Francis d'Arenberg (d'Arry) Osborn
Francis d'Arenberg (d'Arry) was born on 27 December 1926 in
McLaren Vale, South Australia. He was named for his father,
Francis (Frank) Osborn, and his mother Frances Helena Osborn, nee
d'Arenberg, who died giving birth to him. A trained children's
nurse, Edith (Micky) Athelstan-Clark helped to raise the family of
three children. In 1958 d'Arry married Pauline Rowland Preston, a
physiotherapist. They had two children, Jacqueline Helena and
Chester d'Arenberg. Chester Osborn is the fourth generation family
winemaker.
d'Arry is one of Australia's leading Australian winemakers, and
was involved with the founding and expansion of the family's
vineyard and winery, d'Arenberg (and the family partnership
comprising d'Arry and his sister and brother).
Frank Osborn's father, Joseph, bought the original vineyard
from the Milton family in 1912. The Milton farmhouse has been
extended several times since, as Frank's home, and later as the
winery headquarters and restaurant. The old dairy still stands
nearby. Frank was encouraged to expand by establishing a winery in
1928, and both sons (Rowen and d'Arry) helped as children in the
work, including milking the cows. Rowen went from university into
the Australian diplomatic service, but when he left school in 1943
d'Arry returned to work with his father. Frank, who suffered for
years from rheumatic fever, died in 1957, and d'Arry assumed full
control.
d'Arry was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal, and an OAM in
2004 for services to the Australian wine industry and to the
McLaren Vale region. Two years after completing his 50th
consecutive vintage in 1993 he was invested as a Patron of the
Australian Wine Industry in 'honour of an outstanding contribution
to the affairs of the Australian Wine Industry'.
Text taken from the interview summary provided by Susan
Marsden.
Interview transcripts
Download the full
transcript (292Kb) of an interview with d'Arry in March 2006
with Susan Marsden.
For more information on d'Arry or the d'Arenberg Winery visit www.darenberg.com.au
Audio
Below is an audio extract taken from an interview with Jack
Sparrow in August 1985 with Janice Brabbins.
Track
1: Talking about how Roxton Winery (now Middlebrook
Winery) began and the type of grapes he grew at the vineyard
(3:47mins) (4.33Mb)
Photographs
747
|
Vignerons of the
McLaren Vale district in 1900 |
A1
|
Quail shooting party featuring leading winegrowers at Pirramimma
in circa 1929 |
A164
|
Winegrowers at a
luncheon at McLaren Vale in circa 1900 |
682
|
Chapel Hill Winery
at McLaren Vale in 1984 |
135
|
Chapel Vale Winery
at McLaren Vale in 1984 |
683
|
Plaque at Chapel
Vale Winery at McLaren Vale in 1979 |
119
|
Maxwell Wines at
McLaren Vale in 1983 |
122
|
Daringa Winery at
McLaren Vale in 1983 |
