What is the Rare Fruit Society of South Australia Inc. website?

rarefruit-sa.org.au is the official website of the Rare Fruit Society of South Australia Inc., a group focused on growing fruit and food plants from cool-temperate, temperate, subtropical, and elevated tropical regions around the world. It is aimed at gardeners and growers interested in rare and heritage fruit varieties, and it serves both as a public information page and as a members' hub. If you want to learn about the society, attend a meeting, or access member resources such as the library and newsletter, this is the place to start.

What the society does

According to the site, the society's activities include:

• Growing fruit and food plants from around the globe, with records kept of successes and failures
• Hosting guest speakers at most meetings, alongside knowledge shared by experienced members
• Running workshops on grafting, budding, and propagation
• Sending a digital newsletter before each meeting, typically covering the previous guest speaker's presentation or a field trip
• Organising field trips to fruit properties, research stations, and members' orchards, often with produce sampling
• Setting up a trading table at nearly every meeting where members can buy fruit trees, rootstocks, budwood, grafting material, and unusual plants, plus books, grafting tools, tapes, and sharpeners
• Maintaining a large collection of rare and heritage variety fruit trees, including a heritage orchard at Kanmantoo established with Neutrog Ltd

What you can find on the website

The site's navigation gives a clear picture of its content:

A concrete example: the November meeting

The homepage lists a specific upcoming meeting: Tuesday 24th November 2026 at the San Giorgio Club, 11 Henry Street, Payneham, at 7:30pm. The guest speaker is Mark Henley, speaking about "50 Years of The Rare Fruit Society." Parking is available at the venue or the adjoining Council car park, and attendees are asked not to park on the street.

Practical notes from the same announcement:

• Library books are only available for collection if ordered via the website — members log in and use the library tab to view books to borrow.
• Attendees are invited to bring cut-up, labelled fruit or fruit-based baked goods from their garden to share for supper.
• Trading tables will be available.
• Anyone feeling unwell is asked not to attend.

Who it is for

The site is relevant if you are:

• A gardener or grower interested in rare, heritage, or unusual fruit varieties
• Someone in or near South Australia who wants to attend meetings, workshops, or field trips
• A member looking for the library, newsletter, or members-only content
• Someone researching what fruit species can be grown in South Australia's climate

Getting started

To use the site, browse the public sections (Home, About Us, Articles, Q&A, Links) for general information. For the library and other member resources, you need to log in through the Members Area. The homepage does not state membership fees or whether joining is free, so check the Membership page directly for current details.