Walla Walla, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Walla Walla is a town in Greater Hume Shire Council
in New South Wales
, Australia
. It is about 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) north of Albury-Wodonga
and 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) south of Wagga Wagga
.
Walla Walla had a population of 581 people in 2006 and has the largest Lutheran church in New South Wales.
Walla Walla has an elevation of 196 metres (643 ft) above sea level. In summer Walla Walla has an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and a low of 13 °C (55 °F) during winter it has a high of 12 °C (54 °F) and a low of 2 °C (36 °F), although maximum temperatures can reach the mid-40s °C (mid-110s °F) and the area often experiences frosts during winter.
It is the home of the Walla Walla Football Club
which is a club within the Hume Football League
. Walla has many other sports available such as netball, tennis, lawn bowls, croquet, cricket and a local swimming pool.
Walla Walla is also the home of St Paul's College
, the only Lutheran secondary school in NSW. The school offers an equine program, with many students keeping horses in the adjacent equine centre, as well as agricultural studies. Boarding students are drawn from communities within the Greater Hume Shire, the Riverina
, North Eastern Victoria and further afield from the cities of Sydney
, Canberra
and Melbourne
.
aboriginals
who inhabited this area for many thousands of years prior to European settlement.
The explorers Hume and Hovell passed through the area in late 1824 noting its potential for grazing livestock. Squatters first arrived in 1834 and four stations, including “Round Hill” and “Walla Walla” were established by 1845. During the 1860s the bushranger Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
frequented the area holding up the Round Hill Station at nearby Morven
. He also established a lookout at a granite outcrop 6 km north of Walla Walla adjacent to the Walla Walla Station and Billabong Creek
.
Walla Walla was established in 1869 when 56 settlers of German extraction
moved from their home in the Barossa Valley
of South Australia
in the search for farming land. At that time South Australian farmland was in short supply and the New South Wales government was releasing tracts of fertile land at relatively cheap prices. In all, 56 people made the trek in 14 covered wagons and 2 spring carts, leaving their hometown of Ebenezer in October 1868. This group was led by Father Klemke and it comprised the families of Michael Wenke, Andreas Mickan and Andreas Lieschke; as well as two Klemke families, the Fischer, Terlich and Hennersdorf families and two single men in Ferdinand Schmidt and Wilhelm Luhrs. Ethnically, most of these families belonged to a minority group known as Wends
or Sorbs
and some had only recently emigrated from the North Eastern German States. Although these settlers first named the township Ebenezer after their hometown in South Australia, its name was changed to Walla Walla (Aboriginal for “place of many rocks”) because another township with the same name
existed in New South Wales. This was neither the first nor the last trek by German South Australians to the Riverina
with other settlements established nearby at Jindera
, Bethel, Gerogery
, Wallendool (Alma Park
), Dudal-Cooma (Pleasant Hills
), Mangoplah
, Edgehill and Henty
.
Walla Walla Post Office opened on 1 February 1878.
The Walla Walla Hotel was opened in the early 20th century by Mr Fredrick Voss, the original publican.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Walla Walla was charactered by its close-knit community which contributed to its preservation of the German language and the old ways. Although the First World War fostered a sense of nationalism
(albeit strongly allied to the British Empire
)
this period was a challenging time for the Walla Walla community due to its ethnicity and the political issues of conscription
and disenfranchisement
from the electoral roll. According to one view, Walla Walla was reported as 'Berlin
' and a 'hotbed of disloyalty'. In all, four local residents, including two Justices of the Peace and members of the Culcairn
Shire Council were interned
in the Holsworthy
Concentration Camp. Tellingly, the honour board at the Walla Walla Soldiers Memorial Hall describes the war as one against 'Prussia
n Militarism' rather than Germany.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, tensions evident during the First World War did not take long to resurface. This time the attention of the authorities was directed toward the Lutheran pastors in the region, rather than its civic leaders. This was the case because conscription was no longer the issue that it had been in the First World War and some Lutheran pastors had shown pro-German sympathies with the resurgence of Germany. These pastors (including Pastor JTP Stolz from Walla Walla) were questioned and their activities were monitored.
and responsibility for educating the local children passed to the State. German-speaking classes continued to be conducted but only for several afternoons a week and then only until the outbreak of the First World War.
In the 1930s the desire of the local community for Christian secondary education
led to the establishment of St Paul’s College
. Mr Werner Hebart, the founding headmaster, was previously a senior master at The Friend's School
, Hobart
(Tasmania
). St Paul’s commenced in 1948 with 28 foundation students, including thirteen boarders who resided with local families. St Paul’s moved onto its current premises, from its temporary location in Zion church in 1950.
