Humble Aussie nut hitting its stride from New Farm headquarters
By Kate Lockyer
Looking for some picnic snack inspo? Try macadamias.
The potential of a crunchy, buttery seed from an ancient Indigenous Australian plant continues to grow thanks to the hard work of a society based in New Farm.
The macadamia is not only a popular snack, but now available as a paste, milk and is even used in cosmetic products due to its moisturising properties for the skin.
Since coming into the role three and a half years ago, Clare Hamilton-Bate, CEO of Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), has learned just how versatile they can be as a satisfying, nutritious snack filled with “good fats”, and more besides.
“When you crack a macadamia out of its hard-bound shell, only a certain percentage come out as whole nuts or half nuts, the snacking styles,” she said.
“There are lots of lots of grades of macadamia, down to the tiniest little flakes, that are great for incorporating into muffins or cookies or even to make macadamia or paste and oils.
“There are so many ways that you can use them – there are amazing ranges of skin care products with macadamia oil as well.”
The society represents the whole supply chain for Australian macadamias, including handlers, growers, processers and exporters.
Around 800 growers are spread around the country but are mostly concentrated between southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, from Bundaberg to Taree.
When Ms Hamilton-Bate joined the Society in mid-2022, she decided they needed to move from their base in NSW’s northern rivers to a remote co-working model in Brisbane, the mid-point of the sub-tropical macadamia heartland.
“It’s a native Australian rainforest species, which evolved 60 million years ago in the rainforest, so we are truly the home of the macadamia,” she said.
That is how they landed in New Farm’s Salt Space co-working office in 2023.
Macadamias are now Australia’s fourth biggest horticultural export, but in the past they have been hard to get, still making up only two per cent of the world’s nut production.
With about 75 per cent of Australian macadamias exported overseas, AMS is successfully building a reputation for the nut as an exotic, luxury product, especially in Asian countries.
“Exports go pretty much all over the world, but our focus for our marketing program is Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and India,” Ms Hamilton-Bate said.
She said India is an exciting new market – in September she attended an Australian Macadamia Festival held in Bangalore where restaurants created curated their menus in homage to the Aussie nut.
With 44,000 hectares of planted macadamias across Australia, and only two thirds of that area currently bearing fruit, there will be more produced in the coming years as young trees start to mature.
Along with advocacy for and engagement with the industry, AMS also conducts market and industry development and drives initiatives to benefit the industry.
Ms Hamilton-Bate said they support the industry through everything from weather events such as Cyclone Alfred, biosecurity issues, industry standards, crisis management, research and marketing, to tariffs and technical market access.
Photo caption: As a luxury snack overseas or an ingredient in oils, milk and even skincare, this humble Aussie nut is making a name for itself
