THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
Tolarno Station was a Merino grazing property of over 1.1 million acres and carrying 300,000 sheep. The wool clip had been carried by inland river steamers to Adelaide and exported mainly to the UK, but the collapse of the Union Bank in 1892 resulted in the end of that venture. Then, just a few years later, the price of wool dropped, and Tolarno Station was crippled by a shearer’s strike. Tough times followed with the Federation Drought. A letter to my grandmother Lydia Reynell, dated the 18th of June 1961, from her mother, May, the wife of Carew Reynell, however, reveals an interesting family recollection. She had been researching the Reynell family history, which, according to her, dated back to as early as 1191. She wrote, ‘Your great grandfather – John, was already settled at Reynella in 1842. The first vineyard he planted was called East Ogwell – & the old underground cellars was actually built in 1838.’ [This is incorrect.] ‘I have always understood that John Reynell planted some olives and almonds, really to demonstrate to early settlers what could be profitably grown in South Australia. He had travelled a good deal & was struck by the likeness of the climate here to that of the Mediterranean countries. I don’t think he thought specially about winemaking. All farmers in the Mediterranean countries [she is referring to the Riviera etc.] always have their own cellars – making their own wines & olive oil and growing almonds, oranges, etc. The wine business came about because your grandfather [Walter Reynell] had sheep stations in partnership with Ian Thomas’s grandfather [Ross Reid] . They both lost very heavily, about 1900, expanded – the making of wine because of this. He always had as many sheep as possible here & Mr [Colin] Haselgrove carries in the idea in a small way. A good deal of the estate had to be sold in 1930. It used to stretch right down to St Hallett’s Cove – now a tremendous lot of oil is being mined. Can’t remember just what the company is, but at least some of the land belonged to the original Reynell here. We used to go down for picnics in the little phaeton I had. It was a lovely spot with large rocks running into the sea. I’ve not seen it for years, but it must be very different now & the whole coast is transformed.’ By around 1903, Walter Reynell’s son Carew took over the management of the family wine business. From around 1862 to 1908, the vineyards expanded from 15 acres to 350 acres, mostly undertaken by Walter and Carew. The mixed farm with its pedigree stud also won prizes for its Reynella Shropshire Rams at the Adelaide Show in 1906. From around that time, Carew Reynell increased brandy production and developed a hospital brandy that became one of the leading brands of the day. This led to new investments in brandy stills, equipment, and more vineyard plantings. But when World War I intervened, the Reynell family fortunes began to teeter. John Alexander Seeck, from present-day Latvia, joined Walter Reynell & Sons as the company wine expert/oenologist around 1906 and worked there for
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