Sunday History Photo / SA

George McEwin born 29 January 1815 was a gardener and orchardist in the early days of South Australia remembered today as the founder of Glen Ewin jams and preserves.
McEwin was born in Scotland, and worked in the gardens of the Duke of Buccleugh at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland, then in the Liverpool nurseries of M. Skirving. He married Jessie Kennedy (12 July 1810 – 21 September 1884) in Liverpool in 1839.

They emigrated to South Australia from Liverpool on the Delhi captained by Samuel Herbert, arriving in Port Adelaide on 20 December 1839. He worked as head gardener for George Stevenson, and planted what may have been South Australia's first vines at North Adelaide in 1837. Stevenson was private secretary to Governor Hindmarsh, arriving on HMS Buffalo at Holdfast Bay on 28 December 1836.

He visited Sydney and collected a large number of fruit trees and vines, which he planted on Stevenson's extensive property between Melbourne and Finniss streets, and which thrived under his care. He planted a small plot with wheat; arguably the first in South Australia, though Charles George Everard and Donald McLean are at least as plausible.
In 1843 he purchased land near Houghton which he named "Glen Ewin", where he planted extensive orchards and settled in 1844. He worked for George A. Anstey (1815–1895, for whom Ansteys Hill is named) establishing the garden and orchards of his Highercombe Estate, now part of Tea Tree Gully. From 1850 he and apple grower William Dunn worked for Anstey setting up the orchard and gardens for his nearby Paracombe Estate.
Around 1863 founded a jam factory, which he operated with his son Robert McEwin, to make use of excess fruit.



At the height of their business they employed over 100 people and purchased much of the fruit in the region. Besides the Glen Ewin brand, their jam was also marketed as Kingurli, Viking, Anchor, Arab and Far West. In December 1962 Sir Thomas Playford unveiled a plaque commemorating 100 years of jam making at Glen Ewin. The business failed in the late 1980s; the factory closed in 1988, and the property deteriorated considerably. The Glen Ewin name was revived in the 1990s for a range of jams made by Henry Jones IXL, which was bought by SPC Ardmona in 2004 but none of these products was made at Houghton.
He was for many years connected with the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and its President in 1862. He regularly attended the Houghton Congregational Church and was for twenty eight years a personal friend of its pastor, the Rev. W. J. Webster.


He was appointed a Justice of the Peace, He acted as Returning Officer for the district of Gumeracha, He was a member of the Central Road Board, And he was a member of the Forest Board, In 1843 he published by subscription the South Australian Vigneron and Gardeners' Manual which passed through several editions. He contributed a monthly "Farmers', Gardener and Vignerons' Calendar" for the Advertiser. He frequently commented in the press on the culture of various trees and plants and other subjects. In 1881 he took a journey up the River Murray and wrote a report of his trip for the South Australian Register. In 1884 he visited Port Lincoln and wrote an article for the Register. For some years he was in poor health, and prior to his death he was confined to his room for two months, suffering from a heart condition, but his death on 8 August 1885 was somewhat sudden and unexpected.
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