Hahndorf is a small town in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. Currently an important tourism spot, it has previously been a centre for farming and services.

History

The town was settled "on the traditional land of the Peramangk people"

Early German settlers

During the British colonisation of South Australia, the settlers were mostly British, but some German "Old Lutherans" also emigrated in the early years. The first large group of Germans arrived in 1838, with the financial assistance of the Emigration Fund. Most moved out of Adelaide and to the Barossa Valley and settlements in the Hills such as Hahndorf, living in socially closed communities, by 1842, and did not participate in government until 15 years later.

German influence

German influence is apparent in Hahndorf and is seen in the traditional () architecture of the original surviving buildings. Hahndorf was re-instated as the town's name with the enactment of the South Australia Nomenclature Act of 1935 on 12 December 1935. There are still references to the name Ambleside in and around the town today.

Demographics

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="float:right; clear:left; margin:10px; text-size:60%; text-align:right;"

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! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Hahndorf<br />population by year

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| 2006 || 1,806 ||

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|2016 || 2,670||

|}

At the census 2006 the population was 1,806. In 2016 the population was 2,670.

Government

Located in the federal division of Mayo, the state electoral district of Heysen, and the local government areas of the District Council of Mount Barker

Sports

Hahndorf's sporting clubs including basketball, bowls, netball, cricket, football (Australian rules and Association Football), tennis and softball. The football (both codes), netball and softball clubs are nicknamed the Magpies.

The Hahndorf Bowling Club was established in 1976 and has a full size (nine rink) green, which is a woven carpet surface enabling all weather competition, and a large clubhouse.

The football (soccer) club was formed in the early 1980s and plays home games at Pine Avenue. The senior men compete in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League. They won the 1996 Newsfront Cup and the 2004 Amateur League Division Two title. However, a gradual decline in player numbers from 2013 has seen the side drop to one team, competing in Division Seven, by 2019.

Hahndorf was the start point of the 2024 Women's Tour Down Under.

Notable residents

  • Watercolour artist Hans Heysen established "The Cedars" close to the town in 1912. He lived and painted there until his death in 1968. "The Cedars" remains in his family, and is open for guided tours.
  • Matthew Jaensch was an AFL footballer who played for the Adelaide Crows. He retired in 2016 after six years and 74 games with the Crows.

See also

  • German Australian
  • Danish Australian
  • Polish Australian

References

Sources

  • Tourist Information on Hahndorf
  • Flinders Ranges Research – Hahndorf
  • Adhills – Hahndorf, South Australia
  • Captain Hahn's narrative of the voyage
  • SA Government State Heritage Areas
  • State Heritage Area – Hahndorf
  • The History of Hahndorf