Greenoch Hotel

Greenock
Tiny village on the north-west edge of the Barossa Valley.
Located 67 km from Adelaide on the north-western edge of the Barossa Valley, Greenock, as its name suggests, is unbelievably green. It is characterised by tree-lined streets with shady peppercorn trees which offer welcome relief from the blistering summers which are characteristic of the area.

Prior to European settlement a small number of Aborigines were well established in the district. They lived on a diet of grass seeds (made into a kind of damper), kangaroos, wallabies, possums, lizards and fish and protected themselves against the winter cold with possum skin rugs. Their life was simple but perfectly in tune with the climate, flora and fauna of the region.

Soon after the arrival of colonists in South Australia in July, 1836 expeditions were sent out to explore the hinterland. By December 1837 explorers had reached Lyndoch and by 1838 other explorers had reached the Murray River passing through the Barossa Valley. The valley was named by Colonel Light after Barrosa (Hill of Roses) in Spain where he had fought against the French in 1811 in the Peninsula War. The spelling mistake was never corrected.

By 1839 Colonel Light, the Surveyor General of South Australia, was selling off large tracts of land in the valley.

It was George Fife Angas's secretary, James Smith, who named Greenoch after a port on the Clyde River in Scotland.

Today the town, with a population of less than 300 people, is a sleepy little retreat.

Things to see:  

A vineyard in the Barossa Valley (courtesy S. A. Tourism Commission)

Vineyards
To explore the vineyards in the area head south towards Seppeltsfield where there are a vast number of substantial vineyards including cellar door sales and tastings. It is also sensible to start any exploration of the vineyards of the area at the information office at Nuriootpa which has information about the entire Barossa Valley area.

Buildings
In the 1980s a major survey of the Barossa Valley towns was prepared by Lester Firth & Murton, Urban Planners and Environmental Consultants. They wrote of Greenock: 'the most important buildings are central to the village at the main intersection. The Post Office, Hotel and Institute buildings front the main street on prominent corner sites. The architecture is Victorian, the buildings of stone with rendered and white painted quoins and consistent detailing ... On slightly elevated land adjacent to the Institute a number of substantial dwellings are of note. A group of small scale verandahed stone cottages dwarfed by the pepper trees form part of the southern entry to the town.'

	Hotels
	Greenock Creek Tavern Kapunda Rd Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8136
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	The Hermitage of Marananga Country Guesthouse P.O. Box 219 Tanunda Greenock SA 5352 Telephone: (08) 8562 2722 Facsimile: (08) 8562 3133 Rating: *****
	Apartments
	Heavens Gate Serviced Apartments Branson Rd P.O. Box 55 Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8189 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Pear Tree Cottage Restaurant and Accommodation Murray St Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8322
	Sophies Cottage Frederick St P.O. Box 402 Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8084
	Restaurants
	Greenock Creek Tavern Kapunda Rd Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8136
	Pear Tree Cottage Restaurant and Accommodation 21 Murray St Greenock SA 5360 Telephone: (08) 8562 8322
	The Hermitage of Marananga Restaurant Seppeltsfield Rd Tanunda Greenock SA 5352 Telephone: (08) 8562 2722 Facsimile: (08) 8562 3133