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Lutheran Church of Australia

where love comes to life

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      The Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant church in the world, with over 70 million members. This website tells the story of Australian and New Zealand Lutherans, following Jesus Christ – where love comes to life. Whoever you are, whatever your story, you're welcome here with us.
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FILM DIGITISATION APPEAL

Here's your chance to save a film!

Visit the webpage

COMMEMORATING LUTHER

2017 was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Discover how Lutherans have commemorated significant milestones since Luther nailed his '95 Theses' to the church door at Wittenberg.

Word   PDF

Become our friend!

Interested in history? Enjoy a good story? Want to learn more? Join our enthusiastic group of supporters by becoming a Friend of Lutheran Archives (FoLA). We encourage the collection and preservation of archival material and to promote the work of the Lutheran Archives.

MORE ABOUT FoLA

LCA Ministry Support


Lutheran Archives is a department of the Executive Office of the Church, also known as Ministry Support. It is one of five departments exercising the 'enabling' functions outlined in our Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) Strategic Direction 2015–2018. Working with us are:

  • Church Worker Support
  • Communications
  • Finance & Administration
  • Professional Standards.

Together we provide the support services for LCA and Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ) agencies and congregations that enable them to focus on their mission and ministry activities (the 'go' and 'grow' priorities in our LCA Strategic Direction).

Please support us

This link takes you to our LCA online donation site, where you can pay securely via credit card.

Lutheran Archives

Lutheran Archives acknowledges and pays our respects to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we gather on. We acknowledge the ongoing deep relationship of the Kaurna people to country and we respect and value their past, present and ongoing connection to the land and cultural beliefs.

Lutheran Archives opening hours

Our public opening hours are weekdays (except Wednesday) from 9.30am - 3.00pm. We offer two research sessions per day: 9.30am-12 noon, and 12.30pm-3.00pm.

COVID Policy: Please note that bookings are essential if planning to visit for research or to deposit records. Face masks may be worn according to personal discretion.

Please ring us on (08) 8340 4009 or email us before a visit to Lutheran Archives to make an appointment.

See our protocols and advice for:

  • research visits
  • depositing or donating records
  • payments, book sales or other reasons.

Please do not drop off or send us deposits without speaking to us first. 

Please do not enter Lutheran Archives if:

  • you are sick, have a cough, fever, sore throat, or any cold or flu symptoms, no matter how mild OR you share a household with someone who is sick or has those symptoms
  • you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are a close contact of someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or you are awaiting PCR test results
  • you have been told to isolate or quarantine.

About us

Lutheran Archives holds a harvest of stories that show God’s love coming to life – the stories of the congregations, departments and the people of the church. Lutheran Archives gathers and preserves these stories from all over Australia and the Pacific – wherever the church is involved. We share the stories of the LCA/NZ across the church and in the wider public. We enable others to encounter these stories through research, so they can share their stories and experiences of love coming to life.

A wide variety of people access these records: congregations, family historians, academic researchers, creative artists and filmmakers. These records help people to write congregation histories, fill gaps in family trees, understand our cultural diversity, further Aboriginal language research, and restore identity. The power of these records cannot be overestimated.

By depositing records at Lutheran Archives, the stories of your ministries can be encountered by members of the church and public, told and disseminated to a myriad of audiences. We are able to turn your records deposited at Lutheran Archives into new ministries by providing and enabling access to them.

LOVE COMES TO LIFE when we recognise God's faithfulness to generations past, and carefully lay foundations of faith for those who will follow us.

How we serve

As a ministry support department, Lutheran Archives is here to support you in your ministries. We can assist you with:

  • advice on managing your records
  • caring for your permanent records that you no longer regularly access.

Managing your records appropriately enables you to focus on carrying out your current ministries – beginning with records in your possession and continuing into the future when they are deposited at Lutheran Archives.

Lutheran Archives identifies records to be deposited. We make those records accessible through arrangement and description, indexing, translation and digitisation, and we provide contextual understanding for researchers to interpret those records.

