Personal Profiles

Descendants of Richard Hamilton

View a chart of six generations of descendants of Richard Hamilton [50 Kb PDF file]

Mark Hamilton - Proprietor

Mark Hamilton, aged 55, is a sixth generation member of the South Australian pioneering wine family, the Hamiltons. He has had a lifetime's association with the Australian wine industry.

Mark is married to Deborah and they live with their twin 17-year-old daughters, Airlie and Alexandra, at Adelaide in South Australia.

Mark is co-proprietor of Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Partnership. His past wine industry involvement includes being a director of the original Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Pty Ltd (1972-79) prior to its sale to a listed public company in 1979. He was also a partner (1980-1993) in Robert Hamilton & Son, a winery operated at Stonegarden Vineyard in the Eden Valley region, with his father Robert Hamilton until the sale of the property to the Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards' Partnership in 1993.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws (Commercial) from the University of Adelaide. He was also Managing Partner of City of Adelaide based commercial law firms Johnsons (1988-1991) and Grope Hamilton (1983-1987 and 1991-1998) and has been practicing law since 1977. He is currently a principal and managing partner of Grope Hamilton Lawyers. He is also a former Deputy Member and Member of the State Heritage Authority (SA).

Mark's previous State Government (SA) appointments include being a Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of the City of Adelaide Planning Commission, a director of the Women's and Children's Hospital Inc and as a Deputy Member of the Australian Grand Prix Board. Mark is a former Deputy Lord Mayor of Adelaide, having also served as Acting Lord Mayor of Adelaide for periods in 1992.

Mark's interests include wine, running, music, reading popular novels and business books, antiques and modern Australian art.

Deborah Hamilton - Proprietor

Deborah Hamilton (née Roche) is aged 52 and is married to Mark Hamilton. Deborah lives with Mark and their twin 17-year-old daughters, Airlie and Alexandra Hamilton, at Adelaide in South Australia.

Deborah was a co-founder of the Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Partnership.

Deborah also has an interest in the "Roche Group" which has substantial land development, investment and rural property interests in South Australia and Western Australia, principally through Adelaide Development Co (SA) and Estates Development Co (WA).

Deborah ran a clothing, textile and dress making business, Lumaca, in South Australia for more than 23 years. Deborah is currently a national director of the Australia Fund which is responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of furniture for the National Estate of Australia including the official residences of the Prime Minister and Governor-General of Australia.

Deborah is a former Deputy Chairman of the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation - having also previously served as Deputy Chairman of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Advisory Board appointed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Deborah also served as Deputy Lady Mayoress of Adelaide in 1992.

Deborah's interests include garden design and landscaping, interior design, tapestry and reading biographical works and other non fiction.

Robert Hamilton - Elder Stateman

Robert Hamilton, aged 81, is a member of South Australia's pioneering wine family, the Hamiltons, and has a lifetime's involvement in the Australian wine industry. Robert is Mark Hamilton's father.

Robert worked for the original Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Pty Ltd company from 1949 until its sale to a listed public company in 1979. Robert was the last family Managing Director and Chairman of Directors, having succeeded to those positions preceding the death of his father, Eric Hamilton, in 1968.

Robert was inducted as one of the first Barons of the Barossa in 1976 - the Barons of the Barossa having been established the preceding year with the appointment of Grand Master George Kolarovich and Seppelt Wine Family stalwart Bill Seppelt. Peter Tolley of Tolleys Wines, Hermann Thumm of Yaldara, Clarence Liebich of Liebich Wines and Reginald Shipster, along with Robert, were the first years inductees. Other noteable inductees include Wolf Blass (1982).

The Barons of the Barossa are appointed to recognise long and outstanding contribution to the development of the wine industry in the Barossa Valley and to officiate in a ceremonial sense at such events as the opening of the vintage - and the Vintage Festival.

Robert has also had previous roles as a director of Mt Dangar Vineyards Pty Ltd and as the initial Chairman of Greenways Irrigation Scheme Inc in the southern Riverland, both involving substantial vineyard development. He has also served as a local (ie SA) director of South British Insurance Company Limited.

Robert Hamilton also operated Robert Hamilton & Son in partnership with his son, Mark Hamilton (for the period 1980-1993), a winery at Stonegarden Vineyard in the Eden Valley region until its sale to the Hamilton's Ewell Vineyards Partnership in 1993.

Alexandra and Airlie Hamilton

The twin 17-year-old daughters of Mark and Deborah Hamilton - are the seventh generation lineal descendants of Richard Hamilton senior (1792-1852) who planted South Australia's first vineyard in 1838 and made the infant colony's first wine in 1841