The beer may be gone from this pub, but the history remains

Enid gave a very informative talk in the National Archives (SA) rooms last Tuesday night showing just a small sample of the records available relating to the beer and wine industry in South Australia. I had no idea it was possible to trace particular breweries and wineries in so much detail and all in the one place. We were told about the early exportation of wines and how they were marketed overseas using 'dinkum' Aussie slogans. Emu Wines was a well-known brand name. During the 1940s sales of wine to Asian countries also grew. In the immigration records there are familiar names in the South Australian wine industry. Although not a beer drinker, I thought the brewer's diary a fascinating book. Very colourful wine labels, beer coasters and ornately designed stationery letterheads have all been catalogued. They show the changes in styles and fashion and served also as advertising.  There are plans of wineries sent to the Customs Depot for approval, trademarks, patents, recipes, Wine Australia magazines, images of Wine Board displays in Canada and New Zealand, and so much more. This would be a good first stop for anyone seeking information about the pub that has disappeared in their area or the winery over the hill. There were people doing just that on the night.