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Voyager Estate owner, Michael Wright, is a farmer from
the world of commerce. His ancestors arrived from Scotland
in 1854, settling in Maldon, Victoria, before moving
to Western Australia prior to Federation in 1901. With
a rich tradition of farming and agriculture in their
veins, he is a third generation member of a family business
that started with his grandfather in 1900.
Michael’s father, Peter Wright, played a major
role in the discovery and promotion of WA’s substantial
iron ore industry and was, along with Lang Hancock,
a founding member of the Hancock & Wright group.
As a result, the family was best known for its mining
involvement, however, it also continued its agricultural
interests as well as other diverse enterprises including
coal & oil, transport, publishing and printing to
name a few.
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With such a diverse background, Michael pursued several
avenues of business and agriculture before setting his
sights on owning a vineyard and winery. On the lookout
for the right property, he was delighted when, in 1991,
he was given the opportunity to purchase Freycinet Estate,
started by viticulturist Peter Gherardi in 1978. It
was blessed with just the right soils; red/brown gravelly
loam that Michael knew would bear intense, rich-flavoured
fruit and deliver stunning wine.
With a change of name to Voyager Estate and a long-term
expansion plan, Michael needed a theme to promote his
business and decided on striking architecture and gardens
as the primary promotional feature. He also had a desire
to create something unlike anything else in the Margaret
River region. Having visited South Africa many times,
he noted the geographical similarities with Australia.
Seeing those magnificent Cape Dutch-style buildings
in areas that resembled Australia made him realise that
the concept was transferable, and thus the face of Voyager
Estate was chosen.
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| Michael had one other requirement for Voyager Estate
– an Australian flag on show. But not just any size
flag. Voyager Estate has what is believed to be the third
largest flagpole in Australia. It was the second tallest,
until Parliament House in Canberra disliked the idea of
being upstaged by an upstart from the West and extended
theirs. They are now second only to the Roundhouse in
Fremantle. Michael has, of course, risen above such petty
power struggles and is simply proud to share his patriotism
with visitors to Voyager Estate.
Michael was born in Western Australia and went to Christ
Church Grammar School, founded in 1910 by his grandfather,
Canon W.J. McClemans. Apart from Voyager Estate and
other business interests, he is a member of the
Board of Governors of the University of Notre Dame,
WA.
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