THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
Roma Villa, Roma Queensland, postcard, ca 1910. The disused winery was destroyed by fire in 2023. [Wikipedia]
advantage of the Export Bounty Scheme, supplying primarily fortified wine to the UK market. But during the Depression, the business was acquired by a consortium led by Samuel Wynn. Hurtle Walker became one of the most famous winemakers in South Australia and saw Romalo Cellars rapidly expand to meet the demand for sparkling wine. Edmond Mazure’s star faded, but his fame and legacy will always be connected with Auldana. His contribution to the culture of winemaking in South Australia was remarkable. Aside from all of his inventions and winemaking techniques, he experimented with fertilisers, irrigation, and vineyard management and regularly taught and lectured on standards of pruning. He was also one of the most influential wine judges of the time, officiating at both South Australian and national wine shows. Along the Murray River, many vineyards had converted their vineyards to table grapes, but an uptick in demand for cheap fortifying spirit sparked new interest in developing new wineries and distilleries at Irymple and Merbein. This was the beginning of the Mildura Winery Pty Ltd business, also known as the Mildura Wine Company, which comprised a group of investors, including William Chaffey. The venture teetered on failure for years, at one time being wound up and restructured. But its fortunes changed dramatically in 1924 with the announcement of the Export Bounty Act and the introduction of preferential tariffs for countries of the British Empire that assisted Britain during World War I. The Mildura Wine Company would become better known as Mildara after the trademark was registered in 1937. . . .
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