Old Reynella, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Reynella Adelaide, South Australia
Old South Road, Old Reynella, facing north
Old Reynella Location in South Australia
Established	1840
Postcode(s)	5161
LGA(s)	City of Onkaparinga
Region	Southern Adelaide
County	Adelaide
State electorate(s)	Hurtle Vale
Federal Division(s)	Kingston
Suburbs around Old Reynella: Trott Park O'Halloran Hill Happy Valley Reynella Old Reynella Reynella East Morphett Vale Morphett Vale Woodcroft

Old Reynella is a lively suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It's about 20 kilometers south of the Adelaide city centre. You'll find it in the northern part of the City of Onkaparinga.

This suburb gets its name from John Reynell, an important early winemaker in South Australia. He sold some of his land to create the town of Reynella. This is where Old Reynella stands today. John Reynell was a pioneer in the wine industry. He planted some of the very first grapevines in the area in 1838. This was soon after he arrived in Australia. His property was near Gulf St Vincent, which is close to the famous McLaren Vale wine region.

The Reynella Winery is special because it's said to be the only winery in Australia allowed to use a town's name as its brand. This is because the winery was there before the town was officially formed!

Old Reynella is the historic heart of the area. It was the original home of Reynella Primary School before it moved in 1990. The Hardy Wine Company also started here. Today, Edge Church is located where the old Reynella Markets used to be. The markets closed down in 1995.

History of Old Reynella

Early Days in Hurtle Vale

Photograph of Rupert Reynell's room

When Governor Hindmarsh arrived in South Australia in 1836, a new colony began. The land needed to be surveyed and divided for new settlers. Colonel William Light and his team, including John McLaren, surveyed the land south of Adelaide. This work was finished by 1839.

In 1837, a group including Sir James Hurtle Fisher and Colonel Light explored the area. They found a "beautiful valley" perfect for farming. They named this area Hurtle Vale after Sir James Hurtle Fisher.

Later maps from 1857 show that Hurtle Vale was a large area. It stretched from the hills to the coast. The Field River flowed through its center. While Hurtle Vale was a common name, it was never officially registered. Today, several suburbs like Happy Valley and Reynella are part of what was once Hurtle Vale.

Founding the Town

Reynell homestead, 1896

In 1839, John Reynell rented some land from Thomas Lucas. Soon after, he bought this 80-acre section for £80. John Reynell was proud to be the first settler to fence off an entire 80-acre section. However, he later had to cut his fences. This was to make way for a new road. This road was needed for mail delivery to Encounter Bay.

First Vineyards

In 1841, John Reynell started planting his vineyard. He used cuttings from Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). This vineyard became South Australia's first commercial vineyard. It marked the beginning of a big industry for the region.

Selling Land for Homes

By 1854, more people wanted to live in the area. John Reynell decided to sell parts of his Reynella Farm. This was to create the new township of Reynella.

An advertisement from 1854 described the sale. It said the township would have about 40 acres of land. This land was divided into smaller blocks for houses. The Great South Road ran right through the middle of the town.

The ad also mentioned a large four-story steam mill already built. A nice hotel was also being built and would open soon. The auction was held at the mill.

By 1866, the town had a flour mill, a hotel, a post office, a store, a school, and a chapel. However, by the late 1800s, many farmers moved north. Reynella became quieter, with some ruined houses showing its past.

Old Reynella in the 20th Century

The town grew again thanks to farming and winemaking. By the mid-1900s, tourism also became important.

Around 1920, Gladys Reynell, John Reynell's granddaughter, started her own pottery studio. She became one of Australia's first studio potters. She later married George Samuel Osborne and moved her pottery business away from Reynella.

Later in the century, the main South Road was changed to bypass the town. Since the 1960s, Adelaide's suburbs have spread south. Much of the old farmland has become housing.

You can still see vineyards around Accolade Wines today. This was originally the Reynell Winery, later known as Hardy's Winery.

Historic Places to See

Crown Inn Hotel, South Road, Old Reynella circa 1910

Crown Inn Hotel

In 1853, John Reynell sold some land to Robert Hay. Mr. Hay wanted to build a hotel. This was even before the town's land sales began.

The hotel, now called the Crown Inn Hotel, has been open ever since. It has had different names over the years. It was first the Crown Inn in 1855. Then it became the Crown Hotel and later the Reynella Hotel.

Cellar No.1 - The Old Cave

As John Reynell's winemaking grew, he built Cellar No. 1. This is also known as the Old Cave. It is Australia's oldest working cellar. It is even registered with the National Trust.

In 1845, workers dug this cellar by hand. They used only shovels to dig into the limestone ground. The walls were made of local wood. The roof was made of tree trunks covered with straw and clay. Even today, the cellar is still used!

Reynella Grist Mill

Southern Grist Mill

Because there was so much grain in the area, a large flourmill was built. It was called the Southern Grist Mill. It had four stories and used steam power.

We don't know the exact date it was built. But records show it was working before 1853. A group of local farmers and gentlemen owned the mill.

In 1855, George Pool bought the mill. Sadly, in 1857, the mill manager, John Cain, died in a terrible accident there. George Pool ran the mill until he passed away in 1864. Around 1865, the mill was destroyed by fire. People say it happened under mysterious circumstances.

Today, a shopping mall stands where the mill used to be. It's across from Mill Street.

Changing Station

North of the flourmill were buildings used as a blacksmith shop. This shop was open even before the hotel was built in 1853. These buildings also had stables and rooms for horse handlers.

It was a natural place for travelers to change horses. So, it became a changing station for Cobb & Co coaches. These coaches traveled between Adelaide and Willunga. A small office was added to sell tickets for this service. The changing station stopped operating in 1915. This was when train services started from Willunga to Adelaide.

Old Distillery, now St Francis Winery

Carew Reynell, John Reynell's grandson, loved studying viticulture (grape growing). By age 19, he was managing the winery. He made the business much bigger. He built a distillery and made the company famous for its brandy. Reynella Brandy became Australia's top brandy!

Section of the Coast to Vines rail trail in Old Reynella, facing south

Railway Services

The Adelaide – Willunga railway officially opened on January 20, 1915. Both freight and passenger trains used the line. The last passenger train ran in 1957. A goods train ran twice a week until 1963. The rail service finally closed in May 1969.

The railway line was taken apart starting in 1972. Many sleepers were removed. The high bank that carried the line over the Panalatinga Creek was also removed.

Getting Around Old Reynella

Old Reynella mainly uses buses from the Adelaide Metro network. It has the Old Reynella Bus Interchange. From here, you can connect to Noarlunga Centre, the city, and Westfield Marion.

Major roads like South Road, Panalatinga Road, and the Southern Expressway also serve the area.

The Coast to Vines rail trail is a path that goes through Old Reynella. It's great for walking and cycling.

Sports and Community

The Reynella Community Centre is on Oval Road. It's home to many local sports clubs. These include the Reynella Football Club (for Australian rules football). There are also clubs for cricket, tennis, air rifle, lawn bowls, and darts.

The Reynella Neighbourhood Centre is on Old South Road. It's a busy place with many activities for all ages. The City of Onkaparinga runs it.

Schools in Old Reynella

• Reynella Primary School
• Reynella Community Children's Centre