Pioneering Mount Barker viticulturist Betty Quick, known as Lady Betty, was awarded the prestigious WA Wine Press Club Jack Mann Medal for her lifetime contribution to WA wine.
In 1965, as Betty Pearse, she and then husband Tony leased 5ha of their Forest Hill property in Mount Barker to plant an experimental vineyard as the Department of Agriculture wanted to encourage an alternative form of agriculture with the decline of the region's orchards.
On the 26th April 1972 Betty had the first bunch of grapes from the cool climate regions of WA picked at Forest Hill. The Cabernet back then was produced at Houghton’s by Jack Mann and the Rhine Riesling was made by Jack’s son Dorham Mann at Sandalford.
In 1989 Betty was approached by the Western Australian Wine Industry Association to be made the First Female Wine Baron in Western Australia. In 2011 - and after 45 years of dedication to the wine industry - Betty is still actively involved in mentoring and takes great pleasure in being back involved with the Forest Hill Winery team.