|
| Main street
of Angaston |
Angaston (including Penrice)
Substantial and historic town in the heart of
the Barossa Valley.
Angaston is a gracious and tree-lined town in
the heart of the Barossa Valley. Located 310
metres above sea level and 77 km north-east of
Adelaide it is easily accessible from the city.
Prior to European settlement a small number
of Aborigines (probably from the Ngayawung
group) were well established in the district.
They lived on a diet of grass seeds (made into a
kind of damper), kangaroos, wallabies, possums,
lizards and fish and protected themselves
against the winter cold with possum skin rugs.
Their life was simple but perfectly in tune with
the climate, flora and fauna of the region.
Soon after the arrival of colonists in South
Australia in July, 1836 expeditions were sent
out to explore the hinterland. By December 1837
explorers had reached Lyndoch and by 1838 other
explorers had reached the Murray River passing
through the Barossa Valley. The valley was named
by Colonel Light after Barrosa (Hill of Roses)
in Spain where he had fought against the French
in 1811 in the Peninsula War. The spelling
mistake was never corrected.
By 1839 Colonel Light, the Surveyor General
of South Australia, was selling off large tracts
of land in the valley. That year he sold 28,000
acres at £1 an acre to George Fife Angas - after
whom Angaston is named.
Settlement followed quickly. George Fife
Angas went to London as a director of the South
Australian Company to try and promote
colonisation. While he was there he met Pastor
August Ludwig Christian Kavel who was trying to
organise for Lutherans (who were being
persecuted by the King of Prussia, Friedrich
Wilhelm III) to emigrate. Angas was moved by the
plight of the Lutherans and not only persuaded
Kavel that South Australia was a suitable place
for emigration but also financially assisted
them with a generous £8,000. The first German
settlers arrived on 25 November, 1838 at the
unfortunately named Port Misery. These settlers
were to establish distinctly German villages at
Klemzig, Glen Osmond, Lobethal and most famously
Hahndorf.
By 1841 a German settler, Johann Schilling
and his family, had settled at Angaston. Their
house, the first in the district, was little
more than a dug out with a thatched roof. It was
located at what is now 13 Murray Street,
Angaston
Two years later Angas's son, John Howard
Angas, came to Angaston to manage his father's
estates. He built a chapel in 1844 and
encouraged the growing of vines and orchards in
the valley. By 1850, encouraged by the income he
was receiving from his German tenants, George
Fife Angas had emigrated to Australia. Between
George and his son they established a powerful
dynasty in the district.
The town grew slowly. By the 1880s Saltrams
Winery was beginning to export wine. In 1911 the
railway arrived in town. Today, largely as a
result of Australia's growing enthusiasm for
wine, it has become a popular and important port
of call for those exploring the wineries of the
Barossa Valley. The main street's huge fig trees
give the town a particular charm which enhances
the large number of attractions - both
historical and alcoholic - which exist in the
area.
Things to see:
![[Top of page]](smlArrow.gif)
|
| Collingrove
Homestead (once the home of the Angas
family), near Angastown
|
Collingrove Homestead
Located 7 km south east of Angaston (take North
Street out of town), Collingrove is a
fascinating house. It was built in 1856 to a
design by an amateur architect, Henry Evans, as
a relatively small house. Over the years, as it
became the centre of the Angas family's
substantial pastoral and agricultural holdings,
it was added to so that now (having been
bequeathed to the National Trust in 1976) it is
a nearly perfect example of a large country
mansion mixing distinctively Australian elements
(it is wonderfully cool on a hot summer day)
with a decided love of England. Today it is open
to the public and parts - the old servants
quarters - have been turned into Bed and
Breakfast accommodation. Contact (08) 8564 2061
for more information.
Angas Park Fruit Co.
Located at 3 Murray St, the Angas Park Fruit
Company is an ideal stopover point for people
eager to try some of the produce from the local
area particularly dried fruits.
|
| Yalumba
Winery, Angaston |
Yalumba Winery
Located 1.6 km south of Angaston on the Eden
Valley Road which starts in town as North
Street. The history of Yalumba Winery can be
traced back to 1847 when Samuel Smith, the
Yalumba founder, arrived in Adelaide. He had
been a brewer in Dorset. In 1849 he planted his
first vines near Angaston. His project was
delayed by the goldrushes - he went to Victoria
and made a small fortune (£300) on the
goldfields at Bendigo - but he returned to
Angaston, purchased more land, and laid the
foundation of the hugely successful Yalumba
Winery. It specialises in premium red and white
table wines and sparkling wines derived from
cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, semillon, sauvignon
blanc, viognier, merlot, riesling and chardonnay
grapes. It is open for tastings and sales. For
more details contact (08) 8561 3200.
|
| A barrel
outside the Saltram Winery
|
Saltram Winery, Angaston.
Located on the Angaston-Nuriootpa Road the
Saltram Winery is easy to identify as it is
characterised by a lovely old grey stone cottage
and a little bridge which are just over the
road. There are also some very impressive
gateposts at the entry to the Saltram Winery.
The winery itself dates from 1859 when an
Englishman, William Salter, planted the first
vines. It specialises in both red and white
table wines and ports derived from cabernet
sauvignon, shiraz, pinot noir, malbec, riesling,
semillon, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay grapes.
It is open for tastings and sales. For more
details contact (08) 8564 3355.
Barossa Cottage Wines
Located beyond Saltrams on the road to Nuriootpa
this winery was established in 1993 and
specialises in both red and white table wines
derived from cabernet, shiraz, pinot noir,
malbec, riesling and chardonnay grapes. It is
open for tastings and sales. For more details
contact (08) 8562 3212.
Penrice
A tiny settlement to the north of Angaston (Penrice
Road runs off Murray Road) it was named after a
Cornish village. The most important building in
town is the Salem Lutheran Church which dates
from 1854 - only a few years after the first
settlers arrived in the district.
Mengler's Hill Lookout, Mengler's Hill
Road
The road that connects Tanunda and Angaston
crosses the Barossa Valley at Mengler's Hill.
The hill was named after an early vine grower,
Mr Mengler. It is an excellent vantage point to
appreciate the seemingly endless vineyards and
the richness of the Barossa Valley.
