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The origin of the South Australian placename Lobethal
When the 18 German families arrived at the Onkaparinga River, where they established the settlement Lobethal, Pastor Fritzsche held an open-air service of thanksgiving on 4th May 1842. He read out the following verse from the bible, from Martin Luther's German translation of the bible:
And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in Lobethal; for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of the same place was called Lobethal unto this day.
(Book 2 of Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 26. In many English translations of the bible the above verse calls the place Valley of Beracah = valley of praise = Lobethal.)
Therefore Pastor Fritzsche named the new settlement in the Mount Lofty Ranges Lobethal.
Town sign at entrance to Lobethal
(See also German Placenames in Australia)
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