Tony Devitt was born on 7 November 1944 in Perth Western Australia. He studied Agriculture at the University of Western Australia; did wine appreciation courses at the Education Centre in 1971; worked at the Department of Agriculture; did a winemaking course at Roseworthy College; bought property at Margaret River in the early 1970s; planted grapes in 1976; made his own wine in 1980 - Ashbrook and began to export the wine overseas