Abstract: Solanum centrale L., the Australian bush tomato, is a perennial undershrub that is geographically restricted and a rare species. A number of commercial plantations have been established to meet market demand for its use as a flavouring. This thesis investigated improved methods of propagation, the breeding system and hybridisation techniques, potential steroidal alkaloids in fruit, the morphological and genetic diversity of S. centrale populations and identified molecular markers for desirable traits.