Victorian Wine RegionsNew South Wales Wine Regions
>> Home >> Western Australia >> Great Southern

Great Southern

The Great Southern wine region, like the state of West Australia itself, is big; some 150 kilometres from north to south and nearly 100 kilometres from east to west. The Great Southern includes Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup, with Albany being over 400 kilometres, or a little more than a four hour drive, south of Perth.

The local Menang group of the Noongar people called the region Kinjarling, meaning ‘the place of rain’ and lived in the area for many tens of thousands of years before European settlement. This originated at Albany when Major Lockyer established a base in 1826, making Albany the first European settlement in Western Australia. The Major was sent out specifically to found something that might prevent the French from doing the same; a perennial fear of the British at the time. When Major Lockyer first arrived from Sydney, he rescued a group of Aboriginal women who had been kidnapped by sealers and so helped establish good relations with the local Minang people.

This is not to say that Albany was only discovered at this time. Positioned as it is on the very corner of the continent where the Indian and Great Southern Oceans meet, it had been sighted and recorded many times over the centuries of European exploration. Perhaps first were the Dutch in 1626 in the Gulden Zeepaert (Golden Seahorse) and somewhat later George Vancouver in 1791, who named King George Sound. But the French were hard on his heels and d'Entrecasteaux sailed the same coasts in 1792, adding many new names to the region. In the early 19th century the area was explored by Matthew Flinders, Phillip King, and another Frenchman, d'Urville. Albany was named after a son of the then King George III, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. And it was to Albany in 1841 that the explorer Edward Eyre came after crossing the continent from the east.

Albany played a significant role in the early history of West Australia due to the excellence of its port, one of the few on that coast. Fremantle did not become the dominant port of West Australia until after 1900, when the reef that blocked the entrance to the Swan River was dynamited. Since then Albany has enjoyed a much quieter and more regional existence.

Another significant area in the Great Southern region is the area known as Frankland and the Frankland River, which has a more agricultural history. Frankland River was named by a Dr Thomas Wilson who in 1829 had time to explore the area from Albany as his ship was undergoing lengthy repaired. Reports of his explorations soon attracted settlers, at first sheep owners and their shepherds, soon followed by farmer families and timber cutters. The later were especially busy supplying sleepers during the building of the Great Southern Railway in 1889.

It is around the cool climate area of Mount Barker that in the mid 1960s the modern West Australian wine industry had its beginnings. Nowadays, the Frankland River area is the largest wine-producing area of the Great Southern region, with 1,600 hectares of vines out of the Great Southern region’s 2,300 hectares.

The coastal areas of the Great Southern region naturally have a strong maritime climate but this quickly changes as you move inland where temperature variations greatly increase. In general, the region has a climate of hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, though the higher districts, such as around Mt Barker, allow for the production of cool climate wines.

An area as big as the Great Southern region naturally produces a diverse range of wines, with the Frankland River area, the region’s largest, famous for its Riesling, Cabernet and Shiraz. While Mount Barker produces excellent Riesling, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, and down on the coast, more moderate summer temperatures and higher winter rainfall means that the areas around Denmark produce premium Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Alkoomi Wines was the first wine producer in the Frankland River area of the Great Southern region. It is owned and operated by Merv and Judy Lange and their family, who have planted over 100 hectares of vines in such varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier. Stunning views of the famous Porongurups, massive granite outcrops, can be seen from the aptly named ‘Alkoomi’, which as you might have guessed, is an aboriginal word, one that means ‘a place we chose’. The dry summers of the region require some supplementary irrigation and this is obtained from the property’s own dams.

Another great winery of the Great Southern region, located on the coast, is Matilda's Estate. The estate was established by Steve Hall, originally from the UK, who became determined to own his own vineyard. Set on the stunning Matilda’s Meadow property, near the town of Denmark, Matilda's Estate produces Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from a total of 27 acres planted with vines.

The coast around Denmark and Albany was for long a centre of whaling, in fact the industry continued until the 1950s. In recognition of this, the Albany whaling station is now a museum of whaling and well worth a visit while exploring this wine region. An industry of a more modern kind also found at Albany is the Western Power Wind Farm, the largest in Australia with 12 turbines that can generate up to 75% of the town's electricity usage. Other sights in Albany include the old convict gaol, the Princess Royal Fortress (the colonies first united defense operation), and Patrick Taylor Cottage, (reputedly the oldest house in Western Australia).

Chardonnay is perhaps the Great Southern region’s most popular choice in the vineyards and is produced with great consistency throughout the region. The Riesling of the Great Southern region is however its premier product, though it can take some 10 years before reaching its best. The Pinot Noir has been confined to the coastal areas but increasingly good products have come from the Frankland River area recently.

Wineries of Great Southern, Western Australia, Australia