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Directions to your first story point from Avoca; drive south along the Sunraysia Highway (B220) then turn right into the Pyrenees Highway (B180). Look for the Mount Avoca wine sign and turn right – this is Dawsons Road. At 112 Dawsons Road is Hedon Farm on the right. Pause this video, then play to learn more about Hedon Farm.
Edwin Mackereth and his family settled on this block of virgin land about two kilometers west of Avoca, which was named Hedon Farm in 1860. The historic pioneer home has recently been restored. About 1887, he planted a small vineyard of three-quarters of an acre. The vines in the foreground are the original stock. You can only view Hedon Farm from the roadside only.
In 1889 the state government appointed viticultural expert, Italian-born and -trained Romeo Bregato. He visited the area at Mackereth's invitation with a view to advising prospective owners on the suitability of the soils and climates for viticulture. Bregato raised the hopes of aspiring vignerons claiming that Avoca was better adapted for wine growing than most districts in the colony.
By 1890 15 acres were cultivated. In the early 1900s his sons joined him and they achieved great success overseas with their prize-winning red wines. By 1920 fourty acres of vines were being grown, producing 91,000 liters of wine. But problems arose – local consumption was limited. With costs mounting and income falling they found it difficult to afford the machinery necessary for an efficient business. The falling price of wine and the onset of prohibition resulted in the farm being sold to Mr. Dawson. The vines were ploughed in and it became a dairy farm.