Coolangatta Estate

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Coolangatta Estate is a historic wine estate on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It sits on the northern bank of the Shoalhaven River near the town of Berry, and its name comes from the Aboriginal word meaning “splendid view” or “good lookout.”

The Berry era
- The estate was founded in 1822 by Alexander Berry, a Scottish surgeon who had joined the East India Company. He established the first European settlement on the NSW south coast.
- Berry and his partners ran a self-sufficient village: they drained swamps and grew tobacco, potatoes, maize, barley and wheat, and kept pigs and cattle for milk and cheese. They even bred horses that were exported to India.
- The property grew to more than 40,000 acres by 1863. Berry made Mount Coolangatta his headquarters and built a thriving community around the estate.
- In 1868 the area was home to about 300 people and was declared a municipality. Berry died in 1873, and the estate passed to his younger brother David.

The Hay era
- David Berry’s death led the estate to his cousin Sir John Hay. John Hay improved the land and managed large bequests from the Berry family, but the business faced financial strain.
- In 1901, Aboriginal people living near Coolangatta Mountain were moved to a reserve at Orient Point.
- John Hay died in 1909, and the estate went to his half-brother Alexander Hay. Alexander served in World War I and later became a Member of Parliament. He died in 1941, and his son Alexander Berry Hay inherited the property.
- The estate declined after World War II. In 1946 the homestead burned down, and much of the remaining land was sold.

Coolangatta Estate today
- In 1949 Colin Bishop bought about 100 hectares and gradually expanded his holdings. He restored the old buildings and, in 1972, opened the estate as a historic resort. About a decade later, his son Greg helped start planting wine grapes.
- Today Coolangatta Estate is a popular tourist destination offering accommodation, a golf course, wine tasting rooms, a restaurant and function spaces.

The Coolangatta Statement
- In 1993 a task force gathered in Coolangatta to discuss Indigenous rights in education. The Coolangatta Statement on Indigenous Rights in Education was an important document that influenced later international statements, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.