Geographe

The Geographe wine region includes such towns as Mandurah, Bunbury and Busselton, with Bunbury being 140 kms, or only a 2 hour drive, south of Perth.

The region takes its name from Geographe Bay, which in turn was named by Nicholas Baudin, the leader of a French expedition of exploration, which in 1801 arrived off the coast of Western Australia in the ships Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste.

Busselton was founded in 1832 by the Bussell family; hence the origin of its name is easily explained. However, the Noongar people, who made a home in the Geographe region long before the Bussell’s also named places and many of these names continue in such places as Wonnerup, Yallingup and Carbunup River. When the Bussell family established Busselton it was in fact one of the first settlements made in Western Australia. The Bussell’s had been at Blackwood River when they decided in 1834 to move to what they considered better land. They were soon followed by others seeking similar land until their numbers required the stationing of troops in the area. These were commanded by a Lieutenant Bunbury who afterwards gave his name to the Geographe region’s port.

Timber was early a major industry of the area and places like Busselton became centers of its export, with a railway line built in the 1870s to help transport the timber. Bunbury did not develop its present dominance until very much later, the 1960s in fact, when Leschenault Inlet was dredged to create Bunbury Harbour in order to cater for the export not of timber but alumina.

Further south in the Geographe region is the town of Donnybrook, a centre for apple growing. First settled in 1842, it was named Donnybrook after Donnybrook in Dublin. It was near here that a short-lived gold rush began in the last years of the 19^th century when a Richard Hunter discovered gold just 6 kilometres away. But apples are the true gold of Donnybrook and the area has the honour to be the home of the Granny Smith.

The Geographe region first began growing grapes in the 1970s and the product was soon greatly sought after by many winemakers from other regions. In recent years many boutique producers have established themselves in the region and today over 700 hectares have been planted in vine.

The Geographe region has a warm to hot climate, with high winter rainfall and high humidity. It is passed through by several rivers, such as the Capel, Ferguson, and Brunswick rivers that all flow from the Darling Ranges. The coastal areas from Bunbury to Busselton are much influenced by the warm Indian Ocean. However, near inland Donnybrook, this influence is reduced by the presence of the Darling and Whicher Ranges, resulting in more extreme temperature differences between summer and winter, including frosts in spring.

Chardonnay is common throughout the Geographe region thanks to its versatility and Semillon is also very popular. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are increasingly planted in the region with both used alone and for a variety of blends.

The Geographe region has a large number of cellar doors at which visitors can sample its many products. The largest producer of the Geographe region is Willow Bridge Estate with over 100 hectares planted in vines. It was established by Jeff and Vicki Dewar in 1996 and is located at 280m on the Ferguson River with excellent views out over the plains. Summer heat is much modified by sea breezes as well as its altitude, and frosts are rare. The vineyard is planted with Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the most notable achievement of the Willow Bridge Estate to date is their Black Dog Shiraz.

One of the first vineyards to be established in the Geographe region was Capel Vale, first planted with vines in 1974. One of the great achievements of this winery has been the Capel Vale Riesling, which was named the Australian National Dry White Champion. Capel Vale operates its own cellar door with restaurant and can be found in the town of Capel itself, between Bunbury and Busselton.

Many of the towns of the Geographe region are very historical and well worth a look as you enjoy your wine tasting. In Bunbury is the King Cottage Museum, built around 1880 by Henry King, a bricklayer, and kept in the family until 1923. The cottage is set up as it would have been during the time the King’s lived there from 1880s to the 1920s. Another Bunbury attraction is the Bunbury Tower, usually referred to as the ‘Milk Carton’ based on its shape and colour. This is a legacy of the Alan Bond era, and was built in 1983.

Donnybrook is the apple of the Geographe region’s eye, or rather Donnybrook takes its apples seriously. The main street has apple-shaped lights, a Donnybrook hill has a 20 metre tower with an apple on top, and visitors can go on top of the apple at the Big Apple Tourist & Wildlife Park to see views of Donnybrook. All this applemania is capped by the Apple FunPark, a fruit-themed park for the kids. And Donnybrook would not be apple mad if it didn’t hold an Apple Festival, which of course it does every two years at Easter. The festival includes an Apple Queen and a parade.

The Chardonnay produced in the Geographe region is of an intense character and develops well in the medium term. The region’s Semillon is popular due to its crispness, while the Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with Merlot to produce softer, more delicate wines.