From the mid-1860s families of German ancestry arrived in the Wodonga district, travelling in groups from South Australia. The majority of these people were of the Lutheran religion. At first there was no Lutheran pastor or church in the area and they held services under the gum trees or in their homes once they had been built. The early arrivals included the Haeusler, Klinge, Bartel, Rothe and Paech families. They were later joined by members of the Muller, Lange, Pumpa, Lobbe, Heckendorf, Zeinert, Schubert, Schuster, Schubert and Terlich families amongst others. The first Lutheran Church was built in Havelock Street, Wodonga and was dedicated in 1875. This building was used for approximately 90 years until it was demolished and replaced by a temporary building and then a second church which was dedicated in 1978. The Ovens and Murray Advertiser on 4th August 1874 reported "The Rev. Goessling pastor of the German Lutheran Church, Gerogery has laid the foundation stone of the new church for the members of his denomination residing at Wodonga, in accordance with the rights of the church. The building was to be 30 feet by 20 feet and 14 feet high, of brick with white facings and Gothic windows. There was to be a porch and vestry, one at either end, measuring 8 feet by 10 feet". Plans were initiated to build a new church from the late 1990s. After many years of planning and hard work, the last service in the Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Havelock Street was held on Sunday 7th May 2023 and a new Church was constructed. From 14th May 2023 the Parish held its worship services in Luther Hall at Victory Lutheran College in Drage Road, West Wodonga. The new Saint John’s Church was consecrated on 18 August 2024.This photo is significant because it depicts the original Lutheran Church in Wodonga.A black and white photograph of an old stone church building.Lutheran Church Wodongawodonga churches, lutheran church wodonga

Several German families arrived in Wodonga, usually via South Australia, in the late 1850 and 1860s. Some of the earliest settlers to arrive were the Haeusler, Schlink, Trudewind, Pfeiffer and Klinge families. Many of them had left from Prussia and Bavaria to escape religious persecution. They all became actively involved in the community and made outstanding and lasting contributions to the development of the town. In the years 1868-69 more settlers arrived from South Australia and other parts of Victoria. Among the names were Heckendorf, Mueller, Zeinert and Schubert. These families were instrumental in lobbying for the establishment of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Wodonga, the foundation stone being laid in 1874. By the 1890s to the early 1900s many other Germany names were added to the local community including Muller, Lange, Pumpa, Greschke, Lobbe, Posselt, Kreuger, Schuster, Pertzel, Star, Draper, Mueller, Semmler, Thiele, Terlich, Wegener, Schreiber and Draper. Germans continued to arrive in the area until 1914. In the great post-war migration that started through Bonegilla in December 1947, Germans were among the tens of thousands who arrived. Most of the migrants who settled in Wodonga at this time were born in Germany. According to the 2016 Census, Wodonga still has a larger percentage of people with German ancestry than most other rural communities in Victoria. The German Austrian Australian Club, Wodonga was originally formed in 1960 by immigrants to Australia, to provide a meeting place for refugees and immigrants from Europe. Oktoberfest has become a world-wide occasion for all people to share in the celebration of Bavarian traditions. The Wodonga Hospital approached the Club and asked for their involvement in holding an Oktoberfest to raise funds for the Hospital. These Fests took 11 months to organize and ended up raising over $27,000.00 for the Hospital. A large number of families of German origin have arrived in the Wodonga area from as early as the 1850s. They have made valuable and lasting contributions to the area in a range of fields including agriculture, local government, businesses, retail and medical services. Their contributions are recognised in several street names in Wodonga. A white china beer stein bearing the blue logo of the Wodonga 1979 Oktoberfest. Logo includes an image of a woman in German national costume.Above the image "WODONGA" Underneath the image "OKTOBERFEST 1979"wodonga, oktoberfest, german immigrants

The Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection provides invaluable insight into life in late nineteenth and early twentieth century north east Victoria. The collection comprises manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family on their farm in Wodonga, and a set of glass negatives which offer a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community. The Haeusler family migrated from Prussia (Germany) to South Australia in the 1840s and 1850s, before purchasing 100 acres of Crown Land made available under the Victorian Lands Act 1862 (also known as ‘Duffy’s Land Act’) in 1866 in what is now Wodonga West. The Haeusler family were one of several German families to migrate from South Australia to Wodonga in the 1860s. The Schuster family were also of German migrant background. Johannes Edward Schuster was born in Hoyles Plains, South Australia and with his wife Johanna and young family moved to Victoria circa 1882. He took up farming land in Wodonga West. The St John’s Lutheran Church Sunday school hall was erected from part of the proceeds of the sale of some 41 acres of land at Wodonga West, which had been bequeathed to the Wodonga congregation by the late Johannes Edward Schuster. This land was the original home site of the Schuster family on arrival from South Australia. Shearing - Although the first mechanised sheep shearing machine was created by James Higham, from Melbourne in 1868, the use of blade shears were more common well into the early 20th century. Pastoralists on smaller holdings continued to either shear their own sheep or employ blade shearers rather than outlay the cost of machines. In large sheds, professional shearers worked as they travelled the country. They would earn around 17 to 20 shillings per day in the early days of the wool industry. However mechanisation continued and by 1915 most sheep shearing sheds in Australia contained sheep shearing machines. The original machines were powered by steam and later combustion engines were used. This digital image was produced from one of the glass negatives that form part of the collection, probably taken by Louis Haeusler (b.1887) with the photographic equipment in the Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection.This item is unique and has well documented provenance and a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history and social history.Digital image created from the Haeusler Glass negative collection. Harry Schuster shearing sheep using blade shears. wodonga pioneers, haeusler family, glass negatives, dry plate photography, blade shearing, schuster family