Bowen’s R2E2 Mango: From Harbour Seeds to World-Class Variety

The origins of Australia’s mango industry trace back to Bowen, where the fruit was first commercially produced. While stories suggest mango trees existed in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden as early as 1823 and in Rockhampton by the 1860s, Bowen is recognized as the birthplace of large-scale production.

Legend has it that in the 1880s, traders from India and South-East Asia gifted seeds to Bowen’s harbour-master, who crossbred varieties. The finest selections were passed to farmer Harry Lott, who cultivated them at Kensington Farm, Adelaide Point, eventually producing a mango that was bigger, tastier, and more resilient.

This led to the creation of the R2E2 mango, a large, round fruit with firm flesh and a sweet, fresh flavour. According to Queensland DPI senior horticulturalist Ian Balley, the variety was developed to address shortcomings in the popular Kensington Pride.

The Mango Improvement Program, launched at the Bowen Research Centre in the 1960s, crossbred Kensington Pride with overseas varieties. In 1984, Balley tested a crop and identified the standout hybrid half Kent, half Kensington Pride which was named R2E2 after its position in the test plot.

Today, the R2E2 is celebrated as one of Australia’s premium mango varieties, a testament to Bowen’s pioneering role in the industry.