Josef Chromy's Story
Josef Chromy OAM in 1997, upgraded to an AO in 2023.
Josef fled his war-torn homeland of Czechoslovakia in 1950 as a penniless nineteen-year-old, after eleven years of Nazi and Soviet oppression. He escaped across borders guarded by minefields and soldiers patrolling with dogs, losing two friends in the attempt, and then suffered five months of privation as a refugee in occupied Austria before immigrating to Australia.
After arriving in Australia Josef used his trade as a master butcher and smallgoods maker over forty years to build the only smallgoods and meat export company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with over 530 full-time employees, exporting premium Tasmanian beef to the world. In recognition of his outstanding contribution Mr Chromy was awarded an OAM in 1997.
Following the sale of his meat business on the ASX between 1994 and 1997, Josef Chromy invested in his second passion, Tasmanian cool climate wines. Over thirty years from the age of 63 to 93, when most people are retired, Mr Chromy developed the wineries Rochecombe (now Bay of Fires), Heemskerk, Jansz, Tamar Ridge Wines, and Josef Chromy Wines. Furthermore, Mr Chromy won prestigious international wine awards including Best Chardonnay in World at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London in 2013. Exporting his cool climate wines world-wide, Josef has enhanced Tasmania’s brand for excellence and Australia’s international reputation for world-class wines.
Josef Chromy’s tourism businesses were inducted into the Tasmanian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame twice and he was named Tasmanian Tourism Champion in 2017 after hosting signature events, including the Effervescence Tasmania sparkling wine festival, Great Chefs Series where renowned international chefs work alongside local apprentice chefs, and A Day On The Green rock concerts.
Over the last thirty years, Josef has also become one of Tasmania’s largest property developers, building landmark hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings, shopping centres, apartments and more than a dozen residential subdivisions throughout Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales.
Josef’s humble beginnings have led to him supporting various charities, including donations to the Migrant Resource Centre for a Josef Chromy Migrant Scholarship awarded annually to refugees and immigrants that need further training or tools to work in their trade or profession, donations to the Salvation Army and Salvos Sleepout hosted at his Penny Royal, Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust, the Cancer Council of Tasmania, Just Like Jack and St Giles, and the Examiner Empty Stocking Appeal. There are dozens of fundraisers supported each year and the Josef Chromy Wine Scholarship awarded to wine industry workers to study in Launceston’s sister city of Napa in California.
Mr Chromy’s contribution is not just the meat industry for which he received an OAM in 1997, but in the thirty years since through his world-class wineries, tourism businesses, property developments, support of the community and charities for which he was upgraded to an AO in 2023.