25 October 1938        Deaths of Winemakers

A major blow to the wine industry in South Australia occurred on 25 October 1938 when three of the leading vignerons were killed in a plane crash in Victoria. The fully loaded ANA Douglas airliner ‘Kyeema’ left Parafield en route for Melbourne, but at 1.43 pm some thirty miles beyond the Essendon airport it crashed into Mount Dandenong in dense cloud. It was the worst aviation disaster in Australia to that time and of the eighteen dead, seven were from SA. Charles Hawker, MHR of Hallett was one victim and the three winemakers were: Hugo Gramp, Managing Director of Gramps’ Orlando Wines, Sidney Hill Smith, Managing Director of Yalumba and Thomas Hardy, Managing Director of Thomas Hardy & Sons. They were on their way to Canberra for discussions with the government on the wine industry.

Advertiser, 26 October 1938.