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{{About|the valley|the wine region|Barossa Valley (wine)|other uses|Barossa (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = region
| name                   = Barossa Valley 
| native_name      = Barossa Tal ([[Barossa German]])
| state                  = sa
| image                  = Tanunda.jpg
| caption                = Autumn colour surrounding [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]]
| coordinates            = {{coord|34|32|S|138|57|E|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map_caption    = The location of Tanunda, one of the key towns in the region.
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop                    = 25,066
| pop_year               = 2021
| pop_footnotes          = <ref>{{cite web |title=Barossa, 2021 Census, QuickStats |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA40310 |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref>
| density                = 20
| density_footnotes      = &nbsp;(approx.)
| area                   = 912
| area_footnotes         =<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barossa.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/About_Council.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312042956/http://www.barossa.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/About_Council.pdf |archive-date=12 March 2011 }}</ref>
| timezone               = [[Australian Central Standard Time|ACST]]
| utc                    = +9.5
| timezone-dst           = [[Australian Central Daylight Time|ACDT]]
| utc-dst                = +10.5
| dist1                  = 60
| dir1                   = NE
| location1              = [[Adelaide city centre]]
| lga                    = [[Barossa Council]]
| lga2                   = [[Light Regional Council]]
}}

The '''Barossa Valley''' ([[Barossa German]]: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in [[South Australia]] located {{convert|60|km}} northeast of [[Adelaide city centre]]. The valley is formed by the [[North Para River]]. It is notable as a major [[list of wine-producing regions|wine-producing region]] and [[tourism|tourist]] destination.

The [[Barossa Valley Way]] is the main road through the valley, connecting the main towns on the valley floor of [[Nuriootpa, South Australia|Nuriootpa]], [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]], [[Rowland Flat, South Australia|Rowland Flat]] and [[Lyndoch, South Australia|Lyndoch]]. The [[Barossa Trail]] walking and cycling path is {{convert|40|km}} long, and passes the main towns, starting from near [[Gawler, South Australia|Gawler]] on the [[Adelaide Plains]], to [[Angaston, South Australia|Angaston]] to the east of the valley.

==History==
[[File:Barossa Valley OSM.png|thumb|A detailed map of the Barossa Valley]]
[[File:Bethany vineyard.jpg|thumb|The Bethany vineyard, first planted in 1852. [[Bethany, South Australia|Bethany]] was the first settlement in the Barossa region.]]

The [[traditional owners]] of the land including the Barossa Valley are the [[Peramangk]] people, who comprise a number of family groups. Evidence of their thousands of years of occupation can be seen all around the area, in the form of artefacts, [[scarred tree|scar trees]] and shelter paintings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guide to the Barossa Valley |url=https://barossawinetour.com.au/guide-to-the-barossa-valley/ |publisher=Sightseeing Tours Australia |access-date=2022-10-23}}</ref>
 
The Barossa Valley derives its name from the [[Barossa Range]], which was named by [[William Light|Colonel William Light]] in 1837. Light chose the name in memory of the British victory over the French in the ''[[Battle of Barrosa|Battle of ''Barrosa'']]'', in which he fought in 1811. The name "Barossa" was registered in error, due to a clerical error in transcribing the name "Barrosa". The area is approximately {{convert|13|by|14|km}}.

The three major towns of the Barossa have distinctive characteristics. [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]] is generally recognised as the most [[Germans|German]] of the three, with traditions dating back to the 1840s when the first [[German settlement in Australia|German settlers arrived in the area]]. Since many of the German settlers came from [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] [[Province of Silesia|Silesia]], they called the Barossa ''Neu-Schlesien'', or "'''New Silesia'''".<ref>[[LeRoy R. Hafen]]. ''Broken Hand''. U of Nebraska Press, 1981. {{ISBN|0-8032-7208-1}}</ref> 

The German influence survives to this day (''see [[Barossa German]]''). [[Angaston, South Australia|Angaston]], in contrast, is considered the [[England|English]] town as it was settled predominantly by [[Cornish people|Cornish]] miners and others from [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The third, and largest town, [[Nuriootpa, South Australia|Nuriootpa]], was influenced by both German and British settlers, and today is the commercial hub of the Barossa and it is where most of the larger stores are located.

