Lutheran Church

1. •Lutheran congregation from ca 1856-1859.  St John’s Lutheran Church built 1878. 
   

Bunyip (Gawler, SA : 1863 - 1954) Friday 28 October 1938

Daveyston Lutheran St. John's Church.

On the 15th Sunday after Trinity (towards the end of September) the congregation of St. John's church at Daveyston celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the dedication of the

church. It appears that about the year 1860 a few German settlers living round about Daveyston contrived the idea of having a school wherein their children were to be educated. For this purpose a large room at the hotel, which was there then, was rented. Daveyston in those early and remote days appeared to have been a very stately village. There are supposed to have been 12 houses, each occupied by a fair membered family. There also was a flour mill, a blacksmith's shop, a carpenter shop, a grocery and drapery store, and a post office. Mr. Becker was the first congregational school teacher. At length a school was built as we now see it on the west side of the church. Pastor Dr. Muecke of Tanunda gave the services. Although a German Evangelical Lutheran church existed at Nairn, the pioneer settlers at Daveyston desired their own building. They named their church body — ''Die freie evangclische luutherisdie Gemeinde.' People living at Schoenfeld, Freeling and Greenock desiring to become members, it was first thought of building a church at Freeling, the Methodist church being the only church existing there at that time. Then they thought of building at Greenock, but the majority held out for the site at Daveyston. The building was commenced in the Spring of 1877, the ground being given by Mr. Edward Hempel. grandfather of the present member. The district being noted for its magnificent stone, the church was built of this material. The church complete with pews, altar, pulpit and other smaller fittings cost £658 3/9. Even a gallery was then in the building, and only of late years was it removed. At the deduction in 1878 people came from north, south, east and west; from Sheaoak Log. Greenock, Seppeltsfield, Freeling and Schoenfeld. And they came in drays, drawn by oxen, and in German waggons. Later years came the buggies; and future services saw ten, fifteen and twenty buggies following one another from Freeling, buggy after buggy from Greenock and Sheaoak Log, all pouring into the churchyard. Then almost as sudden as a thunderbolt out of the blue came an incident, causing havoc, and eleven and more families left. And in spite of efforts, the membership is growing less each year, the messenger of death calling home those who still adhered to the church. The secretaries and treasurers of the church have been Bros. Wehr. F. H. Heinrich. H. A. L. Bockmann, Rudolf Tummcl and Louis Bockmann.