Interview with Robert W Clampett [sound recording] Interviewer: Rob Linn, Part 2 of 3

Bob Clampett was born on 27 June 1920; parents were George Clampett and Edith Maslin. Father was a manager of Norwich Union Insurance and his mother was from a property at Bundaleer. He studied at Saints and Pultenay but was only interested in sport. He left school in 1937 and went to the Hunter Valley to be a jackeroo for a year and then worked at Elder Smith. Paid 50 pounds a year and worked there until 1953. In World War II he served six years in the Middle East, New Guinea, Kokoda, Burma, India and Shaggy Ridge. He married in 1948. At Elders he worked in the chemical department, went to London for two years and returned to Australia in 1953 and bought his own wine and spirit business H Meredith Moulden & Co. His uncle was a soldier settler at Clare growing grapes and he spent his school holidays there. His uncle sold wine to George Fairbrother. When Bob bought his business he wanted to be a wholesaler and was given approval by the AHA. He had agencies for Cinzano, Cointreau, Tia Maria, Remy Martin, Quelltaler Wines. The hotels were the only ones to have bottle licences. Bob had a wholesale licence and a wine licence. His office was in Peel St, Bob Dougan the bookmaker was next door. He moved his office to South Road in Mile End and his business grew rapidly. He was bought out by Diverse Products and he then started his own vineyard. It was the first contour vineyard in South Australia. He sold his grapes to Clare Wines. He had 90 acres planted. He was having lunch at the Ambassadors Hotel with a group of wine friends and they started the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club which ended up with 100 branches all over the world. He talks about the members of the Club, and the group still meets. Biggest change has been in the amount of wine consumed and people's improved knowledge about wine. He talks about "characters" in the industry and the history of Vintage Cellars. He became involved with leasing hotels with his son - started with the Salisbury and then the Hope Inn

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