The Barossa region of South Australia is a unique place, most famous for its celebrated wines and as a holiday destination. But there’s much more to the region than wine & tourism.

The people there have  a real connection with the earth, the weather, food and a huge reliance on each other & their community. It makes it a very special place, and is what underpins the whole structure of the region.

Below are a series of sound slides, interviews and photos of some incredible people, all going about their lives in an extraordinary, everyday way. We hope you find them fascinating and enlightening, and find a new depth to the beautiful region that is The Barossa.

This project was undertaken discover the people that make The Barossa tick, the everyday people that do extraordinary things in their day to day life. It’s what really makes the place unique.

The underlying reason why people move to, live in and love the Barossa? Not wine, not food, not the landscape (although all of these figure greatly in their thinking) but community! The way people support you, the way you can ask anyone for help and the way the whole region is linked together by daily interactions. Within these interviews, many taken at random, there was always a connection to at least 2 or 3 of the other people interviewed. This is what the people of the Barossa love the most about where they live.

THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY RDA BAROSSA

There was exhibition of images and videos during Barossa Vintage Festival 2017. The project is ongoing. Chris Sands

Extraordinary Everyday Barossa won the Economic Development Australia Award for Best Marketing Campaign. Nice!

Barry make knives. Beautiful knives, that are now world renowned.

He makes all his knives from recycled steel, such as old band saw blades, bearings, even steel car parts. Then he forges them into iconic and beautiful pieces. 

Barry is also very cool.

Visit his website here>>

Margaret Lehmann is a Barossa legend!  Wife and ‘partner in shenanigans’ to the late, great Peter Lehmann (Peter Lehmann Wines) they, together, helped shape the Barossa region into the place it is today.

She talks about the early days when she came to the region, and how the peasant lifestyle dominated by the mantra “Waste Not Want Not” helped to create this unique region.

Oliver is a cycling hero after breaking Sir Hubert Opperman’s Australian record for  the grueling ‘Paris-Brest-Paris’ cycle race. A record that had stood since 1931.

Here he talks about his cycling obsession and his love for riding, working and living in the Barossa Valley.

Fiona & Matteo moved from Italy (although Fiona is Australian born) and started their business from the Barossa Farmers Market in Angaston. They now run Casa Carboni, a cooking school teaching exquisite italian methods using hyper local ingredients (with a few things brought in from Matteo’s home country for extra authenticity). A fascinating story.

Tony restores anything on 2 wheels! And people send their vintage motorcycles and bikes from all over Australia to him to lovingly bring back to life. He works from his tiny, crammed workshop in his garden.

He is also a tremendous cyclist. In fact some people may say Tony is a bit obsessive. We just think he is extraordinary!

Brett Grocke, vintner and winemaker talks about life, love of the land, growing up and his passion for wine. He spoke to us at his off-grid winery based in the beautiful Barossa Valley.

Brett is 5th generation Barossan and a renowned winemaker & grape grower. Here he explains his ethos to work, life and roots.

Caitlin Angus is the 7th generation of one of the original settler families of South Australia. She takes us behind the scenes of the famous Hutton Vale farm, tells us about the ethics and values that drive the family to produce wonderful, high welfare local produce, and of their connection to the landscape and community of Anguston and the Barossa region.

Tuoi  started the renowned restaurant FERMENT ASIAN in Tanunda, Barossa with no training and no experience, just a passion for food. Through sheer determination, skill and relentless hard work, she now owns one of South Australia’s most renowned restaurants.

Here she talks about her love for local produce, their own grown produce from their land and organics. 

Carmel makes curries and chutneys.

She deliberately chooses an alternative lifestyle that makes her connection to the Barossa stronger, and her sense of place remarkable.

And she has some of the best friends you could wish to meet!

The CoOperative in Nuriootpa, I believe, is a model for the world in community based sustainable retail.

With over 18,000 members, supporting small local businesses in extraordinary ways and ploughing profits back into the community it is unique, refreshing and just plain bloody brilliant!

INTERVIEW WITH GRAHAM LONGMUIR

Harry is a man happy in his environment. He built his home for his family from scratch on his own. He’s worked at a national level in advertising, been a builder, artist, musician and much more. Now he enjoys a quiet life with his art and projects on his big piece of land near Keyneton. He didn’t want to be interviewed, but was happy for us to photograph as he took us round his amazing self-made space. I was introduced to Harry by Carmel of Carmella’s Curries.

Aston is 15. She exemplifies the work and life ethic I found in young people as I traveled the Barossa region. She is learning the trade of a coffee roaster and barista by working alongside Bean Addiction in Nuriootpa, and in cafes. Here she talks about how her earlier life brought out her passion for coffee and how her school goes above and beyond to help the students connect with Barossan culture through food and wine.

Phoung & Van Nguyen live in Virginia, South Australia, on the border of the Barossa Region. Their parents came from Vietnam to Australia as refugees, with nothing to their name.

From that, they have built a big family business of market garden farms, and the two girls now own the pharmacy in Virginia. Here they talk about their family history, work ethic, family ties and their love for where they live.

John Hughes is the multi award-winning winemaker and owner of the Reisingfreak label.

John suffers from cerebral palsy, and as a youngster struggled to realise his ambitions in business because of his disability.

Now, as a successful entrepreneur, John wants to help young people with disabilities by giving them the opportunities he never had. Alongside Foundation Barossa, John has set up the ‘Kicking Goals Foundation’ to mentor young people into work. John is a top bloke!.