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45-586: The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia . The largest town in the area, Mount Barker is one of Australia's fastest-growing towns. Before British colonisation of South Australia , the area was inhabited by the Peramangk people. The Adelaide Hills wine region comprises areas of the Adelaide Hills above 300 m (980 ft). Before European settlement,

90-550: A Mediterranean climate with moderate rainfall brought by south-westerly winds, hot summers and cool winters. The southern ranges are wetter (with 900 millimetres (35 in) of rain per year) than the northern ranges (400 millimetres (16 in)). The part of the ranges south of and including the Barossa Valley are commonly known as the South Mount Lofty Ranges, and the highest part of this section

135-513: A cultural site located near Hahndorf . To this day, Hahndorf itself supports a thriving community of artists and craftspeople, either in the town or nearby countryside. The Adelaide Hills wine region includes all areas of the Hills above 300 m (980 ft). The elevation leads to cooler nights during the warm summer months, important for increasing the flavour of wines during the ripening season, and higher rainfall. The Adelaide Hills region

180-580: A few degrees cooler in the Hills than in Adelaide city centre and Plains . The days are warm in January and February, but the region generally experiences cool nights. This significant diurnal variation results in cool mean daily temperatures even in summer. The area receives a light snowfall approximately once every three to four years, occasionally enough to stay on the ground for half a day, and large amounts of hail are more likely to fall here than on

225-460: A myriad of small ones. An iron sulfide mine at Brukunga , northeast of Mount Barker, operated from 1955 to 1972, proving a valuable source for the production of superphosphate fertilisers vital for the postwar development of the State's outlying agricultural areas. The runoff from the mine unfortunately proved quite toxic for the local environment, and efforts have been underway since to alleviate

270-532: A number of endemic orchids. Similar habitats can be found on the offshore Kangaroo Island which is included by the World Wildlife Fund in the Mount Lofty woodlands ecoregion . The mountains are home to a number of marsupials such as the koala , western gray kangaroo , southern brown bandicoot along with the egg laying echidna . Birds include the southern emu-wren which is endemic to

315-547: A threat to habitats and wildlife. Protected areas tend to be small and fragmented. Wine region Wines are produced in significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, typically in regions of Mediterranean climate . Grapes will sometimes grow beyond this range, thus minor amounts of wine are made in some rather unexpected places. In 2021,

360-493: A total worldwide production of 27 million tonnes of wine with the top 15 producing countries accounting for over 90% of the total. In Ukraine, at the present time there are seven administrative regions (provinces) in which the wine industry has developed. Given the favorable climatic location, the law of Ukraine allocated 15 winegrowing areas (macrozones), which are the basis for growing certain varieties of grapes, and 58 natural wine regions (microzones). These are located mainly in

405-763: Is a major annual sporting event, which makes use of some of South Australia's most popular cycling locations, including the Hills. The area is home to the annual Medieval Fair held at Gumeracha across one weekend every April, and the English Ale Festival, also annually held each May. Highlights of the Medieval Fair include live jousting tournaments held on horseback, blacksmithing and dance demonstrations, needlework and costume creation, and authentic music provided by wandering troubadours. The genesis and popularity of these two colourful festivals, where patrons are encouraged to come in costume, springs from

450-468: Is a popular destination for school groups as well as interstate and international visitors. Many native species of fauna can be encountered within the hills region. Among the more common species include the kookaburra , tawny frogmouth , southern brown bandicoot , kangaroo, brown tree frog , and bearded dragon . Several of the less common species include the antechinus ( Morialta Conservation Park ), heath monitor ( Scott Creek Conservation Park ) and

495-552: Is also home to the only conservation park in the northern ranges, Spring Gully . The northern end of the ranges are home to two curiosities: a tiny township by the name of Yongala , familiar to South Australians for commonly being the coldest place in the state (being a hundred kilometres inland, and on a somewhat elevated plateau as with much of the Mid North). The other curiosity is a locality near Orroroo called "Magnetic Hill". The name stems from an optical illusion that creates

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540-692: Is close enough to commute to the city, yet is the gateway to the country, so residents enjoy the best of both worlds – the country community life and the convenience of the city. Desirability of the area has increased, particularly since realignment of the road and construction of the Heysen Tunnels on the South Eastern Freeway improved road access. Rising real estate prices reflect this. The tunnels, completed in 1999 are named after Sir Hans Heysen , an eminent local landscape painter whose home and studio, "The Cedars", has been maintained as

