Europeans in Eckersley

Please refer to our earlier post about the Lost Suburb of Eckersley, for some background information.

The history of “Grodno”, Isaac Himmelhoch’s vineyard at Eckersley is peopled with some fascinating characters. The first of these was Charles Adam Marion de Wroblewski. 

From Le Courrier Australien 1972

Wroblewski was born in Grodno, Lithuania, Russia and educated in Russian Poland, reportedly studying Chemistry in Vienna. He came to Australia in 1885 and was employed as an analytical chemist with the Royal Commission for the Conservation of Water in New South Wales. Travelling widely in the colony, he worked at such locations as Rooty Hill, Warren and Mungindi. After returning to Sydney he analysed water samples and completed maps. In 1888 he was employed by Monte Cristo Pyes Creek Silver Mining Ltd. During the shearers' strike in 1890 Wroblewski was a special constable and earned thanks by Sir Henry Parkes's government for his services. 

The second of these interesting characters was Baron Piero Cavalchini, who arrived in Sydney in 1887. It is believed that Wroblewski and Cavalchini met at the French Club in Sydney and hatched an idea of making wine in Australia. Wroblewski had already taken up 320 acres at Eckersley in 1886, and named it after his birthplace, Grodno. He began to develop it. 

Cavalchini took up a selection of 960 acres at Eckersley in 1889. In 1896 Wroblewksi took up 960 acres, although I could not determine if he was taking ownership of Cavalchini’s conditional grant.  These grants were in wild country, with poor sandy soil. This was perfect for Cavalchini’s theory of poor soil growing the best wine. Grodno was "improved" with about 22 acres of vineyards, 350 fruit trees, 20 cleared acres, and a further 30-40 partially cleared. The two gentlemen were viewed as a source of wonder to the few farmers in the district. Parties from Sydney of many European nationalities would come for a visit, and the French cook at Grodno was kept busy. 

Sale of Grodno in 1892, Daily Telegraph

Joachim Tester, a Swiss national and practical vigneron, was brought in to develop the vineyard. He also took up land at Eckersley – 80 acres in 1889. Grodno was terribly expensive to develop, and for several years no return was made. Despite the fact that the first wine produced proved to be of excellent quality, Wroblewski and Cavalchini were forced to mortgage the property and it was put up for sale in 1892.  It was at this point that Isaac Himmelhoch, a Polish financier would become the owner of Grodno. 

Vineyards at Grodno, Sydney Mail 1901

Wroblewski had married Daisy Serisier in 1891, the daughter of a French storekeeper and vigneron. They would go on to have three children, two boys and a girl. After losing Grodno, Wroblewski busied himself by launching the French-language weekly Le Courrier Australien. He transferred Le Courrier Australien to Léon Magrin in November 1896 and took his family to Victoria, where he established an importing firm. In 1903 he moved his business to Perth and founded the City & Suburban Advertising Co., later run by his son Charles. During World War I Wroblewski returned to Sydney and is said to have become an interpreter for the military, using his knowledge of seven languages. His elder son Leo Emile served in the Australian Imperial Force and was killed in France in 1918. Wroblewski retired to Melbourne and died in 1936. His wife, daughter and one son survived him. 

Cavalchini returned to Naples in 1892. Not much is known of his life after returning to Europe although he still continued to maintain an interest in wine making. In 1905 he took out a patent in France for a composition to combat insect parasites of plants, in particular Phylloxera, an insect that causes serious damage to vineyards.

Their legacy at Grodno was expanded and improved by Isaac Himmelhoch who made a huge success at Grodno, building wine cellars, planting more vines, and modernising. Grodno Vineyard became known as the best vineyard in the state, producing a record vintage of 6000 gallons of wine in 1906. Himmelhoch died in 1911, and sadly, Grodno was resumed in late 1913 by the Commonwealth Military authorities. Thus ended the dream started by Wroblewski and Cavalchini and continued by Himmelhoch. 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources - 

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Ancestry

Eschol Park House

Eschol Park House c 1870 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Eschol Park House has a long and colourful history. From vineyards to ghosts to lost Nazi gold bullion, the place has long been a source of fascination. It was built on a grant acquired by Mark Millington in 1816. A small cottage was originally built on the site and can still be seen from the Queen Victoria Ballroom in the main house. The main house was built about 1820 by Thomas Clarkson and then changed ownership regularly throughout its history. The house is a mixture of styles and was added to, in stages. It was built using the ashlar method which is apparent on other houses built by Thomas Clarkson.

A flourishing vineyard was established on the property in the 1850s when William Fowler took over the large landholding.  He called it Eschol Park from the biblical reference to the 'promised lands of Eschol', a place of vineyards. Fowler built the two storey cellar into the hillside south of the house which still stands. He won numerous prizes for his wine.

Tragedy struck the Fowlers one night in the mid 1800s. Young Amelia Fowler, the granddaughter of William, was waiting for her boyfriend to come and get her in a horse drawn carriage to take them to a ball. In her haste she ran down the stairs, catching her foot in the hoops of her dress and fell down the steps, breaking her neck. It is Amelia's ghost that is said to haunt the building. A direct descendant of the Fowler family was attending a family gathering one night. Members of the family were waiting for her to come down the stairs at the end of the evening. However at the top of the stairs she froze to the spot and went into a dazed state. She said later she had gone through an instantaneous regression to the day of her forebearer's death, and could see the footman waiting at the bottom of the stairs to carry her to the carriage.

