INTRODUCTION
The aim of this book is to keep alive the knowledge of the history of St Peter’s Lutheran Congregation Blackwood, South Australia, whose goal, in its humble beginnings forty years ago, was to hear and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, in 2006, St Peters Church and School are continuing to build on the foundation laid four decades ago.
We have strived to include historically accurate material as well as the flavour of personal anecdotes that add to the life and spirit of the congregation. The editing group apologises if any information recorded is inaccurate and would like to be informed so that corrections may be made.
Where there is a duplication of information offered, it has been included in the personal reflections rather than in the historical account.
Some contributors have provided lists of names and these have been included where offered. However the inclusion of many long lists of names for various activities has not been a priority for the editing group.
If particular events or people have not been acknowledged, we apologise for their exclusion. Omission has not been intentional. There has been so much information to draw upon.
Note that the ’s was dropped from name St Peter’s with the move to Cumming St. Therefore references to it before this date retain the use of the ’s.
Monika Friedrich
Jenny Geer
Megan Hansen
Barbara WilliamsJune 2006
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Information has been gathered both orally and in written form from past and present congregational members. We are indebted to the many people who have contributed in any way to this collection of memories of St Peters.
Of particular importance is the meticulous filing and recording of information by the late Rita Gallasch, whose many anecdotes and documents are housed at the Lutheran Archives and whose labour of love over many years made collection and chronological organization a simpler task for us than it would otherwise have been.
Thank you to Rosie and Rob Koch, who designed and printed the cover design.
We are grateful for the assistance provided by the Lutheran Archives, Adelaide.
We would also like to acknowledge the help of Alison McDougall, oral historian, for suggestions regarding the collection and presentation of personal reflections.
With thanks and acknowledgement to the many past and present members of St Peter’s who have contributed to the life and purpose of this congregation and to the development of this publication.
We thank God for his continuing love and guidance over forty years at St Peter’s and we trust that you will enjoy reading the St Peter’s story.
CONTENTS
History
Pastors and their Families
Spiritual Growth
Groups
Communication
Other Groups / Events
Fundraising
Events at the time of transition
Personal Recollections
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40 YEARS of the LUTHERAN CHURCH in BLACKWOOD STH AUSTRALIA
Forty years – it seems only a relatively short time ago that my wife, Colleen, and I noticed that there was to be the dedication of the Foundation Stone at a new Church on the Main Road, Blackwood.
At the time we were members at the Warradale Church but felt that the closer community was worth a visit. Not withstanding the bleak weather and muddy front yard, this proved to be a very rewarding day. The members were friendly and enthusiastic, with a real sense of why they were there.
We joined!
The various facets of the Church were all active, worship with occasional reading services, the Sunday School, Women’s Guild, social functions, seasonal displays in the Church and the front yard, picnics, Pageant Floats and the list goes on.
The original Church/Hall, kitchen, foyer and two small meeting rooms soon proved to be inadequate and extensions were planned and implemented to the delight of the Sunday School and Youth Groups.
Two properties were purchased at the rear of the Church adjacent to the original manse that enabled the building of a new manse directly behind the Church. The third larger property would have been a carpark, as ideas were being investigated to enlarge and extend the Church towards the Main Road .
Mission outreach thoughts were ever present and the concept of not only a new Church but also a Lutheran School was “floated”.
This led to our present situation, viz. the Church and School in the Craigburn Farm development. As you can see the Lord has been very generous to us.
Mainly due to the efforts of several of our members, with contributions from many, you can read in much more detail the 40 years from start until now. Congratulations for a fine effort!
That covers the past years, so whereto from here – advertise our presence, continue the mission, fill the Church, full enrolments in the School, build up the Youth Group, re-institute many of the activities from the old Church and again the list goes on.
Only by the grace of God and with a coherent and dedicated church community will this happen.
Thanks again to all involved for this historical document and let us keep in mind the coming 50 year celebration.
Wal. Giles-Clark.
Chairman of the Church Council.
6th. June 2006.
Acknowledgements:
Text Preparation– Barbara Williams
Photographic – Monika Friedrich
Front Cover Artwork & Printing – Rosie Koch and Rob Koch
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HISTORY
Early History
Pete’s Mart, they called it, where people could sell and buy treasures and give them a new life.
Interestingly, and not because of that history, the congregation decided in 1966, to call its new church, built on that land on Main Road Blackwood, the St Peter’s congregation, where the goal was to give new life to the lives of its members and the community.
… but the story does not begin there.
