The Granny Smith apple, a well-known export from Australia, traces its roots back to the efforts of Maria Ann Smith, an English immigrant who settled in New South Wales in the 1800s. Smith, alongside her family, acquired farmland in Eastwood, Sydney, where they engaged in orchard farming. According to Janice Eastment, former president of the Ryde District Historical Society, "most of that area was farmland until it was swallowed up by encroaching suburbia and urban growth."
The propagation of the first Granny Smith apple is attributed to a discarded crab apple from a local market that sprouted in Smith's backyard. As noted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, this was a "chance seedling in Granny Smith's backyard." Daniel Tan from the University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences explained that the apple likely resulted from a hybridization between Malus domestica and Malus sylvestris, originating from a natural seedling.
Professor Tan, residing nearby, learned about the apple's story through the City of Ryde's Granny Smith Festival. Eastment shared that international visitors often tour Granny Smith's gravesite in Ryde, expressing surprise at the connection to their favorite apple. Although Smith passed away in the early 1870s, her family continued cultivating the apple. Local orchardists later exhibited it as 'Smith's seedling' at agricultural shows, leading to its recognition. By 1895, a NSW Department of Agriculture fruit expert designated the Granny Smith apple as suitable for export.
Today, the Granny Smith is a predominant commercial variety in Australia and enjoys international popularity. Professor Tan highlighted its connection to other apple varieties like Pink Lady and Jazz, noting its distinct green skin due to chlorophyll presence. The City of Ryde celebrates this legacy with the Granny Smith Festival, now in its 40th year, drawing approximately 100,000 attendees annually. Mayor Trenton Brown remarked on the festival's role in preserving community heritage and the apple's historical significance. "It's quite a big deal for our community. It's good to keep the story alive and preserve our heritage," he said.
Source: ABC News
