Reminiscences of a Fungi - John Miller

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi

The story of a community that mushroomed.

JOHN MILLER

Published By: JOHN MILLER
PO Box: 495 WINDSOR NSW 2756
 JOHN MILLER 2004
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written
permission from the publisher.
Every effort has been made to verify the information contained in this publication, however the authors would
like to state that any errors and omissions are not intentional and are regretted.
Please direct any additions or corrections to the publisher.
ISBN 0-646-43430-6
FIRST EDITION 2004
Printed in Australia by Hawkesbury City Council
PO Box 146
WINDSOR NSW 2756

Front cover: Betty Johnson, Sylvia Johnson and daughter Susan picking mushrooms from outdoor ridge beds, McGraths
Hill, NSW, 1960
Back cover: Top: Joe and Grada van Dorresteyn, Oakville, NSW, 1991 and environmentally controlled indoor Dutch-type
shelf system of mushroom growing in insulated panel sheds. Below: Exterior view of sheds
(Photographs are from AMGA archives, John Miller’s private collection and courtesy of AMGA members and their
families).

ii

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... IV
FOREWORD................................................................................................................................................................ V
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................VI
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GROW MUSHROOMS?........................................................................................1
THE EARLY DAYS ...................................................................................................................................................14
EUROPEAN MIGRATION TO SCHEYVILLE ........................................................................................................23
FROM THE FIELDS TO INDOOR GROWING........................................................................................................27
MUSHROOM GROWERS UNITE ............................................................................................................................74
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE ...............................................................................................................................78
FUNDING RESEARCH, PROMOTION AND ADMINISTRATION .......................................................................81
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMGA ADMINISTRATION, PROMOTION AND RESEARCH................................92
COMMUNICATIONS WITH AMGA MEMBERS .................................................................................................117
INVOLVEMENT OF GOVERNMENT, COMMONWEALTH, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ...........228
GOODS AND SERVICES OF THE MUSHROOM INDUSTRY ............................................................................253
COMMUNITY SERVICE.........................................................................................................................................258
THE TIME HAS COME FOR MY FINAL REPORT! .............................................................................................267
EPILOGUE................................................................................................................................................................285
APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................................................................288
APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................................................................292
APPENDIX 3 ............................................................................................................................................................297
APPENDIX 4 ............................................................................................................................................................299
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................................................247
INDEX.......................................................................................................................................................................304

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to express his appreciation to the General Manager of the Australian Mushroom
Growers’ Association (AMGA), Greg Seymour, for allowing access to archival records and photographs held in
his office at Windsor, which he has given approval to me to copy. He also provided valuable support from his
staff, Executive Assistant, Sherilynn LeFeuvre and Office Assistant Fiona Eyles in typing up in an intelligent
form, my rough hand-written manuscript.

I am very grateful to my daughter Robyn for assisting me with my first rough draft handwritten manuscript.

My sincere thanks to my wife Beryl who made an outstanding effort in assisting me to carry out the many
interviews with people from all over Australia. Her support and encouragement has made it all possible to
complete this project.

Special thanks to the many people we have interviewed and who have shared their experiences and trusted us
with their stories and photographs from the past.

The assistance of the NSW Agriculture in granting permission to reproduce material from the “Agricultural
Gazette” and “In the Service of Agriculture” and the State Library of NSW (Mitchell Library) in allowing our
research into their archives and copying the original book “Mushroom Growing Pests and Diseases” , published
by Raymon Mas in 1936 in Sydney, as a handbook for growers, is very much appreciated. The book is in their
possession for reference.

John Miller
Windsor, 2004

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi iv

FOREWORD

By Councillor (Dr) Rex Stubbs, OAM, Mayor, Hawkesbury City Council

Since the days of the first European settlement on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in January 1794,
farming has been a vital part of life in north-western Sydney. The importance of the Hawkesbury farms
can be assessed from comments by David Collins in his book An Account of the English Colony in New
South Wales. He has recorded for the month of March 1799:

“This fertile spot had, in some seasons, produced from fifteen to twenty thousand bushels of wheat, and
might justly be termed the granary of New South Wales”.

Hawkesbury farmers have always faced significant difficulties: from flood, drought, disease, competition,
market forces, economic depression, and so on. These difficulties have resulted in great innovation and
value adding. The first successful experiment in irrigation in this country was conducted by Lawrence
May at Pitt Town in 1826. Mills were established for wheat and maize crops. Boat building provided
transport of crops to the Sydney market. Tanning was carried on extensively at Windsor. Butter,
condensed and powdered milk factories, supported the dairy industry. Canneries were established to
support vegetable production. Agriculture in the Hawkesbury has had to “reinvent” itself every twenty
years or so, establishing new crops and new methods of value adding.

John Miller, in Reminiscences of a Fun’gi, accurately and passionately describes the history, development
and importance of the mushroom industry in the Hawkesbury from the perspective of an insider.

John has been involved in farming in the Hawkesbury since 1955 when he and his wife Beryl acquired a
farm at Sackville. He has personally experienced the effects of drought and of flooding. Many who have
never been reliant on their next crop as their sole source of income don’t fully appreciate the devastation
that nature bring through floods, particularly as occurred in Hawkesbury in 1956 when the river flooded
seven times. Not only is there no income but also the need to find capital to replant.

Along with many other Hawkesbury farmers, John turned to the mushroom industry, which had been
pioneered in this district by Roy Sanders in 1936, during the Great Depression.

John has also been actively involved in the Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association, the peak body
representing the growers, as its General Manager, during a time of great change and challenges.

John Miller has spent considerable time in developing this book, researching in great detail, and
interviewing many of the pioneers. His efforts have produced an outstanding work that, I believe, no one
else could have produced.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi is invaluable to anyone wishing to understand the future of agriculture in
north-western Sydney. It tells how mushroom growing has moved from its infancy to a scientifically
based industry which employs some 600 people and which contributes $300 million annually to the local
economy. It also tells “The story of a community that mushroomed”.

Windsor, 2004

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi v

INTRODUCTION

The following stories are dedicated to, and are about the dogged determination of old and new migrant
Australian men, women and their children to survive and prosper in the harsh environment of this land of
droughts, floods and bushfires.

They created a new farming industry with their bare hands. Through trial and error, and eventually scientific
research, they built a successful farming community organization in the Hawkesbury Valley and Hills districts of
New South Wales. The benefits of their initiative eventually spread to all states of Australia.

Ernest Roy Sanders was the “Pioneer Founder of the Mushroom Industry” in the Hawkesbury Valley and Hills
District of New South Wales when in 1936 he established the first mushroom farm in the area at Oakville.

On 26th January, 2004, Hawkesbury City Council, posthumously awarded Roy Sanders, who died in 1986, the
Australia Day Commemorative Plaque for establishing an economically and environmentally sustainable
agricultural crop to the great benefit of the district.

Ernest Roy Sanders
(1908-1986)

In 1936 Pioneered the Mushroom Industry in the Hawkesbury

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi vi

Chapter
1

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GROW MUSHROOMS?

People often ask us – how did you ever get involved with mushrooms? My entry into the fascinating world of
mushroom (fungi) growing was brought about by two environmental incidents - droughts and floods.

The first was when we were dairy farming during a devastating drought at Eastern Creek. It was very dry, the hot
scorching sun burnt our pastures to a crisp, and there was no water for irrigation. This prompted me to look
around the Hawkesbury Valley where there appeared to be an abundance of water in the river and the river flats
were fertile for growing crops.

The second incident was when we bought a farm of 100 acres

in the Hawkesbury Valley. In 1955, I first took my beautiful

young wife Beryl and our first child, Annette, who was born

on our dairy farm at Eastern Creek in June 1953, to live on the

fertile banks of the Hawkesbury River at Sackville where our

son Ken, was born in October 1955. It was about 20 miles

downstream from Windsor. It was a pretty little isolated

valley with lovely willow trees lining the riverbank. Our

nearest neighbour was about half a mile away. Our

farmhouse was of simple wooden slab construction with four

rooms and with a separate kitchen building with corrugated

John and Beryl Miller 1952 iron roof and fuel stove. It was built around the late 1860s.

Electricity had only been connected to the area about five years before in 1950.

There was a large English oak tree growing at the rear of the buildings, which was, according to Barney Morley, a
legendary old ex riverboat captain, planted by the early Governors who sailed up the river in the early 1800’s. It
took the arms of three men linked together to measure around the trunk of this great tree. Adjacent to the English
oak tree was an outside dunny (toilet) with a path and great views of the billabong and mountains!

“Pagewood” (c1868). Hawkesbury River Sackville, NSW. Flood February 1956. Flood water rising and drowning our crops.
water rising February, 1956 in front of house and packing shed “Pagewood”, Sackville, NSW

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 1

The farm was at that time growing citrus, stone fruit and vegetables. It was located on Pages Wharf Road at
Sackville, opposite Portland Head Rock, where in the early days, the ships would pick up produce from farms for
transport by sea to the Sydney markets.

