The Church at Hermannsburg

Hermannsburg (including Palm Valley and the Finke Gorge National Park)
A mission station originally established by Lutherans and now a thriving Aboriginal community.
Located 124 km south-west of Alice Springs and 565 metres above sea-level, the Hermannsburg Mission is the most famous of all of the religious missions to Aborigines. It was established in 1877 when two Lutheran missionaries from Germany made an overland trek from Bethany in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia bringing with them livestock and equipment to set up a permanent mission. The name was taken from the town in Germany where the missionaries had trained. The mission inevitably carried with it the cultural preconceptions of the age. However, within two years a school had been established and by 1881 seven boys and one girl had been baptised. By 1891 the missionaries had created a dictionary of the Aranda language. This translation allowed the missionaries to translate the New Testament into Aranda. (it should be pointed out that the Conservation Commission now spells this as Arrentre - see 'Alice Springs - Introduction' for more details).

Education was a two way process. The Aranda taught the missionaries their language and, in turn, learnt German. The Germans studied the Aranda traditions in great detail so that today many of the traditions which would have been lost through the missionary's active discouragement of traditional practices and the extinction of family groups have been revived. In spite of a century of Christianity the ancient practices are still at the heart of Aranda society.

This is hardly surprising as prior to the arrival of the missionaries the Aranda had evolved a highly efficient lifestyle which was in harmony with their environment. The area around Hermannsburg was relatively rich in food and water. The nearby Finke River was important both from a religious viewpoint and as a trade route.

The first period of missionary involvement lasted from 1877-1891. Periods of apparent success were matched with ones of obvious failure. By the early 1880s the missionaries were a solitary bastion against the murderous excesses of the local pastoralists and police who, at the slightest hint of disorder, were only too eager to carry out regular massacres. The Aranda were forced to retreat to the safety of the mission and the pastoralists accused the missionaries of harbouring cattle killers. In spite of this protection few Aranda were prepared to give up their traditional ways for Christianity. In 1891 the missionaries gave up and left. For the next three years Hermannsburg was abandoned.

In 1894 Pastor Carl Strehlow took charge of the mission. He was to remain in charge for the next 28 years and his son, T.G.H. Strehlow (who became a noted anthropologist), was one of the few white men to be fully initiated into the customs of the Aranda people. His death has resulted in some fierce controversy between his widow and the local Aborigines.

Pastor Strehlow found the original buildings in bad repair and from 1896 he started, with the help of a builder named Dave Hart and an Aboriginal work force, to construct the buildings which still stand in the settlement.

Using galvanised iron, stones from the nearby Finke River, mulga logs and lime made in a locally constructed kiln, Strehlow and Hart built a series of buildings which are now classified by the National Trust. The buildings include a school, mess house, manse and quarters for the missionaries. The church, which is now a museum, is distinctive because Strehlow planted two gums in front of it and erected the church bell between them. One of the gums has died and the bell, which still stands, is rather incongruously propped up by a post on the right hand side.

It was during Strehlow's period of administration that the mission expanded and became a relatively progressive centre for Aborigines. In 1922 he died at Horseshoe Bend on the Finke River while on his way to hospital in South Australia.

Subsequently the mission achieved a number of historic firsts. In 1925 Strehlow's successor, Pastor F. W. Albrecht (his daughter Helene Burns was brought up on the mission and still speaks fluent Aranda - she now lives at Linden Park in South Australia) began a program which encouraged the local people to develop skills and trades. This led to the establishment of a tannery in 1936. In 1930 Hermannsburg became the first outpost in the Northern Territory to use a pedal wireless.

Hermannsburg's most famous son was undoubtedly Albert Namatjira. Born on the mission in 1902 and baptised by Strehlow, Namatjira met the artist Rex Battarbee in 1934 and the result was a series of paintings of Central Australia which, while using European watercolour traditions, evoked the beauty of the centre from the perspective of one who knew and loved the land.

This tradition has not really continued at the mission. The current artefacts available at the tea rooms are mostly examples of the very fashionable 'sand painting' style. They are painted nearby in the Old Colonists' House and visitors are welcome to observe the artists at work.

The mission responded to modern changes in 1975 when, after requests from the Aranda people, the institutional structures were removed. In 1982 the land was handed back to the traditional owners and divided into five separate areas which are now held under freehold title by the Uruna, Roulpmaulpa, Rodna, Ltalatuma and Ntaria family land trusts. Hermannsburg falls with the boundaries of the Ntaria Land Trust.

