The Barossa Valley (
Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
located northeast of
Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ad ...
. The valley is formed by the
North Para River
The North Para River is a river located in the Barossa Valley of the Australian state of South Australia.
The river's name is based directly on the Kaurna word ''pari'' which means river. The "north" descriptor distinguishes it from the South ...
. It is notable as a major
wine-producing region
This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
and
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
destination.
The
Barossa Valley Way is the main road through the valley, connecting the main towns on the valley floor of
Nuriootpa,
Tanunda,
Rowland Flat
Rowland Flat (formerly Rowland's Flat and Rowlands Flat) is a small South Australian town in the Barossa Valley, located on the Barossa Valley Highway between Lyndoch and Tanunda. The town has an elevation of 294m and is nestled at the foot of ...
and
Lyndoch
Lyndoch is a town in Barossa Valley, located on the Barossa Valley Highway between Gawler and Tanunda, 58 km northeast of Adelaide. The town has an elevation of 175m and an average rainfall of 560.5mm. It is one of the oldest towns in Sou ...
. The
Barossa Trail walking and cycling path is long and also passes the main towns from near
Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
on the
Adelaide Plains to
Angaston to the east of the valley.
History
![Bethany vineyard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Bethany_vineyard.jpg)
The traditional owners of the land including the Barossa Valley are the
Peramangk
The Peramangk are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands traditionally comprise the Adelaide Hills, as well as lands to the west of the Murray River in mid Murraylands and through to the northern part of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the Au ...
people, who comprise a number of family groups. Evidence of their thousands of years of occupation can be seen all around the area, in the form of artefacts,
scar trees and shelter paintings.
The Barossa Valley derives its name from the
Barossa Range
The Barossa Range (Kaurna: ''Yampoori'') is a mountain range located in the Australian state of South Australia.
Location
The range is a part of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the western slopes primarily fall into the Barossa Valley. As ...
, which was named by
Colonel William Light
William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839), also known as Colonel Light, was a British- Malayan naval and army officer. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site of ...
in 1837. Light chose the name in memory of the British victory over the French in the ''
Battle of ''Barrosa'''', in which he fought in 1811. The name "Barossa" was registered in error, due to a clerical error in transcribing the name "Barrosa". The area is approximately .
The three major towns of the Barossa have distinctive characteristics.
Tanunda is generally recognised as the most
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
of the three, with traditions dating back to the 1840s when the first
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
settlers arrived in the area. Since many of the German settlers came from
Prussian
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
, they called the Barossa ''Neu-Schlesien'', or "New Silesia". The German influence survives to this day (''see
Barossa German'').
Angaston, in contrast, is considered the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
town as it was settled predominantly by
Cornish miners and others from
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
. The third (and largest) town,
Nuriootpa, was influenced by both the German and British settlers, and today is the commercial hub of the Barossa and it is where most of the larger stores are located.
In February 2011,
South Australian Premier,
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...
, announced that special legislation would be introduced to protect the unique heritage of the Barossa Valley and of
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a wine region in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Adelaide metropolitan area and centred on the town of McLaren Vale about south of the Adelaide city centre. It is internationally renowned for the win ...
. He said: "Barossa and McLaren Vale food and wine are key icons of South Australia. We must never allow the Barossa or McLaren Vale to become suburbs of Adelaide." ''The Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Act 2012'' was subsequently passed by the South Australian Parliament.
People
Currently, the Barossa Valley has a population of about 20,000. Most inhabitants live in Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Angaston, Williamstown and
Lyndoch
Lyndoch is a town in Barossa Valley, located on the Barossa Valley Highway between Gawler and Tanunda, 58 km northeast of Adelaide. The town has an elevation of 175m and an average rainfall of 560.5mm. It is one of the oldest towns in Sou ...
, each having over 1000 people. The remaining population lives in the countryside, or a few smaller towns such as
Moculta and
Springton. All of these towns are part of the
Barossa local government. Many facilities not available in these towns are usually supplemented in nearby
Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
. In recent years, increased development in the area has seen opposition from the local communities.
Religion
The region has a strong German
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
history, and many residents identify themselves as Lutherans. Some towns have more than one Lutheran church. Tanunda, for example, has Langmeil, St. Paul's, Tabor and St. Johns. Nuriootpa has St. Petri and Holy Trinity. Angaston has Zion and Salem (Penrice).
Each major town also has a Lutheran primary school. Tanunda has Tanunda Lutheran School, Nuriootpa has Redeemer, and Angaston has Good Shepherd. St. Jakobi, the Lutheran primary school at Lyndoch, hosts the Barossa Airshow annually as its fundraiser.
Population
![NuriootpaMemorialHall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/NuriootpaMemorialHall.JPG)
Major Town Populations:
As a rural region, there is also significant population outside of the town centres (not shown here).
