 1853 - 1939 (85 years)
-
| Name |
Marie Louise Metzger |
| Born |
15 Aug 1853 |
Montelimar, Drôme, Rhône-Alpes, France  |
- Name: Marie Louise Metzger
Birth Date: 15 Aug 1853
Event Place: Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France
Event Place (Original): Montelimar, Drome
Father's Name: Louis Metzger
Mother's Name: Elisabeth Haurie
France, Births and Baptisms, 1546-1896
Name: Marie Louise
Birth Date: 15 Aug 1853
Birthplace: Montelimar, Drome
Father's Name: Louis Metzger
Mother's Name: Elisabeth Haurie
(LDS, France Births and Baptisms 1546-1896)
Louis Metzger
mentioned in the record of Marie Louise
Name: Louis Metzger
Sex: Male
Wife: Elisabeth Haurie
Daughter: Marie Louise
(LDS, France Births and Baptisms 1546-1896)
Montélimar is located in South East France in the department of Drome, Rhone Alpes. It is the second largest town in the department after Valence.
The History of Winemaking in Great Western
27 September 2018 | Hamish Thomson
The famous author Mark Twain visited Great Western in 1895 on his tour of the British Empire. When writing his travel book ?Following the Equator ? A journey around the world? he acknowledged the potential of the fledgling wine region, noting it?s potential for producing exceptional wine "The Stawell region ... had great vineyards but the Great Western is regarded as a model.?
Whilst the Great Western wine region may not be as famous as some of our South Australian or even local Yarra Valley neighbours, wine production in our region dates back to the early 1850s and is home to some of the most famous vineyards in Australia. As a region we?re responsible for pioneering innovation around styles and winemaking techniques. Let us tell you a little bit about the history of our local region?
The Emergence of the Great Western Wine Region
In 1857 Monsieur Durant and another Frenchman established a small vegetable garden on the Concongella Creek in Great Western where they found a good market among the thousands of miners near the Ararat goldfields.
In 1858 their garden was purchased by Jean Pierre Trouette and with the assistance of his wife Marie Blampied and her brother Emile, they set about expanding the property. At the time there were restrictions placed on the sale of land within 7 1/2 miles of gold workings. The miners acting through the Ararat based Mining Board were generally able to prevent any proposed land sales. Trouette had great difficulty obtaining a block at Great Western, and it was only after great persistence, that, in about 1862, he was permitted to purchase another small allotment on the Concongella Creek (behind where the Great Western Hotel now stands).
Trouette and Blampied began to cultivate vines in 1863 with their first planting of half an acre at a vineyard they call ?Saint Peters?. A further 4 acres were planted in 1864, followed by 3 acres in 1865, and 7 acres in 1866. The first wine was made in the late 1960s and by then they had 50,000 young vines bearing. It was also a well known site for its extensive orchard, with some 2000 fruit trees as well as olive and chestnut trees.
By the middle 1870's the St Peters vines were reported as trellised along the Concongella Creek to bamboos, the press was on the double screw principle and was very powerful, a distillery adjoined the press and the refuse was used for fattening cattle and pigs. Six men were employed all the year, about three extra during the vintage.
By 1878 they had 45 acres under vine as well as many fruit trees of numerous varieties. After overcoming some more opposition from the Mining Board they had been able to expand into a 200 acre block behind their original holding. Quite a significant achievement given the obstacles that they faced.
Without doubt, the families of Trouette and Blampied were instrumental to the foundation of viticulture in the Grampians region.
The Best?s Brothers Legacy
Meanwhile two English brothers, Joseph and Henry Best, established vineyards at Great Western and along the Concongella Creek using some of Trouette's cuttings. Initially they had moved to the region as butchers, having set up a slaughter yards on what became known as Slaughter House Road to sell meat to the miners. They had very different background to Trouette and Blampied, coming from quite an illustrious family.
The brothers soon turned their attention to wine. In 1865 Joseph Best established the Great Western Winery and Cellar.
