Preliminary Investigation
I had never been south of Bunbury in my life, the ‘Coast Road’ from Fremantle was largely unsealed, and it took about 4 hours to get to Cowamarup. I spent some months in early 1966 rising in Perth at 3 am, driving south, looking for an acre or two of good vineyard soil and getting back to Perth late on Sunday night—this continued for some years. Of course it was impossible to find such a small area for sale. Two areas that presented themselves were on John Foster’s and Harry Clews’ places but there were practical problems.
The only contact I had was with Kevin and Diana Cullen who were old friends. If I had known the problems presented to an ignorant and possibly obsessed person like myself in a small, closed community I doubt whether I would have persisted.
The Cullens were a haven as they delighted in ideas, change and ‘progress’, and although it was doubtful at that time whether table-wine meant anything to them, they read Gladstone’s article with interest when I gave it to them and were pleased that such things were said to be possible in their bailiwick.
They offered me food and occasional lodging, an extensive knowledge of the whole area and its personalities, encouragement, and somebody helpful to talk to about the idea. Without this I would have floundered. Later Bill and Sandra Pannell were equally towers of strength and hospitality. Bill told me later that he almost resented me trying to start a vineyard as he had had the idea of doing it for some time and it was only the start of a medical career that held him back.
Twenty or 30 places must have been looked at one way or another. Just south of Busselton’s flat, relatively poorly-drained basin, in the vague area of Cowamarup, seemed the main place to search for a small area of gravelly loam over clay with predominantly red gum vegetation—this latter indicating good internal drainage. A south-eastern slope as protection against the north-western spring gales would be ideal for protection at flowering time.
Because of the Cullens I met Geoff and Sue Juniper, Bill and Joy Minchin, Henry and Maureen Wright, the Helmsleys, Jim McCutcheon and others who seemed a sort of set, all countrymen and knowing the area, and all benign in attitude to what may have seemed at the time just another of many over-enthusiastic notions by impractical people coming into the country. I became friendly with several neighbours and was particularly grateful for help from Bill Lieper, Dick Scott and others.
The Department of Agriculture Chief told me that only about 4% of such ideas survive. Jack Mann was a great supporter. Bill Jamieson, who was Chief of Viticulture in the Department of Horticulture, was a friend who often came down with me. Although it was not part of his brief officially, he never failed to help and encourage. The Department of Agriculture at that time was focussed on Tony and Betty Pierce’s trial plot near Mount Barker and I suspect that any engagement like Bill’s outside this focus was not in great favour with the higher reaches of the Department of Agriculture.
I must have been my own worst advocate, as, like most of my family, I had no practical or mechanical bent, had never changed a car tyre, hardly ever handled a tool and doubt that I possessed one, did not know what a weed was, and had an aversion to gardening. I read everything I could and consulted the Wine Research Institute in Adelaide and any winemakers I ran across.
It was hard to know how to proceed but it was obvious that first I must have land. Kevin Cullen told me to announce my intentions to “the district”, otherwise I would get nowhere. This disquieted me as I did not see what possible good could come of this, particularly as the future was uncertain, nor whether I should go it alone or in a partnership or other arrangement. It is important to see that there was no back-up in the wine trade, or the slightest reliable knowledge about grapes or wine in the area. It became obvious that having use of the skilled labour of the Rossis (Tony, Joe and Dominic), allowed me by my brother-in-law Frank Wilson, was utterly essential if anything was to be done from Perth. The two successive managers of Vasse Felix, Terry Merchant and Murray Neave, were eagerly employed by others starting up later, as they had at least had a contact with vineyards and wine.
This is mentioned only as it was obvious that some degree of prudence was needed before assuming that the theoretical hope was an established fact.
Not only land was needed but also the supervision of a helpful farmer with access to it. Eventually an apparently ideal site in this respect was found at Bill Osbourne’s property at Cowamarup, near the Caves Road, near the Cullens, and composed of red-gum country with areas of soil with characteristics of the sort of soil needed. It is rare in this region to find a single expanse of the same soil type—soil types can change every 50 metres or so. One almost exception was Maylem’s farm just to the north of Vasse Felix in a place the locals called “Red Gully”. I needed to borrow money and asked Terry Merchant to look for a larger tract of vineyard soil. He announced that he had found such at Maylem’s farm. This was too large for my then plans so I persuaded an American friend, Jim Morrison, to buy it in case my smaller plans on a couple of acres or so of vines were successful.
I was still thinking of making wine for a family—about 200 gallons a year. Jim Morrison eventually sold it at a reasonable profit to Sandalfords, then owned by Crown Agents, hence the presence of Sandalford Wines at this plce in Margaret River. It was only gradually that it became obvious in my case that the cost and necessity of tractors and equipment and labour and everything else meant that a larger area had to be used, for the same cost, if it was not to be only a too-expensive millionaire’s hobby. At that time I was far from in that category and was completely uninterested and far from skilled in financial matters.
Kevin Cullen sealed the situation by exchanging two acres of his property, which adjoined Osbone’s, for each acre of the latter’s. This was vital and if it had not been for that I am far from sure that I would have continued. Geoff Juniper lived directly opposite and was prepared to keep an eye on things while I was away during the week. I paid the Cullens for their land but cannot remember the process by which the land came to be mine. I think it cost me about $150 per hectare.
I used to sleep in the back of a Valiant station wagon in the Juniper’s front yard until a shed was built. The Junipers were kind friends.
The eight acres was next to a Council ex-gravel-pit which contained some vineyard soil and which was allotted to me under “Conditional Purchase” when I applied for it, and this was planted later. The Willyabrup Creek ran down to the sea through the original area which I was told was used as a stopping place for Cobb and Co. coaches in the early days of the South West. It was fenced and under pasture.
Eventually we finished with 17.8 acres under vine, excluding headlands, with a winery shed, a cellar, a machinery-shelter and a manager’s house. This was in the future, and I should return to the time of pruchase of the original land.
Part Five:
Margaret River: A Short Account of the Early Days