We called the property “Pagewood”. With baling wire, I tied a sheet of corrugated iron on the front gate and
painted the name on.

It wasn’t until we moved there that our neighbours told us the area was called Mud Island. It didn’t look like an
island, even though our farm fronted the river on one side and a billabong on the rear section. The balance of our
land reared up to a rough rocky sandstone mountaintop that wouldn’t feed a bandicoot, however about 25 acres
was rich river flats.

There was a bare clay patch on the farm that was scoured out, which always intrigued me. The locals told me that
a two-storey house once stood there and was washed away in the great flood of 1867, when the Hawkesbury River
rose 63 feet high at Windsor. It was only the following year in 1956 that we had our first experience with floods.

We had had no previous experience with floods. It was eerie watching the flood waters gradually raise from the
river as it drowned our crops and came ever closer to our house. Fortunately, the water stopped rising before it
reached our front door. I could see my neighbours cut off downstream.

A friend of mine and I went up hill to Maroota to see if we could borrow a boat to get our neighbours out. The first
farmer on the hill said to me “you better be careful of those river people, they don’t like you interfering”. We
ignored the warning and borrowed a boat at Dargal and got our neighbours out of their flood-inundated houses –
much to their relief.

Our farm, together with many others on the Hawkesbury River,
was flooded seven times in that year. Every crop we planted was
washed away. This event was to change the direction of our lives.
It also influenced a lot of other farmers to move to higher ground
and try to grow mushrooms. They were sick of being flooded out!
The Hawkesbury Valley was devastated after these floods and
many of us were in financial difficulties, particularly as there was
no employment available.

The mushroom crop was to be our salvation, eventually

contributing to the successful financial and social structure of the

Ridge Bed Tool Kit. (A) Roy Sanders’ fork for hand families of the district!

compost turning; (B) Wal Hanckel’s ridge bed rammer; The basic needs to commence mushroom growing were a source
(C) Wal Hanckel’s spawning prongs of stable straw and manure for composting, a five pronged fork to

hand turn the compost, a watering can or pump for wetting the mix, a pointed stick or prongs for spawn holes, a

spoon to put the spawn in the holes, a shovel for applying casing, a picking/cutting knife and a strong back (this I

didn’t have!)

We were influenced to try mushroom growing by some of our neighbours who were fruit and vegetable growers
located around South Maroota and Cattai, who were finding that their farms were no longer economically viable
and were looking for alternative crops.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 2

Elva Hession (nee Hanckel) 1947. Picking 1950 – ridge beds being made by ramming Grahame Sanders with “Rinnie” the mouse
mushrooms off ridge beds, Oakville, NSW compost into wooden formwork by hand. catching dog - 1961

Formwork in foreground

Mushrooms were a quick cash crop and looked promising as an income producer. Most of us were living in fairly
simple dwellings at that time, such as slab huts or temporary dwellings like a garage or shed. Most mushroom
growers exchanged what little basic knowledge they had of growing mushrooms, although there were a few who
kept their cultural “secrets” to themselves. Our neighbours Eric Noble and Stan Thompson gave us every
assistance.

Mushrooms were mainly grown in the open on raised ridge beds, which consisted of a compost base, 18 inches
high and 24 inches wide base made from wheat straw or stable bedding with cow and a little poultry manure
added, covered in soil. The spawn seed was then inserted and covered with straw and hessian bags to stop the
wind blowing the straw off and drying out the casing soil. Snakes and mice would often shelter in the straw and
scamper off when the mushroom pickers lifted off the bags and straw to pick the crop. Mrs Elva Hession told me
that she took her cat down to get the mice when the bags came off. The cat would jump from bed to bed.
Grahame Sanders of Oakville told me that his fox terrier dog “Rinnie” was the best mouser ever!! Some people
grew their crops in old poultry sheds or any other farm shed that would give protection from the weather.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 3

Raymon Mas - 1936 c1933 – Raymon Mas’ Circular Quay Railway Tunnel with flat beds growing a mushroom
crop

Initially, in many other areas, old railway tunnels were used quite successfully because of their constant cool
temperature. There were Raymon Mas at Circular Quay in 1933 and Anne and Martial (Marsh) Lawson at Lilyvale
in c1953, the year their twin daughters Marion and Frances were born. Tunnels had their limitations though when
it came to insect, pest and disease control when new and old crops were grown in the same tunnel.

Our first attempt at mushroom growing was fairly crude. We knew very little about effective insect, pest and
disease control. A hard lesson was in store for us on these problems, as well as shed hygiene techniques.

We removed the equipment from our corrugated iron clad fruit-packing shed after the floods destroyed our crops
and commenced making compost for growing mushrooms on the floor of the shed. The open front of the shed
was closed-in with used hessian “Banana Special” fertiliser bags.

Stable bedding of straw and horse manure for composting was trucked in from Rosehill stables, for composting,
thanks to Peter Jones’ dad George and brother-in-law Maurie. The compost was turned by hand with a five-
pronged fork and watered with a watering can each turn for about four to six weeks. The water was carted up
from the river. I remember how refreshing it was to dive into the then clear water of the Hawkesbury at the end
of the day after hand turning compost! Flat beds six inches deep were then laid on the earth floor of the shed.

c1950. Barrell-type compost turner originally owned by Roy Sanders Peter Jones’ with his dad George’s ridge bed mushroom crop
at Oakville

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 4

Our mushrooms were sent by truck to
Edgell's cannery at Bathurst by Oakville
carriers, Mervyn and Colin Hanckel, and
later by Ray McKenzie from Maraylya.
We were paid four shillings a pound for
big flat mushrooms. A cheque was
received within a week of our
mushrooms being received. It has been
suggested that there were about 200
small mushroom farms operating in the
district at that time.

Edgells Cannery at Bathurst 1956. Ray McKenzie’s truck unloading Our river farm was eventually sold and
we moved to higher ground in the Hills
district at Baulkham Hills, where our
daughter Robyn was born in 1957.

We had a break from the mushroom

industry for a while and went into a new

family venture involving food processing

and marketing. This experience was to

prove invaluable when Beryl and I

returned to the mushroom industry in

1966; the mushroom mycelium was in

our veins and was eventually calling us

back. There had been great

technological changes since our first

attempt.

As previously mentioned, due to our

inexperience at that time, we had no idea

of the pest and disease problems we

L-R Ken, John, Annette and Robyn Miller were to encounter. Grain spawn seed
from Mr Robottom's laboratory at Castle

Hill was inserted in the beds and after a few weeks when the spawn had grown through the compost we would

cover the beds with soil from our farm. The soil in those days was usually sterilised by soaking it with

formaldehyde solution and covering it with bags.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 5

We were given good advice on this new technology,
namely, in phase I and two composting and cultural
practices by Roy Sanders, Wally Hanckel, Mary and
John Daley, George and Norm Johnson, Mike
Milczakowskyj, Rob and Geoff Tolson and Eric
Marland.

JH (Jack) Baker and his son JW (John) Baker helped us
tremendously with our new insulated urethane and
fibro panel shed design. Initially it had natural airflow
and was eventually air-conditioned.

Mike Milczakowskyj hand turning through a barrel or drum-type We built a new mushroom farm comprising three
compost turner – c1961 insulated panel sheds with 3,000 square feet of
growing bed area in each. It was a tray system with
combined peak heat, spawn running and cropping in
situ with a combined tractor fitted bucket and forklift
to fill and empty the trays into and out of the sheds.

Mike Koliagan from Oakville supplied us with stable
bedding straw for our compost which Beryl and I
turned, adding gypsum and poultry manure, and
watered through an elevator type compost turning
machine, fitted with a 5hp electric motor built by
Swinnerton Engineering at Oakville.

c1966 – John Miller with a front-end loader fed “Swinnerton” At the end of the composting we would have compost
elevator-type compost turner all over us, however, there was a little bird that nested
in our compost shed that would go for the insects and
sing. We joked that the bird was singing, “Isn’t she
pretty”.

John Cox and I had our machines built at the same time for a deal price of about $600 each. These were a great
machine that replaced the drum-type turner fed by hand by a five-pronged fork. “Swinnerton“ elevator and
spinner type machines were fed by front-end loader and had water spray nozzles above the spinner outlet. Our
backs felt a lot better after that purchase.

I’m thankful that I was taught how to make compost with
these new turners by spending some time working on the
compost slab with George and Norm Johnson at
McGraths Hill. We started early in the morning and
George’s wife Sylvia would make a great breakfast after
we finished turning.

