Editing Barossa Valley (section)

==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>