. An account of the journey of the original German settlers, together with artefacts of their journey (including some of the original wagons) is on display in the Jindera
Pioneer Museum. A replica wagon and a display is also located in the grounds of Zion Lutheran Church and many early headstones in the local cemetery have German inscriptions.
Walla Walla’s heritage items were identified by a community survey to include Morgans Lookoutt, Zion Lutheran Church and the Walla Walla Swamp (Gum Swamp).
Morgans Lookout
Morgans Lookout is a white granite outcrop located next to Billabong Creek
, which is the longest creek in the Southern hemisphere. Due to its elevation, this local geological feature was used by the bushranger Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
as a lookout for police parties. Local folklore tells of Morgan hiding his horses in deep crevices within the rocks when the police came nearby. Morgans Lookout was also used as a lookout for fires in the late 1800s, a concern that was heightened by the fear of arson due to an industrial dispute
between graziers and shearers.
Zion Lutheran Church
The original Lutheran church was built from white granite in 1872. The present Zion Lutheran Church was built in 1924 and it is the largest Lutheran Church in New South Wales, with seating for almost 600 people. The church is characterised by its stained glass windows and its massive pipe organ
. Nearby, the schoolhouse built in 1883 by the Zion congregation is still extant.
Gum Swamp
Gum Swamp is a nationally important wetland
area and it covers approximately 200 hectares. This area is home to Aboriginal
heritage sites, local flora and fauna, including at least 128 species of birdlife.
Greater Hume Shire Council
Greater Hume Shire Council is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia. The Council was formed in 2004 incorporating Culcairn Shire, the majority of Holbrook Shire and part of Hume Shire....
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is about 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) north of Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga is the broad settlement incorporating the twin Australian cities of Albury and Wodonga, which are separated geographically by the Murray River and politically by a state border: Albury on the north of the river is part of New South Wales while Wodonga on the south bank is in...
and 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) south of Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
.
Walla Walla had a population of 581 people in 2006 and has the largest Lutheran church in New South Wales.
Walla Walla has an elevation of 196 metres (643 ft) above sea level. In summer Walla Walla has an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and a low of 13 °C (55 °F) during winter it has a high of 12 °C (54 °F) and a low of 2 °C (36 °F), although maximum temperatures can reach the mid-40s °C (mid-110s °F) and the area often experiences frosts during winter.
It is the home of the Walla Walla Football Club
Walla Walla Football Club
The Walla Walla Football Club is an Australian rules football club that plays in the Hume Football League in southern New South Wales. The club's nickname is the Hoppers , the current guernsey design consists of green and white stripes on the front with an all green rear...
which is a club within the Hume Football League
Hume Football League
The Hume Football League is an Australian rules football competition in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, with clubs coming from a number of farming communities. Some players also come from the city of Albury, which is at the south of the area covered by the league...
. Walla has many other sports available such as netball, tennis, lawn bowls, croquet, cricket and a local swimming pool.
Walla Walla is also the home of St Paul's College
St Paul's College, Walla Walla
St Paul’s College is a coeducational day and boarding school providing secondary schooling in Walla Walla, New South Wales, Australia. It is a member school of Lutheran Education Australia, a network of 85 schools and 42 kindergarten/early childhood centres educating approximately 38,000...
, the only Lutheran secondary school in NSW. The school offers an equine program, with many students keeping horses in the adjacent equine centre, as well as agricultural studies. Boarding students are drawn from communities within the Greater Hume Shire, the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
, North Eastern Victoria and further afield from the cities of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
History
The Walla Walla area was home to the WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
aboriginals
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
who inhabited this area for many thousands of years prior to European settlement.
The explorers Hume and Hovell passed through the area in late 1824 noting its potential for grazing livestock. Squatters first arrived in 1834 and four stations, including “Round Hill” and “Walla Walla” were established by 1845. During the 1860s the bushranger Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
Dan Morgan (bushranger)
John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts...
frequented the area holding up the Round Hill Station at nearby Morven
Morven, New South Wales
Morven is a small village about 7 kilometres west of Culcairn in the eastern Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Morven had a population of 464 people.-History:Morven commenced its existence as a Cobb and Co Staging Post...
