From its start in
1839,
Balhannah was an important
centre for the Valley country.
It possessed a butter and cheese factory by the mid-1890s and by the start of
World War I
it had one of Australia's first
fruit cold stores, which is
still operational.
Balhannah
didn't make a fuss about such things, though - it just quietly went about its
productive life.
A boost in 1883 was the arrival of the railway. Being thus connected with Adelaide provided a bonus which gave it an edge over the other valley townships. The station structures remain relatively unaltered.
Its dairy factory closed in the 1920s - the house built for the complex is now privately occupied, while the adjacent factory buildings serve as a garage.
Of
much earlier origin, though extended over the years, is the
Golden Cross Hotel
of 1850,
which was the town's second hotel.
The Anglican church of St Thomas,
dating from the 1860s,
occupies an attractive setting.
The Balhannah Co-operative Society's cold store started in 1914 at the hands of nurseryman H N Wicks and August Filsell. The original store built of wood and insulated with sawdust, was powered by a gas producer, a system better remembered as a World War II alternative fuel for motor vehicles.
Balhannah Mine
A gold-copper-bismuth
property. Originally mined for Copper, there was a considerable amount of ore
found close to the surface, Bismuth was found and became more plentiful with
depth. Gold was found in association with the Bismuth and records show that
several beautiful specimens of pure Gold in native Bismuth were found.
The Engine house is now a private residence after being renovated during the
late 1980's after it was placed on the South Australian, State Heritage listing.
The building won the HIA 1990 Home of the Year award in the category of
alterations and additions over $70,000. The Design Institute of Australia
awarded the building a Design Merit Award in 1990 for Recycling Interiors
Balhannah Tourism Information Section by Adelaide Hills On-Line.
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