Through presentations, exhibitions, publications, seminars and events, we disseminate the harvest of stories throughout the Lutheran community and beyond. Join Friends of Lutheran Archives to feast on these stories.

Partner with us

You and your ministries are the foundation of our ministry.

1. Ensure you create records within your congregation, mission, auxiliary
or department, and of your personal experiences in the church.

2. Manage those records appropriately while you are using them.

3. Deposit those records (minutes, correspondence, artefacts, films, photographs) when they are no longer being regularly used.

The fact that people in the past took the trouble to preserve their story means that we are blessed today with their harvest. Take the time today to preserve this generation’s fruit, so that there will be a harvest of stories for our children and grandchildren.

Events

Thursday 23 March 2023 - Bethel SA: a settlement of Germans, Wends, Moravians, Lutherans and others (Lyall Kupke) Expand

Bethel SA – a settlement of Germans, Wends, Moravians, Lutherans and others

Speaker: Lyall Kupke

Thursday 23 March at 7.30pm

Immanuel Lutheran Church, 139 Archer St, North Adelaide SA 5006

LIVESTREAM on FoLA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsoflutheranarchives9644/live

The district of Bethel lies 9km west of Kapunda. Since its first settlement in 1855, its German and Wendish settlers have experienced a Moravian Brethren settlement and church, two Lutheran churches, and a breakaway group. Lyall Kupke, retired archivist, will explain further.

Please consider supporting our public meetings by making a $5 donation for attendance. Thank you!

Congregation records – guidelines

This document provides information on what records congregations should keep and how to protect them. Click here to download.

'Stepping Stones'

Read the stories from one of The Lutheran's most popular columns.

Services

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Expand

Our records cover significant themes in the history of Australia, including:

  • CHURCH HISTORY congregations, church ministries, departments and organisations
  • FAMILY HISTORY through parish registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials
  • ABORIGINAL languages, culture and history in comprehensive and detailed mission records
  • REFUGEE AND MIGRATION HISTORY 19th century and post-WWII
  • SETTLEMENT AND LOCAL HISTORY through congregation records and registers which document the settlement of Lutherans in newly opened rural areas
  • LUTHERAN SCHOOLING in history of education
  • GERMAN-AUSTRALIAN language, traditions, media and cultural life – ‘Deutschtum’.

You can carry out research in person at our archives, or contact our staff by phone or email with your research inquiries.

GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH Expand

The parish registers contain information on births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths and burials of people who were associated with the Lutheran Church. These are extremely valuable for family history research. To assist researchers a Church Records Computer Database Index has been prepared. A printout of the surname provides the researcher with an index to entries with that surname in the parish registers. This enables the researcher to quickly locate those records which may be useful. There is an additional charge for this service.

GERMAN LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION Expand

Up to the 1920s most of the records were written or printed in German. Handwritten German records can be rather difficult to read. Some documents may be available in English translation. Additional translation from German can be undertaken for a fee.

BOOK SALES Expand

A selection of family history books and church history books are available for purchase.

  • Family history books – English surnames
  • Family history books – German surnames
  • General books for sale – including church history, congregation histories, fiction, mission, schools

If you would like to buy a book, please contact us at lutheran.archives@lca.org.au or 08 8340 4009 to arrange payment and postage.

PHOTO REPRODUCTIONS Expand

Photos in the Archives collection can be scanned for a fee.

Scan of photograph: $6 per image

Permission to publish: $10 per image

SCANNING AND PHOTOCOPYING Expand

Researchers may request photocopies or digital scans of published documents and books. This will be done by the Archives staff, subject to the physical condition of the documents, access conditions and copyright legislation.

Scans of Lutheran Archives collection material: $10 set-up fee + 70c/image

Photocopies/scans of transcribed/translated items or published material: A4 page - $1.00  |  A3 page - $2.00

TOURS Expand

Why not organise a tour of Lutheran Archives for your group or organisation? This is a chance to peek behind the scenes and see the treasures we hold. Allow 60 to 90 minutes for a tour. Contact us to find out more. ($10 donation per person.)

