Special Interest Groups

The Band was founded in 1990 and is one of 22 Groups in the S.A. German Association. The purpose of the Band is to foster traditional German folkmusic and give audiences some of the joy Band members experience when playing it.

Ten months after inception the Band played at the 1991 Schützenfest- incl. the Opening Ceremony- and has been playing at every Schützenfest since.

The AGB has several engagements that recur every year as well as new engagements.
The Band has had engagements as far as Murtoa (Vic) and certainly all over S.A.

Some of the Bands more demanding non –german music requires additional voices, particularly trumpets. However, all other interested players would also be very welcome.

Our conductor is Peter Hutchings.

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The idea of having a special group for those members of the South Australian German Association who came from the city of Berlin was taken up in 1984 and eight members were present at the inaugural meeting. Since 1978 members from Berlin had organised the annual "Berlin Wall" and had helped with decorating the hall for that event, and from there it was only a small step to form their own group. The aim of the group is to preserve and foster Berlin humor, dialect and jokes for the enjoyment of everybody, whether a member of the group or not.

We are a group of almost 100 men and women, ranging in age from 60 to 90 with a few exceptions. We are reasonably fit. We are all members of the South Australian German Association who enjoy walking through the countryside. We meet every second Sunday for a 9 am start at a predetermined spot. We walk for approximately 3 hours, usually in Conservation-and Recreation Parks, on bush tracks.

There are three groups of walkers and as a walker you can select a group to suit your level of fitness.

Our A- Group tackles long, steep and often difficult walks between 11 and 15 km long. The B- Group walks between 8 and 12 km and the C- Group 6 km.in reasonable terrain. All of the walks are selected and led by competent, experienced Walk Leaders.

Everybody brings his own table, chair and lunch and a thermos full of tea or coffee to the meeting place. At the end of each walk everybody is looking forward to have a rest and all three groups usually sit together in a big circle to have lunch and to exchange the latest news or gossip.

Usually there are two, three or more members who celebrate their birthday. They bring a cake which is shared amongst those present. That is very much appreciated by all and adds to the attraction of our walks.

We also have two Bushwalking Camps per year, lasting several days and they have taken us as far away as Apollo Bay, Healesville, Melrose, Bright, The Grampians, the Flinders Ranges and Yorke Peninsula.

Once a year we have a “Family Picnic and Walking Day” where children have the opportunity to walk with us and where they can have fun together, after a short walk.

Our group also maintains an approximately 17 km long section of the Heysen Trail near Myponga. Our volunteers have built bridges across creeks, boardwalks across swamps, styles across fences and they keep the walking track reasonably clear. For the last ten years our group has walked the Heysen Trail. It is our aim to finish the Heysen Trail next year.

All agree: It is nice to go for that fortnightly walk, participate in camps away from home and enjoy the company of the other members of the group.

During the years 1954—1955 Viktor and Edith Kobienia started the Group of Skat Players, a very popular German card game. The beginners were on a small scale but the group met, as it still does today, every Thursday, and the competition Skat was played every fourth Sunday. There was not a lot of prize money involved but everybody had fun and a tasty meal was searved during the lunch break, cooked by members. After 1979 the group leader was Hildegard Clieves who ran the group with enormous energy and success. Hildegard is also the first lady ever to have won the SA Skat competition. Every year the group organises the "Skat Dance" and the group takes part in world competitions.

A very humble beginning but very enthusiastic ... that was back in 1972 when Horst Beier founded the "Adelaider Jungs" among a handful of members and friends. Early members, like Hans Lahska, Armin Regbein, Theo Simons, Heinrich Heuffner, Fred Seidel, and Hans Zeilder, established a very old German tradition in Adelaide and celebrated the first "Karneval" in South Australia with the opening ball in November 1972 followed by "Drei Tolle Tage", Three Happy Days, in February 1973. To organise a proper "Karneval", a council of eleven ("Elferrat") was required to organise all festivities. Due to there being only a few members of the group at the time, some members of the German Club acted as "Elferrat" and were also fitted with a colourful hat and uniform. Also, it was essential to have a Head-of-State, or "Prinz", to reign over the festivities, so the first "Prinz" became known as Hans I of Adelaide (Hans Lahska) for both the 1972/1973 and 1973/1974 seasons. Prinz Theo I (Theo Simons) reigned over the 1974/1975 season and then again in the 1975/1976 season with, for the first time, a beautiful Princess.

Hans Lahska dec quickly helped to establish a female ballet ("Funkengarde") with the support of Trudi Merget dec, who was the first dancing instructor. The ballet grew quickly to become a terrific entertainment group and supported the Carnival Group at their celebrations.

The "Adelaider Jungs" popularity grew and new members joined. Invitations came from Interstate and other local Carnival Groups to join them at their "Karneval". Many times the "Adelaider Jungs" have travelled to Melbourne, Geelong, and Whyalla and had tremendous receptions wherever they went. In 1981, some members of the group visited many cities in Germany and met Carnival Groups in Ulm, Stuttgart, Köln, and Koblenz. The Germans could not believe that we had successfully carried the "Karneval" tradition to Australia. Not only did the group entertain adults, it also made it possible for children to celebrate "Karneval" in the Club.

