Things
In the 1860s and 1870s there was a strong wine industry in north eastern
Victoria in the area around Rutherglen.
The first gold was found in Rutherglen near the Seppelts Winery in the 1850s
and a wine industry was under way by 1865.
It was well developed by the end of the 1870s. At that time wine was exported
to Europe and won a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1878.
Some of the main wineries included Walker & Co Kiamba estate (1851),
Fallons, All Saints Estate winery (established in 1864) and St Leonards (1862),
near Wahgunyah , and George
Morris established the Fairfield Vineyard in 1859, Fritz Ruhe (1860), Sutherland
Smith (1864) Campbells (1870), Stanton (1875) and near Rutherglen.
In the same area Gehrig's winery, established in 1858, is Victoria's oldest
continuously-operating winery.
George Morris' Fairfield Vineyard was by 1894 the largest vineyard in the
southern hemisphere. It covered 700 acres and could store 1 million gallons
of wine. There were 120 Chinese employees
on the vineyard.
William Baumgartens Bogong
vineyard which covered 540 acres
Wines were judged at the Chiltern show (Argus21/9/81)
The Ruhe winery was the first one in the district to be hit by phylloxera
in the mid 1890s. This basically destroyed the industry and most of the winerys
closed. They have been replanted in recent years.
It would seem that the KellyGang liked their whiskey
Some of the first wine makers were John Peter Frauenfelder, Sebastian Schubach
and Herny Rau, John Lankester.
Lankester established the Vine and Fruitgrowers Assosciation in Albury
in the 1870s.
Miller of Arcadia (Ensign22/1/1875)
Trojano Darveniza had a winery near Mooroopna. At the high of production
he made 2500 gallons of wine and won 330 European awards
Francois DeCastella bought Tongala near Echuca
and was the manager at Chateau Dookie
Wahgunyah and Cowra Wine Co (failed in 1876)
privacy policy
7-dec-11
Find the hiding places and sites where the KellyGang found fame and fortune and where their friends indulged in horse stealing and tried to make a life against the challenges of the squatters and banks. Let the KellyGang show you the places where they found safety from the law in the bush.