Tolley family facts for kids
The Tolley family were very important people in South Australia who made, bought, and sold wine and spirits. They created three main businesses:
- A. E. & F. Tolley, which sold wine in Leigh Street, Adelaide.
- Tolley Scott & Tolley, also known as "T.S.T.", which made spirits in Stepney and Nuriootpa.
- Douglas A. Tolley Pty, Ltd., which made wine in Hope Valley.
Contents
How the Tolley Family Started
Albion James Tolley (born 1819) and his wife Fanny (born 1830) came to South Australia with their three children in August 1853 on a ship called Gipsy.
In 1858, Albion James Tolley started his own business called Tolley & Co. He sold wine and sometimes helped sell hotels. His shop was on Currie Street in Adelaide.
The family went back to England in 1866, where their third son, Doug, was born. They returned to Adelaide in January 1873.
A. E. & F. Tolley: Wine Merchants
In 1874, Albion E. Tolley, the eldest son, started a business with Phillip Charles J. Campbell. They had a shop that sold drinks on Peel Street, then later on Leigh Street.
In 1876, Albion E. Tolley bought a wine and liquor store on Currie Street. This helped him grow his business.
- Albion Everard Tolley (1849 – 1922) was born in England. He came to Adelaide in 1852. He went to school in Kensington and at St. Peter's College. He also spent time in Melbourne learning about business. He loved sailing and had a beautiful garden.
In 1883, Albion asked his brother Frederick to join him, and they formed A. E. & F. Tolley. They rented space from Thomas Hardy and Sons on Currie Street.
- Frederick Osborne Tolley (1856 – 1913) was known for being cheerful and friendly. He also had a wonderful garden at his home.
The company opened more stores in Western Australia, including Fremantle, Esperance, and Norseman.
In 1893, they teamed up with George Milne to buy the wine and spirits from the S.A. Brewing Company. This company wanted to focus only on making beer.
In 1910, A. E. & F. Tolley became a family company. Many family members worked on the board of directors. In 1913, they built a new building on Waymouth Street.
Tolley, Scott & Tolley: Distillers
This company started as the East Torrens Wine Making and Distillation Company in Stepney in 1858. It was later bought by Hakan Linde, who built a distillery called the "Phoenix Distillery."
- Ernest "Tim" Tolley (1862 – 1925) was born in Adelaide. He studied in London and France, where he learned how to make wine. He also trained at a distillery in London.
- Thomas Scott (around 1830 – 1899) was a distiller from London. He trained the Tolley brothers.
- Douglas "Doug" Tolley (1866 – 1932) was born in England. He also studied in London and trained with Thomas Scott. He learned about making brandy from famous companies like Hennessy and Martell.
The two Tolley brothers returned to Adelaide in 1886 and 1887, and Thomas Scott followed in 1888. That year, they bought the "Phoenix Distillery" and made it much bigger.
In the early 1890s, grape growers in Nuriootpa had too many grapes. They asked the Tolleys to build a distillery in their area. The Tolley company was given some land, and they built the Angas Park distillery. This distillery made T.S.T. brandy and spirits for fortified wines. This was good for everyone: the growers could sell their grapes, and Tolley Scott & Tolley had a successful business selling spirits overseas.
In 1898, they bought the "Nuriootpa Cellars" winery across the road and put pipes under the road to move spirits to the cellars. They also bought more land nearby.
By 1924, they had huge storage areas for their spirits and wine in Nuriootpa. Sam and Len Tolley took over running the company around this time. They developed a very large export market, sending more than half of their brandy to places like Singapore and Malaya. Production at the Stepney location stopped around 1946, and those cellars were used for aging brandy and fortified wines.
The business was bought by an Australian company in 1961. The old Stepney buildings were updated in 1972 and used as company offices.
Douglas A. Tolley Pty, Ltd.: Hope Valley Wines
Douglas A. Tolley, one of the Tolley brothers, started his own vineyard and winery in Hope Valley in 1891. By 1903, he had planted grapes on about 95 acres of land.
His son, Leonard J. Tolley, took over the business. They mostly made wine to sell to other states in Australia. After Leonard passed away, his three sons, Peter, David, and Reginald, managed the company.
David Tolley even created a new type of grape called Tolley Pedare in the 1970s. Peter's son, Christopher, was the first of the fourth generation of the family to work in the company.
The winery was bought by another company called Mildara Blass in 1995.
Family Members
Albion James Tolley (1819 – 1901) and Fanny Tolley (1830 – 1899) came to Australia in 1853. They lived in North Adelaide and Norwood before moving back to England.
Some of their children included:
- Albion Everard Tolley (1849 – 1922)
- Frederick Osborne Tolley (1856 – 1913)
- Ernest Alfred Tolley (1862 – 1925)
- Douglas Austral Tolley (1866 – 1932)
Many members of the Tolley family continued to be involved in the wine and spirits businesses over the years, carrying on the family's legacy.
