The two oak trees were planted in 1881, the original homestead burnt down
The plants are propagated by cuttings, which are planted in June/July/August
The botanical name for the lavender is "Lavandula Angustifolia"
It originates from the French Alps near an area called Grasse
There are 5 different genotypes, two for dried flower production and three for oil
The common name for the lavender is "French Dwarf'
One litre of oil weighs approximately 0.91 kg however this varies slightly
The boiling point of the oil is approximately 230 to 250 degrees Celsius
The flash point of the oil is about 72 degrees Celsius
The annual production of oil is about 1500 kg depending on the seasonal conditions
The bulk oil sells for about $300.00 per kg
The burners in the distillery run on diesel and use about 18 litres per hour each still
The temperature of the distillate as it enters the separators is about 50 degrees Celsius
The volume of water through the stills is around 3.2 litres per minute
Weed control - a pre-emergent herbicide is used once a year, the rest is done by hand using flat hoes
It takes a team of 6 workers one month to hand weed the whole farm thoroughly
The mountains you can see from here are Blue Mt, Mt Barrow & Mt Arthur
The lavender is harvested mechanically by a machine designed by Mr. Tim Denny. It rotates at approx 3000 rpm
After harvesting, the bushes are pruned by going back over the rows in the opposite direction, then the sides are trimmed using another specially designed trimmer
The name "Bridestowe" comes from a small village where Mr. Denny's wife lived.
We get one tonne of dried flower from 10 tonnes of harvested material
One hectare of mature bushes produces about 40 kg of oil
It takes about one row of mature plants to fill a bin (an average row being 180m long)
The tall cement tank holds 56,000 litres and feeds the stills by gravity
We are aware of the need to promote biodiversity and to achieve that we have preserved 30 Ha of bush and as well as a valuable wetland area
The soil type is a "ferrosol" or what used to be called kraznozem under the old classification; commonly called basalt soil

If you put all the rows of lavender together they would stretch from here to Hobart which is 270 kms. We have to walk that distance down and back, twice a year, which amounts to over 100O kms!
The farm produces on average, about 20 x 60 litre drums of oil per season.