585-595: Is home to the Basket Range Cricket Club. A small independent weekly newspaper, The Courier , is published in Mount Barker and serves many Hills towns. Founded in 1880, the paper has never missed a print run. It has been in the hands of the same family, the Marstons, since 1954, with a circulation of 7,500 as of May 2020, down from 15,000 in its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. It is generally

630-456: Is one of the oldest wine region within Australia. The first vines were planted in the Hills at Echunga by John Barton Hack in 1839, three years after South Australia was declared a province , with the first wines produced in 1843. The Mount Lofty area, home to Adelaide's television transmission towers, has a lookout area, restaurant and the fire-spotting tower that used to be run by

675-651: Is the summit of Mount Lofty (710 m or 2,330 ft). The part of the ranges nearest Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and, further north, the Barossa Range . The ranges encompass a wide variety of land usage, including significant residential development, particularly concentrated in the foothills, suburbs of Stirling and Bridgewater , and the towns Mount Barker and Victor Harbor in particular. Several pine plantation forests exist, most significantly around Mount Crawford and Cudlee Creek in

720-564: The Country Fire Service . Gumeracha is home to the largest rocking horse in the world , standing at 18.3 metres (60.0 ft) (approximately the height of a six-storey building) and open to the public, it serves to advertise an adjacent wooden toy factory and wildlife park. The National Motor Museum is at Birdwood . The National Motor Museum is the endpoint of the " Bay to Birdwood " event, in which up to 5,000 motor vehicles are driven by their owners from Glenelg past

765-702: The Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over 300 kilometres (190 mi) before petering out north of Peterborough . In the vicinity of Adelaide, they separate the Adelaide Plains from the extensive plains that surround the Murray River and stretch eastwards to Victoria. The Heysen Trail traverses almost the entire length of the ranges, crossing westwards to the Flinders Ranges near Hallett . The mountains have

810-551: The Peramangk people occupied the Adelaide Hills region, including the land from the foothills, north from Mount Barker through Harrogate , Gumeracha , Mount Pleasant and Springton to the Angaston and Gawler districts in the Barossa Valley , and also southwards to Strathalbyn and Myponga on the Fleurieu Peninsula , as well as some sites on the River Murray to the east of the hills. The Adelaide Hills were among

855-632: The Qin dynasty , with wines being brought to China from Persia. Some of the more famous wine-producing regions are: With the import of Western wine-making technologies, especially French technology, production of wines similar to modern French wine has begun in many parts of China with the direction of experienced French wine-makers; China is now the sixth largest producer of wine in the world. The following regions produce significant quality of wine: Indonesia has been producing wine for over 18 years, with North Bali's vineyards producing three main grape varieties:

900-554: The Skilly Hills . Mining, although totally absent today, was once a major industry in the northern ranges. The copper mine at Kapunda, just north of the Barossa, operated from 1842 to 1877 and was a major boost to the infant State's economy, but was soon overshadowed by the large workings at Burra , further north. The mine here operated from 1845 to 1877 with a few minor interruptions, and was superseded by even larger workings on

945-464: The Yorke Peninsula . As testament to the volume of copper at Burra, however, the mine re-opened as an open-cut in 1971, before closing again ten years later. The Clare Valley lies in a shallow fold of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges just southwest of Burra. It is yet another world-class wine-producing area, and is a very popular weekend tourist destination for people living in Adelaide . It

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990-523: The Adelaide region, trending northeast to southwest defining these blocks: All the fault zones are still active today, along with the rest of the ranges, and minor earthquakes are relatively common. Larger quakes in the southern ranges are fairly rare: the last to hit a major centre was the 1954 Adelaide earthquake that occurred on 1 March. It measured 5.5 on the Richter scale . A significant aspect of

1035-481: The Barossa). Other mines in the southern ranges include a nineteenth-century silver-lead mine at Talisker near Cape Jervis, which features many remaining old buildings, and the limestone mine at Rapid Bay , which ceased operations much more recently. Copper was mined at Kapunda , Truro and Kanmantoo and may be again [1] and a zinc (and lead, silver and gold) mine is proposed near Strathalbyn [2] . Quarries dot

1080-907: The Belgia, the Alphonse Lavallee and the Probolinggo Biru. The main producer, Hatten Wines, has revolutionized the world of winemaking, with eight wines produced from these three varieties. Prior to the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran was a producer of wine. While production has stopped, the vineyards continue to exist and their product has been diverted to non-alcoholic purposes. Also includes wine regions in Israeli-occupied territories . Geographic indications for Australian wine are governed by law. The geographic indication must indicate where

1125-617: The Fleurieu Peninsula, and Para Wirra Conservation Park at the southern edge of the Barossa Valley. There are many wineries in the ranges. Two wine regions in particular are world-renowned: the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale . Grapes are also grown in the Adelaide Hills and the Onkaparinga Valley. Although no major mines operate in the southern ranges today, there are several large disused ones, and

1170-860: The Fleurieu Peninsula. There are a number of reptiles including the endangered Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink . Biodiversity losses have been severe in the ranges due to the clearance of temperate woodlands. The hillsides have largely been cleared of woodland for fruit growing and other agriculture and the urban growth of Adelaide particularly on the lower slopes, leading to loss of habitat and local extinction of wildlife species including all species of bettong and quoll marsupials and birds including regent honeyeater ( Xanthomyza phrygia ), swift parrot ( Lathamus discolor ), king quail ( Coturnix chinensis ), brown quail ( C. ypsilophora ), and azure kingfisher ( Alcedo azurea ). Clearance and agriculture are ongoing and livestock grazing continues to cause damage to habitats while introduced cats, foxes and rabbits are

1215-537: The Hills include parrots such as the Adelaide rosella , rainbow and musk lorikeets as well as large cockatoos like the Major Mitchell , and the yellow-tailed black cockatoo . Smaller resident species include the superb blue wren and eastern spinebill . Sporting and recreational activities are also popular in the hills region, with sports such as Australian rules football , cricket and soccer having very strong participation rates. The Basket Range Oval

1260-527: The Plains. Mount Lofty Ranges The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide . The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and defines the eastern border of the Adelaide Plains . The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of

1305-518: The city and through the hills to finish at the museum, a distance of 70 km (43 mi), where a festival is held. There are two Bay to Birdwood events held on alternate years: the Run, held on even-numbered years, for vehicles manufactured up to 31 December 1959, while the Classic, held on odd-numbered years, is for vehicles manufactured between 1 January 1956 and 31 December 1986. The Tour Down Under

1350-450: The city to the town of Bridgewater in the heart of the hills but were cut back to terminate at Belair in 1987. For many Adelaide residents, a drive through the hills is a popular pastime, particularly due to proximity to the city and other suburbs. With Adelaide being a linear city extending 90 kilometres (56 mi) north to south, the hills are within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the majority of residents. The Adelaide Hills region

1395-611: The curriculum, and the number of older residents who still speak German. Some customs have grown, such as the Lobethal Christmas lights which began in the 1950s. Today, only one railway goes through the Adelaide Hills: the Adelaide to Melbourne railway line , which was first built in the 1870s and has had only some major realignments since (the most significant of which was the boring of a new tunnel at Sleeps Hill). Commuter passenger train services used to run from

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1440-444: The damage. A small short-lived silver and lead mine in the foothills of the ranges at Glen Osmond was first opened just two years after the founding of the State in 1836: it is significant for being not only the first metal mine in the history of the State, but the first in all Australia. South Australia never experienced a nineteenth-century gold rush like those interstate, but gold was mined near both Echunga and Williamstown (in

1485-585: The earliest days of the colony of South Australia . The hills were then named "the Tiers", and the timber merchants "tiersmen". The first pub in the East End of Adelaide , built at 233-237 Grenfell Street , was known as the Woodman (later being rebuilt as The Producers Hotel). This explains the strong German cultural connection seen in the number of Lutheran churches, Lutheran schools which often have German on

1530-569: The eastern edge of the ranges. North of Adelaide, there was a railway to Angaston in the east of the Barossa Valley, and former railways to Truro and across the ranges near Eudunda to Morgan on the Murray River . The ranges form part of the water supply for Adelaide, and there is an extensive infrastructure of reservoirs, weirs, and pipelines, on the Torrens , Onkaparinga , Little Para and Gawler River catchments. Mount Bold , South Para , Kangaroo Creek , and Millbrook reservoirs are

