Ghosts of the Barossa: Seppeltsfield Winery

Ghosts of the Barossa: Seppeltsfield Winery

Joseph Seppelt came to Australia from Silesia in Prussia (now Poland) in 1849 with his wife Johanna and three children. In 1851, Seppelt purchased 158 acres of land in the Hundred of Nuriootpa from Hermann Kook, farmer of Tanunda, at £1 an acre., and planted a tobacco crop, which failed. He then planted grapevines and named his new vineyard Seppeltsfield. 

Seppelt began selling his wines a couple of years later in Gawler and along the Murray River via paddle steamer. So successful was his product, that in just a couple of years, he was able to build his first wine cellar in 1867.

Oscar Benno Seppelt - 1860

Sadly, Joseph never got to enjoy the fruit of his labours, dying in 1868. The vineyard was bequeathed to his son Oscar Benno, who in 1870 married Sophie Schroeder.
The entire Seppelt family had a strong work ethic and took the time to address the finest details. The estate grew, and by 1888 contained the winery, storage cellars, laboratory, bakery, distillery, cooperage, piggery, poultry house, blacksmith shop, vinegar house and lavish gardens. The estate also contained a gravity flow winery that was used from 1888 until 1983.

 The Seppelt‘s were very generous to their workers, and also built a large dining hall where they would feed their workers breakfast and dinner daily.

  The Company grew, acquiring Chateau Tanunda, and The Great Western Vineyards in Victoria as well as properties in New South Wales and in South Australia’s south-east regions.
 The winery was eventually acquired by Southcorp Wines who ran the brand into the ground until in 2007, the brand found its saviours, A consortium called The Seppeltsfield Estate Trust, carefully rebuilt the brand, bringing back its traditional wine-making techniques and reputation for hospitality.

Although its current owners claim that the winery is not haunted, and that its alleged ghosts are not part of its history, local Barossa Valley folklorists may tell you otherwise.

 The winery has gained international attention for its alleged hauntings which include:

• ·         The ghost of a former maid who can be seen walking through the former Seppelt homestead and sometimes through the winery tunnels.
• ·         In the barrel tunnel, loud footsteps can be heard above you where another floor once sat but is now removed.
• ·         It is claimed that after 7pm lighting on the lower levels of the winery will not turn on.
• ·         The old vinegar factory, which hadn’t been used for decades would at night, sound as if it was running again, with cranks turning and steam blasts from the old furnaces!
• ·         Screams coming from an unidentified source in the gardens and vineyards.
• ·         The sound of gunshots from a garden.
• ·         A glowing light is sometimes witnessed at the top of the winery.
• ·         Moans, groans, whispers and the sound of shuffling feet from disembodied sources in the old dining hall.
• ·         Reports of feelings of paranoia and fear, in and around where Benno Seppelt’s private hidden retreat is located.
• ·         Some people have been overcome with deep sadness in a garden.
• ·       Constant feelings of being watched.

Whether or not you believe ghosts are real, Seppelt’s Winery is a stunning location, and one well worth a visit for its history, is wine….and dare I say it?...it’s spirits!

Oh, and Haunting: Australia fans…they also have Segway tours! : https://www.seppeltsfield.com.au/index.php/segway-sensation

References:

1925 'MRS. B. SEPPELT DEAD', News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), 6 April, p. 5. (HOME EDITION), viewed 29 Mar 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129716015

1931 'Death of Mr. Benno Seppelt', Leader (Angaston, SA: 1918 - 1954), 14 May, p. 4. , viewed 29 Mar 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165687683

Angela Heuzenroeder, ‘B Seppelt & Sons’, SA History Hub, History Trust of South Australia, http://sahistoryhub.com.au/organisations/b-seppelt-sons, accessed 27 March 2019.

History, Seppelt (2019), https://www.seppelt.com.au/history, accessed 29 March 2019.

Benno died in 1930 and was buried in the Grecian family mausoleum on the site of a lookout built in 1927.

Chateau Tanunda

Chateau Tanunda

In 1870 the wine world was hit by the spread of phylloxera through Europe causing a shortage of available affordable wine. In South Australia’s Barossa Valley, many little wineries had been established up to 20 years earlier and were now beginning to find their way.

A consortium of 4 men in Adelaide, saw the potential for South Australian wines on the world market and founded a business called The Adelaide Wine Company, which a short time later changed its operating name to Chateau Tanunda.

The Building of the Chateau, which at the time was the largest building in South Australia and the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere, took two years to complete and was finished in 1890.

It was inspired by a French Bavarian style of buildings. The building is 86 metres in length and 48 meters wide and boasts a 21-metre tower. It has a large cellar with almost metre thick walls, its south cellars were cut into the side of a hill for better temperature control.

It could store 5 million litres of wine.

Ownership of the winery changed in 1916 when the Seppelt family became owners of the winery, the Seppelts family remained owners until 1998 when the building was bought by current owners John Geber & family.

The Geber family has done extensive work to the building's and surrounding grounds, even installing their very own cricket pitch.

In an interview with John Geber in 2009, he states how he discovered the Chateau, which had a sign on the door stating “Do not enter”.

The building had been stripped of its inner workings and all records within its walls dumped.

John slept in the building, which was never designed for overnight stays and discovered that the building was haunted “I had some interesting nights!” he said in reference to the ghosts making themselves known, but he elaborates no further...

Have you seen or felt a spirit at Chateau Tanunda? If so please feel free to comment below and tell us your story!

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Photos by Karen Tiller