LOCATION:   77 Main Street, Hahndorf

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Brief History

Gallasch Involvement

(Information from H Gallasch)

The Gallasch’s have had a long association with Hahndorf, arriving on board the Catarina, ex Hamburg, which berthed at Port Adelaide (Port Misery) swamps in 1839.  By 1840 the family was established in the Hahndorf area, actually just over the hill at Verdun, at that time called Grunthal.  As Hahndorf was the main town in the vicinity it was often visited by the Gallasch’s, and before long, directly or by marriage they became associated with many of the properties in the Main Street (in excess of 30 it is believed).

In 1973, while still resident in Papua New Guinea, Harold Gallasch purchased No 77 on the Main Street of Hahndorf.  This was to be his home when he returned to Australia.  Frederick W.Wittwer had, in 1847, purchased a long section of land facing to the East on the Main Street.  A small, one roomed cottage, capped by a stringy bark shingle roof and with an outside baking oven was soon established on this property.  In 1849 the block was sub-divided lengthwise and in 1854 the southern portion sold to Johann Jaensch, a butcher.  The Jaensch homestead was at the corner of Main Street and Pine Ave (Echunga Road), and behind that, facing on what became known as Auricht Rd, were their stock holding yards.  Johann built a substantial butcher shop on the site of 77 Main Street.  The original large window with solid, hand hewn, red gum lintel is still in place.  The ceilings, some of which still survive, comprised stringy bark slats nailed under thick wooden beams, and then topped by pug (straw/mud mix) to a depth of 15cms; certainly good insulation.

Johann Jaensch operated a butcher shop from the premises for a number of years and at some stage in the late nineteenth century it became a ‘Haberdashery’. For many years in the early 20th century, No 77 was operated as a Barber shop, before reverting to a private residence.  It stayed as such until 1979 when H. Gallasch opened it’s doors again as the retail outlet for Australian Minerals.  Over the past 30 years the business has grown and evolved into a five pronged enterprise, collecting and retailing a wide range of natural history specimens, gemstones and traditional tribal art from Australia and Papua New Guinea. 

(Note:  dates to be checked - refer Early Ownership below)

Early Ownership 

Information from The Hahndorf Allotments Database compiled by Reg Butler.

Notes:

• A Mr Arthur Pickford from Ballarat, Vic, created the No 77 sign on the front of the premises.
• The main portion of the house is likely to date from Christian Jaensch's butcher shop of 1853.
• 1878 - SH 9 divided into two sub-lots:
  • Sub-lot 1: No 77 Main St - 4044/2 Metric title.
  • Sub-lot 2: No 79 Main St - 4048/137 Metric title.
• 1968 - Sub-lot 2 divided again at the rear:
  • Sub-lot 3: no direct street access - 4088/280 Metric title.
  • 1968 - Beverley Gaze, married woman, Hahndorf, wife of John Gaze, insurance agent.