Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/550

 524 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The Seppelt Family DESCRIPTIONS have been given in preceding pages of this work of the fertility of the district of Barossa. In this congenial region are found the finest vineyards in South Australia, and among the principal of these is that of the Seppelt family. Mr. J. E. Se[)pelt, the founder, was a native of Silesia, Southern Prussia, and arrived in this Province in 1849 with his wife and his son Benno, the latter then three years of age. Two years afterwards Mr. Seppelt settled in the Barossa district, where he laid out and planted a vineyard, which ever since has borne the name of Seppeltsfield. It had a modest beginning, but increased with the years, till now its name is known in many lands. Mr. J. P2. Seppelt launched his vineyard on a firm basis ; but, dying in 1867, just when the industry was beginning to ex- pand, the work of carrying it on to its present dimensions fell on the shoulders of Mr. Benno Sep|ielt, then a young man, who had just attained his legal majority. A worthy son of a worthy father, Mr. Benno Seppelt has ably developed the industry his father initiated, and to his tireless energy and fruitful inventive faculty is due the proud position that Seppeltsfield holds to-day. The Seppeltsfield Estate proper comprises 1,500 acres of excellent land, through which pleasantly meanders the Greenock Creek, at once a source of water supply and a provision of natural drainage. Situated on the banks of this (juiet stream is the homestead, embowered in native eucalypts co-mingling with the greener growth of PLuropean forest trees. Dotted round the homestead are many substantial buildings, with tall smoking chimney stacks, giving the place that air of bustling industry which suggests a miniature manufacturing town. Though it has many auxiliary undertakings, wine-making is, of course, the first and most important business at Seppeltsfield. The area of vines under cultivation is about 120 Hammer 6^ Co., Photo MK. J. E. SEPPKLT