Joseph?s brother, Henry Best was also keen to establish his fortune and in 1866 purchased 73 hectares of land on a property known as Concongella, planting his first vines in 1868. Known as ?Best?s Wines? it became a fully functioning winery by 1893.
The brothers were reportedly close, working together in the early years to establish their respective businesses and becoming more actively involved in the local community.
Henry was forward thinking about viticulture for his time. Not having a lot of previous learnings to gauge what varieties would thrive, he put into the ground every variety that he could lay his hands upon. The names he gave his vines, Mixed Trouette, Black St Peter?s, Bad Bearer, Rough Leaf, Grand Turk and Greenarch ? reflected their origin, their physical features or their variety. It wasn?t just the agricultural work that Henry attacked with gusto, he also made his initial wine press from a tree trunk. The tree was fashioned into a lever 30 feet long and two feet in diameter. It was fixed to two upright posts sunk firmly in cement. The lever was worked by a capstan with a three-inch rope. He had excavated a large, egg shaped pit underground, faced it with cement and then covered it. This was his storage vat.
The wines from the Best?s proved popular in Britain and in parts of Europe, winning awards nationally and internationally. In 1873 Joseph Best?s Wines won a gold medal at the 1873 London International Exhibition and a silver at the Melbourne Inter-colonial Exhibition.
The brother?s wine business? continued to thrive and evolve. In 1870 the Ararat Advertiser reports ?two lofty stories sunk beneath the surface? at Joseph Best?s Great Western Cellar, comprising four tunnels or drives measuring seven feet by four feet produced for the production of sparkling wines.
Sadly, in 1887 Joseph Best passed away and a local Ballarat businessman, Hans Irvine, purchased his winery for the sum of £12,000. He was aware that Trouette and Blampied were already making sparkling wines, and thus he employed former Pommery maker Charles Pierlot from Champagne to produce méthode champenoise sparkling wines, starting the long history of sparkling wine production in the region. The underground drives continue to be expanded with the Governor of the time, Lord Hopeton opening the new Drives in 1903.
With his wife Mary having passed away, in 1918 Irvine sold Great Western Vineyards to friend Benno Seppelt of Seppeltsfield who resided in South Australia.
The Thomson Family makes their mark
By 1890 there were 120 vignerons in the region cultivating 908 hectares in the area and Great Western became known for its fine wines. In 1877 the phylloxera disease decimated wineries in Victoria, particularly in central Victoria. Many wineries never recovered. The Great Western vineyards however were unscathed.
William Thomson from Scotland also settled in Great Western and purchased a winery at Rhymney in 1893 from John Lorimer. After purchasing St Andrews, William set about enhancing and expanding the property into a highly productive winery and orchard. He was helped in his toil by his son, Frederick, who was sixteen when they settled on the property.
In 1920, Frederick became aware that Charles Best was looking to sell the Best?s property and considering the opportunity too good to pass up, purchased the business, the stock, equipment and the name ?Best?s Great Western? for £10,000.
Throughout the 1920s other wineries (including Best?s at Rhymney) focused on fortified wine production which was in much demand and helped to keep the industry alive through troubled war-time years. It was a period not without challenges, not only had the deteriorating economy reduced the price of wine, but when Seppelt bought Hans Irvine out they shifted production of their brandy to South Australia, which decimated the market for local wineries that sold their wines in bulk. In addition, the Federal Government reduced the export bounty on wine that had supported winemakers exporting their products. Times were tough and many local wineries failed to survive.
The 30s and 40s really were troubled times where the industry struggled to stay afloat post war. Seppelt Winemaker Colin Preece at the time launched a number of wines like the Moyston Claret, Chalambar Burgundy, Arawatta Riesling and Rhymney Chablis that kept the region periodically in the spotlight, but the consumers really did not grasp these varietal wines.
Viv Thomson reflects about some of the history of the region at the 150th anniversary of Winemaking in Great Wesern
The 50s, 60s and 70s ? The Evolution of Table Wines
The 1950s and 60s were buoyant years with table wine now becoming an acceptable beverage and Great Western wines making their way onto the tables of many Australian consumers. It was worth noting that in the 1960s there were 16 wineries throughout the whole of Victoria, two of whom came from Great Western (Seppelt and Best?s).
