The name derives from a place in Germany where missionaries were trained and it is located on the Finke River. The river itself was named after a gentleman by the name of William Finke who was a friend of John McDouall Stuart who had discovered it in 1860.

It was here that the first mission station in Northern Territory was set up back in 1877 by Lutheran missionaries amongst the land of the Aranda tribe. Originally there was a party of five missionaries who sent for white women to join them in marriage and hence the first wedding in Central Australia took place in 1878.

Its first Aboriginal school was established in 1879. In 1880 the first adult classes took place and it was 1887 when the first baptisms occurred. The aims of the mission were to convert the Aranda people to the Lutheran Christianity and simultaneously prepare them for assimilation into the white community.

The reality was however, that these people were by nature a nomadic peoples and so the mission was for the large part ignored by them until 1879 when two wagons loaded with government supplies arrived at the mission. As the mission station became the location where rations were distributed, 100 of the Aborigines decided to settle there after the late 1870s.

Come the 1880s there was a total of twenty one personnel at the mission, involved in its day to day running and the station represented the largest white community in the Centre at that time.

The local pastoralists complained that the station had become a distribution point. They argued against it because they were accusing the Aboriginals of killing their sheep and in general, they did not believe in so 'spoiling' the Aboriginals.

As a result of their misgivings, the government sent a man by the name of E.E.C. Flint to make an unannounced inspection. He reported back quite favourably and so the government supplies continued to arrive at the mission. The pastoralists later tried to strike back, claiming that the missionaries were corrupting the Aborgines.

Today Hermannsburg has a take away, garage, store, clinic and fuel.


Galleries

Given that the famous artist Albert Namatjira was born here in 1902, it is not surprising that Hermannsburg has an interesting art gallery which you can visit whilst here. The historic precinct and Kata-Anga Tea Rooms are open from 9 am until 4 pm daily, with restricted times during the summer period. Telephone (089) 56 7402 for further details.

Natural Attractions

Just to the south of Hermannsburg is the Finke Gorge National Park, which is set in 46,000 hectares of land. Survivors from a wetter era, tall cabbage palms and other rare plants grow along several watercourses, including Palm Valley, which cut through the Park's dry, stony hills. Large waterholes along the Finke River are important refuges for waterbirds during long droughts. Vehicle access along the sandy river bed is by 4WD only, but the effort is worthwhile.

Tnorala Conservation Reserve is west of Hermannsburg. This spectacular crater was formed when a comet crashed to earth about 130 million years ago. The Reserve is jointly managed by the Conservation Commission and the Aboriginal traditional custodians have their own stories about the formation of the crater.

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