NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.Tim Denny was responsible for research and development for the Bridestowe Estate, Tasmania from 1947 until 1973 and was general manager from 1973 until his retirement from that position in 1989.
During that period of time, Tim Denny was responsible and was intimately involved with the development of the Tasmanian lavender industry, through the introduction and selection of germplasm, the development of the agronomy for the growing of the crop, the identification and development of harvesting machinery and finally, the development of efficient and economic distillation methods. It is in the latter capacity, as a consultant on distillation to the essential oil industry worldwide that he continues to be active.
Prior to World War 11, Tim Denny was pursuing tertiary studies at Cambridge University and was involved with the perfume trade in London and in the Grasse area in France. During the summer of 1939, he was attached to Roure Bertrand Fils et Justin Dupont S.A. where he studied distillation in the lavender industry in the French Alps.
At the outbreak of war, he abandoned his studies and joined the R.A.F. where he rose to the rank of Squadron Leader DFC & Bar.
In 1947 he moved to Tasmania and, for the next 26 years, was responsible for the development of the Tasmanian lavender industry.
In his capacity as the person responsible for research and development for Bridestowe Estate, Tim conducted the basic research into distillation and designed the distillery equipment which improved both the quality and yield of oil and quadrupled the daily throughput of the stills.
It was during this time that he selected amongst distinct populations of lavender and was able to identify and propagate higher yielding strains. A sample of the field plan for one such trial is shown on this page.
In 1976, Tim Denny starting working with Keith McKenzie, a steam engineer, and they began advising producers of essential oils on the theory and practice of herb distillation. In this capacity, they have advised on many essential oil distillation problems, such as Eucalypt and tea tree distillation in Australia, sandalwood distillation in Timor, essential oil production in Papua-New Guinea, distillation of Mentha arvensis in Pakistan, Anise sp. and other Umbelliferae in Saudi Arabia, Eucalyptus smithii in Swaziland, Tagetes minuta in the Siskei, Eucalyptus australiana in South Africa, orange petitgrain and neroli in Spain, citrus petigrain in Italy and Pelargonium graveolens development and distillation in Australia.
An idea can be gained of Tim Denny's originality from his development of the 'Yak pack', a portable distillation plant for nomadic oil collection in mountainous areas.
Tim Denny has published many reports, culminating in his 270 page book entitled 'Field Distillation for Herbaceous Oils' which is used in 32 countries.
He has occupied many positions in the relevant industrial and professional organisations, such as the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT), the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and the Standards Association of Australia.
Tim Denny's development of the Tasmanian lavender industry demonstrates several elements for successful new crop research and development:
Tim Denny has also demonstrated the manner in which these elements can be transferred to other crops.
We wish him well in his future endeavours, as he continues to advise on distillation problems in the essential oil industry.
Tim Denny has responded to our remarks by saying: "No one person can be fully expert in all the disciplines involved in the development of any crop that is new to the area concerned. Success depends very much on getting and selecting the best advice from specialists who are experienced in the necessary areas. My activities owed much to the help of friends and loyal staff."
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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