The Auldana Cellar.

View of the interior of the original Auldana cellars part of the Penfolds Grange winery at Magill (Adelaide).

In 1844 the Penfold family, with daughter Georgina arrived in South Australia aboard the Taglioni. Also on board was Mary Penfold’s domestic servant Ellen Timbrell. Prior to leaving England the Penfolds had paid a deposit to the Colonial Land and Immigration Commission. This enabled them on arrival to purchase 500 acres of land at Makgill, now Magill. The land was purchased for £ 1,200 from Edmund Trimmer and formerly belonged to Robert Cook and William Ferguson. There was a small cottage on the land built by William Ferguson. The Penfolds increased the size of the cottage and called it The Grange.4 At the time of purchase 200 acres were producing grain.5 This grain production along with Christopher’s income from his practice was able to sustain the family, whilst the vine cuttings he had brought from France were growing and maturing. As a doctor he was required to conduct post mortems, attend inquests, and assess the health of persons suspected of having a mental illness. He was also the 1st chairman of the Burnside Council. This kept him very busy so the farm and the vines were tended by Mary Penfold and Ellen Timbrell. Christopher became ill and died on the 26th of March 1870 and was buried at St. George Church Woodforde, where he was a member of the vestry.

By 1871 just a year after Christopher’s death, the stock on hand at the winey was 107,000 gallons (486,432 litres) one eighth of the total wine production in South Australia. In the early days Port and Sherry were the main production, but now Claret and Riesling had gained acceptable sales too. The two women had been running the property most of the time before Christopher’s death. They continued running it, so not a lot changed, it was still very successful. By this time, their daughter Georgina had married Thomas Francis Hyland. He was a public servant in Victoria where they both lived. By 1881 the amount of wine produced at Penfolds, was one third of South Australia’s total wine production.

In 1943 Penfolds acquired the Auldana winery next door to them at Magill. Their flagship was the award winning St. Henri claret. In 1956 John Davoren the winemaker at Auldana cellars created the very successful unwooded light claret using the St. Henri name.