{{Further|German Australians#Immigration history}}

In February 2011, [[Premier of South Australia|South Australian Premier]], [[Mike Rann]], announced that special legislation would be introduced to protect the unique heritage of the Barossa Valley and of [[McLaren Vale]]. He said: "Barossa and McLaren Vale food and wine are key icons of South Australia. We must never allow the Barossa or McLaren Vale to become suburbs of Adelaide."<ref>891 ABC, 9 Feb 2011:"No Urban Sprawl into Wine Region"</ref> ''The Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Act 2012'' was subsequently passed by the South Australian Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rau |first1=John |title=McLaren Vale and Barossa protected from today |url=http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/images/news_releases/13_01Jan/barossamclaren.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051526/http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/images/news_releases/13_01Jan/barossamclaren.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-03-04 |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=12 November 2014 |date=18 January 2013 }}</ref>

==People==
In 2021, 25,066 people lived in the Barossa Valley.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barossa, 2021 Census, QuickStats |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA40310 |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref> Most inhabitants live in Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Angaston, Williamstown and [[Lyndoch, South Australia|Lyndoch]], each having over 1,000 people. The remaining population lives in the countryside, or a few smaller towns such as [[Moculta, South Australia|Moculta]] and [[Springton, South Australia|Springton]]. All of these towns are part of the [[Barossa Council|Barossa local government]].  The townships of [[Greenock, South Australia|Greenock]], population 1087,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=2016 Greenock, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2016/SSC40530 |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref> [[Seppeltsfield, South Australia|Seppeltsfield]], population 138,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Seppeltsfield, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2016/SSC41320 |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref> and Maranaga, population 104,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Marananga, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2016/SSC40816 |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref> are located on the western ridge of the valley in [[Light Regional Council]].  Many facilities not available in these towns are usually supplemented in nearby [[Gawler, South Australia|Gawler]]. In recent years, increased development in the area has seen opposition from the local communities.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}

===Religion===
{{See also|German Australians#Old Lutherans}}

The region has a strong German [[Lutheran Church of Australia|Lutheran]] history, and many residents identify themselves as Lutherans.  Some towns have more than one Lutheran church. Tanunda, for example, has Langmeil, St. Paul's, Tabor and St. Johns. Nuriootpa has St. Petri and Holy Trinity. Angaston has Zion and Salem (Penrice).

Each major town has a Lutheran primary school. Tanunda has Tanunda Lutheran School, Nuriootpa has Redeemer, and Angaston has Good Shepherd. St. Jakobi, the Lutheran primary school at Lyndoch, hosts the Barossa Airshow annually as its fundraiser.

===Population===
[[File:NuriootpaMemorialHall.JPG|thumb|[[Nuriootpa, South Australia|Nuriootpa]] Memorial Hall]]
Major Town Populations:

{| class="wikitable"
! bgcolor="#c0c0c0" | '''Rank'''
! bgcolor="#c0c0c0" | '''Urban Centre'''
! bgcolor="#c0c0c0" | '''2016 Census Population'''
|-
| 1
| [[Nuriootpa, South Australia|Nuriootpa]]
| 5,691<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL414003|name=Nuriootpa (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2018|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 2
| [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]]
| 4,324<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL415039|name=Tanunda (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2018|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 3
| [[Angaston, South Australia|Angaston]]
| 2,044<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL415001|name=Angaston (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2018|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 4
| [[Williamstown, South Australia|Williamstown]]
| 2,163<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL415044|name=Williamstown (SA) (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2018|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 5
| [[Lyndoch]]
| 1,799<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL415002|name=Lyndoch (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2018|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 6
| [[Greenock, South Australia|Greenock]]
| 1,087<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 7
| [[Mount Pleasant, South Australia|Mount Pleasant]]
| 586<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL421027|name=Mount Pleasant (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2012|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
| 8
| [[Springton, South Australia|Springton]]
| 378<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL422056|name=Springton (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)|access-date=5 May 2012|quick=on|map=yes}}</ref>
|-
|}
As a rural region, there is also significant population outside of the town centres (not shown here).

==Railway==
{{Expand section|date=September 2024}}
{{Main|Barossa Valley railway line}}
The [[Barossa Valley railway line]] runs through several townships in the valley. The line opened in 1911 and was last used in June 2014. It has since been closed.

==Wine industry==
{{Main|Barossa Valley (wine)}} {{See also|Barossa zone (wine)|List of wineries in the Barossa Valley}}
[[File:Barassa vines.jpg|thumb|Wine grape vines in the Barossa Valley]]
The [[wine]] industry plays a major role in the Barossa, being the main source of employment for many residents. The many [[hectares]] of [[vineyard]]s are the most distinctive feature of the area, especially when viewed from the [[Mengler Hill]] lookout, positioned on the [[Barossa Range]] which forms much of the eastern side of the valley. The success of the wine industry has historically been celebrated every two years with a week-long Barossa Valley Vintage Festival.  The festival draws visitors from all over the world, and has entertainment for all tastes including a huge street parade, concerts and gourmet dining.

