BETHANY (BETHANIEN)

last modified 16 July 2012

Giles, James William, 1801-1870. Bethany, a village of German settlers at the foot of the Barossa Hills [picture]

Giles, James William, 1801-1870
Bethany, a village of German settlers at the foot of the Barossa Hills
Pl. no. 60 of: South Australia illustrated / by George French Angas

By permission of the National Library of Australia

Contents * Brief History * Early Residents * References * Links

Brief History

    Bethany (or Bethanien as it was known before 1917) was established in 1842 and was the first villiage to be established in the Barrosa area by a group of German Lutherans most of whom had arrived in South Australia aboard the Skjold in 1841.  The land was originally leased from George Fife Angas and was at the southern boundary of the Angas Park estate granted to him in the Special Surveys.

Early Residents

    A list of early residents (Landholders) adapted from the 'Acerage and Stock Returns 1844' as published in Allen's Almanac of 1844 [4,5] is shown below.  Where indicated (*) names in the list have been corrected according to information provided in Proeve's A Dwelling Place at Bethany [5] or other data.

Landholder

Acres



Stock



Wheat Barley Rye Oates Peas Garden Sheep Horse Cattle Pigs Goats
Ahrens, Heinrich* 14 3 1/4
1/4 1/2

8 7
Blaesing, Johann Gottlieb* 16 3

1/2 1/2

4 2 2
Frost, Gottlieb Dienegott 6 1

1/2 1/2
1 3

Gay, Johann Ernst 28 6 6 2 1 1

12 3
Grosser, Karl Albert Hermann* 20 5 3/4 1 1 1/2 1 2
11 4 16
Grossman, Ferdinand Gotthilf Ewald* 6 21/2

1 1/2

3 1 2
Henschke, Johann Martin* 12 2

3/4 1/2

4 3 5
Heinze, Friedrich Wilhelm* 6 11/2

1/4 1/2

4

Heppner, Daniel* 16 2 1/2
1 1 1
4 2
Heppner, Johann George* 25 3
1/4 1 1

12 8
Klemke, Johann Gottlieb 24 11/2

1/2 1

5 3 2
Kliche, Johann Gottfried* 9 2 1/2
1/2 1/2

5 1 4
Leopold, Johann Carl Friedrich* 12 1

1/2 1/2

4
4
Lehmann, Gottfried* 12 1

1/2 1/2

4 10
Mattner, Christian 29 31/2 1/2
1/2 1 1/2 4
7 10
Nicolai, Johann Christopher 12 5
1/2 1 1/2

5 2 4
Nitschke, Georg Friedrich* 13 3

1/2 1/2

5 1 4
Nitschke, Gottfried 20 4

1/2 1/2

6 2
Roehr, Carl Wilhelm* 15 1/2 2 1/2

1/2 1

5 2 12
Seelander, Johann Gottlieb* 6 1 1/2


1/2

5 4
Schlinke, Daniel (Bethany Mill)* 10









Schultz, George August* 5 1/2 1 1/2

1/2 1/2

5 1
Schultz, Johann Gottleib* 6 1

1/2 1/2

3 1 4
Schultz, Johann Samuel Gottleib* 9 2

2 1/2

6 3 5
Seidel, Christian* 20 4 1/4
1/2 1/2

8 3
Thomas, Johann Gottlieb* 5 1 1/16






1
Thiedemann, Ernest* 3


1/4 1/4



3
Topp, Friedrich* 11 1

1/2 1/2

4 1
Voss, Carl Adolph 4 1/2 1


1/2 2

2 9
Zeinert, Johann George 6


1/4 1/2

4

   Tenancy arrangements lasted till 1852 when the land was purchased from Geoge Fife Angas.  Naturalization was a requirement for land ownership.  
    Lists of landowners from 1852 and 1857 [5] reveal that most of the original settlers have moved on.  Many moving to newly established villages nearby (Hoffnungsthal, Krondorf, Lamgmeil).

Lot Acres 1852 owner Acres 1857 owner


Sections 2, 11,14

-

58 2/3 Christian Dohnt (2, 11)
-

28 1/3 Christian Schilling (14)
1 23 1/2 Johann Christian Fischer 23 1/2 Johann Gottlieb Nitschke
-

46 Friedrich Christian Klingebiel
2 20 Wilhelm Kulkwitz 48 Friedrich Gottlieb Hamdorf
3 28 Friedrich Gottlieb Hamdorf

4 4 Gottfried Fellenberg (1853) 32 Johann August Stelzer
5 5 Gottfried Fellenberg 5 Samuel Julius Lauhsch


Sections 3, 10, 15

5 71 Gottfried Fellenberg 34 1/2 Samuel Julius Laubsch
-

6 Friedrich Topp
6 42 Samuel George Julius Laubsch 42 Samuel Julius Laubsch
7 10 Wilhelm Julius Klau 40 Wilhelm Julius Klau
8 30 Churchland 39 Trustees of Bethany Lutheran Church etc.
9 29 Carl Friedrich Krause 20 Carl Friedrich Krause
10 30 Ignatz Pohlner 20 Carl Pohlner



10 Ignatz Pohlner
11 20 Joachim Wessendorf 20 Johann Gottlieb Schilg (son-in-law)
-

9 1/2 Gottfried Kuhe


Sections 4, 9




7 1/2 Gottfried Kube
12 19 Friedrich Gottlieb Hamdorf 26 1/2 Christian Seidel
13 25 Ernst Hypauf 25 Ernst Hueppauf
14 23 George Hohnberg 23 Trustees of Johann Gottlob Hohnherg
15 20 Ernst Gay 20 Mrs Anna Rosina Gay pr. Trustees
16 58 ,Johann Marthin Henschke 35 Ernst Wilhelm Milich



23 Friedrich Wilhelm Gehling


Section 5

17 14 1/2 Carl Heinrich Thiele 14 1/2 Carl Heinrich Thiele
18 14 1/2 Johann Wilhelm Gutsche 14 1/2 Johann Wilhelm Gutschke
19 8 Johann Carl August Binder 8 Johann Wilhelm Gutschke
20 20 Johann Franz Sonntag 20 Johann Franz Sonntag
21 2 Carl Heinrich Thiele 4 Otto
22 2 Johann Wilhelm Gutsche

23 6 Johann Carl August Binder 6 Johann Wilhelm Gutschke
24 19 1/2 Gottfried Klaffus 19 1/2 Gottfried Klaffuss (Klaffus)

Contents * Brief History * Early Residents * References * Links


References

Bethany Families
[1] Mattner, M.; Ross, D.; Coleman, L. The Mattners in Australia 1839-1980 Mattner Family Reubion
Committee: Adelaide, 1981.
[2] Henschke Heritage Henschke Heritage Group Inc.: Adelaide, 1995.
[3] Mangelsdorf, B. (ed.) The Ahrens Family : Munno Para, SA, 2003.

Bethany
[4] Twining A., Twining S. South Australian Land Returns for 1843 (first compiled by James Allen 1844) Twining's Secretarial: Woodcroft, SA, 1992, p. 5.
[5] Proeve, H.F.W. A Dwelling Place at Bethany Lutheran Publishing House: Adelaide, 1983.
[6] Munchenburg, R.S., Proeve, H.F.W., Ross, D.A., Hausler, A., Saegenschnitter, G.B. The Barossa - A Vision Realised  Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust: Tanunda, 1992.
[7]  Iwan, W Because of their Beliefs (translated and edited by David Schubert) H Schubert: Highgate, SA, 1995 (pp 126, 143-150)

Links

Bethany
Flinders Ranges Research
German Australia

Contents * Brief History * Early Residents * References * Links