Willunga Basin
PHOTOGRAPHY
About
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The Willunga Basin is where the hand of Mother Nature keeps on giving.
- John Rossi
Love Where You Live
The Willunga Basin: where the hand of Mother Nature keeps on giving
Willunga Basin Photography
Hello, I'm John Rossi and welcome to
Willunga Basin Photography.
WBP has been a labour of love to produce.
As an amateur photographer, I've enjoyed learning about both photography and the Willunga Basin.
The WBP Portfolio is a sample of what is to be found on the website.
Take the time to look around the site and you will not only find out how beautiful the Willunga Basin is but also links to community based projects and businesses.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the site as much as my enjoyment in producing it.
A Port Willunga resident of 49 years, Barbara lives and breathes the area.
Her knowledge and love of the Willunga Basin shines through with every photo she produces.
You can follow her work either here at WBP, or on Facebook where you will find her pictures for sale if you think one would look great on your wall.
Click the link below to go to Barbara's pages where you will find more information about Barbara and her facebook link. Enjoy!
Barbara Martin Photography
Willunga Basin Heritage
Willunga Basin Photography is more than just a photography website.
It helps tell the story of how the Basin developed into one of the proudest areas the state of South Australia has to offer.
Most of the information found here on the heritage pages, is readily available on the internet and collated into an easier to follow format.
If nothing else, hopefully, WBP will shine a light on a rich history for the reader to ask their own questions and maybe dig deeper into the timeline of growth that came before us.
The Willunga Basin Community pages are dedicated to the people of the area.
Whether it be the businesses, volunteer or sporting groups, decorated individuals or unsung heros of the various communities, they may be highlighted here on the community pages of WBP.
It's been part of the enjoyment of producing WBP, learning about what makes the basin tick.
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Willunga Basin Community
Willunga Basin Conservation
Willunga Basin Photography takes time to recognise the great effort in conserving the areas natural state.
There are so many people that work hard to make sure the natural wonder of the Basin is preserved.
Here you will find links to some of the different conservation efforts that are already in place.
You may know of some the areas or you may discover others you may not have been aware of.
All of the links are available elsewhere on the internet but WBP takes the time to recognise and help bring to light the effort of conservation within the Basin.
But what is the Willunga Basin?
The Willunga Basin is an area about 40km South of Adelaide, bordered by the Onkaparinga Gorge and the Willunga Hills, both stretching from Kangarilla to Moana and Sellicks Beach respectively.
SEE MAP ABOVE
It is now home to the world famous Mclaren Vale wine region.
As famous as the vale is, the area that really brought out the curiosity in me was Whites Valley.
This very rarely talked about area is the zone nestled between Willunga and Aldinga Beach.
Known for being the location of the original Aldinga township,
it was the engine room for what turned out to be a world's best viticulture region.
Whites Valley is an integral part of a corridor that runs from Willunga to Port Willunga on the coast, and it has a fascinating history in trade that brought the world to the Southern region of Adelaide.
The slate quarries of Willunga, combined with the flour mills and butter factory at Whites Valley, were the driving force in population growth for the area. That was until the flour mills drove themselves out of existence by over farming the land!
At this point, there were some clever people who turned their attention to viticulture. They planted the first vines at Tintara in Mclaren Vale and over time the Vale has become world's best at producing wines that both the State of South Australia and the rest of the country are very proud of.
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The time came to explore
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The first trigger was the old Willunga railway which has been a point of interest for me.
This website has been created from an idea of tracing the path of the old Willunga railway which was dismantled in 1969.
The railway corridor has been turned into the Coast to Vines Trail which I've always known about but never realised what it was.
So when I searched the history of the railway, I found it almost impossible to separate the different aspects of the Basin.
The whole of the Willunga Basin seemed to grow at the same time.
My goal now is to collect lists of the Heritage listed buildings in the area with the view of forming a clearer picture of the timeline of how the area built up.
So a photography project that started with the railway, and maybe a simple website to collect my pictures, has developed into a collection of projects that will all grow over time.
So I'm looking forward to exploring and discovering more about this great place I call home.
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Another discovery I have made is an amazing photographer and wonderful human being, Barbara Martin.
A resident of Port Willunga for 49 years, she knows the area like the back of her hand.
I first saw her work on a community facebook page and invited her to display her work on WBP.
She not only said yes but has become a great friend and mentor in both photography and the history of the Basin.
The phrase "Love where you live" shows up in every one of Barbara's photos and I am 100% sure
that you will love her work as much as I do. Follow the link and enjoy.​
I would encourage anyone to get out and beat their own path, just as the early explorers did.
Here in the Willunga Basin you will find a rich history, great scenery, beaches, wine and food.
Mother nature has delivered us a gift and thankyou to the locals who do a great job of being caretakers of the region.
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Until you do get out and about, please enjoy the offerings of Willunga Basin Photography.
Thanks for visiting,
John Rossi
Willunga Basin Photographers
Click for WBP Portfolio
John Rossi
Barbara Martin
Click for Barbara's Portfolio