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Jim Roberts - Vigneron, Belbourie (Rothbury). Recorded 22 July 1982. Part 1/1.

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SummaryJIM ROBERTS
Recorded 22 July 1982
Part 1 of 1

0:24
Born in the Hunter at Maitland, they left when Jim was four and returned to Cessnock region in 1950. He worked for the Soil Conservation for a time, then went to West Australia as a Geologist which he was trained for, stayed for a few years and then came back. But that was after 1954 when they came to the area and the land was first owned by the Baker Family after the Coulson family broke it up. Those who bought the other sections were Jack McDonald, the Holmes’ family, and Capps got a bit up top, Blick the doctor also had a bit. The Bakers sold the land to Arthur Howarth, who sold it to Jim’s family. They also got seven hundred acres from Capps. They then moved onto the property in 1957

2:21
When he first move to the area they were interested in sheep and cattle rather than grapes. The area initially had a mill on the Mill Flat, that grinded the first flour that was brought in from Wollombi. The Roberts started growing grapes in 1964 and why they did. Father used to cook with wine. When the grapes were not growing well or droughts hit they would cut back on the areas it was grown on.

4:17
Was involved in the instigation of a fight about the aluminium smelter issue in 1979, they delayed the issue so much that it fell apart. The safety issues it posed to the area. Dalwood winery owned by George Wyndham built in 1930, Dalwood House stone probably came from Wyndham at the Quarry.

8:58
Judith Wright wrote a book on the old Wyndham homestead and she was a Wyndham. Related to his wife’s family. Father’s family were originally from Clarence River, they were timber getters. The first James Roberts came out in the third fleet as a convict and married Margaret Williams who was also a convict from the second fleet. She came out on the "Lady Juliana", the second fleet ship where many women convicts died, she was only 14 when she came over. The first James Roberts, according to his will, had 60 acres out at Blacktown. Jim’s dad’s mother’s family were the O’Donnell’s from Maitland, they came from Hinton, one of them was Martin O'Donnell, and they were the first white settlers in Maitland. Jim’s Dad’s father married Julia Shannon, Grandfather Shannon owned a lot of land including up at Casino.

12:09
There was the remains of an old inn, about 2 miles back from the St. Thomas Mitchell Line Road. Molly Morgan lived up at Anvil Creek and died later there. The early remains of the inn out on Talga Road are still visible and Jim has used some of the bricks. Talk of the inn building. Blick family headstones are just outside the winery. Buried on Belmont. "Belbourie" was named for an aboriginal word meaning "creek" with eight line banks, and Black Creek is their boundary, which is the Jim Roberts' estate. Talk of wine in the region. Bakers may have squatted on the land and took this part of Blick’s, and afterwards they never left without ensuring at least one of them was on the land.

19:19
Talk of the burial ground. Reverend Glennie may have been the one to bury them. Many buried were children. Talk of early cemeteries and diocese records. The earliest grave was in Ellalong in 1850. Jim’s wife has been looking into the date of Dunoon House, the original owners of Dunoon House, Jim believes the Greens owned it first, it’s on the old Parish map, J. O. Sullivan Green. He may have called it Norwood.

24:31
Speaking of a murder that Green committed, Ruby Bridge was her name. Ghost of Ruby Green. Max Lake had started with the wine business a year before Jim, making him the second, and there was nothing to guide them. Had to teach themselves, no idea of costs as it was a new concept. No such thing as rooted stock, had to get cuttings but others didn’t want to give cuttings, to prevent opposition. Talk of how he went about figuring it out. Jim saw Molly Campbell about a month before the big fire in 1969, wanting to lease the land and renovate the winery but she wouldn’t allow it. But he was allowed to go and collect a few bits and pieces with a Fitzsimonds’ truck and some help from his boys and got some wine making equipment. Inside the old skillion lean-to sat three early sulkies looking as perfect as the day they were made, they all got burnt.

29:00
Jim found some "Daisy Hill" labels in the lean-to at the Campbell estate. Jim still has his screw-down wine press he bought from Doug Elliott that was originally owned by Jack Phillips, it was at "Glendore" on Jack Phillips estate, now called Moon Mountain. The oldest working press in the valley. Keith Tulloch used to give tours of their winery, including the wine press, with old style ways. Jim only used local produce for his wine. Production costs in the Hunter Valley wines. Big companies coming to the region and bringing tourism.

35:25
The high costs of wine stunting the local businesses. Humidity issues. Personal views on Hunter Semillons, they are some of the best in the region. Aging of the wine. Won gold in competition. Jim’s kids careers away from winery.

41:33
End (Tape 230/Side A) part 1 of 1 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectWineries -- New South Wales -- Hunter ValleyWine and wine making -- New South Wales -- Hunter ValleyWineries -- Australia -- Hunter River Region (N.S.W.)Belbourie VineyardsRoberts, James Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Depicts or Relates ToJack and Ethel McDonald Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorRoberts, JamesDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created22nd July 1982Location^[1]Rothbury, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier233A Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier233A

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