tourist information for south australia - Clare Valley

Clare Valley - South Australia

Though the region is now most famous for its wines, a tradition begun in 1851 by the Jesuit priests at Sevenhill, the Clare Valley was also once the powerhouse behind South Australia’s economy. The areas around Kapunda and Burra were rich with copper and during the boom, miners from Wales and Cornwall flocked to the area. The picturesque towns of Mintaro and Auburn grew up on the copper trail.

This heritage is still very much a part of the Valley and well worth exploring. Heritage trails in each town offer you a pleasant walk or drive through history: one of the best is the Burra Heritage Trail. Just call in at the Burra Visitor Information Centre for a ‘passport’ and key. Visitors can set their own pace for this award-winning tour.

Copper was not the only boom in the Clare Valley. The first sheep station was settled in the region in 1840. Sir Sidney Kidman, the “cattle king” made his family home at Kapunda where he sold his horses at the rear of the North Kapunda Hotel.
In later years he donated his home to the stIt’s now the main building of Kapunda High School.

Nearby there are several grand houses that stand as testimony to the heyday of the pastoralists. One of these is Martindale Hall, gifted to the State in 1986 and now open to the public. The surrounding farmlands are part of the pastoral holdings of Adelaide University and the income from this property still supports research and teaching at the Adelaide University’s Waite Campus.