THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
established commercial offices and warehouses in Sydney. Seppelt set up in Brisbane and Freemantle. South Australian wine became increasingly popular in the eastern states. Hans Irvine, from Great Western Victoria, also set up offices in Sydney. Conversely, Federation was a disaster for Hunter Valley vignerons, who experienced dwindling sales and profitability. Many of the larger producers also lobbied against small wineries investing in distillation equipment, forcing small family holdings to sell their crops. Many growers began to pull out their vineyards and concentrate on other activities, including dairying. At Federation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found themselves excluded from many rights of Australian citizenship, including the right to vote. The new Constitution, embedded with colonial paternalism, stated that ‘Aboriginal People will not be counted in the census,’ and ‘the Commonwealth has the power to make laws relating to any race of people in Australia with the exception of Aborigines’. Aside from the Northern Territory, Aboriginal affairs were administered by the states. Many jurisdictions prohibited the sale of wine and other alcohol to Aboriginal people, but they were permitted to work in vineyards to help gather grapes. Until machine harvesting, the grape harvest required large teams of pickers. Many farms had difficulty finding seasonal workers. While it was relatively uncommon at Federation, there was increasing demand and incentives for seasonal workers, especially in the expanding Riverland, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and remote regions.
Squatters Arms Hotel, Port Road Thebarton, near Adelaide, South Australia ca 1900. [Yalumba Collection]
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