Because Carnival and wine are so closely related (both make people "happy"), the "Adelaider Jungs" chose for the first time a "Prinz" from the Barossa Valley – Robert Thumm of Yaldara –, in 1976/1977. He was followed by Wolf Blass of Bilyara as Wolf I in 1977/1978. Reinhold Koehler of the House of Seppelt was Reinhold I in 1978/1979. Wine is also made down South, so we discovered Hubert Lausberg of Maglieri Wines and made him Prinz Hubert I in 1979/1980. Robert I of Yaldara made it a second time as "Prinz" in 1980/1981. Once again, the Barossa Valley produced a "Prinz" in Steven Henschke, as Steven I, in 1981/1982. And once more, the House of Bilyara was represented, this time by John Glaetzer, as Prinz John von Bilyara, in 1982/1983. In 1983/1984, David Hardy von Siegersdorf reigned as Prinz David I von Siegersdorf with his Princess Elke Myer von Myerkof...

Over all these years, the Group has become stronger and has worked all the year round to produce a programme with a high standard of entertainment. The "Adelaider Jungs" is now a highly-organised Group with a committee and a council of eleven. Not only did all members work very hard to make the "Karneval" seasons a great success, we also had many happy hours on our picnics, Father's Day trips and many parties and get-togethers with drinking and singing and other entertainment.

Founded in 1960 under the leadership of Gerd Turon, and Horst Pommerenke being the present group leader. The group had its peak in the sixties and seventies, but membership has since declined. The name of the group "Victoria" comes from Queen Victoria, but the name is also used in German. The group has at present 15 active players and it has to be specially mentioned that not only the members are great "mates" but that their wives also have good contacts to each other.

IAIDO. The Classical Japanese Art of Drawing the Japanese Sword is practiced today as a method of self-development, which allows you to develop your character and spirit and requires imagination and concentration. Iaido is an art that appeals to many who are looking for something deeper than a set of fighting or self defence skills. Both men and women are encouraged to join. We have been training in the German Club Gym and demonstrating at the German Club Open Day and Schützenfest since 1999.

JAPANESSE AND GERMAN LINKS: Engelbert Kaempfer (1651—1716), a German doctor in Dutch service in Japan and author of the celebrated History and Description of Japan (1777—1779), admired and described Japan as the "Germany of the Orient". Strong Japanese and German links date from 1881 with the rising influence of Doitsugaku (German studies) in Japan and an increasing orientation toward Germany for models in law, education, and economic and social policy. Similar historical links are illustrated in the article "Kindred Spirits, The Art of the Sword in Germany & Japan" published in Journal of Asian Martial Arts (1997).

In Japan today, as part of the annual celebration of the New Year during December, performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony ring out across Japan in a chorus of "Freude!" (joy). It is always sung in the German language, which requires long hours of rehearsal for Japanese amateur and professional choirs.

In Tokyo alone there were about 50 performances of the Choral Symphony. There were sometimes as many as six shows in one day, and at the Suntory Hall-two different orchestras performed the piece at daytime and evening shows on Christmas Day. Nationwide the number of renditions will top 140 in the season as a whole, which means that on an average day there will be five performances somewhere in Japan.

The modern Olympic sport of fencing can be enjoyed by both sexes and all ages. If you want to improve your coordination, balance, flexibility, reactions and mental agility while also enjoying the challenge of combat, fencing is for you. It really is a fun way to gain both anaerobic and aerobic fitness.

From 1838 large numbers of German speaking people settled in South Australia. These pioneer settlers and their descendants have made a significant contribution to the development of South Australia.  As a result of two world wars and the feelings these generated, much of this important history has been blurred.  A small group of German descendants met on 10th September 1980 to establish a German Descendants' Group within the S.A. German Association.  The objectives of the group are: to contribute to and foster the culture and traditions of our forebears who came from Germany and to be concerned with the preservation of the German heritage and history in South Australia.  The group ensures that in displays, historical compilations and exhibitions the contribution of the Germans and their descendants since 1838 is not forgotten or overlooked.

What's coming up?

The German folk Dancing group has been around for a while, in fact for 45 years! So this year on Sunday 17th March 2009 we'll be celebrating our 45th Anniversary. Our last reunion party was a hit with the old and newer members, and this one is brewing up to be even better! If you'd like to find out more about this special celebration please get in touch with us.

Also this year get ready for "Heads Down Bingo". Even if you're an avid Bingo player or a first timer, you're sure to have a great night with us. There'll be lots of major prizes, including cash prizes. Our first bingo night had to be cancelled due to the "heat wave" (we apologise for any inconvenience) and the next one is on Sunday 3rd May 2009.

