The Role of Social Capital Among German Lutheran Settlers in the Colonisation of the Barossa, 1836-1856

Abstract

<p>South Australian historical scholarship has, until the 1970s, focussed on political and economic factors at the macro level while social and cultural determinants have often been overlooked. From the establishment of the new colony of South Australia in 1836, some 11,000 German Lutherans emigrated to South Australia over the next twenty years and many settled in the Barossa Valley. The thesis investigates the context of their decision to emigrate, for choosing South Australia and colonising the Barossa.</p> <p>Rather than relying on government support, I argue that it was the social capital of these pioneers that contributed to achieving their aspirations. The private records of the emigrants and their family histories have been examined to reveal a more nuanced view of their colonisation of the Barossa. Today, there is a growing awareness and interest by local descendants into how their ancestors were able to create a viable, peaceful and long-lasting Lutheran community far from their original home. As such, this thesis adds to the historiography of early South Australian colonisation.</p>