Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts was born in New Britain in 1939. His mother was a hairdresser with an English background and his father was German and had a coconut plantation in New Guinea. His father was interned in an Adelaide camp when World War II was declared. He contracted TB and died at the end of the war. His mother continued with the plantation in New Guinea and Bob stayed with his grandparents in Sydney. He went to Barker College, the Wagga Wagga Agricultural College and then studied law. He met Len Evans through his wife and in 1969 he bought two blocks of land at Mudgee. It took three years to plant a vineyard of white grapes. They made their own wine and did cellar door sales. In 1993 his daughter Susan became the winemaker. He talks about lobbying against wine taxes; severe droughts in 1981 and 1983; and establishing the Huntington Music Festival around 1979. He talks about the comaraderie in the early days of the industry and how it has changed. He has seen many changes in the vineyard and more in the winery. He is a member of the Advisory Council of Australian Wine and the Grape Council. He talks about the Huntington Estate