Olive farmers, tiny-home enthusiasts and Aussies by choice — Meet our mates Gary & Isabel Chasney from Swan Hill

Olive farmers, tiny-home enthusiasts and Aussies by choice — Meet our mates Gary & Isabel Chasney from Swan Hill

Isabel Chasney thought a podiatry job in the outer suburbs of Melbourne would be the change she and husband Gary were looking for when they emigrated from the UK 22 years ago. Little did they know, Australia’s map is quite a different scale to the one back home. The job was actually in Nhill, a small town in western Victoria, 375 kilometres from Melbourne.

Chasney Estate: An Unexpected Farming Adventure

Moving around over the coming years, they had a short stint in Swan Hill along The Murray before settling in Tasmania to open their own podiatry practice. The pair also had two kids along the way.

When visiting a friend back in the region, they spotted a parcel of land for sale and it was an immediate yes before heading home to Tasmania. Twelve months on, they snapped up the olive grove next door and, with two caravans to live in while they built a house, they started a new life as olive farmers.

“We're not farmers, have no idea how to process olive oil or table olives…it was a learning curve.”

This lack of olive farming knowledge was a small glitch in their plans, though the resulting mistakes have made for entertaining anecdotes to share with visitors.

After tossing away endless batches of their first harvest — “[the olives go through] a lactic acid bacterial fermentation and they get scum on the top. We thought they were off, so we were throwing them away” — Gary and Isabel attended an olive-processing course. They soon realised the biofilm on the surface of the barrels was a natural part of the process and they’d been discarding perfectly good product.

The following year, a windy season during the trees’ flowering period meant no pollination and no fruit was produced.

“So we thought, right, well, we need to have a second backup plan. So, at that stage, we decided that we would do the lavender…we also have some beehives [so we’re] not relying on one thing.”

Now known as Chasney Estate, Gary and Isabel have found success with numerous agritourism projects on the 14-acre olive grove and lavender farm. The farm shop is stocked with the fruits of their varied labour from olives, olive oils and other condiments, to lavender body products and ice cream. They run tours and experiences from soap-making with excess olive oil to seasonal sunflower fields, and welcome visitors to stay in tiny off-grid houses.

From Melbourne Markets to Local Collaborations: Chasney Estate's Community-Focused Approach

Every weekend, Gary makes the 320-kilometre trek to Melbourne, attending suburban farmers’ markets across the city on both Saturdays and Sundays.

“It's a vital part of our business…[people] buy on taste, online they sort of shop more on price, so we find farmers’ markets, we do tastings so people can actually try the product.”

The ventures have also allowed them to involve the local community as they value-add to their farm produce.

“We spoke with Steven at Fossey’s in Mildura, a local gin distiller…we're super happy with [the lavender gin] they've produced for us… Jilarty [Gelato Bar & Café] in Swan Hill, we provide them with our English culinary lavender, honey from the beehives, and our extra virgin olive oil, and they make our gelato for us. We kind of see it as it's our way of helping other small businesses in town, which is crucial…it's such a small community here and we try to make sure that we involve as many people as we can.”

Giving back to the community is their way of saying thank you for the support they’ve received over the years, including advice from a larger regional olive grower.

“If you ask, there's always help…people have got time for each other, which is really nice. [They’re] welcome to come and have a look at the farm shop if they're interested in doing something similar and we can coach them through and maybe help them avoid all the pitfalls and mistakes that we've made.”

While the people of The Murray hold a special place for Gary and Isabel, there are also plenty of great memories from time spent here.

“When we first moved to Nhill, we used to come to Swan Hill and get a caravan and go up to Mildura and camp with the kids, so that's another lovely area…we used to go visit the forests and take [the kids] walking and fishing. We've camped out around Barham way as well and spent many times on the lakes.”

When it comes to welcoming visitors into the region, they see plenty of city folk who’ve been glued to technology be able to switch off and relax.

“They stay for two, three, four nights, you find them just lounging out with their flip flops, a glass of wine…they've had a nice relaxing time, they've enjoyed themselves, they've seen the local sights [like] the Catalina Flying Boat Museum on Lake Boga. They go out to Lake Tyrrell to watch the sunset, Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill.”

Finding Their Place: The Chasneys' Murray Life

The Chasneys experienced the same change themselves moving to regional Australia, but it’s clear they’ve found their place and their people along The Murray.

“We've never gone back to the UK in 22 years, and I'd never live in the city again. It is different. It does take a bit of adjustment, but once you're used to it, you'd never go back.”

It’s the city-to-country comparison where they continue to notice a real divide in the people.

“We had a friend visit from the UK and he pointed out that when we go to Melbourne…there was not really a lot of conversation and interaction with people in shops…we went into Swan Hill [and] ended up having a 20-minute, half-hour conversation with [the locals]. They know you, they know your product, they know a little bit about you and your story, and it just makes it that much more friendly and welcoming for people.”

The friendly welcome isn’t just reserved for locals and neighbours, Gary and Isabel say their guests staying in the onsite accommodation appreciate the warmth of the local community, “…they've gone somewhere for a meal and had a conversation with the owners of the business. And you just don't get that in the city.”

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