With the Easter break coming up, are you looking for a good book to read? We’ve got you covered! Or if you wanted to go away on holidays but, with the cost of living, you’re not going anywhere, we’ve got you covered for that, too. Why not take a journey back through place and time, to the Barossa of the past? It’s as easy as opening the cover of a book We have compiled a list of great reads for you, so grab your comfy chair or hammock, get yourself a drink, and get reading!
Fiction:
The Journey, by Lee Boehm. This fabulous story follows the lives of Silesian immigrants on two journeys – from Silesia to Light Pass, and then on the trek from the Barossa to Walla Walla in NSW. Lee’s extensive research into the families and the times, and her engaging way of telling a story results in a really good read that allows us to picture what it was like at the time.
The German Teacher, by Judy Gillett-Ferguson. If you’re in the mood for a little bit of crime and mystery, you will enjoy this book. A young female teacher is sent to a German school during the First World War and has the responsibility of making sure the classes are taught in English. She finds herself involved in murder, feuds, and love, as she struggles to navigate her way in the community. This book gives a good picture of the difficulties Germans faced during the war years, as many of their men were interred, and the remaining people were treated with suspicion.
The following books are all by Colin Thiele and are classics that should be on everyone’s reading list. Colin Thiele was born in 1920 to a Barossa German family, and like many children of the time, spoke only German until he went to school. His books capture the life and times of the Barossa and its people with warmth, humour and understanding, and paint a vivid picture of valley life.
Sun on the Stubble. This coming-of-age story tells the tale of a young German immigrant boy growing up in the Barossa Valley.
Labourers in the Vineyard.
“Strangers,” said old Otto Bartsch emphatically, “is very funny people”. There was a deferential silence while he picked up a twig and dug contemplatively at the stitches in his boot. After a pause Bert Lindner agreed with him. “Yes, dat’s mainly vot’s wrong wit’ dem.” Silence again.” So begins this book. Set after the Second World War, it takes us back to a time of change, when new people were coming into the valley.
The Shadow on the Hills. Twelve-year-old Bode Schneider is in his last year of school and soon to join the ranks of German farmers who have settled the area. In between dipping schoolgirls’ pigtails into inkwells, spying on his teacher “”spooning”” in the haystacks at the Harvest Ball, and letting loose the prize bull of local powerbroker Moses Mibus in the hopes that “”Herr Von Ribentropp”” will knock up the Schneider heifers, Bode befriends a strange old hermit.
The Seeds of Inheritance – highly recommended by one of our readers!
Non-fiction:
Food and Cooking
The food of a community gives a marvelous insight into how the people lived, the customs they brought with them, and the way they used the resources they had available. The following books give not only recipes, but a wonderful glimpse into the life and times of those who prepared them.
The Barossa Cookbook: An iconic and historically significant community cookbook that is as relevant today as its original publication 100 years ago. It’s one of the very few community cookbooks still in continuous print, with its proceeds still supporting the community that created it.
Rolling up Their Sleeves, by Those Barossa Girls. This book captures the stories of the remarkable women in the Barossa’s history, and the recipes they used to build a community. Part social history, part cookbook, this book weaves storytelling and food in equal measure.
Both books are available through the website (Those Barossa Girls Home – Those Barossa Girls), or at the gift shop at Barossa Regional Gallery, Tanunda.
Barossa food, by Angela Heuzenroeder. In this wonderful combination of recipes, history and stories, Angela follows the seasons to describe foods eaten in the Barossa over 160 years. Drawing on her own experiences and the memories of the Valley residents, she weaves in the customs, lifestyle, farming methods and food preparation, and the ways these have changed over the years.
Other non-fiction.
Barossa Journeys, into a valley of tradition, by Noris Ioannou. This evocative book takes the reader on a journey through the Barossa in both place and time, aiming to connect the reader to the unique spirit of the Barossa. It celebrates the history of the Barossa from the early 1800’s on until the present day and looks at how it has been shaped by multiple influences. Wonderful photographs are scattered throughout.
Light Pass non-official Post Office History, by Sandra John. Sandra has gathered together many historical records, resident’s recollections and photographs to tell the story of not only the Light Pass Postal Service, but also the community and its people. It is a fascinating read.
A History of the Barossa Vintage Festival – Past & Present Events’, by Rebekah Rosenzweig Made possible by a Peter Lehmann Arts & Education Grant, this book documents the history of the Barossa Vintage Festival from 1947 when it began until today. It is filled with memories and photographs and captures the joyous spirit of the festival. Books can be purchased through the Barossa Visitor Centre.
Diaries and biographies.
The Diary of Emilie Appelt.1904-1914, Edited by Samuel Doering, translated by Vida Hoopmann. A fascinating account of the daily life of a German Lutheran woman in Eudunda.
Prisoner Diaries, edited by Elizabeth M Schulz. Mr Scholz was arrested and interned during WW2 for being a Nazi sympathiser, despite the fact there was no evidence. He maintained his innocence his entire life,and was supported by the community. The book was published by his grandaughter as part of her history Masters research.
The Defiant Anti-conscriptionist: The curious life of E.H. Coombe, by Helen Hennessy and Patricia Booth. Ephraim Coombe was.a divisive South Australian politician who was anti-conscription and a pacifist. He went against popular opinion during WW1 by defending Barossa Valley residents suspected of disloyalty and persecuted for their German heritage. He opposed anti-German measures such as closing Lutheran schools, conscription and the “intimidation of male voters” in the 1917 referendum on that issue. Ephraim died of a heart attack during his term, and the townsfolk of Tanunda erected a statue in his honour – on the corner of Julius and Murray Streets. The book is available through Wakefield Press.
