The Property
The History of Abbotsford Country House
Your Barossa hosts are the creators and owners of Abbotsford Country House. After spending many years in the corporate world, both in Australia and the United Kingdom, in 1997 they chose to create a luxurious country house in the heart of the world’s favourite Australian wine region.
They chose to fulfill their dream of developing and running a country house in the similar vein to those which they had stayed whilst living in the United Kingdom.
After two years of combing every road and laneway, every hilltop and gully of the Barossa, by sheer accident they were told of a spot that “might suit their needs”. As it is with these things, the land was not for sale and the owners were looking at building a home on the spot for their own retirement!
The owners, Ken and Helen Semmler, were impressed with their plans and chose to sell them the land. Ken Semmler has referred to them as modern day Silesians, a reference to the great pioneering spirit to those who settled in the region in the 1840’s.
As is the way with these things in the Barossa, the deal was done with a hand shake and they have remained great friends ever since. In fact, one of the suites is named after them, close to trees planted by Helen when she was a child.