A few years later, as we expanded, we bought ready 1970 – AMGA Promotion Committee Meeting at Miller’s
made custom compost from Eric Marland at Georges Hall. Mushroom Farm, Baulkham Hills
Eventually in about 1970-71 we became Graham Prices’
first customer who had a custom compost site located at 6
McGraths Hill. We could now concentrate on just growing
mushrooms at a more efficient level to compete against
cheap imports coming in from Asia, which were taking
over the cannery market.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi

Before this time, mushroom compost was made on site on every farm from Vineyard to Oakville, Maraylya,
Maroota and Kurrajong. From the 1950s, mushroom ridge beds probably covered many open flood free paddocks
in these areas (possibly hundreds of acres). This brought financial stability to the farmers and their families, whose
agricultural land was exhausted after 150 years of cultivation.

The mushroom industry created great employment opportunities for men and women in isolated areas where
there were no other industries. Fruit growing and poultry farming were no longer viable. Businesses prospered in
the Hawkesbury Valley, providing goods and services for this vigorous expanding rural industry. Farmers
diversified into mushroom growing.

Graham Price purchased his first automatic continuous “Cook” brand
compost turner from England in April 1970. It was invented and patented
in 1965 as the “Tasma Turna” by Gordon Griffen in Tasmania. This was one
of many that would take the backaches and sweat out of compost making
and improve the quality of the finished phase I compost.

Friendly Roy Sanders of Windsor kindly advised us on the type of steam
boiler and pipe set up for phase II peak heating and tray system of growing.
Roy helped a lot of growers get started.

The first peak heat we did with a steam boiler was terrifying. The

temperature got away from me and was rising rapidly above 140F (60C). I

wasn’t sure what to do, so I turned the boiler off, opened the doors, ceiling

and side vents, jumped in my truck and went and saw George Johnson for

advice at his farm at McGraths Hill. When I explained to George what my

problem was and what action I had taken in ventilating the room, he said,

“That’s what you are supposed to do when temperatures get away on you!”

It was as simple as that, according to George.

Graham and Stephen Price with new We used dairy thermometers poked in a number of high medium and low
“Cook” brand automatic composter turner

beds in the peak heat room and would have to physically walk into the

room and check them with a wet towel over my head. It was quite a sight when you would come out of a shed at

140F in the night-time with steam coming off the wet towel on your head. Our dog, Donna, who waited for me at

the shed door, would run off terrified at the sight. One night, the temperature was at 140F and the door slammed

shut and locked me in. Luckily my riding boots helped me kick out a side vent and escape. Unfortunately, there

are a few stories I have heard since of cats following their owners into a shed at filling and getting cooked at peak

heat time. There would have been a few unfortunate cooked cats rapidly buried before the children went looking

for the missing cat the next morning!

Spawn was purchased from various spawn makers such as Vince Pace, Ben Balk, Wally Klepetko at Parramatta,
Graham and Carol Price, who took over from Mal of Manning at McGraths Hill and Bill Wiese at Oakville.

We hand broadcast and mixed the spawn through the phase II steam treated compost, pressing the compost down
with a flat board with a person on each end hand pressing the board on the top of each tray.

Peat moss was used as casing material. Our crop yield averaged 3lb per square foot with an occasional 4lb
achieved. Only mushroom growers know the thrill you get when you see the pinheads of your first flush of
mushrooms come through and bank the cheque for a successful crop!

We had a contract with Big Sister Foods at Balmain, thanks to Wallace Hanckel, and carted the mushrooms in on
our own truck. 75% of the crop initially went to canning and 25% to Peter Jones, the leading market agent at that
time in the fresh markets in Sydney. When imports affected cannery prices and contracts were reduced, we
switched to 75% fresh market and 25% cannery if we were caught with a long weekend and large flushes. We

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 7

employed casual pickers. Thankfully, our children would help on the weekends and make boxes after school at
contract rates. Our son, Ken, learnt to drive the tractor fork lift when he was 12 years of age stacking the 4 x 4
growing trays.

On 3 February 1967, we joined the Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA). This was a great move as it
gave me the opportunity to meet and discuss mushroom industry problems with a dedicated and committed group
of experienced mushroom growers from diverse backgrounds, who loved the challenges the mushroom industry
presented to them. I always believed in people uniting together to discuss and share a common interest for the
benefit of all concerned.

Peter and Sadie Jones 1960 – Big Sister Food Cannery, Balmain

There were living legends at the meetings, like Roy Sanders who was one of the first to introduce mushroom
growing to the Hawkesbury Valley in about 1936. Through his unselfish sharing of information, he is considered to
be the “pioneer and founder of the mushroom industry”. There was also Fred Hession from Oakville, Roy’s
employee at the time assisting him; JH (Jack) Baker, the inaugural President of AMGA steering committee in 1961;
Peter Jones who ran a very successful mushroom selling and distribution operation in Sydney Markets, who also
gave me tremendous help in my public relations role in promoting sales later on - he initially taught us how to
market fresh mushrooms; and many other pioneering mushroom growers.

Peter started working on his father’s farm at Dundas in 1955 and started deliveries direct to shops. He sold in the
growers’ market from 1956 to 1960 and then moved into the agents’ markets. His wife Sadie was always involved
in the business. They are a great team. Peter joined A.M.G.A in 1962 and held many positions on the board. He
became Chairman of the board in 1969/70. He was awarded Life Honorary Membership in 1993.

There are a variety of views on the reasons behind forming the AMGA in 1961. However, the majority view
appears to be the sharing of information at meetings. The bulk of the original foundation members of AMGA were
still attending meetings and making valuable contributions to the future viability of the mushroom industry, which
was the objective at an inaugural meeting in forming the AMGA in March 1961.

There were about to be great technological changes to the cultural techniques of mushroom growing and
enormous marketing and promotional challenges ahead for these people.

In 1967, I was elected to the promotions committee, and became the Public Relations Officer on a part-time
voluntary basis from 1969 to 1971. In September 1973, AMGA members appointed me to the position of full time
Secretary and Promotions Officer. The position was created to relieve grower committee members of time-

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 8

consuming responsibilities so that they could concentrate on what they enjoyed doing best, and that was growing
mushrooms. In 1981, the designation was changed to General Manager, from which I retired in December 1992.
Jan Davis succeeded me in the position from 1993 to 1996, followed by Greg Seymour who became General
Manager in February 1997.

My dedicated unofficial and unpaid assistant until 1987, when one part-time lady (Judy Randon and later, Frances
Biggs) were employed, my wife Beryl, handled all telephone enquiries and orders for mushrooms for promotional
cooking demonstrations, with women’s magazine editors and home economists, while I was on the road dealing
with promotions, State and Federal government problems and mushroom research issues which NSW Agriculture
officers were of great assistance.

The AMGA national headquarters’ office operated out of our house and a shed on our farm, until it was moved to
premises in a rented house at 37 George Street, Windsor in 1987.

1997 – AMGA Office at John and Beryl Miller’s farm at 1987 – AMGA Office at John and Beryl Miller’s home at 37
Box Hill, NSW George Street, Windsor, NSW

The National Headquarters, of the Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA) is now located at 2 Forbes
Street, Windsor NSW in the Hawkesbury Valley. The office, which was purchased on 28th October 1988, is fully
funded by AMGA members. The first Board of Directors meeting was held there on 21st February 1989. The first

permanent staff were employed to assist with office duties. They were Sandra Gregg and Annette Bolenski.

L-R – Office Staff – Annette Bolenski and Sandra Gregg; Beryl Miller and General Manager, John Miller

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 9

In December 1997 (five years after my retirement), Greg Seymour, AMGA General Manager, requested that Beryl
and I carry out oral history interviews with over 70 men and women including AMGA members, officers of the
Department of Agriculture and University research personnel. I am sincerely grateful for their friendly and frank
comments.

There are many stories from the past about this dynamic rural industry that need to be told before they are lost. I
thought that I should record some of the threads of my own experiences and stories that have been passed on to
me by both the men and women who have unselfishly contributed so much to the Australian mushroom industry
and their community, in past years, and from historic research material we have collected.

Please excuse me if some of the stories are not quite accurate due to the many aging sources of information. As
much as we have tried to be factual, time does have an effect on our memories. At least we attempted to record
past events as accurately as possible.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 10

2003 AMGA Office, Forbes Street, Windsor
L-R – Maurice Coronel (Finance Officer),
Elissa Chin, (Admin Assistant), Sherilynn LeFeuvre and Greg Seymour (General Manager)

The following reminiscences may give future generations of mushroom growers some idea of the origin and the
deep roots of the Australian mushroom industry. It grew from a small community of farmers, usually husband and
wife partnerships, with the kids helping out, in the Hawkesbury Valley and Hills districts of New South Wales. Its
branches eventually spread to all states of Australia, uniting the industry nationally. Something that very few
farmer organizations in Australia have achieved.

It is the story of how a small group of dedicated and committed mushroom growers, although competitors with
each other, imposed a voluntary spawn contribution fund levy on themselves to raise funds to promote the sale of
their crop, fund research programs and through hard work, commitment and initiative, they built a successful
industry for future generations of young Australians to carry on.

We are now seeing second and third generations of mushroom grower families carrying on their hard won
heritage into the future.

