Lobethal

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(Extract from Adelaide Hills Council - History and Heritage Information - Published 23 October 2013)

The pretty town of Lobethal was settled in 1842 by German migrants from the sailing vessel Skjold, along with their guide and mentor, Pastor Fritzsche. The village was laid out in the hufendorf style, elements of which still remain today. The name 'Lobethal', from the Old Testament, translates as 'Valley of Praise'.

In 1850, FW Kleinschmidt's brewery opened, closing after two decades. The vacated brewery building then housed the Lobethal Tweed Factory, which eventually became the renowned Onkaparinga Woollen Company. Onkaparinga textile products became widely known around Australia. A factory producing cricket bats from locally grown willow also operated from 1894 until 1950.

In the 1930s, Lobethal staged an Australian Grand Prix race, half a century before the Grand Prix came to Adelaide. The town also boasts the oldest Lutheran church in Australia, St John's, built in 1845.

Lobethal's major tourist attraction is Fairyland Village and Fauna Park, which contains animated fairy tales in an attractive setting, native animals, light lunches and Devonshire teas, barbecue and picnic facilities.

The town is also famous for its annual display of Christmas lights, which brings Adelaide people in droves during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Bushland Park is a joint venture between St John Ambulance Auxiliary and Adelaide Hills Council. Visitors can enjoy the natural surrounds with stringybark, blue gums and wildlife. There is also a camping area and canoeing, and the park's two reservoirs contain redfin and yabbies.