Mark Semmens of Marion’s Vineyard dies: Daughter Cynthea’s tribute

A pioneer of the Tasmanian wine industry, whose daughter says was among the first to realise its tourism potential, has been remembered as a unique character who fought for his community.

The daughter of a Tasmanian wine pioneer who she says was among the first to realise its tourism potential for the island state has remembered her father as a “crazy, lunatic character (who was “ahead of his time)” after he passed away aged 73.

Mark William Semmens, who founded Marion’s Vineyard in 1979 in the fertile Tamar Valley, north of Launceston, passed away last Wednesday after a two-year battle with cancer, daughter Cynthea told the Mercury.

“We’re all devastated and sad, we knew it was coming because he’d been sick for two years, but he got an extra five or six months from his first diagnosis which we’re grateful for,” Ms Semmens said.

Ms Semmens said her Californian-born dad first laid eyes on the Tamar Valley while on holiday after visiting wife Marion’s parents in Melbourne.

“He was never one to take the tourist’s trail, he stumbled upon Deviot and it had been on the market for something like seven years,” she said, with the land described as being an “overgrown block of impenetrable bush and rock” prior.

Breaking News Breaking News Marion's Vineyard founder Mark Semmens has died aged 73. Picture: Supplied

“He believed in the dirt, that this spot would make amazing wines,” she said.

“He was a bit of a renegade, planted weird varieties which matched his personality.”

Ms Semmens described her dad as a man “ahead of his time”.

“He thought when he first came that Tasmania would boom from a tourism perspective, he built things like outdoor amphitheatres, jetties, he said we’re going to have great big restaurant, we were among the first people to have concerns in our vineyards, weddings,” she said.

“He pioneered wine tourism way back in the mid-1980s.

Marion's Vineyard founder Mark Semmens with grandchildren Solomon and Aristotle Feldheim. Picture: Supplied

“He loved having a party, loved to make the property beautiful, he would always dress up in loud shirts and hats and be the entertainer, he was the quintessential party entertainer.”

Aside from his love of wine as the great social lubricant, Ms Semmens said her dad was passionate about the Tamar Valley community.

“He really was very outspoken about what he believed in, he fought very hard to keep the pulp mill away in the 1990s and 2000s, he wrote lots of letters and faxed them to everyone,” Ms Semmens said.

Mr Semmens will be farewelled at a service next week and be buried on the property, which is now run Ms Semmens, her husband and her brother Dave.