The Barossa Valley (

Barossa German Barossa German (german: Barossadeutsch or ) is a dialect of German, predominantly spoken in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia. The prominent South Australian writer, Colin Thiele (1920–2006), whose grandparents were German immigra ...

: ''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 Ade ...

. 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, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

destination. The

Barossa Valley Way Barossa Valley Way is the main road linking most of the major towns of the Barossa Valley in South Australia, designated as route B19 for its entire length. It is 35 km long, roughly following the North Para River. Route 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 The Barossa Trail is a cycling and walking path through the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Until 2019 the 27km between Gawler and Tanunda was named the Jack Bobridge Track. The Jack Bobridge Track was named after Jack Bobridge, a cyclist g ...

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 The Adelaide Plains (Kaurna name Tarndanya) is a plain in South Australia lying between the coast (Gulf St Vincent) on the west and the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east. The southernmost tip of the plain is in the southern seaside suburbs of Ade ...

to Angaston to the east of the valley.

History

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 o ...

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 **Ger ...

of the three, with traditions dating back to the 1840s when the first

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

''). 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 wine ...

. 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

, 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

. 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 reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

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

Major Town Populations: As a rural region, there is also significant population outside of the town centres (not shown here).

Wine industry

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 ab ...

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. Vineyards ...

s are the most distinctive feature of the area, especially when viewed from the

Mengler Hill Mengler Hill (formerly Mengler's Hill) is a hill and popular lookout in the Barossa Range, South Australia. The hill was named after an early wine grower in the area. The Barossa Sculpture Park is sited at the base of the lookout area. The road rou ...

lookout, which is positioned on the

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 List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

. 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 Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditi ...

and

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

Fortified wine Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commanda ...

s 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 guest ...

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 going to ...

''. 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 Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...

, 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 opposin ...

, 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

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