References:
1. Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA) Minute Books 1961-1997.
2. AMGA Oral History Interviews, 1997-1999, John and Beryl Miller.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 11

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 12

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 13

Chapter
2

THE EARLY DAYS

The earliest references to mushroom cultivation in the colony of New South Wales (one year before Federation of
Australia) are to be found in “The Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales” at the turn of the century in 1900.

Volumes 10, edited by WH Clarke in 1900 and 13 in 1903, deal mainly with the home growing of mushrooms using
stable manure and straw. The spawn used was in the form of a brick possibly made from the common mushroom
Agaricus Campestris supplied by seedsmen in Sydney. The cost was sixpence (about 5c) a brick.

It is noted in these publications that up until now (1903) “not very much has

been done in the way of raising mushrooms for the Sydney market, the main
supply coming from paddocks, in which, at certain seasons, the fungi are to
be found in abundance, and at no cost beyond the trouble of gathering at
dawn. The demands of a big market, however, soon outgrow a supply of this
kind, because the mushrooms either become available in sufficient numbers to
glut the market in a favourable season or, when the weather is dry, are not
obtainable at all. It would certainly pay anyone having cheap access to large
quantities of horse stable manure to undertake the cultivation of mushrooms”.

c1936 – Dr R.J. Noble There is a huge gap on the subject of mushroom culture until 1931 when
commercial mushroom culture is beginning to be taken more seriously by
the next publication we found: The Agricultural Gazette of NSW, Vol 42, July
1 1931, pages 529-536.The 8 page article with the title “Mushroom Culture”
was written by Dr Robert Jackson Noble, PhD, Biologist, NSW Department of
Agriculture, whom I would suggest was the scientific father of commercial
mushroom growing in NSW and probably Australia.

In his opening paragraph on page 529, he makes the following statement:

“Practically all of the mushrooms found on the local market are those which have grown under natural field
conditions, and which are collected after periods of rain during spring, summer and autumn. Attempts have been
made to produce mushrooms under commercial conditions, but these efforts have not been uniformly successful.
Commercial mushroom culture is an old and well-established industry in Europe and in the United States. It has
been estimated that more than 15,000,000 pounds of mushrooms were grown in the United States during 1927.
These were used mainly in the fresh condition, but large quantities also were canned.

There is no doubt that opportunities exist for the development of the mushroom growing industry in this country.
Present supply is unequal to the existing demand, and it may be expected that an increased demand would result if
supplies of fresh cultivated mushrooms of high quality were more frequently available.

Successful mushroom culture requires constant and careful attention throughout the whole period of preparation of
the compost and subsequent development of the crop, and unless this can be ensured practically all efforts are
foredoomed to failure. As a matter of fact, it is somewhat difficult to provide proper conditions for successful
mushroom growth, although close attention to the necessary details will enable satisfactory results to be obtained”.

It would appear that Dr Noble took a great interest in commercial mushroom culture and the improvement of
spawn making. This is possibly the first publication for commercial growers. Up until 1931, spawn was made in
brick form from Agaricus campestris and Dr Noble reports that local growers have experienced difficulty in
obtaining spawn of satisfactory quality.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 14

In 1931, Dr Noble advised commercial mushroom growers that “pure culture spawn” has been prepared in the
laboratories of the Biological Branch of the Department of Agriculture and limited supplies of this material are now
available. An advisory service is also available for growers regarding the solution of any problems connected with
the culture of the crop.”
It is interesting to note that in the section of problems with diseases and pests, Dr Noble suggests, “These may be
overcome by a system of heating and fumigation, prior to spawning”. This was possibly the first attempt at phase II
composting!
The first large commercial mushroom farm we can find records for appears to be the then uncompleted Circular
Quay railway tunnel under the Botanical Gardens in Sydney. Interestingly, near Farm Cove where Governor Phillip
and the First Fleet settlers made the first attempts at Agriculture in Australia in 1788.

City Circle Railway Tunnel Entrance 1933

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 15

An indoor flat bed which cropped 3 pounds per square foot. At one period the mushrooms grew thick enough to obscure the soil and the bed from view.
They are of the English Cream variety, which grows quicker than the white or brown. They grow to a size more suitable for marketing than the
American brown, which easily grows so much that retailers will not buy them. Raised planks to facilitate picking can be seen in the background.

From Left: The Author (Mr R Mas), the Hon J.M. Dunningham (Minister for Labour and Industry), the Hon Hugh Main (Minister for Agriculture),
Mr W H Childs (Retired Commissioner of Police). In the distance (standing) – Present Commissioner of Police (Mr W J Mackay) , Solicitor
McQuiggan. Centre – Dr R J Noble (State Biologist), and Mrs Main. At the official opening on Tuesday July 18th, 1933.1

Raymon Mas, a Spaniard, set up his commercial mushroom farm in the railway tunnel, and it was officially opened
by the Hon Hugh Main, Minister for Agriculture on Tuesday, 18 July 1933. Mas acknowledges the assistance of Dr
GP Darnell-Smith, a biologist and Director of the Botanical Gardens, Sydney, and Dr RJ Noble, Biologist, NSW
Agriculture. Dr RJ Noble gave Raymon Mas technical advice on commercial mushroom culture and spawn making.
At that time, the NSW Department of Agriculture head office was in Farrer Place, Sydney, about 800 metres up the
hill from Circular Quay.

1 Quote from original newspaper article:- For the purpose

For the purpose of official records, the Author was unable to gather the crop at an earlier stage, consequently the mushrooms appearing in the
illustrations became overgrown; it is hoped that the reader will not be misled by assuming that they should be allowed to grow until the cap is
fully expanded.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 16

Raymon Mas set up a commercial spawn-making laboratory in George
Street, Sydney, to supply home gardeners and commercial mushroom
growers. Mas wrote a 64-page handbook in 1936, for mushroom growers.
The title was “Mushroom Growing Pests and Diseases” by R Mas.

Gordon Edgell and Sons, the Canners from Bathurst bought the spawn
making business from Mas in the mid 1950s to supply their own growers
with spawn. In 1958, Edgell’s set up the spawn laboratory in McEwen's
Arcade George Street Windsor. Wally Klepetko was the manager and Ian
Longworth assisted him.

The earliest commercial mushroom grower in the Hawkesbury Valley and c1958 – Ian Longworth and Wally
Hills districts of NSW was Roy Sanders the son of orchardist Henry Sanders Klepetko take over R Mas’ spawn
on Midson Road, Oakville who was born on 7th December 1908 and his laboratory for Gordon Edgell & Sons
employee Fred Hession of Oakville who had read an advertisement by R
Mas on growing mushrooms c1936.

Roy operated a farm produce transport business delivering into Sydney Produce Markets in the mid 1930s and
noticed mushrooms being sold. This was during the great economic depression in Australia. Everyone was looking
for ways to earn extra money. The fruit and poultry farms in the area were not economically viable and farmers
were looking for diversification into other farming enterprises.

Roy Sanders obtained spawn and cultural information from Raymon Mas in Sydney, who published an instruction
booklet for growers in 1936. The first crops grown were in the old galvanised iron transport depot shed on
Boundary Road, Oakville, under the truck loading dock floor, by Roy Sanders and Fred Hession. The mushrooms
were sold fresh in Sydney Markets for 1-2 shillings (10-20 cents) per pound with a crop yield of 1 1/2lb/square
foot.

Roy Sanders’ brothers-in-law Eric Hanckel started growing mushrooms on ridge beds in 1937 on the corner of
Saunders and Oakville Roads, Oakville, and Wallace Hanckel started in 1939 at Oakville in a shed on the corner of
Hanckel and Glenidol Roads. They all grew for the fresh market until the canneries started buying in 1953. Eric
Hanckel’s wife Evelyn (Sanders) and sons Mervyn, Colin, Len and Athol all worked hard on the farm until the end of
World War 2. In the 1950s they went their own way into various businesses.

Don and Nola Tolson bought Eric’s farm after he retired in 1978. Nola was Vic Sander’s daughter and Don the son
of Bert and Beryl Tolson.

Fred Hession returned from army service and he and Eric Hanckel’s sister Elva, who was married during the war to
Fred, started their mushroom farm at Oakville in Midson Road. Sometimes, I amusingly imagine, that there was an
unwritten bush law in the district. If you marry my daughter or sister, I will teach you how to grow mushrooms! It
is an interesting thought.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 17

During World War 2 the arrival of
American servicemen to Australia
increased the demand for mushrooms.

In 1942, Roy Sanders sold his truck and
general carrying business to his brother
Vic Sanders so that he could
concentrate on growing mushrooms.
In 1956, Vic sold his carrying contract
business with “Big Sister” to Mervyn
and Colin Hanckel, of Oakville, so that
he could concentrate on growing
mushrooms. It was hard, laborious
work, but a rewarding way one at that.

c1936 – Roy Sanders first mushroom shed, Oakville, NSW Suddenly mushrooms had arrived as a
gourmet delight, adding an appetising
quality to many meals. By 1953, Roy
Sanders was receiving up to seven
shillings (70 cents) per lb for his best
quality mushrooms at Sydney Markets.
His yield had increased from 1.5 to 2lb
(and occasionally 3lb) per square foot
of bed area.