FEES Expand

While there are no fees to access the collection, Lutheran Archives are grateful for any donations from researchers and others accessing the collection.

  • Archives staff / commissioned research: $70 per hour (e.g. written enquiries)
  • Computer printout of surnames in church records database: $5 per surname searched, plus $1 per page
  • Transcription of church register records: $6 per record (e.g. baptism record)
  • Digitisation of collection material: $10 set-up fee + 70c per image
  • Photocopies/scans of published material: A4 page - 50c; A3 page - $1
  • Photocopies/scans of transcribed/translated document: A4 page - $1; A3 page - $2
  • Scan of photograph: $6 per image
  • Image publication (pending Copyright and Indigenous Copyright and Intellectual Property) : $10 per image

Scope of collection

RECORDS FROM LUTHERAN SYNODS Expand
  • Kavel-Fritzsche Synod (1838–1846)
  • Langmeil-Light Pass Synod (1846–1874)
  • Bethany-Lobethal Synod (1846–1863)
  • Victoria Synod (1856–1921)
  • Tanunda-Light Pass Synod (1860–1874)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Australia (ELSA) (1863–1944)
  • Immanuel Synod (1874–1921)
  • General Synod (1876–1921)
  • Immanuel Synod a.a.G. (1884–1921)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Queensland (ELSQ) (1885–1921)
  • United German & Scandinavian Lutheran Synod of Qld (1885–1921)
  • ELSA a.a.G (1904–1926)
  • United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Australia (UELCA) (1921–1966)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia (ELCA) (1944–1966)
  • Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) (1966–)
TYPES OF RECORDS Expand
  • Official histories of the Lutheran churches in Australia
  • Church departmental records
  • Church convention reports
  • Church almanacs and yearbooks
  • Church statistical records
  • Church periodicals (Australian, US, German etc)
  • Congregation histories and records
  • Parish registers
  • Parish papers
  • Biographical records of pastors and Lutheran teachers
  • Family history books
  • Mission magazines
  • Some shipping lists (SA, 1837–1870)
  • Special collections (Bibles, hymnbooks, catechisms, sermon books, devotion books, theology)
  • Photographs (churches, schools, missions, pastors, teachers)
  • Artefacts
  • Maps and atlases

Where to find us

Lutheran Archives
27 Fourth Street, Bowden SA 5007

TRAM RAIL BUS CAR
TRAM

In King William Street or North Terrace, catch the tram to the Entertainment Centre at Hindmarsh. Cross Port Road (walking away from the Entertainment Centre) and walk south to Gibson Street and then north-east to Fourth Street. Note: this is a free service.

RAIL

At the Adelaide Railway Station catch the Grange or Outer Harbour train and alight at the Bowden (the first) station. Walk south to Gibson Street, then north-east to Fourth Street.

BUS

Catch number 150, 155 or 157 in North Terrace in the city and alight at Stop 6. Cross Port Road and walk south to Gibson Street and then north-east to Fourth Street. (Alternate route via Ward Street, North Adelaide: Catch number 250, 251 or 252  in King William Street in the city and alight at Stop 9 on Hawker Street. Walk south-west along Gibson Street to Fourth Street.)

CAR

From Park Terrace, turn into Hawker Street. Turn left into Drayton Street, continue until you come to the Road Closed sign near Fourth Street, then take the entry to the left into the car park.

 

Usual hours of business

Bookings are essential if planning to visit for research or to deposit records. Face masks may be worn according to personal discretion.

The opening hours for Lutheran Archives are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (closed Wednesday) from 9.30am to 3.00pm.

Please contact us to arrange your visit. 

Lutheran Archives

Rachel Kuchel – Director & Archivist
Bethany Pietsch - Reference Archivist (Monday and Tuesday)
Benjamin Hollister - Reference Archivist (Thursday and Friday)
Angela Schilling - Collections Archivist
lutheran.archives@lca.org.au
08 8340 4009

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197 Archer Street
North Adelaide SA 5006

08 8267 7300
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