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The history of the Barossa Valley dates back to the early 1830’s when it was first named after Barossa of Spain, by the then Surveyor General of South Australia, Colonel William Light. But it wasn’t until 1842 when settlers first came to make their mark on the countryside of the Barossa Valley. The English and Germans first made their way to this part of South Australia, and to this very day you can still see very strong remnants of the German influence in the Barossa Valley and its surrounds.
The first towns to be established in the Barossa Valley where Bethany in 1842 and Angaston, and very soon followed the towns of Krondorf, Penrice, Light Pass and Ebenezer in 1843. The settlements in the Barossa Valley had a very strong German influence as many of the settlers who came here, had recently fled their home country to escape persecution for various reasons and saw this as their new start. The settlers who came to the Barossa Valley were considered very hard workers and really took pride in the surrounding lands as they developed some of the best farms and crops people had ever seen. Even though the German settlers in the region where the most dominant there were also Irish and Scottish settlers that joined the German and English settlers.
Throughout the years, the Barossa Valley faced many hardships in the region with settlers being forced to live in dug outs and tents for a number of years but with much determination years later there were stone homes with thick walls to keep cool in the gruelling summers and some of the homes can still be seen today in some of the townships of the Barossa Valley. The German influence was a strong one in the Barossa Valley with the German language still being spoken by many residents today. Over the years they have upheld their traditions and cultures and really made their mark on the Barossa Valley. In the early years seeing that the leadership of the region came from the Lutheran Church it was encouraged that everyone attain a German education along with the main language that was spoken by the settlers be German.
The Barossa Valley is known all over the world for its famous wines, and the first vines were planted back in 1847 at the Jacobs Creek winery which can be visited by the public. Today there are over 50 wineries in the Barossa Valley all producing delicious wines of both white and red and exported to a number of different countries all over the world. Way back when the area was first surveyed by Johannes Menge he knew that the area was fertile, rich and perfect for vineyards, orchards and fields and fields of produce which was slowly all produced over the years.
Today in the Barossa Valley you will find olive groves, lavender farms, vineyards, wineries, breweries and a number of factories all producing local exports that have put the Barossa Valley on the map. Within the galleries, studios and museums in the Barossa Valley you can read and learn about the fascinating history and culture that surrounds the area, where stories are told and heard or you can wander through the old buildings, visit German settlements or take the heritage tour with an experienced guide for the day. Today you can stay in fantastic Barossa Valley accommodation that is provided in superb resorts and international standard hotels. The history of the Barossa Valley has carried on through today and can be experience in many different places that you visit while you are here.