Where farming, family and conservation grow together

When Paul Chapman and his family bought a macadamia farm at Tregeagle in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, the plan was to improve it and sell it within five years.

That was 23 years ago.

“We’re still here and still enjoying it,” Paul says. “The kids weren’t sure where we had brought them when we moved out of town, but now it’s the place they all want to come back to.”

The farm, named Tremarajo by combining the names of Paul and Debbie’s four children, has become much more than an investment. It is a productive orchard, a cherished family gathering place and a base for Paul’s lifelong interest in macadamia farming, research and conservation.

Across its 40 hectares, Tremarajo has more than 3,000 macadamia trees on 12 hectares of orchard. Around half are approximately 16 years old, while the remainder have been growing for about 34 years.

A lifelong connection with agriculture

Paul came to the farm with an extensive agricultural background and he studied agriculture at university, specialising in animal nutrition.

His professional connection with macadamias began in 1987 through his work in rural finance and property valuation. Over several decades, Paul worked across regions from the Atherton Tablelands to southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers, gaining a broad view of the Australian macadamia industry as it grew and evolved.

That combination of practical farming experience and scientific curiosity also led him to become involved in industry research and development.

“I’ve always found macadamias to be one of the most diverse industries to work with,” Paul says. “There is always more to learn.”

Today, Paul and Debbie complete most of the work at Tremarajo themselves, bringing in contractors for pruning and jobs requiring heavy machinery. Harvest and crop-protection periods are busy, while quieter times allow them to travel and catch up with their children and grandchildren.

Working with nature

Like all farming, growing macadamias comes with challenges. During their time at Tremarajo, the Chapmans have experienced two major cyclones, a severe hailstorm and an extended dry period. Because the orchard is not irrigated, seasonal conditions can have a significant effect.

However, Paul believes successful farming is about looking at the property as a whole and finding a balance between productivity and the surrounding environment.

Tremarajo has around 1.5 kilometres of creek frontage, where the family has undertaken extensive regeneration and riparian restoration work. Together with neighbouring properties and their local Landcare group, they are also helping establish wildlife corridors across the area.

The results can be seen in the wildlife returning to the farm.

“We saw our first koala joey for the season recently, which is always a positive sign,” Paul says.

The farm has also been involved in a three-year habitat-management project with the local council to address the impact of bell miners. By modifying disturbed habitat that favoured the birds, the project has helped protect important koala food trees, including forest red gums and white gums.

“We thought we might lose some of those trees, but now they’re coming back with fresh growth,” Paul says. “It might seem like a small achievement, but it’s a very positive one.”

Paul also monitors frog populations and has welcomed the macadamia industry’s move towards integrated pest management. Rather than spraying according to a fixed calendar, more growers now respond to pest monitoring and use increasingly targeted crop-protection products.

“That has been a huge step forward over the past two decades,” he says.

Within the orchard, selective limb removal is helping maintain light, airflow and productivity in the older trees.

Protecting the wild origins of macadamias

Paul’s commitment to conservation extends well beyond his own farm. In 2024, he became chair of the former Macadamia Conservation Trust, which has since transitioned into the independent organisation Wild Macadamia Conservation.

The organisation works to protect Australia’s four wild macadamia species and their remaining native habitat through research, advocacy and practical conservation.

It is a story with deep roots. Macadamias evolved in Australia’s ancient rainforests, with First Nations Australians the first to harvest and trade the nuts. The Northern Rivers also has an important place in the industry’s more recent history, with what is believed to be Australia’s earliest attempt to grow macadamias commercially taking place at Rous Mill, near Lismore, in the 1880s.

Although Paul had followed and supported macadamia conservation work for many years, taking on the chair’s role gave him a deeper appreciation of the science behind it.

“We’re not only protecting known stands of wild macadamias; we’re continuing to look for more,” he explains. “We still don’t know whether we have captured all the genetic diversity across the four species.”

Wild populations contain genetic diversity that could prove important to the future resilience of macadamias. Tree surveys, arboretums, protected plantings and research projects all help safeguard this living resource against threats such as habitat loss, disease and bushfire.

Tremarajo is also home to examples of the critically endangered Macadamia jansenii and the pink-flowering Macadamia tetraphylla, the species native to northern New South Wales and as far north as Mount Tambourine in Queensland.

Paul particularly enjoys seeing science translated into practical outcomes, whether for conserving wild trees or improving orchard practices.

“You can spend a quiet week on the tractor or harvester, then find yourself reading research methodologies and assessing project ideas,” he says. “That variety keeps it interesting.”

Macadamias made for sharing

At home, macadamias are never far from the table (although Paul admits they cannot be made too accessible or they quickly disappear).

Debbie uses them in salads, stir-fries, casseroles and desserts, but Paul’s favourite is her homemade pesto, made with homegrown basil, macadamia oil and lightly roasted macadamia kernels.

When friends visit, the couple often serve roasted macadamias or varieties seasoned with subtle flavours such as lime and pepper.

“You still want to taste the kernel,” Paul says. “They’re great with a beer or a red wine.”

One of his favourite harvest memories is tipping a load of beautifully clean nuts into the bin with his nine-year-old grandson operating the hydraulics.

“He looked at them and commented on how good they were,” Paul recalls. “You think, if a nine-year-old can see the quality, that’s something special.”

Ultimately, Paul hopes people appreciate more than the flavour when they enjoy Australian macadamias. He wants them to recognise an Australian native food with an extraordinary history, the farming families who grow it and the importance of protecting the wild trees from which today’s global industry began.

“It’s about looking beyond the storms and the difficult seasons and seeing the balance of it all,” he says. “There are so many passionate, energetic people involved in macadamias. They’re the people you want to be around.”