Colonial Wine Licences

In 1897 George Imer, orchardist of Jan Juc (now Bellbrae) was granted a Colonial Wine Licence. In 1907 Imer, now a vigneron applied for a vigneron’s licence but was rejected. Imer’s property was located on the west side of the road to Anglesea in the vicinity of Menzel’s Road.

In 1901 a Colonial Wine Licence was granted to John Brown of Torquay whose premises were on the corner of Geelong Road and Central Avenue. The business was conducted by members of the Baensch family during the 1930s. In the 1950s it was referred to as the Torquay Wine Café in the business directory and was trading in conjunction with a small mixed business. Gerry Chambers was the last proprietor in the 1960s when wine licences were phased out.

A colonial wine license shall authorise the licensee being an occupant of a house or premises of the rent or value of ten pounds a year in the city of Melbourne or town of Geelong or any borough or of five pounds a year in country districts to sell and dispose of any wine cider or perry [from pears] in quantities not exceeding two gallons, the produce of fruit grown in the colony and to be consumed in the house or premises described in such license provided that if any such wine cider or perry shall contain more than twenty-six per centum of proof spirit it, shall be deemed to be for all purposes of the law “spirituous liquors” and all liquor sold or offered for sale by any person licensed or not licensed under this Act as being wine cider or perry produced in the colony or sold or offered for sale by any other name by which such liquors are usually designated or known shall as against such person so selling or offering for sale be deemed to be wine cider and perry within the meaning of this Act.

An Act to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to the Licensing of Public Houses and the Sale of Fermented and Spirituous Liquors.
(2nd June, 1864)