Our Story - Origins of Tinaroo Creek Winery

Long before Tinaroo Creek became a paradise for intrepid wine lovers, it was home to Old Bob deBrueys, a wandering swagman with a knack for finding adventure in the unlikeliest places. Bob was a man of simple pleasures: his billy, his campfire, and the sweet, golden mangoes that dropped ripe and heavy from the trees dotting the Queensland landscape.

One particularly balmy afternoon in 1959, after a long trek under the tropical sun, Bob stumbled across a patch of overripe fallen mangoes that had fermented in the heat. Always up for a snack, he popped a few in his mouth, not realizing he was about to change his future and become Queensland’s first accidental winemaker. By the time he reached Tinaroo Creek, the makeshift mango brew had worked its magic. Bob, tipsy, merry and swaying, dropped his swag on the creek’s edge and lay down for a nap.

When Bob woke up, his head was pounding, his neck was stiff, and there was something hard digging into his cheek. Cursing his luck, he reached into the dirt and pulled out the culprit: a gleaming nugget of gold, as big as a mango seed. Bob let out a laugh that startled the local kookaburras. “Well, if that isn’t the universe rewarding me for a good day’s work!” he declared.

Without wasting a moment, Bob traded the nugget for the title deed to the very patch of land where he’d slept. He planted his first grove of mango trees as a tribute to the golden fruit that had led him to his fortune. Over time, his humble farm grew into a thriving orchard, with Bob experimenting on everything from lychees to passionfruit. The fermenting mango disaster that started it all became the inspiration for Tinaroo Creek’s first wine — a bright, golden bottle of Mango “Magic”.

Because of Old Bob’s extraordinary luck, it is now considered a wish of good fortune to gift someone a bottle of Mango wine, a gesture said to carry the same serendipity that brought Bob his nugget of gold. Also, the hidden meanings behind bottles of Tinaroo Creek’s Lychee and Passionfruit wines make them intriguing gifts. Some say the Lychee Wine is a symbol of enchanting encounters and lifelong love, while the Passionfruit Wine represents resilience in the face of life’s storms and good health.

Bob’s adventures and the legendary gold nugget are still celebrated today. The swagman on Tinaroo Creek’s Swagman Port label is a nod to Old Bob himself, immortalized in oil-painted glory with his hat tipped just so and a mischievous glint in his eye. Every label tells a story, every wine is a little piece of magic, and every sip is a tribute to the luck and vision that started it all.

To this day, every bottle from Tinaroo Creek carries a little of Old Bob’s spirit — a tale of whimsy, a touch of magic, and the promise that, sometimes, the sweetest rewards come from the most unexpected adventures.