Our Story

The coastal township of Dover is located on beautiful Port Esperance Bay. This area was home to the Lyluequonny people, the original custodians and inhabitants of the land prior to European settlement. 

In the 1700s, the bay was explored by the French naval officer Joseph-Antoine Bruni D’Entrecasteaux - after whom the nearby channel is named. The first European settlers, however, were the English. Dover was established as a penal colony and a convict probation station operated until the mid 1800s. 

Located in the bay, and visible from Rockberrie Estate, are the islands of Faith, Hope and Charity. The Hope Island Probation Station once operated as an outstation of the larger convict establishment in Dover. The Assistant Superintendent’s quarters remain the most prominent ruins on the island, being clearly visible from Rockberrie Estate. During the same period, Faith Island served as a public cemetery. Today the island’s are home to local wildlife.  

For many years, Dover served Tasmania as a significant port. Huge quantities of timber gleaned from the state’s southern forests were shipped from Dover. As timber milling slowed, the cleared land in the surrounding region was replaced with orchards. In the mid 1900s, timber mills turned their attention to apple boxes after the Huon Valley came alive with fruit. Tasmania’s nickname as the ‘Apple Isle’ sprang from these very hills. 

The Rockberrie brand encapsulates the intriguing history of the surrounding region. Come and immerse yourself in its many eras over a glass of premium Tasmanian Pinot Noir.