Early this term, Concordia was honoured to receive a very kind donation of the three volumes of “The Tale of Frieda Keysser” by John Strethlow from Glen Auricht.

The books document the life and impact of Frieda Keysser, who was a pioneering Lutheran missionary. She travelled from Germany to the remote Hermannsburg Mission in Central Australia, where she devoted her life to supporting the Arrernte community. She learned the Arrernte language; worked closely with women and children to improve education, health and daily living; and contributed significantly to the mission's linguistic and cultural research. Through her practical leadership, writings and collaboration with her husband, Carl Strehlow, she helped transform Hermannsburg into a thriving community while preserving an invaluable record of Arrernte culture and life.

In more recent times Glen Auricht has also made a significant contribution to the communities in and around the Finke River mission. During his time there he has learnt a number of First Nations Languages and has emphasised learning the culture of the First Nations people whilst sharing his skills and knowledge in building and construction. He recently presented to the Friends of Lutheran Archives. His talk can be viewed here: FoLA Meeting 23 July 2026 - "Moving Back to Country" Speaker: Glen Auricht.

We thank Glen for his very generous donation. It is available from the Concordia Campus (Middle and Senior School) library to be borrowed. Parents are also very welcome to borrow these, or any other books from our library.

Hajnalka Molloy
Learning Resources Manager