Joseph Hippolyte Foureur was a French-born winemaker, aerated-water specialist, and brewer who became a notable figure in South Australia’s beverage industry. He was born at Hautvillers, a village in the heart of the Champagne district of France, where his family had long been associated with the making of champagne. Following family tradition, he was apprenticed to the celebrated firm of Moët & Chandon, with whom he spent ten years and became thoroughly trained in every aspect of champagne production. After completing his apprenticeship, Foureur went to Paris and joined the firm of Gueret Frères, manufacturers of aerated waters and inventors and makers of syphons. His skill and reliability led to his selection to travel to Bradford, England, where he was entrusted with erecting an aerated-water plant. He later went into business on his own account in Liverpool. In 1874 Foureur emigrated with his wife and five children to South Australia, arriving at Port Adelaide aboard the sailing ship Satara. His first employment in the colony was with Thomas Hardy at the Bankside vineyard, but after six months he entered a partnership in Glenelg with a German associate named Kritzner, manufacturing aerated waters. Two years later he became manager of the aerated-water factory of A. M. Bickford & Sons in Waymouth Street, a position he held for twenty-three years. After leaving Bickford & Sons, Foureur formed a small company under the name J. H. Foureur Ltd. and, about thirty years before the end of his career, commenced business with his sons at Mitcham. Drawing upon his early training in France, he began the manufacture of champagne on a small scale at Brompton, using locally grown grapes. His products achieved considerable recognition, and he received numerous awards for champagne both in Australia and in Paris, to which he regularly sent exhibits. Through a lifetime of industry spanning Europe and Australia, Joseph Hippolyte Foureur combined technical mastery with entrepreneurial energy, leaving a lasting mark on South Australia’s brewing and wine-making traditions.

Breweries and hotels involved with Joseph Hippolyte Foureur
Brewery		Started	Ended
	Foureur & Kritzner	1875	1876
	J. H. Foureur Limited	1891	1935