Established in 1839, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, located in the Adelaide Hills, 28km southeast of Adelaide, South Australia.
Hahndorf’s pioneer settlers were refugees escaping from religious persecution in Prussia (a north-eastern Germanic state). Thirty-eight Old Lutheran families settled the area after arriving in South Australia in 1838.
On their arrival in the new colony, Dirk Hahn, who captained the Zebra, had become deeply concerned about the welfare of his passengers. During his stay in Adelaide, he supported them to find extra land in the Adelaide Hills. This land was in addition to what the much larger group had already purchased just outside the capital of Adelaide.
Thanking the Captain for his assistance, they named the town Hahndorf (Hahn’s village) after him.
Hahndorf is located just 30 minutes from Adelaide via the South Eastern Freeway, with the Hahndorf exit clearly marked.
Source:
www.hahndorfwalkingtours.com.au/about-hahndorf/ 