Light Pass
About Light Pass
Light Pass is a small, friendly village, nestled amongst farmland and vineyards. It was established around 1845 by German settlers, many of whom were peasant farmers, but there were also highly skilled craftsmen and educated men. They purchased or leased land from the English landlord George Fife Angas, who established the South Australian Company and had the region surveyed to identify the best farming land.
The village was named in honour of Colonel William Light, who passed through the area in 1839 while looking for a pass through the Barossa Ranges to the Murray River.
The settlers were hard-working and soon established farms with a variety of crops, vines and animals. Faith and education were important to them, and a Lutheran church and school were quickly built. Having left their native land with the desire of being able to practice their faith as they wished, any differences of faith were hard to reconcile. By 1860 the church had split into two factions, and a second church was built across the road. On Sunday mornings the bells of the two churches still ring loud and clear as a call to service for the local Lutherans.
Significant Buildings
Light Pass has many interesting historic buildings. A good place to start exploring is at Luhrs cottage – a beautifully restored 1840’s cottage, now open as a museum. Discover the history of Light Pass and see how the early settlers lived. The cottage is open 7 days a week from 9am – 4pm daily. The Light Pass Heritage trail App is a great way to discover the history of each site as you go around.
- Luhrs Cottage (museum)
- Rechner Cottage
- The Willows Hospital and vineyard
- Schiller’s Homestead
- The Old Polst Farmhouse
- Strait Gate Lutheran Church
- Strait Gate Old Manse
- Strait Gate Cemetery
- The Mission House
- Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Immanuel Cemetery
- Light Pass Lutheran School
- Light Pass State Primary School
- Light Pass Post Office
- Light Pass House
- Gibson Wines
- ‘Willowsporn’ (Sporns Farm)
- Gumpara Cellar Door – old bakehouse
Luhrs Cottage
Rechner Cottage
The Willows
Schiller's Homestead
The Polst Farmhouse
Strait Gate Church
Old Strait Gate Manse
Strait Gate Cemetery
The Mission House
Immanuel Church
Immanuel Cemetery
Old Lutheran School
LP State School
Post Office
Light Pass House
Smithy's Cottage - Gibson Winery
Willowsporn
Old Bakehouse - Gumpara Winery
The Barossa Heritage Trail App
A fabulous way to explore Light Pass is with the Barossa Heritage Trail App. This App features six townships in the Barossa Valley, of which Light Pass is one. Using text, photos, videos and audio, it provides a fascinating guide to the heritage and historic sites of the Valley. It’s always so much more interesting to discover the stories and history behind what you’re looking at.
We recommend beginning your tour of Light Pass with a visit to Luhrs Cottage, and then walk, cycle or drive to the various locations on the App. When you’re done, you may like to stop off for lunch at the bakery or hotel at nearby Nuriootpa or visit one of the wineries of Light Pass.
If you are unable to visit in person, you can use the App to do a virtual tour. You miss the birdsong and the lovely sleepy peace of the countryside, but with a little imagination you could almost be there…
The Barossa Heritage Trail App is available for free download on Apple and Android devices.
For Apple: Barossa Heritage Trails – Apps on Apple Store
For Android: Barossa Heritage Trails – Apps on Google Play