History
A young brand with a lot of history
Some avid wine lovers may still remember the classic Seabrook wine label from the 70’s, championed by Tom, Doug and Iain Seabrook of Seabrook Wine Merchants on Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. The Seabrook Family have been part of the Australian wine business since 1878, starting one of the country’s most respected wine companies W.J Seabrook & Son. In 2005, fifth generation Hamish Seabrook revitalised the old 1878 label as a tribute to his family lineage in the wine industry.
It is of no surprise that Hamish found himself in the wine Industry. First Generation William Seabrook was a pioneer of the Australian Wine industry. He was one of Australia’s earliest wine merchants and was a wine judge at the inaugural Royal Melbourne Wine Show in 1888. His son, Thomas (TC) Seabrook, followed his father and was recognised as an acclaimed judge and renowned for his excellent palate and acerbic wit. TC’s son, Doug Seabrook, continued in the family wine business and was chairman of judges at the RMWS (Royal Melbourne Wine Show) for more than 30 years. Doug (Hamish’s late grandfather) was a passionate wine man who willingly gave his time and energy to encourage interest in wine, particularly young people. Iain Seabrook, Doug’s son, took the family baton and judged at Melbourne for several years, ran a successful wine broker company and was extremely proud to see his son, Hamish, awarded Dux of the 2004 Len Evans Tutorial and then appointed as judge at the 2005 Royal Melbourne Wine Show as well as many other wine shows.
Hamish carries on a family tradition with deep roots in the Australian wine industry which he hopes will carry on for generations to come with its home in the Barossa. The philosophy of Seabrook Wines today is true to its roots - to source top quality grapes from the best regions of Australia as WJ and Tom did decades ago.
- 1846April 19th
1st Generation
WJ Seabrook
William John Seabrook, (fondly known as W.J.). W.J. was born into a family of builders in Tasmania but his thirst for wine drew him to Victoria. Here he worked under the guidance of ‘Greig and Murray’ where he learnt his craft as a wine merchant. Over a short period of time, W.J. absorbed all the knowledge he needed and in 1878, began his own business W.J. Seabrook & Son, which remained open for four generations and close to 100 years.
- 1886June 8th
2nd Generation
TC Seabrook
Thomas Claudius (T.C.) Seabrook, was a respected wine merchant, judge and educator. At the age of 12, T.C. began work in the family business, WJ Seabrook & Son, a classic English wine merchant that imported and exported wines, and produced its own blends. T.C was renowned for his excellent palate and acerbic wit and was often referred to as “the man with the uncanny palate”. He was honorary secretary and president of the Viticultural Society of Victoria and in 1963 appointed O.B.E. Like his father before him and his son Douglas after him, he was also chairman of wine judges at the Victorian Royal Agricultural Show.
- 1923January 30th
3rd Generation
Douglas Seabrook
Douglas Seabrook worked in the family business W.J. Seabrook & Sons. Doug remains the longest serving chairman of judges at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, serving for more than 30 years. In his day, he was instrumental in progressing Australian wine, passionately championing emerging varietals and wine styles. Doug’s legacy lives on in this wine and is a reminder of his influence and the family’s passion for the industry.
- 1946November 13th
4th Generation
Iain Seabrook
Iain Seabrook who followed in his father’s footsteps and began his career in wine running errands at the famous WJ Seabrook & Son Wine Merchants in Melbourne, where he eventually became Production Manager. Following the closure of WJ Seabrook & Son, Iain began his own wine brokerage firm in the Barossa that was the first of its kind in the Australian wine industry, enabling wineries to trade in bulk wine to achieve the best blends possible.
- 1975October 20th
5th Generation
Hamish Seabrook
As a youngster growing up in the Barossa Valley, Hamish was always around wine and with a family history that dates back to 1878, it was inevitable that his future would too be in the wine industry. Hamish has spent many vintages travelling between the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, California and New York before enrolling in Winemaking at Adelaide University and graduating with a Bachelor of Oenology in 2000. Upon graduating, Hamish wasted no time looking for work and went on to make wine for Bests, Great Western. Here he was taken under the wing of wine industry legend Viv Thomson, where he established his winemaking style.Following in his forefathers’ footsteps, Hamish judges at various shows across Australia and was honored to be awarded Dux of the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2004.After a stellar start at Bests, Hamish then went on to work in senior winemaking roles at Brown Brothers, Milawa; Dorrien Estate, Barossa Valley; and Kirrihill, Clare Valley before finally taking the leap to concentrate solely on his own business.Proprietor and winemaker, Hamish Seabrook, revived the historic Seabrook brand and released his first wine under the family label in 2005. He now manages every aspect of the Seabrook business, including the 20-acre vineyard on their property, winemaking and sales. Hamish makes genuine small-batch wines he loves to drink. He is passionate about reflecting the place in which they come from, and he has a hands-on approach to the family’s 20-acre estate. Seabrook Wines is at the base of Barossa’s eastern foothills, where their vineyard and historic cellar door are perched.
- 2006May 19th
6th Generation
Chloe & Jack Seabrook
Chloe and Jack, both still youngsters who enjoy living the Barossa lifestyle. Chloe enjoys music, dance ans acting while Jack is very much into his sports. We hope that one day they will be the next custodians for Seabrook Wines.
