Week 01

In this opening session of “Our Faith Journey,” we step back nearly 200 years to follow the remarkable story of the first Lutheran settlers who made their way to South Australia. Beginning with the familiar words of Psalm 121, presenter Rob traces the footsteps of German-speaking Old Lutherans who were forced from their homeland in Prussia when King Frederick Wilhelm III demanded all churches unite under one worship book in 1830. Those who refused faced imprisonment, fines, and secret worship in forests and private homes. With the support of South Australian Company chairman George Fife Angas, around 570 of these persecuted men, women, and children made an extraordinary journey by river barge to Hamburg and then by sailing ship across the world, arriving between November 1838 and January 1839. They settled first at Klemzig near Adelaide before spreading to Hahndorf, Glen Osmond, Bethany, and Lobethal, building homes, schools, and churches and growing fresh vegetables that fed the young colony.

Whether you’re a lifelong Christian or simply curious about history, this session offers a compelling window into why faith, freedom, and community matter so deeply. You’ll discover how a small, courageous group of people risked everything to worship according to their own conscience, and how their legacy shaped the Barossa Valley and the broader Lutheran Church in Australia. By watching, you’ll gain a richer appreciation of the region’s heritage, the sacrifices made by early settlers, and the enduring power of faith to sustain people through extraordinary hardship.