George Sutherland Smith
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George Sutherland Smith (1830 – 18 August 1903) was a Scotsman who migrated to Australia, a builder and paddle-steamer captain who turned to winemaking, with considerable success, founding the All Saints winery in the
Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
region of
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
.


History

George S. Smith was born in Caithness, Scotland in 1830 (some sources have 1828), and with John Banks (1833–1876) trained as construction engineer apprenticed as a
joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...
to Banks's father. They emigrated to Australia at the time of the gold rush, arriving in Victoria in 1852. They were partners in a gold claim in
Beechworth, Victoria Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s. At the , Beechworth had a population of 3,859. Beechworth's many histor ...
.


Builder and contractor

They formed a partnership "Smith & Banks", builders and contractors of
Wangaratta Wangaratta ( ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. The city had an estimated urban population of 19,318 at June 2018. Wangaratta has recorded a population growth rate of almost 1% annually ...
and Beechworth in 1857, engaging in a number of public contracts such as the bridge over the
Edward River Edward River, or Kyalite River, an anabranch of the Murray River and part of the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales, Australia. The river rises at Picnic Point east of Mathoura, a ...
at
Deniliquin Deniliquin () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, close to the border with Victoria. It is the largest town in the Edward River Council local government area. Deniliquin is located at the intersection of the Riverina ...
, extensions to Beechworth prison, and built the hospital and Presbyterian church in Beechworth. In 1872 they purchased a sawmill at Barnawatha to supply sleepers for the rapidly advancing railway. The sawmill was destroyed by fire in 1875.


Riverboats

He was a partner in Smith & Harris (1863–1866) then Smith & Banks (1865); they acted as a local agent for Murray & Jackson, two Americans who ran the stern-wheel paddle-steamers ''Settler'', ''Lady Daly'' and ''Lady Darling'', in which he had a financial interest. Smith & Banks then built their own steamer, the ''Teviot'' at
Wahgunyah Wahgunyah is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the southern bank of the Murray River, opposite Corowa, New South Wales, in the Shire of Indigo. Wahgunyah is north east of the state capital, Melbourne and west of Albury ...
in 1865, and around the same time took over the ''Lady Darling''. They then purchased the ''Beechworth''; she was destroyed by fire at the Echuca wharf in January 1867; they rebuilt her as the ''Jane Eliza''. Smith and Banks's store in Wahgunyah was swept away in the floods in October 1867. They sold ''Teviot'' in 1868 and built new sheds and wharves, founded the Upper Murray Navigation Line with the admission of John Foord and his ''Waradgery'', to run between
Albury Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...
and
Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest ...
. George was owner of ''Lady Darling'' when it was destroyed by fire in 1871. They skippered ''Jane Eliza'' themselves until around 1872, when they chartered her to George Dorward, then in 1875 sold her to Heseltine & Reid and got out of the business. They had timed it well: within ten years river traffic had passed its peak; there were more boats on the Murray than ever, and newly constructed roads and railways were eating into their traffic, subsidised by States that were jealous of each other's share of the trade.


Winemaking

The partners had vines under irrigation on the banks of the Murray at Wahgunya in 1864, but met with little success. In 1866 they purchased land at nearby
Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
, and developed it into All Saints Vineyard, named for a parish in Caithness. Banks's involvement dropped away in the 1870s, and he died young, in 1876 (there appears to have been no newspaper coverage, or even mention in the Family Notices columns, of this event. His wife, Isabella, née Martin died in 1895). Smith's wines were highly successful almost immediately, winning many local and international awards between 1873 and 1883. By 1888 the estate covered 100 acres and boasted a grand castellated cellar building, said to be modelled on the Castle of Mey near Caithness. He was a member of the Rutherglen Vine Growers' Association and its first President, and also served as President of the Rutherglen Shire Council. His sons took over operations and expanded it considerably. At the time of his death All Saints was one of the largest wineries in Victoria, covering 500 acres. He died of heart failure at his residence "Kia Ora", St. Kilda Road,
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
on 18 August 1903. His estate was valued at £31,400. His grandsons and great-grandsons continued operation of the winery, which after some variable fortunes passed in the 1980s into the hands of a syndicate led by Mike Fallon; after his death it was acquired by Brown Brothers in 1992, and is now owned by the children of Peter R. Brown.


Family

He married (1) John Banks's sister Elizabeth Banks (ca.1835 – 27 August 1871) in Scotland around 1860 and (2) Sarah Maria Parsons Runting on 9 July 1873 at Wahgunyah, Victoria. Their children were: *Joseph Smith (ca.1863 – ca.24 April 1913) *David Banks Smith (ca.1864 – 4 September 1937) *George John Banks Smith (ca.1870 – 16 December 1932) *James William Runting Smith (1873 – 24 August 1924). *Jennie Eliza (1866 - 1927), who married Arthur Boyer Brown, of the Commercial Bank, on 21 April 1892, lived at "Wyvenhoe",
Middle Brighton, Victoria Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ( ...
. A son, also named Arthur Boyer Brown (born ca. 1896), fought in World War I and was awarded the MM


See also

* Murray-Darling steamboats * Murray-Darling steamboat people


References


External links


All Saints Estate websiteUniversity of Melbourne archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, George Sutherland People from Caithness Australian riverboat captains Australian winemakers 1830 births 1903 deaths Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian businesspeople People from Beechworth