. He also established a lookout at a granite outcrop 6 km north of Walla Walla adjacent to the Walla Walla Station and Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek is a creek in the Riverina region in New South Wales, Australia. The creek is part of the Murray-Darling River system. It is held to be the longest creek in New South Wales....
.
Walla Walla was established in 1869 when 56 settlers of German extraction
German settlements in the Riverina
In Australia, a number of German settlements in the Riverina were established in the late nineteenth century. The settlements were populated by Germans migrating both from established German settlements in South Australia and directly from Germany...
moved from their home in the Barossa Valley
Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60 km northeast of Adelaide. It is the valley formed by the North Para River, and the Barossa Valley Way is the main road through the valley, connecting the main towns on the valley floor of...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in the search for farming land. At that time South Australian farmland was in short supply and the New South Wales government was releasing tracts of fertile land at relatively cheap prices. In all, 56 people made the trek in 14 covered wagons and 2 spring carts, leaving their hometown of Ebenezer in October 1868. This group was led by Father Klemke and it comprised the families of Michael Wenke, Andreas Mickan and Andreas Lieschke; as well as two Klemke families, the Fischer, Terlich and Hennersdorf families and two single men in Ferdinand Schmidt and Wilhelm Luhrs. Ethnically, most of these families belonged to a minority group known as Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
or Sorbs
Sorbs
Sorbs are a Western Slavic people of Central Europe living predominantly in Lusatia, a region on the territory of Germany and Poland. In Germany they live in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony. They speak the Sorbian languages - closely related to Polish and Czech - officially recognized and...
and some had only recently emigrated from the North Eastern German States. Although these settlers first named the township Ebenezer after their hometown in South Australia, its name was changed to Walla Walla (Aboriginal for “place of many rocks”) because another township with the same name
Ebenezer, New South Wales
Ebenezer is a historic town in New South Wales, Australia, in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. Ebenezer is located 69 kilometres north-west of Sydney and about 5 kilometres from the larger centre of Wilberforce...
existed in New South Wales. This was neither the first nor the last trek by German South Australians to the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
with other settlements established nearby at Jindera
Jindera, New South Wales
Jindera is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated north of the regional centre of Albury, in the Greater Hume Shire Local government area...
, Bethel, Gerogery
Gerogery, New South Wales
Gerogery is a small village in Greater Hume Shire Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gerogery serves a rural farming community. The village is located on the Main South railway line between Sydney and Melbourne, where it intersects with the Olympic Way. At the 2006 census,...
, Wallendool (Alma Park
Alma Park, New South Wales
Alma Park is a farming area closely associated with the Pleasant Hills township situated about 17 kilometres to its north. It is a part of the Lockhart Shire Local Government Area...
), Dudal-Cooma (Pleasant Hills
Pleasant Hills, New South Wales
Pleasant Hills is a small village about 26 kilometres west of Henty in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pleasant Hills had a population of 393 people....
), Mangoplah
Mangoplah, New South Wales
Mangoplah is a town approximately south of Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Mangoplah had a population of 689 people. Its name is believed to mean "Kooris singing" in the Wiradjuri aboriginal language....
, Edgehill and Henty
Henty, New South Wales
Henty is a town on the Olympic Highway almost midway between Albury and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Australia. Henty is situated on the border of the South West Slopes and the Riverina districts. At the 2006 census, Henty had a population of 863 people....
.
Walla Walla Post Office opened on 1 February 1878.
The Walla Walla Hotel was opened in the early 20th century by Mr Fredrick Voss, the original publican.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Walla Walla was charactered by its close-knit community which contributed to its preservation of the German language and the old ways. Although the First World War fostered a sense of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
(albeit strongly allied to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
)
this period was a challenging time for the Walla Walla community due to its ethnicity and the political issues of conscription
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
and disenfranchisement
Disfranchisement
Disfranchisement is the revocation of the right of suffrage of a person or group of people, or rendering a person's vote less effective, or ineffective...
from the electoral roll. According to one view, Walla Walla was reported as 'Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
' and a 'hotbed of disloyalty'. In all, four local residents, including two Justices of the Peace and members of the Culcairn
Culcairn, New South Wales
Culcairn is a town in the south east Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire Council Local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury and Wagga Wagga...
Shire Council were interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
in the Holsworthy
Holsworthy, New South Wales
Holsworthy is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Holsworthy is located 31 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool and partly in the Sutherland Shire.Holsworthy is most notable for...
