get a cuppa.....I'll wait,

A brief history of Hahndorf.


Established by Lutheran refugees in March 1839, Hahndorf today is a short 25 minute drive along the South Eastern Freeway from Adelaide.


The majority of Hahndorf's 54 founding families were passengers on the Zebra, the third ship of Lutheran immigrants to arrive in South Australia in 1838.

The ship's master, Captain Hahn, helped his passengers achieve their goal of settling together as a community to farm and worship their God as they wished.

He arranged a meeting with three British speculators who, in 1839, had purchased 4000 acres in the Mount Barker district. Mr Dutton, Captain Finnis and Mr McFarlane allowed the passengers use of 240 acres of bushland rent free for a year.

They cleared the bush and planted vegetables which the women carried in baskets attached to yokes across their shoulders to sell in Adelaide.

In 1840 the settlers built a roomy Lutheran church of wattle and daub with a roof thatched with kangaroo grass. The church stood at the physical and spiritual centre of the village that had been surveyed and laid out as a hufendorf, (farm village).

They named the town Hahndorf, (Hahn's Town), in honour of their helpful Captain.

As the village prospered, crude huts and tents gave way to stone cottages, red gum barns,

and the characteristic fachwerk, (half-timbered) Germanic houses.

This one here is now used as a cafe, named Cafe 1839.

Many tradespeople built their workshops next to their cottages, thereby giving Hahndorf's streetscape its distinctive character.

Hahndorf's founders had been the first to grow wheat and other grains in the Mount Barker district, which became known as the 'breadbasket of the colony'.

Four Mills were erected, powered by wind, water, bullocks and steam.

This one below, known as the Old Mill, is now a very successful restaurant, with a hotel attached.
It's much different now from when I first had lunch there with a group of friends when I was 17.

Back then I believe it had only just been converted to a restaurant after standing for years as a disused shell of the mill it once was.

The hotel next to the mill has this lovely old farm wagon in the front garden. The rest of the hotel, built behind the old stone cottage, is much more modern in styling and is probably fairly recent in origin.

Two hotels were substantially enlarged after discovery of gold at Echunga brought hordes of lusty miners to the district. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, coach builders, bakers, jam makers and vignerons now serviced the growing district.

This below is the German Arms Hotel.

I came across the Charity Shop and spent quite a lot of time in it, there are so many lovely things that have been donated. Proceeds from all sales go to the Balhannah Centre, which is a local retreat available to people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, a place where they can "get away for a while".

In this shop, I found this old English cookbook and bought it.

I have no idea what this wheel thingy is, but as I took the photo, a passing local, a sweet little old lady, asked if I'd like my picture taken.

So here I am, looking just as daggy as I always do...

Next we see the bakery cafe where I ate lunch and had the mishap with the tomato sauce package. (yesterday's post)

This is the same bakery where my brother and his partner bought the very delicious cherry custard strudel the day they came to visit me not long ago.

Further down the street, I crossed over this lovely little bridge,

spanning this bubbly little creek,

to get to this pretty toilet block,

situated in a park. Just past the block is a fountain and beyond that a children's playground.


Coming back to the main street, I met this busker, singing Irish/Australian ballads, and very well too. He allowed me to take his photograph and I dropped a few coins in his banjo case.

I didn't even notice the artificial leg until I loaded the photos here.

To be continued.......