Viv Thomson fondly recalls joining the family business in 1960, that winemaking was traditionally done by hand, hand harvesting, freighting and despatching via rail.
The industry was on an upward trend. Shiraz was king, aromatic Rieslings became in fashion and wineries could not keep up with the production of Shiraz! Then the consumers changed and wanted white wines! Needless to say that the first job for Trevor Mast when he was appointed winemaker at Best?s was to make white wine out of Shiraz. Technology changed dramatically with the invention of refrigeration and better filtration. Wine really took off in Australia and plantings grew exponentially.
LAWRENCE GEORGE BLAMPIED enlisted at Nhill
Private
LAWRENCE GEORGE BLAMPIED
VX86191
Service Australian Army
Date of Birth 10 August 1922
Place of birth ADELAIDE, SA
Date of Enlistment 7 November 1940
Place of Enlistment NHILL
Next of Kin SWIFT, S
Date of Discharge 18 December 1947
Posting at Discharge 8 AUST COMD AIR LIASON GP (BCOF)
Additional Service Numbers 3760
(Australian Government, Department of Veterans' Affairs)
PTE. L.G. BLAMPIED (81 (F.) Wing H.Q., A.L.O. Section. R.A.A.F.. B.C.O.F., Bofu, Japan) is in the A.I.F. attached to the Air Force in Japan and he is very lonely. He would like female pen friends. Please write direct.
Western Mail, Perth, WA., Thursday, 21 November 1946
|
| Gender |
Female |
| Emigration |
1855 |
From France to Victoria, Austrlia |
Marie Louise emigrated with her parents Louis and Elizabeth Metzger from Strasbourg, Department of Bas, France, on the French Ship Lucie which sailed from the French Port of Dieppe in Jan 1855 and arrived at the Port of Melbourne on 8 Mar 1855.
Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists to Victoria 1852-1923
Family Name First Name Age Month Year Ship Port Fiche Page
Family Name: METZGER: First Name: LOUIS: Age: 28: Month: MAR: Year: 1855: Ship: LUCIE: Port: F: Fiche: 031: Page: 011
Family Name: METZGER: ---- WIFE WITH: Age: 28: Month: MAR: Year: 1855: Ship: LUCIE: Port: F: Fiche: 031: Page: 011
Family Name: METZGER: ---- INFANT WITH : Age: 1: Month: MAR: Year: 1855: Ship: LUCIE: Port: F: Fiche: 031: Page: 011
Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists 1839 -1923
Name: Louis Melzger Estimated birth year: abt 1827 Age: 28 Arrival Date: 8 Mar 1855 Arrival Port: Melbourne, Australia Departure Port: Dieppe Ship: Lucie
|
| Electoral Roll |
1903, 1909, 1914 & 1919 |
Nhill |
Victoria Electoral Roll 1903
Subdivision of Nhill
Blampied, Alice, Nhill, home duties
Blampied, Emil, Nhill, vigeron
Blampied, Marie Louise, Nhill, home duties
Victoria Electoral Roll 1909
Subdivision of Nhill
Blampied, Claudine, Njill, nurse
Blampied, Emil, Nhill, vigneron
Blampied, Eugene Peter, Nhill, mill hand
Blampied, Jean, Nhill, home duties (wife of Eugene Peter)
Blampied, Louis Henry, Nhill, farmer
Blampied, Marie Louise, Nhill, home duties
Victoria Electoral Roll 1919
Subdivision of Nhill
Blampied, Eugene Peter, Nhill, mill hand
Blampied, Jean, Nhill, home duties (wife of Eugene Peter)
Blampied, Louis Henry, Nhill, labourer
Blampied, Marie Louise, Nhill, home duties
Blampied, Rene Jules, Nhill, bootmaker
|
| Electoral Roll |
1924 & 1931 |
991 Rathdown St., Carlton North |
Victoria Electoral Roll 1924, 1931
Subdivision of Carlton North
Blampied, Louis Henry, 991 Rathdown St., produce merchant
Blampied, Marie Louise, 991 Rathdown St.,home duties |
| Electoral Roll |
1937 |
53 Nicholson St., |
Victoria Electoral Roll 1937
Subdivision of Edward
