Forester History
Forester Estate is owned by the McKay family, and is situated on Wildwood Road, Yallingup, in the northern Margaret River region.
Established in 2001, Forester Estate is a new generation winery that strives to showcase the distinct regional characters of northern Margaret River fruit.
The Estate is surrounded by huge Eucalypt trees that once supported a thriving forestry trade established in the 1850’s. This forestry industry was the first to open up rugged land along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge and provide jobs for many of the new arrivals.
The Estate has a saw pit that was used by the original pioneers to mill timber which was transported by ox and cart to Yallingup-Siding, the nearby railway station.
This timber, especially the hardwood Mahogany (Jarrah), was shipped out from Geographe Bay to countries around the world. Even today, many streets of London lie on the Jarrah trees milled from the forests of Margaret River.
It is from this heritage that the name Forester Estate is derived.
Henry John Yelverton was a pioneer of much of the land in the Qunidalup region, west of Busselton in these early days. He was first licensed to cut loads of Jarrah from crown land in 1852 and by 1854 had built the largest timber mill in the colony. The mill employed over 100 men and was fed by a purpose built tramway extending 13 miles in length from the forest through to the Qunidalup jetty.
Before long a school, police station and post office were erected and Yelverton had become the benefactor of a small town. The following extract written by a visiting correspondent of the The Inquirer vividly captures his achievement.
“C and I walked along the tramway which extends three miles. It was so very pleasant – quantities of lovely bush flowers and magnificent trees looking so grand and lofty.
Yelverton’s station is a wonderful place. He has three steam engines at work; the last erected is very large; five pieces of timber can be cut at once and each with several saws … To me it is a most exciting scene; here in the midst of the dark forest, to see such ceaseless industry and the wonderful steam power causing the saws to go through the huge logs just as you would go through a piece of soap.
And all this, commenced and carried on by the energy and perseverance of one man, produces a sensation in me which I cannot describe.”
(Battye Library, The Inquirer, June 25th, 1862)
Forester Estate releases a "Yelverton" reserve Cabernet Sauvignon only in years where the best parcels of fruit are determined to be of exceptional quality.
These wines are carefully blended after 20 months in French oak before being bottled and laid down for up to three years in our cellar prior to release.
Forester has recently added to its premium wine range the Yelverton Chardonnay, also only produced in years of exceptional quality.
The aim is to showcase the distinct characters of northern Margaret River Cabernet and we have named this wine the Yelverton, in honour of the man and his legacy.
