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Prussian (German, Polish, Slav, Russian, Wendish) settlement in South Australia
Prussians began to settle in Australia in large numbers in 1838, with the arrival of immigrants from Prussia to Adelaide, South Australia. Prussian immigrants were prominent in settling South Australia and Queensland. Between 1850 until World War I, German settlers and their descendants comprised the largest non-British or Irish group of Europeans in Australia.
For a complete list of voyages from Prussia to South Australia with links to passenger lists and related pioneer projects please see Bound for South Australia
By 1835 many dissenting Old Lutheran groups (see project for names list here) were looking to emigration as a means to finding religious freedom. Some groups emigrated to Australia and the United States in the years leading up to 1840. The latter emigration led to the formation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, today the second largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S.; and the Evangelical Synod of the West, a predecessor body of The United Church of Christ. The former emigration led to the eventual creation of the Lutheran Church of Australia (which was formed in 1966).
With the death of Frederick William III in 1840, King Frederick William IV ascended to the throne. He released the pastors who had been imprisoned, and allowed the dissenting groups to form religious organisations in freedom. In 1841 the Old Lutherans, who had stayed in Prussia, convened in a general synod in Breslau and founded the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Prussia, which merged in 1972 with Old Lutheran church bodies in other German states to become today's Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (German: Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, or SELK). On 23 July 1845 the royal government recognised the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Prussia and its congregations as legal entities. In the same year the Evangelical Church in the Royal Prussian Lands reinforced its self-conception as the Prussian State's church and renamed into Evangelical State Church of Prussia (German: Evangelische Landeskirche Preußens).
To break this project in to States and minor Ethnic Groups could hinder its effectiveness, after tracing families, it has been noticed that:
- Brothers would sometimes go to different States (and Countries).
- Because of drought in South Australia, some moved on to Victoria.
- Marriages were mostly within the known language and heritage, but, not always, some married English and Irish. These families should be included in the project.
What Profiles To Add?
Profiles where the family originated from Prussia and Germany, including "via" other countries and settled in Australia. Please include their immediate offspring, as a complete family, but only those children who travelled. Couples should both be included, as they have different ancestors.
Please use timeline events to record Immigration details
Geni Projects - Australia
Geni Projects South Australia
- Bound for South Australia - Ships Lists for European/German Pioneers
- Pioneers who first settled interstate and moved to South Australia
- All Dates "Foriegn" passengers on English Ships
Helpful Links:
- Australian German Genealogy
- German Chronology
- South Australian History
- Wendish Heritage
- South Australian Library - German Immigration
- The German Club
- This lady shares photo's of Graves and lists
- Translate
- Graeme Moad List
Shipping Lists:
- The Best Search, also see other searches on this site
- San Francisco Hamburg, Germany to South Australia 1850 at The Ships List
- SA German Index
Cemeteries:
- Australian Cemetery Index
- Family History SA
- Australian Cemeteries Online
- National Library Of Australia
- Cora Web
- Australian Family History Search
- Cindi's List
- Oz Cemeteries - German
Biography and Obituary Sites:
Wiki Links:
- German settlement in Australia
- German Australian
- Forty-Eighters
- German Settlement in The Riverina
- Ethnic Germans
- Immigration To Australia
- German Baptists Settlers in Australia
- Australian place names changed from German names
- Prussia
Downloads:
- 1800-2000 Why did European German people come to South Australia? download this excellent 360 odd page book full of genealogical gems by Henry Smith.
- Early German Settlement In Australia
- Wendish Heritage Newsletters
German Resources
- Nameslist by district if you use Chrome browser it will be translated for you.
- Excellent site! Emigration from Schleswig-Holstein
Geni Help Links:
This project is included in The History Link Project - Trace your ancesters! you can add projects here
Credits:
- Photo of Eden Valley kindly supplied by the South Australian Library. The store was owned by Paul and Sharyn Carroll in 1981-84