Prunes (dried plums) were a part of English diets as far back as the Middle Ages, with the majority being imported from France. They are made from particular varieties of plum, notably the D’Agen plum, with a high sugar content that prevents the flesh from rotting during the drying process. In early colonial times, prunes regularly featured on the cargo lists of arriving ships.

According to Aus Prunes (the national association of producers), “The first known reference to prunes in Australia was recorded in June 1892 when the Camden Park Orchard of the Macarthur’s was awarded 1st prize in the 1891 National Prize Competition for orchards over 10 acres.” By this, I assume they mean that this was the first reference to the commercial production of the fruit, as there were newspaper references to Australian-grown prunes as early as the 1840s.

They were big in Tasmania. In 1846, the Hobart Town Advertiser was impressed by an exhibit at the Horticultural Show:

A specimen of preserved prunes appeared fully equal to the best French, we should wish to see the manufacture of such article encouraged. Though of apparently minor importance they would keep an immense sum of money amongst us, and afford employment to the younger branches of families who would else be unemployed.

In 1856, the Adelaide Times encouraged the home production of prunes from what it called “the common hedge plum”. The report lauded the medicinal qualities of the fruit and suggested that although it was unlikely to be preserved in quantities to be worthy of note as an article of export, it might be worth preserving them for home consumption. By 1861, nursery trees were being sold in the Albury region of New South Wales, although it is thought these were not for commercial production.

The local industry had a slow start, with the first significant commercial crop of some 1000 tonnes harvested in 1927. Today, New South Wales dominates production, with most growers located in the Riverina district around Griffith and a smaller number in the Hilltops area near Young. There are also plantings in South Australia, mainly in the Riverland, Barossa and Clare Valley regions.

In a 2017 interview with Australian Country magazine, a representative of the national association was optimistic about the industry’s future in this country. “Australians currently consume between 5000 and 6000 tonnes of prunes each year,” she said. “The Australian industry produces about 3000 tonnes, so there is room for controlled growth.”

Prunes have long had an image problem. They have been the subject of vulgar jokes, owing to their laxative qualities. Further back in history, according to The Old Foodie, they were associated with brothels. Apparently, a dish of the stewed fruit displayed in the window was a sign of fleshly delights within. Their slightly unsavoury reputation has persisted into modern times. In 2001, California growers tried to change perceptions by rebranding their produce as California Dried Plums. It didn’t work. In 2019, they reverted to calling a prune a prune.