Blampied, Louis Henry, 53 Nicholson St., fuel merchant
Blampied, Emily Elizabeth, 53 Nicholson St., home duties
Blampied, Marie Louise, 53 Nicholson St., home duties
|
| Died |
14 Aug 1939 |
Nicholson Street, East Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
- Name: Marie Louise Blampied
Death Place: East Brunswick, Victoria
Age: 86
Father's Name: Louis Metzger
Mother's name: Louise Orrea
Registration Year: 1939
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 8050
(Victoria Death Index 1921-1985)
|
| Buried |
16 Aug 1939 |
Nhill Cemetery, Victoria, Australia |
- NHILL CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
BLAMPIED Emile, Marie Louise
BLAMPIED Jean, Peter
|
| Death Notice |
19 Aug 1939 |
The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria |
BLAMPIED-On the 14th August, at her son's residence Nicholson street, East Brunswick, Marie Louise, relict of the late Emile Pierre (late Great Western) beloved mother of Emile (deceased), Elise (Mrs T Hesford deceased), Celestine (deceased) Eugene, Marie (Mrs R Troedell ), Claudine (Mrs G. Kettle), Louis, Adrienne (Mrs C. S. Atherton), Emile, Gabrielle (Mrs P. O'Meara, deceased), Nicholas, Rene. aged 88 years -Requiescat in pace (Interred at Nhill.)
BLAMPIED - On the 14th August, Marie Louise, loved grandma of Adrienne, Claire, Stanley, Zelma, Carson and Lorraine Atherton, also loved great grandma of Billy and Betty Hanlon, Judith and Baby Threlfall and John Atherton aged 88 years -Requiescat in pace
Transcribed from "The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria", Saturday 19 August 1939
|
| Obituary |
19 Aug 1939 |
The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria |
COUNTRY NEWS
AT 86 YEARS
NHILL.- Mrs. Marie Louise Blampied, aged 86 years, widow of the late Emil Blampied, who established the wine industry with the Trouettes at Great Western in 1870, has died. She was born in France, and went to Great Western with her parents. In 1895 she accompanied her husband to Nhill, where he established a number of vineyards.
Transcribed from "The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria", Saturday 19 August 1939
MRS. M. L. BLAMPIED (V.)
Mrs. Marie Louise Blampied. aged 86 years, widow of the late Emil Blampied, who established the wine industry
with the Trouetts at Great Western (V.) in 1870, has died. She was born in France, and went to Great Western with her parents. In 1895 she accompanied her husband to Nhill, where he established a number of vineyards.
The Australasian, Melbourne, Victoria, Previous issue Saturday, 26 August 1939 |
| Personal |
19 Sep 1939 |
The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria |
Mr and Mrs LOUIS BLAMPIED, Sons and Daughters of the late Mrs Marie Louise Blampled, wish to THANK relatives and friends for cards perrsonal expressions of sympathy and floral tributes In their recent sad bereavement. Will all please accept this as a personal acknowledgement of our deepest gratitude 53 Nicholson street, East Brunswick
Transcribed from from "The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria", Tuesday 19 September 1939
|
| Notes |
- St Peter's Vineyard, North Road, GREAT WESTERN
Statement of Significance
St Peter's vineyard was the first vineyard and winery in Great Western. It was established by Jean Pierre and Anne Marie Trouette in 1863. The only remaining obvious reminders of the vineyard orchard and homestead are the gateway and flanking English Elm trees marking the entrance to the property.
