The World of Apples

Apples of Australia

17 varieties in the atlas came from Australia. The oldest is Granny Smith, dated 1868.

Map of where the apple varieties in the atlas came from A map of the world on the Equal Earth projection, with a dot for each variety at its place of origin.

Harvest

Australia grew 293,731 tonnes of apples in 2024, 0.30% of the world's harvest; it ranked 37th among the world's producers.1

1961 2024
The figures
YearTonnes
2024 293,731
2023 285,176
2022 307,630
2021 280,273
2020 262,966
2019 265,150
2018 268,355
2017 313,730
2016 308,298
2015 295,196
2014 266,771
2013 288,878
2012 289,064
2011 299,778
2010 264,401
2009 295,134
2008 265,481
2007 377,980
2006 301,251
2005 452,650
2004 285,282
2003 326,072
2002 290,264
2001 302,668
2000 319,652
1999 334,353
1998 308,856
1997 353,069
1996 280,147
1995 316,555
1994 306,920
1993 327,792
1992 316,101
1991 288,730
1990 319,403
1989 323,045
1988 299,807
1987 324,741
1986 288,000
1985 352,000
1984 266,998
1983 300,825
1982 294,476
1981 306,921
1980 298,812
1979 344,948
1978 258,360
1977 301,551
1976 274,831
1975 362,778
1974 331,302
1973 426,362
1972 360,167
1971 442,636
1970 424,057
1969 422,445
1968 373,688
1967 369,924
1966 376,878
1965 360,002
1964 367,397
1963 349,571
1962 326,282
1961 295,034

Growing regions

  • Western Australia's South West Where a chance seedling by a water tank became Lady Williams, and then Cripps Pink
  • Tasmania The Apple Isle: Bligh planted three apple trees here in 1788; its export trade collapsed in the 1970s

Varieties from Australia, oldest first

  • Watercolour painting of Granny Smith apples by Royal Charles Steadman.

    Granny Smith

    From Maria Ann Smith's orchard near Sydney; by 1975 it made up 39 per cent of Australia's apple crop

    Australia, 1868

  • Photograph of Lady Williams apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Lady Williams

    A chance seedling Maud Williams saved near Donnybrook in the 1930s; parent of Cripps Pink and Cripps Red

    Australia, about 1935

  • Cripps Pink

    Bred by John Cripps from a 1973 cross of Lady Williams and Golden Delicious; top-grade fruit is sold as Pink Lady

    Australia, 1973

  • Cripps Red

    Cripps Pink's sister seedling from a 1973 cross at Stoneville, Western Australia: very late, very firm and tangy

    Australia, 1973

And 13 more in the catalogue, A to Z

Sources

  1. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Updated 31 December 2025. Supports: each country's apple harvest by year (item 515, apples, in tonnes, 1961 to 2024), the shares of the world's harvest and the ranks worked out from them, and which figures FAOSTAT estimated or imputed.