The war was over and life in Australia
changed from the economic
depression of the 1930s pre war when
people had very little, if any,
disposable income or even a job.
There was now more money to spend
on the good things in life and plenty of
employment opportunities.

R-L – Fred Hession and employee John Stappart, hand turning compost, Oakville, NSW By 1956 Roy Sanders had three farms
growing 60,000 feet of ridge beds
mushrooms annually and employing ten men. producing 90,000 pounds of

With the expansion of the mushroom industry in the Hawkesbury Valley, men and women in isolated areas were
able to work on the farms. Builders, electricians, plumbers, chiropractors, physiotherapists, accountants, transport
and farm machinery people in businesses provided goods and services to this innovative industry. The farmers
were able to provide their wives and families with new decent houses to live in, with modern conveniences.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 18

1961 – Front L-R – Vic, Grahame and Nancye Sanders, Val and Uncle Roy Sanders 1966 Roy Sanders portable tray system at his new
Rear – Eric and Evelyn (Sanders) Hanckel farm at George Street, Windsor, NSW

From Front: Athol, Mervyn, Colin and Mrs Eric (nee Evelyn 1943 – Wallace Hanckel taking mushrooms in boxes to market on a
Sanders) Hanckel, Oakville, NSW motor bike

Shopping centres of Windsor, Pitt Town and Richmond prospered as these mushroom farmers and their
employees spent their hard earned money in the towns for food, clothing, household goods and farm supplies, and
eventually new cars, trucks and tractors.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 19

c1960 – Fred Hession’s indoor tray farm at Oakville, NSW 1999 – Hanckel Clan – Back Row: Len and Athol,
Centre: Wallace, Willy, Mervyn and Flo; Front: Colin
and Elva (Mrs Fred Hession)

1955 – Madge Sanders picking mushrooms off ridge beds at 1955 – Vic Sanders picking mushrooms off ridge beds at Oakville, NSW
Oakville, NSW

1967 – The Marriage of Two Mushroom Families – The Tolsons and The SandersL-R: Beryl and Bert Tolson
(Parents of the Groom), Nola (nee Sanders), Don Tolson, Madge and Vic Sanders (Parents of the Bride)

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 20

References:

1. The Agricultural Gazette of NSW, Vol 10, 1900 and Vol 13, 1903, W.H. Clarke.
2 The Agricultural Gazette of NSW, Vol 42, July 1st 1931, pages 529-536, “Mushroom Culture”, Dr Robert

Jackson Noble.

3. Mushroom Growing Pests and Diseases, 1936, R. Mas.

4. AMGA Oral History Interviews, 1997-1999, John and Beryl Miller.
5. “The Land” Newspaper, 26th September 1957

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 21

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 22

Chapter
3

EUROPEAN MIGRATION TO SCHEYVILLE

In the 1950s there was a great migration of people from Europe seeking freedom and opportunities and a new life
in Australia. We were very fortunate to receive many of these people in the Hawkesbury Valley at the Scheyville
migrant hostel and in private homes.

These hard working migrants made themselves available as casual farm workers and were picked up by farmers in
a truck each day to work on various farms and returned at night. Others walked to their employment, as they had
no transport.

Many of these people worked on mushroom farms turning compost by hand and picking mushrooms. This gave
them experience in the mushroom industry.

Eventually a lot of these migrants bought their
own land and started turning compost by hand
and growing mushrooms in the area. By hard
work, perseverance and the help of their wives
and families, we have had many successful
migrant people make a great contribution to
the prosperity of the Hawkesbury Valley and
Hills District.

c1961 – Mike Milczakowskyj ridge bed growing, Oakville Road, Oakville, Some of the early migrants to settle here were:
NSW Mike Milczakowskyj, known as “little Mike” and
his friend Mike Jacec, known as “big Mike”,
Adam Wosachlo, Gerrit (Gerry) Berenschot, Bill
Schulz, George Bargielowski, Dominic (Tom)
Daujotis, Mike Koliagan and Joe van Dorresteyn.

Joe van Dorresteyn told me that he went for a
walk one day, jumped over the back fence of
Scheyville hostel and down Hession Road at
Oakville past Gerry Berenschot’s farm in 1958.
Gerry saw him and called out “are you a
Hollander”? Joe replied that he was and Gerry
invited him in for coffee and a talk. Gerry was
hand-turning compost on his own at the time
and Joe stayed to help him. That was his
introduction to mushrooms.

Joe went on to establish a successful transport
business supplying raw materials to mushroom
growers and eventually operated his own
mushroom farm at Oakville in c1961. He joined
AMGA in 1965 and was a Director for four years
and is now a life honorary member.

Erika Milczakowskyj and her mum Maria Wenk, Oakville, c1961

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 23

Initially, he grew mushrooms outdoors in ridge beds, hand turning with one of two prized possessions; a pitchfork
for compost making and a Dutch shovel for casing the beds with soil. As each one wore out, Joe would try and get
one of his Dutch friends who were migrating to bring him a new Dutch shovel. Gerry Berenschot would loan Joe
his ridge bed formwork and teach him how to handle the growing methods. Joe in turn would help Gerry with his
composting.

Joe eventually decided to rent a couple of fibro American double shelf sheds and start to grow inside, as prices
were better for cleaner mushrooms. Billy Clark on the western corner of Oakville and Saunders Roads, and Eric
Hanckel on the Eastern corner of those roads were retiring and Joe rented their sheds for a few years. Mushrooms
were sent to canneries at first and fresh markets as the canning market declined.

Don and Nola (nee Sanders) Tolson bought Eric Hanckel’s’ sheds in 1978 and carried on growing mushrooms in
them for about another five years).

c.1974 - Bill and Karla Schulz with a load of stable bedding from c1973 - Dom and Lucy Daujotis, Oakville, NSW
Sydney Show for composting.

In 1975, Joe and his family got sick and tired of travelling from home to the rented sheds to work and therefore
built their new farm at 71 Boundary Road, Oakville.

A visit to Holland convinced Joe that a Dutch-type shelf system was the way to go. In 1984, Joe told me that he
had to toss up whether to mechanise the farm fully, like the new Dutch system, or go fishing! He decided he wasn’t
ready for fishing yet!

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 24

1984 – The first Dutch-type shelf system mushroom growing sheds in 1991 – Grada and Joe van Dorresteyn and their environmentally-
the Hawkesbury Valley, Boundary Road, Oakville, NSW controlled Dutch-type shelf mushroom growing sheds, Oakville, NSW

The roof of the original shed was raised to accommodate the equipment from Holland and the first Dutch

mechanised farm in the Hawkesbury Valley was operational in 1984. Joe was instrumental in having Pieter

Vedder, the professional mushroom growing instructor from the Dutch Training School, in Horst, Holland, to come

out and lecture us on the new technology. Joe has opened many doors for our growers who have subsequently

visited Holland. He was a director and part of the group that formed “Windsor Farm Foods” in 1975. (Originally

known as the co-op in Vineyard and later in Windsor), and in 1979 Mushroom Composters Pty Ltd at Ebenezer.

Gerry Berenschot arrived in Australia from Holland in 1953 with his wife Gertruda, daughter Wilhemina (known as
Willy who would eventually marry Mervyn Hanckel) and son John, who is still growing mushrooms, with his wife
Margaret, on the farm his father bought in c1957.

John has recently updated the original fibro American double shelf farm, built c1962 by Bluey Buchan, Jack
Haggety and Ian Stubbs for John’s Dad, to a mechanised Dutch system.

In 1953 after Gerry arrived, he lived in Roy Sanders’ father Henry’s old homestead in Midson Road, Oakville, and
share farmed for Roy for a few years before he bought his own land and commenced growing mushrooms on
outdoor ridge beds, which were a low capital outlay initially to get started. Later on, he eventually had an
American double fibro shelf shed built in c1962.

c1960 - L-R – Gertruda, John and Gerrit (Gerry Berenschot, Boundary Road, 30th November 1957 – Hanckel-Berenschot wedding. L-R –
Oakville, NSW Colin and Mervyn Hanckel, Willy Berenschot, Lynette, Narelle

and Nancye Sanders

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 25

2003 – John and Margaret Berenschot and daughter Kim in shelf shed with 1976 – Jonathan Berenschot (aged 3 years) asleep on a “Big
Dutch-system Sister” mushroom crate, while mum Margaret, picks
mushrooms in the shed

Gerry was a very kind, gentle man who helped a lot of other farmers start up with his great knowledge and
assistance. Gerry’s 10-acre farm was on the corner of Hession and Boundary roads Oakville, a part of Arthur
Wiese’s property, which originally extended from the corner of Midson Road to Boundary Road.

