Australians are renowned for their love of coffee. From the bustling laneways of Melbourne to beachside cafés in Byron Bay, the daily ritual of the flat white or long black has become woven into national culture. Collectively, Australians consume around six billion cups of coffee each year. Yet, despite this obsession, 99% of the coffee we drink is imported from overseas producers in Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and beyond.
Australian-grown coffee is a rarity-even in Melbourne, often called the nation's coffee capital. But a growing band of producers, scientists and roasters are determined to change that.
From Fruit to Cup
For many coffee lovers, the journey from fruit to cup remains little understood.
"About 90- 95% of consumers don't know that your cup of coffee starts with a fruit that grows on a tree," explains Simon Gautherin, Coffee Excellence Manager at Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters.
A certified Q Grader-the highest qualification in sensory coffee evaluation-Gautherin likens his role to that of a master sommelier in wine.
"There's a universal standard for cupping coffee. Whether in Melbourne or Brazil, we assess the same attributes: aroma, acidity, sweetness, body and aftertaste. It's a way of giving coffee a value."
When it comes to Australian beans, the reactions he sees are mixed.
"People are excited to hear that Australian coffee is available. But often they think 'Australian coffee' just means roasted here, not actually grown here."
A Pioneer's Journey
Commercial coffee growing in Australia is still young. The first commercial plantation was established in the late 1970s near Mareeba, QLD by Nat and Linda Jaques, who migrated from Africa.
"The hardest part in the early days was convincing anyone that Australian coffee was good coffee," Nat recalls.
"Most people were drinking instant coffee back then, so consumers were still on the learning curve."
The Jaques family faced hardships, with high interest rates forcing them into liquidation. At one point, Nat built his own coffee roaster out of a cement mixer to keep the business alive.
"We've had to restart our business several times, but we always believed the industry was viable," he says.
Today, their plantation on the Atherton Tablelands benefits from high rainfall, sandy soils and altitude-ideal conditions for Arabica coffee. Their unique pruning system, cutting trees back to the stump every six years, has since been adopted more widely and included in the Australian Coffee Growers Manual, a comprehensive resource funded by AgriFutures Australia.
Science Meets Coffee
Further south in northern New South Wales, research is helping to overcome longstanding barriers to expansion. Professor Tobias Kretzschmar from Southern Cross University has been working with World Coffee Research to trial new varietals better suited to Australian conditions.
"One of the biggest issues growers faced was the K7 variety," he explains.
"It's high-quality, but it grows too tall. Our farmers machine harvest and when trees outgrow the machines, yields drop and costs rise. What they wanted was a semi-dwarf variety that matched or exceeded K7 in yield and cup quality, while also offering basic disease resistance."
The trials, funded by AgriFutures Australia and supported by the Australian Grown Coffee Association, began in 2020 with sites in Queensland and New South Wales. The results have been promising: three new open-access varietals that outperform K7 in both productivity and taste.
"They beat K7 on all fronts-yield, disease resistance and cupping scores," says Kretzschmar.
"And because they're open access, farmers don't have to pay royalties. It's a win on every level, and it makes entering the industry much more attractive."
Momentum Builds
For Rebecca Zentveld, a grower near Byron Bay and President of the Australian Grown Coffee Association, this progress marks a turning point.
"It's the most exciting time we've had since the early 1990s," she says.
"Potential landowners are ringing us wanting to plant these new varieties. The demand for quality beans-locally and globally-is only increasing."
Currently, Australian production is tiny-less than 300 tonnes annually. That leaves enormous room for growth.
"There are so few of us," Zentveld says.
"There's potential not just to meet domestic demand but to create a premium export market for Australian coffee."
Interest is now spreading beyond the east coast. Early plantings are underway in Western Australia, and if successful, could extend coffee's geographic footprint.
A Place on the World Stage
Back in Melbourne, Gautherin has become an unlikely ambassador for Australian coffee, working with growers to refine processing and elevate quality.
"Ten years ago, everyone thought it was impossible for Australia to grow great coffee," he says.
"Even three or four years ago, we didn't have proof. But in 2021, we cupped an Australian coffee that scored 84 points-that's specialty grade. Today, some are going even higher."
The significance isn't lost on him.
"Australia grows some of the best fruits and wines in the world. Now we can add coffee to that list. The message is clear: not only can Australian producers grow outstanding coffee, but Australia can also be a real player on the global specialty scene."
Brewing the Future
From pioneers who refused to give up, to researchers unlocking new varietals, to passionate roasters championing local beans, the story of Australian coffee is one of resilience and renewal.
Challenges remain-chief among them the cost of suitable land-but optimism is strong. With new varieties on the horizon and growing consumer curiosity, the once-far-fetched idea of sipping Australian coffee may soon become everyday reality.
As Zentveld notes, "So many Australian consumers still haven't tasted Australian coffee. We've got a lot of cups to fill-but the future has never looked brighter."