The site is of historical significance to Great Western. It indicates the early settlement of land in the area for vineyard purposes. It is of importance for its potential to provide information that contributes to a greater understanding of the history of the settlement and establishment of the district, and has a strong presumption of archaeological research potential. Further historical research and archaeological investigation is recommended.RECOMMENDED LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE: Conservation Desirable
History
The history has been extracted from Chapters 5 and 6, Grapes and Gold by Arthur Kuehne
Jean Pierre Trouette was born in 1833 and came from a family of winemakers in the French town of Estamps. He left home for Monte Video in Uruguay where he stayed for three years before he emigrated to Australia. He arrived in Adelaide in 1853 and worked in the copper mines of Burra for six months before heading off in the search of gold. In Beechworth he met Marie Louise Blampied and her brother Emile who had run away from France for the adventure of the Victorian goldfields. The three joined forces and transported supplies for the miners. In 1856 Marie and Pierre married in Beechworth and in 1858 they moved to Great Western where the two men engaged in mining. They bought a block of land and commenced supplying vegetables to the miners. In 1863, having obtained freehold of the property, Jean Pierre Trouette planted the first vines. He began with planting half an acre of vines and named the vineyard, St Peter's. By 1867 the estate carried 50,000 vines and 2000 fruit trees, including cherries, plums, quinces and also some olives and chestnuts.
For the production of wine at vintage time, screw presses were used. A large square tank, 18 feet by 18 feet and three feet deep was built above ground level. The tank was constructed of brick, lined with cement and was divided into two sections. In the one compartment the trading of the grapes took place, while the screw press was placed in the other section.
They achieved the first recognition for their wines in 1867 when a coach driver, after sampling the wine, entered the wine in the Ballarat National Agricultural Show where it won a gold medal. By 1878 the shelves of St Peter's held a dazzling array of trophies and medals from as far afield as Philadelphia, Austria, London and France.
The Trouettes were very hospitable and their house was constructed with a large room in the centre from which the doors led to numerous other rooms. The large hall was 50 feet long by 30 feet wide and the roof was supported on five large squared off tree trunks. They entertained up to 100 people in the space. Each year, after the grapes had been gathered in, the "Vendage" or "Harvest Home" was celebrated at St Peter's. This would start late in the afternoon and continue through until daybreak the next morning.
Jean Pierre Trouette was dedicated to the establishment of the wine industry and he also served the community on the Stawell Shire Council. He was the first Councillor to serve the East Riding after the Shire had been divided into Ridings and he served on council until his death in November 1885.
The vineyard was taken over by his son Nicholas but tragedy struck three months later when a worker was sent to clean an underground wine vat. He was overcome by fumes and another worker attempted to rescue him but he fell from the rope. Nicholas Trouette went into the tank and secured a rope around the worker but was overcome by fumes. His sister Marie went to assist but had to be rescued from the vat. Nicholas was finally raised from the vat but along with another of the workers could not be revived. Marie Trouette won the bronze medal of the Royal humane Society for her attempts to rescue her brother.
Following the death of Nicholas Trouette and a number of crop failures and bad seasons, St Peter's was sold in 1897 to an English family named Merton. Ann Marie Trouette lived in retirement until her death in 1905. Her well loved, community minded and public spirited daughter, Marie, took an active part in the life of Great Western until she died in 1927 at the age of 70. The vineyards, orchards, winery and the gracious old homestead of St Peter's are all long gone. Two English trees shade an old iron gate which once lead to the homestead.
Citation Reference:
Arthur Kuehne, Grapes and Gold, Glimpses of Early Great Western, Maryborough 1980 pp. 21-27.
