[4] Around 1890, with the collapse of the Broken Hill mining boom, the brothers purchased a vineyard at Happy Valley, South Australia, jointly owned with Richard Vernon Cholmondeley (died 1918).
[a] Magnificent cellars were started in 1896, under the design and supervision of Cholmondeley, who was also responsible for those at Vale Royal winery, 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) to the west.
[10] In 1947 Horndale was purchased by the Sydney office of the US meat processing firm[11] of Swift & Company, and the cellarage capacity reduced from 350,000 to 200,000 imperial gallons (1,590 to 910 kL) and new distillation plant installed.
Its business is now winemaking and distillation, purchasing grapes from vineyards in nearby McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek.
The Horndale vineyard now (2024) covers around one acre, planted with red Frontignac vines, whose grapes are used for brandy.