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| Vineyards
near Piccadilly in the Adelaide Hills
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Adelaide Hills (including Magill and
Piccadilly)
Popular and hugely attractive district to the
east of Adelaide
There is considerable confusion amongst South
Australians as to just exactly what and where
the Adelaide Hills are. Some people tend to say
'Oh its the area around Stirling and
Bridgewater'. Others, including one cynical taxi
driver, describe it as a trendy area which
should be turned into a theme park to attract
tourists to the state. And others, after
thinking about it, describe it as the area to
the west of Adelaide which extends from the
foothills behind Adelaide and stretches from
Williamstown in the north to Strathalbyn in the
south and includes the major centres of
Hahndorf, Mount Barker, Stirling,
Crafers-Bridgewater, Aldgate, Lobethal,
Birdwood, Mylor, Summertown and Gumeracha.
Each of those destinations is covered under
separate entries. This general coverage is an
attempt to cover some of the particular
attractions of the smaller villages in the
Adelaide Hills.
Once an area of small scale farming, milling
and cool summer retreats, the Adelaide Hills are
now one of South Australia's most popular
tourist destinations.
Correctly known as the Mount Lofty Ranges the
area, at various times has supported mixed
farming, sheep and cattle, vineyards, flour
mills, commercial vegetable gardens and a rich
diversity of arts and crafts. But ultimately the
small villages which nestle into the hills -
Birdwood, Cudlee Creek, Blackwood, Clarendon,
Glen Osmond, Gumeracha, Hahndorf, Lobethal,
Mount Barker and dozens more - are now commuter
zones where people escape from Adelaide's city
life.
This escape from city life has a long
tradition. At the Belair Recreation Park, for
example, there is the beautifully preserved Old
Government House where the early governors would
eagerly retreat from the hot, dry summer weather
of Adelaide.
The streams which flow through the hills were
ideal sources of power for the establishment of
flour mills. At Birdwood the famous Murray
river-boat pioneer and adventurer, Captain
William Randell built a mill in 1852, at
Bridgewater the old flour mill is now used in
the production of sparkling wines, and between
Hahndorf and Mount Barker stands another disused
mill.
Randell's mill, like so much of the history
of the area is now home to a typical "tourist
trap" which includes the National Motor Museum.
There is a toy factory at Gumeracha which,
with the Australian penchant for "things big",
is home to the "biggest rocking horse in the
world" - an 18.3 metre high monstrosity which
towers over the village.
At Kersbrook there is a trout farm,
Springfield has "Carrick Hill", the former home
of Sir Edward and Lady Hayward, on display, and
Norton Summit boasts another vice-regal summer
retreat.
The centrepiece of the whole area is,
however, Hahndorf - the oldest surviving German
settlement in Australia. The European flavour of
the area is given special significance when the
large numbers of deciduous trees turn on
spectacular autumnal displays.
The novelist Barbara Hanrahan captured this
European feel when she wrote of the hills that
they "were more like England than any other
place in the state. As well as tea-tree and
wattle there were ivy bushes and oak-trees,
hedges of sweet-brier and monthly roses ...Each
mansion was surrounded by plants that would have
died on the plains in summer. There were
rhododendrons, camelias, even strawberries. In
winter it was known for snow to fall."
Things to see:
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| Market
gardens in the Adelaide Hills near
Piccadilly |
Piccadilly
The Piccadilly Valley (take the Piccadilly Road
from Crafers to Summertown) is the market
gardening centre of the Adelaide Hills and, as
such, offers views and experiences which seem to
be more connected with the Mediterranean than
South Australia. Its location close to the city
and its mild climate and excellent soils have
ensured that its reputation has been sustained.
The road winds through the hills and falls to
fertile valleys where vegetables and vines
abound.
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| Grapes ready
for picking at the Magill Penfolds
Grange Hermitage vineyard
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Penfold Magill Estate
Today Magill is effectively a suburb of
Adelaide. It nestles under the mountains to the
north of Mount Lofty and has the steep, windy
Norton Summit Road which offers access to the
Hills.
Magill's fame rests on the Penfolds Magill
Estate which, although it has been greatly
reduced in recent years, is responsible for
Australia's most famous, and most admired, red
wine - Grange Hermitage.
The Magill Estate was founded by Dr
Christopher Rawson Penfold in 1844 and formed
the basis of what would eventually become the
vast Penfolds wine company. When the company was
taken over by Southcorp Holdings Ltd in 1996
much of the vineyard was sold so that today the
vineyard is small, there is an excellent
restaurant attached, the original Penfolds home
is still located in amongst the vines, and there
is a good range of wines available at the cellar
door.
Magill Estate is located at 78 Penfold Road,
Magill. This winery specialises in both red and
white table wines and fortified wines derived
from cabernet, shiraz, riesling, semillon and
chardonnay grapes. It is open seven days a week
for tastings and sales. For more details contact
(08) 8301 5569.
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| Historic home
of the Penfold Family at the Magill
vineyard |
An Adelaide-based company, Wines and Vines,
offers tours which include a visit to Magill
Estate. Bookings can be made on (08) 8239 2269
or 015 397 781.
Grove Hill
Located at 120 Old Norton Summit Road at Norton
Summit this historic winery (Grove Hill nursery
and orchard was established in 1846) was
established in 1992 and specialises in both
white table wines and sparkling wine derived
from pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay grapes.
It is open on weekends for tastings and sales.
For more details contact (08) 8390 1437.
Barossa Valley Estate
Located on Heaslip Road in Angle Vale this
winery was established in 1985 and specialises
in both red and white table wines derived from
cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, pinot noir, merlot,
semillon, riesling and chardonnay grapes. It is
open seven days a week for tastings and sales.
For more details contact (08) 8284 7000.
Ashton Hills Vineyard
Located on Tregarthen Road in Ashton this tiny
winery (the cellar door is in a corrugated shed)
was established in 1982 and specialises in both
dry red and white table wines and sparkling
wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, pinot
noir, merlot, cabernet franc, riesling and
chardonnay grapes. It is open weekends for
tastings and sales. For more details contact
(08) 8390 1243.
Accommodation and Eating
The Adelaide Hills are famous for their
excellent eating destinations - places like
Petaluma at Bridgewater Mill and the Magill
Estate Restaurant. For more detailed information
you should check the following entries which
offer a comprehensive list of accommodation and
eating destinations in the district.
