H. M. Martin and Son


H. M. Martin and Son was a South Australian winemaking company based at Stonyfell in the Adelaide Hills.

History

Henry Maydwell "Harry" Martin was a son of Edward Montgomrey Martin who, with his wife Ann and their family migrated to South Australia from England on the Anglia, arriving at Port Adelaide on 5 March 1851.
He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, and started work as secretary and accountant for Stonyfell Wines, which had been founded by Henry Septimus Clark around 1860 and largely managed by his brother-in-law Joseph Crompton. Harry learned much of the art and science of winemaking from Henry Tyler, Crompton's cellar manager, and when, in the economic depression of 1884, the business was taken over by the Bank of Adelaide, leased then sold to quarry operator Henry Dunstan, Harry was taken on as his accountant, and purchased Crompton's house "Ilfracombe" on Stonyfell Road in 1888. In 1902 Harry took on his younger son Ronald, who had recently graduated from Roseworthy Agricultural College and leased the vineyards and cellars from Dunstan, and in 1934 purchased the property from the Dunstan estate, having in 1926 set up the company H. M. Martin and Son to purchase their business and provide working capital. Harry died two years later and Ronald became chairman of directors, with his cousin Darwin Clark in charge of the cellars and vineyards. They took over the "Metala" vineyards of Langhorne Creek and W. Salter's vineyards in Angaston.
Ronald was killed in 1950 when the car in which he was a passenger overturned near Bordertown. Michael Auld became managing director, succeeded in 1962 by Ronald's son Henry Maydwell Martin II. In 1972 the company was taken over by Dalgety Australia Ltd, and by 1978 by Seagram's, at which time the winemaking part of the business at Stonyfell was wound up. Since then the vineyards at Stonyfell, which covered, have mostly been taken over for housing.

Family

Edward Montgomrey Martin, a first cousin of James Montgomrey of Brentford, married Ann Thornton on 6 June 1835. The family travelled to South Australia on the Anglia, arriving 5 March 1851