References:
1. AMGA Oral History Interviews, 1997-1999, John and Beryl Miller.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 26

Chapter
4

FROM THE FIELDS TO INDOOR GROWING

In 1953, a new factor entered the marketing field with the arrival of canners, Gordon Edgell and Son Ltd from
Cowra. Bill Needham of Edgell’s arranged to send a utility truck to Oakville twice a week. Roy Sanders and his
family relations, friends and neighbours who had joined him in mushroom production had an assured market. Or
so they thought at the time. They were FJ (Fred) Hession, JM (John and Alf) Hession, M (Mike) Jacec, RJ (John)
Daley and E (Eric) Hanckel. Mushrooms were to be supplied from April until November.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 27

Next on the scene were Big Sister Foods of Balmain. General Manager, Vic Macallister arranged a well organised
pick up twice a week - April to November.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 28

The price paid by canners in 1955 was about four shillings (40c) per pound, going up in 1956 to four shillings and
threepence (43c) for ridge bed grown mushrooms plus an extra sixpence (5c) per pound for mushrooms grown
indoors in sheds or tunnels which were free of straw particles. Straw and other foreign matter were causing
problems with the canning process.

Other canners eventually came on the scene such as Rosella, PMU, Tom Piper, IXL and Riverstone Meat Company
with the “Imperial” brand. This created a lot of competition for a while.

1999 – Mervyn Hanckel 2003 – Hanckel Brothers’ former “Big Sister Foods” Mushroom depot
for growers, corner of Hanckel and Oakville Roads, Oakville

Mervyn Hanckel of Oakville started carting for Edgells Cannery about 1954, picking up mushrooms from 20
growers in the Hawkesbury Valley and Hills District until about October 1956, when Ray McKenzie of Maraylya,
took over as carrier for Edgells. Mervyn then got a contract with Vic McAllister of Big Sister Foods at Balmain
picking up four times a week from twenty growers. Taking over the contract carrying business of Vic Sanders who
had the contract from 1953-56.

During the 30 years of the contract with Big Sister Foods, Mervyn in partnership with his brother Colin Hanckel,
had as many as five trucks on the road carting mushrooms and general carrying. In peak times of cropping they
would take up to 20-30 tons of mushrooms in for canning in one night. They would cart straw; casing soil and
empty crates back to the farmers in the daytime. Not much time for sleep in those days. The Big Sister mushroom
carrying contract terminated in the mid 1980s when mushroom canning ceased at that factory processing plant.

2003 – Ray McKenzies’ former “Edgells” mushroom depot for 1960 – “Big Sister Foods” Cannery, Balmain
growers, Boundary Road, Maraylya
29
Reminiscences of a Fun’gi

In 1956, most of the mushroom growers in the Vineyard-Oakville-Maraylya Cattai and Maroota area were growing
in ridge beds outdoors. They had to move to a new site on their farm every year to avoid pest and disease
contamination. Mat Mould disease became a problem by 1958-59.

Vic Macallister, General Manager of Big Sister Foods, or Lillis & Co. , as it was called in 1956, went to the USA to
study more modern mushroom growing and canning methods. George Hill took over as the buyer at that time.
Before Vic Macallister went to the USA he sent a note to growers suggesting, “Get into it! You would fill your cap
with gold if you strike a good growing season – sixpence (5c) extra for shed grown” (mushrooms grown indoors).

When Vic Macallister returned from
the USA and he had plans to
encourage growers to build what was
known as an “American double”
mushroom shed, a two level shelf
system of growing indoors, with a hot
water boiler heating the sheds via
pipes fixed to the walls each side.
Steam boilers were introduced later
for peak heating phase II. The idea
was to produce cleaner and more
consistent quality mushrooms.

Arthur Robottom of Castle Hill did

build one of this type of American

double sheds made from fibro sheets

in c1940s. Ken Powe subsequently

relocated it to Oakville in 1963. These

Robottom’s first American Double-type shelf shed c1948. Ken Powe, with his brother Ray, sheds were initially filled by

dismantled the shed at Castle Hill and re-erected it at Oakville, NSW wheelbarrows from the bottom shelf

up to the second level, and then by

hand throwing the compost up on to the top shelves with two people (male or female) with a corn bag.

In talking to people in the district, it would appear that the first concrete Besser Block mushroom growing building
built in the Hawkesbury Valley and Hills Districts was Mike Jacec’s farm at Maraylya. It was built c1959 by a block
layer who worked for Dominic (known as Tom) Daujotis. But Tom didn’t have the job of building it. However, he
built his own in C1963 in Bocks Road, Oakville. Mike Milczakowskyj thinks that Jacec used live steam for peak
heating.

A serious disease known as “mat mould” myceliophthora lutea was first recorded in 1958 according to John
Conroy in NSW Agriculture Bulletin “Mushroom Culture” No S17 of 1966 page 40. It seriously affected crops
grown on ridge beds, in or outdoors, if the compost was not peak heated.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 30

Dom & Lucy Daujotis - 1973 John Conroy, NSW Department of Agriculture

C1958 – Pixie Mushroom Co, Kurrajong, 30HP Donkey Steam Engine used for peak heating in sheds

I can’t accurately say who did the first peak heat with live steam in this district but, Ron Bennett of Pixie
Mushrooms, Kurrajong in c1958, followed by Mike Jacec of Maraylya (C1959) appears to be the most likely two
contenders for the initiative. Some growers did get close to, but not to 140F (60C) with hot water pipes and then
close the room and inject methyl bromide gas. Another method was setting up three buckets with a gallon of
formalin in each bucket. They would then have three paper bags filled with condy’s crystals, put their running
shoes on, drop one paper bag in each bucket and run like a rabbit out of the shed and shut the door as the mixture
activated a gas. Both methods were very dangerous and not recommended.

1961 was to be the beginning of a new era in the Australian mushroom industry and in the Hawkesbury Valley and
Hills Districts in particular.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 31

Ron Bennett and Mike Jacec’s apparent successful attempt in applying new technology to the growing of the
cultivated mushroom in an American double growing room with shelves was an excellent example to the many
ridge bed growers who were battling to combat Mat Mould disease.

The introduction of live steam to reach what we called peak heat, or 1966 – Roy Sanders and his new portable
temperatures of 140F (60C), having an insect air kill period of about an hour, 6x5ft growing trays, built by John Bonus
and conditioning the compost in a pasteurisation process, increased our yields of Ebenezer. Peak heated and mushrooms
dramatically. We went from 1.5lb to the square foot to 3 lb, on a fairly
regular basis, with an occasional 4lb, which was a great thrill at the time. The growing indoors
effect of Mat Mould on yield was effectively reduced. Roy Sanders built a
peak heat room with a steam boiler in 1960 when he moved into 618 George
Street, South Windsor with his wife Marian – to start a new farm with 6ft x 5ft
portable trays in fibro sheds.

They had three daughters, Lynette, Robyn and Narelle.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 32

An explosion in building purpose built
mushroom growing houses took place from
c1961. Ivor Broome, a builder from
Freeman’s Reach, had four concrete block
American double purpose built mushroom
growing houses, with shelves on two levels,
under construction at once in c1961, on four
different farms in the Hawkesbury Valley and
Hills districts. (His son Michael Broome now
runs a business called “Hawkesbury
Hydraulics” at South Windsor, servicing
mushroom growers’ equipment). The four
farms with new sheds were Vic Sanders,
Wallace Hanckel, Mike Milczakowskyj’s and
Bill Schulz.

1963 Grahame Sanders with his International truck loaded with stable bedding for Grahame Sanders had left school in 1960 to
composting. After getting good crops indoors a new Holden car at rear was join his father Vic Sanders on their farm on
bought the corner of Boundary Road and Maguire
Roads at Oakville-Maraylya. Originally
outdoor, then indoor ridge beds in a
corrugated ex army shed. They had mat
mould disease problems. In 1961, they were
one of the four American doubles under
construction with a steam boiler for peak
heating.

c1961 Vic Sanders original American Double shelf growing shed built by Ivor Other growers to erect American double
Broome. Note: Larger doors were installed later to allow fork lifting trucks when sheds in c1961 were Wallace Hanckel with
his wife Flo, at Hanckel Road, Oakville.
converted to tray growing. Wallace was a pioneer grower from 1939
when he first started growing mushrooms.
Before he started composting he started
excavating a dam in 1937-38 during a
drought. It took Wallace six months with
horses ploughing and then with a horse
drawn scoop to dig the dam. When it
eventually rained and filled the dam he was
able to start compost making. The water
was dragged up from the dam in a tank on a
sled by his horse. The water was bucketed
out and added to the straw, cow and poultry
manure that was mixed and hand turned
with a five-pronged fork. Barrel and elevator
turners came in the 1960s.

