The Heritage Fruits Society (HFS) is a not-for-profit volunteer-run group based in Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria. Our purpose is the conservation, study and promotion of growing rare and endangered varieties of fruit. We encourage our members to explore the vast range of heritage fruit varieties and to inform others about how these can benefit health, sustainability and biodiversity. Learn more about our background here. 

The Heritage Fruits Society is the caretaker of the HFS Heritage Block, a small 0.5ha section of Petty's Orchard in Templestowe, Victoria. The Heritage Block holds the main collection of heritage fruit trees maintained by HFS, and is where most of our activities take place. It is one of the largest collections of heritage/heirloom fruit varieties in mainland Australia, with more than 250 varieties of old and rare apples, as well as ever-expanding collections of other fruits such as plums, apricots, pears and medlars. We run regular volunteer workshops which focus on maintaining and improving this collection and its facilities.

Runs public events

HFS runs a range of public events, including:

• Grafting and Tree/Scion Sales Days in winter

• Tasting Events in summer and autumn

• Guided walking tours of the Heritage Block

• During winter, pruning and grafting learning sessions (for details about these, keep an eye on the 'Upcoming HFS Events' column, to the right)

Maintains the orchard

• Run HFS Volunteer Workshops through out the year

Works with other collections and groups

The Society works with other private and public collections to preserve rare fruit varieties, and is constantly searching for new sources of unusual or rarely-grown fruit varieties worthy of preserving.

Provides access to information

HFS also maintains an extensive on-line library of information relating to rare fruits, their propagation and preservation, historic orchards, our own history and collections, and much more.