Tasmanian apple grower Bob Magnus grows fruit 'from Roman times', among 300 varieties

Bob Magnus planted his apple orchard in southern Tasmania in the early 1980s and has since rescued over 300 varieties that might otherwise not exist. Key points: Bob Magnus's orchard in southern Tasmania has 300 varieties of apples that are no longer commercially viable The Tasmanian government implemented a tree-pull scheme for apples in the 1970s Most commercially grown apples are stored in a cool store for up to 12 months "We've got apples here that come from Roman times," he said. Referring to the varieties that ripen at different times of the year, from Christmas through to July, Mr Magnus said: "The next ripe one is my favourite apple." Bob Magnus hopes the work of he and his children, who send his apple grafts around the country, will help Tasmania retain both knowledge and apple tree stock.