The Thompson family grew apples near Stanley for most of the twentieth century. Retired orchardist Giff Thompson recounts that his grandfather and father saw the end of gold mining and the expansion of Stanley's pine forests. At the same time, the Thompsons'  orchard grew from just a few hectares in 1900 to almost 50 hectares when sold in the last 1980s. Giff and his brothers were a vital part of Stanley's farming economy, supplying local, interstate and export markets with fruit. Their ownership saw exports to Europe, increasing economies of scale, automation and the introduction of controlled atmosphere storage.