Tamar Gold

William Dally was roaming the countryside in search of lost cattle when he made a chance discovery of a handful of gold nuggets, glistening in the sun among the roots of a wind-blown tree. Dally's find in June 1877 was to uncover the Tasmania Reef, the richest gold deposit found anywhere in Australia in the 1870s and 1880s.

It put the Tamar Valley settlements of Middle Arm and Cabbage Tree Hill on the map. By the turn of the century, the boom town of Brandy Creek would become Beaconsfield, Tasmania's third largest regional centre.

Almost a century-and-a-half later, locals and visitors alike still seek gold in these parts. Tamar Gold.

That's the name of the new cellar door business that opened three months ago on Greens Beach Road, just at the edge of the Beaconsfield township, 50km north of Launceston.

The vineyard shopfront and wine tourism hub is the brainchild of local residents and business owners Patsy and Bruce McCormack. The laidback, warm and welcoming cellar door represents a milestone on their wine journey together. 

Patsy McCormack was already a popular figure around town before stepping behind the tasting bar at the beginning of June.

She spent 16 years working in the health services sector and was nurse unit manager at the Beaconsfield District Health Service prior to retirement. In August 2024, McCormack famously stage-managed the visit of renowned former jockey Jonny Letts, winner of the 1972 Melbourne Cup on board Tasmanian horse Piping Lane.

Unit residents were treated to a mock spring racing carnival. The busy health professional somehow found time to acquire ladies' fascinators and carnival hats, with non-alcoholic sparkling drinks and nibbles also being provided as part of the unit's well-being experience.

You know that kind of track record is going to bode well for a new hospitality venture.

Meanwhile, Bruce McCormack Grapevine Management Services has been part of the Tasmanian wine industry landscape since 2011. The former Western Australian dedicated 18 years to viticulture at Pipers Brook Vineyard before founding his own business.

McCormack's current and previous vineyard clients can be found in almost all major wine-growing areas of the State, from Lanigan's at Rocky Cape in the North West to Government House Tasmania on Hobart's Queens Domain.

Vintage 2027 will be his 35th in the State.

"I'm loving this new role," he says.

"We fly by the seat of our pants here. Every day. One minute we've got only two people here and the next we might have 30 or 40. It really keeps us on our toes. We're always learning something new and different."

The couple's Tamar Gold project has been eight years in the making.

It began back in 2018 with the establishment of McCormack Wines, a small-batch wine label that began as an adjunct to their rapidly expanding vineyard management business.

"We'd grown from managing a single site to overseeing ten different vineyards along the West Tamar," McCormack explains.

"We decided we'd begin our own label, using select small single-site parcels of grapes sourced exclusively from vineyards managed and grown by us.

"Our long-established friendships and working relationships with winemakers in the valley encouraged us to put our faith in their capacity to handcraft wines that embodied the distinctive McCormack Wines house style we wanted to create."

In 2019, the McCormacks purchased property on Dally's old stomping ground, just out of town. The couple's Middle Arm Vineyard sprang to life in 2021 with a new and diverse array of plantings.

Chenin Blanc, Fiano, Pinot Blanc, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinotage and Shiraz were joined by Chardonnay, Baco Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir in 2024.

The 2.75ha Cabbage Tree Hill vineyard that adjoins the Tamar Gold cellar door came before all of that.

Vineyard founders Rohan and Julie Hirst met back in the 1990s while working on the Western Australian goldfields. After tiring of the outback heat, the couple relocated to the Northern Territory before later heading south to connect with family and friends in northern Tasmania.

In 2013, the Hirsts purchased property on Greens Beach Road. That soon brought the industry newbies under the wing of Bruce McCormack Grapevine Management Services. Ground preparations and subsequent vineyard planting began in late December 2015.

The bright, sunlit site has an interesting history.

During the goldrush era, it was home to a Chinese market garden. It straddled the banks of Brandy Creek, which then cut a path through the property, creating a watering hole for farm animals and local wildlife.

Rumour has it that years later, a horse racing track also became part of the property.

When the Hirsts opened a cellar door for their Cabbage Tree Hill Wines in March 2019, the region's colourful past became a focal point of the facility's interior design. More recent gold-mining history was brought into sharp focus when local hero Brant Webb took on casual part-time employment behind the tasting bar.