Mike Milczakowskyj was down on Oakville Road next door to Oakville school on a block of 18 acres he purchased
from Wallace Hanckel’s’ father Fred in 1954 a few years after Mike had arrived from Europe in Scheyville Hostel in
1950 as a migrant with his wife Erika and daughters Irene and Heidi. Another daughter Susan came along a few
years later in 1961.

Mike Milczakowskyj built his house from the iron bark trees on his property. He turned compost by hand and grew
on outdoor ridge beds before he had his first American double shed in c1961 built by Ivor Broome.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 33

c1962 - Mike Milczakowskyj’s American-double shelf growing rooms. c1960 - Mike Milczakowskyj hand turning compost through a barrel or
They were converted to bag growing later on in c1981 when his drum-type compost turner
daughter Heidi and husband Brian Carroll took over

c1961 – Mike Milczakowskyj picking mushrooms off ridge beds at rear c1966 - Mike Milczakowskyj with tractor front end loader fed
of his house built from the iron bark trees cut on the property. “Swinnerton” Engineering elevator type compost turner, Oakville,
Oakville Road, Oakville, NSW
NSW

c 1982 – Brian Carroll filling American double shelf sheds with hand c1982 – Heidi Carroll driving tractor and front end loader into
fork and wheelbarrow spinner conveyor truck with compost to keep husband Brian busy!

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 34

Heidi married Brian Carroll, who took over the farm in 1981, when Mike retired, and they and their daughter Sarah
and her husband Geoff Goldsmith married in 2003 and now run the family farm. Three generations of mushroom
growers!

Irene married John Foster and they grow mushrooms at “Rivendell” farm on Windsor Road, Vineyard,
commencing in 1987.

Susan married Paul Powe and they are a part of the Ken and Verna Powe family farm with Paul’s brothers, Stephen
and his wife Veronica, and brother Darrin and his wife Jenny.

All of these families have expanded successfully into modern air-conditioned growing rooms with the latest
technology. Ken Powe had started growing mushrooms in ridge beds in 1954 on his father’s poultry farm (because
he hated chooks) between Boundary and Old Pitt Town Roads, Oakville.

The Powe family have now expanded into a very successful tray growing operation in air-conditioned
environmentally controlled, panel insulated growing rooms. They are also part of Windsor Farm Foods Group and
Mushroom Composters’ Pty Ltd.

2003 – Three Generations of Mushroom Growers on the one farm. c 2000 – John and Irene Foster, “Rivendell”, 496 Windsor Road,
R-L – Founders Mike and Erika Milczakowskyj, daugher Heidi and Husband Vineyard, NSW
Brian Carroll, Grandaughter Sarah and Husband Geoff Goldsmith

c2000 The Powe Family – Back Row: L-R Stephen Darrin, Jenny, Paul; c1998 – New Powe Family tray system, environmentally controlled
Middle Row L-R Katie, and Nicole,; Front Row L-R Veronica,, Lewis,, Ken, mushroom farm, KG & VM Powe Pty Ltd, Oakville, NSW

Molly, ,Michaela, , Verna, Hannah, , Susie

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 35

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 36

c1954 – Growing mushrooms on ridge beds, c1998 – KG & VM Powe Pty Ltd – Environmentally controlled indoor tray system
Boundary Road, Oakville, NSW

Bill Schulz on the corner of Scheyville and Old Pitt Town Roads at Oakville was one of the four mushroom growers
to have his American double built in c1961 at the same time by Ivor Broome. Bill had migrated from Europe with
his wife Karla and son Harry in 1953. He bought his 10-acre farm in 1955, near Scheyville hostel, where he resided
during his first year in Australia. There was an old house on the block when he bought it and he started growing
mushrooms in ridge beds. Straw and manure was carted in each year from the livestock pavilions at Sydney’s
Royal Easter Show for composting on his farm at Scheyville.

c1974 – Bill and Karla Schulz, with truck load 2003 – Bill Schulz farm of American double-shelf sheds and composting shed, corner of Scheyville
of stable bedding from Sydney Royal Show and Old Pitt Town Road, Oakville, NSW

A fire broke out on the Scheyville paddocks and Bill wet down the bags and straw on his beds so they wouldn’t
catch fire. During the night sparks from the fire set alight to the roof of Bill’s house and burnt it to the ground.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 37

They lost all their possessions, however, the ridge beds survived. He started over again when he and his family got
over the trauma of nearly being burnt to death. It was their dog’s bark that saved them.

Arthur Wiese ran a poultry farm on the corner of Midson and Hession Roads, Oakville and grew mushrooms under
the guidance of Roy Sanders, in a shed in shelves, with his brother Bill Wiese who had been growing mushrooms
since 1940 when he was still going to school.

2000 – Bill and Nancy Wiese, Oakville c1954 – Nancy Wiese picking mushrooms off ridge
beds, Midson Road, Oakville

1956 – Rod Wiese, with the “Big 2003 – Greg Wiese in front of the old established spawn laboratory, Corner of Midson and Old Pitt
Sister”Cup won by the Wiese Town Road, Oakville
family farm

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 38

Bill had a disagreement with Arthur Robottom the spawn maker at
Castle Hill and learnt to make spawn himself in c1946-47 from wheat
grain and a leaflet given to him by John Conroy of NSW Agriculture. He
set up his own farm and spawn laboratory which was taken over in the
late 1980s by his son Greg, on his property on the corner of Midson and
Old Pitt Town Roads, Oakville.

Bill and his wife Nancy grew mushrooms on ridge beds in the open 2003 – Joy and Tom Ogden, Corner of Boundary
paddock and in poultry sheds. Nancy told me that the poultry sheds Road and Old Pitt Town Road, Oakville
had lights in them so, as well as picking outside all day, you could work
at night picking with lights on.

Ken Powe’s farm, which he started in 1954, was on the south-eastern side of Bill
Wiese’s farm and fronted Old Pitt Town Road.

Tom and Joy Ogden’s mushroom farm, which was started in c1953, adjoined Ken
Powe’s farm on the southeast boundary. Tom, in co-operation with Roy Sanders,
built one of the first elevator type 4 feet-wide tractor loader fed compost turners
and portable growing trays 6 x 5 feet. Tom had a hand fork fed barrel compost
turner prior to that and adapted it with a chute for tractor loader feeding as the job
was physically exhausting for him and he didn’t think he could continue hand
forking.

On Bill Wiese’s northeast boundary was Fred Hession’s mushroom farm in Midson Tom Ogden built his early model
Road, which then joined John and Alf Hession’s farm which fronted Midson, Hession tractor loader fed elevator type
and Boundary Roads. The site of the ridge beds had to be moved to a new spot compost turner c1959 and with
every year to reduce disease risk. Roy Sanders the first portable

They grew acres of mushrooms on ridge beds, which were grown initially outdoors. 6’x5’ growing trays
An entire block was a hive of mushroom growing activity employing many people.
These five farms would have covered about 200 acres. It was very hard physical
exhausting work! and was seasonal, with composting starting from late February
and April to November for picking.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 39

c1960 – Fred Hession’s tray farm. Fibro insulated sheds. Built on the side c1955 – Looking South from Hession Road, Oakville. Women hand
of a hill to gravity feed the small trays on roller conveyors and 2 men stack picking mushrooms off ridge beds on John and Alf Hession’s farm

by hand – corner of Boundary Road, Oakville

c1955 – John and Alf Hession packing mushrooms into crates for the c1955 – Looking West from the corner of Boundary and Hession
cannery, Oakville Roads, Oakville. Picking mushrooms off ridge beds after lifting off

the bags and straw

John Daley learnt to grow mushrooms on John and Alf
Hession’s farm in c1953 before he started his own
farm on Maguire Road, Maraylya. He cleared a site
for ridge beds, built a new house and married his wife
Mary in 1958.

Mary first met John in 1957 at a friend’s parent’s
mushroom farm at Maraylya. He was introduced as
the Irishman!

Initially, Mary found the isolation of the bush farm at

Maraylya, or Nelson as it was called then, a little

daunting as she had grown up at Chatswood. A city

girl! There she was with a dirt road to the door and

c1957 – L-R – John Daley, Alf and John Hession, Ian Longworth no town water or street lights, and relying on tank
and Dougal Macrae. Visiting a Mushroom Farm water and having to use it sparingly. However, Mary

would do her shopping in Windsor and became

involved in the St. Matthews Catholic Church and it’s committees which organised fetes and community events in

the Hawkesbury Valley.

Windsor was a country town at that time, and it didn’t take long for Mary to find that contented and settled
feeling of belonging. She remembers the warm inner feeling of driving home down Boundary Road at Oakville and
as she turned into Maguire Road, seeing John on his tractor. He was digging soil for casing his ridge beds and Mary
felt that she belonged here. There was her husband on their tractor preparing crops of mushrooms on their own
farm. They were one, and this was home! Mary had the feeling of being a part of the land, which was a
completely new feeling for her.

