Dalwood

Abstract

In her note '1872-1972', Journal No. 16 (p 82), Jean Mitchell referred to the gathering of the Wyndham family at Dalwood to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the marriage of Charlotte May Mackenzie to Albert Andrew Wright. It may be of interest to describe more specifically the associations of the historic spot. The house, on the property which George Wyndham (1801-1870) had built with stone quarried nearby, when he settled near Branxton in the Hunter River valley in 1828, is on the right bank of the river, about five miles north-east of Branxton. George took up the original block of two thousand acres, which had been a Crown Grant to David Maziere in 1823, on a one thousand year lease and converted it to freehold in 1843, by which time the area he owned was 3,600 acres In later years his son Reginald was granted 790 acres adjoining. ... George Wyndham had originally brought there the first Hereford stock in Australia from Dinton in Wiltshire. He had also planted a vineyard in 1833 and begun wine-making, growing both red and white grapes, principally Hermitage, Cabernet and Shiraz. Penfold Wines Limited continued the use of portions of the property as a vineyard.