BACKGROUND OF WINE MAKING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA - By Dr Tom B Cullity
Wine-making in W.A. naturally falls into three periods - the colonial, post World War One, and post 1960.
The Colonial Period
This commenced shortly after the foundation of the Colony in 1829. The story of Houghton's, Valencia (originally Santa Rosa), both planted with cuttings from the region of Cape Town, is well recorded. Jack Mann has conveyed his deep knowledge of this area to the oral historians.
Post World War One
The multiplication of small wineries in the Swan Valley that occurred in this period was largely the work of Dalmatian immigrants. They were industrious and as patient as anyone could be. Their aim was to supply a local city and country market, mainly their countrymen and Italian migrants with cheap table wine. In Australia, and W.A., until the 1960s three quarters of bulk wine was fortified due to demand by English settlers and their descendants.
There can be few, if any, wine regions of the world with greater growing period heat and sunlight exposure and the Swan Valley lent itself to production of wine of this type. During the latter part of this period Jack Mann, at Houghton's winery, was alone (and undaunted) in his idealistic pursuit of the highest possible quality table wine (as he perceived it to be). He also preached that this would be achieved in the cooler growing areas of W.A. Maurice O'Shea, of the Hunter Valley, also expressed the view, at this time, that Albany would make premium wine. He had never been to Western Australia. |
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Post 1960
In the 1950s there was economic hardship in the Swan Valley due to poor returns from dried currants. Dried Fruits (W.A.) Ltd had accumulated funds from levies given them against imported dried fruit. With the co-operation of the Dried Vine Fruit Association of W.A. they stimulated the establishment of the Vine Fruit Research Trust, which subsidised research at the University of W.A., trying to identify problems in the industry. Walter Ashton, the Trust Chairman, was dissatisfied with progress and arranged, together with the Fulbright Foundation, that Professor Olmo, a Californian horticulturist, should come to W.A., in 1955, to investigate problems in the grape industries and to make suggestions.
In 1955 his report, "A Survey of the Grape Industry of W.A." was published. He emphasised that the future of the industry was, for various reasons, in the production of table-wine in cooler regions, specifying Mount Barker, which he visited. I have been told that as Olmo and his companions passed up the South West, on the long trip from Albany to Busselton, where they were late for a dinner appointment with Bettenay, the local Department of Agriculture officer, Olmo gestured towards the whole of the area now under vines in Margaret River. He asked what sort of country it was. They were in a hurry and he was told that it lacked obvious promise.
Olmo's report lay doggo. Then in 1963 Bill Jamieson, Government Viticulturist, was asked by Les Slade, assistant to Charles Court, Minister of Industrial Development, to suggest methods of helping the flagging grape industry in the Swan Valley. Jamieson pointed out Olmo's recommendation to make wine in cooler areas and also that demand for premium wine was increasing and that cuttings of suitable grape varieties were already established on the Swan Research Station. Charles Court then formed the Vine Fruit Advisory Committee which published recommendations in 1964. The members of the Committee were G.K. Baron-Hay (chairman), L. Slade, J. Mann, David Roe, W. Jamieson and W.M. Taylor.
The committee recommended a small experimental plantation and this was done on Pearce's farm at Forest Hill in 1966. In 1966 and 1967 the cuttings failed due to water logging and grasshoppers. They subsequently thrived and wine is still made from this vineyard. This illustrates the hazards tyros must overcome in a new venture away from a seasoned and securely established industry.
There was still no mention or thought of the South West. Despite this neglect the foregoing is relevant to development in Margaret River. |
Jack Mann
(1906-1989)
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VASSE FELIX
I planted half an acre of Cabernet Sauvignon and Hermitage on 'Tynedale' the farm of my brother-in-law and sister round 1964. It is situated on the Collie road about 3 miles east of Roelands. The vines were tended by the Rossi family, Dellavanzo and Claude, supervised by my brother-in-law, Frank Wilson. I made 30 gallons of wine from these grapes in 1967, in my ignorance and due to silver-eyes at a Baumé reading of 10. The Rossis have continued to make wine from this patch. Tony died in 1987 and it is problematic whether the next generation will have the impulse to continue. I hope they do.
It was in 1966 that my brother drew my attention to John Gladstones' article in the "Journal of the Australian Institute of Agriculture" of December 1965, in which he canvassed observations that the soil and climate of the west coastal area south of Busselton could lend itself to the production of high quality table wines. It seemed that these areas would be more suitable than Tynedale, and because of Gladstones' ideas and, no doubt, Duces' Hermitage, I decided to investigate the area south of Busselton. Jack Mann and Bill Jamieson were personal friends and both the sort who are unfailingly generous with time, help and encouragement. I think these things are the main reasons why I decided to pursue the matter further. I sometimes wonder whether it was worthwhile, but at that time it seemed almost a disgrace that nobody was actually doing anything to prove a golden opportunity that would be the envy of most other countries.
Since Margaret River was planted Victorians, South Australians and Tasmanians have realised the potential of new cool areas. It was due to Californian wine scientists that the importance of a cool ripening period was appreciated.
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