Extras From A Barossa Heritage

One of the great attractions of South Australia is the Barossa Valley, that fertile stretch of land that produces almost a third of Australia's wine.
It was named in 1837 by Colonel William Light, the first Surveyor-General of the Province, who had served under the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Barossa in Feb. 1811, during the Peninsular War. The general topography of the area reminded him of the Spanish Barossa.

The valley was soon populated by a good mixture of Englishmen in search of grazing land and Germans who had fled from the religious persecution ruthlessly imposed on them because the chose to differ.

In the early 1830's, Frederic Wilhelm 111 of Prussia decreed that the liturgy of the State Church would be compulsory. This offended the Lutherans who wished to retain their old form of service. They valiantly refused and adhered to their beliefs and in consequense, these devout people were fined, had their property confiscated and in many cases, were imprisioned.

Hundreds of Lutherans decided to emigrate rather than alter their beliefs or suffer unjust oppression. Under the leadership of their Pastors and with the charitable help of George Fife Angas, serveral groups chose South Australia as their new home.