Michael Burr, a retied physician, bought his farm in the southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia in 1997 and planted an olive grove in the scrub. He said it had been common practice for olive growers in his area to take stock from the wild trees to add to pressed oils for as distinctive flavour. He is the vice-president of the Australian Olive Association and has participated in collecting the wild samples. He said the olive industry attracted people who wanted to return to a sense of tradition. I think one of the explanations about the growth of the industry is that it offers people a sense of stability.
Olive groves represent the goal of independence.