The region is mourning the loss of a man who saved the South Coast’s oldest European settlement from being bulldozed 50 years ago. Colin Bishop died this week aged 94. His legacy is that future generations will be able to see and experience an important piece of Australian history.
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Like Alexander Berry, Mr Bishop will be remembered as a pioneer. His decisions not only resulted in the restoration of Coolangatta village but in the emergence of an award-winning winery and resort also regarded as one of the South Coast’s premier tourist attractions.
His funeral was held at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Nowra on Friday before his family gathered for a private burial at a grave sight he chose himself. It overlooks the land he originally bought for dairy farming 69 years ago. “He is getting buried on the property. It is what he always wanted,” son Greg Bishop said. “It is a lovely site. It is on a slope overlooking all the vineyards to the south.”
Mr Bishop’s initial 100-ha property at Shoalhaven Heads was run down with dilapidated fences and paddocks were covered with weeds and rubbish. He acquired it just after World War II in 1947. Three of siblings had served in the war and he was a young man with drive who wanted to farm. But it wasn’t long until he realised the significance of the site was and set about acquiring more of the historic land.
“Pop was smart. He saw and appreciated the importance of the Coolangatta site to Australian history. He saved it. All his mates said get a bulldozer and push it over. That was about the time Jack Mundey was saving The Rocks in Sydney,” Greg said.
He described his father was a man of vision who most people thought was crazy when he wanted to restore the derelict buildings and preserve and important piece of Australian history. “In 1969 the property was offered to council and other government bodies to restore as an historic village. They declined and pop and his then wife Norma went it alone and at a huge financial risk borrowed the money needed. They had to choose a course that would be profitable to meet their huge financial commitments. The idea of converting the old buildings into a motel and restaurant was born.”
Mr Bishop was fortunate to have strong supporters who were determined to help him. “Against all odds they persisted and succeeded in preserving the South Coast’s most historic European site now saved for future generations. This is pop’s legacy. Only two families have owned Coolangatta over the last 194 years and pop lived at Coolangatta for most of his 94 years.” Mr Bishop’s contribution to the region will be celebrated at the bicentenary of European settlement on the South Coast in six years.
Greg thanked Shoalhaven Council for allowing the family to buried him on the property he loved.
“Pop was salt of the earth kind of man. He was humble, loved people, community minded, a great host and was intelligent and sharp as a tack. But most of all he loved his family. Especially his wife Winsome who passed a way a month ago. He was a true son of the Shoalhaven.”
The full Colin Bishop story
At 25 Colin Bishop acquired land on the foothills of Coolangatta Mountain with a bank loan guaranteed by his father and with 400 pounds, borrowed from his mother. It was located just a short distance from where he was born. Mr Bishop bought 10 head of cattle and started dairy farming. By 1950 he and his new bride Norma were able to acquire one of the run-down buildings near their land. Their farm soon formed part of the once-thriving Coolangatta settlement, established by pioneer Alexander Berry in 1822 and became a self-supporting village that exported goods to Asia and Europe.
In a 2008 interview with Illawarra Mercury he spoke to journalist Lousie Turk about how their new home was in the former residence of Berry's servants, which had also been used as a storeroom. The old servant's quarters were in a tumbledown state.
During the 1950s they had five children and bought more buildings in the former Coolangatta village. And by the 1960s Mr Bishop owned all the historic buildings on what is now Coolangatta Estate.
What he didn’t expect to be told was "just get a bulldozer in and you've got a beautiful block there to build a new home".
And when he announced he wanted to the Coolangatta site as an historical village he was told “You're mad”.
Bishop, now owned all the area and buildings around Berry's old homestead.
At that time the Great Hall built in 1822 was being used stack hay bales and store feed. Realising it was one of the few physical remnants of early Australian colonial history he did not want to see it eventually fall down and vanish. But he also knew restoration would be costly. The buildings had deteriorated badly and were on the verge of destruction. There had been vandalism on the property and in 1946 a fire had destroyed the original Coolangatta homestead built by Berry in 1823. And some buildings, including the old coach house, had to be demolished for safety reasons.
At the time many had resigned to the fact that all the buildings on the site of the first European settlement on the South Coast were about to disappear.
Determined not to let that happen Bishop negotiated with the then Shoalhaven Shire Council to see if it would help establish exhibits and an historic museum at Coolangatta.
Council, advised by the National Trust and NSW Parks and Wildlife Authority, began a feasibility study. But two years after the initial offer was made, it revealed it had no official plans for the site in the near future.
Bishops decided the only way forward was to establish a commercial venture himself and decided to restore the historic as accommodation.
The initial two-year restoration project began in 1970 under the management of builder Stewart Priddle.
The work stretched Mr Bishop financially and was followed by extensive and ongoing improvement works by the family..one of only two families who have owned the site in 194 years, according to son Greg Bishop.
In December 1971, the Bishops opened nine rooms to the public.
Then on June 24, 1972 Coolangatta Historic Village, with 20 accommodation rooms and a restaurant, was officially opened accompanied by a re-enactment of Berry's landing and period costumes to mark the sesquicentenary of settlement in the Shoalhaven.
Mr Bishop said the whole exercise was very demanding and difficult but looking back was very rewarding.
“I feel a real sense of achievement," he told the Mercury in 2008.
Ms Bishop had initially chosen the land at the foot of Coolangatta Mountain for the same reason as Alexander Berry. It was fertile country for farming.
Berry found it while exploring every inlet between Wollongong and Batemans Bay.
With its proximity to the Shoalhaven River and the Pacific Ocean, Coolangatta was earmarked by Berry as the best site on the South Coast for his commercial enterprises with business partner Edward Wollstonecraft.
The two men obtained a grant of 10,000 acres (4047ha) and 100 convicts from the NSW Government in 1822. Shortly after settlement, the estate bristled with the activity of mills, workshops, tradesmen and artisans. Within a few years, it was exporting thoroughbred horses to India, cedar to Europe, and cattle, tobacco, cheese and wheat to Sydney.
The bricks and mortar the Bishop family continued restoring through the 1970s and 1980s resounded with this rich history. And Berry's story remains a source of inspiration for Bishop.
Mr Bishop said he had an enormous amount of respect for Berry and his eye for the perfect site to erect the first buildings on the South Coast.
It is now seen by many as an ideal locations for weddings.
The followed a decision by the family in 1988, to take the estate back to its roots.
Berry planted the first grapes at Coolangatta in the mid 1800s. After his death in 1873, the vines were removed.
But when son Greg Bishop planted sauvignon blanc grapes on the eastern slopes of the mountain it resulted in something magic.
In 1990, when the inaugural vintage of sauvignon blanc was hand-picked and sent to Tyrrells in the Hunter to be vinified the wine makers couldn’t believe the quality of the grapes. The standard has been consistent and the wine making potential Berry saw in the site almost 200 years ago now sees Coolangatta Estate as one of the most awarded wineries in Australia.
The 130ha Coolangatta Estate now features 35 accommodation rooms, four dining areas and cellar door.
Colin Bishop now on his beloved land just one mile south from where he was born beneath the afternoon shadow of Coolangatta Mountain.
His death comes just one month after that of his second wife Winsome.
He is survived by his children Megan, Greg, Robyn, Paul (an architect) and Bruce who runs an international tourism business called Bishop Adventures which also run the Big Foot tours up Coolangatta Mountain.