John introduced Mary to the mushroom farm procedures and demonstrated how he spawned the ridge beds.
Mary thought that looked fairly easy and had a go at it. Mary told me that her hand was so sore from poking holes
in the beds to insert the spawn that she could hardly get out of bed next morning. The job wasn’t as easy as it

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 40

looked. A local lady used to sew all the hessian bags together in the summer months to cover the straw on the
ridge beds.

1975 – John Daley 1998 – Mary Daley c1975 – J&M Daley Pty Ltd construction of
new tray system farm, Maguires Road,

Maraylya. Insulated fibro panel construction

Typically, for mushroom growers’ wives, Mary watered the compost, as it was hand forked into the old drum type
compost turning machine. One cold windy day when Mary was doing this watering job, she got too close to the
revolving shaft of the machine and the long coat she was wearing got caught on the shaft and wound around it,
slamming Mary against the side of the machine. She was taken to hospital and cased in plaster for four months
and it took six months to completely recover. Later, Mary took over the office bookwork duties to help John with
his accounts. Another job wives have done on many farms.

John Daley was a foundation member of AMGA in 1961 and served for many years on committees and as a Vice
President of AMGA and NSW State Director and Chairman. John always supported, to the fullest, the aims and
objectives of AMGA, both financially and with his time. I served with John on many of these committees and
valued his support and friendship over the many years we worked together. Our families have always enjoyed one
another’s company socially.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 41

There was no greater enjoyment for John than
to, at the end of the week, on a Friday night, go
into John Ross’s pub (Macquarie Arms Hotel)
for a beer, and have a bet on the horses. After
doing hard physical work all week he could relax
and socialise.

In 1963, the first of the five Daley children c1975 – relaxing at an AMGA social function – L-R Harry Grange, Mary,
arrived into this happy household with the birth and John Dale,y, Norm Johnson, Peter and Sadie Jone,s
of their first son William (Bill) followed by
daughters Patricia (1965) Louise (1967) another
son Michael (Mick) (1969) and another lovely
daughter Gemma (1974). Like a lot of farm kids,
the Daley children earned pocket money by
doing jobs around the farm. After the jobs were
done, there was no better fun than jumping off
the stacks of peat moss bales, or busting a few
open to look inside, or throw peat all over each
other. Jumping in the straw, riding horses and
looking after cattle were all simple things to
enjoy on a farm.

John and Mary built their first American double
shelf growing shed c1962 as the canneries
started to increase demand and prices for indoor
grown mushrooms. In the early years, John
would take his own mushrooms in his “Fargo”
truck to Edgells at Bathurst in the late afternoon.
He would sleep in the truck that night and come
back to work on the farm next morning.

In 1979, son William (Bill) finished year 10 and 1991 – Bill and Mick Daley in their latest development. A new
came to work with his dad. Bill, like all the Daley environmentally controlled tray system mushroom growing shed. Insulated
kids, used to work for pocket money in school
holidays and eventually got to like the life, panel construction

starting off with labouring jobs at the bottom

and working his way up as he gained more experience. There were about eight growing rooms with 4 x 4 trays at

that time. Bill Daley joined AMGA in 1982 and followed in his father’s footsteps as a Director of AMGA and

Newsletter/Journal committee member and editor. Bill’s favourite hobby was horse riding for relaxation.

In 1986, Michael Daley finished year 10 and joined AMGA and the family farm with his brother Bill and dad John.
Michael went through a similar initiation to mushroom farming as Bill. Composting was no longer done on site. It
was purchased ready made from a custom compost maker. Michael is pleased that he missed out on that
experience. He has been a Director of AMGA and served on committees such as R & D and Journal. Riding his
Harley motorcycle on his free days is exhilarating for Mick.

Sadly, John Daley passed away on 29 March 1989, after suffering a long illness. The farm was under a great
expansion program thanks to John’s forward planning and the overseas experience gained by Bill and Mick. His
enthusiastic sons, who with their mother, Mary, took over the farm, finished the building program and
mechanisation of the farm to fulfil John’s dream. The girls went on to develop their own successful careers.

Around 1950, Archie Douglass and his wife Shirley decided to start growing mushrooms on outdoor ridge beds on
his father Jack’s farm at Reedy Road, Maraylya. The farm was an orchard and poultry farm and both of these were

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 42

declining in economic importance in the district and were not able to support all the family. The mushroom
industry was emerging as a viable alternative.

There was an abundance of poultry manure available on the
property for use in compost making. The first mushroom
compost that they made was a mixture of baled wheaten
straw, cow and poultry manure. As the mushroom industry
rapidly expanded in the Hawkesbury Valley, cow manure
became scarce. People would gather it from the paddocks or
from dairy farms. Through trial and error, and as Archie told
me, a few failures, they eventually produced successful
poultry manure and baled straw compost over 5-6 weeks.

Archie and Shirley, side-by-side, turned the compost by hand

with a five-pronged fork for a few years before they built an

elevator type compost turner in c1967. They would put

down 280 bales of straw in four heaps and turn them by

hand every fifth day. When they got through turning the

heaps, they had to turn around and start again. Archie

thought that Shirley sometimes worked harder than him. A

c1965 – Archie and Shirley Douglass in front and Laurel great little toiler, he said!.
Seymour (nee Douglass) at rear hand forking compost into an The ridge bed formwork was set up and filled from the table

elevator-type turning machine

top truck, which first had to be loaded by pitch fork and then

forked into the formwork and rammed down. The formwork was moved along as it was filled and the rows of

ridge beds would finish up being about 150 feet long each.

The beds were eventually spawned by poking a hole in the beds with a spike and putting a spoonful of spawn
initially from R Mas, Vince Pace or Bill Wiese, in the holes six inches apart, three rows high and about twelve inches
apart.

Archie and Shirley Douglass standing in front of their first indoor 1998 – Shirley and Archie Douglass in their beautiful parkland garden
ridge bed shed built of bush poles and corrugated iron. Built
c1963 at Ready Road, Maraylya

Casing soil to cover the beds had to be brought in on a truck from heavy swamp soil or clay loam from other areas
because the soil around Maraylya is fairly sandy and stony and not suitable as casing material. The soil was carted

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 43

around in wheelbarrows, dumped and mixed with lime before being palmed up and over the beds by hand. No
sterilisation done at that time!

The beds were then covered in rice straw, as it didn’t break down as quickly as wheat straw, and then covered with
hessian bags sewn together. Wind played havoc, blowing the bags and straw off during strong blows – very time
consuming.

A shed 100 x 100 feet was eventually built after hearing about the results from a shed Rob Tolson had built at
Maroota. More ridge beds could be put in closer together and you didn’t have to buy rice straw or hessian bags to
cover the beds. The mushrooms were cleaner and brought a better price.

Roy and Vic Sanders gave a lot of
help and advice on peak heating
and a steam boiler was later
purchased from Vic Sanders to do
peak heating. According to
Archie, it was a cranky old boiler
that would often blow back on
him and singe his eyebrows.
Archie considers Roy Sanders to
have been one of the best
growers in the business.

After Archie built his peak heat

room in 1965, his crops went

from 1.5 lb to 3 lb to the square Indoor ridge beds. Bush pole and corrugated iron shed on earth floor. No insulation and natural
foot yield. Archie joined AMGA in ventilation

1966. Ready mixed, custom compost was purchased from Graham Price at McGraths Hill in the 1970s. It was a

livelier compost and required different handling.

In 1975, a plastic bag system of growing was introduced resulting in twice as much could be put on the shed floor.
It was a cleaner system resulting in a reduction in site contamination with diseases and pests. The entire crop was
sent to canneries, mainly, Imperial and Edgells and a few to PMU.

In 1968, Archie’s sister Laurel, and her husband Ivan Seymour, commenced growing mushrooms on part of the
original farm next door. They immediately built sheds and grew indoors in 8 x 4 ft wooden trays. To keep costs
down, labour wise, each family helped the other during the filling of the sheds.

There was great community spirit with these people and they were joined in these labour intensive efforts by
other farmers in the area such as Ken and Lola Clark, Charlie Cross and Harold Moon, all from Cattai and
mushroom growers of long standing.

Ken and Lola Clark (nee Mitchell) started growing mushrooms in the late 1950s at Cattai in ridge beds initially and
later in sheds to avoid the rain and windy weather. Ken Clark and Charlie Cross turned compost by hand. Lola
Clark would water the compost as the men turned it by fork. A small turning machine was purchased later on.
Ken’s brother-in-law Archie Douglass taught him how to peak heat compost with steam in c1968 and passed on his
mushroom growing knowledge. Ken joined AMGA in 1973 and served two terms as a Director. An automatic
mechanical compost turning machine was purchased from Bob Rumery of Maraylya to make life a little easier.
Growing methods changed to the bag system indoors. Marketing was through canneries and the fresh market.

Reminiscences of a Fun’gi 44