Adelaide Hills day trip: Hahndorf and its German story

An Adelaide Hills day trip is easy to fit into one day, because Hahndorf is only about 28 km south east of the city centre. Spend the day in the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia, then drive back to Adelaide for dinner.

This guide covers the drive, the village's story, how the old town is laid out, what to do on its main street and a simple plan for the day.

Getting there from Adelaide

Drive south east from the city on the South Eastern Freeway. It climbs through the Adelaide Hills and is the main road link to the Hills towns. Leave it at the Hahndorf exit, which is marked. On a quiet day the drive takes about 30 minutes.

Go early if you can. Traffic is lighter, and the village is quiet and cool before the shops fill up. Check road conditions and any bus or tour times with the official visitor centres before you set out, since services and fares change.

Distance and drive time are approximate. Sources for this section: South Australian Heritage Council, Hahndorf State Heritage Area fact sheet.

Hahndorf and its German story

Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia. Its early settlers were Lutheran families who fled religious persecution in Silesia, in Prussia. In December 1838, 38 of those families reached Port Adelaide on the ship Zebra, captained by Dirk Hahn.

Captain Hahn helped them win a block of land in the hills. The deal gave them 100 acres, later raised to 150, rent free in the first year. A further 14 German families from Klemzig, on the River Torrens, joined them by May 1839. The village was named Hahndorf, which means Hahn's village, to honour the captain.

The land deal came with help. The landowners agreed to carry the settlers and their belongings to the valley, and to supply a year of food and seed, plus livestock, all on credit. The settlers hoped to pay it off by selling their produce. It took a number of years. By the mid 1840s Hahndorf was an important supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables to Adelaide.

The story has a sad chapter. During the First World War, there was prejudice against German communities, and a total of 69 places of German origin in South Australia were renamed. In 1917 Hahndorf became Ambleside, and its Lutheran Day School was closed. The old name came back in 1935. The town was declared a State Heritage Area on 25 August 1988.

Sources for this section: South Australian Heritage Council, Hahndorf State Heritage Area fact sheet.

How the old town is laid out

Hahndorf's plan is unusual. It mixes two Prussian patterns: a farm village built around a central point, and a village strung along one street. In 1839 the village was planned as a U-shaped group of small farms, with the Lutheran church at its heart. That site is now St Michael's.

The survey was probably done by Hermann Kook. He numbered the house blocks from one to 54. Each block was big enough for a house, a food garden and a small farm. Inside the U, Church Street and Balhannah Road meet at the central area kept for the church.

The town grew along Main Street, which was part of the Great Eastern Road. Shops, hotels and workshops lined it. By 1903 farmers made up only 11.3 percent of the people, down from 100 percent at the start. Larger buildings such as Wittwer's Flour Mill and the hotels joined the early cottages.

Walk a little off Main Street too. The heritage record says the town's character comes from this unique plan and its many surviving 19th century buildings, centred on Main Street and Victoria Street.

Sources for this section: South Australian Heritage Council, Hahndorf State Heritage Area fact sheet.

What to do on Main Street

Hahndorf's life centres on Main Street. In 1885 the town planted 300 chestnut, cork, elm and plane trees along it. The heritage record says this was most likely the first public tree planting program in the state. A walk under those trees is the best way to see the old buildings.

Through traffic was moved off the street in 1974, after the South Eastern Freeway was built through the hills. That made the street calmer for walkers, and today the historic German village is one of Adelaide's premier tourist destinations, according to the heritage record.

• Walk the street. Allow an hour or two for the old buildings, shops and cafes.
• Visit the Pioneer Memorial Gardens. The names of the 52 pioneering families are on its gates.
• Look for the church site. St Michael's stands where the first Lutheran church was planned in 1839.
• Think of Hans Heysen. The heritage record names the artist as a significant person linked to the town.

Sources for this section: South Australian Heritage Council, Hahndorf State Heritage Area fact sheet.

A plan for the day

1. Morning: leave Adelaide on the freeway and park in Hahndorf. Walk Main Street while the day is cool.
2. Midday: eat lunch in the village, and look at the old mill and hotels from the street.
3. Afternoon: stroll the side streets and the Pioneer Memorial Gardens, then visit one or two cellar doors nearby if you wish. Opening times differ, so phone ahead.
4. Late afternoon: start back early, so you reach Adelaide before dark.

Whoever drives should not drink. If nobody can stay sober, book a taxi or join a wine tour instead. This is general travel information. Always check the current road rules and conditions before you set out.

For another wine day, see our Barossa Valley wine trip guide. If you want a walk and a view, try the Blue Mountains day trip.

Sources

1. South Australian Heritage Council, Hahndorf State Heritage Area fact sheet: environment.sa.gov.au