Guy's Cross Olive Oil
ABOUT US
Guy’s Cross Olive Oil is a strong, pungent oil. It is produced in a grove of 600 carefully hand-tended trees growing on the farm in the relatively cool, elevated, tablelands of southern New South Wales at an altitude of 820m.
The oil is grown entirely on Guy’s Cross and is not blended with oils sourced from off the farm. Only organic methods are used and all labour is by hand.
The trees produce a rich dark green-gold oil, which is bottled in elegant 500ml bottles or attractive metal cans.
Guy’s Cross Olive Oil is described by award judges as “possessing good levels of bitterness and pungency; the oil presents as a clean strong oil.”
The four olive varieties on the farm have been selected to ideally compliment each other and produce a complex characterful olive oil ideal for the sophisticated and discerning palate.
Guy’s Cross Olive Oil is available direct from Guy’s Cross and from selected outlets in the Canberra region.
Our Namesake: Basil Guy, RN. VC DSO
My grandfather, Commander Basil John Douglas Guy VC, DSO (9 May 1882 – 29 December 1956) was an British Royal Navy officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was 18 years old, and a midshipman in the Royal Navy serving on HMS Barfleur during the Boxer Rebellion in China, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 13th July 1900, during the attack on Tientsin City, a very heavy cross-fire was brought to bear on the Naval Brigade, and there were several casualties. Among those who fell was an able seaman (name not quoted here), shot about 50 yards short of cover. Mr. Guy stopped with him, and, after seeing what the injury was, attempted to lift him up and carry him in, but was not strong enough, so after binding up the wound Mr. Guy ran to get assistance. In the meantime, the remainder of the company had passed in under cover, and the entire fire from the city wall was concentrated on Mr. Guy and the other man. Shortly after Mr. Guy had got in under cover the stretchers came up, and again Mr. Guy dashed out and assisted in placing the wounded man on the stretcher and carrying him in. The wounded man was however shot dead just as he was being carried into safety. During the whole time, a very heavy fire had been brought to bear upon Mr. Guy, and the ground around him was absolutely ploughed up.
Guy was invested with the decoration by King Edward VII on 8 March 1902, during a royal visit to Devonport Royal Dockyard.[3]
After returning from China, he served on HMS Hannibal in the Channel Fleet. He was appointed action sub-lieutenant on 15 January 1902, and confirmed in this rank after a year. On 31 December 1902 was posted to the destroyer HMS Zephyr, serving in home waters.
During the years that followed Guy continued to serve in the Royal Navy attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During World War 1 he was appointed in command of the Q-ship HMS Wonganella in which he further distinguished himself on 11 March 1917. [i] The following extract from E Kebble Chatterton's 'Q-Ships and Their Story' records the action:
On March 11, 1917, the Wonganella (Lieut.-Commander BJD Guy, RN) was on her way from Malta to England via Gibraltar, she was shelled by a submarine, and while the 'panic' party were getting out the boats, a shell wounded the officer and several of the crew in the starboard lifeboat. Another shell went through the bulwarks of the ship, wounding some men and bursting the steam-pipe of the winch, thus rendering unworkable the derrick used for hoisting out the third boat, and the port lifeboat was also damaged.
Shells burst in the well deck and holed the big boat, so in this case, as all his boats were ‘done in’, the captain had to give up the idea of ‘abandoning’ ship. There was nothing for it but to open fire, though it was not easy for orders to be heard in that indescribable din when shells were bursting, steam pouring out form the burst winch-pipe, wounded men in great pain, and Wonganella’s own boiler-steam blowing off with an annoying roar.
As soon as fire was opened, the submarine dived and then fired a torpedo, which was avoided by Wonganella going astern with her engines, the torpedo just missing the ship’s fore-foot by 10 feet. No more was seen of the enemy, and at dusk the armed steam yacht Iolanda was met, from whom a doctor was obtained, thus saving the lives of several of the wounded.
In this engagement, while the White Ensign was being hoisted, the signal halyards were shot away, so the ensign had to be carried up the rigging and secured thereto. Wonganella was holed on the water-line and hit elsewhere, but she put into Gibraltar on March 13.
For his part in this, and several other Q-ship actions during World War I, Guy was awarded a Distinguished Service Order.
In June 1918 Guy was promoted to Commander and after serving five years in that rank before he retired. He was recalled for further service during World War II serving in staff appointments.
Commander BJD Guy, VC, DSO died at Lambeth, London, on 28 December 1956. He was buried at St Michael's & All Angels Churchyard, Pirbright.
