Clare
Substantial township in the heart of one of South Australia's premier wine growing districts.
Clare is the major township in the Clare Valley. Located 136 km from Adelaide it is an ideal place to stay if you intend exploring the thirty wineries which stretch from Emerald Estate in the north to Grosset Wines south of Auburn in the south.

John Horrocks', the explorer, had arrived in Adelaide on his birthday, 22 March 1839. One of his first contacts was with the explorer Edward John Eyre and, on Eyre's advice, he established a sheep station in the Hutt Valley near the present-day town of Clare.

Though a pastoralist, Horrocks began to explore the surrounding area over the next few years and was the first man to use camels for exploration. An impressive character with a commanding manner he was nicknamed 'the King of the North'. Mount Horrocks and Horrocks Pass, to the north of Clare, are named after him.

Clare itself was first settled in the early 1840s by Edward ('Paddy') Burton Gleeson. The area was variously known as The Twins (after the two gum trees where Gleeson first pitched his tent), Inchiquin (after the name of his property), Gleeson's Village (for obvious reasons) and eventually Gleeson, to remove confusion, named the township after County Clare, his home place in Ireland.

He had purchased 500 acres and by 1842 he had it surveyed and some of it divided into small blocks. It was also around this time that he planted crops leading to the claim that he was the first person to reap a grain in South Australia.

By 1848 David Kenny, another Irishman, had leased land from Gleeson and established the town's first pub. Clare District Council was formed in 1853 and by 1868 the town had a corporation which was dominated by Gleeson who became known as 'the King of Clare'.

A vineyard in the Clare Valley (pic: S.A. Tourism Commission)

The town prospered as a major service centre and a transportation node, a situation which was greatly helped by the arrival of the railway line in the 1880s. Today it is the centre of the Clare Valley and is surrounded by vineyards (mainly to the south), cereal cropping and sheep farming.

Things to see:

Riesling Trail
This is a truly fascinating recent tourist attraction. The old railway line between Auburn and Clare has been carefully covered over with easy-to-walk-on gravel and opened up as the Riesling Trail. The idea is that people can walk or cycle up the Clare Valley away from the main road. They can experience the quiet beauty of the area and, eventually, there will be numerous sideways off the main Trail which will encourage visitors to divert to wineries and craft shops. At the moment it is just a very charming and pleasant walkway/cycleway. Bicycles can be hired in Clare.

Bungaree Station
Located 12 km north of Clare, Bungaree was first settled by Europeans when George Hawker chose the site for his head station in 1841. It grew to become one of the great South Australian properties with its own farm cottages, manager's house, shearing sheds, church (St Michaels consecrated in 1864) and local council chambers (built in 1868). It is now recognised as one of Australia's finest merino studs. It is a real living museum and visits can be made by appointment. The Bungaree Homestead, a glorious two-storey building, is a comment on the success of the property. It is one of Australia's finest 19th century houses. Visitors stay in the shearers quarters. They don't spend the night in the homestead. Contact (08) 8842 2677.

The Clare Court House

Old Clareville Museum
Located in Lennon Street this historic cooperative winery has been converted into a museum of wine making. It also has a restaurant and a gift shop. It is open seven days. Contact (08) 8842 1222.

Old Police Station Museum
Located on the corner of Victoria Rd and West Terrace and open weekends and public holidays 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. this museum is located in Clare's oldest building which dates from 1850. It has an attractive gabled porch and diamond-shaped window panes. It records the region's history through furniture, clothing and equipment. For details (08) 8842 3656.

Wolta Wolta
Shortly after the arrival of 'Paddy' Gleeson in the district, John Hope, another Irish migrant, moved into the district. He built his homestead in 1846 and continued to add to it until 1870. The Hope family still own the house which has a fine collection of interesting antiques. The home was badly damaged in the 1983 bushfires but has since been restored. It is open for inspection on Sundays. It is located to the west of the town - follow Victoria Road west and turn north at Neagles Rock Road. Contact (08) 8842 3656.

Lookouts
If you continue south on Neagles Rock road you will arrive at Neagles Rock Lookout which offers an excellent view over the Clare Valley. Equally impressive is Billy Goat Hill Lookout in the middle of town - turn off the Main North Road at Lennon Street (to the east) and then turn north in Union Street until you reach Wright Street which offers access to the lookout.

Autumn in the Clare Valley vineyards

Wineries
Knappstein Wines
Located 2 Pioneer Avenue, Clare this 44.5 hectare family winery was established in 1976 and specialises in red and white table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, gewurztraminer, sauvignon blanc, Merlot, cabernet franc and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2600.

Jim Barry Wines
Located on Main North Road, north of Clare this family winery was established in 1959 (Jim Barry started planting the vines in 1947) and specialises in quality red and white table wines, ports and sparkling wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, Merlot, Malbec, chardonnay and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2261.

Emerald Estate
Located on Main North Road, north of Clare this 18.5 hectare family winery was established in 1989 and specialises in red and white table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, chardonnay, semillon, pinot noir and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2450.

Leasingham Wines
Located at 7 Dominic Street, Clare this historic winery was established in 1893 and specialises in dry red and white table wines and sparkling wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, chardonnay, semillon, Malbec, Merlot, sauvignon blanc and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2555.

Harvesting grapes in the Clare Valley (pic: S.A. Tourism Commission)

Duncan Estate
Located on Spring Gully Road, south of Clare this 7 hectare family winery was established in 1968 (the first wines were produced in 1984) and specialises in red and white table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, chardonnay, semillon, pinot noir, Malbec, Merlot, sauvignon blanc, Grenache, traminer, Petit Verdot and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8843 4335.

Wendouree Cellars
Located on Wendouree Road, south of Clare this small, historic family winery was established in 1895 and run by the family until it was sold in 1970. It specialises in red table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, Malbec, Muscat of Alexandria, Mataro and shiraz grapes. It is open six days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2896.

Tim Adams Wines
Located on Warenda Road, south of Clare this small winery was established in 1986 and specialises in red and white table wines and fortified wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, riesling, semillon, Malbec, Grenache, cabernet franc and shiraz grapes. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 2429.

Sevenhills Cellars
Located to the south of Clare and east of Sevenhill on College Road this is probably the most famous vineyard in the Clare Valley. It was established in 1851 by the Jesuits and is still run by the Jesuits. While it specialises in red and white table wines it also produces and exports altar wines. Its wines are derived from cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, Merlot, riesling, semillon, tokay, Verdelho, traminer, Grenache, Touriga, frontignac, cabernet franc, ruby cabernet and Pedro grapes. It is open Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays and religious festivals) for tastings and sales. Tours are by appointment. For more details contact (08) 8843 4222.

Eldredge Wines
Located on Spring Gully Road west of Sevenhill and south of Clare this 53 hectare winery was established in 1994 and specialises in red and white table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, riesling and shiraz grapes as well as other grapes which are bought locally. It is open seven days for tastings and sales. For more details contact (08) 8842 3086.