In 1876 William Fowler sold all of his land to Spencer Milgate. Milgate sold the property two years later to a Dutch photographer who lived there until the end of the century. The property's vineyards were wiped out in the 1890s with the coming of the phylloxera disease. The surrounding land remained as rural hills for many years until the mid 1970s when the suburb of Eschol Park was developed.

During the Second World War, the estate was used as a detention camp to house German Embassy staff. A fortune in Nazi gold bullion was believed to have been buried in the grounds of the property by the embassy staff.  Despite every square metre of the property being turned over, including the immediate grounds and the internal walls, no trace of the bullion has ever surfaced. Perhaps someone will dig it up from a backyard in the neighboring suburbs one day.

In 1991 a Croatian family named Masina purchased Eschol Park House and turned it into a fine wedding reception venue. Historically friendly additions were made to the property. The building, surrounds and driveway have been classified by the National Trust.

The house taken in 1999

Update

Evidence reveals Amelia Fowler was not killed by falling down stairs at Eschol Park House. She died at at a Queensland property known as 'Inkerman Downs' Station.

Written by Andrew Allen

Fruit of the vine.

The Campbelltown area is not the first that comes to mind when considering vineyards and winemaking. Although the Macarthur family was producing wine throughout the first half of the 1800’s at Camden Park, and indeed, took wine to the Paris Exhibition of 1955, other winemakers in the Campbelltown area were also busily trying to grow grapes and produce good wine. 

Campbellfields

Dr William Redfern was transported to New South Wales, arriving in 1801. His good reputation as a doctor gained him a free pardon in 1803. He eventually became physician to Governor Macquarie and his family, and also to the Macarthur family. He was granted 1300 acres in the Airds district near Campbelltown in 1818, naming the property Campbellfields, in honour of Mrs Macquarie.

In 1821 William Redfern went to England, and on his return voyage, spent some time at Madeira, studying the vineyards and wine industry there. He engaged vine dressers and procured vines at considerable expense, and returned to New South Wales in 1824, receiving a further grant at Campbellfields, where he introduced the white grape variety ‘Verdelho’ to Australia from Madeira.

He lived at Campbellfields and devoted more and more time to his farming activities, which included cultivating the vine as well as fine wool and cattle, gradually withdrawing from his medical practice, which he entirely gave up in September 1826. Two years later he took his son William to Edinburgh to be educated. Though he intended to return, he died there in July 1833.

Varro Ville

1811 Dr Robert Townson was granted 1000 acres at Minto and called it 'Varro Ville', after the Roman agriculturalist Marcus Terentius Varro, whose only complete work to survive is the Res Rustica (“Farm Topics”), a three-section work of practical instruction in general agriculture and animal husbandry, written to foster a love of rural life.

Dr Townson was living off his capital since arriving in Australia, and, fearing financial ruin, devoted himself to developing Varro Ville to the exclusion of everything else.  Varro Ville became a showpiece and its vineyard was 'second only to Gregory Blaxland'.  (Gregory Blaxland had a vineyard at Brush Farm on the Parramatta River, taking wine to England in 1822, and again in 1827, the latter earning him a Gold Medal from the Royal Society of Arts.)  After the death of Dr Townson in 1827, Varro Ville was advertised for sale and described as follows “The Estate was the Residence of the late Dr. Townson, and possesses one of the first Vineyards in this Colony, planted with the choicest Grape Trees, together with an Orchard, having a great variety of the best Fruit Trees in it.”

Eschol Park

The original 50 acre grant to Mark Millington was enlarged to 1,300 acres by Thomas Clarkson, who also erected a house on the property in 1817. After changing hands again, it was sold to William Fowler in 1858. He originally named it Eshcol Park after the Promised Land of Eshcol in the Bible, but it was continually misspelt, and is now known as Eschol Park.  William built the existing main house, and in about 1860 erected a three story winery and adjoining still room. He also established a 15 acre vineyard, and within a decade or so, it was producing 2000 to 3000 gallons of award-winning wines. William Fowler sold the property to a Mr Milgate, who continued the vineyard with Fowler acting as agent for selling the wine. The property changed hands again, and was again listed for sale in 1885, with the listing boasting  ‘15 acres of valuable and well-cared-for vineyards in full-bearing’ and ‘in the cellars are nine 700 and one 1,100 gallon casks, besides a large number of lesser capacity; these together with the valuable plant and about 15,000 gallons of wine, varying in age from six years downwards’. Vineyards across the region were badly hit in the 1890s when the Phylloxera disease struck, and Eschol Park was devastated. The suburb bearing the name Eschol Park has its streets named after varieties of grape grown in Australia, as well as wine types, methods and terms, and the early vigneron of Eschol Park himself is remembered by William Fowler Reserve.

Eshcol Park c1870. Photo courtesy of Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society

 

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources:

Wineries in Macarthur – A Historical Perspective by Steve Greaves

Vineyards of Sydney – by Dr. Philip Norrie

Australian Dictionary of Biography   http://adb.anu.edu.au/

Campbelltown City Council www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au

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