McLaren Vale was named after David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company, who arrived in the colony in 1837 and departed three years later. There is some dispute because some sources claim that town was named after a Scotsman, John McLaren, who surveyed the area in 1839. Before either of them came along the local Aborigines reputedly called the area Myallina Dooronga.
Two small villages – Gloucester and Bellevue – were established here in the 1840’s by migrants from Great Britain, In 1923 buildings from these villages merged, adopting the name of the valley.
Until the 1920s McLaren Vale was applied to the region more than to the particular town and even today there is a feeling that the surrounding vineyards are really McLaren Vale vineyards even if they are some kilometres outside the town.
This is an area which has always been about grape growing. As early as 1850 the historic Hardy and Seaview wineries were in operation. It is widely accepted that Thomas Hardy's purchase of the Tintara vineyard in 1853 is the symbolic beginning of the town.
Many buildings from these early days can still be found in and around the area. Early life was founded on farming with and emphasis on cereal crops. Evidence of the prosperity in the era can be found in McLaren Vale today. McLaren Vale is now a busy town with about 2000 residents and makes an ideal base when exploring the McLaren Vale Wine Region and other attractions in the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Several specialty museums provide an insight into the history of the area.
McLaren Vale Tourism Information Section by Adelaide Hills On-Line.
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