Our Story

Adventure and Opportunity

Edward James Roberts was born at Warrnambool in the State of Victoria. As a 30 year old, in 1887, he travelled to Mildura in the area becoming known as “Paradise on the Murray” - lured to see for himself where the pioneering Chaffey brothers were opening up agricultural and business opportunities based on the bounty of the river Murray.

Within three years Roberts had purchased scrub land at Irymple and decided to settle in the Mildura district. As well as bringing a vineyard into cultivation, he began to develop a nursery business. This venture was abandoned (with nearly one quarter of a million new plants being nurtured) as the Chaffey Brothers themselves faced difficulties.

In 1891, however, Edward Roberts became the inaugural Director of the Fruitgrowers' Association which he had been instrumental in forming, later becoming its Manager and Chairman.

By 1918, considerable horticultural progress had been made in this place called "Paradise on the Murray" and a proprietary company named Irymple Packing Pty Ltd was formed. All of its members became shareholders and Edward Roberts was appointed the first Governing Director. When he died in 1948, the company had grown to be the largest dried fruit processor in Australia. Its founder Edward James ‘Cocky’ Roberts, had left behind him a lifetime of heritage, knowledge and achievement.

Progress in Paradise on the Murray

This "Paradise on the Murray" is situated in the North-West region of Victoria, now better known as "Sunraysia", renowned for its sunshine and the mighty Murray River. The many varieties of fruit harvested in the region are world class because of qualities like clear and generous flavours and a relative ease of growing. Irymple Packing Pty Ltd now better known as SDS Beverages remains a privately owned company still successful and innovative in a variety of packing, processing and manufacturing operations in our districts flourishing horticultural industry.

Onto this rich historical and commercial canvas comes Neqtar Wines , from 1998 a wholly owned division of the SDS Beverages. We’ve developed a modern winery, with the technology and equipment to produce wines of a consistency and quality for both domestic and international markets. Perhaps more importantly our people take knowledge and enthusiasm to create better than just ‘consistent’ wine and Neqtar Wines is known by some of the worlds leading wine buyers and by our own industry as not only a producer of a consistently high quality, but of wines of personality and authenticity.