HISTORY
Sundays River Citrus Company can trace its roots back to 1924, when the Citrus
Co-operative was formed. It was originally housed in a small packhouse across
the road from the existing facility at Hermitage. When Kirkwood packhouse
– built in 1951 – burned down in the 1970’s, it was replaced
by a new facility in 1979. This was followed by the Hermitage packhouse in
1987, while the state-of-the-art facility at Summerville was commissioned in
1998.
Integral to the history of the Sundays River Valley is the fact that Sir Percy
Fitzpatrick, who is buried there, was instrumental in establishing the citrus
industry in the area. He played a large role in the establishment of Lake
Mentz, now known as Darlington Dam, which was built to irrigate crops in the
valley. |
