The pretty village of Auburn began as a hole in the ground – actually, a home dug into the banks of the Wakefield River and occupied by one William Tateham in 1849. Tateham hosted travellers and the place became known as Tateham’s Waterhole. The town was surveyed in 1850, a pub was built and newly named Auburn began to profit from bullock drivers carting copper ore from the mines of Burra to Port Wakefield. Many of the town’s charming stone buildings, which feature Auburn bluestone, are still serving refreshments today. The town is considered the southern gateway to the Clare Valley, one of Australia’s oldest wine regions with some 40 wineries.

FAST FACTS!

• The Ngadjuri homelands covered roughly 30,000 square km. From Gawler in the south up to Carrieton in the Flinders Ranges
• Auburn was the birthplace of the poet, CJ Dennis. Look for the metal recreation of the old Auburn pub where Dennis’ father was the publican
• The Rising Sun Inn was the first commercial building in Auburn, built in 1850. The original stables, the name and the licence are still intact. It was renamed The Rising Sun Hotel in 1904
• Auburn offers some great walking and cycling, it’s the junction of the Riesling Trail and Rattler Trail. While one of Australia’s premier mountain biking adventures, the Mawson Trail, which traverses 900km from Adelaide’s outskirts to the Flinders Ranges, passes through.