A Century-Old Citrus: Australian Museum Celebrates Remarkably Preserved Orange
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A remarkable piece of natural history is captivating visitors at the Agnes Water Museum in Queensland, Australia: an orange believed to be 100 years old. The fruit, encased in glass, has become a local sensation, prompting both skepticism and captivation.
The story of this enduring citrus began with a type-written label suggesting a vintage of 1925.According to Daryl Jones, the treasurer of the Agnes Water Museum, the orange has stirred up considerable interest within the community. “It’s hanging in ther,” Jones remarked, describing the fruit as “a little shrunken and a little gray like we all get when we get old.”
A Collector’s Curiosity
The orange’s journey to museum prominence is intertwined with the life of Arthur Jeffery, a known collector and early resident of Agnes Water. Jones explained that Jeffery, who frequently walked barefoot around the township, amassed a diverse collection of items from the surrounding landscape. “He collected things off the beach and out of the bush, things he thought were engaging,” Jones said. “He must have decided with the orange, maybe it had started aging and he wanted to see how it went.”
Jeffery began the museum’s initial collection in 1952, and the orange was kept in a cabinet for years before staff decided to commemorate its centenary in March with a celebratory birthday party complete with cards and gift boxes.
The Science of Preservation
While the orange hasn’t undergone rigorous scientific testing – it has not been carbon dated, examined by experts, or weighed – its remarkable state has piqued the interest of food preservation specialists. Dr. Elisabeth Prabawati, a lecturer from the University of Queensland’s school of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, noted that the fruit appears to be “very old” and “mummified,” having dried out over time.
Dr. prabawati explained that citrus fruits, with their thick skins, are particularly well-suited to this type of preservation. “we can even see some evidence from archaeological sites from other countries, that some of the fruit have been in the dried condition for years, even a hundred years,” she said. The process typically occurs in environments with high temperatures (above 40 degrees Celsius) and low humidity (below 50 percent), though preservation can still occur at lower temperatures if the fruit’s skin remains intact.
A Local Landmark
The “geriatric orange,” as it’s affectionately known, is proudly displayed at the front of the museum alongside other past artifacts, including items related to shipwrecks and the landing of Captain James Cook in Queensland in 1770. A potential clue to the orange’s origins lies in the fact that Jeffery’s brother, Tom, was a grazier with citrus trees on properties in Agnes Water and nearby Miriam Vale. Though, its precise provenance remains a mystery.
A poem dedicated to the orange, created with the assistance of AI technology, further celebrates its unique status.
Jones anticipates that the orange will continue to be a fixture at the museum for years to come. “It survived, it outlasted him [Arthur Jeffery] and it’ll outlast us by the look of th
