Thorn Park Country House: The Clare Valley in the Mid North region of South Australia
Thorn Park in the Clare Valley is the epitome of relaxed style and elegance but that wasn’t always the case.
Sixteen years ago David Hay and partner Michael Speers took the plunge and purchased a sprawling country villa in need of some tender love and care. Back in the 1850s the property was owned by the Jesuit priests at Sevenhill who played a vital role in the development of one of the State's most important exports, wine. But Thorn Park also has a connection with another mainstay of South Australia's early economic development, copper.
A woman named Alicia Ryan eventually purchased the property. She'd been married to Paddy Ryan; the shepherd credited with discovering copper at Moonta.
“Old Paddy Ryan eventually died but there was an article of settlement between him and his colleagues who actually missed out on claiming the mines at Moonta. And as far as we know it was around about twenty thousand pounds. Alicia got either a quarter or a third. We're not quite sure which. Anyway, she went on a buying spree and this (property) was the first thing she bought.”
Alicia ran the property in the 1860s as a mixed farm. Today, it's the ideal base from which to explore nearby tourist delights such as the copper mining town of Burra, stately Martindale Hall or the many wineries on the Reisling Trail. Or you can simply relax in the library or pass the time with other guests on the verandah, in the sitting room or in the kitchen.
“We have, as you know, cooking schools. We've opened those to local people who don't want to stay here because they live in the area so we now have daytime demonstration cooking schools and we've run art classes for people who'd like to have a dabble but have never had the chance and have been brave enough to give it a try. They've been great too.”
Whether it's Michael's skills as an art teacher or David's flair as a former interior designer, Thorn Park has plenty to offer. But the country house has really made its name as a gourmet retreat. Recently David and Michael returned from a holiday in Vietnam, so for guests the Green Papaya and Prawn salad was on the cooking class syllabus and the menu for the evening's meal.
First you peel and grate some green papaya or paw paw, as it's also known. The sauce, known in Vietnam as Fish Dip sauce is so easy. First a cup of white sugar dissolved in a cup of limejuice. Add to that an equal quantity of fish sauce.
To this interesting mix you add chopped garlic and chilli. The salad is a fragrant mix of Vietnamese mint, ordinary garden mint, coriander and purple basil. Pour the fish sauce over and toss. The salad acts as a fragrant and colourful base. Add some freshly cooked prawn and then some deep fried shallots and lightly roasted peanuts. Finish with a dash more sauce.
It made it onto our table as the perfect entree to a perfect meal at Thorn Park. David runs regular daytime cooking classes. Or you can book in for the night and sample your own wares.
Thorn Park Country House
College Road
Sevenhill, South AustraliaContact Thorn Park Country House on:
Email: stay@thornpark.com.au
Phone: 61 (0)8 8843 4304
Fax: 61 (0)8 8843 4296Also, check out their web site for more info at www.thornpark.com.au