Lastly if you haven't heard, our group is planning another Dancing Tour to Germany, for 2010. This will be the third time we've done an overseas tour. If you'd like to know more, or to know how to be involved, again, please get in touch with us. More details can be found on our website: follow the link above.

What do we offer new members?

• A very affordable activity.
• Something the whole family can do.
• Chance for you to get fit and healthy in a fun way.
• Performance costume at no cost (if you'd like to perform).
• Rights to low member rates at the German Club and Donauschwaben Club activities/facilities.
• Meet new people.
• Learn new skills.

It all started in 1965 with a few ladies getting together to keep fit. The group became so popular that it had seventy members in the 1980s who enjoyed healthy exercise and some aerobics all to stimulating music.

The first group leader was Mrs. Bihar, followed 1966 by Mrs. Selma Ebel who acted in her position with love and dedication until 1995 when Mrs. Christel Piep took over. Of course we must not forget to mention the instructors who keep everybody "on their toes". They are Traudl Meinhardt for the Monday section and Hannelore Tebeck for the Wednesday section.

The group also enjoys social functions like birthday celebrations, luncheons and outings. Once a year the group stages the very successful "Bunter Nachmittag" ( The variety afternoon) with coffee and homemade cakes for everybody including the public to enjoy.

Are you interested in stamp collecting and would like to meet others who share your interest? Are you a beginner and would like some ideas on how to get started in this interesting hobby? If so, you might like to come along and join us. You will have the opportunity to make new friends with similar interests, exchange information and ideas, trade stamps with other collectors throughout Australia via our Circuit Books, which provide an opportunity for collectors across the country to buy and sell stamps and associated items with ease and security, and – last but not least – bid for stamps etc. to add to your own collection at our in-house auctions.

Founded in 1965, Werner Pohl was its first group leader and is leading the group again now. There have been other group leaders in the meantime and they all have faithfully carried out the original programme of the foundation committee. There are collectors specialising in German material but other countries, in particular Australia, are collected, too. A highlight every year is the Christmas Party for members, their families and friends which traditionally is not only a time of meeting and talking but also continuing the more serious tradition of Christmas. For the 100-year celebration of the SA German Association the group organised a tremendous exhibition, auction and sale of philatelic items of interest.

This group was the first ever for older members in any of the German Clubs in Australia. It was started in 1970 by Mrs. Brunnthaler and Mr. Lange. The group brings a lot of fun to its members and there are so many willing helpers that it is hard to count them all. With 150 members in the 1980s it was the largest group within the SA German Association. Although many members have passed on, others are joining all the time and keeping up the tradition.

Shooting is one of the few sports that has been represented at every modern Olympic Games. Air Rifle shooting had an enormous response at the first World Air Weapons Championships in Seoul, South Korea. Ten thousand spectators watched this event in the mid 1970s, and this has ensured that a separate Air Weapons competition is now a regular feature of the International Shooting Calendar. The Brisbane Commonwealth Games and the Los Angeles Olympics have established Air Rifle as a major World Sport.

Shooting clubs were established in Europe soon after the development of guns in the 14th Century. This long tradition was curtailed after World War II when the Allies prohibited the use of firearms in Germany.

Many Germans turned to air weapons in order to continue their centuries-old 'King Shoot' and hunting traditions, and this new form of shooting was quickly developed and taken up world-wide.

The first Air Rifle club was established in Australia in Adelaide in 1964 by German and Austrian immigrants. By 1969 there were at least eight German Clubs with groups of Air Rifle enthusiasts. The first Australian Air Rifle Championship was conducted in 1970, with about 70 shooters representing seven clubs.

From a general meeting, the first Committee was elected and the Air Rifle Association of Australia (ARAA) was born.

There are currently 29 clubs affiliated with the ARAA. Although many of these have connections with German or Austrian Clubs, membership is open to all and comprises more than half non-German shooters.

Fees vary from club to club, and most groups charge an annual fee for ammunition, targets etc. Club rifles are usually available for members' use. ARAA membership and insurance is around AU$ 20. Basic membership and club equipment usage will cost less than AU$ 100 a year. As proficiency and interest increase, personal gear such as boots, gloves, jackets and rifles can usually be bought second-hand.

Our Table tennis group has been part of the SAADV since 1960. We have approximately 20 loyal members, ranging from teenagers through to veterans and from beginners through to members ranked in Australia's top 100. We practise in the Friedrich Jahn Gymnasium on four tables, generally followed by a few drinks in the bar down stairs. Our group is associated with Table Tennis SA and a number of our members compete in their winter pennant competitions. We also organise quite a few social activities with our annual BBQ, exchanges with other clubs and our Christmas dinners being the highlights of the year. All Table tennis enthusiasts, whether beginner or "pro", are invited to come and see us for a trial.

From a humble beginning in 1958 the club developed into a reputable force with four tennis courts and five competitive teams playing in the Southern Districts Tennis Association. We now have two synthetic grass courts and play tennis more often than ever. The courts are situated on Greenhill Road, Wayville, opposite Annesley College with excellent change room facilities. New members are always welcome.