Hoffnungsthal, Valley of Hope

Hoffnungsthal, on sections 567 and 568, comprising 740 acres, in the Hundred of Barossa was established by Lutheran migrants from Germany in 1847 on land leased from the South Australian Company. The township only lasted about six years as floodwaters, after some exceptionally heavy rains in October 1853, swept it away. The inhabitants were offered new leases by the South Australian Company but only 30 accepted. Some decided to settle in nearby Lyndoch. Others were so disappointed that they left for Victoria and a few even went as far as America. The church was still used for a number of years, until the mid 1860s, but eventually started to crumble.

The German migrants had arrived from Bremen on the 476 ton Heloise, chartered by the emigration agent for South Australia in Bremen Eduard Delius. It was captained by Jan Beckmann and arrived at Port Adelaide on 17 March 1847. Among its 214 passengers were 40 farmers and 14 miners. Both occupations were very welcome at that time. Several of the migrants went to Klemzig while others moved the Lobethal. Those who moved to the Lyndoch Valley named their new settlement Hoffnungsthal, Valley of Hope. During the voyage six children were born and six passengers died, including a young sailor, Pelser Kerter, aged 20, who fell overboard.

The early Germans certainly were impressed with South Australia's valleys. Already they had named one Lobethal, Valley of Praise and another one would soon be named Rosenthal, Valley of Roses. There were also Blumenthal-Valley of Flowers, Grunthal-Green Valley, Friedensthal-Valley of Peace, as well as Palmenthal, Rheinthal, Steinthal, Oliventhal and Schoenthal.

Among some of the first setlers of Hoffnungsthal were Christian Menzel with his second wife and ten children and Johann Huf with his wife and four children. Johann was born in January 1803 and had married Anna Christiana, born in May 1812, on 18 March 1832. During the voyage Christiana gave birth to her fifth child while the weather was hot and steamy and the sea rough with water sloshing around her. They had first moved to Bethany but later joined the others at Hoffnungsthal. Some of the other migrants settling at Hoffnungsthal were Johann Krieg with wife and five children, Johann Miebus with wife and three children and Johann Semmler with his wife and their four children.

They were soon followed by some settlers who had previously moved to Bethany. Among these were Johann Brasch, Gottlied Blaesing and Gottfried Ossig. Later that year another six families joined who had arrived on the Gellert. In 1850 they were joined by Gotlob and Augusta Fromm who arrived on the San Francisco.

Within a few months of their arrival they had completed more than a dozen huts, with its own flower and vegetable garden, dug a well, erected fences and cleared some 200 acres of farming land. This was nearly doubled in 1848. In an effort to secure the service of Pastor Heinrich August Eduard Meyer for their church, the congregation was more than willing to contribute £16.13.4 and 16 bushels 40 pounds of wheat for his keep. Before the end of September they had built their own chapel where on 8 October the first confirmation was held.

The Church was built of planks they had sewn from tress on their own holdings. The walls plastered with clay and the roof thatched with rushes. It was dedicated by Pastors Kavel and Fritzsche. It was also used as a school and twice a week prayer meetings were held. Every year they celebrated the anniversary of their emigration from Germany.

By 1850 more than 20 families owned and worked parcels of land of 20 acres or more each. Several others owned blocks of 10 to 19 acres. The Ossig family owned 60 acres. At its height, Hoffnungsthal contained 37 cottages, out houses, church, school and cemetery. When gold was discovered in Victoria, a small group of German Lutherans who had arrived on 17 March 1847 and settled at Hoffnungsthal, could not resist its temptation. They left the town hoping to return soon with plenty of gold. Few did!

It all came to an end for Hoffnungsthal when in October 1853, after a week of rain, the village became flooded to a depth of more than two metres. It destroyed all the crops, and any source of income. The church came through without too much damage, as it had been constructed on an elevated site, and was used for many years yet. Some of the settlers had no intention of leaving though, not for Victoria or America. They cut their losses and started all over again at NeuHoffnungsthal.

On 14 November 1862 the land was granted to Gottlieb Miebus. In 1918 the name was changed to Karrawirra, but reverted back to its old name in 1975.