Hahndorf – Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement

The Adelaide Hills

Hahndorf is the Adelaide Hills’ most popular tourist destination. Settled in 1839 by Prussian and East German immigrants, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. The original inhabitants were farmers who produced many items that had a ready market in Adelaide. Today Hahndorf is a flourishing community that attracts visitors from all over the world. The town’s main street has many historic buildings some of which have been restored to their former character, while the 100-year-old elm and plane trees which line Main Street provide shade for the many craft shops, galleries and restaurants that now call this area home.

Hahndorf’s first settlement took place in 1839 when Prussian Lutheran families arrived. The name ‘Hahndorf’ was derived from Captain Dirk Hahn of the ship named ‘Zebra’, which arrived in Adelaide in 1838 with a party of immigrants from the Eastern Provinces of Prussia. Captain Hahn stayed on to see the new arrivals were settled, after having survived a horrendous journey by sea. He eventually selected an area near Mt Barker which his passengers named after him in recognition of his efforts.

German influence is still visible today in the architecture of the old buildings, many of which still stand as homes and shops. The Pioneer Gardens in the main street have memorials to Hahn and the pioneering families.

An old windmill (1842) has been fully restored, there are several 19th-century churches, Storison’s souvenir shop was once the blacksmith’s shop (1870) and the Hahndorf Academy (1871) is now an art gallery.

The main street, Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, Australia has a visible German influence.

Hahndorf – an ideal base for touring Adelaide Hills
One of the fastest-growing regional centres in Australia, Mount Barker is undoubtedly the retail centre of the Adelaide Hills. Visitors will find everything they need here, from banks to bread, to supermarkets and sausages. However, there’s more to the Mount Barker District than shopping. The area rapidly grew due to the construction of the Mount Barker Flour Mill in 1844, and the fine buildings that line the town’s main streets are testimony to how this area continues to flourish. At nearby Macclesfield, heritage lovers can admire the fine 19th-century architecture, while the scenery through the Meadows and Echunga area is some of the best the Hills have to offer.