Alan R. Hickinbotham founding force (1936-48) of Roseworthy college oenology course with influential graduates
Wine tasting at Roseworthy Agriculture College in the 1930s. In foreground is Ben Chaffey who founded Seaview at McLaren Vale. Behind him to the right is Reg Shipster, who later managed Leo Buring at Tanunda.
Image courtesy South Australian government
Penfolds winemakers John Duval (also John Duval Wines) and Peter Gago, Philip Shaw (Philip Shaw Wines, Rosemount, Southcorp), Neil McGuigan (Australian Vintage Ltd), Bill Moularadellis (Kingston Estate) and wine writer Jeremy Oliver are among graduates of Australia’s first diploma of oenology course started in 1936 at Roseworthy Agriculture College, itself the nation’s first of its type.
The college’s first full-time full-time diploma of oenology was formed and taught by Alan R. Hickinbotham and John Williams. Hickinbotham had joined Roseworthy college in 1929 where he lectured in chemistry and physics and researched wine-making under Australian conditions.
Hickinbotham and his students made some major contributions to oenology and his seasonal and winemaking notes were published regularly for years in the industry trade journal, The Australian Wine Brewing and Spirit Review. One of his students was Arthur Ray Beckwith who later discovered the importance of pH in wine production. Hickinbotham remained at Roseworthy College until 1948.
Another early lecturer was John Fornachon, who researched bacterial spoilage of fortified wines. Bryce Rankine later ran the course.
Roseworthy College remained a separate department of the South Australian government until 1973, when it became a college of advanced education under the education eepartment and officially coeducational. It had been exclusively male students until 1972, and was primarily a residential college.
Pam Dunsford was the first female to break through the all-male domain at Roseworthy. Her entry was opposed by principal Bob Harriot but she had the backing of more progressive elements from Adelaide University’s Waite campus, where Dunsford has completed degrees in biochemistry and horticulture, and state agriculture minister Tom Casey.
