Polish Hill River, South Australia

Polish Hill River is a locality in the Clare Valley region of South Australia, between the towns of Sevenhill and Mintaro. Running northward through the locality is the Hill River itself, which was discovered by William Hill in 1838 and named after him by Edward John Eyre in 1839.^[1]

The first pastoralist was William Robinson (1814–1889), an overlander, who established Hill River Station in 1844.^[2] Closer settlement began in the early 1850s, with the arrival of Irish Catholic migrants, including the Barry, Sullivan, Erwin, and Rochford families who were all from Glendalough, Wicklow. The first white child born at Hill River was James Erwin, in 1853.^[3] Following the lead of Dr Anton Sokolowsky (d.1862), later settlers, through the mid 1850's into the 1860s, included Polish migrants, hence the locality's current name.

The region is now recognised as a super-premium wine-growing district. A small museum exists as a testament to the early settlers of the region (see External links); turn down Annie's Lane, off the Sevenhill-Mintaro Road. Several well-known wineries exist in the Polish Hill River region, including Pikes, Pauletts, Wilson Vineyard and Little Brampton Wines. Grossett Wines also source grapes from this area. A circuit from the renowned Riesling Trail, the Father Rogoski Loop, provides a beautiful walking/ cycling entry to the Polish Hill River region.

References

External links

• Polish Hill River Church Museum