Location: Hope Vale, Queensland.

Further information:  Schwarz, Georg Heinrich (1868-1959) Biography at German Missionaries in Australia - Griffith University.

Description: Aboriginals at the Hope Vale Mission.

Biographical of Photographer: Georg Heinrich Schwarz was born on 31 January 1868 at Höchst near Frankfurt. He was the sixth of nine children in a Lutheran family and at age 15 he entered the Lutheran mission school in Bavaria. When he received his 'call' to Australia, he was ordained and travelled via England, arriving at Cape Bedford in September 1887. During his 55 years at Cape Bedford Schwarz became one of the most prominent missionaries in Queensland. Although naturalised he was interned during World War II and completely severed his links to Germany. He died in Cooktown at age 91 and was interred at Hope Vale, where he was known as Muni and is still remembered there with annual celebrations of Muni Day.

This was the first mission on Cape York Peninsula, and became the oldest surviving mission in north Queensland. It was initiated by Lutheran staff from Cooper Creek (South Australia) who established Elim and it became a stable community with the assignment of two young Neuendettelsau missionaries, Schwarz and Poland who stayed for 55 and 20 years respectively and added the Hope Valley site. The whole community was evacuated during World War II, because of its German missionary and lugger connections with Japanese. After the war Hope Vale was established on a new site. Outspoken and indomitable Missionary Schwarz is still remembered at Hope Vale which has remained a cohesive community and is home of a number of active and high profile indigenous activists.

View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/photostd/00640377

Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/research-collections

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