Burrundulla History
History of the property
“Burrundulla” was established almost 200 years ago by the Cox family in Mudgee. Following the successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813, Gregory William Evans was sent to further the expedition. After reaching the fertile Bathurst Plains, Evans returned to Sydney to report on the agriculturally significant discovery he had made.
In 1814 Governor Lachlan Macquarie ordered Lt. William Cox of the N.S.W. Corps to build a road across the Blue Mountains from Penrith to Bathurst, a distance of 101 miles.
With a team of convicts numbering 30, Cox completed the task in just 6 months, an engineering feat not likely to ever be achieved again.
The road opened up the west to the colony at Sydney and allowed further exploration west of the Great Dividing Range.
As a reward for his feat, the Crown granted Cox a parcel of land at Hereford, near Bathurst. This property was being managed by George Cox, William's 4th son. In 1821, George Cox ventured to Mudgee with a son of William Lawson and settled "Burrundulla".
Story has it that on one cattle drive west, the stock were attracted to the rich floodplains at "Burrundulla" and kept turning back despite the efforts of the stockmen.
As a result of this, a settlement was formed at "Burrundulla" with the property to be used for beef and lamb fattening, and fine wool growing. Around the settlement the township of Mudgee was established.
The property today covers around 1,700 acres on the eastern edge of the town of Mudgee. The original activities are still carried out today, and are complemented by other enterprises, including premium winegrape production.
The "Burrundulla" homestead was built in 1864 by the Hon. George Henry Cox. The homestead is today listed in the highest category on the National Estate."
Burrundulla Vineyards
In the early 1990s, when markets for most farm produce were experiencing a downturn due to the commencement of the European Common Market, we started looking for alternatives to supplement the revenue from the cattle, sheep and grain crops providing the bulk of our income.
In 1993 the decision was made to plant 50 acres of red grapes and we entered into a contractual arrangement with the Rothbury Estate to provide grapes to them over the next ten years. This decision proved invaluable as three eager and energetic Coxes and their ageing, apprehensive but supportive father, set about the preparation of the soil and procurement of supplies.
In July 1994 contractors installed a sophisticated irrigation system and began on the erection of trellises. The first vines were planted on 2 October 1994 and within two weeks, after a few small problems using a home-made planting rig, 20 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 acres of Shiraz had been planted.
In 1995 25 acres of Chardonnay was added followed by 20 acres of Shiraz in 1996. In 1997 we planted a further 40 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. After one year without planting, in 1999 we added 14 acres of Merlot and 6 of Semillon.
Thus, as the vineyard now stands we have 55 acres of Shiraz (3 clones), 60 of Cabernet (5 clones), 25 of Chardonnay, 14 of Merlot and 6 of Semillon, a total of 160 acres, all on their own rootstock.