Hermannsburg Historic Precinct

Children on seesaw c.1925: Source State Library of South Australia B62572

A wealth of stories and historical treasures

A mission that operated for 150 years, a people that owned this country for millennia, foreign colonists under resourced and struggling in the harsh Australian outback, a history of frontier violence and sanctuary, years of drought and illness and heartbreak, enduring friendships and a community that continues to grow and evolve in response to the changes in the world around them; there are many stories to be told about Hermannsburg and some of them are recounted here from a mixture of written sources and oral histories.

Explore the stories

Carl and Frieda Strehlow with their children

Lutheran Mission

The Hermannsburg Mission was established in 1877 following an arduous 20 month journey from South Australia. It was managed by Lutheran missionaries and the Lutheran Church from 1877-1982 and is the last surviving mission developed by missionaries from the Hermannsburg Missionary Society in Germany under the influence of the German Lutheran community in South Australia.

Mission history

An Aboriginal wurley-traditional hut

Western Arrarnta people

Adjacent to the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct is the modern township of Ntaria, in Ljirapinta Ward of the MacDonnell Shire, on the traditional lands of the Western Arrarnta people. The community is proud of its Lutheran traditions and the stories that have been passed down through the generations.

Learn more

A vibrant and rich creative history

Visiting Hermansburg and it’s surrounds.

Explore the countryside and swim or walk off some energy at nearby waterholes, explore stunning gorges along the inner Mereenie Loop, and see Aboriginal art at Napwerte/Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve.