Hahndorf – Australia’s Oldest Surviving German Settlement Town

After coming from Mount Lofty Summit, we drove straight to Hahndorf, the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia. The town is located at Adelaide Hills which part of Mount Lofty Ranges. After I heard that Handorf is a German Town, I was really curious, as myself coming from an asian country such as mine, wondering what it looks like and what it feels like to be in a German Town. In less than half an hour after we left “The Summit”, we arrived in Hanhdorf.

First thing to noticed before we parked our tour bus were the trees along the Main St. The atmosphere that struck me was like a classic town with the touch of being a farm village. We got off the bus and I joined other tourists which I guessed the age gap was probably not that big compare to mine. They were three whom traveling solo, but in Hahndorf, we looked like friends that traveled together. As of this writing I can’t remember their names anymore. But I had a great time being with them. One of them was German, that was why she’s quite familiar in the ambiance of the place. She’s the one who mentioned to us that German Sausage is typical in a German town.

— Hahndorf Inn

We walked along the Main Street, from the parking area, we started our experience in one of the restaurants where we tasted their cakes. When we entered in the restaurant named Hahndorf Inn, I had this impression that its like a cowboy cafe because of the interior design of the restaurant, some parts seems made from wood and the other parts were concrete. Hahndorf Inn has a long history in the place and I guessed that the inn had been witnessed to a lot of people’s live in the area and even the lives of the visitors that happened there.

— Hahndorf Inn

After we finished our cakes we left Hahndorf Inn. We tried to explore most of the shops and stores along the Main Street. We stopped a little bit in Hahndorf Candle Barn where we found different kinds of candles, scented and crafted candles with additional artistic accessories. Then, it followed by German Village Shop where we saw traditional clocks which famous in old days such as cuckoo clocks and complimented by other hand-made crafts.

Hahndorf – Australia’s Oldest Surviving German Settlement Town

— Hahndorf Candle Barn

— German Village Shop

After reading stuff (from the official site of Hahhdorf) about this German town, I came to learn that the place is one of the historical place not only in Australia but also in Germany. Hahndorf name was came from the name of the ship’s captain that brought the German people in South Australia named Dirk Hahn, a Danes. These German immigrants were Lutherans who experienced great persecution in their faith from the King of Prussia whom got a chance to migrate in this part of Adelaide Hills.

Other places or establishments we passed were Leathersmith and Bush Gallery which we saw displaying leather made good products, Cafe 1839 (which closed that time), Hahndorf Academy which is one of historical building in the town as it used in different purposes from the time it was built last 1857, The German Arms Hotel which marked as historical, significant hotel in the town and serves local German beers, The Hahndorf Old Mill Hotel, The Stables Inn and Pioneer Memorial Gardens.