Bethany Pioneer Cemetery

197- 207 Bethany Road, Bethany.

CURATOR: Peter Sonntag. Mobile 0412 069 406

In 1842, Bethanien (Bethany) was the first German village to be established in the Barossa Valley, by a group of German Lutheran migrants many of whom had arrived with Pastor Gotthard Daniel Fritzsche on the Skjold in 1841.

One of the oldest cemeteries in the district, the Bethany Pioneer Cemetery reflects the sad heritage of our pioneering families and their hardships, especially the loss of over 132 children. Records of births, marriages, and deaths began at Bethany on 15th July 1847, and records prior to this are to be found in the Lutheran Church Register at Lobethal. (Births and Deaths only.) The most recent burial was on 27th September 1942.

The Pioneer Cemetery records of cemetery “plots” began in 1862. Last updated in the 175th Anniversary year 2017. More rows, graves, and records have been located. There are still inconsistencies in the records to confirm the unmarked graves. 132 children have been recorded as buried on the eastern side of the Bethany Pioneer Cemetery.

The oldest surviving persons/tombstones are those of:

Christian Seidel: Born 1786. Died 17 July 1877. Age 91

Anna Marie Hohnberg: Born 1794. Died 22 November 1875. Age 81

Marie Charlotte Meyer: Mother of Pastor HAE Meyer. Born 1787. Buried 24 June 1866. Age 79