Robert R Hollick

Bob Hollick was born on 8 January 1918 and his parents were Percy Russell and Clarice Vera. He was brought up in Mildura, educated at Ballarat Grammar School and when he left school he worked on the family block. He developed an interest in vines and worked in the vineyard, then the orchard. They grew mainly Doradillo grapes. He talks about annual life on a vineyard - irrigation, planting, horse and plough, vine scale. He became involved with Ron Haselgrove at Mildara as one of their contractors and grew Rhine Riesling and Shiraz on 400 acres. During World War II he was in New Guinea and Bougainville. Women from the Land Army picked grapes during the war. They started a Growers Association in Mildura and he was President. They then formed a Federal Grapegrowers Council. In 1963 he became a member of the Australian Wine Board and stayed 24 years. He talks about other members and the Australian Wine Week in Adelaide. He talks about Alan Antcliff from the CSIRO who provided him with European vines to experiment with, including the development of a new Merlot. He worked with Ron Haselgrove and developed vineyards for Mildara in Coonawarra, Clare, Langhorne Creek and Margaret River in WA. Bob went to the USA three times to assess mechanical pruning and harvesting. It took 7 years to develop a pruning machine. His work was picked up in the USA and South Africa. At his retirement he was given 20 cases of 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon with his picture on the label