[3] The first European to reportedly explore the Clare Valley was John Hill, who did so in early April 1839, visiting and naming the Hutt River.

On returning to Adelaide, he reported his findings of potentially good farmland to his friend and associate, Edward John Eyre.

Eyre later explored the Clare Valley on the return journey from his second 1839 expedition to the northern regions of South Australia.

Settlers came from places including England, Ireland, Poland and Silesia during the 1840s, producing a rich heritage of architecture and villages, which remain largely intact.

[citation needed] Kilikanoon (2013) and Jim Barry Wines (2020) won James Halliday's Winery of the Year award.

The Shaolin Afronauts, Max Savage and the False Idols, Tony Joe White, Marlon Williams, Timberwolf and Kaurna Cronin played at the 2015 event.

[10][11] The festival organisers decided to take a break in 2019, to allow the property to regenerate after prolonged drought and the impact of people camping in the paddocks.