Clare. Old salt box style cottage near the Main Street.
Edward John Eyre in 1839 described the Clare valley as the best land he had seen after the Mt Barker district in the Adelaide Hills. The Hawkers squatted on land here in 1840 and an Irishman, Edward Gleeson took up land nearby at Clare which he called Inchiquin. This historic homestead, dating from 1842, can just be seen from the road as we depart Clare for Blyth. Gleeson started an Irish Catholic migration to Clare. John Ainsworth Horrocks of Penwortham also established an early property in the valley. Following the Hutt River Special Survey in 1841 Horrocks became the first settler to buy surveyed land. The Hawkers purchased some land at this time too but it was Penwortham that became the first focus of the valley with a small village established there from 1841. Horrocks is buried in the grounds of St Marks Anglican Church in Penwortham after being accidentally killed on an exploration expedition through Horrocks Pass near Port Augusta in the southern Flinders Ranges in 1846.
With his death the focus shifted to Clare where Edward Gleeson had established his home in 1842. To work his property he had around 20 Indian coolies at one stage. This settlement grew slowly and came into existence as a village in 1845 when copper was discovered at Burra. At this time Gleeson used the name Clare for the first time for his village. There was also a small local copper mining boom at Armagh (named after the town in Ireland, like Clare itself) on the western outskirts of Clare. The Catholic influence in the Clare Valley increased after 1851 with the arrival of Father Kanewitter and the Jesuits at nearby Sevenhill. St Michaels Catholic Church in Clare was started in 1847 making it the third Catholic structure in SA.
By 1850 the town boasted a police station, bakery, flour mill (still standing in the Main Street), two hotels and numerous retail businesses. As the founder of Clare, Gleeson became the leading citizen, being the town’s first Mayor, Post Master, and Magistrate. Reputedly gruff and stern he nevertheless exhibited good community spirit by donating an acre of land for the first school. The local pastoralists were important economically to the town and apart from the Hawkers of Bungaree, there were the Angas family at Hill River Station. This was purchased by John Howard Angas, the builder of Collingrove at Angaston in 1871. This is still owned and run by members of the Angas family.
By the 1870s the town was an agricultural service centre and by that time small plantings of fruit, vines and vegetables had been established in the valley. Wheat and barley were the main agricultural crops in the wider district. It was not until the 1890s that the wine industry became firmly established and significant. Sevenhill winery began in 1853 and the Springvale Winery at Watervale (later changed to Quelltaler) was not established until 1868. Stanley Winery established by the Knappstein family did not begin operations till 1893 in a disused jam factory that had started business in 1882 but had closed in 1886.
1.The old Police barracks and courthouse. Built in 1850 with pretty leadlight windows typical of the 1850s. Clare had regional police troopers for the area from Port Wakefield to Burra in the 1850s.
2.Auchamore. One of the grand houses of Clare in Agnes Street built in 1860.
3.Bleak House. This large house, hardly visible from the road, was built in 1872 for the manager of Bungaree Station owned by the Hawkers. Mr Beare named it, Bleak House, after the Dickens novel.
4.St Michaels Catholic Church. The first church erected here for the Irish Catholic community was started in 1847 and was the third Catholic Church built in the state. It opened in 1849. In 1873 a new, grand baroque style Catholic Church was started. It took ten years to complete. The towering dome used to totally dominate the landscape of Clare.
5.The Uniting Church. This building began life as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in 1851. This original chapel is now the hall. The Methodist Church beside it was opened in 1867 and is now part of the Uniting Church of Australia.
6.Former AMP Society Building. This fine stone building was built for the AMP Society in 1917. It is classified by the National Trust because of its unusual architectural features. It has some classical Greek elements- the triangular and curved pediments across the top of the building, and the long columns- five, down the façade, and the laurel motifs around the circular features in the triangular pediments above the main doors. It has some Art Nouveau features - the curvaceous scrolls on the tops and bottoms of the five “classical” style columns. It has some Art Deco features with the vertical stone “fans” which contrast with the horizontal stone work for the overall building. Unfortunately there are some tacky wooden supports in the ground floor window frames.
7.Mill Street School. This was Clare’s first public school which opened in 1872. This fine stone structure with buttresses is now a private residence.
8. The Salt Box Georgian House. On the corner of Mill Street and North Road is a typical “salt box” style Georgian house. Note the perfect symmetry, the 12 paned windows. Although two storeys it slopes down to a single storey the rear, giving it an old fashioned salt box shape.
9.Clare Public Library. This delightful building began life as the town Institute. It was erected in 1872 in classical Greek style. Although very narrow the proportions work well. Note the symmetry and the three sets of triangular pediments topping three sets of French windows.
