ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
Gladstones about growing lupins in the area , to which Gladstones responded : forget lupins and focus on vines . In the spring of 1966 , Cullen planted his first experimental vines , soon followed by Tom Cullity in 1967 .
And the rest , as they say , is history . By the 1990s , Margaret River wines were penetrating eastern and overseas markets on the back of their maturing vines and vastly improved equipment and expertise . Today , the region has a thriving food and wine tourism industry , accounting for 3 % of Australia ’ s grapes , but 20 % of its premium wine . It is home to over 150 wine producers . And the impact of this industry extends well beyond the cellar door to virtually the whole regional economy , including food , the arts , events , and general tourism , helping to attract around 100,000 international visitors and over a million domestic overnight visitors in 2015 to the Margaret River- Busselton region .
One of the key success factors for Margaret River was the ‘ defining ’ and ‘ branding ’ of the region as a whole . In the late 1970s , the official boundary of the Margaret River Wine Region was defined . It stretched from the coast on the north , west and south , to the State Forest in the east . Not without controversy ( the boundary encompassed several markedly different wine growing areas ), it was chosen so that the region would have sufficient critical mass to market itself to a global audience . This was deemed more important than the region ’ s different micro-climates and soil types . None of these sub-regions were large enough or well-known enough to independently market themselves effectively . And diversity within a region can be a positive . So they all carried the ‘ Margaret River ’ brand .
And now , after several decades of promotion and growth , the Margaret River brand is sufficiently well-known locally and globally , that sub-regions within Margaret River are starting to independently promote themselves . The northern sub-regions arguably have a stronger advantage in Bordeauxstyle red wines , while the cooler southern subregions are better suited to white wine . The subregionalisation has only been possible because , initially , the entire region promoted itself together .
While the region does also possess scenic beauty and amenity , it was the regional cooperation that was crucial to its success .
AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL
While the three examples above consider towns that have had to transition from one activity to another , the following is an example of a town set up exclusively to service a specific tourism attraction – proximity was the reason for its existence .
YULARA – ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE TOURISM
Yulara is 18km from the world heritage site of Uluru . It provides tourists with accommodation , restaurants , a supermarket , petrol , and other essential services . The private owner of the town operates under a Special Purpose Lease .
Over the last 15 years , Yulara ’ s resident population has declined from around 1,300 to 1,100 . On Census night , not counting overseas visitors , at least as many again have , however , been visiting Yulara .
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