Tanunda, South Australia
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Tanunda is a town situated in the
Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major list of wine-producing regions, wine-producin ...
region of
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. In the 2021 census, Tanunda recorded a population of 4,710 people.


Geography

Tanunda is located north-east of the state capital,
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
.


History

The town derives its name from an Aboriginal word meaning ''water hole,'' or 'wild fowl on creek.' Tanunda was established as a village by Charles Flaxman, circa 1848. In 1856, gold was reported at Tanunda Creek. Prussian immigrants who arrived with Pastor
Gotthard Fritzsche Gotthard Daniel Fritzsche (20 July 1797 – 26 October 1863)The gravestone has birthdate as 20 June 1797, not July ("''Geboren'' 20. Juni 1797"). was a Prussian-Australian pastor who became instrumental in furthering that religion in South Aus ...
founded the village of Bethanien in 1842, the first settlement in the vicinity of today's Tanunda. One year later, Prussians relocating from Klemzig on the Torrens River, where they had settled upon immigrating in 1838 with Pastor
August Kavel August Ludwig Christian Kavel (3 September 1798 – 12 February 1860) was a founder of Lutheranism in Australia. Training and early ministry Kavel was born in Berlin, where he attended the ''Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, Gymnasium ...
, came to the Barossa Valley and founded the village of Langmeil. Their new community bore the name of a Prussian town near Zullichau, from where the settlers had originated; it is now a Polish village known as Okunin. Sometime later, another village was founded and named Tanunda. Due to anti-German sentiments, both Langmeil and Bethanien were renamed during the
Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
to Bilyara and Bethany respectively, although Bilyara reverted to Langmeil in 1975. As development of the Tanunda area continued, the villages of Langmeil and Tanunda were joined. Today the township is simply called Tanunda.


Demographics

In the 1986 census, Tanunda recorded a population of 2,856 people. In the 2016 census, Tanunda recorded a population of 4,588 people, 51.3% female and 48.7% male. The median age of the Tanunda population was 47 years, 9 years above the national median of 38. 83.4% of people living in Tanunda were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 4.5%, Germany 0.8%, New Zealand 0.8%, Scotland 0.6% and the Netherlands 0.3%. 91.6% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.9% German, 0.4% Mandarin, 0.2% Italian, 0.2% Latvian and 0.1% Gujarati. In the 2021 census, Tanunda recorded a population of 4,710 people, 51.4% female and 48.6% male. The median age of the Tanunda population was 48 years, 10 years above the national median of 38. 85.0% of people living in Tanunda were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 4.4%, New Zealand 1.0%, Germany 0.9%, Scotland 0.6%, and South Africa 0.4%. 93.2% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% German, 0.4% Mandarin, 0.2% Hindi, 0.1% Nepali, and 0.1% Spanish.


Industry

Tanunda and the
Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major list of wine-producing regions, wine-producin ...
comprise one of Australia's premier wine-growing areas, and the town is surrounded by
vineyards A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
. One such vineyard, Turkey Flat, is home to
Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
vines that were planted in 1847 and are believed to be the world's oldest continually producing commercial vineyard that has been authenticated.G. Harding ''"A Wine Miscellany"'' p. 20, Clarkson Potter Publishing, New York 2005


Railway

The line from Gawler to Angaston opened through Tanunda and Nuriootpa in 1911. It was served by regular commuter passenger trains until 16 December 1968. The passing and goods sidings at the station were removed in the 1990s but the shed and goods platform remain today. In November 1996,
TransAdelaide TransAdelaide was a publicly owned cooperation in Adelaide, South Australia, and operated the city's Railways in Adelaide, suburban rail, Trams in Adelaide, tram and Buses in Adelaide, bus services. It took responsibilities from the State Trans ...
introduced Sunday-only trial passenger train services to Nuriootpa. Later, the Barossa Wine Train was introduced from Adelaide to Tanunda. This ended in 2003. The Penrice limestone train continued to use the line until June 2014. Local radio station 5BBB has occupied the station building since the mid-1990s and the line has been booked out of use.


Culture

The German heritage of Tanunda is still present today. The town has a male choir the Tanunda Liedertafel, the history of which is thought to date back to 1850. There is also a Kegel (bowling) club. The Tanunda Town Band celebrated 150 years as a band in 2007 and is the oldest brass band in the Southern Hemisphere. Tanunda served as the launching point for the Nazi party's effort to expand in Australia in the 1930s.


Media

Historically, Tanunda (and Adelaide) was the home to a number of the earliest
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
n newspapers that were printed primarily in German. German newspapers were set up by early settlers, but many were forced to close or merge due to labour shortages caused by the
Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia, approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony and an influx of population growth and financial capi ...
of the 1850s-1860s. * ''Deutsche Zeitung für Süd-Australien'' (1851) * '' Süd Australische Zeitung'' (1860–1874) - Tanunda/Adelaide * ''Australisches Unterhaltungsblatt'' (1862-1916) - a supplement to the ''Süd Australische Zeitung'' and ''Australische Zeitung'' * ''Tanunda Deutsche Zeitung'' (1863-1869) - later renamed ''Australische Deutsche Zeitung'' * ''Australische Deutsche Zeitung'' (1870-1874) - Tanunda/Adelaide: a Melbourne edition of the newspaper was also printed 1870–1872. * '' Australische Zeitung'' (1875–1916) - Tanunda/Adelaide: formed by the merger of ''Süd Australische Zeitung'', and ''Australische Deutsche Zeitung''; closed due to WWI * ''Australische Zeitung'' (1927-1929) - attempted revival Two weekly English-language newspapers served the area: *'' The Leader'', has been operating in the area since 1918. * The '' Barossa and Light Herald'' from 1951, though its antecedents date from 1860.


See also

* Adelaide Liedertafel *
Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major list of wine-producing regions, wine-producin ...
* Barossa Deutsch


References

{{authority control Towns in South Australia Barossa Valley