Australia’s Oldest Family Owned Company
Australia’s oldest continuous family business is Summerville farm in Tasmania, 26km north of Hobart on the Jordan River.
The farm has been operated by descendants of a passenger on the First Fleet, Daniel Stanfield since 1808, just 4 years after Hobart was established.
This makes it 18 years older than Lionel Samson & Sons. It has survived bushrangers, droughts and the Great Depression.
Summerville Farm is now 2000 acres and is one of about 1000 Tasmanian farms growing poppies for the global drug industry. Now in the hands of the seventh generation and run by brothers Walter and Peter Thompson. As well as producing poppies, they grow legumes, cereals, and peas and run a few merino sheep and cattle.
