My Story

Meet Phia

I am the bee drover. I am the fourth generation to pursue my
family’s passion, beekeeping!

Drove? Yes! I drove bees throughout rural NSW chasing honey and pollinating Australia's food. My bees are an important part of safeguarding Australia's food security.

'It started as a love hate relationship'

Since a little girl, bees have been a large part of my life. My father was a commercial beekeeper so naturally I was given my first beehive when I was around 12. What started as more of a hate relationship grew into a
love relationship. I would go tend to my backyard hives with my father and
poddy sheep by my side and harvest my frames of honey.

'I now own 240 hives and manage my fathers 1,400 hives'

Between you and me, this gig is not easy. In 2021 when I was 18 years old an opportunity was presented to me to purchase my first load of bees (120 hives). All of a sudden, I was at the bank taking out my first loan (this was big for 18yr old Phia). You could say I was taking to bull by the horns!

'I experienced the worst hardships the industry has ever seen'

Little did I know in my next 5 years of beekeeping I would experience the worst hardships the industry has ever seen since the beginning of beekeeping in Australia. I endured, bushfires, floods, Covid-19, border closures, varroa mite, more border closures, new high-cost treatment and record drops in honey prices.

1920's

Over 100 year of Beekeeping

Our beekeeping legacy began in the 1920's. Irene Croker my great grandmother lit our families passion for honeybees on the fruit orchards of Beelbangera, NSW. Through the depression she put sweat, blood and tears into her hives, shifting them on the front of her push bike. A humble BUT very honest duty she fulfilled for the small community of Beelbangera, 2km north-west of Griffith.

1970's

Pouring fuel on the fire

My Grandpa turned his Mothers passion into a bustling family operation, running over 2,000 hives. My Pop took his love of trucking (from his dad) and bee's (from his mum) and started a migratory honey operation chasing eucalyptus species from QLD all the way down into Victoria. Pop's home base was the beautiful coastal town of Ulladulla where he, my nan and their six children grew up. All of which helped tend to the bees.

2010's

Pushing Beekeepers into the new world

Then came Victor (my dad), who was hooked from childhood—running the uncapping machine by age 10 and leaving school to become a full-time beekeeper in his teens. He took on the role of queen breeder among other things and thrived on the adventure of moving and managing bees across Australia’s vast outback. Now operating 1,500 hives with his business partner Dave.