South Australians and visitors are encouraged to Discover a Different Story about our history at the 16th annual History Festival running from Saturday 27 April to Friday 31 May 2019. With almost 700 events across the state, over 400 organisations involved, and almost a third of the events happening in regional areas there is a piece of history for everyone to enjoy.

This year’s festival will be held in every corner of the state. From Bordertown to Port Lincoln, Penola to the Fleurieu Peninsula, and all the way north to Farina – and of course our heritage rich village of Hahndorf and the beautiful Adelaide Hills will be showcased.

The events include activities ranging from tours, talks, walks, exhibitions, kids’ events, concerts, dinners and more across metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas.

The History Festival is one of South Australia’s largest community events and promotes the state’s wonderful collections, places and stories through an amazing range of history-related activities.

Hahndorf has a number of events planned including the below:

Hahndorf After Dark Walking Tour

The Hahndorf After Dark Walking Tour offers a whole new perspective of the Hahndorf. An experience with stories to match this time of night and atmosphere. Conducted at the southern end of the village. Walk in the footsteps of the Prussian immigrants as they made the way to their last resting place. Visit the old mortuary, stonemasons, and cemetery and enter St Paul’s Lutheran church.

Hahndorf Nineteenth-Century Village Life

Imagine the Past is a free event in Hahndorf Academy’s beautiful grounds. Come and experience the sounds and activity of traditional trades used in Hahndorf nineteenth-century village life, with demonstrations of traditional crafts, skills and trades, including weaving, spinning, felting, embroidery, milking goats, cheese making, wood turning, working draught horses, dry stone walling, blacksmithing, farm animals, engines, heritage gardening and period costume.

Schmidt-Rodert Hufe and Bake Oven

Explore the only surviving complex of farmyard buildings in the Hahndorf Main Street. Imagine the Past: Schmidt-Rodert Hufe and Bake Oven. Imagine the life of the early Prussian settlers as you walk through the various buildings dating from 1840. Find out about fachwerk, bacon, myths and witches. Watch the bakers prepare the dough and bake the kuchen and bread in the nineteenth-century corbelled oven. Be tempted by the smell of freshly baked bread and enjoy a slice with butter and jam or buy a loaf. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to step back through time and imagine the past at this humble conservation site.

Fachwerk construction in Hahndorf

F***werk and Other Architecture in Hahndorf. There are some excellent examples of Fachwerk construction in Hahndorf. Sharon from HWT will be taking guests to various locations in the village to visit those sites. Included is a 30-minute talk and demonstration.

The Cedars: House and Studio Historical Tour

During the History Festival in May at The Cedars, the historic property of Hans Heysen. The Curator Allan Campbell will take you on a tour of the house, studio and garden. Allan is a walking encyclopedia of this precious and well-kept secret in the Adelaide Hills.

Life and Achievements of Nurse Bertha Emilie Schmidtke

When Tales Are Long and Often Turn Corners: by Deborah Twining at the Hahndorf Academy. History is a complex recollection of events, where forgetting can be as important as remembering. Somewhere embodied in the stories that people tell is the life and achievements of Nurse Bertha Emilie Schmidtke. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this remarkable women, whom against all odds established the Ambleside Maternity Hospital in what is now the Hahndorf Academy, South Australia. Artist Deborah Twining attempts to unravel the truths that wrapped up her world and in the process, give some narrative to Nurse Schmidtke’s valuable but largely unrecognised achievements.

My Paintings Speak For Me at the Hahndorf Academy

Kunyi June Anne McInerney: Kunyi June Anne McInerney draws upon childhood experiences as a member of the Stolen Generations in the Oodnadatta Children’s Home during the 1950s. Kunyi’s vibrant paintings document her memories of the strict life with other mission kids who became her only family. Kunyi’s paintings and stories reveal an often-invisible part of Australian history, exploring the experiences of cultural loss, separation from family and finding fun times amongst hardship.

Faith Beyond Four Walls

Hahndorf Walking Tours: Faith Beyond Four Walls. Journey inside St Michael’s and St Paul’s Lutheran churches and to the hidden, rarely visited, Lutheran church in the back street. Understand the reason for the immigration of the Old Lutherans and why they left their homeland to come to South Australia in 1838. Understand the imagery of the churches and the intriguing stories of the village and these special places of worship. View the never-before-seen display of photographs of past pastors.

Following Kavel’s People

Bus tour: The first stable communities of Germans in Australia were formed by four groups of Prussian Lutherans following Pastor Kavel to South Australia. Their first abodes were in Klemzig, Hahndorf and Glen Osmond. Follow in their footsteps (by bus!), with commentary from letters and diaries, from landing to living space. Using images, maps and plans you will be able to imagine the Dörfer as they were.

For full Adelaide Hills program click here.