Brant and his fellow Beaconsfield mine collapse survivor Todd Russell gained international media attention when they were rescued in May 2006 after spending 14 days trapped underground. Their workmate Larry Knight was tragically killed in the rockfall.

McCormack's viticultural talents soon repaid the Hirsts' faith in their Tamar Valley enterprise.

In 2021, Cabbage Tree Hill Wines won gold medals and trophies for Best Sauvignon Blanc and Best Other Variety or Blend at the Tasmanian Wine Show. The 2021 Cabbage Tree Hill Pinot Noir was later judged top gold and named Champion Pinot Noir at the 2022 National Cool Climate Wine Show.

The cellar door continued to operate very successfully for the next few years until its owners/founders decided to seek a quieter life beyond vines and wines. In April 2025, the business was sold to South Australian interests.

The McCormacks continued to manage the vineyard under its new ownership but the small, well-appointed cellar door facility remained closed to visitors. It was a Beaconsfield nugget, awaiting re-discovery.

"The fruit was being sold under contract and the new owners had no plans to make wines or continue using the Cabbage Tree Hill Wines name," McCormack adds.

"Then one day Patsy said, 'Why don't we see if they're interested in leasing the place?'"

It took the couple less than a year to tie up the arrangements and finalise their paperwork.

Now trading Thursday to Sunday, Tamar Gold is a relaxed and relaxing vineyard cellar door that ticks all the boxes when it comes Tamar Valley wine tourism and immersive experiences in the region's rich history.

An indoor log fire and nearby heated deck area ensure the facility is well equipped to escape the Tasmanian cold, no matter what time of year. Large rugs are on hand for that once-in-a-millenium snow storm.

For visitors looking to soak up the sun outside – or challenge the kids to Totem Tennis or Connect Four – there's plenty of manicured lawn for musing or merriment. Pets on leashes are welcome.

Of course it's the wine service here that provides the core business. Guided wine tastings, wine by the glass, and wine by the bottle are all available for purchase.

"We have a range of eight different wines for people to choose from," McCormack adds.

"They carry one of two wine labels. The story is really simple. Any wine that is labelled Middle Arm Vineyard – MAV on the tasting sheet – comes from our own estate plantings, just up the road.

"Anything that is produced under the McCormack wine label comes from grapes of vineyards that I manage up and down the West Tamar. There's a smorgasboard of vineyards and varieties can provide hand-selected parcels of fruit to go into the McCormack range.

"Those under Middle Arm Vineyard are generally younger wines because it's a younger vineyard. McCormack Wines come from vines that might be as much as 30 years old. We offer a tasting of five wines of each customer's choice for $15."

The contract winemakers lending a hand to the Tamar Gold project are not just long-time friends and industry players. They include some of the best in the business. Traditional method sparkling wines received kid-glove treatment from Natalie Fryar (now Bellebonne; formerly Jansz Tasmania sparkling winemaker).

Other stylish wines have been made by Lauren and Matthias Utzinger (jointly named the 2026 Young Gun of Wine in the celebrated annual awards announced in June) and Cynthea Semmens (Beautiful Isle and Marions Vineyard).

Indeed, among the most interesting taste experiences on offer is the opportunity to compare and contrast the estate-grown 2025 Middle Arm Chardonnay alongside the 2023 McCormack Chardonnay.

Visitors unfamiliar with the red variety Pinotage – an industry workshorse in South Africa – should taste the thoroughbred version from Middle Arm Vineyard. Have your sunglasses close handy. The 2023 is rich and dazzling in its depth of colour.

Patsy McCormack is a kitchen wizard when it comes to mulled wine, tasty toasted paninis ($15) and superb vineyard platters ($35) that include a good measure of home-made condiments.

Freshly-made pizzas are available on site for large groups on request and on days when Tamar Gold is set rocking by live music. (The next is Saturday 19 September.)

"We also offer a warm welcome to self-contained travellers in caravans and motorhomes," she notes.

"We have a grassed parking area behind the vineyard where guests can stop, relax, and take in the peaceful surroundings on their journey. There's also an EV charging station on-site."

Who needs a charging station with this pair of live wires?

Mine your own Tamar Gold here.

Last page update: 14 September 2026