Josip Petrov Babich (23 October 1895 – 22 August 1983) was a New Zealand gum-digger, winemaker and farmer. He was born in

Runović Runović is a settlement in the Municipality of Runovići in Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the ...

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

Cisleithania Cisleithania, officially The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council (), was the northern and western part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in the Compromise of 1867—as distinguished from ''Transleithania'' (i.e., ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, on 23 October 1895. Babich founded ''Babich Wines''. He was the father of

Joe Babich Joseph Frank Babich (10 October 1940 – 13 January 2022) was a New Zealand winemaker. He was among those involved in the transformation of the New Zealand wine industry from the 1970s. Biography Born on 10 October 1940, Babich was the son of ...

, who followed him in leading the company. He was a keen gardener, beekeeper, and photographer.

References

1895 births 1983 deaths 20th-century New Zealand farmers New Zealand winemakers People from Split-Dalmatia County Croatian emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand people of Croatian descent New Zealand gum-diggers {{NewZealand-bio-stub