Klemzig, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Klemzig Adelaide, South Australia
Klemzig Interchange
Established	1837
Postcode(s)	5087
Area	2.5 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
LGA(s)	City of Port Adelaide Enfield
State electorate(s)	Torrens
Federal Division(s)	Sturt
Suburbs around Klemzig: Manningham Hampstead Gardens Greenacres Collinswood Klemzig Campbelltown Vale Park Marden Felixstow

Klemzig is a suburb located in Adelaide, South Australia. It is part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Klemzig holds a special place in Australian history. It was the very first settlement established by German immigrants in Australia. The suburb gets its name from a village called Klemzig, which was once in Prussia (Germany) and is now known as Klępsk in western Poland.

The Journey to Klemzig

"Klemzig – German Village on the Torrens" (painted in 1845)

Klemzig was founded as a settlement for a group of people known as Old Lutherans. Their leader, Pastor August Ludwig Christian Kavel, made this happen. Pastor Kavel wanted to help his followers leave their homes in Germany. They were facing unfair treatment because of their religious beliefs from King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia.

First, Pastor Kavel thought about moving his people to Russia. There were already many German settlements near the Black Sea. However, this plan didn't work out. In 1836, he looked into moving to America. But they didn't have enough money for the trip, so this plan also failed.

While in Hamburg, Germany, Pastor Kavel heard about a kind and wealthy man named George Fife Angas. Angas was the Chairman of the South Australian Company. Kavel hoped Angas would help the Old Lutherans with their big move.

In March 1836, Kavel and a church representative went to London. They met George Fife Angas, who was very supportive. Angas was a Baptist and believed that the Old Lutherans would make excellent settlers. This was because they valued their religious beliefs so much.

Angas convinced the leaders of the South Australian Company to help. They agreed to rent a ship called the Sarah. It was supposed to sail to Hamburg to pick up 370 Old Lutherans. They planned to leave for South Australia on June 8, 1836. But the Prussian government refused to give them the necessary travel documents. After a difficult delay of almost two years, the government finally allowed them to leave. Over the next six years, many ships brought Pastor Kavel's Old Lutheran followers to the new South Australian Colony.

Ships That Carried Settlers

Many ships brought the German immigrants to South Australia. Here are some of them:

• The ship Bengalee left Hamburg on July 16, 1838. It arrived in Port Adelaide on November 16, 1838. It carried 33 passengers.
• The ship The Prince George left Hamburg on July 13, 1838. It arrived in Port Adelaide on November 18, 1838. Pastor Kavel was on board with 207 passengers.
• The ship Zebra left Altona (near Hamburg) on August 28, 1838. It arrived in Port Adelaide on December 27, 1838. It carried 191 passengers. The ship also brought over 40,000 bricks for building new homes.
• The ship Cathrina left Hamburg on September 15, 1838. It arrived in Port Adelaide on January 20, 1839. It carried 122 passengers.
• The ship Skjold left Altona on July 3, 1841. It arrived in Port Adelaide on October 27, 1841. It carried 241 passengers. Sadly, 41 people died during the three-month journey.
• The ship Taglione left London on June 20, 1842. It arrived in Port Adelaide on October 13, 1842. The number of passengers is not known.
• The ship George Washington left Hamburg on May 23, 1844. It arrived in Port Adelaide on September 12, 1844. It carried 184 passengers.
• The ship Joseph Albino left London on July 4, 1845. It arrived in Port Adelaide on December 8, 1845. It carried 7 passengers.

Founding the Settlement

Street scene of Klemzig painted by George French Angas in 1846

In March 1837, Colonel William Light finished surveying areas around Adelaide. He chose the Adelaide Plains as the best spot for the new capital city.

The first groups of Old Lutheran immigrants arrived in Port Misery between October 1838 and January 1839. With help from George Fife Angas, many tried to find work as tradespeople or labourers. However, there wasn't much work available. Also, they spoke German, not English, and faced some unfair treatment from British farmers already living there. This made it very hard for many Old Lutherans to settle down.

In 1838, Klemzig was founded by these immigrants. George Fife Angas offered them a piece of land next to the Torrens River. This land was a few kilometers northeast of Adelaide.

Name Changes Over Time

During World War I, there was a strong anti-German feeling. Because of this, many German place names in Australia were changed. Klemzig was one of them. In 1917, Klemzig was renamed Gaza. This name honored a British victory in the Third Battle of Gaza, where Australian soldiers played a big part.

Klemzig got its original name back on December 12, 1935. This happened when the South Australia Nomenclature Act of 1935 was passed. However, you can still see the name Gaza around. For example, the local football club still uses the name Gaza. During World War II, the people living in Klemzig asked the government to change the name back to Gaza. But these requests were not approved.

Getting Around Klemzig

Klemzig has good public transport options. Several bus routes serve the area, including routes 271 and 273 along North East Road, route 281 on McLauchlan Road, and route W90 on O.G. Road. The suburb is also home to the Klemzig Interchange, which is part of the O-Bahn Busway.

The Torrens Linear Park runs along the O-Bahn and the River Torrens to the south of Klemzig. This makes it easy to get to the CBD (city center) and nearby suburbs.