1575-437: The first areas of South Australia to be settled by European settlers. A number of towns in the Hills were started as German settlements ; Hahndorf and Lobethal are two examples. The original town names and architecture still reflect this. Descendants of these first settlers and others of German origin still reside in the area. Wood was harvested by woodsmen in the hills and carted to the city for building new buildings from

1620-624: The five largest producers of wine in the world were, in order, Italy , France , Spain , the United States , and China . Top wine-producing countries and their volume of wine production for the year 2021 in tonnes , according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is an agency of the United Nations ; this is the latest information available from the FAO. Their data show

1665-451: The following areas. In the UK, the area under vines is small, and whilst viticulture is not a major part of the rural economy, significant planting of new vines has occurred in the early 21st century. The greatest concentration of vineyards is found in the south east of England, in the counties of Hampshire , Kent , Surrey , and Sussex . Regions producing native wines have been present since

1710-452: The geology of the Adelaide area is a number of Tertiary marine sands deposits, many of which have been extensively quarried. One of these deposits is around the outer-northern suburb of Golden Grove ; another area is around McLaren Vale . The natural habitat of the mountainsides is woodland of eucalyptus trees mixed with golden wattle acacia trees on the lower slopes, all with an undergrowth of shrubs and herbs. The flowers include

1755-543: The impression that a car rolls uphill. The ranges are part of the Adelaide Rift Complex . The southern ranges and slopes of Mount Lofty overlooking the Adelaide Plains have been block-faulted to form a half- graben structure. The ranges when viewed from the beach or city have a "stepped" appearance, reflected in an early name for the ranges, "The Tiers". There are several major normal faults in

1800-740: The largest. The northern ranges, often confused with the southern Flinders Ranges , and sometimes referred to as the "Mid-North ranges" or "central hill country", stretch from hills near Kapunda in the south to arid ranges beyond Peterborough in the northeast. The highest peak in this section (and in all the Mount Lofty Ranges – despite the name) is Mount Bryan (936 m or 3,071 ft). Other significant peaks include New Campbell Hill (714 m or 2,343 ft) and Stein Hill (605 m or 1,985 ft), which overlooks Burra . The northern ranges include Belvidere Range , Tothill Range and

1845-414: The north and Kuitpo Forest and Second Valley in the south. Several protected areas exist near Adelaide where the hills face the city in order to preserve highly sought-after residential land: Black Hill Conservation Park , Cleland National Park and Belair National Park are the largest. The other significant parks in the southern ranges are Deep Creek National Park , on the rugged southern shores of

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1890-413: The ranges, the most spectacular and massive of which are in the Adelaide foothills; they supplied much of the quartzite which is to be seen in the enduring "sandstone architecture" of early Adelaide. Today, only a single railway crosses the ranges: the major Adelaide to Melbourne railway line , which was first constructed in the 1870s and has had only minor realignments since (the most significant of which

1935-650: The relatively large numbers of British expatriates who reside in the Hills. Throughout the year there are folk music sessions and concerts held in various small towns like Mt Pleasant , Mylor and Balhannah - connected with this same cultural community. The Hills region includes the Cleland National Park , and within it the Cleland Wildlife Park with its free-roaming kangaroos , wallabies and emus . The park also has enclosed areas for dingos , koalas , native birds and snakes, and

1980-658: The very rare inland carpet python (greater Mount Barker region). Many walking trails, including a portion of the Heysen Trail and bike trails, including the start of the Mawson Trail abound within the Hills. The Heysen Trail itself extends from the tip of the Fleurieau Peninsula, through the Adelaide Hills and on up to the Flinders Ranges, three hours drive north of Adelaide. Birds found in

2025-424: Was the boring of a new tunnel at Sleeps Hill). Passenger services used to run from the city to Bridgewater in the heart of the hills and ranges, but now stop at Belair in the foothills. A railway approached the ranges at Willunga (although it was closed and removed in the 1960s and has since been replaced by a cycling trail). The Victor Harbor railway line (now used only for recreational purposes) largely skirts

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