Person
Jasprizza, Nicholas (Nicole) (c. 1834 - 1901)
- Born
- c. 1834
Janjina, Dalmatia, Croatia/Austria - Died
- 8 May 1901
Young, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Orchardist
Summary
Nicholas Jasprizza was one of Australia's most successful orchardists in the late1800s. He introduced cherry growing to the Young district of New South Wales (NSW), which is now the cherry-growing capital of the state. By 1893 he had over 7000 fruiting trees on his land. It is thought by some to be the largest cherry orchard in the world. He was instrumental in developing grafting techniques and introducing many viable species to Australia.
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Details
Born in Dalmatia, Croatia (formally part of Austria), Nicholas Jasprizza emigrated to Australia in 1860. He initially worked on the goldfields of Young (also called Lambing Flats), NSW, but soon realised that he could make more money growing crops to feed the diggers than digging for gold. With his first crop of vegetables Jasprizza made £50 profit, despite droughts and flooding. Around 1876 Jasprizza opened 'Cherry Vale' which pioneered cherry farming in the region. Earlier attempts by others to grow cherries in the region had failed. Jasprizza proved to be a very successful orchardist whose basic knowledge was acquired from his father. By 1884 Jasprizza had 900 acres of land on which he grew vines and fruit trees and grazed cattle and around 600 sheep. On May 8 in 1901 Nicole Jasprizza was shot dead at his house in McHenry's Creek. Despite a reward of £300 on offer, the murder was never found. The only suspect was acquitted by the Young Circuit Court on September 30. Today Jasprizza's direct descendants still run cherry orchards in Young.
Chronology
- 30 October 1860
- Life event - Arrived in Australia (Melbourne) on the boat Lightening
- 27 June 1865
- Life event - Naturalised
- 19 February 1867
- Life event - Married Bridget Mary Bowles in Young, New South Wales
Published resources
Books
- Bailey, William Alan, Rich earth: history of Young, New South Wales (NSW: Young Municipal Council, 1977). Details
Book Sections
- Walsh, G. P., 'Jasprizza, Nicholas (1835-1901)' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Douglas Pike, ed., vol. 4 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1972), pp. 471-472. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040534b.htm. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21536860. Details
- 'Jasprizza, Nicholas (1835-1901)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1463139. Details
McCarthy, G.J & Annette Alafaci
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 25 November 2019
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education