John James McWilliam was born in 1886 at Denison, near Sale, Victoria, the fourth of ten children to Samuel McWilliam and his wife Martha Steele. JJ McWilliam left school at the age of 13 to work in various occupations including a four year apprenticeship under Herbert Lindeman, who had established a winery at Corowa. By 1891 he had returned to the family’s Sunnyside vineyard to make wine along with his younger brother, Thomas, where he also established a licensed wine shop.
After moving to Junee in 1895, JJ McWilliam first obtained a colonial wine licence and opened a wine saloon near the railway junction, before establishing his own Mark View vineyard and winery on a block just on the edge of the town.
In August 1913, JJ McWilliam successfully applied for two 50-acre farms, one for his eldest son Jack and one for himself, in the newly opened Mirrool No.1 district of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. In the following spring of 1914 they planted about 60 acres with over 35,000 vine-cuttings which they had brought from the Junee Mark View vineyard, thus establishing the first commercial vineyard in the Griffith area on farm numbers 130 and 133 located at Hanwood.
The first harvest in 1916 of a little over 10 tonnes was taken by horse and cart to Wilbriggie railway station and then by train, back to the Junee winery. He and son Jack commenced construction of the Hanwood winery in 1917 on its present site. His second son Douglas joined the partnership in 1922 when construction began on a second winery at Yenda. JJ McWilliam’s example and pioneering spirit demonstrated that the Riverina region could produce both quality fortified and table wines. It’s a tradition that was built upon by his fourth and youngest son, Glen McWilliam, who commenced winemaking at Hanwood in 1931 and was responsible for the introduction of new grape varieties to the Riverina during the 1960s, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Traminer.
J.J.McWilliam & Sons, as the partnership became known, marketed aggressively from their Sydney cellars which were managed from 1928 by his third son Keith. The family established branches in England and New Zealand. In 1932 the company purchases its first share in Mount Pleasant Wines at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley in association with the famous winemaker, Maurice O’Shea. In 1943, the company took over the Beelbangera Coop winery, becoming its third operating winery in the local Griffith region.
In 1960, McWilliam’s released its first varietal table wines under the McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate label and 17 years later would come together as a family to celebrate their 100th anniversary at the site.
In recent generations, the family winemaking business has expanded its operations into Coonawarra in South Australia, the Hilltops region of NSW, Margaret River in Western Australia and the Yarra Valley in Victoria. In 1990 the McWilliam family inaugurated the McWilliam’s Maurice O’Shea Award, arguably the most respected award in the Australian Wine Industry.
The family has now consolidated its M.I.A. winemaking presence to one winemaking site in the Riverina, McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate. In 2009, the new winery was launched and showcased increased capacity, a premium winemaking cellar and state-of-the-art laboratory and equipment.
JJ McWilliam died in 1951, more than 60 years since his passing his legacy now spans seven generations and showcases more than 135 years of winemaking.
I honestly believe it is going to be the winery of Australia. That is a big thing to say, but I feel sure it will be so, because we have the climate, the soil and the water – all that a man could wish for.
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In August 1913, JJ McWilliam successfully applied for two 50-acre farms, one for his eldest son Jack and one for himself, in the newly opened Mirrool No.1 district of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. In the following spring of 1914 they planted about 60 acres with over 35,000 vine-cuttings which they had brought from the Junee Mark View vineyard, thus establishing the first commercial vineyard in the Griffith area on farm numbers 130 and 133 located at Hanwood.
The first harvest in 1916 of a little over 10 tonnes was taken by horse and cart to Wilbriggie railway station and then by train, back to the Junee winery. He and son Jack commenced construction of the Hanwood winery in 1917 on its present site. His second son Douglas joined the partnership in 1922 when construction began on a second winery at Yenda. JJ McWilliam’s example and pioneering spirit demonstrated that the Riverina region could produce both quality fortified and table wines. It’s a tradition that was built upon by his fourth and youngest son, Glen McWilliam, who commenced winemaking at Hanwood in 1931 and was responsible for the introduction of new grape varieties to the Riverina during the 1960s, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Traminer.
J.J.McWilliam & Sons, as the partnership became known, marketed aggressively from their Sydney cellars which were managed from 1928 by his third son Keith. The family established branches in England and New Zealand. In 1932 the company purchases its first share in Mount Pleasant Wines at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley in association with the famous winemaker, Maurice O’Shea. In 1943, the company took over the Beelbangera Coop winery, becoming its third operating winery in the local Griffith region.
In 1960, McWilliam’s released its first varietal table wines under the McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate label and 17 years later would come together as a family to celebrate their 100th anniversary at the site.
In recent generations, the family winemaking business has expanded its operations into Coonawarra in South Australia, the Hilltops region of NSW, Margaret River in Western Australia and the Yarra Valley in Victoria. In 1990 the McWilliam family inaugurated the McWilliam’s Maurice O’Shea Award, arguably the most respected award in the Australian Wine Industry.
The family has now consolidated its M.I.A. winemaking presence to one winemaking site in the Riverina, McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate. In 2009, the new winery was launched and showcased increased capacity, a premium winemaking cellar and state-of-the-art laboratory and equipment.
JJ McWilliam died in 1951, more than 60 years since his passing his legacy now spans seven generations and showcases more than 135 years of winemaking.
I honestly believe it is going to be the winery of Australia. That is a big thing to say, but I feel sure it will be so, because we have the climate, the soil and the water – all that a man could wish for.
Back to home page