Concentration Camp. Tellingly, the honour board at the Walla Walla Soldiers Memorial Hall describes the war as one against 'Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Militarism' rather than Germany.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, tensions evident during the First World War did not take long to resurface. This time the attention of the authorities was directed toward the Lutheran pastors in the region, rather than its civic leaders. This was the case because conscription was no longer the issue that it had been in the First World War and some Lutheran pastors had shown pro-German sympathies with the resurgence of Germany. These pastors (including Pastor JTP Stolz from Walla Walla) were questioned and their activities were monitored.
Schooling
The first school at Walla Walla was a congregational school and it was established in 1873. Instruction was conducted in the German language. This school operated from the original Zion Church building until 1883 when a mudbrick schoolhouse was opened. Two years later, in 1885, this school was leased to the NSW Department of Public InstructionNew South Wales Department of Education and Training
The New South Wales Department of Education and Communities, a department of the Government of New South Wales, is responsibile for primary schools, secondary schools and Technical and Further Education colleges...
and responsibility for educating the local children passed to the State. German-speaking classes continued to be conducted but only for several afternoons a week and then only until the outbreak of the First World War.
In the 1930s the desire of the local community for Christian secondary education
Christian school
A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures...
led to the establishment of St Paul’s College
St Paul's College, Walla Walla
St Paul’s College is a coeducational day and boarding school providing secondary schooling in Walla Walla, New South Wales, Australia. It is a member school of Lutheran Education Australia, a network of 85 schools and 42 kindergarten/early childhood centres educating approximately 38,000...
. Mr Werner Hebart, the founding headmaster, was previously a senior master at The Friend's School
The Friends' School, Hobart
The Friends' School, Hobart is an independent, co-educational, Quaker, day and boarding school, located in North Hobart, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....
, Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
(Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
). St Paul’s commenced in 1948 with 28 foundation students, including thirteen boarders who resided with local families. St Paul’s moved onto its current premises, from its temporary location in Zion church in 1950.
Local heritage attractions
The German heritage of Walla Walla is a feature of the town and it is most obvious with street names such as Scholz Street, Jacob Wenke Circuit, Klemke Avenue and Hermann Street. Less obviously, this cultural aspect of the town is also seen through the Lutheran influence by way of Zion Lutheran Church and St Paul's CollegeSt Paul's College, Walla Walla
St Paul’s College is a coeducational day and boarding school providing secondary schooling in Walla Walla, New South Wales, Australia. It is a member school of Lutheran Education Australia, a network of 85 schools and 42 kindergarten/early childhood centres educating approximately 38,000...
. An account of the journey of the original German settlers, together with artefacts of their journey (including some of the original wagons) is on display in the Jindera
Jindera, New South Wales
Jindera is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated north of the regional centre of Albury, in the Greater Hume Shire Local government area...
Pioneer Museum. A replica wagon and a display is also located in the grounds of Zion Lutheran Church and many early headstones in the local cemetery have German inscriptions.
Walla Walla’s heritage items were identified by a community survey to include Morgans Lookoutt, Zion Lutheran Church and the Walla Walla Swamp (Gum Swamp).
Morgans Lookout
Morgans Lookout is a white granite outcrop located next to Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek is a creek in the Riverina region in New South Wales, Australia. The creek is part of the Murray-Darling River system. It is held to be the longest creek in New South Wales....
, which is the longest creek in the Southern hemisphere. Due to its elevation, this local geological feature was used by the bushranger Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
Dan Morgan (bushranger)
John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts...
as a lookout for police parties. Local folklore tells of Morgan hiding his horses in deep crevices within the rocks when the police came nearby. Morgans Lookout was also used as a lookout for fires in the late 1800s, a concern that was heightened by the fear of arson due to an industrial dispute
1891 Australian shearers' strike
350px|thumb|Shearers' strike camp, Hughenden, central Queensland, 1891.The 1891 shearers' strike is one of Australia's earliest and most important industrial disputes. Working conditions for sheep shearers in 19th century Australia weren't good. In 1891 wool was one of Australia's largest industries...
between graziers and shearers.
Zion Lutheran Church
The original Lutheran church was built from white granite in 1872. The present Zion Lutheran Church was built in 1924 and it is the largest Lutheran Church in New South Wales, with seating for almost 600 people. The church is characterised by its stained glass windows and its massive pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
. Nearby, the schoolhouse built in 1883 by the Zion congregation is still extant.
Gum Swamp
Gum Swamp is a nationally important wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area and it covers approximately 200 hectares. This area is home to Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
heritage sites, local flora and fauna, including at least 128 species of birdlife.