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:  

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.

	Motels
	Vineyards Motel Stockwell Rd P.O. Box 57 Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2404 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Angaston Hotel 59 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2428
	Barossa Brauhaus Hotel 41 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2014 Rating: *
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Caithness Manor 12 Hill St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2761
	Collingrove Homestead (National Trust) Eden Valley Rd P.O. Box 287 Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2061 Facsimile: (08) 8564 3600 Rating: ****
	Country Pleasures Bed & Breakfast 54 Penrice Rd Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2404 Facsimile: (08) 8564 2932 Rating: ****1/2
	Hillview Manor 12 Hill St West Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2761 Facsimile: (08) 8564 2761 Rating: ****
	Hill House Bed & Breakfast Lindsay St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2023
	Marble Lodge Luxury Bed & Breakfast 21 Dean St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2478 Facsimile: (08) 8564 2941 Email: marble@dove.net.au Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	Country Pleasures Bed & Breakfast 54 Penrice Rd Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2404 Facsimile: (08) 8564 2932 Rating: ****1/2
	Fig Tree Cottage 92 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2635 Facsimile: (08) 8564 3833
	Naimanya Cottage cnr Flaxmans Valley & Pohlner Rds Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8565 3275
	Strait Gate Cottage Stockwell Rd Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 3397 Facsimile: (08) 8564 3397 Rating: ****1/2
	Strathlyn Coach House Cottage Nuriootpa Rd P.O. Box 205 Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2430 Facsimile: (08) 8564 3777 Rating: ***
	Treasured Moments Lot 6 Gawler Park Rd Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8524 6380 Facsimile: (08) 8524 7006
	Trinity Cottage Cnr Kalimna & Waechters Rds Box 74 Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 3880 Facsimile: (08) 8564 2028 Rating: ****
	Walnut Cottage 8 French St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8563 4442
	Walnut Cottage 8 French St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8563 4442
	Apartments
	Wroxton Grange Flaxmans Valley Way Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8565 3227 Facsimile: (08) 8565 3312 Rating: ***1/2
	Camping & Other
	Wroxton Grange Flaxmans Valley Rd P.O. Box 81 Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8565 3227
	Restaurants
	Alphorn Restaurant 31-33 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 3277
	Angaston Hotel 59 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2428
	Barossa Bistro 37a Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2361
	Barossa Brauhaus 41 Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2014
	Roaring Fordies Restaurant Murray St Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2901
	Saltram Estate Bistro Nuriootpa-Angaston Rd Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 3355
	Vintners Bar & Grill Cnr Stockwell & Nuriootpa Rds Angaston SA 5353 Telephone: (08) 8564 2488