The Elusive Enigma of the Adelaide Hills

Acclaimed author and journalist, Bruce Elder, tackles a gnarly South Australian question

For years I used to fly to Adelaide to report on the Womadelaide festival. In the early years it was beyond magnificent. Superb international acts – particularly from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. A sublime setting – the Botanic Gardens. Weather that was idyllic – Adelaide at that time was warm, balmy and dry. And the best food stalls of any festival in Australia. It was a rare case of a festival where the word “unforgettable” could never be overused.

It was at the festival that I met Nicky Downer, wife of the politician, Alexander Downer (who lives in the Adelaide Hills and was one of many failed leaders of the Liberal Party), and asked her: “So, exactly where and what are the Adelaide Hills?”

Main Street Hahndorf [Adelaide Hills Tourism]

She had lived there most of her adult life but had trouble defining the area with precision.

So what can we say about this idyllic, and very upmarket, area?

i. Nowhere in Australia is the edge of the city so close to the Central Business District. It is literally twenty minutes from King William Street in the heart of Adelaide to the viewing platform at Mount Lofty and even less to Crafers, the first town on the edge of the Adelaide Hills.

ii. Make it even more tempting! It is only 15 minutes from King William Street along a perfectly straight road (Adelaide was built on a grid system like no other city – thank you, Colonel Light!) until you reach Penfolds Magill Estate where the internationally acclaimed Grange Hermitage is grown and bottled. Yes, 15 minutes from city centre to vineyard.

iii. But the challenge is: exactly where are the Adelaide Hills? Some people tend to say 'Oh it’s the area around Stirling and Bridgewater'. Others, including one cynical taxi driver, describe it as a trendy area that should be turned into a theme park to attract tourists to the state. 

Main Image: Uraidla [Adelaide Hills Tourism]

BRUCE ELDER
Journalist, music critic, writer and commentator.
Bruce Elder has been involved in the writing of over
60 books and has worked as a print and radio journalist
in both London and Sydney. From 1987-2012, he was
a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald specialising
in travel, music and popular culture. Since retirement,
he has written over 2.7 million words which has resulted
in Aussie Towns – a guide to over 1300 towns around the country.