T. B. Robson

Thomas Binns Robson (21 September 1843^[1] – 22 April 1925) was a fruitgrower in South Australia, known for his introduction into the colony of the fig wasp, responsible for fertilizing the Smyrna fig, and for his association with the Society of Friends (Quakers).^[1]

History

Robson was born in Liscard Vale, Cheshire, a son of Henry Ellithorp (or Ellythorp) Robson, later of Ambleside, in Cumbria.

After leaving school he was employed in a Liverpool cotton broking business and in 1867 visited Adelaide, where he met Henrietta Watson, daughter of Henry Watson, a chemist of Kermode Street, North Adelaide.^[2] They married at the Friends' meeting house, Liscard, on 1 March 1871,^[1] and left for Adelaide the same year, arriving by the barque Corrientes in August 1871.^[1]. They purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land at Hectorville,^[3] naming it "Ellythorp". There they established an orchard and vineyard, which in five years was turning a profit from fresh and dried fruit.

In 1908 he purchased the adjacent Cosford Estate, and moved into Cosford House, his son Henry remaining at Ellythorp. At some later date Mary Bedford and Bedford and Walter Robson also moved into Cosford House.

With the retirement and death of T. B. Robson, Robson and Son was Henry Binns Robson and Charles Henry Robson (1909–1985), married Clarice Jean in 1932.

The fruit processing business at Hectorville became Robson Jarvis & Co. in 1934; the orchard was liquidated in the mid-1950s. It is likely the company then became established in the drive-in movies business.^[4]

Religion

Robson came from an old Quaker family, and was for more than 40 years secretary of the Society of Friends in South Australia.^[1]

Fruitgrower

Around 1890 Robson began operating as "Robson and Son" with his son Harry.^[5]

Robson was a successful fruitgrower, both as exhibitor and as a market orchardist. He overcame the usual problem of low prices during times of surplus when he, like George McEwin of Glen Ewin fame, began producing dried fruit, jams and conserves, which found a ready market throughout the year, and won trophies at the Adelaide Show.^[6]

He grew grapes for the table, and for drying, but for his conscience' sake would not supply any for winemaking.^[7]

It had long been known that the Smyrna fig, popular as a dried fruit for its nutty flavor, required the service of the female fig wasp^[a] to fertilize its thousands of tiny seeds with pollen from the inedible caprifig fruit. Robson successfully grafted caprifig twigs to his Smyrna trees, and proved the theory by artificially transferring pollen between the two species with a pipette,^[9] but had many failed attempts at importing the wasps. The principle is straightforward — simply ship chilled caprifigs infested with Blastophaga larvae, which remain dormant through the Australian winter, then transfer them to his caprifigs. His supplier, George C. Roeding, of the California Nursery Company, took eight years of patient experimentation before in 1899^[10] establishing a wasp colony in the USA, where there was not the additional challenge of alternate seasons from the source country. Robson succeeded in 1909, not from his US supplier but by importing caprifigs from South Africa.^[11]

Other interests

Robson was a member of the

Central Agricultural Bureau
executive of the Fruitgrowers' Association
South Australian Chamber of Manufactures 1876–1924^[12]
Council of Churches for South Australia and elected president in 1914^[13]
Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society and a steward at Exhibitions

Family

Robson married Henrietta Watson (1848 – 30 January 1923) on 1 March 1871.^[1] Their family included:

Henry Binns "Harry" Robson (9 November 1871^[14] – 15 June 1955) married Annie Catherine Fryer on 9 September 1902.^[15]

Charles Henry Robson (28 July 1909 – 1985)

Mary Emily (5 March 1873 – 1926) married Alfred Bedford on 28 January 1909^[16]
Helen Gertrude Robson (2 July 1876^[17] – 1 September 1953) married Frederick Coleman in 1900
William Ellythorp Robson (9 October 1877^[18] – 17 February 1890^[19])
Walter Robson (1879–c. 1955)

Notes

^ The female Blastophaga psenes (prev. grossorum) wasp, mates with the male, who is wingless and partially blind, in the inedible male fruit ("caprifig") of the Capri fig. The gravid female leaves the caprifig coated with pollen, and enters the immature Smyrna fruit to lay her eggs, incidentally fertilizing the Smyrna seeds,^[8] a process known as caprification.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Obituary". The Chronicle (Adelaide). Vol. LXVII, no. 3580. South Australia. 2 May 1925. p. 22. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". The Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXVIII, no. 1545. South Australia. 13 May 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Personal". The Adelaide Observer. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 5850. South Australia. 12 March 1921. p. 31. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia. Golden Wedding celebrated Saturday 5 March 1921
^ "Hectorville Drive In Theatre". Campbelltown City Council. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
^ "The Month". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XXV, no. 7015. South Australia. 1 April 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Industries and Manufactures". The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXII, no. 3, 338. South Australia. 23 September 1905. p. 1 (Supplement). Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "General News". Southern Argus. Vol. XIV, no. 734. South Australia. 8 April 1880. p. 2. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia. grape drying here described in some detail.
^ "The Dried Fig Industry". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. L, no. 15, 350. South Australia. 30 December 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "The Smyrna Fig". The Register (Adelaide). Vol. XLVIII, no. 17, 675. South Australia. 8 July 1903. p. 3. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "The Dried Fig Industry". The Chronicle (Adelaide). Vol. 50, no. 2, 576. South Australia. 4 January 1908. p. 37. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Success After Many Years". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LII, no. 15, 977. South Australia. 31 December 1909. p. 6. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Chambers of Manufacture". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 11 December 1924. p. 8. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Church Intelligence". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LVII, no. 17, 509. South Australia. 26 November 1914. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXVIII, no. 1572. South Australia. 18 November 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. XLV, no. 13, 717. South Australia. 4 October 1902. p. 6. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia. WikiTree has 28 January.
^ "Family Notices". The Mildura Cultivator. No. 1129. Victoria, Australia. 27 February 1909. p. 7. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. VIII, no. 2283. South Australia. 5 July 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. XLII, no. 9646. South Australia. 13 October 1877. p. 4. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Family Notices". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XXII, no. 6068. South Australia. 18 February 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.