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Prominent People

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This section lists industry people who have made a significant contribution to the achievements and success of agriculture in South Australia and Australia. Where information is available from a readily available source, a link is provided.

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Gebhardt, Gustav Adolph 1833 - 1900

Gustav Gebhardt arrived in 1858 and started a butchering business at Burra but soon used his knowledge of stock to enter pastoral industry. He ended up purchasing a number of stations and improved their carrying capacity. He won numerous prizes at shows and because of his knowledge was for many years chosen to act as judge.

Image: Obituaries Australia

Geytenbeek, Peter 1926 - 2006

Peter Geytenbeek commenced working for the Dept of Agriculture in the late 1940s and was involved in research work becoming officer-in-charge of the Kybybolite Research Centre. He excelled at communicating results to the farming community and later moved to the Waite Agricultural Research Institute at the Mintaro Experimental Station.

Gilbert, Joseph 1800 - 1881

Pastoralist and vigneron. Gilbert arrived in South Australia in 1839 and settled in the Lyndoch Valley where he farmed sheep ordered from Van Diemen's Land. The property was later named Pewsey Vale. He soon won repute for his fine wool and careful breeding and purchased other land throughout the State. He planted his first vines in 1847 and before long his wine and cellars won fame. The suburb of Gilberton is named after him.

Image: SLSA: B 6912/L4

Gilbert, William 1850 - 1923

William Gilbert was a grazier at Pewsey Vale, who bred sheep to a high standard of excellence including the quality of their wool. He farmed several properties throughout the State and was noted for the breeding and racing of thoroughbreds and Shorthorn cattle.

Image: Obituaries Australia

Giles, William Grant (Bill) 1948 - 2013

Bill had a long history in service the livestock industries. His early work was supporting the introduction of the Charolais breed of cattle into South Australia, followed by contributing to the early development of carcass classification leading to Computer Aided Livestock Marketing. Bill worked in locations across South Australia, including Struan, Ceduna, Pt Augusta and Kadina before taking up positions in Adelaide.

Gluyas, Henry Inglis 1863 - 1936

A farmer at Port Germein, SA, in 1894. He selected from Ward’s Prolific an off-type which he increased and distributed as Early Gluyas. It was for 30 years from 1910 onward, a leading variety in the drier areas of Australia. In 1924 Early Gluyas displaced Federation from position of leading variety in SA.

Image: Find a Grave

Goode, Thomas Johnston 1888 - 1957

Tom Goode was a pioneer of pasture improvement and property development in the South East spending the whole of his life in the Kingston district. He developed his various holdings into some of the finest sheep properties and was in the forefront of trialling superphosphate, and the use of trace elements and sown pastures. He also made time to share his skill and knowledge with others.

Goyder, George Woodroffe 1826 - 1898

Surveyor and conservationist. Surveyor-General (1861 – 1894) and conservationist. Chairman of the Railways Commission 1874-75, and of the Forest Board 1875-83, and a keen proponent of water conservation. An able administrator and considered the most efficient public servant in the colony at the time. In the 1860s Goyder assessed pastoral properties and his line of travel, which amounted to nearly 5,000 kilometres on horseback, marked off a line indicating the limit of reliable annual rainfall. It separated lands suitable for agriculture from those suitable for pastoral use. Although disregarded by the Government, in less than ten years he was proved right. .

Image: SLSA Image B72791/5

Gramp, Johann 1819 - 1903

Vigneron. Johann Gramp arrived at Kangaroo Island in October 1837 before moving to a small German settlement at Hope Valley, where he farmed for several years. In 1846 Gramp purchased 83 acres of land at Jacob's Creek in the Barossa Valley and bought further land making his first wine in 1850. He gradually increased the size of his vineyard exhibited regularly in local wine shows, winning numerous awards. Gramp died at his Rowland Flat home in 1903.

Image: SLSA website: Extract from Heritage of innovation : Orlando wines, 1847-1997; p. 20

Gramp, Colin Raymond 1921 - 2020

Colin Gramp was a Barossa Valley winemaker of some repute who developed innovative techniques for producing sparkling riesling and growing white wine grapes that produced high quality, intense fruit.

Image: The Advertiser

H

Hall, Charles 1850 - 1919

Pastoralist. Hall was born at Strathalbyn in 1850 began farming at Appila in the early 1870s. He later extended his farming operations into the pastoral areas and increased the carrying capacity of those holdings enormously.

Image: trove.nla.gov.au: Observer Saturday 30 August 1919 p 14

Hall, Frank Ernest 1916 - 1982

Frank Hall was a significant landowner in the horticultural and viticultural industries around Waikerie. He was a long time member of the Waikerie Agricultural Bureau, involved in the management of various irrigation schemes.

Hallion, Mary Eileen 1908 - 2004

Mary Hallion, with her husband Murray, was a farmer at Bumbunga and joined the Country Women’s Association become State and then National President. She was a member for some 30 years and represented the Association overseas.

Image: The Advertiser

Hamilton, Henry 1826 - 1907

Grape grower and wine maker. In 1848 Henry Hamilton joined his father (Richard) at his 32 ha property on the Sturt River west of Adelaide. By 1854, he bought a further neighbouring 19 ha (Ewell Farm), and by the 1860's was well established as a grape grower and farmer.

Image: SLSA Image B477691D

Hamilton, Frank 1859 - 1913

Grape-grower and wine-maker. Henry Hamilton’s third surviving son Frank purchased the remainder of the Hamilton property by 1897 and continued to extend the wine business. The business continued under family control until 1979.

Image: Hamilton Family

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