The original Woodstock property was named by English settlers, after their hometown of Woodstock, near Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.

The Townsend Family, headed by William Louis Townsend, received a Crown Lease for the property in 1905, built a home with a brick well and established the estate as a vineyard and orchard. It has been known as Woodstock ever since.

In the centre of the town of Woodstock in England stands a set of medieval wooden leg stocks, which were historically used for the public punishment of townsfolk who had over-imbibed. A replica of these stocks welcomes you at the entrance of Woodstock Estate in McLaren Vale. Incidentally, their much-revered single vineyard Woodstock 'The Stocks' Shiraz, sourced exclusively from 31 rows of old Shiraz vines (planted circa 1900), has been cheekily named after this set of stocks!