Establishment of Lutheran Church, School and Cemetery
In 1855 a Lutheran school opened in the still-to-be completed bluestone Lutheran church. The church was dedicated in 1856 and is now the second oldest Lutheran Church building in Australia. For over 100 years, the church served as a unifying force and focal point for Westgarthtown's activities. All major social events were centred around the Lutheran Church. As well as religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest Festival, celebrations and feasts associated with baptisms, confirmations and weddings were frequent, particularly in the early days, when there were many young families.
The Lutheran school operated from 1855-76. It was officially known as New Mecklenburg, reflecting the origins of many of the settlers. The school operated in the church from 1855-66, when a separate purpose-built building (pictured) was constructed nearby. This building was demolished during the 1950s.
When the settlement was established in 1850, the area was known as Keelbundora, after the parish in which it was located. From 1851 the name Dry Creek came into use and predominated for several years. The school’s name was also used to describe the area for a few years, but by 1860 the name Westgarthtown, in use from about 1856, was finally adopted. To further confuse the matter, the name Germantown was also used, mainly by outsiders.
In about 1900 the church's name was changed to Thomastown Lutheran Church, partly to avoid confusion with the area in Northcote around the Westgarth railway station. Thomastown is now Australia’s oldest operating Lutheran church. The only older Lutheran church building is located at Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills. Dedicated in 1845, Lobethal’s original brick church now only serves as a chapel beside a larger, more modern building.
The cemetery, in which about 250 people have been buried, remains open for members of the congregation and descendants of original settlers. For further information about the cemetery including a reconstructed burial list visit our cemetery minisite.
