LOCATION: 6 Balhannah Road, Hahndorf
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First established in 1839, St Michael’s is the oldest continuing Lutheran school in Australia. The German settlers, upon starting a new life in Hahndorf, founded the school so that their children would be taught the Lutheran faith and German heritage.
The school was closed by an Act of Parliament in 1917 at the height of the First World War and remained closed until its reopening in 1946.
During the sixty years since its re-opening at the present site, several major building programs and refurbishments have been undertaken to ensure that the school community has the best educational facilities possible. From a very simple start with few students, St. Michael’s now caters for 340 students.
Today, whilst we are proud of our humble beginnings and German heritage, St. Michael’s is a school for all residents of the Hills community.
After 160 years St. Michael’s has retained its core value of teaching the Christian faith. Being built on such strong foundations St. Michael’s is well positioned to continue its journey into this next century.
St. Michael’s Lutheran School is centrally located in the Adelaide Hills. Many families of the local Hills communities from Mt. Barker, Nairne, Littlehampton, Stirling, Echunga, Oakbank (amongst others) access the school. In most cases the school is only 10 – 15 minutes car travel from these centres.
Contact Details
Address: 6 Balhannah Road, HAHNDORF SA 5245
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: (08) 8388 7228
Fax Number: (08) 8388 7404
Brief History
St. Michaels Lutheran Primary School is one of the oldest Lutheran Schools in Australia. The original stone building which was used as a schoolhouse still stands today.
It is now located at 6 Balhannah Road, Hahndorf. At the end of 2005, St Michaels Lutheran Primary School was the only Lutheran school in the hills that was recognized as an International Baccalaurate School, offering students the 'International Baccalaurate Primary Years Programme'.
Shane Patterson, Principal of St Michaels for the past nine years had begun to incorporate this into their programme. "This method offers students a wide variety of learning experiences in the classroom and in their home environment, nurturing the growth of the child in mind, body and spirit" said Shane. "It uses research practisies from a wide range of educational systems, both nationally and internationally".
Since Shane has been Principal of St Michaels Primary School, student numbers have grown, and the successful growth of the school can be attributed to the inclusion of students from all faith denominations. "Though the school has seen many changes over the years, it still focuses on an education grounded on Christian faith, which supports all family values" said Shane. "We also encourage the students to participate in local issues. The students have had a discussion with local resident, Anni Fox, and launched a reprint of the locally renowned 'Recipes from my Grossmutter' (recipes from my grandmother).
