The Way It Was Ray Jordan and Peter Forrestal’s book The Way It Was is a well-researched narrative of Margaret River’s modern pioneers and winemaking history. I have referenced the authors’ observations in the forthcoming history of Australian wine, The Australian Ark . Vigneron Dr Thomas Cullity, who established the region’s first ‘commercial-scale’ winery Vasse Felix, was modest in assessing his contribution to the early beginnings of Margaret River. Already, by 1965, he had imagined making wine in the South West of Western Australia. And in 1966 he planted a small patch of vines at his brother-in-law’s property, Tynedale, three miles east of Roelands, near Bunbury. But after reading a report by Dr John Gladstones in the same year, and with the encouragement of Bill Jamieson and Jack Mann, he looked for suitable land further south, in Margaret River. In his search for an ideal site, he was greatly assisted by Dr Kevin and Di Cullen, who already owned a cattle property at Wilyabrup and had ambitions to plant a vineyard. They introduced him to their circle of friends and contacts who ‘could tolerate an eccentric idea’. This was largely because they all believed in the potential of Margaret River wine as well. In his memoir, written in 1987, Tom Cullity acknowledged that Bill Minchin had planted a small plot (half an acre) of grapevines at Vasse in 1966 (and made wine in 1970). He also recounted that he and his friend Della Livorno had helped Geoff Juniper to plant a small 1/2-acre vineyard at Wilyabrup. According to Dr John Gladstones, Dr Kevin Cullen had provided ‘intellectual input’ in the early development of viticulture and winemaking in the region, including this project. Dr Bill Pannell, who planted his Moss Wood vineyard in 1969 and produced wine in 1973, was also an important early pioneer and enjoyed prime-time success for his Cabernet Sauvignon, especially during the late 1970s. Although Tom Cullity is recognised for planting Margaret River’s first commercial vineyard in 1967, it is the collective effort that ultimately made the difference. This is an important point to make, because there are quite a lot of people who made significant contributions to the region’s early beginnings, some well known and others barely remembered. Ultimately, the success and reputation of the region have been shaped
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
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