Manna Hill Estate

37°38'24.34"S, 144° 5'5.65"E | 520m ASL | 682mm Avg. Rainfall

When we first met Campbell Mercer he was in his early 30’s and working for an international company in Melbourne and had not long purchased this very exposed 36ha (90ac) block with a lot of bent grass (Agrostis spp.) on ordovician sedimentary soils. Campbell and his artist wife, Julie Nitschke, were determined to build their home and raise their young family while developing a tree-based agricultural landscape.

Following our topographic survey we then set to work on developing a concept plan which featured a multiple olive groves, orchards, farm forestry plantations, a main access road, building envelope and a large water storage dam. With very little variation we then developed the detail CAD plan and bill of quantities. For the first time anywhere, this included an olive grove which incorporated a symmetrical quincunx pattern within the equidistant curvature of ‘Keyline Geometry’ layout. Our surveyor and CAD designer at the time, Konrad Ensor pulled off quite a feat given the era and difficulty involved.

This work done we then completed the ground preparation for the different tree systems while also overseeing the earthworks for the building envelope, dam and another innovation—the first version of what was to become our ‘gradient catchment road, which collected runoff water and directed it to the main 13ML dam. With the planting all done, Campbell and his family set to the work of building their home and lives on this beautiful piece of south eastern Australia.

With us moving to Queensland in 2002 and then to Viet Nam in 2004 our operations changed considerably as we moved to working on large projects and teaching and so we weren’t in contact with Campbell until 2016 when drove past and captured imagery of the place with our drone. I had checked the development from time to time on Google Earth Pro but nothing prepared me for this or the visits and walks with Campbell that followed. It is nothing short of astounding what he and Julie have created and maintained while commuting to work for 20+ years and raising a family in country Victoria. We definitely had the easy part.

Campbell is now ‘retired’ though still in his late 50’s is a very active full-time farmer who is well known for his farm as well as for its products. In 2020 their certified biodynamic olive oil won the gold medal at the ‘Australian International Olive Awards’. They have since won the same award in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2023 Manna Hill Estate is also the world’s first certified regenerative olive grove (by ‘A Greener World’).