Surrounded by rolling hills, picturesque valleys, tall gums and farming country, the charming historic town of Strathalbyn is recognised as one of South Australia’s prettiest towns. It was settled in 1839 by Scottish immigrants and named by John Rankine, with ‘strath’ being a Gaelic-origin word for ‘a broad mountain valley’. The town prospered thanks to travellers heading to the Victorian goldfields, and also because of the quality of local farmland. Today it’s still an important farming town, though it’s known widely for its antique and second-hand shops. Strathalbyn is a great base to explore the nearby Langhorne Creek wine region, renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

FAST FACTS!

• This area was an important meeting and camping place for the Peramangk and Ngarrindjeri Peoples

• One of the earliest homesteads was Glenbarr, built in 1842. Today it hosts guided tours and a variety of events

• The town gasworks, built in 1869 and now a B&B, supplied fuel for the town’s street lighting until electricity replaced gas just after World War I

• The National Trust History Museum is in the former police station, built in 1858

• The one tonne bell in St Andrew’s Uniting Church was too heavy for the spire so a bell tower had to be built to accommodate it