MP3 Player Video . info

Grape vines were brought to Australia with the first fleet in 1788. Grape cuttings and seeds were collected in Rio de Janiero and from the Cape of Good Hope and planted at Port Jackson in Farm Cove, the site of the present Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens. In 1791 Governor Phillip established the first vineyard when he planted 1.2 ha of vines at Parramatta. Unfortunately there was very little knowledge of grapegrowing amongst the convicts and soldiers and in 1801 the Duke of Norfolk sent out two Frenchmen, Landrier and de Riveau, who had been prisoners-of-war held at Portsmouth. They had little success in controlling a major outbreak of ‘blight’ and were subsequently send home. In 1816, G. Blaxland planted a vineyard at Parramatta with vines introduced from the Cape of Good Hope.