October 2026 NEWS

Every quince tree in our orchard is blooming this month. Those delicate five-petalled flowers open pink, fade to white, then fall off, leaving confetti petals everywhere. I've picked a few to adorn bowls of our feature recipe, Quince Cream, based on a 1943 newspaper cutting found in a cookbook in The Cedars kitchen, Hahndorf. We pay homage to the Heysen family through their beautiful artworks, German heritage, family home, gallery … and love of quinces.

  • The artistic legacy of Sir Hans Heysen and Nora Heysen,
  • The Cedars: a haven for some quince magic,
  • A quince gem from Sallie Heysen's recipe collection,
  • The story of Anna Pavlova and A souvenir painting,
  • A heritage quince connection to the Barossa, and
  • Blossom magic lights up the Quince HQ orchard.

'The role of the artist is not to look away.' Akira Kuroswa

Cathy x

At Quince HQ  we want to inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity and excitement about quinces; a really old fruit that is being rediscovered … and loved again. And there really is so much to love!
You can delve into a wondrous quince-inspired world full of stories of love, lust, legend, and traditions; be tempted by fascinating and every-day recipes; be enchanted by artworks and poetic musings through the ages; or even be enthused to grow a tree. Be prepared for something special.


Quince isn’t just a fruit
… it’s an experience.

. . . . . . .

When summer slips away and the leaves begin to fall, quinces are readying their magic powers

It’s a fruit with personality: voluptuous, sensual, golden, fragrant, sublimely aromatic, and oh so versatile. It’s true that they aren’t much fun to eat raw … but the wow factor comes during cooking: Quince + sweetener + heat + time = heaven on a spoon. Pure alchemy.

Though related to apples and pears - which you can tell by their shape - they are botanically different.  Their fancy name is Cydonia oblonga; one that shouts back to ancient Greece where the very best quinces in the world were grown in Kydonia, on the island of Crete.

All 16 known quince varieties currently in Australia are growing in the Quince HQ orchard.

Varieties

The Quince HQ  orchard was established in 2013.  All sixteen varieties of quince trees have since been sourced from three specialist heritage fruit tree nurseries in Tasmania and Victoria:

  • Angers
  • Apple
  • Champion
  • De Bourgeaut
  • De Vranja 
  • Fullers
  • Master’s Early
  • Missouri Mammoth
  • Mummery’s Seedling
  • Orange
  • Pineapple
  • Portugal
  • Powell’s Prize     
  • Rea’s Mammoth
  • Smyrna
  • Van Deman
There was a time, in the early 1900s, when there were 40 varieties known to be growing across Australia.

Enquiries

Cathy Hughes

0428 720 728
magic@quincehq.com.au

. . . . . . .

Business hours

Mon - Fri
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Back to:    Explore/Contact Us -  Newsletter - FAQs

© Quince HQ 2026

Website designed by Cate Bell Art Design