In the late 1850s the idea of travelling to Australia must have been equally daunting as the thought of moving to another planet. But that is exactly what the first William Chambers did when, in 1856, he packed his family and worldly possessions aboard the ‘Blundell’ and set sail for the new world.
What was it that prompted this simple gardener to take such a bold step of faith and leave the eastern districts of England and all that was familiar to them? Most likely the driving forces were the possibility of owning his own land and providing more favourable prospects for his children.
William was almost 50 when he stepped off the river boat at Wahgunyah on the southern side of the River Murray, just across from the township of Corowa, the home of federation.
Armed with a shrewdness of character, strong self belief and willingness to work hard, William and his sons Jabez and Philip were able to call on experience they gained while working with fruit and vine cultivation in France.
They faced many challenges as the soil, the climate and natural environment were vastly different. It’s not hard to imagine the devastation a mob of kangaroos would cause in a newly established orchard or vineyard. Stone walls and rudimentary fencing made from saplings were probably not much of a barrier for even the domesticated animals. Barbed wire wasn’t invented until some twenty years later and of course hedges took a long time to grow.
When gold was discovered in Rutherglen in 1860, the family were already on the original 80 acre block they leased two years earlier from the local squatter, John Foord. In a rare stroke of good fortune, one of the leads ran through the property so the family were able to charge a fee for access to the diggings. This income enabled them to pay off the block and acquire further land holdings including the site of the current cellar door.
Their neighbour, a young Prussian called Anton Ruch, was to play a pivotal role in the Chambers story as it was he who shared his winemaking knowledge and spawned a tradition which has now passed through six generations.
The estate became known as ’Rosewood’ when son Philip improved the property by building sheds and a cellar then planting a hedge of pink bush roses around the house paddock.
It was however under the careful hand of Rosewood’s third generation winemaker William Henry, or Will as he was known, that things really started to come together.
In spite of the incredible responsibility he had to take on when first his father then shortly afterwards his mother died, 20 year old Will successfully raised his 9 surviving siblings plus 4 cousins.
To cope with the big family Will built a weatherboard house which was fortunate as when five of the children contracted Typhoid, he had to burn the old house to destroy the germs.
The vine disease phylloxera dealt a particularly savage blow when it struck in 1899. Acres and acres of infested vines had to be pulled up and burnt. It took another seventeen years before Will had finally renewed his beloved vineyards with vines grafted to American, phylloxera resistant, rootstock.
During these difficult times Will’s natural intelligence and his excellent palate led him to explore different blending methods as he was looking for the very best flavours from his sweet wines. This research helped him develop impressive winemaking skills to use the very sound grapes produced on Rosewood vineyards. It is fair to say he is responsible for many of the processes still in use today, both in the cellar and out in the vineyard.
When he ceased exhibiting in 1939, after 37 years of showing, he had won the overall championship at the Melbourne Wine Show on 27 occasions as well as successes at local and interstate wine shows. A highlight of his life was a visit from the Governor of the day, Sir Reginald Talbot, in 1906.
Will planted more vines and bought more land to increase the Rosewood holding to 586 acres. He also developed a Border Leicester sheep stud, held the office of Mayor and was heavily involved with the development of Rutherglen as a community leader and councillor for more than 30 years.
Will’s son Arthur, was a good farmer and stockman but horses were his greatest love. It was natural when the second World War broke out, as he was a Light Horseman and Army Major, he joined with the 6th Division Cavalry regiment in the Middle East. Once the war was over he encouraged all but the eldest of his 7 sons, (Bill) to seek other careers, as Rosewood was only a small farm.
Always an avid student, Bill gained first class honours in Oenology and was the first Chambers to receive a formal education in winemaking at Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia.
After graduating he worked at Stanley Wine Company in Clare until 1958 at which time he returned to Rosewood to take over the winery as his father had developed cancer. Will’s death in 1956 followed by Arthur’s in 1960 left the family with a very substantial financial burden as they had of to pay two lots of death duties.
Bill was fortunate to have the strong and wise guidance of his mother Peggy who supervised the cellar door operations for many years. A tireless community worker, Peggy didn’t just share her no-nonsense approach to business and life in general with her sons; as one well established customer was to find.
His request for an order of wine was rejected by Peggy with a beautifully written note across the bottom of his order, explaining that, as she felt he had been drinking far too much, she was not going to send the wine!
The wonderful palate with which Bill was blessed served him in an amazing wine judging career which commenced in 1960. Over the next 40 years he judged in wine shows in all the capital cities and at many country shows, especially at Rutherglen. He was chairman of judges at Melbourne Royal Agricultural Society Wine Show for 21 years and held a similar position at Rutherglen.
A strident supporter of the wine show system, Bill knows the value of younger generations having the opportunity to interact with more experienced winemakers as they aspire to produce wines of higher quality.
His reputation for producing “honest” wines of lasting quality in Rosewood’s rustic cellars spread….mostly by word of mouth and created a loyal customer base. Associations spanning three or more generations are very common both nationally and increasingly around the world.
New visitors are often surprised when they pass through the corrugated iron façade of the Chambers Rosewood cellar door. The laid back atmosphere and friendly greetings seem almost totally inconsistent with the reviews in their wine companion handbooks.
Many guests enjoy a truly memorable experience at Rosewood, marvelling at the free tastings of the huge selection of red, white and fortified wines, the modest pricing and lack of pressure or pretence.
Over the years Bill has received many accolades including Presidents Medal and Life Membership of the Royal agricultural Society of Victoria, Distinguished service award from the Victoria Wine Industry. Then, in 2004, he was awarded the Order of Australia medal in recognition of his valuable contribution to the Australian Wine Industry and wine judging.
Chambers Rosewood is the only Victorian amongst the seven Australian wineries mentioned by wine guru Robert Parker Junior in his hardcover book, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates.
Now referred to as ‘Rosewood’s consultant winemaker’ after his retirement from judging in 2001, Bill is progressively handing over responsibilities to his youngest son Stephen, a graduate from the University of Adelaide with a degree in Agricultural Science, majoring in oenology.
Experience gained whilst working vintages in other Australian wine regions and in France armed him with a broader industry outlook and knowledge which will certainly aid him as he attempts to take over from his legendary father.
While Stephen’s main focus is as Rosewood’s 6th generation winemaker, he also tries to take an active part in the farming side of the business. Wines he has blended continue to attract the attention of international wine writers and he has major commitments at both the Melbourne and Rutherglen wine shows.
“To everything in life there is a season” and so it is that now Stephen, with his wife Alana and daughter Zara, carry forward the tradition, the hopes and the promise of the Chambers lineage.
