The Cheese Tree was created in the 1860s by an industrious woman named Edy Bishop who moved to the area with her husband George.  George was given milk by a station owner he worked for and Edy used it to process cheese to sell.

When the cheese was ready to be pressed she placed the end of long rails in the mortise holes cut in the tree and hung weights on the other end of the rails.  The cheese, in suitable containers was placed underneath and weights gently but persistently pressed the cheeses until they were mature enough for sale.  The cheeses were then packed and sent to Clare to be sold.

The Bishop family moved from their home on the Willochra Creek in 1878 The Bishop family moved from their home on the Willochra Creek in 1878 to take up nearby land in the Melrose district, which they named Denham, and to this day this land is still owned by the Bishop family. This wonderful piece of history remains as a memorial to the pioneers innovation.