Woodlands Estate
Heritage
Woodlands is a modern Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, borne from the Family’s rich Greek heritage and olive oil’s historic origins in Ancient Greece.
Homer called it Liquid Gold. In ancient Greece, athletes ritually rubbed it all over their bodies. Olive oil has been more than mere food to the people of the Mediterranean through history; it has been medicinal, used for religious rituals, for fuel and skin care application, as well as the fountain of great wealth and power.
The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean basin, wild olives were collected by Neolithic people as early as the 8th millennium BC in Asia Minor, now modern Turkey.
The olive tree is the oldest cultivated tree in existence. It’s widely believed that the first cultivation of olives took place on the island of Crete. The earliest surviving olive oil storage vessels date to 3500BC.
Today Greece has by far the largest per capita consumption of olive oil worldwide; they’re still passionate about their olive oil! Over 26 litres per year per Greek.
The Andrews Family has nurtured and grown the Woodlands Olive grove with a passion for this Greek heritage close to its heart. The patriarch, Nicholas Andrews, grew up in the subsistent village of Porovitsa and emigrated to Australia in 1947 at the age of thirteen. During the early part of last century he grew up with home produced olive oil being a staple in his diet. In the years of turmoil in Greece during WWII, a small glass of olive oil at the beginning of the day, together with a handful of raisins, was the entire day’s sustenance for the family.
From this dependence came a passion for freshness, nutrients, quality and flavour. These principles guide Woodlands’ olive oil production each day.