Vale: Ashley Mason, apple grower and gentleman

Well-known Adelaide Hills apple grower Ashley Mason, who died over the weekend, has been remembered as a ‘gentleman’ and an industry stalwart. 

Ashley, 92, was still active on the orchard right up until his death following a quad bike accident on Friday night. 

Ashley, with brother Harleigh, who predeceased him, ran AG & HC Mason, one of the earliest orchards in the Forest Range area, prior to handing over to son Noel and nephews Graham and Stephen, who have built it into one of the region’s leading operations. 

The sixth-generation apple-growers grow a range of apple varieties, including Cripps Pink and Rosy Glow (sold domestically as Pink Lady), Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Scilate (Envy™), ANABP-01 (Bravo®), Scifresh (Jazz™), PremA96 (Rockit™) and R201 (Kissabel®), with a reputation for quality fruit and excellence, supplying local Lenswood Apple co-op, as well as other packers. 

Lenswood Apples technical services manager Paul James said although Ashley had stepped back from management in his later years, he had kept an active interest in the orchard, playing a role where he could. 

“He had two major roles on the farm,” Paul said. “Firstly, at harvest time, his job was to level every bin of apples and make sure they were full. His other job was cutting firewood with a chainsaw, supplying five other families. 

“He was one of nature’s gentlemen, he was always polite and happy, to everyone.” 

A ‘very hard worker’ during his working career, Paul said Ashley and Harleigh had been ‘old school’ growers who often thwarted the younger generation’s passion for fishing with their view that “while there were leaves on the tree, you worked from dawn to dusk”. 

Fellow fruitgrower Glyndon Flavell also remembers Ashley as a quiet ‘gentleman’ who worked hard, contributed to local organisations like the Country Fire Authority and was happy to keep busy in retirement. 

“He was the type of person that would sooner have done that than spend his retirement in a home somewhere,” he said. “He was just very lucky, he was active and he was able to keep going and occupy himself and help where he could, right to the end.” 

Chief Executive of Fruit Producers SA Grant Piggott said Ashley had been a stalwart of the industry and would be missed by the Adelaide Hills apple and pear community. 

“His family operate one of the best orchards in the state,” he said. 

“Our members are saddened by this news and express their condolences to his family.” 

Ashley’s wife Joy predeceased him. He is survived by son Noel, daughters Lois, Claire and Annie, nephews Graham and Stephen and a young seventh generation of prospective apple growers. 

Vale: Ashley Mason