The Barossa Valley is primarily known for its red wine, in particular [[Syrah|Shiraz]].<ref>White, Robert E. ''Soils for Fine Wines''. Oxford University Press, USA, 2003. p. 245 {{ISBN|0-19-514102-4}}</ref> Normally, large proportions of Barossa Shiraz are used in [[Penfolds Grange]], Australia's most famous wine.<ref>Gordon, Keith and Debra. ''Wine on Tuesdays: Be a Serious Wine Drinker without Taking Wine Too Seriously''. Thomas Nelson, 2008. p. 136 {{ISBN|1-4016-0418-8}}</ref> Other main grape varieties grown in the region include: [[Riesling]]; [[Semillon]]; [[Grenache]] and [[Cabernet Sauvignon]]. [[Fortified wine]]s have been traditionally produced in the region as well.

Marananga is home to the only sub-regional wine competition in Australia, hosted by the Gnadenfrei Lutheran church community since 2004 and focussed solely on benchmarking wines produced on the Western Ridge of the valley.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Francis |first=Ben |date=2023-08-27 |title=Winners announced for the 2023 Marananga Wine Show |url=https://glamadelaide.com.au/winners-announced-for-the-2023-marananga-wine-show/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Glam Adelaide |language=en-AU}}</ref>

The Barossa Valley is a rich source of some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Shiraz vines planted as early as 1847 by Johann Frederick August Fiedler on Lot 1, Hundred of Moorooroo (the township of Tanunda) are still in commercial production today by [[Turkey Flat]] Vineyards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.turkeyflat.com.au/blog/tag/history|title=Incipere|website=www.turkeyflat.com.au}}</ref>

==Food production==
Although it is overshadowed by the wine industry, significant food production occurs in the Barossa Valley,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foodbarossa.com/ |title=Food Barossa |access-date=2007-12-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120195407/http://www.foodbarossa.com/ |archive-date=20 January 2008 }}</ref> including:
* Bakeries that produce traditional [[German_cuisine#Bread|German bread]]s and pastries
* Butchers who produce meat and smallgoods in the German style
* Artisan cheesemakers
* [[Maggie Beer]] is a renowned cook, food author, restaurateur and food manufacturer. Her Farm Shop sells a range of condiments under her name. She is co-presenter of [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Television]]'s programme ''[[The Cook and the Chef]]''.

The Barossa Valley holds a weekly [[Farmers' Market]], supplying local produce which is sold directly by the producer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barossafarmersmarket.com/|title=Barossa Farmers Market - Fresh Produce Markets|website=Barossa Farmers Market}}</ref>

==Festivals==

===Barossa Vintage Festival===
The week-long Barossa Vintage Festival is held biennially, in odd-numbered years. The festival runs for around a week in [[autumn]], and traditionally marks and celebrates the completion of the year's [[Vintage|vintage season]], at the end of March and beginning of April. A variety of wine-themed events are held during the festival, including wine tastings and competitions, musical events, food events with local produce, balls and parades.

The Barossa Vintage Festival was first held in 1947, to celebrate the end of the grape harvest, and the end of hostilities in [[World War II]], and has run continually since. It is Australia's oldest and longest-running wine festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barossavintagefestival.com.au/about/index.html |title=Barossa Vintage Festival 2011 |access-date=2011-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219071635/http://www.barossavintagefestival.com.au/about/index.html |archive-date=19 February 2011 }}</ref>

===Barossa Gourmet Weekend===
The Barossa Gourmet Weekend is a three-day food, wine and art celebration held in the third weekend of August every year. Local [[wineries]] and venues host individual events throughout the Barossa, offering food, wine, music, arts and hospitality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barossavintagefestival.com.au/|title=Barossa Vintage Festival &#124; 19th – 23rd April 2023|website=www.barossavintagefestival.com.au}}</ref>

==In the arts==
*{{cite book |title =Hill of Grace |date =2004|first =Stephen |last = Orr |publisher =Wakefield Press  |isbn =1-86254-648-7}} Novel set among the German settlers in the Barossa during [[World War II]].

==See also==
* [[German Australian]]
* [[Australian wine]]
* [[South Australian food and drink]]
* [[South Australian wine]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Heuzenroeder |first1=Angela |title=Barossa Food |date=2020 |publisher=[[Wakefield Press (Australia)|Wakefield Press]] |location=Mile End, SA |isbn=9781743058039}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071007183253/http://www.southaustralia.com/Barossa.aspx SouthAustralia.com South Australian Government tourism webpage]
*[http://www.barossa.sa.gov.au Barossa Council official site]
*[http://www.barossa.com Barossa Grape & Wine Association wine & tourism webpage]
*[http://www.barossa.org.au RDA Barossa]

{{South Australia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barossa Valley}}
[[Category:Barossa Valley| ]]
[[Category:German-Australian culture]]
[[Category:Silesian diaspora]]
[[Category:Sorbian diaspora]]