27/09/2026
Our little patch of the Riverland 🌿
When we first arrived in 2023, we found an old South Australian Train Carriage, a beautiful fig orchard, established gardens and an enormous amount of work ahead of us.
Three years later, Figbrook Farm has grown into an agritourism business, welcoming guests from across Australia to experience a little Riverland bliss.
Our Train Carriage and Garden Cottage are welcoming visitors, the orchard is thriving, and one of our greatest rewards has been sharing this special place with the wonderful people who've stayed with us.
We're also exploring opportunities to bring more of what we grow to the wider community. Flowers, herbs, fresh eggs, figs and whatever else the seasons bring, while navigating the region's fruit fly restrictions and working towards responsibly bringing our produce to market.
Beyond tourism, our journey has developed into something equally meaningful: uncovering the property's history and protecting its remarkable natural environment.
Historical surveys, irrigation records and conversations with long-term residents are taking us back to the early agricultural settlement of Kingston on Murray, historically known as Thurk, and the surrounding Moorook district.
The old gates, Mallee post-and-rail fences, established orchard and remnants of earlier farming activity offer fascinating glimpses into the generations who worked this land. Local memories of extensive fruit growing, citrus orchards and a plant nursery are helping us piece together its past.
Some of our magnificent old trees, including rare varieties and native species, have survived decades of change. Today, they provide valuable habitat, food and shelter for the extraordinary wildlife that shares this property with us.
Restoring native vegetation, encouraging biodiversity and safeguarding these established trees are central to our vision for Figbrook. We're particularly committed to protecting and improving habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the Regent Parrot, alongside the many native birds, pollinators and other wildlife that depend on healthy ecosystems.
Our South Australian Train Carriage is another connection to the region's remarkable past. Built in 1915, it represents an era when steam locomotives and the expanding railway network helped shape regional communities, connecting agricultural producers with markets and supporting the development of towns across South Australia. More than a century later, our carriage continues its journey in a very different way, welcoming visitors to experience the Riverland.
A special thank you to the wonderful team at Berri Barmera Library for their assistance with our research, and to everyone who has generously shared their knowledge, photographs and memories.
We're proud to be building an agritourism business that celebrates our region, supports the preservation of its agricultural heritage and contributes to the conservation of its precious natural environment.
As the orchard bursts into new spring growth, we're reminded that caring for this special place means respecting its past, protecting its natural environment and helping shape its future.
Do you have memories of this little corner of the Riverland?
If you grew up around Kingston on Murray or Moorook, remember the old Train Carriage, have family connections to the historic Thurk settlement, or have photographs and stories of the area, we'd love to hear from you.
Every memory could help us uncover another chapter of Figbrook Farm's story. We'd love to hear from you, either through a private message or at [email protected] 💚
