Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards facts for kids
Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards was a famous winery started by Richard Hamilton in the early days of the colony of South Australia. It became well-known for its wines and brandies.
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History of the Vineyards
Richard Hamilton was born in 1792 and passed away in 1852. He was a tailor from Dover, England. He owned land in New York, which he sold in 1837. With that money, he bought about 80 acres (32 hectares) of land in Glenelg, South Australia.
Richard, his wife, and their seven children sailed to Australia. They arrived in Adelaide on October 17, 1837. He quickly started setting up a farm. By 1840, his farm was called "Ewell Farm." He named it after a farm he had in England.
His new Ewell Farm included a vineyard. It covered about 5 acres (2 hectares). He planted grapevines that he bought in South Africa on his way to Australia.
One of Richard's sons, Henry Hamilton (born 1826, died 1907), stayed in England for a while. He later moved to Australia in 1841. Henry worked on a sheep farm for two years. He then bought land next to his father's property in Oaklands. Henry built a house there and settled down. He later inherited his father's Glenelg property.
Passing Down the Business
As Henry got older, he wasn't in good health. In 1890, he handed over the Ewell Vineyards to his son, F. E. "Frank" Hamilton. Frank was born in 1859 and passed away in 1913. Frank was active in his community and served on the Marion Council for many years.
At this time, Ewell Vineyards had grown quite a bit. It covered about 156 acres (63 hectares). They also grew almonds and other fruits. Frank married Violet Ayliffe in 1895.
Frank and Violet's oldest son, (Frank) Eric Hamilton (born 1896, died 1967), took over the company. His brother, Sydney Hamilton (born 1898, died 1987), became the winemaker. They rebuilt the winery and added a distillery. In 1934, they officially changed the company name to Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Pty. Ltd.
Eric's son, Robert Hamilton (born 1926, died 1976), became the chairman of the company in 1967. His uncle, Sydney Hamilton, continued as the winemaker at Ewell.
The Wines They Made
Hamilton's Ewell vineyards grew both red and white wine grapes. They used grapes like Grenache for red wines and Pedro Ximenes for white wines. They sold their white wines as Chablis and Moselle.
In 1841, this vineyard made South Australia's very first commercial wine. This was a big step for winemaking in the region!
Later, they added special equipment called pot stills. This allowed them to make fortified wines, like Sauterne, and brandy. Fortified wines are stronger because extra alcohol is added.
In 1958, the company bought the Bridgewater Mill. They used this mill to age their table wines. They also used it as a storage place for their brandy. Another company, Petaluma Wines, bought the Mill in 1986.
Changes to the Original Vineyards
Starting in the 1950s, the city of Adelaide began to grow. Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards started selling off large parts of their land. Much of it was sold to the South Australian Housing Trust for new homes.
In 1968, about 30 acres (12 hectares) of land were taken by the government. This land was used to build Glengowrie High School. That school later closed in 1991 and was replaced by a retirement community.
In 1975, another 15 acres (6 hectares) were taken for a bus depot. A section of land they owned, called "Laffer's Triangle," was first leased to Flinders University. Then it was sold to the government and now includes the Sturt police station.
By the early 2000s, only small parts of the original vineyards remained. These tiny patches of grapevines were looked after by the Marion Council.
New Locations for Hamilton's Vineyards
Even though the original land was sold, the company continued to grow. They bought new land for vineyards in other areas. These new locations included Happy Valley, Springton, Eden Valley, Nildottie, and Wood Wood in Victoria.
Today, the Hamilton family still makes wines in South Australia. Mark Hamilton, a member of the sixth generation of the family, continues the tradition.
Richard Burton Hamilton, who is Frank Hamilton’s grandson and a fifth-generation family member, started making wine in 1972. He makes South Australian wine today under the 'Richard Hamilton Wines' and 'Leconfield Wines' names.
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