Clare. Old salt box style cottage near the Main Street.
Edward John Eyre in 1839 described the Clare valley as the best land he had seen after the Mt Barker district in the Adelaide Hills. The Hawkers squatted on land here in 1840 and an Irishman, Edward Gleeson took up land nearby at Clare which he called Inchiquin. This historic homestead, dating from 1842, can just be seen from the road as we depart Clare for Blyth. Gleeson started an Irish Catholic migration to Clare. John Ainsworth Horrocks of Penwortham also established an early property in the valley. Following the Hutt River Special Survey in 1841 Horrocks became the first settler to buy surveyed land. The Hawkers purchased some land at this time too but it was Penwortham that became the first focus of the valley with a small village established there from 1841. Horrocks is buried in the grounds of St Marks Anglican Church in Penwortham after being accidentally killed on an exploration expedition through Horrocks Pass near Port Augusta in the southern Flinders Ranges in 1846.
With his death the focus shifted to Clare where Edward Gleeson had established his home in 1842. To work his property he had around 20 Indian coolies at one stage. This settlement grew slowly and came into existence as a village in 1845 when copper was discovered at Burra. At this time Gleeson used the name Clare for the first time for his village. There was also a small local copper mining boom at Armagh (named after the town in Ireland, like Clare itself) on the western outskirts of Clare. The Catholic influence in the Clare Valley increased after 1851 with the arrival of Father Kanewitter and the Jesuits at nearby Sevenhill. St Michaels Catholic Church in Clare was started in 1847 making it the third Catholic structure in SA.
By 1850 the town boasted a police station, bakery, flour mill (still standing in the Main Street), two hotels and numerous retail businesses. As the founder of Clare, Gleeson became the leading citizen, being the town’s first Mayor, Post Master, and Magistrate. Reputedly gruff and stern he nevertheless exhibited good community spirit by donating an acre of land for the first school. The local pastoralists were important economically to the town and apart from the Hawkers of Bungaree, there were the Angas family at Hill River Station. This was purchased by John Howard Angas, the builder of Collingrove at Angaston in 1871. This is still owned and run by members of the Angas family.
By the 1870s the town was an agricultural service centre and by that time small plantings of fruit, vines and vegetables had been established in the valley. Wheat and barley were the main agricultural crops in the wider district. It was not until the 1890s that the wine industry became firmly established and significant. Sevenhill winery began in 1853 and the Springvale Winery at Watervale (later changed to Quelltaler) was not established until 1868. Stanley Winery established by the Knappstein family did not begin operations till 1893 in a disused jam factory that had started business in 1882 but had closed in 1886.
1.The old Police barracks and courthouse. Built in 1850 with pretty leadlight windows typical of the 1850s. Clare had regional police troopers for the area from Port Wakefield to Burra in the 1850s.
2.Auchamore. One of the grand houses of Clare in Agnes Street built in 1860.
3.Bleak House. This large house, hardly visible from the road, was built in 1872 for the manager of Bungaree Station owned by the Hawkers. Mr Beare named it, Bleak House, after the Dickens novel.
4.St Michaels Catholic Church. The first church erected here for the Irish Catholic community was started in 1847 and was the third Catholic Church built in the state. It opened in 1849. In 1873 a new, grand baroque style Catholic Church was started. It took ten years to complete. The towering dome used to totally dominate the landscape of Clare.
5.The Uniting Church. This building began life as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in 1851. This original chapel is now the hall. The Methodist Church beside it was opened in 1867 and is now part of the Uniting Church of Australia.
6.Former AMP Society Building. This fine stone building was built for the AMP Society in 1917. It is classified by the National Trust because of its unusual architectural features. It has some classical Greek elements- the triangular and curved pediments across the top of the building, and the long columns- five, down the façade, and the laurel motifs around the circular features in the triangular pediments above the main doors. It has some Art Nouveau features - the curvaceous scrolls on the tops and bottoms of the five “classical” style columns. It has some Art Deco features with the vertical stone “fans” which contrast with the horizontal stone work for the overall building. Unfortunately there are some tacky wooden supports in the ground floor window frames.
7.Mill Street School. This was Clare’s first public school which opened in 1872. This fine stone structure with buttresses is now a private residence.
8. The Salt Box Georgian House. On the corner of Mill Street and North Road is a typical “salt box” style Georgian house. Note the perfect symmetry, the 12 paned windows. Although two storeys it slopes down to a single storey the rear, giving it an old fashioned salt box shape.
9.Clare Public Library. This delightful building began life as the town Institute. It was erected in 1872 in classical Greek style. Although very narrow the proportions work well. Note the symmetry and the three sets of triangular pediments topping three sets of French windows.