Wine industry
![Barassa vines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Barassa_vines.jpg)
The
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
industry plays a major role in the Barossa, being the main source of employment for many residents. The many
hectares
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
of
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...
s are the most distinctive feature of the area, especially when viewed from the
Mengler Hill lookout, which is positioned on the
Barossa Range
The Barossa Range (Kaurna: ''Yampoori'') is a mountain range located in the Australian state of South Australia.
Location
The range is a part of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the western slopes primarily fall into the Barossa Valley. As ...
which forms much of the eastern side of the valley. The success of the wine industry has historically been celebrated every two years with a week-long
Barossa Valley Vintage Festival Barossa may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
*Barossa Valley, a valley in South Australia
**Electoral district of Barossa
*Hundred of Barossa, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Barossa Goldfields, South Australia, also in the same area
* Barrosa (Por ...
. The festival draws visitors from all over the world and has entertainment for all tastes including a huge street parade, concerts and gourmet dining.
The Barossa Valley is primarily known for its red wine, in particular
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...
. Normally, large proportions of Barossa Shiraz are used in
Penfolds Grange
Penfolds Grange (until the 1989 vintage labelled Penfolds Grange Hermitage) is an Australian wine, made predominantly from the Shiraz (Syrah) grape and usually a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is widely considered one of Australia's ...
, Australia's most famous wine. Other main grape varieties grown in the region include:
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
;
Semillon;
Grenache and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fortified wines have been traditionally produced in the region as well.
The Barossa Valley is a rich source of some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Shiraz vines planted as early as 1847 by Johann Frederick August Fiedler on Lot 1, Hundred of Moorooroo (the township of Tanunda) are still in commercial production today by
Turkey Flat
Turkey Flat is an Australian winery located in Tanunda, in the middle of South Australia's Barossa Valley wine-growing region. It is described by wine expert Oz Clarke as one of the "cult wines" of Australia.Clarke, Oz. ''Oz Clarke's Austral ...
Vineyards.
Food production
Although it is overshadowed by the wine industry, significant food production occurs in the Barossa Valley, including:
* Bakeries that produce traditional German breads and pastries
* Butchers who produce meat and smallgoods in the German style
* Artisan cheesemakers
*
Maggie Beer
Maggie Beer (born Margaret Anne Ackerman, 19 January 1945) is an Australian chef, food author, restaurateur, and food manufacturer. Beer is one of the judges on '' The Great Australian Bake Off'' alongside Matt Moran and is also a regular gues ...
is a renowned cook, food author, restaurateur and food manufacturer. Her Farm Shop sells a range of condiments under her name. She is co-presenter of
ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to:
*ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or
*ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia
ABC Television or ABC ...
's programme ''
The Cook and the Chef
''The Cook and the Chef'' is an Australian television series featuring cook Maggie Beer and chef Simon Bryant. ''The Cook and the Chef'' was screened on ABC1 and was filmed in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, with the first episode goin ...
''.
The Barossa Valley holds a weekly
Farmers' Market
A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
, supplying local produce which is sold directly by the producer.
Festivals
Barossa Vintage Festival
The week-long Barossa Vintage Festival is held biennially, in odd-numbered years. The festival runs for around a week in
autumn, and traditionally marks and celebrates the completion of the year's
vintage season
''Vintage Season'' is a science fiction novella by American authors Catherine L. Moore and Henry Kuttner, published under the joint pseudonym "Lawrence O'Donnell" in September, 1946. It has been anthologized many times and was selected for '' ...
, at the end of March and beginning of April. A variety of wine-themed events are held during the festival, including wine tastings and competitions, musical events, food events with local produce, balls and parades.
The Barossa Vintage Festival was first held in 1947, to celebrate the end of the grape harvest, and the end of hostilities in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, and has run continually since. It is Australia's oldest and longest-running wine festival.
Barossa Gourmet Weekend
The Barossa Gourmet Weekend is a three-day food, wine and art celebration held in the third weekend of August every year. Local
wineries
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...
and venues host individual events throughout the Barossa, offering food, wine, music, arts and hospitality.
[http://www.barossagourmet.com]
In the arts
* Novel set among the German settlers in the Barossa during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
See also
*
German Australian
German Australians (german: link=no, Deutsch-Australier) are Australians with German ancestry. German Australians constitute one of the largest ancestry groups in Australia, and German is the fifth most identified European ancestry in Australia ...
*
Australian wine
The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor ...
*
South Australian food and drink
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
*
South Australian wine
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties&nd ...
References
External links
*
SouthAustralia.com South Australian Government tourism webpageBarossa Council official siteBarossa Grape & Wine Association wine & tourism webpageRDA Barossa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barossa Valley
German-Australian culture
Silesian diaspora
Sorbian diaspora