Modern day Hermannsburg is not without its problems. The surface calm of the township is deceptive. The back of the Manse, now used by the NT Education Department, has heavy duty fencing to prevent theft and the General Store looks more like a prison than a supermarket. It seems as though more than a century of paternalism has reaped a bitter harvest. The local council is acutely aware of this problem and consequently is cautious about any dramatic increase in tourism.

Thus the basic policy of the council towards visitors is 'By all means come in and have a look at the historic buildings but do not drive around the peripheral area of the settlement. It is an Aboriginal Community and should be respected as such. There are 350 people here and another 600 further away and they should not be photographed and the situation should not be abused.'

People requiring detailed information on the buildings in the Mission compound should refer to the brochure Historic Hermannsburg Mission which is available at the tea rooms.

Things to see:  

Hermannsburg's Buildings
Using galvanised iron, stones from the nearby Finke River, mulga logs and lime made in a locally constructed kiln, Strehlow and Hart built a series of buildings which are now classified by the National Trust. The buildings include a school, mess house, manse and quarters for the missionaries. The church, which is now a museum, is distinctive because Strehlow planted two gums in front of it and erected the church bell between them. One of the gums has died and the bell, which still stands, is rather incongruously propped up by a post on the right hand side.

Hermannsburg's Art and Artefacts
The current artefacts available at the tea rooms are mostly examples of the very fashionable 'sand painting' style. They are painted nearby in the Old Colonists' House and visitors are welcome to observe the artists at work.

Finke Gorge National Park
19 km south of Hermannsburg is the 45 856 hectare Finke Gorge National Park which was declared in 1967. The park's unique Palm Valley has palms of the genus Livistona mariae (a variety of cabbage tree palm) which are relics from a previous age when the centre of Australia was much wetter. The nearest similar palms are found either on the coast of Western Australia or the coastal strip of New South Wales. The cycads are unique to the area.

Palm Valley's importance had been recognised as early as 1923 when some areas were designated flora and fauna protection areas. The park is home to over 400 plant types of which more than 30 are considered rare.

The first European to see the palm trees was the explorer Ernest Giles who rode up the Finke River on horseback in 1872 on his first attempt to cross Australia to the west coast from South Australia. Because of threatening rain and fearing one of the Finke's mighty floods, as indicated by debris high up in the Red River Gums, Giles did not inspect the tributary of the Finke that flowed through Palm Valley. This valley wasn't discovered by Europeans until Hermannsburg mission was settled in 1877.

Cycad Gorge, Palm Valley, Finke National Park

Palm Valley Walk
The most popular walk is the Palm Valley Walk which covers about 1.5 km and takes about 1 hour 20 mins one way. It is an easy walk along the creek bed and offers good views of the main concentrations of red cabbage palms combined with spectacular scenery, bird life and, depending on the season, good waterpools with fish and other aquatic life. There is a longer 4.5 km walk which is explained on the Conservation Commission brochure.

The Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory explain the significance of Palm Valley to the local Aranda people in the terms of the Dreamtime story: 'Known to the Aborigines as Pmolankinya, Palm Valley is linked with a disastrous bushfire which occurred north of here during the Dreamtime. Many ancestors were burned during this catastrophe. The younger men were carried off in flames by strong winds and dropped in this area where they became palms and cycads. According to Aranda laws the suffering of these fire ancestors is represented by the palms blackened trunks while the palms leaves represent the long hair of the young men.'

This is 4WD-only country as the last 16 km of the journey is along the rocky bed of the Finke River and its tributary which flows through Palm Valley. Tour buses do make the bumpy and difficult journey. The drive is breathtakingly beautiful. The near vertically bedded red rock cliffs rise on either side of the gorge in strange and fantastical shapes and are set in sharp relief by the impossibly blue desert skies. The road winding along a valley which is thick with ghost gums.

Palm Valley does have a camping site and spending a night and exploring the area thoroughly is the most satisfactory way of seeing the Park.

Palm Valley Accommodation
There are camping facilities at Palm Valley and, with prior permission from the Ntaria Council - (08) 8956 7411 - it is possible to camp at Hermannsburg. The only food available is at the Hermannsburg Tea Rooms which provide light meals and drinks in a pleasant, old style tea room atmosphere.