In the 1940s a small Lutheran congregation used to meet in the Masonic Hall on the Main Road in Blackwood, south of the first Church building. Services were conducted by Pastor C Zweck of the Adelaide Bethlehem congregation.
Amongst the members were Loris and Iris (later Williams) Boehm and their mother Anna. And so a Lutheran presence in Blackwood was begun many years before the gathering of a small group in the Memorial Hall on Coromandel Parade in the early 1960s.
Blackwood Memorial Hall Days
In June 11th 1961 Pastor LP Doecke preached once in every three weeks and two deaconesses began providing RI in local schools. A total of 18 adults and 20 children were in the congregation.
At around that time Pastor Hierse asked a young Martin Gottschall, who lived at Magill at the time, to begin a Sunday School for the children of Lutheran families in the Blackwood area. Memories are recalled of a green Vauxhall crammed with children whom Martin used to collect each week and bring to Sunday School. Names that spring to mind are the Seifert, Herring, Kowanko, Higgs Williams, Churcher and Wiegelmann families, Mrs Bishop, The Lehmanns, Pukitis, Hermanis, Herring, Mr & Mrs Gamble, Mr & Mrs Herr,
The Kahls and the Jensens.
The group gathered in the Supper Room and then split off into smaller classes to be taught by Martin or by one of the young women from the Lutheran Women’s Hostel. Jan Rosenzweig was among several who provided instruction for the younger children.
By 1964 there were 33 children in Sunday School and church was held fortnightly. In September of the following year St Peter’s was firmly established as a congregation of 91 baptised members. It became realigned with the newly formed Glandore Parish.
The nucleus of forty people gathered fortnightly for worship in the Memorial Hall which had often been left strewn with the remains of the previous night’s function and needed to be cleaned up before worship could begin. The Gallasch and Williams families made themselves responsible for tidying the room, setting up a table for an altar, a cross and candles, Communion vessels and hymn books. For many years Iris Williams provided flowers for every service and the arrangements would be carried from the home to the Hall and adjusted before the service.
The noisy red chairs, the seats of which sprang up when one stood, added an aural dimension to the service that was not always appreciated.
Mrs Rita Gallasch and Mr Malcolm Ruedieger provided the music accompaniment on the old piano that was consistently situated on the right of the stage.
Everyone knew everyone else, and visiting relatives or friends of congregational members would soon be introduced around. Chatting outside after church would occupy at least as long as the service again. The children would occupy themselves by playing in the shade of the trees provided by the next door Johnson home garden or running around the flower beds on the northern boundary after church while parents held endless conversations with members of the congregation
A very close relationship developed between all members of the congregation, though few events other than the service were formally organised.
On September 30th 1965, the Congregation was officially formed and a constitution adopted
Main Road Blackwood
As the congregation grew, it became evident that another venue would be more suitable and it was time to think about building a church.
At this time, 1965, the first confirmation class was formed and met with Pastor WF Roehrs in the Gallasch home, on Main Road every Saturday morning Services had also been held there from time to time. On November 20th 1966 the first group was confirmed.
Land purchased for $7200 on Main Road Blackwood made for building plans to progress and the Foundation Stone was laid on June 12th 1966 by Pastor CJ Pfitzner.
A very joyous occasion was October 2nd 1966 when the Church was opened in a Dedication Service. Pastors G Prove, W Roehrs and Pastor CJ Pfitzner officiating.
Our Archives reveal:
“The UELCA Metropolitan Mission committee facilitated the construction, employing Norm Drogemuellerto design first a Hall which was to later be extended with the construction of a church.
The months of building were hampered by very wet weather and members of the congregation, who would visit the site, trod carefully over the muddy wet ground. Finally the President of the UELCA, Pastor Carl Pfitzner, laid the foundation stone. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” which has proved to be a solid basis for our worship life. This was in the year of the amalgamation of the two Australian Lutheran Synods, and there was a great spirit of optimism and excitement.
Many people commented on the beautiful view of the hills that presented itself through the eastern windows. Fronting Main Road, a space was left for a future Church building. This however, was no longer feasible when Mitcham Council introduced new regulations regarding the provision of car parking space.
Altar furniture, crosses, candlesticks, and altar linen cloth were gifts from other congregations or individuals.
The congregation flourished, downstairs extensions were constructed to accommodate a growing Sunday School, groups developed and by the mid 1990s discussions about relocation began to take place.
The church was closed by Pastors DO Paech and H Palenschus on October 25th 1998 when the decision to build a church and school complex became a reality.
Parishes
Blackwood developed close bonds with several congregations through the following Parish Alignments.
