Hahndorf Academy — Attraction in Hahndorf

Hahndorf Academy is a cultural centre with a shop, gallery, and museum celebrating local artists and local stories. The heritage building, built in 1857, was originally a school, which operated for over fifty years before being used as a hospital/nursing home, council offices, and private residence. The centre opening as a gallery and museum in 1967.

Entry is free, though you can make a donation, and the Academy is open seven days a week between 10am and 5pm. The building also houses the Adelaide Hills Visitor Centre. The first room is a gallery/retail outlet displaying a selection of original quality handcrafted products created by local and South Australian artists and craftspeople. This then opens onto a gallery showcasing local, regional and national artists. Opening off the retail gallery is a German Migration Museum which tells stories of the lives of Hahndorf’s pioneering families. It also includes a selection of drawings by Hans Heysen. The staircase to the upper floor galleries is relatively steep but worth the climb.

We were also pleasantly surprised on the Sunday they held a free event, 'Imagine the Past', in the courtyard/gardens of the building, with weaving, spinning, embroidery, cheese making, timber joinery, wood turning, and blacksmithing demonstrations....

A must-visit place if you wish to gain some insights on Hahndorf’s history, namely the tragic religious prosecution in 1800s which forced Lutherans to embark on a painstaking journey, the walking trail through which German settlers traded their agricultural products for daily necessities, the aid of Captain Hahn after whom the town was named, and the anti-German sentiment during the World War I.

But what impressed me most was the tremendous contribution of German girls and young women who took on incredible risks and, while carrying a heavy load of goods, trudged precarious territories on their bare feet to sustain their family. Their courage, endurance and sacrifice are extraordinary and truly...

Lovely old building with minor renovations to make it a respectable gallery and shop. The downstairs has a gallery and museum and shop and upstairs was a gallery space. The museum shows rhe history of Hahndorf and the gallery had an exhibition of large photos about Coen in Queensland today by Naomi Hobson. Very interesring and particularly contemporary in relation to the Coen community. The exhibitions upstairs were "different". But they were well worth seeing. We were greeted by the staff in attendance and had a great chat before leaving and...