TANUNDA : TABOR
LUTHERAN
PAUL SCOTT
SATELLITE VIEW
The satellite view shows Tabor Church fronting onto Murray Street, the main road through Tanunda, but sitting back at the end of a long straight path with shrubs and trees on either side. In fact the Church sits right on the property boundary on the parallel Edward Street.
The Church is aligned with the city street grid, giving it an axis in a geographical southeast – northwest direction, with the sanctuary to the southeast. We shall be using liturgical directions on this site, meaning that the sanctuary will be considered to lie in an Easterly direction (with a capital E), and the other directions accordingly.
We see that the Church has a very simple form. It is rectangular in shape with a tall tower at the West end, and a vestry attached at the Northeast corner.
We shall explore this Church by beginning at Murray Street and following around the exterior in a clockwise direction, before entering and investigating the interior.
HISTORY
Year Built: 1849, 1870
Address: 77 Murray Street, Tanunda SA 5352
A number of pioneer families in the district organised the Free Evangelical Lutheran Tabor Congregation on 1 October 1850 under Dr Carl Muecke, Pastor, educator and journalist.
The first Church was built in 1849, extended in 1871 and in 1910, and completely renovated in 1970. It has three bells in the tower, and an orb on top which contains congregational records. The church was named Tabor after Mount Tabor, one of the most interesting and remarkable single mountains of Palestine.
In 1870, the original Church was rebuilt. The tower and choir gallery were added in 1910. The belfry carries three bells imported from Apolda, Germany; Gloria (glory), Concordia (harmony) and Laetitia (joy). The largest bell weighs over 300kg.
The Church garden covers the graves of the congregation’s original cemetery. After complaints by neighbours about late night burials and the apparent smell, it was moved in 1864.
https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/tanunda-sa-tabor-lutheran
There are limited records of the very early history of Tanunda’s Tabor church but it is known that the first baptism of the church was in 1850.
Recent information tells us that the church was most probably built in 1849 but there are no solid records of this. The ground in front of the church was used for burials until 1865.
The congregation rapidly grew and soon there was not enough space in the church to seat everyone and so an expansion was planned. Renovations took place in 1871, 1910 and in 1970.
There are three bells in the church tower that hang 85 feet high.
https://bvhistory.wixsite.com/barossa-history/tabor-church---tanunda
The boundaries are of course blurred now, but between the settlement of Bethany and the village of Langmeil was the township of Tanunda. Here, in 1850, an independent group of Lutherans established their church, calling it Tabor after the mountain referred to in the Old Testament. With businessmen from Tanunda and drawing members from a wide area, the Revd Adalbert Kappler of Adelaide was briefly their pastor. Kappler remained only a short time and was replaced by Dr Carl F.W. Muecke Ph.D. Apparently with no theological training nor evidence of his being ordained to the Lutheran ministry, but with an interest in political thought and education, Muecke established churches at various centres including Lyndoch and Greenock. He resigned in 1869 and was succeeded by Julius Roediger who served the church for the following 25 years.
A school was immediately organised, using the original church building during the week. Under the leadership of Friedrich Basedow and using government assistance, it outgrew its accommodation, moving to other premises, and becoming one of the best in the colony. After Basedow resigned to follow publishing pursuits, the school closed for a couple of years before reopening, again in the church. Another prominent South Australian, Theodor Scherk, taught there from 1867-1872 before it finally closed in 1873.
The church was rebuilt in 1870 to be further enlarged in 1910, with the addition of a choir gallery within and the tower without. The belfry carries a three-bell peal, the largest in the region. The bells were imported from Apolda, Thuringen, Germany in 1910, the largest of which weighs more than 6 cwt. The bells are named ‘Gloria’ (glory), ‘Concordia’ (harmony), and ‘Laetitia’ (Joy). Franz Schilling made the bells with the firm of Carl Friedrich Ulrich, Bell Founders, of Apolda Germany. However, the small bell cracked and was never rung. With the aid of a bequest it was replaced by a bell from Eijsbouts in the Netherlands.
Tabor did not acquire a pipe organ until late in the 20th century. Early in 1977, it was decided that their current instrument should be replaced. A committee was formed and Mr Ross Waters was given the task of building the organ at a cost of $10 000.
https://www.ohta.org.au/organs/organs/TanundaTabor.html
