Optimism by the shed load

As a young bloke growing up on the family farm at Bangor in Tasmania's south-east, Matt Dunbabin learned early on that being a custodian of a property with two centuries of history can present all manner of opportunities and challenges. 

That's the reason Dunbabin and his wife Vanessa have spent the past 15 years engaged in such diverse land use on their 6200ha property outside Dunalley in the State's south. 

Sheep and cattle grazing, merino ram breeding, timber harvesting and various cropping activities – all have figured in a farming mix that has included equally important habitat conservation and wildlife protection. In 2014, the couple added cool-climate wine production and cellar door sales.

It proved a winning formula. In early September, Matt Dunbabin was named 2015 Farmer of the Year at the ABC Rural and Kondinin Group annual awards announced in Sydney. 

The seventh generation Tasmanian farmer also won the Diversification Farmer of the Year award.

Dunbabin says grape-growing entered the farming mix as an optimistic response to a three-year drought that really taxed Bangor's capacity to perform as a dryland farming operation. 

The couple planted their 3ha of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris in 2010, but not until they'd first undertaken a long period of research and consultation with respected industry figures, including Fred Peacock at nearby Bream Creek Vineyard.

"We didn't put in irrigation or a single vine until we had a secure water supply on the property," he adds.

"We're in a reliable catchment area here, so our first job was to invest in 1500ML of water storage. Irrigation systems are very expensive to have just sitting around if you don't have water to put through them. Now that we have water, it's not only enabled us to expand our vineyard to 4ha, we're able to look at a variety of other farming options, including irrigated cropping and growing pasture for meat production."

Bangor's brand new wine portfolio – made under contract by Cambridge's Winemaking Tasmania – was on track to be sold on the family property two years ago when the devastating January 2013 bushfire that struck Dunalley burned down a shearing shed the couple had ear-marked for use as their cellar door.

"The fire took out almost 32 kilometres of fencing, along with various outbuildings, grazing pasture and a vineyard shelter belt," Dunbabin recalls.

"We were able to save the vineyard itself, but we lost our harvest that year to smoke taint."

Within weeks, casual conversations with friends and neighbours at the local oyster farm had the Dunbabin and Gray families planning a joint business venture. Creation of the Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed duly followed, a purpose-built timber structure rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the obliterated building that had stood for decades, overlooking Blackman Bay.

"Success in the Tasmanian Farmer of the Year awards was very gratifying, of course, but really just underlines the fact that Tasmania is a great place to farm," Dunbabin says.

"We're very fortunate that others before us have done such a great job to build the Tasmanian brand. That's allowed 'Johnnie-come-lately' businesses like ours to come along and capitalise on their hard work. It brings a lot of optimism into the industry and its future."

Bangor's recent success is yet another footnote in an extraordinary family story that began back in 1830. 

It was then that Englishman and convicted horse thief John Dunbabin was transported across the seas to the new colony of Van Diemen's Land. Fierce determination and hard work earned him his freedom. Next came opportunity to buy land, paving the way for five generations of family farming at Bangor.

If there's any justice in the world, Matt and Vanessa Dunbabin will be able to ensure many more generations can combine opportunity with optimism on their uniquely Tasmanian farming property.

First published online September 2015: Tasmanian Farmer

Last page update: January 2026