Blackwood – Bridgewater / Hills
Blackwood – Glandore, Underdale
Blackwood June 25th 1967 aligned with Colonel Light Gardens / Pasadena and in1997 separated from Colonel Light Gardens Parish to assist in the formation of the new Happy Valley congregation.
Blackwood – Happy Valley
Blackwood
In Transition
Having sold the Church on Main Road we were very blessed to be able to use the Catholic Church on Coromandel Parade during the Interim time. One baptism, that of William Kuehne, took place in the Catholic Church and we were welcomed as fellow Christians by that congregation. Our members’ pigeon holes were even given a place in the foyer.
During that time Sunday School continued at Barb Williams’ home and the children met there to plan and practise for the 1998 Christmas Service which was held at Nunyara Chapel in Belair.
St Peters moves to Cumming Street
On July 19th 1998, the first sod of soil was turned, initiating the beginning of the building project. Foundation member, Walter Wiegelmann, and a young Karl Richter, grandson of early members Ted and Jean Albrecht, shared the symbolic beginning of the new Church and School. On October 18th 1998 the Foundation Stone was laid. The first Foundation Stone from the old church was positioned below the new one symbolising the continuity of the life of the congregation.
By May 2nd the church was ready for Dedication and there was a flurry of assistance given to prepare rooms, grounds, install furniture in preparation for the Opening Service on February 21st 1999. The St Peter’s Church and School on the corner of Cumming St and Trevor Tce was packed to witness the Opening Service of this new chapter in the St Peter’s story.
Jeff Bettcher, the chairperson of the untiring building committee that had laboured over the many aspects of the relocation, presented the following speech (part of) as part of the celebration:
“It is over 5 years ago that an AGM of the congregation elected myself as Chair of a committee to investigate the feasibility of relocation. Car parking regulations restricted the development of our former site and the search began for a new location. The State Government had appointed a planner to investigate the sale and use of the Blackwood Forest site. Wishing to have a mission in the community we developed a plan for a Church and Primary School for the Blackwood Forest site that was recommended by the Government consultants and approved by Cabinet. Protest over the use of this site for any purpose was strong and the development was finally blocked on traffic issues.
Nevertheless, we had by this time chosen our architects of Sue Phillips and Michael Pilkington who have now presented us with this marvelous facility we have today. We had to find new land, and the Lord was with us. Having spoken much earlier to my now good friend Stuart Main he now advised that Minda was about to sell the first stage of Minda Farm for housing development and that there may be a window of opportunity. Several sites were recommended and we finally came to the one we are on today. Not only did Stuart help us get the land, but he also gave us great assistance in obtaining traffic approval and other valuable advice. Special thanks must go to Stuart.
Another key person to our proceeding with this development is Mayor Yvonne Caddy. The administration within the Mitcham Council did not give initial approval of our development before Yvonne stepped in and ensured that the planning committee of elected members actually saw the proposal. Once they did we obtained Council support. Ward Councillors Elaine Grimm and Heather Chennell also gave great support to our project on the floor of Council.
Special thanks should also go Tagara Builders, who completed, after only commencing work in July 1998, the construction of the school in time for the commencement of the school year. Earth works commenced at the wettest time of the year.
Last, but not least, I must thank the members of the Relocation Committee for their long and dedicated service. This occasion cannot go past without acknowledging the efforts of Pastor Henry. He was always there scheming the next strategy, visiting politicians for approval and school funding, walking on wet days delivering pamphlets and with me at the supermarket handing out enrolment data well before the site was realized. There is no doubt that without his support this development would not have happened.
Colleen and Wally Giles Clark were the backbone of the committee. Always there, always willing to take on tasks. Wal was the secretary, and we had over 50 meetings, organized the transfer of plant and equipment to storage and then to this site. Colleen gave of her artistic skills in the design of the venue.
Neville Carr gave as of his experience as former head of Craigburn Primary School, and served as Interim Chair of the School Council. Neville Steinborner paid the bills, drew down the loan money, and gave of his time and ute in developing the grounds. Tim Geue gave us valuable architectural expertise on the committee. Barbara Williams, as a teacher, also gave valuable assistance in the design and needs of a school. And yes, I must not forget the Congregation Chairman Morris Rieger. A man who has the skills to guide the congregation through this time of change.
Finally, while not on the committee there are some special members who must be mentioned. Bill Friedrich as a semi retired builder was always there for quality control. He also built our storage shed on site for no fee. And while many people helped in the establishment of the grounds there were three people that were there almost every time and they were Roy Braendler, Bill Brown and Robert Thiele. A special thank you to those three.