Wines of WA

Life Membership Award

About the Award

The Wines of Western Australia Life Membership Award recognises the significant contribution by an individual to the development of the WA wine industry at state and regional level. This year John Tate was posthumously awarded for his service to the industry.

Previous recipients of a Life Membership award include: Denis and Tricia Horgan (Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River); Dorham Mann OAM (Dept. of Agriculture WA, Sandalford Swan Valley, Mann Winery Swan Valley); Tony Smith (Plantagenet Great Southern); Robert Bowen (Plantagenet, Houghtons, Willow Bridge Geographe).

Pictured right: Jane Kelsbie MLA, Toni Tate, Franklin Tate, Heather Tate, Olivia Tate, Minister Don Punch.

2023 Recipient John Tate AM

John Tate was posthumously awarded a Wines of Western Australia Life Membership at the end of year industry sundowner on Tuesday 28 November at Steve’s Hotel Nedlands. The award was presented to John’s son, Franklin Tate, by Minister for Regional Development Hon Don Punch.

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With business partner John Evans, John started Evans and Tate in 1971, building it into one of the largest and most successful privately owned wine brands in WA. John Tate was actively involved in many aspects of the WA wine industry, volunteering his time to numerous committees including the Royal Perth Wine Show and the Wine Industry Association of WA.

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2021 Recipient Robert Bowen

Rob Bowen is one of West Australian’s most awarded and experienced winemakers, and a pioneer for the Geographe Wine Region. He was a key person in making the case for the establishment of what we now know as the Geographe Wine Region.

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Chief winemaker at Capel Vale and was also instrumental in the establishment of Willow Bridge Estate, working with Jeff and Vicki Dewar as they started on their winemaking venture. Rob has gone on to make many contributions over his career to the WA Wine Industry.

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2019 Recipient Dorham Mann

Dorham’s role in the establishment and development of the modern wine industry in WA is significant and spans a period of nearly 60 years. While timing is everything, what you do with your time is far more important. Dorham was one of the original cohort of Roseworthy trained winemakers in WA, and in 30/11/61 he was appointed temporary

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Agricultural Adviser and was stationed at the Swan Research Station to gain experience in viticulture and the management of the Station and its staff. At this time, the realisation that the south west of WA held great promise as a premium wine growing region was being confirmed by formal analysis of climate and soil parameters. Brave individuals and the state government began to believe that a successful industry could be created.
 

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2019 Recipient - Tony Smith

Tony Smith was raised in county Berkshire in England, in a family whose business was selling books. He decided it wasn’t the career he wanted, and opted instead for a diploma in Farm and Estate Management from a UK agricultural college. It was the beginning of a lifelong association with the land. In 1960 Tony decided to buy a passage to Australia, and as an assisted migrant, took a job as a jackeroo near Deniliquin in New South Wales.

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It was on the ship to Australia that he met his future wife, Alison Piper. Jackerooing taught Tony many crop and animal husbandry skills. He loved the life and the work and soon found himself managing a mixed farming property in the Forbes area of New South Wales – married to Alison.

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2018 Recipient - Denis and Tricia Horgan

Denis and Tricia Horgan are visionaries, who were chosen for this award in recognition of the ongoing and tireless role they have both played in the development of Margaret River and indeed Western Australia as a fine wine producing region.

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They have been making wines in Margaret River since their first commercial vintage in 1979, and from the outset were committed to the production of quality wines that did not attempt to emulate those from other Australian wine regions. They developed a clear mission to combine great art, great wine and great food.
 

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Get in touch

For general enquiries, please contact [email protected].

For further tourism information, please contact the following regional wine associations:

 

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