ABOUT US
Healthy Soil,
Healthy Plants,
Healthy Fruit,
Healthy People
QUALIFICATIONS
& AWARDS
Advanced Diploma of Agriculture - Dave, Anita
Diploma in Production Horticulture - Dave, Anita
Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment - Dave, Anita
Certificate in Farm Business Management - Anita, Shaun
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) - Anita
Certificate in Agriculture - Dave
2019 - Duncan MacGillivray Entrepreneur Award
2018 - SA Food Industry Award Finalists
2012 - Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship
2010 - Khalifa International Date Palm Award for Best New Development Project
2007/08 - South Australian Landcare Primary Producer Award
2007 - Gurra Downs was one of six irrigators showcased at the Australian National Conference on Irrigation and Drainage held in Bundaberg, Queensland
2005 - Banksia Environmental Awards Category Finalist
OUR VISION
Produce significant volumes of premium Australian dates and quality wines.
OUR MISSION
Gain recognition for highly nutritious premium products, and good value organic wine.
OUR FAMILY
Shaun, Anita, Dave, Kelsey, Jonte & Jesse Reilly
Shaun, Anita, Dave, Kelsey, Jonte & Jesse Reilly
Dave is the Managing Director of Gurra Downs Date Company Pty Ltd, Co-owner of the Gurra Downs horticultural property and a director of Gurra Farms Pty Ltd and Gurra Wet Pty Ltd. Dave’s primary roles are to further develop the Australian date industry and oversee grape production and wine sales.
ANITA REILLY
Anita manages the Gurra Downs date palm nursery and is skilled in tissue culture and micropropagation techniques. She oversees the day to day administration of the business and manages date fruit sales and distribution. Anita is a director of Gurra Downs Date Company Pty Ltd, Gurra Farms Pty Ltd and Gurra Wet Pty Ltd.
SHAUN REILLY
Shaun is the Production Manager, overseeing all aspects of date plantation management and vineyard production. He is highly skilled in the areas of pollination, variety selection, irrigation, and fertiliser management. Shaun has studied horticulture and agriculture at Roseworthy College and Sunraysia Institute of TAFE. He has since studied business management and irrigation management. Shaun is a director of Gurra Farms Pty Ltd.
JESSE REILLY
Jesse is the design consultant focusing on marketing and product innovation. She also assists Anita in the day-to-day management of our online store on Farmhouse Direct.
KELSEY REILLY
Having recently completed her Bachelor of Business (Tourism and Event Management) Kelsey assists with marketing and agri-tourism and provides critical strategic input to business operations. She also oversees website maintenance.
JONTE REILLY
Now in his third year of tertiary education, Jonte has provided additional labour support during holidays over several years.
BRIAN REILLY
With a background in Meteorology, Brian has a working knowledge of many Australian climatic regions and maintains a close interest in Earth Sciences. Accessing the Bureau of Meteorology’s data bank, he developed Summer Mean Rainfall and Heat Unit charts for the date-feasible subtropics. The charts provide unique assistance in the siting of date plantations and in assessing the feasibility of date production over much of the continent. In addition, Brian lends a hand on the farm throughout the year.
RUTH REILLY
With a history in retail merchandising and with a background of extensive overseas travel, Ruth plays an active role in the promotion of regional tourism. She maintains an interest in landcare issues and researches aspects of the date palm.