|
| Person ID |
I5559 |
Hickey, List, Bundesen, Thomsen, Jensen, Jessen |
| Last Modified |
17 Jan 2021 |
| Father |
Louis Metzger, b. 24 Dec 1820, Mollkirch, Department of Bas - Rhin, Alsace, France , d. 16 Mar 1903, St. Louis' Vineyard, Doctor's Creek, Stawell, Victoria, Australia (Age 82 years) |
| Mother |
Élisabeth /Elizabeth Haurie, b. 24 May 1826, Nablas, Pyrénées-Atlantiques , Department of Bas, France , d. 07 Feb 1868, Pleasant Creek {Stawell}. Victoria, Australia (Age 41 years) |
| Married |
29 Aug 1854 |
Strasbourg, Department of Bas, France |
- Groom's Name: Louis Metzger
Groom's Birth Date: 24 Dec 1820
Groom's Birthplace: Mollkirch, Bas Rhin
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Elisabeth Haurie
Bride's Birth Date: 24 May 1826
Bride's Birthplace: Nabas, Basses Pyrenees
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 29 Aug 1854
Marriage Place: Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France
Groom's Father's Name: Louis Metzger
Groom's Mother's Name: Odile Kammerlocher
Bride's Father's Name: Pierre Haurie
Bride's Mother's Name: Marie Loustau
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M83580-6 System Origin: France-EASy Source Film Number: 759123
(Latter Day Saints, France Marriages, 1546-1924)
Union: Acte de mariage N° 325 - METZGER Louis et HAURIE Elisabeth 29 août 1854 - Strasbourg - Registre d'état civil - Mariage - 1854 - Deed - Archives départementales du Bas Rhin - http://archives.bas-rhin.fr - Original aux Archives Municipales de Strasbourg.
(From the Family tree of Corinne Mathilde SIMON, France)
|
| Family ID |
F1359 |
Group Sheet |
| Family |
Emile Pierre Nicholas Blanpied/Blampied, b. Abt 1837, Vic, Department of Murthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France , d. 10 Jul 1914, St. Joseph's Vineyard, Nhill, Victoria, Australia (Age ~ 77 years) |
| Married |
23 Nov 1873 |
St Patricks Church Stawell, Victoria |
- Information on the Marriage Certificate
Married 23 November 1873 in St Patricks Church, Stawell, Emile Blampied, Bachelor, born in Vic, France, Vigneron, age 37 years of Great Western. Father: Ptr Nicholas Blampied, farmer: Mother: Marie Francoise Geardin, to Louise Metzger, Spinster , Born Strausbourg, France, age 20 years of Doctors Creek, Stawell. Father Louis Metzger, Vigneron. Mother: Elizabeth Haurie. The Witnesses were J P Trouette and Marie Francoise Trouette
Marie Francoise Trouette-Anne Marie Trouette
Emile and Louise were married by Licence
|
| Children |
| | 1. Victor Louis Emile Blampied, b. 1874, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 19 Aug 1876, Great Western, Victoria, Australia (Age 2 years) |
| + | 2. Eliza/Elise Josephine Blampied, b. 1875, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 19 Sep 1922, West Leederville, Perth, Western Australia (Age 47 years) |
| | 3. Louise Celistine Blampied, b. 1877, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 1878, Great Western, Victoria, Australia (Age 1 years) |
| + | 4. Eugene Peter Blampied, b. 1878, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 10 Jul 1940, Nhill, Victoria, Australia (Age 62 years) |
| + | 5. Marie Julie Blampied, b. 19 Sep 1880, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 15 Apr 1971, Malvern, Victoria, Australia (Age 90 years) |
| + | 6. Claudine Catherine Leonie Blampied, b. 1882, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 15 Jan 1974, Benalla, Victoria, Australia (Age 92 years) |
| | 7. Louie/Louis Henry Blampied, b. 1884, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 20 Oct 1959, Carnegie, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Age 75 years) |
| + | 8. Adrienne Annie Blampied, b. 1886, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 24 Nov 1970, Brig., Victoria, Australia (Age 84 years) |
| + | 9. Emile Fernon/Ferdinand Blampied, b. 22 Oct 1887, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 23 May 1977, Rose., or Rye, Victoria, Australia (Age 89 years) |
| + | 10. Gabrielle Pauline Teresa Blampied, b. 1889, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 1922, St Arnauld, Victoria, Australia (Age 33 years) |
| + | 11. Nicholas Gerald Blampied, b. 1892, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. 19 Jan 1975, Greensborough, Victoria, Australia (Age 83 years) |
| + | 12. Rene Jules Blampied, b. 1894, Great Western, Victoria, Australia , d. Apr 1964, Heid., Victoria, Australia (Age 70 years) |
|
| Last Modified |
21 Feb 2021 |
| Family ID |
F1798 |
Group Sheet |
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-
|
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