A remarkable piece of South Australian history is set to be re-erected in Hahndorf’s Alec Johnstone Park. The early-settler structure, estimated to be between 170 and 180 years old, is being carefully restored by the Hahndorf Community Association after a surprising discovery that sparked community action.
The historic barn was recently put up for sale on Facebook Marketplace by the owners of a larger property in Hahndorf. On the same day, during a community association meeting, the advertisement was shown to the association members, who unanimously resolved to purchase it themselves.
Originally built in the mid-1800s, the barn would’ve been used to house cows and horses and store hay bales. While researchers are still trying to determine the barn’s original owner, the structure shares some resemblance to another well-known barn located on the Beerenberg Farm just a kilometre away.
The local community has been able to estimate the time of construction by analysing the nails used to hold the barn together.
“You can get an idea of the barn’s age by looking at the type of nails used”, said Greg Lomax, chairperson of the community association. “Different head shapes indicate the era. Nails were originally made by blacksmiths before they became machine-made by the late 1800s.”
The head shape of these nails indicates that they were made by blacksmiths in the mid-1800s.
With the barn at risk of being sold for firewood, the community association narrowly avoided a local heritage tragedy.
“These slabs of timber are up to 45cm wide, 5cm thick, and 2.5 metres long pieces, made of hardwood, possibly stringy bark”, said Greg. “These are hard to come by individual pieces of wood that would be good firewood, but it would’ve been a terrible loss of a beautiful old building”.
With some help from Heritage SA, the community association then carefully dismantled the barn, labelling and cataloguing each piece of timber to ensure it could be re-erected in its original form.
“We won’t replace the modern barn doors though. So the whole building will be open on the northern side when it’s rebuilt”, said Greg.
Although there is no current timeline for the re-erection, Greg said that the first step was to secure a location for the barn.
“It was important before we commenced fundraising to have the building anchored in a position. We needed to find a spot for it and figure out its use.”
Now that the barn has been safely secured, its future location has been determined. The structure will be used as a picnic shelter in Alec Johnstone Park in Hahndorf. While the full cost of the restoration has not yet been determined, the community is actively fundraising to support the re-erection of the barn.
The association has committed to raising $20,000, with hopes that local donations will help fund the project. Early donations have already been received, but further contributions are needed to ensure the success of the restoration.
The re-erection of the barn will preserve a vital piece of Hahndorf’s early settler history, offering a glimpse into the past while serving the needs of the community today. It will also provide a space for locals and visitors to gather, enjoy a picnic, and connect with the rich history of the region.
For those wishing to support the restoration or to make a donation, contact Greg at 0415500150 or email [email protected].
For further reading, click here.
More News
